Two Questions that Require a Response

Have you ever asked your children a question and they gave you the proper response but their actions did not match their response? The same thing happened with God and the people of Israel. In Isaiah, Isaiah asks two questions about God. In verse 21 and 22, Isaiah asks “Do you not know or have you not heard that God sits enthroned above the circle of the earth?” The second is “Don’t you know the Lord is the everlasting God and creator of the world?” Why did Isaiah ask these questions? My guess is that the people were not living as if they believed God was everlasting and enthroned above the circle of the earth. Am I any different? Do my actions show that I know God is creator and everlasting? Do I worry about little things or do I remember that God is enthroned on high? Do I pray with faith because my God is the creator of the world and can do the impossible? Do I stand firm in faith because God is everlasting and will always be here? How does my view of God affect how I live?

Abraham’s view of God affected how he lived. The Bible tells us that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. The Genesis story gives a story of a man who goes from questioning God at one time to being willing to sacrifice his son at another time in his life. When Abraham was 99 years old, God told him that he and Sarah would have a son. In Abraham’s mind were thoughts of how impossible this was since he and Sarah were so old. Abraham’s response to God was offering God his plan of having Ishmael be the promised son. God didn’t need a way out and in the next year Isaac was born to Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Fast forward a few more years. God decides to test Abraham. God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son on Mt. Moriah. Abraham’s response is obedience. Abraham and Isaac set out for Mt. Moriah. Along the way, Isaac asks where the sacrifice is. Abraham answers that God will provide and God did provide. Just as Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac, God stopped him and provided a ram in Isaac’s place. Abraham believed God but Abraham also realized that he believed in a God who was the creator of the ends of the earth and everlasting.

Dear God, Forgive me when I doubt. You are Lord. You are everlasting and enthroned on high. May my life reflect my faith and trust in the God I serve. Amen