Isaiah
56 reminds me of my friend Ralph. He was a nice kid from a nice
family that really never did much wrong. Somewhere along the way, he
discovered that being associated with access to drugs gave him a new
reputation, a bad-boy mystique. He did his best to foster that image
through high school. Sadly, I heard Ralph passed away last month.
My assumption is the reputation caught up to the man, making his life
very difficult. I ask myself what would have happened if I had
shared God’s wisdom with him. The chapter begins, “Maintain
justice and do what is right, for My salvation is close at hand and
My righteousness will soon be revealed.
Blessed is the one who does
this“. I believe there is a
dual meaning here. Clearly being busy with good stuff does not leave
time for some of the dumb stuff. He adds, the person “who
keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps their hands from
doing any evil“. There is a
step beyond that. In addition to avoiding the “Wrong place, wrong
time” excuse, we find a completely different kind of acceptance.
The church is not full of pious saints, but damaged people that have
found healing and God’s forgiveness, “Accept
one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring
praise to God” (Romans 15:7).
It should be a place of restoration. Friend, are you still trying to
look cool?
Next
Isaiah explains the excuses. “The
LORD will surely exclude me from His people“.
I hear people say, “God can’t forgive me for this”. I am here
to tell you, Yes He can! “For
I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”
(Romans 8:39). Anyone that tells you otherwise is a deceiver. God
desires to give us more than life, but abundant life. Isaiah writes
God’s Words, those that honor God “who
choose what pleases Me… I will give… a memorial and a name“.
More than just a good impression, “I
will give them an everlasting Name that will endure forever“.
What is your nickname?
Isaiah
continues explaining that no one is excluded from the opportunity.
All “who bind themselves to the
LORD… who hold fast to My covenant”
God promises to “give them joy
in My house of prayer… My house will be called a house of prayer
for all nations“. God says of
the circle of believers, “I
will gather still others to them besides those already gathered“.
The chapter closes with an accusation against the ones that call
themselves followers, yet live in a way that deny His love.
“Israel’s watchmen are blind,
they all lack knowledge… they lie around and dream, they love to
sleep… dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough“.
It is easy enough to build a bad reputation, but I truly weep for
those that get caught up in the trap. 1 Corinthians 15:33 reminds
us, “Bad company corrupts good
character“. Isaiah notes,
“They are shepherds who
lack understanding; they all turn
to their own way, they seek their own gain“.
The final verse haunts me because I probably spoke these very words
to my friend Ralph, “Come…
let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer! And tomorrow will be
like today, or even far better“.
Here are the words I would speak to any of my friends today, “If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”
(1 John 1:9). Restoration is here for you too. Is it time for a new
reputation?