July 1

    Great Destruction Coming Upon the Earth,

But There is Hope  

Isaiah 24: 1-20

  Man thinks he can improve his living quarters, i.e. the earth.  The last half of the 20th century were the years of cleaning up the air, water, and soil.  However, God says in our text there will be wars, countries wasted, cities thrown into confusion, general desolation, and the few men left are scattered over the face of the globe.  If man escapes one calamity, another will overtake him.  Treachery is all about us.  The earth totters and trembles from its foundations.  It reels to and fro, broken up and shattered and finally falls from its place or orbit.  These prophecies were given twenty-seven hundred years ago and we are seeing them fulfilled.  "For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.  25.  But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.  26.  And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.  27.  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.  28.  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;  29.  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.  30.  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."  Luke 17: 24-30  

The beautiful thing about prophecy is that the believers will be caught up before all these things come to pass.  The scriptures guarantee we will not be here,  because we shall have been called up with Christ and view the catastrophic events, as we look over the battlements of heaven, free from the calamities that will rain upon the earth during the Tribulation.   Verses 21-23 picture the same events as found in Rev. 19-20.  Satan is cast into the bottomless pit.  The antichrist and false prophet consigned to the lake of fire.  All creation will stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the Judge of all the earth.  After all these sorrows and disasters, we will live and reign with Christ and see the new heavens and tnew earth.  The New Jerusalem will descend from heaven and God will dwell among His people. 

Reference verses:
Isaiah 24
1. Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
2. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
3. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.
4. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
5. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
6. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
7. The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.
8. The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
9. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.
10. The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.
11. There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
12. In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
13. When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.
14. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
15. Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
16. From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.
17. Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18. And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

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July 2

God’s Blessings on His People

Isaiah 25

After the deliverance of God’s people from the Egyptians, we find a song of praise for their deliverance. This chapter is a song of praise for the deliverance of God’s people in the tribulation. The period then is the kingdom age. In this chapter, the kingdom age is closely linked with the eternal state. This is not unique. In Biblical prophecy, the first and second comings of Jesus Christ are often linked together as one.

God’s deliverance of His people in the kingdom is pictured as a banquet feast on the mountain of the Lord Almighty. Mountains are often symbols of governmental authority (e.g., Dan. 2:44-45) but here the mountain probably refers to Jerusalem (Mount Zion) from which the Messiah will rule in the kingdom. Food will be provided for all peoples, which fact once again stresses the worldwide extent of God’s kingdom over those who believe. This does not mean that everyone who lives in the Millennium will be saved (though only redeemed people will enter the Millennium at its beginning); instead it means that people in all areas of the world will be saved. (1)  

Among the blessings of the kingdom we read in verse 8, He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. The end of death and the wiping away of tears occur in the eternal state.  Isaiah referred to Moab as representing those who oppose God and will be judged by Him. Moab was east of Israel across the Dead Sea. Israel and Judah had many altercations with Moab, that was known for her pride (v. 11; cf. 16:6). She felt that the works of her hands and her cleverness would protect her, but it would not. Moab-and all God’s enemies-will be totally destroyed, trampled, and brought down . . . low (cf. 26:5) to the very dust. Only God’s people, in Israel and in other nations, will enjoy God’s time of prosperity and blessing. (2)

In this life, we face difficulty and uncertainty. We need to take hope and heart that at the end of the age all will be well for the righteous. Are you among the righteous redeemed of the Lord?

(1) (2) The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.  

Reference verses:
Isaiah 25
1. O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
2. For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.
3. Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee.
4. For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
5. Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.
6. And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
7. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.
8. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.
9. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
10. For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.
11. And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands.
12. And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.

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 July, 3

Isaiah 26  

Isa 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. 

