Title: Heaven Can’t Wait To Forgive You
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 30:1-3
Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:
2 That walk to go down into Egypt and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
3 Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.
- The conditions of people
There are five woe oracles in this literary unit:
- woe to the northern and southern tribes of Israel
- woe to Jerusalem
- woe to those who seek help in political alliances and not in YHWH
- woe to those seeking help from Egypt
- woe to Assyria
The word ‘woe’ can be translated as ‘Alas,’ ‘woe,’ or ‘Ah.’ This often is used by prophets. Mostly it expresses a negative reaction to the coming pain of divine judgment. Ironically in some contexts it also denotes sympathy or pity.
The title ‘rebellious children’ implies two truths.
- They are ‘children’ (descendant of Abraham, heir of the promises).
- They act ‘rebelliously.’ It is translated as ‘rebels.’ The basic meaning of the root word in Hebrew is ‘stubborn.’
Deuteronomy 21:18-21, “If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his home town. They shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.”
The phrase, ‘stubborn and rebellious’ are often paired together, describing on who is not loyal to God. Glutton and a drunkard are two vices that also occur together that served as a cliché for self-indulgence and lack of constructive activity.
This specific incident points to their handling of life.
A. They have devised their own plan to protect themselves against the Assyrians.
B. They made political alliance with Egypt but ignored YHWH’s Spirit (His presence, promises and protection).
C. In order to add to sin.
Let us look at the Assyrians and Egyptians to apply it to our day-to-day context.
First the Assyrians are bloodthirsty, vicious, fearsome, violent, wicked, indomitable (strong) – these are just a few of the words that described the ancient Assyrian empire. They represent the system, rulers, values, morality and belief of the world.
Psalms 118:8 says, ‘It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.’
Man (Adam) is parallel to ‘princes’ and they are an idiom for ‘all men.’ Neither is the common man or even princes among men could help the way God can help.
Psalms 20:7 says, ‘Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.’
To put it in today’s context, many of us took counsel, devise plans, but not of God’s Spirit.
As a result, many of us become ‘unruly sons’ and carry out a purpose which is not from Jehovah.
Secondly, the Egyptian. What are the results of trusting in Egypt?
- Shame
- Confusion of face
- Bitterness of life aggravated by great toil and suffering
- Failure
- Presence of fiery serpents and scorpion, and lions
- Place of drought
- No help in Egypt
- God can’t wait to forgive you
Isaiah 30:18-19, ‘Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him. O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.
We are told in verse 18 ‘the Lord longs to be gracious to you. What a wonderful verse and a shocking reversal that reveals the character of YHWH.
- Longs to be gracious.
- Wait on high to have compassion.
Notice what YHWH will do in the future for a repentant, faithful individual?
- They will weep no longer.
- YHWH will surely be gracious.
- He hears the sound of their cry
- He will answer.
- He will no longer hide in the corner.
- Your eyes will behold your Teacher.
- Your ears will hear a word behind.
- You will repent. Turn from your idols that defile you.
- The heart of God
For those who returns to God, He doesn’t see you as ‘damaged goods’ or ‘a second-class citizens’ or a blight in the church.
The sinner who has turned to Christ in forgiveness has the righteousness of the Savior credited to his account. It is this righteousness, not the black mark of sin, that the forgiving Father sees.
THE EXAMPLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON.
In conclusion, we are all stubborn and rebellious. This is demonstrated by our self-will, self-reliance, lifestyle activities, continual sins that incurs the wrath of God. We make devise our own plan. We add sin to sin, pilling one after another, guilt upon guilt. We put our trust in our fellow men, princes when lives become difficult. As a result, we experience shame, confusion of face, bitterness of life, and failure. For many of us, we groan under the heavy burden of life’ circumstances. We experience distress and oppression daily. The number one problem in this world right now is mental health. It describes the tremendous slavery in life. But God sent his son Jesus, to free us from such life. He heals the sick man that had to be carried on a stretcher, heals the crippled man that waiting longingly at the Pool of Siloam to be the first to jump into the pool but failed to do so because he is crippled. He even raised Larazrus from the dead because his sisters Mary and Martha cannot stop crying in bitterness of soul because of his brother’s death. But Jesus who delivers, was not delivered by God himself. He who delivers was himself delivered unto the tyranny of the Romans soldiers, who whipped him until his whole body was bloody. His own head was pinned with a crown of thorns. Jesus who delivers was himself delivered unto death, where he was nailed to the cross. Why? So that when Jesus resurrects, it made possible for God who can’t wait to forgive you. God himself tore the veil from top to bottom, signifying, God has made possible for you to come to him and receive forgiveness. Because of Jesus, YHWH will be gracious, will hear the sounds of your cry, will answer and you will see him and hear a word behind you. You only need to repent right now and turn from your idols that defile you and come back to God.
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