Major major Wisdom Wednesday: Wisdom in Isaiah Part 5
The Wealth of Wisdom
Submitted by Debbie’s Dad
The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And He will be the stability of your times,
A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge;
The fear of the LORD is his treasure.
(Isaiah 33:5-6) NASB 95
We continue this series of devotions that explore the wisdom theme throughout the Book of Isaiah. In chapter 29, we saw how Isaiah described how they turned from their God. In verses 1-8, Isaiah warned that Jerusalem (the capital of Judah) would be besieged (surrounded) by a fierce enemy as God’s judgment. (The Assyrians did besiege Jerusalem in 701 BC under Sennacherib, as recorded in Isaiah 37, but it was saved by God). But the leaders of Jerusalem ignored the warning, as if they were blind to the coming judgment (vv. 9-12) and unable to read the warning from Isaiah because of their blindness by spiritual insincerity. God warned that their wisdom would perish (29:14).
In chapter 33, Isaiah issues his last prophetic message before the military campaign against God’s people by the Assyrian Army under King Sennacherib Isaiah calls Sennacherib the “destroyer” and declares God’s warning to him, “As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed…” (33:1).
Isaiah then turns to the Lord and asks, “O LORD, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be their strength every morning, Our salvation also in the time of distress.” (33:2)
And in verses 5 and 6, Isaiah exalts the Lord and reminds the people of God’s greatness and spiritual wealth that He also brings:
- Salvation – God provides the wealth of an eternal salvation: “Lift up your eyes to the sky, then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not wane.” (Isa 51:6)
- Wisdom and knowledge – The wisdom of God is to know Him and His ways. The knowledge of God is to know Him. In the earlier messianic passage in chapter 11, Isaiah prophesied that on the day the Messiah arrives, “…the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD...” (Is 11:9).
These are the treasures that result from the fear of the Lord. Paul wrote to the Colossian church that in Christ, “… are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col 2:3)
Let us seek the treasure of God’s salvation, wisdom and knowledge – the treasure that results from the fear of the Lord.