A Loaded Question

Isaiah 50:2a “Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? . . .”

Are you familiar with “loaded questions”? A loaded question usually has an obvious answer and a load of application! Sometimes a person might use a loaded question to make a point or to help you see a point. Parents are especially skilled at using this type of question. For instance, my dad established “spanking matters” in our home. These were actions that carried a mandatory sentence—no matter how much I plea-bargained or shifted the blame to my sisters! When I would commit one of these “spanking matters,” my dad always asked a loaded question: “Wil, what did I say I would do?” That is a lose-lose situation! If I answered correctly, it was not going to be pretty; but giving a wrong answer would be even worse!

Here is Isaiah 50, God has a loaded question for people who had strayed like an estranged wife or a slave who had sold himself into slavery. God plainly says all that has happened was on account of their sin. God had not left them nor sold them off. In verse 2, God asks, “Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all. . . .”

God’s question is a good one for us to consider. Is God’s hand shortened at all? That is, does God have any limitations? Is there something or someone too far out of reach, out of earshot, or out of care? No! So then what was the problem? The children of Israel were living as if they were out of God’s reach. In truth, God was not limited; but they chose to live that way. Instead of living under the blessing and joy of God and enjoying His benefits, the children of Israel were living as if God’s hand was shortened.

The very God of Heaven knows your problems. The question is, are you seeing God any more powerfully than someone who doesn’t even know God? Our world is full of people who mock and rail against God daily, but we can live like God is completely divorced from us. God wants to show Himself strong on your behalf—are you letting Him do that or are you living apart from Him?

If you are in difficulty, that can help your “listen-er.” The truth is, people who are not in need do not ask for help. If you find yourself apart from God—not as close as you would like to be—the message is clear: God has not moved or changed. May God help us to live like His hand is not shortened today.