Isaiah 30 - God's will

God’s Will

How to know God’s will – After the fact.

Walking by faith – Sometimes the “Faith” part of our walking with the Lord is to use the tools God has given us (education, wisdom, knowledge, common sense, etc.) to decide on a given course of action.

Hannibal Smith – A Team -Have you ever heard the saying, “I love it when a plan comes together”.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit will confirm to us that we have made the right decision in a very special way.

There are a couple of scriptures where we can see how God confirms the rightness of obedience after the fact. Let’s look at those this morning:

Exodus 3:10-12

¹⁰ Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” ¹¹ But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” ¹² And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

Two Promises: I will be with you; I will give you a sign

How did giving Moses a sign after he obeyed the command help Moses?

Have you ever had a situation where you were sure you did what God wanted – but only after the dust had settled?

Isaiah 30:19-22

¹⁹ People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. ²⁰ Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. ²¹ Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” ²² Then you will desecrate your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, “Away with you!”

Passage written for Judah, and speaks prophetically about Christ’s coming and the work of the Holy Spirit. The OT context for this passage is Isaiah telling Judah they would be punished for worshipping Idols, they would then turn back to God and he would hear and answer them.

God has not changed. He sometimes molds us and allows us to grow in our reliance on him through adversity.

Do we look at adversity and affliction as bread and water?

How can adversity help us to hear that voice saying “This is the way; walk in it.”?