You Will Be Ashamed

Isaiah 1:29 - "You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen.

I came upon this verse while reading in Isaiah the other night before bed. I can usually manage to get through a chapter (if that) before sleep insists I put whatever it is I'm reading down on the nightstand.

This verse struck me. It is from my Quest NIV Study Bible-- the Bible I read most often. One of the features I really like about it are the questions that line the margins of the pages...questions that naturally come to one's mind when reading. It was given to me by a good friend who the Lord used mightily to draw me to himself. Upon its pages I have scribbled notes and thoughts, and underlined and highlighted and circled--always amazed at what I find there.

So the question that went with this particular passage was:

In the ancient Middle East, gardens shaded by oak trees were often used as places for religious gatherings. There, under the trees, various kinds of idol worship took place including some religious rituals that actually involved indiscriminate sexual intercourse.

We all need to stop and ponder what we have delighted in under the "sacred oaks". Beliefs we've held...views of God we've preached...condemnation and judgements we pronounced in the name of the God we've preached.

For me....I was an agnostic atheist. I use both agnostic and atheist because there was a tiny shred of doubt...or should I say there was a tiny shred of hope concerning the existence of God. I guess you could say I delighted in "secular" oaks...instead of sacred oaks....and the judgements I pronounced were against anyone foolish enough to believe in any God. I am so thankful he opened my eyes and made me "foolish"....

More to follow.....