In the format of Part 4 on Isaiah 29, let’s continue to interact with the Isaiah text.  But this time, I plead yes to the question in the title.

 Isaiah 29:9-12 

(9) Tarry and wonder, take your pleasure and be blind; they are drunken [have become drunk (perfect) – MT] but not from wine [(from) wine – MT (no preposition)]; they stagger, but (not) with strong drink [1QIsa^a (with not understood).  not (with) strong drink – MT].  (10) For the LORD has poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, you prophets; and he has covered your heads, you seers.  (11) And this whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which people deliver to one who is learned, saying, “Read this, I pray you”; but he says [he will say – MT, LXX], “I cannot, for it is sealed.” (12) Then they deliver the book [the book will be delivered – MT, LXX] to one who is not learned, saying, “Read this, I pray you”; but he says, “I am not learned.”

 Heart Issues

Which is worse?  Physical drunkenness?  Or heart drunkenness that makes us incapable of letting God speak to us directly and freely through Isaiah?  Do we trust this ancient prophet of the Old World for telling us accurately the “story of Christ with increased insight, increased clarity and precision, increased understanding, and even increased vision and conviction” [words taken from Mark L. McConkie’s inspirational and placed in my bibliological context] over any other documents outside biblical manuscripts?

 

Even to this day, many Jews, both scholarly and unlearned laymen are blinded to the message in Isaiah’s vision—that came not from the dust but from heaven.  Even 2,700 hundred years later, it is like a sealed book.  People are not seeing what God is saying.  There is tons of staggering.  And the judicial blindness is both alarming and excruciating.  It is the worst scenario, where in the midst of Zion with calamity all about; people are walking around in a daze.  From the blue-collar farmer to the intellectual professor, no one can be of true assistance.

 Isaiah 29:13-14 

(13) And the LORD said, Inasmuch as this people draw near to honor me with their mouth and with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from me, and fear of me [their fear of me – MT] has been like a human commandment [a human commandment – MT] that has been taught them; (14) therefore, see, as for me [not in the MT] I am about to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the insights [insight – MT (although plural is possible), LXX] of their prudent men will be hidden.

 Heart Issues

The heart is the Hebraic center of worship to God.  And the people were failing miserably to recognize this.  They followed their religious rituals, fastidious in the routine, but both minds and wills were contra to Isaiah’s messages.  Their religious affections were all screwed up—riddled with hypocrisy.  So God does a wonder, not against their enemies, but against them.  When people lose their heart for God, Jehovah makes useless their towers of wisdom and understanding.  It is not good when Jehovah starts referring to “this people” instead of “my people”.  Not good at all.

 

Application:  Religious church goers every week in the corridor must have hearts right before God.  Hearts ought to be serving with such joy because they are totally clothed and accepted through the work of Jehovah alone.  Sermons, sacraments, callings, inspirationals, devotionals, fireside chats, family discussions, articles, blogs—with all this communication—there is huge peril if the hearts of the communicators are not right before God.  To hell with all the psychological, philosophical, religious exhortations/precepts of men that place you on paths of personal merit in fearfully striving toward God while hoping to protect yourself in covenants.  Scrap it all.  Or in the end, he will do a marvelous work of destroying your super-tower.  Make Jehovah your only trust, your sole-resting place. Jehovah, not you and your fearful attempts, makes possible brand new hearts for sinners and safety from all encroachment.

 Isaiah 29:15-16 

(15) Woe to those who hide deep their counsel from the LORD, and whose works have been [are (or, will be) – MT, LXX] in the dark, and who say, “Who sees us?” and “Who has known [knows – MT, LXX] us?” (16) He has overturned things from you [You turn things upside down! – MT].  Will it be thought of like the potter’s heat [the potter’s clay – MT, LXX], so that the thing made should say of the one who made it, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of the ones [(Is this an error in 1QIsa^a?) one – MT, LXX] who formed it, “He has no understanding”?

 Heart Issues

Please trace this attribute of God’s absolute sovereignty from here to Jeremiah 18 to Paul in Romans 9.