"Hidden Cracks"

"Hidden Cracks"

Slowly he rose, and the crowd fell silent. People sat up straight in their seats. All of their eyes locked on him. Those at the back, leaned forward, straining to hear his words. The atmosphere was electric and fragile; and could implode at any second.

He spoke carefully chosen words, that flew like swift arrows (all around), and finally, found their mark. This great man, a spokesman for God, was warning and condemning.

The crowd became restless, shifting in their seats; rejecting his prophecies. The crowd whispered and murmured. Some agreed with his message, nodding their heads and weeping softly; others disagreed. Their faces grew red with anger and they began to shout insults and threats, at the man.

Such was the life of a prophet!

Lets Pray;
Dear Lord, may the words of my mouth and the mediations of our hearts, be pleasing to you. Amen.

The office of prophet was instituted during the days of Samuel; the last of the judges. Prophets stood with priests, as God’s special representatives. A priest’s job was to be the go-between, liaison, the link, the connection, between God and His people. The Prophet’s role was to speak on behalf of God, to speak for God, confronting the people, and their leaders, with God’s commands, warnings and promises.
Because of this confrontational style, and the continuing tendency of the people to disobey God, true prophets were not very popular and not especially liked.

And even though their messages often went unheeded, and even though their messages often went ignored, and even though their messages were often warnings of the consequences of their own bad behavior, and even though these warnings if future hardships were laughed and scorned at; and even through all this, the prophet faithfully and forcefully claimed and proclaimed God’s truth.

Isaiah is considered to be the greatest prophet of all; he brought the messages of God to the people without fail. In the beginning of his ministry, he was well-liked, but, he too became unpopular and scorned by the people to whom he brought God’s message.

They yelled;
You are a liar!
We don’t trust you!
We don’t believe you.
Why should we listen to you?
You bring nothing but bad news!

The messages that Isaiah (as well as other prophets) brought were difficult to hear, for the messages, called for people to turn from their lives of sin; and warned them of God’s judgment and punishment. ‘Not very pleasant.’


Isaiah was the prophet, during the time of the division of the Kingdom of Israel. After the death of great King Solomon, the land was filled with hatred and jealousness, between and among the people of the12 tribes. Unity was forgotten, as resentfulness and suspiciousness re-surfaced from long ago; and in 920 BCE, the Kingdom of Israel spilt in two.

The Assyrian Period, of Judah history, was when Judah and Israel (both the northern and southern nations) were both captured and ruled by the Assyrians.

The main purpose of the book of Isaiah, was to call the nation of Judah back to God and to tell of God’s salvation through the coming messiah.

The first 39 chapters of this book (generally speaking) carry the message of judgment for sin. Isaiah brings this message to Judah (to the south), Israel (to the north), and the surrounding pagan nations.

Their hearts were corrupt, and the warnings were intended to purify the people, by helping them understand God’s true nature and message.

So, what is God’s true nature and message? The message is a positive one, but requires work, commitment and change.
We begin our story, today, as Isaiah tries and tries to deliver God’ message of salvation to the nation of Judah.


The people of Judah had rebelled against God and sought advice from everyone but Him. They were seeking a defensive alliance with Egypt, against (their captors) Assyria. The negotiations for an alliance were underway, and Isaiah condemned Judah’s twisted plans. They were driven by fear, searching everywhere for comfort, advice and relief – hoping to find an easy way out of their troubles.

We are no different and seek help in times of emergency, when we should seek God’s guidance through out our entire life.

Isaiah 30 is A Warning for Rebellious Judah
Verse 8; “Now go and write down these words (concerning Egypt). Write them in a book. They will stand until the end of time as a witness (to Israel’s unbelief).”

God did everything He could to prevent Israel’s destruction. He only wanted a covenant people who were committed to His ways and follow His will.

Judah’s plans for survival (as they turned from God), only added to their sins; and the impending - natural and logical consequences. Judah is riddled with moral and spiritual disease; the people are neglecting God as they bow to ritualism and selfishness. They continued to sin and find other ways to free themselves from their captivity in their own land; by the Assyrians. Judah need only turn to God for protection and deliverance.


God told the prophet, Isaiah, to write down what He said as a warning and a testament and testimony of what He was trying to do for Judah. God wanted a record so other could learn from Judah’s mistakes.

