Daily Devotions
Isaiah
"A book that is sealed"
Text: Isaiah 29:11
THE OBSCURED WORD OF GOD
When Israel and Judah turned away from God and His Word, they did not realise the repercussions they would face! The picture described was a sad one.
“The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, ‘Read this, please.’
And he says, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.’
Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying,
‘Read this, please.’
And he says, ‘I am not literate.'”
Isaiah 29:11-12
1. The LORD would give His word.
a) To His prophets.
b) They would seek understanding first.
c) They would then teach that word from God to the nation.
i) They could proclaim the word of God.
ii) They could also write the messages down and put them into a book.
2. The problem of a Sealed Book.
a) The messages of God were compared to a Book that was sealed (bound).
b) If that book is sealed, then nobody could read it.
c) Invitations were given to people to read the book.
d) All who were invited said that the book was sealed.
e) Therefore, they could not read a sealed book.
f) But this was just an excuse.
g) Books are sealed to protect it; but the seal can always be removed easily.
3. The problem of Illiteracy.
a) Others were invited to read God’s written word.
b) But they also declined the invitation.
c) Their excuse was that they were illiterate!
d) But this was also an excuse.
e) Why could they not have desired to learn how to read and become literate?
f) If the heart is truly desirous of learning what God says,
then every effort must be made to learn how to read.
4. The grim reality.
a) There was no interest to learn what God has to say to His people.
b) The heart stubbornly refused to relate to the LORD.
c) The heart had already closed God out of their lives!