Isaiah 31:6-7 - Homilies By W. Clarkson

Deep disloyalty.

The children of Israel had "deeply revolted" from God by preferring Egyptian cavalry to the defense of almighty power. This preference of the human and the material to the Divine is only too common everywhere.

I. THE DISLOYAL ATTITUDE OF MANKIND TOWARDS GOD . Mankind is in revolt against the Divine rule. We have all said in our hearts, "We will not have this One to reign over us."

1. God righteously claims our allegiance—the homage of our hearts, the subjection of our will, the obedience of our life.

2. We have deliberately refused it, we have practically disallowed his claim; we have retained our power for our own enjoyment, to be spent according to our own tastes and choices. Amid various forms of iniquity there is one which is common to the race-we have all withheld from the Divine Father of our spirits the willing and practical allegiance for which he has looked.

II. HUMAN DISLOYALTY IN ITS DEPTH There are many degrees of rebelliousness. Only he who searches the hearts and knows the real nature of righteousness and iniquity can accurately measure them, but we can form an approximate idea. Men may be deeply disloyal by going far in the direction of

III. THE DIVINE SUMMONS TO RETURN . "Turn ye unto him."

1. God's message through inspired men. At sundry times God spake by the prophets. Then and thus he spoke in very clear and in very gracious tones; he said emphatically and repeatedly, "Return unto me" (see text; Isaiah 1:16-18 ; Isaiah 55:6-9 ; Jeremiah 3:12-16 ; Ezekiel 18:30-32 ; Hosea 14:1 , Hosea 14:2 , etc.).

2. God's invitation through his Son, our Savior.

IV. THE SPIRITUAL CONSEQUENCE OF RETURN . "In that day every man shall cast away his idols." Return to the service of Jehovah and to a sincere trust in him certainly meant the utter abandonment of idolatry. Our restoration to the favor and friendship of God in Jesus Christ must also mean the putting away of every form of idolatry; e . g .