(Isaiah 1:3) The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
May we also consider the matter? How well do we know our owner? How well do we know our master’s crib? And he is our owner. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. No, we are not our own. We belong to God. (Psalm 100:3) Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. What a simple truth to consider? He is our owner and master. It’s so simple that we forget.
Paul admonishes us (Ephesians 5:17) Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. To understand what the will of the Lord is means to know God. Doing simply what one asks does not constitute understanding. Understanding is to be compassionate toward, to be sympathetic to, to be considerate of. Isaiah said my people doth not consider. How well do we know God? How much do we consider our God? The ox knows his owner. Paul said (Philippians 3:10) That I may know him…
His voice
Jesus, the great shepherd, said of himself and his sheep, (John 10:4) And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. David said (Psalm 23:1) The LORD is my shepherd… Do we know the shepherd’s voice? Paul begins that great letter to the Hebrews, the book of better things, with this simple thought: (Hebrews 1:1-2) God… Hath… spoken unto us… And then he says three times (Hebrews 3:7,15; 4:7) If ye will hear his voice… If ye will hear his voice… If ye will hear his voice…
His ways
The bible says that (Psalm 103:7) He made known his ways unto Moses… The servant of God, meek above all men, was made know the ways of God. Do we know the ways of our master? Isaiah was told to (Isaiah 58:1) Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. And their sin was hypocrisy, for the next verse says of them (Isaiah 58:2) Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways.. Are we as genuine as we think we are. The truth be told (Jeremiah 5:4) They know not the way of the LORD…
His manner
The King of Assyria, tried to populate Israel with people that were not children of Israel. God sent lions to devour them because, the bible says, (2 Kings 17:26) Behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. Only the children of God know the manner of the Father. (1 John 3:1) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Ah, but we know him and we know his manner; a manner of love.
His word
Isaiah said the ass knows his master’s crib. Our master’s crib is the word of God. Do we know it? It’s an inexhaustible storehouse of nourishing, sustaining provisions. Do we know it? (Matthew 4:4) Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. His word is manna for the hungry. It’s cool refreshing water to the thirsty. It’s comfort and rest for the weary. It’s balm for the hurting. Do we know his word?
God be thanked, if we can say, not in vain as Israel had said, (Hosea 8:2) My God, we know thee. A miraculous, marvelous, amazing exchange was made at Calvary. (Isaiah 53:11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. We handed over our sins and our iniquities, and as God said through Jeremiah (Jeremiah 24:7) And I will give them an heart to know me… Our knowledge of God began at the cross, at the cross, where we first saw the light. If you’re saved, the potential and ability is there to know God; his voice, his ways, his manner, and his word. The ox knows his owner. Do we know ours?
The vision of Isaiah is still revelant today and still the message for a sinful people. When this thing is over, as we enter into eternity, the last words Jesus will say to the lost is (Matthew 7:23) I never knew you…