Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.
Isaiah 47:13 (NIV)
“All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you.”
Isaiah 47:13 (MSG)
“I know you’re exhausted trying out remedies, but don’t give up. Call in the astrologers and stargazers.
They’re good at this. Surely they can work up something!”
***********************************
“You are wearied by your many counsels. Just let the astrologers, the stargazers, those who predict by the new moons [each month] stand up and save you from the things that will come upon you [Babylon].” -AMPLIFIED
“In her arrogance Babylon thinks that she can do as she likes and no one can stop her. She thinks that her rise to power is a result of guidance received through her knowledge of magic and astrology. The prophet challenges her to keep trusting in magic and astrology, and see if that will save her from God’s judgment. What she will find is that the magicians and astrologers themselves will fall under God’s judgment.” ~Bridgeway Bible Commentary
In yesterday’s text, we found God mocking Babylon, who was trusting in the magic and enchantments that she had been practicing since she was a child. We found God mockingly advising them in this way:
“So go ahead—keep trusting in your sorceries and the witchcraft you’ve practiced since your youth.
Perhaps you might succeed! Perhaps you’ll scare away your impending doom!” -Isaiah 47:12 (The Passion Translation)
The whole point was that Babylon was trusting in their magic to save them from their enemies, and God is advising them that their magic cannot save them. In fact, in today’s text, we find making the point that Babylon has been listening to poor counsel.
“All of your scheming has only exhausted you. Let the astrologers step up and save you, after all they chart the heavens, read the stars, and predict the future month after month.” -(VOICE)
We can still pick up on the mocking tone of God, as He directs Babylon to continue listening to, and following the guidance of her astrologers and stargazers. It is interesting to note that God sees that Babylon is wearied, even exhausted by all the predictions, and scheming of these charlatan’s who were counterfeit and even fraudulent, but for some reason, she continues to seek their counsel, even though they have proven wrong time and time again.
God Message to Babylon: “Go ahead, listen to your fortune tellers and stargazers. Let them guide you and continue to make their predictions. Let them try to tell what will happen in the future. Perhaps their predictions might be right this time, who knows. Maybe they can reveal what is about to take place.”
In fact, we can look at Daniel 5 again, and see how “helpful” Babylon’s advisors were on the night that when Belshazzar was having his feast, surrounded by his nobles, and the hand of God came down and wrote upon the wall. Daniel records for us how that night played out:
“At that very moment, the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the lamp-illumined, whitewashed wall of the palace. When the king saw the disembodied hand writing away, he went white as a ghost, scared out of his wits. His legs went limp and his knees knocked. He yelled out for the enchanters, the fortunetellers, and the diviners to come. He told these Babylonian magi, “Anyone who can read this writing on the wall and tell me what it means will be famous and rich—purple robe, the great gold chain—and be third-in-command in the kingdom. One after the other they tried, but could make no sense of it. They could neither read what was written nor interpret it to the king. So now the king was really frightened. All the blood drained from his face. The nobles were in a panic.” -Daniel 5:5-9 (MSG)
It was only when the Queen heard what was going on and reminded the king about Daniel, that they were able to get honest answers. Daniel told them exactly what was happening, and what God was about to do.
“You have advisors by the ton—your astrologers and stargazers, who try to tell you what the future holds.” -(TLB)
The Bible teaches us that seeking counsel is wise, but we need to be careful about who we are seeking counsel from. Psalm 1 reminds us that those who seek godly counsel will be blessed:
“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow evil men’s advice, who do not hang around with sinners, scoffing at the things of God. But they delight in doing everything God wants them to, and day and night are always meditating on his laws and thinking about ways to follow him more closely. They are like trees along a riverbank bearing luscious fruit each season without fail. Their leaves shall never wither, and all they do shall prosper. But for sinners, what a different story! They blow away like chaff before the wind. They are not safe on Judgment Day; they shall not stand among the godly. For the Lord watches over all the plans and paths of godly men, but the paths of the godless lead to doom.” -Psalm 1 (TLB)
The Apostle Paul warns us in this way:
“Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”” -1 Corinthians 15:33 (AMP)
If we want good advice we need to be looking in the right places.
1.) Read God’s Word:
“All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right so that God’s people may be up to the task ahead and have all they need to accomplish every good work.” -2 Timothy 3:16-17 (VOICE)
2.) Ask God for wisdom:
“And if anyone longs to be wise, ask God for wisdom and he will give it! He won’t see your lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold you over your failures but he will overwhelm your failures with his generous grace.” -James 1:5 (The Passion Translation)
3.) Seek godly counsel:
“So watch your step, friends. Make sure there’s no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. For as long as God’s still calling it Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn’t slow down your reflexes. If we can only keep our grip on the sure thing we started out with, we’re in this with Christ for the long haul. These words keep ringing in our ears:” Today, please listen; don’t turn a deaf ear as in the bitter uprising.” -Hebrews 3:13-14 (MSG)
“God doesn’t want people to do what they think is best: he wants them to do what he knows is best, and no amount of reasoning and intellectualizing will discover that. ~ Henry T. Blackaby
My friend, be careful who you are listening to and seeking counsel from, it is a matter of eternal life or death.
“Counseling is ultimately not about the counselee or the counselor, but about the Divine Counselor.”
~James MacDonald
My Prayer:
Adonai–Tzva’ot, God Almighty, help me to remember to seek and only listen to the godly counsel. You will not give me directions through the fortune-teller, horoscope, or magic. Your Word teaches that you hate those things. You have instructed me to seek your help, all I need do is ask. You have given me your Word, to instruct me and guide me. You have also given me brothers and sisters who can give me godly advice, for you have instructed your children to bear one another’s burdens. Lord, I want to do things your way, I choose to follow you guidance, help me to be diligent in continuing to do this. I want your best for me, I choose to follow your way.
Growing with God 