Isaiah 30-31 Removing Roadblocks Series

Isaiah 30-31

Removing the Roadblocks

Stubbornness vs. 1-7

Rebellion vs. 8-17

Graciousness vs. 18-33

The Lord will give Victory vs. 1-9

Intro:

Recap 7 woes so far

We are right in the middle of God dealing with 7 issues he has with Israel

We’ve seen him deal with pride, spiritual blindness, and drunkenness

Today we are going to see Isaiah address the topics of stubbornness and rebellion

As with all of these messages God ends with a message of hope

Today that message is His graciousness

But we must look those things that prevent his grace from working in our lives

Let's call it removing the roadblocks

Battleship and the lighthouse

One stormy night a US battleship was preparing to come into port

Visibility was terrible but there appeared to be two lights headed towards each other

The Battleship radioed the on coming light: “Please bear 15 degrees to the south”

Message replied You bear 15 degrees to the north

The admiral got all up in arms and replied this is a US battleship with means to take counter measures necessary if you don’t bear 15 degrees to the south.

The reply came back “This is a lighthouse, your call.”

Stubbornness can manifest itself in several ways

In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia.

Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below.

News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident.

It wasn’t a technology problem like radar malfunction—or even thick fog.

The cause was human stubbornness.

Each captain was aware of the other ship’s presence nearby.

Both could have steered clear but neither captain wanted to give way to the other.

Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late.

Stubbornness can rear its head in our lives and have a disastrous effect

Read Isaiah 30:1-5

Transition:

Sometimes we like to wear badges

They become these medals of honor for our behavior

"I'm a control freak" "I'm a germaphobe" "I'm a type A personality"

We put these badges on when we want to rationalize our behavior

This morning you could add the badges of being stubborn and being a rebel to that list

We could easily just say "Well I'm a little stubborn" when we don't want to admit we are wrong

We could also say "Down deep I'm a rebel at heart." When we really just want our way

In our minds that justifies our actions

What it really does it pacify our minds from something God has been convicting us on for a long time

They can become roadblocks to what God is trying to do in our lives

Fortunately God is gracious and patient waiting for us to get to the point of dealing with it

Stubbornness vs. 1-7

Vs. 1 The Lord gets right to the point… Israel is stubborn

They are carrying out plans that aren’t from God

They are making alliances but not with the Holy Spirit

The sin is just piling up

God hits right at the heart of stubbornness here

Stubborn people have their own agenda (Plans), advocates (alliances), and don’t seek advice

This is what has got Israel into trouble

The have the greatest resource in the world, in being the children of God, and they turn their back on it

Psalm 81:11-13 But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

God is very clear what the result of that will be

Vs. 3 Shame, humiliation and disgrace (5)

Stubbornness will always make us depend on ourselves instead of God

What is the cost of our stubbornness?

Vs. 6 shows us that the path is full of trouble, comes at a high price

God uses the metaphor of wild animals attacking on the path

He also says that Egypt will carry away the riches

All of it will not profit Israel one iota

Vs. 7 Egypt’s help is worthless and empty

We need to be careful who we put our trust in

Often times we make alliances with people because they agree with us

That can turn in a heart beat and just cause more agony

God wants out trust and he doesn’t want us putting that trust in anything else

Rebellion vs. 8-17

Vs. 8-9 Stubbornness first cousin is rebellion

God tells Isaiah to write this down on paper

That gives us the idea that God wants it to last and to remind them of it

Their refusal to listen to God has become flat out rebellion