Articles
When Gods Ways Seem Foolish – Isa. 28-30
When Gods Ways Seem Foolish – Isa. 28-30
Many people say, "I trust God." We acknowledge that God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We affirm that God's ways are higher than our ways. We proclaim that the foolishness of God is wiser than men. We agree when Paul writes: "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of god! How unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways! For who has known the mind of the lord, or who became his counselor? Or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again?" (Romans 11:33–35)
Really? Judah was put to the test on this very issue, and they failed. Big time. The situation looked bleak. Assyria would soon destroy the northern kingdom. Babylon was set to rise and conquer the world, including Judah. This was God's way of punishing Judah for their unfaithfulness to His covenant.
What to do? They pondered the situation and chose to make alliances with Egypt (Isa. 29:1-2). Mistake! The first mistake was refusing to acknowledge that God was using Babylon to punish them. The second was to think they could avert God's plans and purposes by the power of men. The third was thinking they could hide their plans from the LORD (29:15). Yet, undergirding all of these problems is the fact that they did not trust God.
God had told them, having sent the prophets to inform them of both His commands and His plans. They had refused to listen to these prophets, and instead persecuted them for their message.
God's instructions were quite simple: submit to your punishment. Even in these chapters (28-30), God promises that AFTER the discipline would come times of refreshing. Yet such submission implied the destruction of their kingdom and captivity to Babylon. This just doesn't make sense...
BUT it does make sense from God's viewpoint! It will accomplish the very purpose that God had designed.
Many of Jesus' statements don't make sense to the world because Jesus had different goals and purposes than what the world does. Don't fight back when persecuted? Pray for your enemy when persecuted? Put your brethren's needs before your own? Pursue holiness above physical pleasure?
How do you respond when God's command for you "doesn't make sense?" I would, of course, suggest that it is always prudent to make sure you have understood the passage correctly. Then, submit. You may not understand WHY, but you can trust God. Trusting God is not just about when things are comfortable or when things make sense. Are you trusting God in all things, or only when they make sense to you?
Hugh DeLong