 Music is such a powerful language. God uses music in many ways, including how to tell the difference between true believers, and others that just profess to be Christian. Say, what kind of song takes place in your heart every day?! As true believers, we have a new song to sing. It is called the song of the redeemed. This is not to be confused with the song of profession, the song of self, the song of the flesh, or the song of the world. This is the song that can only be spiritually recognized and acceptably sung by those who have truly repented of their sin, and by those who have called upon the name of Jesus Christ to save them from the wages of sin. This new song is sung by those who live submissive lives and are obedient to their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 In our text today, we see a song being sung about the coming Millennium, the 1000 year reign of Christ, right after the rapture and then the seven year tribulation, where Jesus will reign on the earth with His church. We are to look ahead to that coming time. Literally, Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. There are so many that do not know Christ, even many who profess with their mouths, but not from their hearts. We are saved by grace, not profession. Tit 2:11-14  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Yes, God desires that we keep our eyes fixed on Him and that the song of our hearts will reflect that new song that He has placed there, so that others will see it and fear and will trust in Him! Psa 40:3  And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Amen.

: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

Reference verses: Isaiah 26
1. In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.
2. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:
5. For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.
6. The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.
7. The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.
8. Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul Is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
10. Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.
11. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.
12. Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.
13. O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
14. They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.
15. Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.
16. Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.
17. Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord.
18. We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
19. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
20. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
21. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

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  The Triple Judgment on the Powers of Darkness

Isaiah 27:1 

Isaiah is filled with prophecy and the restoration of Israel, but this verse tells of the destruction of the Satanic Trinity.

1) That old Dragon, Satan.

2) The Beast that comes up from the sea, antichrist.

3) The unholy spirit or the False Prophet.

 This crowning judgment is described, “In that day” – the day of God’s vengeance, - when all His enemies have been put down. Jehovah will finally visit with His sword these mighty foes, which are described in three figures: 1) “Leviathan the swift serpent, Satan.” 2) “Leviathan, the crooked serpent, Antichrist.” 3) “The Dragon that is in the sea, False Prophet.” Leviathan is first found in Job 41:1, Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? There is no doubt that Leviathan described in Job 41 is none other than Satan. (Leviathan is mentioned in Job 41, Psalms 71:14, 104:26 and Isaiah 27:1). Notice he is pictured in Job 41:34 as “a king over all the children of pride.” In Isaiah 14:12-15, we see Satan as “Lucifer”, we see the “pride of Satan” in the five “I wills.” In Ezekiel 28:13-17, we have a picture of Satan in the past, present and future. He was in Eden, a type of heaven here on earth, verse 13. He was in heaven, in the presence of God, 14 and 15a. Then we see his fall in 15b-17, and cast out of heaven to the earth. The last phrase in vs. 17 pictures his downfall and destruction as recorded in Revelation 20:10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Hell is a prepared place for Satan and the fallen angels; yes, all these are going to be there. Man is not sent there, he goes by choice. We are rational creatures, and we have a free will to make our choices. Every experience in life leads to choices. If we seek God’s wisdom, these choices are under divine direction. If we make decisions without God, they may be wrong. Man goes to hell because he makes the wrong choice. It is not God’s will that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9)

Dear reader, do you have that inner assurance that you are saved? I do! “Do you know that you have been born again?” I do!

Reference verses:
Isaiah 27
1. In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

Psalms 74:14. Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
104:26. There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.

Job 41:34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

Isaiah 14:12-15. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13. For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Ezekiel 28:13-17. 13. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the Beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

2 Peter 3:9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

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  July 5

   Spiritual Decline

Isaiah 28

Isaiah continued his theme of judgment with a series of “woes” against various groups who were opposing his words. Here he was attacking primarily the rulers of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms for their failure to heed God’s Word and for looking to other means for protection. They were trusting in their wealth (chap. 28) and foreign alliances (chaps. 30-31). (1)

Vice was a problem in both the northern and southern kingdoms in Israel. The particular problem addressed is drunkenness. They had given themselves to strong drink. The civil and spiritual leadership was involved. The strong pronouncements in this chapter are directed against the Northern Kingdom (vv. 1-13) and the Southern Kingdom (vv. 14-29). Before long the Northern Kingdom would fall to the Assyrians (722 b.c.). Writing to the people of the south, Isaiah was encouraging them not to be like their Northern brothers and sisters. God’s judgment was designed to bring the people to repentance before him (vv. 23-29), not to ‘get even’ with them. (2) 

