Isaiah 29 (part 2)

The last few days, and especially yesterday, seem like a whirlwind—a crazy, hectic, whirlwind. It has, not surprisingly, kind of stressed me out. I would like nothing better right now than to escape to a small cabin somewhere way up in the mountains and far away from anything else man made, including the sound of airplanes. But that is not feasible right now.

However, I have been sensing God wanting me to stop and slow down a bit. It is something I have been wanting myself and have been trying. Strangely though, it is not as easy as it sounds. But for a brief moment this morning, I succeeded. For a few minutes I was able to find myself alone, sitting on a couch. And I read Isaiah 29. When I began to drift away in my thoughts, there were a few verses or partial phrases that quickly grabbed me and drew me back in. Verses 5 and 6 where one such case. “And in an instant you will be visited by the LORD of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire” (ESV). I couldn’t help but marvel at how this same God is also a God of peace and is the One in whom I find rest, and in fact, the only one in whom I can ever find any real rest. He is my shepherd (Psalm 23).

Verse 13 and 14 reminded me that I still have questions and that I will never be able to understand everything. It doesn’t make sense to me that God would show favor, as it appears he is doing, to some one who honors him with their lips while their hearts are far from him.

Then I came to verse 18 and my heart began to fill with joy. “In that day, the deaf shall hear… the blind shall see… and the meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD” (vv 18-19, ESV). And by the time I finished verse 24, God had so stilled my heart, that all troubles and anxieties had virtually vanished from my mind. And for the next few minutes I was able to breathe easy and find the rest and peace I so desperately wanted and needed. I find it encouraging to know that God’s Word, no matter what passage, has the amazing power to slow one down and give to them what they need, be it comfort, encouragement, conviction, or peace.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:1-2, ESV).

Psalm 122 (A slight detour from Isaiah)

This morning I decided to read from the book of Psalms. As I was looking for a particular chapter to read, I came across Psalm122. Psalm 123 was on the same page and so I decided to read that chapter instead. But I felt a little nudging, and inclination of sorts to go back and at least read Psalm 122 as well. So I did. And God spoke to me. He told me to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. He even told me what to pray: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels" (Psalm 122: 6-7). With all the unrest in the Middle East, may this be your prayer this morning as well.

Isaiah 29

As I read Isaiah 29 this morning, I was not really sure what the point being made was. Beyond the obvious surface of words, I didn’t quite know what the meaning of these verses is. And yet I didn’t really care. For me, it was like listening to a friend talk about something and you don’t have the slightest clue what they are saying, but you still enjoy listening to them talk. I didn’t really have the slightest clue what God was saying to me this morning, but that didn’t matter. It was just really nice to hear him speak… to hear his voice.

Isaiah 28:23-29

I must confess I have not posted here in quite awhile because of these verses. They have bothered me, perhaps because I do not know anything about farming and have struggled greatly with trying to understand the meaning, be it figurative or literal. But instead of camping here until I figured out or understood the meaning, I drifted to other passages, visiting this passage only periodically. If I do not come to terms with the fact of my avoidance of the bewildering, I will never move on. And there are some amazing things in the remaining 32 chapters of this book. Maybe at some other time in my life God will open my eyes to the meaning of these verses, but for now I need to accept the simple fact I do not, nor cannot, know and/or understand everything in scripture. However, I can take confidence and find assurance in the fact that "the LORD of hosts... is wonderful in counsel and excelling in wisdom" (v29, ESV). And oh how beautiful and sweet those words are to my ears.

Isaiah 28:14-22

"therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,
a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:
"Whoever believes will not be in haste."
And I will make justice the line,
and righteousness the plumb line;
and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
and waters will overwhelm the shelter.'"—Isaiah 28:16-17 (ESV).

When the LORD speaks, it would behoove a person to pay close attention. I cannot help be feel an overwhelming joy and peace when I read these verses. Life is full of projects and deadlines and meetings. Life is full of busyness. And overtime they begin to wear a person down. They wear me down anyway. It is all too easy for me to get caught up in doing things that I forget to spend time with my Creator. And eventually I forget that he is in control of everything. And then I read the news and wonder where the good is.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the song titled, “I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day.” One of the verses says: “And in despair I hung my head. ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said. ‘For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.’”

But the next verse says: “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep! God is not dead nor doth he sleep. The wrong shall fail the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.”

How reassuring it is to know that the one whom I put my trust in, whom I given my life to, has laid strong foundation, a tested (and proven) stone that will last for eternity. When I stop and think on these verses and what they say about God, all things simply fade away and the only thing left standing is Jesus Christ.

My confidence is in him and him alone.

Isaiah 28:7-13

Proverbs 1:5 says “let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance” (ESV).

As I read these verses, it is my prayer that we never become people who pick and choose what parts of Scripture we wish to obey. A life lived like that will only end in death. We must listen to, heed, and obey all of God’s commandments.

Isaiah 28:1-6

“In that day the LORD of hosts will be… strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate” (verse 6, ESV).

As Christians we often find ourselves in a battle, and war (Rev 12:17). To forget that we are in a war is dangerous. We are constantly fighting, it seems, for what is right and true and pure and holy. Sometimes the battle becomes intense and fierce and other times the enemy drags it out for a long time, wearing us down, depleting of our strength. It can feel at times, that we are fighting the battle alone. At such times it seems easier to give up.

Temptations come are way and the more tired we are, the harder it is to stand and resist the devil, the harder it is to remember to run toward God. We feel alone, surrounded by Satan and his army.

But let me assure you, you are not alone. God is right there beside you, fighting with you. You may not see him and every sign may indicate he is not there, but when you do see him, you will be unable to prove he wasn’t there.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard you heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (NIV). Guard from and against the enemy. Do not let him steal or corrupt it.

Attacks will come, though. But take heart, for God will freely give his strength “to those who turn back the battle at the gate.”

Isaiah 27:12-13

I may have said this once before, but if so, I am going to say it again anyway. I find it quite amazing how one can read a certain passage over and over again, and then one day, all of a sudden, it's like a light turns on and they get it. They understand the passage. And yes, I am referring to myself here. For over a week I was "stuck" on these two verses. I wanted to go on to something else, but I couldn't so I just kept reading them. And then the other day, it was like the blinds on a window were pulled opened and light instantly flooded my mind and heart. But what I find even more remarkable is that God knew exactly when I was going to need to see this truth and he waited patiently (as he always does) until the perfect time to pull the shades.

As I read these two simple verses that morning, I was overcome with a sense of God's love. He cares so much for his children that he is willing to go to the ends of the earth to rescue them and bring them to him. He loves them so much he allows them to worship him on his holy mountain, he allows them to come into his very presence and not die.

There are many incredible and wonderful verses in Scripture, but in my mind, one of the most amazing verses is Revelation 21:3--"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God'" (ESV).

And this knowledge gives me hope that my life is not doomed. Even despite my sinfulness, God still wants to be with me.

Isaiah 27:6-11

As I was reading in Isaiah this morning, I was starting too feel overwhelmed at all there was in these verses. A part of me wants to bring up every point I see here in this blog. But reason is telling me that may not be possible unless I want to stay in Isaiah for for the next few years. So with some heartache much of what is in these 6 verses will be left out. But feel free to study and meditate on them in your own time. Now...

Verse 11 seemed a little troubling to me when I read it. It seemed contrary to the character of God. But in my questioning and thinking, God directed me back to verse 10. As I read this two verses together, i was able to find 1--justification for why God acted the way he did, and 2--an important lesson I should heed closely.

These people God refused compassion and favor on, were people who were so blind they ignored the fact that there was a city which they could reside in safely, a fortified city that would protect them. Instead they treated it like an abandoned ghost town.

Psalm 18:2 says "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge" (NIV). But how often I do choose NOT to dwell in that fortified city? NOT to take refuge in the arms of the Almighty? There is no hope for me on my own.

And so my prayer this morning is the same as David's, expressed in Psalm 27:4--

"One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD
And to meditate in His temple" (NASB).

Isaiah 27:2-5

In John 15:1-17, Christ speaks of the vineyard. He is the vine were are the branches. If we abide in him and he in us, only then will we bear much fruit. The Father is the vine vinedresser, the vinekeeper. He prunes and cuts and cares for his vineyard with the utmost care.

Where as in John the analogy comes from the perspective of the "vine," this analogy in Isaiah comes from the perspective of the "gardener." But their message is the same: love. In Isaiah we get a glimpse at how much God cares for and loves his vineyard, the lengths he will go to keep it looking beautiful and perfect. In John 15:17, Jesus gives us the reason why he talked about the vineyard: "These things I command you, so that you will love one another" (ESV).

God loves his vineyard; we are a part of that vineyard; we need to make every effort to abide in Christ, to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, so that we in turn can love one another (Matthew 22:37-40).

"We love because he first loved us"--1 John 4:19

Isaiah 27:1

I can't help but wonder if the mythical creature Leviathan is in actuality Satan. In Job 41, God spends a whole chapter talking about the Leviathan. But it is the last two verses that makes me wonder about the relation between Leviathan and Satan. "On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear. He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride"(vv33-34, ESV).

The Psalms also speak of Leviathan. Psalm 74:14 says, "You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness" (ESV). A verse which seems to parallel this one is Genesis 3:15 which says, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (NIV).

Revelation 12 talks about dragon coming from the sea.

Now I am not saying the Leviathan is another name for Satan. Maybe Leviathan just used symbolically to describe him. I don't know. But I found it rather interesting.

It ultimately doesn't really matter which it is. What is important to note here is this: Satan is NOT a mythical creature. He is VERY really and must not be forgotten or taken lightly.

However, despite all the power that he may have, that simple fact remains that the living God will, in the end completely destroy him, and along with him, all evil. The LORD God will triumph. Evil will one day be destroyed. And for that I am thrilled.

In the meantime, I will wait expectantly for God, remembering the that "[Our] adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (I Peter 5:8. ESV).

Isaiah 26:20-21

At first glance this passage appeared to be about God's fury. And when I first read it, I asked myself the question, "Can anything positive and happy be found here?" After reading it several more times, I was able to answer "yes."

Verse 21 briefly describes how great the LORD'S fury will be at the end of this age. But verse 2o shows how much love he has for his people. Through Isaiah, he warns them of his coming wrath, but also gives them time to hide safely from it.

God is capable great fury and wrath, but his love and compassion always come first. "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3:9, ESV).

Isaiah 26:16-19

Verse 19, quite honestly, left me a little bewildered. Yet for some reason, it grabs my attention. perhaps it's the beauty, the poetry. Though I don't fully understand it, I can't help but wonder if this verse is referring to the resurrection of the saints talked about in 1 Thessalonians and Revelation.

In any case, it is verse 18 that I wish to point to today. "We were pregnant, we writhed, but we gave birth to wind" (v. 18a, ESV). This picture seems to illustrate the futility of man when he attempts to do things on his own apart from God. Even though this passage is referring to God's chosen people, all mankind, and especially Christians, can learn from this. For God cannot be limited.

The second half of verse 18 reinforces the illustration. Only God can deliver people. Only God can bring down the enemy. Without God, man is nothing. "Apart from [God] man can do nothing" (John 15:5, ESV).

Isaiah 26:10-15

I come, once again, to verse 15, trying to understand it but unable to. Perhaps the key to this verse is the short little phrase in the middle: "you are glorified." I want to ask the question of why God did this wonderful thing, and partly because I want him to do the same thing for me. But that phrase may be the answer, or at least part of it: he did it so that he would be glorified.

I Chronicles 4:10 is a prayer made in boldness. A man who walked close with God, asked in boldness for some very big things. And God answered his prayer. But what does that verse teach us? A couple things it teaches me is one, to come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews4:16) in faith, believing what I ask for will be granted (Mark 11:24). And a second thing it teaches me is that when God does answer my prayers it is partly because he loves me and desires to see my joy, but mainly it is so that he can be glorified.

Speaking of God's glory, let me leave you with a hymn written by Fanny Crosby:

To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truely believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

Isaiah 26:7-10

As I read through Isaiah, I find myself forced to go slow. My natural tendency is to rush things, to speed up the longer it takes to accomplish something. Here in Isaiah 26, it is no different. I want to finish this chapter in two, maybe three blogs. I want to blog on verses 7-15. But there is content here that practically forces me to break it up into two sections. It is a rich passage. The verse that is ultimately forcing me to slow down is verse 15. I find it troubling primarily, because I am not quite sure what is means, yet I feel it means something big. But I will save it for next time. Instead I will focus on verses 7-10.

I could very easily comment on each of the verses here, and I am half tempted to revert back to my literary analysis days of college. I will refrain, however. There is so much here. My hope and prayer is that you read and meditate on this passage, allowing God to reveal to you what he wants you to learn. But for the sake of this blog, let us focus on verse 8:

"In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and
remembrance are the desire of our soul" (ESV).

With all the pain and evil, the death and destruction, in the world, how often to we lose sight of eternity? How often to we wait for God, especially in the path of his judgments? What does it mean to wait in the path of his judgments? The important lesson I see here, though, is simply to wait, for him, for his deliverance, salvation, what have you, no matter where we find ourselves, be it in his peaceful and loving arms or the path of his judgments or the road of trials and tribulations. The important thing is to wait.

And let us not forget part 2 of the verse: "your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul." No matter what happens in our lives, let us remember him and his works (Psalm 66:5). Let him and all he's done for us be the number on desire of our hearts, our lives. Let everything about him consume us. For "as the deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul pants for you, O God" Psalm 42:1, ESV).

Isaiah 26:1-6

"In that day..."(v.1). Based on the previous chapter, this "day" occurs in heaven, in eternity. And so we get look at a song we will sing to God. (Now may be good time to start learning it). But what I wish to point out this morning is verse 4--"Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock" (ESV). All the verses in the passage, as well as this entire passage, and perhaps even all of scripture, point to the message of this verse.

The last thing my grandfather ever said to me before he went home, was that no matter what happens in life, remember to trust in the Lord. And as I continue my journey through life, I continually learn more and more the meaning and depth of this verse and my grandfather's advice.

So whether your facing difficulties and hardships or God's abundant grace and blessings (and especially the latter), don't forget to "trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."

Isaiah 25:6-12

As I read this passage, I was struck by the beauty and the hope of this scene. A description of heaven and our reaction to it. Everyone once in awhile, with, perhaps, the exception of Revelation, God provides us a glimpse of our true home. Hebrews 11:10, 13-16, tells of people of God who were promised a country of their own, but knew that this country was a heavenly one. All Christians in history who have died, have died in faith, knowing that there is a place for them and one day we will see it.

But God, in all his wisdom, has periodically given us tiny glimpses of the country. It is done, I believe, so we do not forget that which we live for. Christ came to earth and constantly preached about the Kingdom. Prophets have prophesied about it; people have had visions about heaven. To forget about heaven and eternity is to forget an important reason why we're here. It is to lose hope. But God, knowing that without reminders we forget, lose our way, lose hope, get discouraged, periodically reminds us of what is to come.

One of the most incredible verses in the passage for me is verse 7. For as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known" (ESV).

Break Time

For those who read this blog, if any at all, I have decided to take a little break for awhile. I need to work on my relationship with God a little bit. As I have I read and blogged/journaled about Isaiah, it has become more a thing done out of duty rather than because I am passionately in love with my Savior. I'll hopefully come back soon and continue going through Isaiah. In the meantime, keep trusting God and looking to him for everything.

Isaiah 25:1-5

As I read through Isaiah, and any other book of the Bible for that matter, I wonder sometimes just how much I miss in reading. For example, I read this passage yesterday morning. Today I read it again. But in reading this morning, I noticed something I was completely oblivious to yesterday.

As I have gone through Isaiah, I have learned and seen that God is all powerful, mighty, awesome, and holy. He is a being to be respected and feared above all other imaginable thing or person. He is full of grace and mercy and truth as well as anger and jealousy. Let me now direct you to verse 4. We see here, that through all his power and justice, wrath and punishment, God still has plenty of compassion for the hurting and needy.

I am reminded of part of the sermon on the mount. Matthew 6:25-35. God takes notice and feeds the birds of the air. "Are you not of more value than they?" (v.26, ESV). "If God so clothes the grass of the field. . . will he not much more clothe you?" (v.30, ESV).

God doesn't forget those who are in need, who are poor, who are in distress. Rather He comes through for them. He is their stronghold. He is "a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat" (v.4, ESV).

Isaiah 24:17-23

Nothing, not people or any other creation of God, can withstand his full glory, "For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble" (v.18b, ESV). This passages shows that quite well. It's a prophesy of the future--future to Isaiah and future to us. It is a prophesy of the Judgment Day.

But the verse that stood out to me, more than any other, was the last verse: "Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders" (v.23, ESV, emphasis added).

If there is only one reason, one motivation for doing anything, it should be to bring God as much glory as possible. This should be the reason why we seek to improve, why we strive to be the best that we can be in whatever it is we do.

As I seek to apply this to my life, I realize that it will not be easy. It will take constant reminders that what I am doing is ultimately to bring as much glory to my creator as possible. This alone should be the driving force, the ultimate motivation behind everything I do!

I Corinthians 10:31-- "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (See also, Romans 16:27, Philippians 4:20, Jude 1:25, Revelation 14:7).

Isaiah 24:14-16

Questions, questions, questions. I am once more left with more questions than answers.

As I read these three verses, I get the feeling that Isaiah knows something I do not. Verses 14-16a give me the impression that people are turning back God and giving him the glory and honor he deserves. But why does Isaiah "waste away"? He says it's because the traitors have betrayed. But why have they done this? When did they do it? What is Isaiah talking about?

Whatever it is, it is important because he repeats it twice.

Isaiah 24: 4-13

Imagine, for a moment, the aftermath of a bomb out city. It is desolate, destroyed. Here and there are piles of rubble still smoldering. The smell of sulfur lingers in the air. A deathly quiet hangs heavy over what remains of buildings, apartments, banks. The roads are now eighty percent pot holes. Most of the people are gone, but some still remain, beaten and battered, but alive.

Now magnify this picture to include the whole world. This is similar to what Isaiah is describing here in verses 4-13, I think. But as I read these verses, I paused at verse 5. And when I finished reading, I was drawn back to verse 5:

"The earth lies defiled
under its inhabitants;
for they have transgressed the laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant."

"Laws" and "statutes" are plural. The "everlasting covenant" is singular. But what exactly is the everlasting covenant? It is basically a covenant between God and Jesus Christ, made before the foundations of the earth whereupon Christ agreed to be the mediator of mankind. Through Christ's death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave, he established a new covenant (Hebrews 9:15). (http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Divine_Covenants/divine_covenants_01.htm)

I am beginning to feel the weight of this passage. Perhaps I should meditate on this for awhile.

Isaiah 24:1-3

Sometimes I wonder how much it really matters what we do, that is, what career path we follow. It seems to me that as a society, and probably even throughout the world, we put too much value in what a person does. We assign worth based on what a person does for a living.

And then I read this passage and see that in God's eyes, we are all equal. It doesn't matter how much you make or what job you have. To compare yourself to other people is pointless really. Only from God do we gain true, lasting worth.

I am reminded of the parable from the New Testament of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). It doesn't matter so much how people see you. What matters is how God sees you, and he sees your heart.

Who then are you trying to please? God, or man (Psalm 19:14; Matthew 6:24)

Maybe our prayer this morning should be Psalm 139:23-24:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead my in the way everlasting!"

Isaiah 23

Whenever we learn that some one is a prostitute, we look down them with scorn and contempt. Prostitution is viewed as a disgrace, and, to some people, the sin of all sins. And yet, here in Isaiah 23, God says about Tyre that she "will prostitute herself with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. Her merchandise will be holy to the LORD" (vv17b-18a, ESV).

There are many times, especially in the Old Testament, where punishes nations for disgracing themselves through prostitution. Prostitution is sinful. This has been made clear throughout scripture. But there are also instances where God has used prostitutes for his glory. Rahab is a prime example (Joshua 2). From the New Testament there are a couple interactions Christ had with a prostitute(John 4 & 8).

What I am gathering from this are a couple lessons. One, no sin is too great for God to forgive. He has compassion on all people, whether they be prostitutes, druggies, murderers, or morally good people. Second is that if God loves these people and is willing to forgive them, then I need to learn to do the same. Theres that old saying, love the sinner, hate the sin. That's what God does. Maybe I should start doing the same.

Isaiah 22:15-25

To better understand this passage, and perhaps the character of God and why he acted in such a troubling way, I would suggest to you reading 2Kings 18.

But what I was to focus on in this passage is verses 22-25. It was the analogy of the peg that really stood out to me. The main question I had here was who or what does the peg represent? The read this passage several times in the ESV, NIV, and finally in the NASB. (Of the three translations, my favorite one here is the NASB).

I am not sure if this is the correct interpretation, and if it is not, please correct me, but I am thinking the peg represents Christ. And if it does, then verse 25 describes the crucifixtion. When Christ died, he took on the burden of the world! every sin committed by every human being from the beginning to the Judgment Day.

Colossians 2:13-14 explains it well. And by conquering the cross through his resurrection, Christ proclaimed absolute and final victory over darkness, over sin.

As a Christian then, a follower of Christ, apprenticed to him, I have no reason at all for living and walking a defeated life. Christ has made me new!

Isaiah 22:12-14

God's statement at the end of verse 14 seems harsh, "Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for until you die" (ESV). But seeing reading what God called for and what the people did, makes it somewhat justifiable, I guess.

I can choose to look at this passage two ways:
1) I can question God and his judgment saying this is not quite fair. I mean, the punishment for the sin is a little extreme don't you think? Or...

2) I can come to this passage trusting that God's punishment is justifiably perfect and therefore try to understand how serious this sin is to God.

The later is the safer of the two options. So, first of all, what is the sin? In plain terms it is disobedience, and even mockery. Whatever the case, however, God doesn't take sin lightly. Perhaps I should be more careful when I have the opportunity to deliberately disobey him. And yet, I live with the confidence and knowledge that my "iniquity [was] atoned for" when Christ died on the cross!

"...For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith..." -Romans 3:22-25 (ESV).

Isaiah 22:1-11

Two things in this section of scripture stood out to me as I read it this morning. The first is verse 4: "Therefore I said: 'Look away from me; let me weep bitter tears; do not labor to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people'" (ESV). How his heart had broke towards his people and pained him so to see them not look to God for help. If only I could have a heart for all people, the way Isaiah had for the Jews.

The second thing that stood out to me was verse 11b: "But you did not look to him who did it, or see him who planned it long ago" (ESV). Every victory and triumph, every success and accomplishment, is achieved ONLY because of God. Long before we were even thought of, he set things in motion that would bring about our successes and victories. We should, therefore, never think we did it on our own. Rather we should fall to knees and thank God for the success and victory he gave to us.

Let us never forget to praise God, especially in times victory and success.

Worldwide Day of Prayer

Today is the Worldwide Day of Prayer. Here are just three of many passages about prayer. It might be a good idea to read and think on these today.

Psalm 88:13
Daniel 6:10
I Thessalonians 5:12-22 (esp. 17)

Isaiah 21:13-17

Laziness has prevented me from writing here for the last few days. During that time, however, I have been thinking about this passage. Every time I have read these few verses, trying to understand what they mean, I have been struck by the very last comment made in verse 17, "for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken" (ESV).

For the LORD has spoken. How powerful those simple words are. Christ is the truth (John 14:6). Christ is God (John 1:1,14). All knowledge and wisdom and truth is found in God (Proverbs 1:7). So when we here the words "the LORD has spoken," we should heed them. For who can change what God has said?

But to take this even further, we should heed ALL of scripture, for scripture is God's word, and God's word is Truth. God has spoken, and the Bible that we have today is that spoken word. How amazing it is to think that when we read the scriptures, we are reading, hearing, the very words of the Great, Almighty God of the Universe.

"Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD God Almighty, who was and is and is to come" (Revelation 4:8)


(I am adding this link this morning because I feel it is appropriate to what I learned. John Piper also does a better job at explaining it than I could http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2007/2021_The_Morning_I_Heard_the_Voice_of_God/)

Isaiah 21:11-12

"If you will inquire, inquire; come back again" (Isaiah 21:12b, ESV).

Immediately following the oracle in which Babylon falls, comes this oracle (vv11-12). There are people who want to know when the "end" will come so they can start being "good" and living the right way. This way they can have their fun and not get punished. But the watchman knows their intentions and will not waste him time with them.

"The morning comes, and also the Night" (v.12).

The end will come when it comes. It's more important to live as though the end will come now. Serving and loving and following God at all times is what is important. Obeying him is what he wants. It is important to be aware of the end, of final destruction, but it should not be our main focus. our main focus should be the Almighty God, the Savior of the World.

Isaiah 21:1-10 (Take 2)

I have not written here for the last few days mainly because I have been troubled enough by the first ten verses of this chapter. I have had to read them over and over again. But today I am, perhaps, gaining a little insight... or at least I am able to finally hear the truth God might have for me.

The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea
As windstorms in the Negev sweep on,
It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land.
A harsh vision has been shown to me;
The treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys
Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media;
I have made an end of all the groaning she has caused.
For this reason my loins are full of anguish;
Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor.
I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see.
My mind reels, horror overwhelms me;
The twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling.
(Isaiah 21:1-4, NASB)

"I have made an end to all the groaning she has caused. For this reason..." In making an end to the groaning, Isaiah, speaking from God, has taken all the pain and sorrow upon himself. He describes in vividly in verses 3 and 4. I wonder if this is, in some way, an analogy to what Christ did on the cross. No doubt he saw the pain and suffering and death in the world, but he also saw the evil, the sin, and when he died on the cross, he bore our sins. And I would not be surprised if the pain he felt was similar to what Isaiah is feeling here. Perhaps this is something we should pause for a moment and think about...

Isaiah 21:1-10

Oracle-(n) 7. any utterance made or received as authoritative, extremely wise, or infallible (Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.).

Isaiah 21:1--"The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea"(ESV).
Isaiah 21:10--"O my threshed and winnowed one, what I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, I announce to you"(ESV).

There is much in this passage which I am struggling to understand. What is the meaning? Is this speaking figuratively to someone, or are we being given a chance to listen in on a conversation God is having with nature?

Let me go back to verse one. The "wilderness of the sea"? Huh? Wilderness is something I have always associate with land, terra firma. But here it is being associated with the sea.

There is so much in these 10 verses, and sadly, my feeble mind cannot grasp any of it. There is certainly frustration that comes with days like these, but I can also learn to relish these times. It is the lack of immediate understanding and application that troubles me, and thus forces me to spend prolonged thought rather than reading, saying thank you, God, and going on with my life. It is passages like these that force and challenge me to think.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105, ESV). God's word gives me the knowledge I need walk the path He's laid out for me in this life. But he has his own reasons for not revealing his Word right away. I still have to trust him. And thankfully, it doesn't make him any less of a God.

Isaiah 20

This chapter is one of the R rated chapters of the Bible. But for those who think that God is speaking to them, through this passage, to walk around naked for three years. . . he's not.

The message, or lesson to be learned from this passage, is at the end. Verse 6 says, "And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, 'Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape'"(ESV).

The point here is simple. They were looking in the wrong place for safety and deliverance. There is only one place to safety, only one place to go to be delivered from persecution, and that is God. And why not? If he controls everything, why look to what can be controlled for security instead of looking to the controller? This chapter comes as an important reminder to me. And it comes at the right time.

PSALM 121 (ESV)

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Isaiah 19:16-25

What joy to know that God cannot be angry forever. My heart is filled with overwhelming joy and happiness when I read verse 21, "And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them." It continues as I read on, climaxing with verse 25, "...the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, 'Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.'"

God created ALL people, not just Jews. It is true that Jews are his chosen people, and because of that they have a special place in God’s heart and kingdom. But God also created everyone else too (John 1:3).

I guess because there is so much evil talked about Egypt and Assyria throughout the Old Testament, to see that even them, God has not completely abandoned, fills me with hope. If he calls Egyptians his people and Assyrians the work of his hands, then what does that mean for me except that NOTHING I do will be able to separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).

Isaiah 19:1-15

The imagery in this passage is rich and intense. It presents a God that is sometimes hard to love and to serve. It presents a God that I should fear. If God will do this to a people who are “not his,” how much more should I fear his discipline as one of his adopted children who he loves dearly?

To gain and appropriate perspective on the character of God, we need to learn to fear him. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” But should we learn first to fear God or to love and serve him?

Isaiah 18

Such beautiful poetry.

I must confess, though, that this chapter has, for the last few days, left me a little bewildered. I feel like there is something really big here, but I don't know what it is. And this bothers me some.

There are two sections here I have not been able to fully understand. The first and lesser of the two is use for four lines used twice, once at the beginning of the chapter and once at the end. The lines are:

From a people tall and smooth,
From a people feared near and far,
A nation mighty and conquering,
Whose land the rivers divide.
(vv 2 & 7)

(The very end of verse 7 is another good verse to think and meditate on)

But the passage here that really grabbed my attention and has left me a little frustrated and kind of bothers me a little, is verse 4, "For thus the LORD said to me: 'I will quietly look from my dwelling like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.'" This is the only thing God says in this chapter. I still am not quite sure what means nor do I fully understand it. But without any questions, how could we grow in our relationship with God?

Isaiah 17:9-14

9 happened because of 10a. The result of 10a was 10b-14.

Isaiah 17:10a "For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge" (ESV).

Not meditating on his Word and thinking about his works will result in forgetting. Maybe we should spend this day meditating on this verse, recalling God's provisions for us and for all his children from the beginning until now, and remembering his promises to us.

God is the God of my salvation.

God is the Rock of my refuge.

Isaiah 17:1-8

Perhaps it is time I share something I learned (or re-learned) recently. About a week ago, I had been asking myself the question, how do I maximize my talents and passions and desires so as to be most effective for God? This led to a question about sacrifice. Does God want me to sacrifice my desire to serve him overseas so that I can stay here and be a voice for overseas missions and missionaries? Then all off a sudden it clicked. I saw that my focus was all wrong. It was on me. I realized at that moment that when I put my focus on God, completely removing myself from the picture, what I do next in my life, in my future, doesn't matter.

In fact, in the presence of the Almighty, nothing matters except him alone.

"In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. He will not look to the alters, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the alters of incense" (Isaiah 17:7-8, ESV).

In the presence of the God of the Universe, the Creator, there is simply no room for self, no room for pride. Humility and fear are all that remains.

Isaiah 15-16

"An oracle concerning Moab. Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone; because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone" (Isaiah 15:1, ESV). Moab has nothing left. But what I find somewhat bewildering is that part of Christ's lineage can be traced back to the Moabites (see Ruth). And yet here God has turned his back on Moab and laid him bare, undone him? Chapter 16:6 explains why: Pride. . . (Is God perhaps trying to tell me something?)

"Send the lamb to the ruler of the land, from Sela, by way of the desert, to the mount of the daughter of Zion" (Isaiah 16:1, ESV). Is this not a picture of Christ? Commencing Christ's ministry was his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness, remember?

Verses 3-5 of Isaiah chapter 16 are worth pondering.

Verse 9 gives some insight into Isaiah character, but also, perhaps, into God's character as well. "Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer...I drench you with my tears" (ESV). Despite all the punishment and and justice he is pouring out on the Moabites, God still has deep compassion for them. In the same way, he has compassion for us. When God sees pride in world, no matter how much he loves the people, even if they are his, he has to punish them in some way. And oh what pain that must cause him. For there can only be one who is truly exalted.

And this morning, as I think on these things, I watch as the sun rises from beyond the horizon, glorious and bright and beautiful.

Isaiah 14:28-32

As a little boy finds comfort in the arms of a loving father, especially when his whole little world seems to be crashing down upon him, so we can can find comfort in arms of the loving Savior. And when the world starts to taunt and threaten us and begins to beat us up, we can find refuge in the presence of our God. "The LORD has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge" (Isaiah 14:32, ESV).

Isaiah 14:24-27

"For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?" (Isaiah 14:27, ESV).

Yet again Go reveals his sovereignty and control over the world and everything in it. These questions almost lend itself to being rhetorical because the answer is obvious: no one.

It is comforting to know that I serve a God who is so in control of everything, that know matter how bad I might mess things up, it doesn't even begin to mess up his plans. And if there's anyone in the world with whom I can trust, it is God. And why not trust him? After all, who has more control over things, both little and big, than the Creator?

Isaiah 14:3-23

(Verse 4 makes clear who this passage is addressed to: "the king of Babylon." But if, like me, you're wondering who this king is specifically, maybe verse 12 can help. I hesitate to say that the king and the Day Star are the same because I simply do not know unless I do further study.) What caught my attention, though, was verse 12 and a few verses following.

Pride is a scary and dangerous thing. It is what led to Satan's downfall, and thus changed the course of history.

Verse 14 says, "I [Satan] will make myself like the Most High" (ESV). Notice what he said. It was the exact same thing he told Adam and Eve they could achieve and become (Genesis 3:5), and their sin changed the course of history for mankind. It was the exact same sin: Pride.

Pride is a dangerous thing. Be careful.

Isaiah 14:1-2

I heard a youth pastor last night talk about humility. He made the comment that if there is one sin that God despises and detests more than any sin, it is pride. He hated it in the beginning and ha hates it now. He hates it among his people and he hates it among the rest of the world. He abhors it more than any other singular sin.

As he made this comment, I immediately thought of Isaiah 13. Why was such horrendous judgment from God poured out on Babylon? Because they were prideful. Look through scripture and what it talks about Babylon and you will quickly find this to be the case. (Daniel is another good book to learn about this empire and city.)

The first two verse of chapter 14, further explain why God's judgment was so harsh. He saw his people being mistreated and had compassion on them. "For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel..." (v.1, ESV). I find this mind boggling that God can be so angry (as we see in chapter 13), and at the same time full of compassion and love (chapter 14). As it says in James 4:6, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (ESV).

Isaiah 13

The thing with Isaiah, or the whole Bible really, is that it is not one big, happy book where everything is nice and comforting and encouraging. There are large chunks that don't seem to make sense, or are confusing or discouraging or what have you. There are even some passages in the Bible that I wish were not there.

I am tired this morning and feeling the need to read something encouraging and uplifting, something that would inspire me and give me hope as I face the day. That is what I wanted to read and hear in my quiet time before God. Instead I read chapter 13 of Isaiah--the complete opposite of what I was hoping for.

But this chapter is in the Bible and so I must trust and believe that God can still speak to me and teach me despite the seemingly depressing content. This is what I have taken from the chapter:

The LORD is a very mighty and powerful god. He is a god to be feared. He is the God and is not to be taken lightly.

Isaiah 12

There are many things in life and in this fallen world of which I am thankful to God for. But one of the biggest things I am most thankful is for his living, vibrant Word. For through this Word he speaks to us. I read the whole chapter 12 this morning, but really it was the first 2 verses I needed to hear.

"You will say in that day:
'I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.

'Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation'" (vv1-2, ESV).

As I face the new day and all that it has to offer me, both good and bad, joys and sorrow, victories and defeats, trials, testings, and new understandings into the truth of God and his character, I know that through it all, God is and will be my strength and song. He alone has given me hope to live, he alone can bring me true and complete comfort, he alone knows my future and will guide me safely each step of the way. "For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel" (v6, ESV).

Isaiah 11

That's the wonderful thing about God. No matter how angry he gets or for how long he pours his out his wrath, it is impossible for him to stay that way. Like a child who is suddenly proud to show off his "real"dad, the dad who loves him and shows that love, to all show friends, so is the way I kind of feel as I read this chapter. Finally, God is demonstrating to everyone that he is the winner. Victory is his. The imagery in this passage is rich, particularly verses 1-9. (I apologize for using literary terminology and thinking as I look at this book. It's just the English major in me.) The images are rich and bold, yet show the tenderness and gentleness of God. Verse 6: "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them" (ESV).

Once again, God uses the image of a child. I am not exactly sure why this is, but from a literary perspective, this image represents simplicity and innocence. In Matthew Christ said that he would use the simple to shame the wise. He also explained that to get into heaven you would have to become like a child. When he feed the five thousand, he used the bread and fish belonging to a boy, (and mostly likely a young boy). There is beauty in children, for all there clumsiness and grossness as snot runs from their nose to edge of their mouth and around corner of it, there is a beauty and dependence about them that is so telling to how we are with God. And I guess, just like as a parent can't stay mad at their kids, so God can't stay mad at his either. And when he displays his power and victory, joy can only radiate from the face of his children, whether they're his chosen or his adopted. So let's just praise the Lord today. Amen?

Isaiah 10:20-34

It is a wonderful thing to be able to rest in the Lord, when you can let all your muscles relax and your troubles and burdens and deadlines melt away as ice on a hot summer day. That is how I am feeling this morning, and I don't want it to end.

As I am able to find this wonderful peace and rest, I read the last part of Isaiah 10 and am quite comforted. Through all God's power and anger and judgment, he has not forgotten, we nor should we forget, his gentle side. "O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians. . . For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction" (vv24-25, ESV). God has not forgotten his people. No where in this passage does it mention gentleness, but I sense it implied in his love for the Israelites. His fury will come to an end. He is hard and angry toward the enemy, but toward his own children he has become gentle. I am having a hard time describing this gentleness in light of the passage, but I hope you can understand anyway.

Today, let us not forget that God is the all powerful god of the universe with whom we should be afraid, but let us also not forget that this God is also gentle an loving, particularly to his own people, his own children. Let's turn not turn away from him, but to him at all times.

Isaiah 10:5-19

Sometimes I read the Bible and wonder why I serve and follow God. There are aspects about his character that I don’t particularly enjoy or find comforting. But to not read those passages or to pretend that not so pleasing side of God doesn’t exist, would be to remain in ignorance of God, his Word, and the world around us.

The main point I have gathered this morning is that we need to be careful about proclaiming personal success. Our success, whether you have a personal relationship with God or not, comes from him. And to claim all the glory for yourself is a very dangerous thing. “Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!” (v.13, ESV). God gave the king of Assyria the power and ability to attack conquer the Israelites. God use the king to bring judgment on his people because they had turned their backs on him. Yet the king tried to take all the glory. So in verse 16, God protects his glory by bringing Assyria to her knees.

God is an awesome and powerful god who gives us success. We are nothing without him. Not only does God deserve respect, but he also deserves all the glory. In fact, the LORD of the Universe is the only one who deserves any glory. If there is anything I need to remember today, I think it is that.

Isaiah 9:8-10:4

Not the most pleasant sounding God. It seems like he is kind of mean and perhaps a little unfair. But then, who are we to judge the living God of the Universe? As I read this passage this morning, I felt a strange sense of peace and rest, as though all the burdens and troubles in my life, all the distractions and responsibilities, were quietly washed away and all that was left was just me and God. These verses may have been about God’s anger and judgment, “for all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still” (9:12, 17, 21; 10:4, ESV). But if you read this passage in context, it is not hard to understand the reason for his anger: his people were not obeying him. They turned their backs on him and sought other gods. They tried to defy the only God. As a result, after being given a chance to repent and turn back, his judgment came upon him.

I don’t know why I felt such peace and rest. I just collapsed into his arms and wanted to stay there. And oh how gentle, but also how strong, his arms are. I’m tired of fighting him, of trying to do things on my own, with my own feeble strength.

I guess, as I read this passage, I see the power God has and I find it easier to give everything up to him than to try to do it myself. And maybe that is exactly where God wants me. As the famous hymn says, “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”

Isaiah 9:2-7

This is another one of those amazingly beautiful passages with a lot of richness and depth. And that this section is written in poetry only adds to the beauty.

One of the most beautiful and most powerful images, I think, is when something dark and evil is juxtaposed with tenderness and innocence. Take, for example, the scene from the movie The Untouchables, when Costner's character goes to the train station to pick up a key witness. It's a scene of gore, of death and killing. But right in the middle is a little baby in a stroller, ignorant to what is happening around him. And at the same time all the shooting and killing is going on, Costner is trying to save the baby. It makes for a very beautiful and powerful scence, one of my favorites.

And in Isaiah 9, the same thing is done. Verses 4-5 are dark verses speaking of God's judgement and wrath, ending with a very vivid picture of fire and burning and death. And the very next verse (or line) begins, "For to us a child is born"(v.6, ESV).

In the midst of all this fighting and killing, death and darkness, there is a light of hope and peace by way of an innocent child, Jesus Christ.

And as I look at the world today, the fighting and bombings in the middle east and in other places, the murders, and the blatant disregard for other people, there remains that same hope. "... and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (v.6, ESV).

Isaiah 8:18-9:1

There are two seperate sections in this passage that stand out to me, and perhaps only because I am not sure what they mean. The first one is verse 20b: "...If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn." What does it mean to not have dawn? The KJV says they do not have the light. Does light or dawn represent understanding? Could it read, "because they have no understanding"? The first, "if they will not speak according to this word..." refers to the word Isaiah recieved from God. I guess this makes sense, then, that if anyone chooses to not speak according to God's word, it is becuase they have no understanding (of his Word)? Hhmmm. Again, this is a little troubling becuase I don't quite understand it.

Verse 2, of chapter 9, is similar in that I do not quite understand it. "But in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations." How is this to be read, or interpreted? The rest of of the world, i.e. Europe, North and South America, Australia, etc.? Or is it a direct reference to Galilee, from whence Christ came?

Questions are good I guess, they keep you in check so that you don't became a know it all. They keep to studying so that you can learn. But sometimes questions can be so frustrating, especially when the answer is not easily acquired. But God has his reasons for not revealing certain things to us. And this is yet another small insight into his character.

Isaiah 8:16-17

After we are told to fear God in verses 11-15, Isaiah tells us what he is going to do. "I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him" (v17, ESV). After all that Isaiah has seen of God and heard from him, he has confidence to wait for and hope in the LORD. What do they mean--wait for and hope in? To wait for anyone really, is to acknowledge that they will come, though you don't know when. Let's flip the phrase around some: "I can't wait for him (or you)." What does this mean? It means that whatever you need to do, it's more important to get it done, than to wait for help. It implies that you don't need help with the task. But to wait for someone until they come, no matter how long, implies that no matter what, you cannot complete, or maybe even start, the task on your own. "I will wait for the LORD." However long it takes, Isaiah is going to wait for the God. Now does this mean waiting idlely, doing nothing until he comes? Not at all. Rather, it means we should busy ourselves with preparation, while we wait (see Luke 12:13-21), doing what we can, where we are at, but never doing any more until our help arrives.

"I will...hope in the LORD." Where do you put your hope? Do you put it in things that will not last? Do you put it in people who will let you down? In feelings that will come and go? In objects that will break and will have to be replaced? Or do you hope in the only constant in an ever changing world? The only Rock who not just was in the beginning, but who was the beginning; the One who created the universe with just a spoken word? Remeber, God is THE all powerful Creator who has everything in control. Nothing made was not made by him (John 1) and nothing happens with out his approval. The Great I Am is more than the only one we can fully and unreservedly place all our hope in. He is the only one worthy of having hope placed in him. Isaiah knew this well.

God will come through; he will show his face to the righteous, to his beloved children. But for a time, we may need to just wait for him and hope in him, just like Isaiah, with the confidence that God will come. Patience my friend, patience.

Isaiah 8:11-15

"But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread" (Isaiah 8:13, ESV).

Yet another glimpse into the incredibly complex and amazing God. In the same breath, God says he will become a sancturay and a stone of offense, a stumbling rock, snare, and trap. (v. 14). How is it possible that God can be a place of safety and rest and at the same time cause people to stumble and fall and be caught in a snare? There is one word that can explain this: Calvery. Christ death and ressurection has caused wars and brutality and persecution while at the same time it saves lives and gives rest to the weary. The most beautiful and horrifying event in all of history, has been, to this point, Christ's work on the cross. And it will remain that way, I believe, until his second return and God pours out his judgement on the earth and wipes away all our tears.

But this passage not only gives us a glimpse into the the character of the Almighty, it intructs us on how we should act toward him. "You shall regard him as holy." That is not a suggestion. "Let him be your fear." This is advice, especially for gaining wisdom (see Proverbs 1:7). "Let him be your dread." This, too, is advice, but on how to respect him. God is no joking matter. He is real, and he is powerful. We should be in awe whenever we come into his presence. Those of us who have entered into a relationship with him, we have comfort and peace beyond measure. But those of you who have not yet turned thier lives over to him, have much to be afraid of, whether you realize it or not. Yet if you only turn to him and humbly surrender your life to him, he will have mercy on you and rescue you from total destruction.

"But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary..."

Isaiah 8:1-10

In these verses, God speaks to Isaiah against Judah. The section is titled the The Coming Assyrian Invasion. But what is neat about this passage are verses 8 through 10. In verse 8, the Lord ends his little speech by speaking to himself? "...and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel" (ESV). I am not sure I understand this part. Which brings me to an interesting side note, or bunny trail: the understanding of scripture.

We are called to study God's word and "hide it in [our] heart[s] that [we] might not sin against [God]" (Psalm 119:11). But how can we do this if we don't understand it? Well, the simple answer is that God will make known to us, that which we need to know. But any avid student of God who is truly seeking after him, will undoubtedly have questions that they may never get an answer to. For anyone who thinks this is unfair, try looking at it this way: If we had no questions at all about God or his Word, then what would keep us from becoming equal to him? Only one person has ever actually sought to become equal to God. And we know what happened to the Archangel Lucifer (see Revelation 12). What gives us the right to be equal to THE Creator of the Universe? The only being who has always existed? Who never had a beginning, but was the beginning. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (ESV). He is the beginning and the end, not he has it. But questions though, good honest questions, whether we get an answer to them we understand or not, is good and healthy. It keeps us in check, from becoming to proud. That may be why sometimes God doesn't allow certain insights into his Word.

But back to the passage. Verses 9 and 10, when you look at the passage, are Isaiah's words. God stops speaking at the end of verse 8 (notice the end quotes). Verse 9 and 10 have no quotes. They are, rather, Isaiah's brief commentary, or exhortation, to whom ever will listen, concerning what God told him. His point is this: Not matter what you do, no matter what measures you take, no one can stand up against God. He has the power to crush any and everyone he pleases. Only by his sovereign mercy does he spare my own life, and yours. And Isaiah can speak this from personal experience (see chapter 6).

But notice how he ends the his commentary, and which I see these verses as an exhortation. "Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us" (v. 10, ESV). How encouraging is that. 'If God is for us, then who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). What then do we have to fear? Nothing. Let this then, give us boldness to face the trials. Let us live for him, "For God is with us."

Isaiah 7:10-25

These verses are rich with the amazing beauty and wonder of God. When Ahaz refused to ask God for a sign, God gave him one anyway. The sign given was that of the Savior, Jesus Christ, v.14b, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” But verses 15 and 16 give us a truly remarkable picture of this child who has come to save us: “He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted” (ESV, Italics added). There was a time in Jesus’ life when he did not know how to refuse evil and choose good? We know he is God (John 1:1-3). And we know he was tempted in every way, just as we are, but was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). But this Messiah also knew a time which he was unable to decipher between good and evil? The vulnerability that God allowed him to face, simply because he loves me is more amazing than I can understand. He was willing to allow Christ to be that vulnerable, and yet his providence kept him from sinning.

Verses 18 and 19 and are also quite beautiful. The Lord will whistle for the fly and the bee, and they will come. It is just another reminder of the ownership and command God has over this world. Everything, the flies, bees, winds, and waves (Matthew 8:23-27) are under his control, they all obey him. Nothing happens without his permission. And this is the same God that I have not just devoted my life too, but with whom I also have placed my complete trust. Why then, should I doubt? What is there that I should be afraid? For all things submit to his authority.

Isaiah 7:1-9

Isaiah is one of the most powerful books in the Bible, but that is just my opinion. The imagery and poignant languages, working together with the power of the Holy Spirit, bring me suddenly to stop, grabbing my attention and riveting my thoughts on the all powerful Creator and his magnificently powerful Word. I was first abruptly stopped by verse 2 of chapter 7: “When the house of David was told, ‘Syria is in league with Ephraim,’ the heart of Ahaz and the heart of the people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind” (ESV, Italics added). I don’t know much about either city, but that news was sure terrifying.

I wonder if I’ve ever been that scared. So sacred I have shaken “as the trees in a forest shake before the wind.” It was an abrupt halt that fully captured my attention and held it, right up to the “punch line,” the final statement that suddenly made me stop and think, that quieted and humbled my heart before the mighty King of the Universe. In the very words of God himself (v. 7), verse 9b reads: “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all” (NIV).

Isaiah 6

(...from Monday, March 12, 2007)

For me, one of the most powerful passages in the Bible is Isaiah 6. As Isaiah sees the very God of the Universe in all his glory and splendor, the only thing he is able to do is fall prostate on the ground and cry out “Woe is me! I am ruined!” He is completely undone within himself and realizes death is the only solution to the whole situation. God of course has different plans. But almost every time I read this passage, I feel a sense of awe and fear, and in my own little, puny way, I almost feel like Isaiah felt. If there is one passage in the Bible that brings me before the all powerful King in utter humility and fear, I would have to say it is this chapter. That I am still living and that this God still has an assignment for me… Who am I to deserve such grace and honor? To have to Creator of the Universe say to me, "I have an important task for you to do…" I am humbled because I am nothing without him. Even the little I do have to give him, he gave to me first so that I could give it back to him. He knew that was the only way I could show my appreciation. He had to help me show my love and thankfulness to him! Oh how small I am and how little I have. And on the same scale, oh how GREAT God is! John Newton said it well, “all I know is that I’m a very great sinner and God is a very great Savior.” The only thing I can do on my own without God’s help is sin. Sin—doing anything without God’s help, even if the act is inherently good with good intentions. If it’s not done with God helping, it is sin. Oh how much I need him. And how humbled I am that he has chosen to use me simply because he wanted to: “The LORD does whatever pleases him…” (Psalm 135:6). Let us enter into the presence of the Lord today, humbly and reverently, with great fear. And in so doing, not only hear the voice of God, instructing us in how to live, but let him so radically change our lives that we will never be the same.

“‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;the whole earth is full of his glory!’

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!’

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’” (ESV)