Daily Devotions
Isaiah
"He will be as a sanctuary"
Text: Isaiah 8:14
GOD AS A SANCTUARY
The LORD provided for a physical sanctuary for Israel. It was a Tabernacle and then a Temple. But God Himself is the living sanctuary to all who truly seek to be faithful to Him.
“He will be as a sanctuary,
But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense
To both the houses of Israel,
As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And many among them shall stumble;
They shall fall and be broken,
Be snared and taken.”
Isaiah 8:14-15
1. The physical sanctuary of the Temple.
a) The concept of the Temple.
i) It is God-given.
ii) It was great and sound.
b) The limitations:
i) Many took Temple worship for granted.
ii) Religious practices became more routine than relevant.
2. God as a living and spiritual Sanctuary.
a) It would require faith.
b) It would require following the LORD and His word consistently.
3. The sad reality.
a) For both houses of Israel (The Northern and Southern Kingdoms),
God was not their living Sanctuary.
b) The LORD became:
i) “A stone of stumbling”
ii) “A rock of offense”
iii) A trap and a snare to those who lived in Jerusalem.
4. The lives of the people.
a) Many would stumble.
b) Many others fell.
c) Still others would be snared and taken.
5. Why would these things happen?
(Some reasons may be highlighted)
a) Both houses of Israel abandoned their faith in God.
b) They became idolatrous.
c) They chose the path of wickedness and sin.