Isaiah
24:18
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth [nuwc] from the noise [qowl] of
the fear [pachad] shall fall [naphal] into the pit [pachath]; and
he that cometh up [`alah] out of the midst [tavek] of the pit [pachath] shall
be taken [lakad] in the snare [pach]: for the windows ['arubbah]
from on high [marowm] are open [pathach], and the foundations [mowcadah] of the earth ['erets] do
shake [ra`ash]. KJV-Interlinear
18 He who flees at the sound of the terror
shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in
the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the
earth tremble. ESV
Isaiah’s
description of endless and futile calamities, continues for those who ignore
Gods mandate to learn His Word. Fleeing
from the noise comes from the activity of the hunt, wherein men gather in a
line and make noise as they advance. The prey is frightened and runs. But the array of men is such that the prey is
forced to run right into preset traps where they are caught and then they come
to their end of life.
And as to those
who are strong and able, and are able to somehow climb out of the trap, then
there are even more snares to catch them.
Their effort is futile and useless. Their demise is inevitable.
The windows of
heaven, is a representation of the floodgates of heaven releasing the storms of
judgment. When the rains poured down as
in the flood of Noah’s day, there was no place to hide. The entire planet was inundated, such that
everything was subject to the rains and the flood that engulfed all. None escaped, except those who God preserved.
And so, the
warning is presented, as it is so often presented throughout the Bible. Ignore God, ignore Christ, ignore doctrine
and you have only one life to live, which is that of the helpless prey of this
world. Endless traps, endless snares,
and the inevitable doom, all preset and you are running right at them.
Too many, ignore
Gods call to study and learn and grow in their spiritual life. Too many believe
that their talents, abilities, intelligence, connections, wealth and such are
sufficient for them to make for themselves, a good life, separate and apart
from God. Even if they make some
semblance of acknowledgement of God in some fashion. They do not believe that their destiny is
doom, but of the glory of their own making.
Pretense and
delusion, bring the inevitable doom at the end of ones life.
Note that God
provides for all talents, intellect, notoriety, and so forth, never man himself.
Note too, that
life ends for everyone. There is no one
on this planet who has been alive since the beginning of time, and certainly
not too many that are over a hundred years old.
Where does that leave everyone?
At deaths door, just waiting to enter in and take that which no one can
prevent.
Do not be short
sighted. Do not look only at this world
and believe that, that is all there is.
Beyond death,
there is a far greater existence than anything imaginable in this world.
Recognize it, acknowledge
it, learn it, and then receive the advantages of it, lest you die a fool.
