Calling on People who Pray
Rough times come to all. As I read through the Book of Isaiah, I realize that he is living in rough times himself. Judah isn't in the best shape, and trouble is brewing all around. How should these problems be fixed?
As people, we tend to defer to human solutions. People should LEARN more about God. They should REPENT of the decisions they make which cause judgment to come. Laws sould be passed...regulations set up...politics changed. Now, I am not saying that these solutions are all wrong. It makes sense to learn. Repentence is called for repeatedly in the Bible, as people tend to do what THEY want rather than doing what God commands. And sometimes, governments NEED a good dash of reform.
But...notice what Isaiah says in Chapter 62:6-7. "I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth."
The "I" can be a bit confusing. If the I is God, then God is both setting the watchmen and saying that people should give Him "no rest." Not an impossible piece of grammar, but clunky. If the "I" is Isaiah, it does get easier to process.
Isaiah isn't in CHARGE of Jerusalem (it might have been better if he was, but he was a prophet, not a King), but he DOES have influence and some clout. So...perhaps HE has set watchmen on the walls. They keep an eye out. They warn people about events happening both outside and inside the walls. The command from Isaiah to them is "don't stop warning." No matter whether you re popular or not, no matter whether they want to hear you, just keep sharing the truth. In a sense, evangelists and teachers at least.
Then, "You who make mention of the Lord."Who are they? Well, they are told to "give Him no rest until..." Give WHO no rest? Well, who else can establish Jerusalem and make it a praise in the earth. Even the mightiest kings failed to do that so far. So...not a political or military figure.
The "Him" referred to here is God. Give God no rest? What? Forget the fact that God doesn't NEED rest, and that if He did, YOU and I wouldnt be able to stop Him from getting it. But the words themselves show me that Isaiah is calling on prayer warriors, intercessors, to keep on praying to God and asking Him to change the nature and status of Jerusalem.
Don't try to change tough times yourself all the time. Keep on trusting God. Keep on praying. Get others involved. Even when issues seem BAD, keep holding on to the truth and telling others about that truth. Don't quit on God to try to fix it yourself. Don't quit on God because you feel frustration. God WILL work it out (though maybe not in the way you hope and expect) in the right, the BEST way.
As people, we tend to defer to human solutions. People should LEARN more about God. They should REPENT of the decisions they make which cause judgment to come. Laws sould be passed...regulations set up...politics changed. Now, I am not saying that these solutions are all wrong. It makes sense to learn. Repentence is called for repeatedly in the Bible, as people tend to do what THEY want rather than doing what God commands. And sometimes, governments NEED a good dash of reform.
But...notice what Isaiah says in Chapter 62:6-7. "I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth."
The "I" can be a bit confusing. If the I is God, then God is both setting the watchmen and saying that people should give Him "no rest." Not an impossible piece of grammar, but clunky. If the "I" is Isaiah, it does get easier to process.
Isaiah isn't in CHARGE of Jerusalem (it might have been better if he was, but he was a prophet, not a King), but he DOES have influence and some clout. So...perhaps HE has set watchmen on the walls. They keep an eye out. They warn people about events happening both outside and inside the walls. The command from Isaiah to them is "don't stop warning." No matter whether you re popular or not, no matter whether they want to hear you, just keep sharing the truth. In a sense, evangelists and teachers at least.
Then, "You who make mention of the Lord."Who are they? Well, they are told to "give Him no rest until..." Give WHO no rest? Well, who else can establish Jerusalem and make it a praise in the earth. Even the mightiest kings failed to do that so far. So...not a political or military figure.
The "Him" referred to here is God. Give God no rest? What? Forget the fact that God doesn't NEED rest, and that if He did, YOU and I wouldnt be able to stop Him from getting it. But the words themselves show me that Isaiah is calling on prayer warriors, intercessors, to keep on praying to God and asking Him to change the nature and status of Jerusalem.
Don't try to change tough times yourself all the time. Keep on trusting God. Keep on praying. Get others involved. Even when issues seem BAD, keep holding on to the truth and telling others about that truth. Don't quit on God to try to fix it yourself. Don't quit on God because you feel frustration. God WILL work it out (though maybe not in the way you hope and expect) in the right, the BEST way.
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