WOE unto MEN

Stop Look and Listen

Isaiah 1:1–4 “1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; 3 The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.” 4 Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.”

STOP

Here in verse 1 we see the introduction to the book of Isaiah we the the delination of who Isaiah is and when he served as the Prophet to the the nation of Israel and which is listed in this passage as to Judah and Jersuleam. It goes on to tell us the time line in which the Prophet Isaiah served, through the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah all kings of Judah. This time table is broken down into 52 years for Uzziah, 16 for Both Jotham and Ahaz, and 29 years for Hezekiah. The prophets during this period are not just limited to Isaiah, other prophets during this period are Amos, and Hosea to Israel and Isaiah and Micah to Judah.

In this next verse the prophet is declaring the words of the Lord when he speaks. He begins with the word Hear.

When we hear the Lord speak and he say Hear, we need to Stop everything we are doing, either good or evil and listen to what the Lord has to say. The Lord does not speak to just be speaking. When God Speaks he is intending to be heard because he is about to do something and it requires the attention of all of those who both know him and those who are yet to know him. This is a warning of something important so we as people of God should stop what ever we are doing and pay attention. This is just like when a parent speaks to their young children they speak out of love and for the Good of all those who can hear especially the children whom are being addressed. Turn a tenative ear to the Lord, pay attention. He says this to not only those who are both in the Heavens and those upon the Earth. Then Isaiah declares the word of God. I have nourished and brought up children, here the Lord is speaking bout those who he has called to not only be his children but also those who are to come, knowing that the hearts of men is sinful and evil.

LOOK

in verse 3 he makes a comparison of the Ox and the Donkey to the Children of Israel. This comparison is a very harsh and and telling sign to the people who he has chosen. He says here even the lost of the animals know their owner or master and know who it is that has and is taking care of them. He is kind of telling them what I have heard my grandparents and parents say time after time. They know who has buttered their bread. this meaning they understand who has given them the best things in life. My grandfather Pa Golden always ate some butter mixed in with mallasis and sopped it up with some loaf bread or a fresh hot biscuit. Pa said there was nothing better then butter in bread with some molassis. We must recognize who has called us, we need to look around and see what kind of goodness God has given to us and is allowing us to have. He gave the children in the wilderness manna from heaven and even gave them qual as meat. Then when they complained about the water he gave them fresh water. God had made it easy for them even though they had rebelled against him. Now this is not just some minor rebellion this is like they have always done. First they do not acknowledge Him for who he is and then they fall right back into what is comfortable which is the worship of the Idols which are created by the hands of man. God goes on to say through the prophet that man does not even consider the ways of the the Lord. They can not see for looking my dad would say. Its like looking right at something and not being able to even see what it is that you know you are looking for. Or as I like to say if it had been a snake it would have bitten you already. We must look and see what God has for us. His ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts, are you not glad he see’s a bright future for us even when we can not see it. We need to Look up and pay attention to the Father. Our help is not from those who are horizontal to us but from the one who we must look vertically to. God is the answer. Jesus says it like this, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE AND NO ONE CAN COME TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH HIM. Listen God the Father and Jesus the Son are not your peers, they are your help which comes from the hills so why are we not looking to where we know our stregnth and help come from. Because we are blinded by the shinnie things of this life the glitter and dazzel of the world. have you ever seen the bedazzled comercial that us right there we don’t just want a Blue Jean Jacket we want a Blue Jean Jacket that has been bedazzled. Nothing is ever good enough for us. Not even the manna and quail he nourished the children of Israel with and sustained them for 40 years with.

LISTEN

Are we hearing what the Lord has said about us. brood of evil doers, seed of wrath, the one apple that spoils the entire bunch.

Jeremiah 6:16 “16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

I remember a cheer when I was growing up that said STOP, LOOK and LISTEN. I also remember the rail road tracks that sat right in front of my house where I grew up. the sign said stop and look, and that horn would make everyone listen. even when you were a sleep you know when a train was getting close because he was steady on that horn.

Frederick Buechner: The american writer and theologian explored a spiritual application of the phrase: he wrote “if i were called upon to say a few words the essence of everything I was trying to say both as a novelish and a preacher it would be something like this: Listen to your life, see it for the fathomless mystery that it is. His application was listen to the grace present in our every day life.”

The Stylestics sang a song called, “stop look and listen to your heart.” in 1971 which was saying stop look and listen to the inner being.

Ferris Buelaher said it like this: “ Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around every once in a while you could miss it.” another variation of the same saying.

Closing

God is given you the good words of Life all we have to do is be like the ox and the donkey know who are master is and know who it is that is buttering our bread. God is the bread of life, we need to stop, look verticle and consume the bread a life and everything he has to give to us.