Isaiah 29:22-24 – To know God is to honor and worship Him alone

We are moral beings created by God with the capacity to make moral choices. It has always been God’s intention for us to know Him and experience freedom and liberty in Him. When we make the right decision, we experience what God has planned for us. However, having inherited Adam’s fallen nature, all mankind has the propensity to make decisions that would not be in alignment with God. When God called Abraham, and then Jacob, they and their posterity were His special people in the world. They were in a covenant relationship with Him.  

Whenever they connected with God, made the right decisions, and were obedient to God, He would guide them to fulfill His plan and purpose for them. For the times that they failed to connect with Him, they would make wrong decisions that would hurt God’s heart. Yet in His love for them, God would coax and deal gently with them at first. When they persisted in their obstinacy and insisted on acting wilfully against Him, they would force Him to discipline them to get them back on track.

 

In their case, we saw how God used their enemies and world powers such as Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon to get them to rethink their commitment. Ultimately God’s plan was for His people to enjoy the liberty and freedom of being His choice instrument when they chose to worship and serve Him. So here in the last three verses of chapter 29, Isaiah prophesied that Israel would ultimately know God with a renewed understanding of Him and to truly worship Him.  

 

Here Isaiah addressed Israel as the house of Jacob. Note that in his writings, Isaiah would use the term “the house of Jacob” to refer to Israel. In verse 22, the prophet referred to Abraham to remind Israel of their unique relationship with God. He wanted them to know that He had initiated to redeem Abraham and delivered him from his idolatry in the Ur of Chaldea. And as He had delivered Abraham, He now promised deliverance for Israel. He promised that their shame and fear would come to an end. They would finally be able to see the Lord and His power at work and recognize and sanctify His name. They would also acknowledge Him as the Holy One of Jacob, the Holy God of Israel. They would acknowledge Him as their God and have a clear understanding of God as they renew their worship of Him.  

 

Apart from journeying with God, no other venture in life can truly satisfy. This journey must be one that we rely on Him completely. Thankfully, He has given the Holy Spirit to enable us to walk in step with Him. When we truly know Him, we can never be satisfied with any other thing in life. We just want to worship Him alone. Let us have a renewed life and live in faithfulness to the one who alone deserves all that we are and can potentially become. We will honor, worship, and serve God alone.