These proud leaders respond with contempt and arrogance to the ministry of Isaiah. They were angry that Isaiah was treating them as if they were young children. They felt they were adults who could think for themselves; they had no need for someone to tell them what to do or think. So they mimicked Isaiah as if he were speaking “baby talk” to them (v. 10). (3) The people of the Southern Kingdom had much the same attitude as their Northern brothers. They too were scoffing at God’s revelation through Isaiah. (4) People in sin, don’t like correction. People in sin have already hardened themselves to the working of God’s Spirit. When a human messenger comes, their heart is revealed in their arrogant contempt for the messenger. The negative message of this chapter is offset with a powerful message of hope. The Messiah and the coming Kingdom provide the foundation for this hope. Our experience here might cause us to despair, but if we hang on to God’s Word and faith we know that weeping only endures through the night. In the morning, joy will surely come.

(1) (2) (3) (4) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 28
1. Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
2. Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
3. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
4. And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
5. In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,
6. And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
7. But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.
9. Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11. For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13. But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
14. Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
20. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.
21. For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.
22. Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.
23. Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
24. Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?
25. When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?
26. For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
27. For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
28. Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
29. This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

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July 6

The Blindness of Disobedience

Isaiah 29  

What an indictment on spiritual leaders and unsaved people in churches and families today. God says there are many who will not obey. This disobedience leads to further consequence, Isa 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.

 Can you imagine? What precepts of any man are greater than those of God, and yet that is what we see taking place in our society today more than ever before. Right is quickly becoming wrong, and wrong is quickly becoming right. God’s Word is being pushed aside and men’s opinions and supposed education, along with self knowledge and opinion is being exalted. We need to watch out. Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

 The simple truth is that God’s Word tells us what is taking place. It is called spiritual ignorance, disobedience, and unbelief. People’s minds are blinded to the truth. 2Co 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ. True Christians have had the veil taken away and are taught the spiritual things by the Holy Spirit, who dwells in them. The tragedies that we see in broken families today; the ungodliness of homosexuality and its detriments to society; the Blindness of disobedience, it is a terrible thing. God will, Jud 1:15,16 …execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard [speeches] which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling [words], having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

 Well, what do we need to do? Jud 1:20, 21  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Yes, we need to repent and turn to Christ to save us; then we need to encourage one another to live for Him!

Reference verses:
Isaiah 29
1. Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.
2. Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.
3. And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.
4. And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
5. Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.
6. Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
7. And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
8. It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.
9. Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
10. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
11. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12. And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
13. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14. Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
15. Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
16. Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
17. Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
18. And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
19. The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20. For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
21. That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
22. Therefore thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.
23. But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
24. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

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July 7

Israel Depends on Egypt instead of the Lord

Isaiah 30

The chapter begins with a three-fold rebellion or transgression. The children are mentioned (vs. 1) as refusing counsel and heaping sin upon sin. Parental counsel in that day was like unto today. The parents are so busy making a living that the children grow up with no parental counsel. Vs. 2 tells us that God’s people were walking down into Egypt. Egypt is a type of the world in Scripture. The application is that today’s Christians are also walking with one foot in the world. That is like walking with one foot in the gutter and the other on the sidewalk. Elijah used the same thought in I Kings 18:21 Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions [in two divided opinions]? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. We cannot walk in the world and please God! Oh, that God’s people would learn this lesson and their walk and talk would be compatible. Cf. II Corinthians 6:14-18.

The scene changes in verses 18-22 and we get a glimpse of the Millennium from Isaiah. We see the long suffering and mercy of God towards His people. vs. 19 The Jews will walk in Zion and inhabit Jerusalem. God said in vs. 20, I have given you bread that did not satisfy and water that did not quench your thirst. I will no longer hide myself from you, but you will live in my presence. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left, Isa. 30:21. The instruction here is likened unto what Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  ¹⁴Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  John the Baptist said, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, Matt. 3:3. Also, Isaiah 30: 29, Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel. The Mighty One of Israel is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mighty God.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 30
1. Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:
2. That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
3. Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.
4. For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.
5. They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.
6. The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.
7. For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.
8. Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:
9. That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord:
10. Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
11. Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.
12. Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:
13. Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.
14. And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.
15. For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
16. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.
17. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.
18. And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
19. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.
20. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:
21. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
22. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.
23. Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.
24. The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.
25. And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.
26. Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27. Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
28. And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.
29. Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.
30. And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.
31. For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.
32. And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.
33. For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

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July 8 

False Hopes

Isaiah 31

Like the previous woe (chap. 30) this one was directed against the Egyptian alliance which some people of Judah wanted to make (chap. 31). But this oracle also speaks about the messianic King who will someday deliver His people (chap. 32). (1) This woe was pronounced on those who went to Egypt for help (cf. 30:1-2), and who relied on Egyptian horses (cf. 30:16) and chariots instead of on God. Both actions-going to Egypt and acquiring horses-violated God’s stipulations in the Deuteronomic Covenant (Deut. 17:16). Since God does not go back on His words, He would judge the nation for her disobedience. The Egyptians could not help Judah (cf. 30:3, 5, 7) for they were weak men. Only God could ultimately protect them from their enemies. (2)

 The situation described in this chapter is much like what we see today. People instead of living by faith, trust in the things of this world, things they can see to meet their temporal needs. God assured the people that His greatness would protect them from the terrifying Assyrian threat. As a lion meets up with a flock of sheep and is unafraid of a number of shepherds, so the Lord was not afraid of the Assyrians. He promised to do battle on Mount Zion, and like birds flying overhead He would shield Jerusalem and not let it fall into the enemy’s hands. Since Judah would be rescued by God (v. 5), Isaiah called on the nation to turn back to Him. Eventually they would throw their idols away (cf. 30:22) in favor of the true God. Therefore, Judah ought to throw them away now. Their future hope in the kingdom should change their present behavior. The future reality should have an ethical impact on their lives. (3)

 Faith and the ultimate triumph of truth and righteousness are something that will have a deep impact upon our lives now. All who turn from this important spiritual reality seek temporal security and blessing, which demonstrates their lack of faith. Unbelief is the mother of all sin. Unbelief will ever give way to false hopes and corrupt living. There is no such thing as faith that does not have a practical impact on our day-to-day choices. Faith without works is dead.

: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 31
1. Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!
2. Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.
3. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
4. For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
5. As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
6. Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.
7. For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
8. Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.
9. And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

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July 9 

  Consequences of Complacency

Isaiah 32  

This chapter starts out in looking ahead to the coming King, Jesus Christ at His millennial reign. If we could only gain such spiritual sight as true Christians, our lives would be dramatically changed. We are to occupy this great land. We are to set God up on the throne of our lives and of our country as to who He really is in being our Creator and Savior, and yet, we are placing Him aside and setting ourselves up instead. We are caught in the throws of apathy. We are stuck in the deceitfulness of apostasy and religiosity. We are so short-sighted as Americans. We want what we want for ourselves, and we want it now. We are living in a land of wealth, a land of honey, where there is no want nor need for the daily things of life. We are rich, fat, and lazy as a whole and think that we need nothing. But, Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

 Sadly, there is great cost for apathy and apostasy. There are always consequences for sin. For many folks it will be at the cost of eternal life in heaven. When we do not choose God’s ways and purposes in submission and obedience, we are not staying neutral; we are choosing our own way instead. People are going to do what they are going to do and there is not much that will change that fact. God used His prophets to warn the people in the Bible and God uses Pastors and parents today to preach and teach His Holy Word to warn people and children, but in the end, there are few that will be saved. Most people will choose to go down the broad road, the worldly road, the road of self, the road of opinion, and the road of religion. It will cost them dearly. There are many good people that are deceived. Mat 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. 15 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. How do we know who these people are? Mat 7:16 “You will know them by their fruits. These are those who are not living lives of Repentance, of Submission unto God, of Obedience to His Holy Word. This is how we know, even of ourselves. Where are you?

