Does lightning ever strike twice in the same place?  Yes it does!  In the same way … history repeats itself. 

            Much can be learned by reading accounts of historical events and the people involved in those accounts.  The thoughts of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln still speak to us.  The activities of men such as Napoleon and Winston Churchill still give us insight into the differences in great men and those who are ambitious.

            The history of the Bible is written so we can learn of the decisions which were made and the results of those decisions.  From the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Ark, Abraham and Sarah, King Saul and David, and on and on, we learn guiding principles which are still relevant today.  That is one reason God had their stories recorded for us.

            A unique history lesson is found in a prophetic writing of the man named Isaiah.  At the time of its writing it was a future event.  It had not happened.  But as we read it we can understand the prophetic word came true, the events unfolded as foretold, and now we can look back at those events as history.

            Isaiah wrote these words to Israel, and in particular to the city of Jerusalem.  He uses a Hebrew word, Ariel, which seems to refer to an altar of burnt sacrifices, but he is addressing the city of Jerusalem.

Isaiah 29

1 Woe, O Ariel, Ariel the city where David once camped!  Add year to year; observe your feasts on schedule.

            In the eyes of God, Jerusalem was in a difficult place.  Jerusalem was the center for worship of Jehovah; its altars were constantly being used for sacrifices, and these sacrifices were continued from year to year on every scheduled feast day.  They were a very religious group, but God was not pleased with them!

Isaiah 29

2 I will bring distress to Ariel, and she will be a city of lamenting and mourning; and she will be like an Ariel to me.
3 I will camp against you encircling you, and I will set siege works against you, and I will raise up battle towers against you.
4 Then you will be brought low …

           At the time of Isaiah’s writing to Jerusalem the city is prosperous, commerce is thriving, the government is engaged, people are getting married and having children, and plans are being made for the future.  The words of Isaiah the prophet sound negative and out of step with society!  He is telling them about distresses to come, the city will be captured by an enemy army, be burned, and weeping will be heard throughout the region.  The calamity that God speaks about is devastating!  No one wanted to hear these words!

            When Isaiah prophesied of these events, it seemed so unlikely!  Yet you and I can read the history of Jerusalem and see these events did come to pass.  It was King Nebuchadnezzar and the nation of Babylon who surrounded Jerusalem, burnt it to the ground, and took the people captive.  The prophetic word came to pass.  Twice!

            With us having the advantage of knowing history … we know that not only did the Babylonians ravage Jerusalem, but the Romans destroyed the city in 70 AD.  Lightning did strike twice in the same place!

           However, Isaiah doesn’t leave this prophet word in the doldrums.  This is more to good times to come.  The end result of Jerusalem’s difficulty was to be a time of repentance, renewal, and restoration!

Isa 29

17 Is it not yet a very little while till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest?
18 In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.
19 The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel.

24 These who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained will learn doctrine."

             God’s plan is twofold.  First He desired to bring righteousness and peace to the land.  His hearts desire is to bless!  He promised Jerusalem that there would again be fruitful fields and prosperity.  The word of God would again be preached and those who heard it would be filled with joy!  A time of revival would come.  And it did.

            The second part of God’s plan was to remove those who rejected Him:

Isa 29

20 For the terrible one is brought to nothing, the scornful one is consumed, and all who watch for iniquity are cut off — 
21 Who make a man an offender by a word, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just by empty words.

            In a time of spiritual renewal, these terrible and scornful people are removed!

            It is interesting that God describes the “terrible and scornful” people as those who watch for iniquity.  But the iniquity they watch for is not iniquity against God!  The terrible and scornful people accuse the upright because of the truthful words they speak.  The apparently were not politically correct!  They slandered those who honestly reproved unrighteous acts of sin and put them out of office.  And the just person with a just cause was unable to find justice because of the empty words of the terrible and scornful men.

            Spiritual renewal brings back those who speak good, truthful, just words!  I am delighted that God is faithful to pour out His Spirit on those who call upon His name!  It is refreshing to know that our spiritual eyes and ears can be opened to understand the Word of God. 

           The message God had for Jerusalem in middle of chapter 29 is a message which needs to be heard by everyone everywhere.  It’s a message for the United States, a message for the churches of America, and a message which we should all take to heart.

Isa 29:13-16

13 Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,  

14 Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed."

15 Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say, "Who sees us?" or "Who knows us?"

16 You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, that what is made would say to its maker, "He did not make me"; or what is formed say to him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?

           The message for Jerusalem is the same message which the United States needs to hear:  Stop honoring God with your lips only … honor God from the heart.  It is time to involve ourselves in heart felt repentance toward God and obedience to His Word instead of following our traditions!  He is calling for true worship!

            The United States seems to have the same attitude which Jerusalem had: “God doesn’t see us, nor does He know what we are doing!”  It is time to stop attempting to hide our sins from God and instead ask Him to search us and know us and remove our sinful ways from us!

            The attitude of today’s America is that we are our own boss ... equal to God.  It is time that we acknowledge that we belong to God, He is our Creator, and He has the right to govern our lives and our activities!

           During our times of prayer this week I encourage you to pray for our nation.  Jerusalem was the center of worship for Jehovah God, the religious activities were carried out on a regular basis, but the heart of God’s people was far from Him.  The result of that was God allowed calamity to fall upon the city of Jerusalem.

            Lightning does strike twice in the same place.  History does repeat itself.  When the heart of God’s people grows cold He does call them back to a place of righteousness.  His heart’s desire is to have us hear Him, see His glory, and be refreshed by His Spirit.  Our nation has time to make a change … but it must start in His church!  I invite you to pray!