The Ox Knows Its' Owner...

The Lament of God is preceded by by a statement of the great wickedness of Judah. What is profound, and what is seen time and again in Isaiah, is the tie between Israel's great wickedness and their "ignorance" of God's law and ultimately I'll God Himself. What it is important to understand is that this ignorance is neither incidental nor accidental. It is, rather, a deliberate ignorance. See for instance:

2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for the Lord has spoken:
“Children have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master's crib,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.” (Isaiah 1:2-3)

This ignorance is put forth immediately by Isaiah, God's people did not know Him, and this in spite of the kind of knowledge and familiarity that should characterize families! We are not talking about any small lapse in knowledge here. Israel should have had knowledge of their God and Isaiah makes it clear that that knowledge was absent, not because of any circumstance, but because of their rebellion.

Further, it is a profound and, from a certain point of view, ridiculous ignorance. Whereas animals normally regarded as "stupid" readily know their owners; and they live but one lifetime; Israel having been related to their Lord for generations does not know their Heavenly Father! The absurdity, were it not so tragic and alarming, would almost be funny!

Given the obvious differences between men and animals, we can only conclude then that this ignorance is a deliberate ignorance. And that is exactly what Isaiah wishes for us to conclude.

The mentioning of the word "rebellion" is intended to suggest for us a feed that Isaiah will return to again and again. Rebellion is that which causes meant to act against "common sense". Animals, lacking reason, and therefore lacking the ability to rebel in the fashion which humans can rebel, (that is against their God and against their created nature) recognize their "owner's crib". It is men, "intelligent and sophisticated" that rebel against the One who made them.

It is interesting to notice that the current generation that Isaiah was speaking to was in the state of "not knowing". Because of the rebellion of previous generations, the current generation had ended up in a state that was the result of previous rebellion. Surely, they too were rebellious, and we're casting aside the witness of God in their lives. If anything, the ministry of Isaiah to them as recorded in the book of Isaiah demonstrates that truth.

But they were in a condition that was the result of long generations of unbelief. Isaiah makes that clear from these two verses. The unintended result of those generations pursuing their own agenda; of doing what they wanted instead of submitting to God and obeying his commands; was that they inflicted on future generations the judgment of God!

Isn't this the very definition of sin! We think of ourselves and our thinking stops there. We're not interested in anything that speaks to any priority other than what satisfies our immediate desire and our immediate satisfaction.

Philosophically, I'm certain that if we sat down and thought the matter through, all would say that we want the best for future generations. But when push comes to shove most people do what satisfies them and what scratches the immediate itch. The problem is, unless such activity is in line with what the Word of God says, it is rarely what will benefit we and our family, and the future generations in the long run.