Prophets Spoke Of Rescue

While Israel’s kings led their people into exile, their prophets prepared them for the exile and post-exilic life. While most of their messages were of doom and gloom, there were glimmers of hope throughout. God spoke to His prophets who faithfully communicated His word, however dismal or foreboding the message. The people’s response was not one of realization and humility but abject apathy and disinterest. On some level they had given up pursuing the living God and had gone behind idols of wood and stone. They had chosen to blend into the countries of their exile rather than stand out for their worship of the one true God. The prophets communicated God’s continuing love for His people in spite of all their backsliding. They were unrelenting in their attempt to bring to the nation’s attention God’s judgment on them. This judgment was well deserved as a result of their obstinacy, disobedience and blatant sinfulness.

The men of God didn’t mince words and suffered for their honesty. Despised, persecuted, and alienated by their own, these men were the picture of courage under fire. The saddest part was that the people of the land lacked Godly vision and did not trust those who had Godly vision, and so perished at the hands of their enemies. Very few, those who constituted the remnant, made it back to Jerusalem as foretold. If one was to diagnose a root cause for the unfaithfulness of Israel, it would be their reliance on things and people outside of their God. Simply put, it was a heart of idolatry that plagued them. Their passions and affections were not directed towards God -- so their worship got watered down and eventually was misdirected. Not one prophet was able to rescue the people from their waywardness.

Thought:

Without vision, people perish.