Subtle Hints & the Prophets

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

I have a question for you: Have you ever gone to someone's house for dinner or to visit and forgot to have that conversation with your wife or your husband about when would be the appropriate time to leave said dinner? If you walked in and didn't have a plan at some point in the evening there would come that awkward moment when you weren't sure if your host was ready for you to be gone from their domicile or if they were hoping you'd settle in for a game of Balderdash or Mexican Train. You then have to catch your wife's eye and through a series of subtle and awkward eyebrow twitches try to figure out if it's the right time.

I once heard about an interesting tradition. In this particular culture a family would host a party or have friends over for dinner. At some point in the visit the hostess would get up and go place a broom by the front door. It was a subtle hint that it was time for the guests to leave! When the broom was set by the door all the guests vacated quickly. It was time for them to go!

God's message through the prophets to Israel wasn't quite so subtle. In fact, I don't think God is in to subtlety at all, although I could be wrong. Two quick examples:

1. Isaiah warned Israel that the Lord would send the Assyrians to fight against them if they didn’t repent. He said Israel is a people destined for God's rage and that the Assyrians would trample the Israelites down like clay in the streets. The whole rage theme and getting trampled down seem to be direct statements of Israel's impending doom. There's nothing subtle there.

2. Jeremiah warned the people of Judah and Jerusalem that the Lord would send the Babylonians to destroy them. Again, there's nothing ambiguous about plundering, seizing and being carried off to a foreign land.

The majority of the Israelites refused to listen to the prophets. They even persecuted and killed them. They continued to worship their idols. Some of them went to the temple and performed the ceremonies, but they didn’t love God with their hearts.

So God allowed the Assyrians to conquer the 10 northern tribes and take them away as captives. The Assyrians brought in people who worshiped idols who didn’t know God and they intermarried with the Hebrews who were left and their children became known as Samaritans. Judah (the 2 southern tribes) also refused to repent so God allowed the Babylonians to take them away into their own country. The Babylonians smashed the walls of Jerusalem and tore down and burned the temple that Solomon had built.

When it comes time to repent God doesn't mess around. There's no broom at the front door with God. There's no secret phrase indicating it's time to change one's heart and obey. There's no subtlety. The time is now to follow after God with your whole heart!