Isa 29:24

Isa 29:24  They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.  Isaiah 29 records the Judgment on Jerusalem: “Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices” (v.1). Ariel means “lion of God. It is here referred to as “the city where David dwelt” which implies it is none other city but the city of Jerusalem. David took the hill of Zion from the Jebusites and made it the capital of his kingdom; it became known as the city of David from then on (2Samuel 5:6-9). The prophet reproves the citizens of Jerusalem of their corruption. He says they “are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink” (v.9). It is a moral and spiritual intoxication. They have fallen into a deep sleep spiritually (v.10) so much so that they have become totally ignorant of God’s word and vision (v.11, 12). They have only a form of religion; their hearts are not in it: “Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me” (v.13). God says He will do a marvellous work which will shock everyone that sees it: “Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid” (v.14). God will destroy the wisdom of their wise men. He will do a work their wise men cannot understand even when they hear and see it. When did God do that marvellous work? Paul applies that prophecy to all human wisdom that omits God and His ways in 1 Corinthians 1:19: “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” He is referring to the preaching of the cross which according to the world’s wisdom is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18). The worldly wise can never understand the cross. Isaiah prophesied that in that day those who now have the law do not understand it, whereas those who seem to be deaf and blind to all that God says shall hear, see, and understand it (v.18). In John chapter 9, Christ performed a miracle of healing a blind man. The Pharisees who could see were blind to who Jesus was while that blind man was convinced He was from God: “If this man were not of God, he could do nothing” (John 9:33). That blind man saw Jesus as one coming from God while the Pharisees remained blind to this truth. In the gospel age, truth will be taught and known by all who earnestly desire it: “They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine” (v.24). Can we know the truth? Definitely, we can. Our Lord says: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Now, the important question: DO YOU KNOW THE TRUTH? When I ask, Do YOU know the truth, I’m not referring to simply knowing the steps of salvation, some Bible stories, and knowing about the church and Christ’s birth. I’m asking: Do YOU know YOUR Bible? Are you a Bible Class teacher? Are you able to teach a visitor? Do you have the answers to some difficult questions about the doctrines of the Bible? If you say you have no confident, you need to learn and equip yourself. Isaiah says: “they that murmured shall learn doctrine” (v.24b). Knowledge comes by learning: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). If you want to know the truth, you need to STUDY it diligently. There is no other way!