Is Your Hope in the Wall?

August 12, 2022

By Sally Lombardo

“Who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,” and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.’ Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, ‘Because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and rely on them, therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach in a high wall, bulging out and about to collapse, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.’” (Isaiah 30:10-13).

Enhance today’s devotional by reading Isaiah 30:8-17

Isaiah anticipated both horrifying and hopeful events in Judah’s future. The prophecies we have looked at thus far describe destruction, decimation, and now exile for the people of Israel. These same people would be deported far away from a homeland that would be destroyed in 586 BC. God chose Isaiah to announce these sad events. This chapter describes the consequences of rejecting God’s prophets and their visions. As we continue in Isaiah, we will see how such sinful choices brought domination and suffering. Even as Israel continued into exile, the prophets claimed God remained faithful. Ruin was not the end for the people of Israel since the exiles would return.

In this passage, we see the image of a wall again, but now it is deteriorating, cracked. This is not the same strong wall of Isaiah 26. If we study the wording, we can see the prophet foretells the direct link between reliance on other gods, dependency on deceit, and collapsing walls. This breakdown can happen when we trust things that go against God’s laws—such as seemingly innocent lies, cover-ups, and illusions about our created gods such as money and power. We want to hear pleasant things, and we don’t want to be confronted with God’s Word, as the passage says. Choosing such a life, the passage says, leads to collapse.

The hope in this passage lies in the concluding response of God. After Isaiah announces what will surely come as a result of disloyalty to God, the Sovereign Lord offers a recovery plan: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it” (30:15 NIV). Many times I have deluded myself into thinking I’m resting in quietness, repentance, and trust, but I am just striving and creating my own little gods. Thankfully, God reaches out to me still.

Reflection:

Where do you need God to help you shift your thinking so you can find rest in repentance and trust? What steps does he want you to take to begin to repair a crumbling wall? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Recommended Resource:

Why is trust so difficult? Unlike all the broken promises of this world, God’s redeeming promises are absolute, trustworthy, and true. The covenants of God afford us with abundant reasons to trust God with his plan for our lives. Trusting God: Redeeming Promises of the Word small group Bible study explores the six major redeeming promises of God found in his Word. Learn more about God’s commitment to his people, the nature of a covenant, and how you can find your security in being a child of God’s redeeming promises. Learn more about God’s promises today.