Listen to God's Voice

Introduction

You ever gotten an undeserved second chance? Did you take advantage of that or ignore it? (Dr. Baltimore story) We begin a series in Isaiah that will carry us through the first part of the year. Anytime we preach through a prophet there is a lot of repetition. Isaiah is no different. However, repetition is not a bad thing. Isaiah is the most quoted prophet in the New Testament. The entire writing reminds us of the conflict between divine glory and human pride. In Isaiah we see that pride leads to destruction and God’s grace restores. In Isaiah we find the beauty of God’s holiness even as we see how his holiness calls us to something better in this life.

Isaiah 1:1 tells us that this writing covers a lengthy period of time in Jerusalem. Four kings are mentioned: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, about an 80 year time span. Uzziah becomes king at an opportune time. Assyria is the world power. However, for almost 60 years Assyria was weak. While Assyria had threats from other nations, they did not have the power to expand. During this time both Israel and Judah enjoyed a respite from the control of Assyria. During this time the prophets Amos and Hosea are speaking to Jeroboam in the northern kingdom of Israel. Isaiah is speaking in Jerusalem. But Assyria eventually becomes strong again. When Ahaz, Uzziah’s grandson, becomes king he has a pro-Assyrian foreign policy. He did this because Israel and Syria formed an alliance and went to war against Jerusalem. Ahaz seeks Assyrian help to avoid being captured. To confirm his allegiance to Assyria, Ahaz worships Assyrian gods and has Assyrian idols constructed in the land. Furthermore, he sacrifices ones of his sons to the god Molech. All in an attempt to hold onto power in Jerusalem.

Assyria eventually destroys Israel and the northern kingdom. Jerusalem remains intact for a time. But Jerusalem will fall about 150 years later to Babylon. What we read in Isaiah is the prophet’s attempt to get four kings to remain faithful to God and by doing so to encourage the people to follow God as well. There will be times when the kings will listen and times when they fail to listen. Isaiah is the voice of God for almost 80 years in Jerusalem. Why all this history? Because God had a plan then and he has a plan now. God spoke about his plans through Isaiah. God has spoken about his plan through his son. The people didn’t listen and it cost them their freedom. We fail to listen and it costs us real freedom. The people listened and they experienced closeness with God. We listen and we are close to God. Times change. The message is the same.

No Longer Listening

When we think about Israel, we may think in one of three ways. We may think about Israel about being God’s chosen people. We may think about Israel as rebellious people. Or we may think of Israel in a combined way both called and rebellious. I read this text and I am struck by two things:

First, God uses the image of parenting to make his point.

Second, God uses the image of animals to drive his point home.

In this text, God is the parent. He has called Israel to follow. When we go back to Exodus 24, there at the base of Mt. Sinai, the people agree. The people agree to follow God. To listen to his voice. To have no other gods. To not allow any rivals to come between them and God. There was a time when Israel heard God’s voice. They heard it with such clarity that it made them fall apart. The very voice of God weakened their knees and destroyed any pretense. The voice of God shook the people to their core and his voice was so dramatically clear that they had no desire to follow anything else.

But things happened. New generations came along. New ways of thinking entered in. The people began to hear other voices. The clarity of God’s voice was only a memory and then the other voices because they were present and inviting and powerful began to resonate with them. Those other voices told them that there were better ways. Ways for them to find greater freedom. And the people listened and their commitment to God began to be shared. They still sacrificed. They still prayed. They still went to tent meetings, but their hearts were being shared with the other voices. As their hearts began to be open to other possibilities they tried new ways of doing things. And slowly but progressively the other voices carved out greater places in their heart and God got relegated to the panic part. Call on him when in trouble. Call on him when afraid. Call on him when things aren’t right. And God didn’t answer quickly enough or sufficiently enough and the voices won. They still went to sacrifice, but now they were takers not givers.

Let me ask you something? Who is the best parent this world has ever known if not God? Perfect in all his ways. Perfect in his love. Perfect in his discipline. Perfect in his care. Perfect in his thinking and actions. But even with a perfect parent, Israel didn’t listen. God notes that even animals know the voice of their master. We have sayings in our own culture about the two animals God uses “Stubborn as a mule” and “Dumb as an ox.” Even the animals least likely to have intelligence know their master’s voice and where their food comes from. But Israel. She forgot.

If the perfect parent has imperfect children, is it possible for you too? There are some in this audience who see that their children do not listen to God’s voice. You blame yourself. You didn’t listen well either at times. Welcome to the human condition! But your intent was to listen. You wanted your children to listen. You exposed them to opportunities to listen. You lived imperfectly trying to listen. You prayed for them to hear God’s voice. Maybe at one time they did, but now they don’t. Do you think God was a bad parent to Israel? Do you think God mistreated Israel? Do you think God blames himself for Israel listening to other voices? Neither should you.

Grace

Turn to verse 18—20. God through Isaiah gives a warning and grace. This is the heart of God toward his children. Damage done is hard to forget. Rift in relationship is hard to repair. Sin brings out the worst and separates. Here is God’s remedy—Grace. It is unconditional in the sense that it is offered without justification. What is deserved is the sword. But God in his grace and mercy shares his heart. Come back. The depth of your sin is no match for my forgiveness. Show your new heart. Show that you are willing to listen and obey. Show that you hear my voice and return to me. I will forgive. This is not conditional. The forgiveness is waiting for those who will turn to it and by turning to it, behaviors and thinking will change.

This is what we as parents do. We are quick to extend mercy and grace. We want our children to hear the voice of God again. We engage them. We remind them that they are always near us. We remind them that our imperfect love is constant. And we assure them that relationship is possible.

This is the heart of God. Our view of God desiring to punish us is tainted by our guilt and shame. But listen to the words of God—I want to forgive sin more than I want to punish. I will punish. I can do that but that is not what I want. I want to give you forgiveness. I want you to know the goodness that comes with walking with me. I want you to know real freedom of being near me. This is what I want but your refusal means you have chosen the greater consequences. You have chosen the route of punishment rather than the route of forgiveness. And this is your heart as a parent. Imperfect as you are, you want to give grace, mercy and forgiveness. Hear the voice of God. Hear the desire of his heart and return to him. Invitation.

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