Isaiah 30:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He labels them deceivers, in my view, because they failed to maintain the reverence due to the Almighty and failed to uphold the Covenant made while Moses received God’s commandments on Mount Sinai, which governs us all. For it is evident that they explicitly declared, “All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do and obey” (Ex. 24:8). Therefore, as the law instructs and commands, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and serve Him only: thou shalt not make an idol for thyself” (Deuteronomy 6:13; Exodus 20:4); they rendered this commandment ineffective by serving idols instead. Thus, with complete justice, He refers to them as children of deceit. David does not declare, "The enemies of the Lord have lied to Him" (Psalms 80:16), and as if speaking for Christ, he asserts, "The sons of strangers have lied to me" (Psalms 17:45). The root of their suffering lay in their disregard for the law and their contempt for the very utterances of the holy prophets. He highlights this by stating, “They that would not hear the law of God, saying, Speak not unto us, but speak unto us, and proclaim unto us another seduction, and lead us astray from this way: take away from us this way, and take away from us the Holy One of Israel.” Thus lamenting, the ruthless Israelites often assailed many of the holy prophets. This is clearly illustrated in the case of Jeremiah, who urged them, “Go not into Egypt,” to which they replied, “Liar, the Lord hath not sent thee: but the son of Nirin causeth thee to do other things” (Jeremiah 43:2, 3).

Why do you constantly remind us, 'Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel?' Let this prophecy be silenced." In a figurative sense, all heretics can be referred to as deceitful children. Though they have distanced themselves from us, they have not truly departed (1 John 2:19). They do not listen to the inner call of the law of God and tell the church leaders, "Do not unveil for us what is right, nor alarm us with the terrors of Gehenna, but instead assure us of paradise after indulgence and pleasure." They wonder, "Why do you reveal the way of the Lord, which I do not wish to pursue? Why do you echo the name of the Holy One of Israel, which does not reach my heart?" This speaks to all negligent members of the Church who dismiss the strict guidance of their leaders and gravitate toward deceivers.