Isaiah 33:13-16
Hear, you who are far off, what I have done;
and you who are near, acknowledge my might.
The sinners in Zion are afraid;
trembling has seized the godless:
“Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire?
Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?”
He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
who despises the gain of oppressions,
who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,
he will dwell on the heights;
his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;
his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.
Tag: Righteousness is a Catalyst
The prophet Isaiah is speaking truth to Israel. They had fallen into the trap(s) of the world around them. They were worshipping like the nations around them and had failed to follow the commands of God. In the above text we read, however, what will happen to those within the nation who turn back to God and who honor Him with both lip and heart. Notice some of the outcomes of this turn to righteousness:
1. Righteousness enables us to deal with the fury of the Lord. Who can “dwell with the consuming fire” of God? Romans 8:1 and 1 John 4:16-19 tells us that those who are standing in righteousness have no fear of torment or condemnation.
2. Righteousness enables us to forgo the bribe. It is not the actually taking of a bribe here (although plenty of people in power were doing so). Isaiah is telling us that righteousness enables us to forgo the bribe. We don’t need to “sell” ourselves because we have an oath to truth and rightness.
3. Righteousness enables us to shut out via our ear gate and eye gate the evil of this world. The world wants us to hear and see the evilness they put out via entertainment and hobby. Those who have been declared righteous and allow that righteousness to flourish in them and control them will not allow their ears and eyes to see this corruption.
The result of being righteous is finding a place of peace and refreshment. God wants the best for us and has declared us righteous to give us that best (Romans 5:1-5). We can rest in a fortress of His love and be feed by the bread of His making. That is the blessedness of the righteous.
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