Verse 9; “For these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the Lord’s instructions.”

The Lord knew that Egypt would be of no help to Judah; but they sent caravans laden with rich presents, from Jerusalem, making their way through the beast-infested desert of the south, to seek aid. Egypt would be of no benefit and Judah would fall.

The nation of Judah was a rebellious nation and turn away from God, because they did not want to turn away from the pleasures of their sins.

Verses 10 & 11; “They tell the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Don’t tell us what is right (the truth). Tell us nice things. Tell us lies.”

“Forget all this gloom. We have heard more than enough about your Holy One of Israel. We are tired of listening to what he has to say. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your Holy One of Israel.”

Sometimes, we simply want to hear, what we want to hear. We want to hear good things, we want complaints, we only want the good news; and often attack the messenger of bad news.


The people of Judah sought refuge in Egypt, and had a desire to hear, only the good news about their safety and security. They did not welcome, or want to hear the truth from God’s prophet.

They preferred to hear the lies and illusions that would make then feel better about their situation and struggles; Egypt would rescue them, protect them from the Assyrians (and later the Babylonians).

Question. But, was it not from Egyptian captivity, that the nation of Israel once escaped from? And now, they were going back to their once enemies, and asking for help. Smart plan?

We do the same thing at times. We will keep doing what we’re doing, and keeping getting what we’re getting; and wonder why it’s not working. Often lies and illusions make us feel better, because we don’t have to acknowledge the truth.

Sometimes living a lie is easier, than facing the truth.
That, in itself is a lie!

Verses 12 & 13; “This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, calamity will come upon you suddenly—It will be like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down.”

The sin of the people, was like a crack in a wall, unnoticed at first, but one day the crack would cause the wall to bulge out and collapse suddenly (without warning).
Even though the wall would collapse without warning, God, through His prophet Isaiah, was warning Judah well in advance. Judah simply refused to listen to the truth.

Verse 14; “You will be smashed like a piece of pottery—shattered so completely that there won’t be a piece left that is big enough to carry coals from a fireplace or a little water from the well.”

The approaching destruction would be complete, if it was not averted; and turning to God in repentance is the only prevention to this disaster. Judah simply refused to listen to the truth.

Verses 15, 16 & 17;
“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.’

You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’ ‘But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!

“One of them will chase a thousand of you. Five of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.”

Isaiah consistently called Judah to trust God in the most difficult political and military situations, but Judah consistently trusted her political alliances (like Egypt).
Isaiah trusted in the God that proved His military might during the Exodus, and the conquest of Canaan; now Isaiah was trying to convince Judah to do the same. He called for them to return, and rest in God; who would give them strength for victory over their oppressors – the Assyrians. Judah simply refused to listen to the truth.

God knew, and Isaiah knew, that Egypt could not be trusted and would flee as the first sign of trouble, and in the moment of crisis; leaving Judah defenseless. Judah refused to listen to the prophecies of the Lord; so the Lord had Isaiah write it in a book to remind future generations that God banished those who believe in their own power, instead of God’s power. Judah simply refused to listen to the truth.

As a result of Judah’s rebellious behavior and failure to heed God’s messages through the prophets, the nation suffered long and hard during the Assyrian Period (of captivity), then the Babylonian Period (of captivity), and finally, the Persian Period (of captivity); natural and logical consequences of not trusting in the Lord.

God (sometimes) punishes His people to teach them the necessity of following Him. Judah simply refused to listen to the truth.

But, that’s not the rest of the story;
After the punishment, God appeared again as the teacher, present with His people, to direct them along every step of the pathway of life.

In verse 18, Blessings for the Lord’s People;

“But, the Lord must wait for you to come to him, so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.”

God reacts to human obedience, by showering His blessings upon us. He rewards us for keeping our covenant commitment with Him. Because He saved us, we can trust Him and be peacefully confident that He will give us strength to face our difficulties. And in those times of trail, we should lay aside our well-laid plans, and allow Him to act.

God expects a lot from us, and many times following Him can be difficult and painful, as our enemies surrounds us. The next time you go through trails and troubles, remember that He always acts out of love. Try to appreciate the experience and grow from it – learning what God wants to teach us, at that moment.

God may be showing you His love, by patiently walking with you through adversity; searching for those "Hidden Cracks."