Useless Advice
When they say unto you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? Isaiah 8:19
The Dead – Planning is arrogance. Before you jump up and say, “But even God plans!” take a moment and think about the wider umbrella of what we imply by planning. Years ago I started a toy company. Being a Type A person, I meticulously planned every step. The company failed. Why? I could say it was because I forgot to plan for the introduction of an inferior product by a competitor that spoiled the market. But now I realize there was a bigger error. I thought I was in control.
God does plan, but, of course, He is in control. His planning is legitimate and executable. Our plans are not. James reminds us of our arrogance in that famous line about “if the Lord wills” (James 4:15). When I plan, I assume the position of rational and volitional superiority. I think, therefore I do. But it doesn’t work out that way, does it? Isaiah tells us why. We are consulting the dead.
You might object. You don’t go to psychics. You don’t read horoscopes. You don’t consult the stars. But, there are many more dead in this world than just “spiritual” advisors. Jesus made that very clear when He told the would-be followers to let the dead bury the dead. Any man or woman who is not actively being lead by the Spirit of the living God is dead. But we still ask them for advice, don’t we? We consult dead bankers, dead lawyers, dead doctors, dead investment counselors, dead psychotherapists and dead neighbors. We might even consult dead church members and clergy. We take advice from everyone who has a voice – from the President to the janitor, but we never ask if we are simply listening to the dead.
The Hebrew root is mut, a verb that means, “to die, to kill or to put to death.” While the Hebrew is a little convoluted here, the contrast is plain enough. Consult the living God or the dying advisers. The choice is up to you. Of course, Isaiah suggests that taking advice from the ones who are dying is about as stupid a choice as you can make. But we do it all the time, don’t we?
Yes, of course, you will need expert opinion in all sorts of earthly matters. Health, money, legal issues, even things as simple as paying bills and traffic rules require consultation. But remember who really does the planning. Remember that without a divine perspective, all advice is based in the grave. Remember that God has already given you the framework to test the opinions you get. Planning is arrogance. Obeying Him is not. Did you ask His advice about your plans today?
