The irony of it all (Isaiah 13-14; 22:1-14)

I've commented here before about the ironies of the Faith.  In Isaiah 14 we're reminded of an irony that we should all pay close attention to: those who seek greatness will be humbled.  There are some who seek to make themselves greater than the Most High.  Sadly, the temptation exists today and is often seen in church leadership: the leader desires position and power and fails to see beyond himself.  God humbles those people.  This may seem like a deja vu if you're a regular reader of the blog, but it's true: God shares His glory with no person.  Israel learned that the hard way.  Not a single person can look at Israel's history and think, "They glorified themselves, and they were better off for it."  No, they faced the consequences of trying to become like God… the same consequences that Adam and Eve faced: banishment from the glorious land that God graciously gave to them.  It's funny how this familiar plot is woven throughout the entirety of scripture.  We would be remiss to ignore it.