Isaiah 29:16 You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”?
Sometimes we take reading and writing for granted. We do is so effortlessly, that we forget how difficult it can be to learn. Now math, that is another story all together. And we forget the purpose of reading. Reading is about gaining understanding, increasing imagination, being transported in space and time to another realm all while not moving an inch.
As I have watched my grandchildren learn to read it truly is a marvel. They start identifying letters, then sounding them out, then combining them and reading them. But even then the process of reading isn’t done. They have to learn to understand what they are reading.
I have found that last step to be the most difficult, even for adults. I find this very true when people read the Scriptures and especially the poetic sections of the Old Testament. You have to give yourself permission to imagine, to put yourself in their shoes and listen. Otherwise the meaning gets lost.
Take as an example the verse for today. Isaiah is rebuking the leaders of Judah and Ephraim, two of Israel’s tribes. Their leaders have failed at the most basic function of leadership. They have not led. Instead they have misled the people of God into idolatry and judgment.
So the LORD said he would start over with another generation and teach them the basics from scratch, starting with the youngest. But the leadership won’t listen even to the basics. So the LORD promises to send a new leader filled with justice and righteousness. He will bring life instead of death. His coming will be according to a specific timetable.
But the city of David, Jerusalem hasn’t learned the lesson. The enemies have come and taken everything away to a point the people even dream about eating and drinking only to wake hungry and thirsty. They are unfulfilled. Their efforts are unprofitable. They substitute their own way of living for the Way of Living the LORD has clearly laid out in the Scriptures.
So who knows better, the LORD or these leaders? The LORD of course. And this brings us to our text.
When I am shopping I often look to see who made the product I am contemplating purchasing. I lift it up, find the tag and read it. We especially like to see where pottery and ceramics are made. They are stamped on the bottom with the factory or even the initials of the person who made it.
The pottery has no influence on the potter. The potter determines the shape, size, glazing, firing and eventual purpose of the pot being created. The pot doesn’t have a voice. It is just clay!
So it is with the LORD and His people. He determines all the specifications of the body He is putting together. He sets all the perimeters for proper usage. He makes it and releases it.
We are that piece of pottery. The LORD has already determined exactly our purpose and safe operating instructions. It is up to us to follow His instructions. We will function best that way, the way He designed. Our best life is to follow the Makers design.
How well are you doing at following His design as outlined in the Scriptures?
The Arnold Journey 