The Book Of Isaiah. Day 124, The Lord's Timing And The Lord's Methods

Chapter 28 concludes with a metaphor that compares the work of the Lord to the work of a farmer. Just as there are seasons in the year for plowing, for planting, for growing and for harvesting, so also are there seasons in which the Lord must deal with people in different ways. Isaiah has been predicting a season in which the Lord will have to discipline the people. They have not borne godly fruit---indeed, many have forsaken the Lord altogether---and a time of hardship is coming. But this hardship is intended for their good, just as the things a farmer does for his crops are good. 

Isaiah speaks of the plowing and planting work of the farmer. "Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil? When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? His God instructs him and teaches him the right way." (Isaiah 28:23-26) 

A farmer doesn't start plowing and keep plowing all season long; a time comes to plant. A farmer doesn't keep planting all season long; a time comes to stop planting and to start watering and tending the plants so they will grow. A farmer doesn't keep letting the plants grow until they overtake the land and become useless; he harvests at the proper time. The Lord operates in the same way. He knows when is the right time to deal with His people in the best way. He gives people time to repent, encouraging them by the Holy Spirit and by other people to repent, but there comes a point when corrective action must be taken if they do not repent. 

The Lord only uses as much corrective force as is necessary. A farmer who harvests his crops doesn't use undue force and destroy the products of his labor; neither is the Lord going to use undue force with the descendants of Jacob and destroy them as a people. Isaiah now speaks of the various ways in which a farmer harvests and processes the crops. "Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a stick. Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain. This also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent." (Isaiah 28:27-29)

The methods Isaiah says farmers do not use on particular types of grain are methods that would render the grain unusable. The Lord's purpose for correcting Isaiah's people is not to render them unusable, but usable. His purpose for allowing hardship is not to destroy them but to prevent them from destroying themselves with useless idolatry and sinful living. His purpose for discipline is not to cast them away from His presence but to draw them near to Him.

We all go through times of hardship in life. Sometimes they arrive because we have gotten off course and the Lord is using hardship to get us back on course. Sometimes we have not gotten off course but the Lord allows hardship for some other purpose, such as to help us build spiritual strength so we will be ready to confidently step ahead in faith for a wonderful opportunity He is going to send our way. Hardship is never fun, but if we have made the Lord the God of our lives we can rest assured that He doesn't allow anything in the lives of His children that He does not intend for our good. The hardship He is going to send upon Isaiah's people will not be fun but it is going to produce godly fruit and bring them back to Him.