No escape - Isa 30

No escape

Isa 30:15  For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
Isa 30:16  But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

Trusting in your own might and strength will fail. No horse, no car, no jet can keep you safe from your enemies if you are separated from God. We must see that all things are spiritual. The just shall live by faith.

Hab 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Knowing to do good will not save you.

Rom 14:23 ...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

The unbelievers and rebels go down to destruction.

Luke 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
Luke 13:28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

Isa 30:17 One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

The LORD had promised that Israel would prevail if they followed him and obeyed him.

Lev 26:6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
Lev 26:7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
Lev 26:8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

Those ofGod's people who rebel, shall flee from their enemies. They were to rest in the their LORD and be saved, instead they ran and were filled with fear. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. How sad, for the LORD's people should be the strong ones. For in truth if they had of trusted the LORD, these things would be turned around.

At the time of the exodus from Egypt, the people of God were told to go into the promised land, but they had no faith, they were afraid. Afterwards the door was shut to this generation.

Num 14:40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.
Num 14:41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.
Num 14:42 Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
Num 14:43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.

Will the door be shut to our generation of rebels? The door is Jesus, it requires faith to enter the gateway to God.

Luke 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

John 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
John 10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

If we are to be protected we must have God with us. We must obey him, go through the door and do what he says. If we are his people and trust in him, then we are as those in Psalms 91.

Psa 91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Psa 91:6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
Psa 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Psa 91:8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Psa 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

Do we see this? We must live by faith in Jesus and be close to God. We must follow him and obey him and wait quietly upon him. If we trust in anything else it is rebellion. Will you be as the one who sends a thousand to flee? Or will you be in the thousand running from God and the enemies will come after you? I will trust the LORD and stay close to him for he is my strength and my shield. In him I have perfect love and peace.

1 Cor 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
1 Cor 16:14 Let all your things be done with charity.