My Heart Cries Out
Puritan commentary writer, Matthew Henry, called Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, the evangelist.
In the middle of delivering oracles against enemies of Israel, Isaiah makes a telling announcement about the small nation of Moab. Isaiah says; “My heart cries out for you” (Isaiah 15:5). This shows that Isaiah, the evangelist, has a compassion for those who are stated enemies of God.
The word from the evangelist is the same word and compassion of God.
The bible makes claim that all of humanity are sinners. To be a sinner is to be an enemy of God. To be an enemy of God is to be living in pride and the Bible says clearly that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.
This is why Isaiah’s heart cried out for the nation of Moab. Moab was a proud nation and was known for her pagan idolatry and rejection of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moab was a nation that was always at war with Israel and Israel’s God.
It is like an evangelist to behave like His God. Isaiah had compassion for a nation that was a stated enemy of his homeland. God is like this toward sinners, He has compassion for those who are born stated enemies of His and his Kingdom. God was moved to such compassion that He did everything needed for His enemy to be declared not only righteous, but also innocent of actions against His name and kingdom.
The professing follower of Christ must be extremely careful about how he/she lives their lives.
One can’t be seen as a follower of Christ just because they say they are.
No, professor of Christ, exercise the greatest caution here lest you otherwise be known as an enemy of God while thinking you are a believer.
The Moabites were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. This may seem confusing at first glance, but I’m sure the Moabites thought they were righteous people because their ancestor line was from Lot. But what is most clear at this point is that neither Lot nor the Moabite nation are ever recorded as repenting of their sin.
Where sin abounds, grace abounds more (Romans 5:20)
This is how this heart of mercy works in God. He gives his grace to a people who were formerly His enemies. It is clearest here in that there is no reason for God to give grace to a righteous people. If it were possible to be a righteous person apart from Christ then there would be no reason to give grace.
It is consistent with man’s need and with God’s nature for the heart of God to cry out for His enemy. Like the evangelist, Isaiah, the church today must be a people who behave like their Savior. May our hearts cry out for the unconverted, enemies of God. When we act in compassion toward them with the truth of God and preach of His grace, may all who hear believe and repent.
