No Stopping or Standing! (Isaiah 50:5)

The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. (Isaiah 50:5)

In this verse, we continue to see the obedience of Jesus Messiah in following the Father. Here, Messiah is again given instruction by Jehovah. This time, it is described as the opening of the ear. As we will see this passage unfold, we will see that Jesus fully understood what he would face when He went to the Cross. Before He went to the Cross, His ears were opened to hear of the rejection, pain, and horror of the Cross.

In this verse before us, He determines that He will face all the rejection, pain, and horror of the Cross. He determined that He would not be rebellious. He would move toward the Cross, not away from it. He did not turn back.

I remember at times waiting for someone outside of a store. Sometimes there are "No parking" signs. I take this to mean that you can’t leave your car there and go in shopping. But, you could sit there in the car and wait for someone to come out. Then, sometimes, I see "No stopping or standing signs." I take this to mean what it says, you can’t even stop; you can’t sit there and wait for someone to come out. You have to keep moving.

I must admit, sometimes I have viewed these signs as open for a little creative crawling as I inched forward ever so slowly without totally stopping and standing. For those of you familiar with limbo the chant is, "How slow can you go? . . . how slow can you go?

Our obedience to God cannot be like this. Obedience to God’s command does not allow for stopping and standing or creative crawling. (With the exception of when God commands it.) Whatever God has commanded, whatever God commands is not optional. And there is no room for delay or "go slow."

Sometimes, we will know that obedience will cost us something significant. It will cost us money. It will cost us pain, opposition, persecution. Sometimes we know. God will "open our ears."
Will we shrink back? Will we be rebellious? Will we turn back?

We must not! Whatever God says, we must do. No shrinking back. No turning back. May He open our ears and may we not be rebellious.

Lord Jesus,
I see the gruesome experience of the Cross. I see the torment . . . the pain . . . betrayal . . . abandonment by loved ones . . . beaten bloody . . . mocked . . . the crown of thorns . . . the nails . . . the Cross. And I see that you knew this was going to happen. And still, you did not rebel. You did not turn back.

Father . . . may I never turn back from obeying you. Even when it will mean sacrifice. Even when I know it will hurt. I want to embrace and live 100% obedience. Help me . . . I desperately need your help. My cry of commitment is this, No stopping or standing!

Soli Deo Gloria


Tomorrow: Taking a Beating (Isaiah 50:6)