Isaiah 57:11

"Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not give me a thought? Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and so you do not fear me?" (Isaiah 57:11)

Comment:

Only the first 39 chapters of the Book of Isaiah can be directly connected to the time in which that prophet lived, just prior to the fall of Jerusalem and exile to Babylon. The remaining chapters refer to events a generation later, when Cyrus of Persia has conquered Babylon and allowed the Israelites to return to their own land. The anonymous author (or authors) have two purposes: to encourage the reluctant Hebrews to leave Babylon and return to rebuild the ruined city of Jerusalem and reestablish their kingdom, and to 'purify' their religious practices so that they are once again worshipping only their own God. Apparently their time in exile had allowed many of them to adopt others of the many different beliefs and practices they found in Babylon. 

Chapter 57 is a warning against such idolatry; its earlier verses angrily refer to specific practices of the fertility cults and worshippers of Moloch and other 'gods.' In this verse the author has the Lord of the Israelites summing up his accusations: under the pressure of exile the people had abandoned him out of "dread and fear" that other gods might be more immediately powerful. Their own God has remained silent "for a long time" but, presumably, that's about to change. It sounds harsh and judgmental taken alone, but in fact the later verses of this chapter assure the people that once they return to their own God there will be blessings and abundance. For those who continue in their idolatrous choices, the consequences of those choices will be unhappiness and despair, for—and this is undoubtedly the most familiar verse of this chapter—"There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked' (57:21).  

It's the same for us today. We may understand or express it differently, but spiritual Truth is constant from that time to this. If we make choices out of fear, the consequences of those choices will be fearful. There are many 'false gods' in the world that feed that fear and draw our focus away from our true spiritul Being. Once we recognize their falseness and reclaim our spiritual Truth and purpose, life begins to express in loving and joyful ways.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed