Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

The analogy of a vineyard is given in Isaiah 5. The vineyard is Jerusalem and her inhabitants. The one that produces bad fruit will be destroyed by the one who created them. Once again, the Lord calls for justice and righteousness. Drunkenness is condemned. So is calling evil good and good evil, and other cases of misrepresentation. Arrogance is also despised by Yahweh. These actions have brought the destruction of Israel and Judah.  

The call of Isaiah is a commonly read passage that is recorded in chapter 6. The time is recorded as “in the year King Uzziah died.” The Prophet was in the Temple when he saw the Lord. He volunteered to be Jehovah’s voice. Would you want a job where people won’t listen to you? Would you want to be told ahead of time that in the end the city will be destroyed? Neither would I.

We are still in the time of Ahaz, King of Judah and Pekah was King of Israel in Isaiah 7. The Aramaeans and Israel attacked Judah but was pushed back. The destruction of both countries is predicted within sixty-five years. The capitals of Samaria and Damascus will fall. Assyria is the nation that will conquer them.

This seems like an odd place for the prophet to predict the birth of a child to a virgin. This baby will be the actual presence of God himself. We are often confused by our triune God and His nature. He has chosen to show Himself as a father, a son, and a spirit. The amazing part of Jehovah is that He created us in His image and we, therefore, have a soul, a body, and a spirit.

Would you name your child “Quick to the spoil.” Isaiah does in chapter eight. Verse eight has another reference to Immanuel, “God who lives with us.” Jehovah is the Lord Almighty and is different from others, that is what is meant by being holy. The fear and the dread is better thought of as respect and admiration. We, modern westerners, view fear differently than the Hebrew thought.

Jesus quoted verse fourteen when He spoke of being a stumbling block to the Pharisees. We also see the difference between the darkness and the light. Being spiritual does not mean being Godly. Communicating with evil spirits is not the same as speaking with God. If you want to talk to your boss at work, why would you speak to a drug dealer that hangs out on the corner down the street?

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger