November 24: PREVALENT PRACTICES: HOW LONG?

Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered: “Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant. The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, The LORD has moved men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.” Isaiah 6:11-12

Isaiah wonders how long* his people will be dull of hearing and resistant to God’s word. It is a natural question, is it not? God’s answer foreshadows the seventy-year Babylonian captivity to come—a lifetime!** The sinful practices of God’s people, across the board, had become so prevalent that the few who remained true to the LORD were sorely tempted to lose heart and fall into a state of utter discouragement. It seemed that the purposes of God for Israel were about to fail, and that Isaiah’s beloved nation would suffer the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (1:9). As Isaiah pondered the obstinate and stubborn unbelief of the people for whom he was to labor, he fought back waves of hopelessness. Satan would have him despair to the point of relinquishing his mission, in order not to disturb the wicked, unscriptural practices that God’s professed people had settled into.

Today’s opening verse also foreshadows the condition of the earth (see Isaiah 24:19-20; Jeremiah 4:23-26; Revelation 14:10; 19:21) just after Jesus has gathered His bride to carry her to Heaven. In these last times, His waiting bride wonders every day how long it will be until Jesus comes. Revelation tells us that the professed believers of the world have gone into Babylonian captivity (again – this time, it’s spiritual Babylon). But, even as the world falls deeper into confusion, Jesus and His faithful ones continue the divine rescue mission. It is often frustrating not to know how long it will go on. Jesus emphasized that we can know when the time is near (Matthew 24:33) for His second coming. Actually, it is to our advantage not to know the day and the hour, to protect us from procrastination. Jesus wants His bride to be ready for Him now – and to stay ready for Him! We know that the days will be shortened for the elect’s sake (v.22), but we also know that the Lord is longsuffering . . . not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Whenever He comes, the timing will be exactly right, and also in such an hour as ye think not (v.44 KJV).

Beloved, do you know whether or not you are in Babylon? The answer can be ascertained by comparing your church’s doctrine to each theological point established in Genesis 1:1 through 3:24 (topics: Creation, Sabbath, marriage, obedience to God, reality of death after sin, the promised Savior, and access to the tree of life).

How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness? And seek falsehood? But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him. Psalm 4:2-3

* How long? Others have asked too: Joshua 18:3; 1 Kings 18:21; Job 7:19; Psalm 6:2-4; 13:1-2; 35:17; 74:10; 90:13; 94:3; Daniel 8:13; 12:6; Revelation 6:10. God also asks this question: Exodus 16:28; Numbers 14:11,27; Proverbs 1:22; Jeremiah 4:14; 23:26; Matthew 17:17.

** Before the flood, the average life span approached 1000 years, likely due to genetic vitality and healthy vegan eating. After the flood, in the absence of vegetation, God permitted the eating of clean meat. Genesis 9:3 distinguishes animals from plants as “moving thing[s]”. The written word did not yet exist, but bright minds communicated orally the necessary distinctions regarding animals. God reinforced this truth when He brought the animals to the ark in pairs, the clean ones in pairs of seven, the scavenger animals in single pairs. The distinction of what could be food (ceremonially clean, for temple sacrifices) was an obvious distinction for Noah and his family. Eating meat would shorten sinful man’s lifespan (Psalm 90:10), but even this is evidence of God’s mercy, knowing the woe and suffering that sin would bring to the earth.