Reference verses:
Isaiah 32
1. Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
2. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
3. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.
4. The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
5. The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.
6. For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
7. The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.
8. But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.
9. Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.
10. Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.
11. Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.
12. They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
13. Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:
14. Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;
15. Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.
16. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
17. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
18. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
19. When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.
20. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.

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   July 10

Isaiah 33: 6, 17-24

The best treasure is a spirit that worships the One and only true God. King Sennacherib and the Assyrian army had ravaged Judah. Judah’s city walls were broken down. All her silver and Gold carried away by that rapacious, [grasping, avid for wealth and plunder] heathen king. Judah’s treasury had been sacked, her fields stripped of their grain, her vineyards destroyed, but she still had one good thing; she was rich in “the fear of the Lord.” The fear of the Lord gave her strength to rebuild her city walls. Wisdom to seek God and direct her steps from making alliances with the wicked nations around her, energy to throw off her depression and struggle against her misfortunes. America had that divine wisdom, energy, to overcome the disaster of December 7, 1942, Pearl Harbor. “The sleeping tiger,” as we were referred to by Japan, has awakened, rolled up her sleeves, and won the greatest war ever fought in this world. There was a song among the factory workers and military that expressed the attitude of America six decades ago, “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.” It’s too bad we don’t have that spirit today!

 King Hezekiah heard that the Assyrians were at the gates of Jerusalem and he, putting on sackcloth, went into the Temple and made prayer. 2 Kings 19:1-37 and as we read the text, we see that God had a plan. God’s plans are always right. Verses 32-37, tell how the “Angel of the Lord” went into the Assyrians army camp that night and when the Jews looked over the walls of Jerusalem the next morning, 85,000 Assyrians were lying dead in their camp. Sennacherib went home a defeated leader and his own sons killed him.

 Finally, verses 20-24. Following all the above, Israel, that is, all the surviving Jews, after the Tribulation will be fully restored in the Holy Land. The PLO will no longer exist. The Millennial Temple will stand where the “Dome of the Rock” stands today. The Lord Jesus will sit on the throne of David for a thousand years. Best of all, the believers of this age, the church, will reign with Christ. After the seven years of Tribulation comes the millennial kingdom for Jew and Gentile alike.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 33:6. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.
17-24. 17. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.
18. Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19. Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.
20. Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.
21. But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.
22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.
23. Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.
24. And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.

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July 11

The End of the Age

Isaiah 34

Isaiah used Edom as an example of God’s judgment against the world. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s older brother. Their father Isaac told Esau he would live in an infertile area (Gen. 27:39-40). Because Edom became a perpetual enemy of Israel (cf. comments on Ezek. 35; 36:5), she was an appropriate example of what the Lord will do to all nations that fight against His people. (1) The language used in this chapter to describe the end of this age is dramatic. In verse 4, we read that the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll…

 As a result of God’s sword of judgment on Edom, her land will seem to be ablaze (cf. (2) This judgment at the end of the age is terrible. It is the consummation of the present conflict between good and evil, the righteous and the unrighteous.

 Evil will not yield without a desperate fight, but fight or not, good will prevails. Our experience in the present is the wicked forever hate and oppose the righteous. They are arrogant, stubborn, self-absorbed and beyond redemption. We can never win an enemy like this. All we can do is overcome and destroy such an enemy. Like the work of salvation, the work is not ours, but God’s. Yet, since the work is God’s, it is certain and complete.

 The dramatic events of this chapter are a powerful witness to truth. God does not blindside people in judgment. He gives clear and powerful warning. You would think that people would listen to a warning of this nature, but the wicked give way to evil to the point that they are forever beyond redemption. God does not work redemption through coercion. He does the work, but we must yield ourselves to His work. If we do, redemption is certain. If we don’t, we will be hardened and corrupted to the point of hopelessness. God is not willing that any should perish.

 (1) (2) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 34
1. Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
2. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.
3. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.
4. And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
5. For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.
6. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
7. And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
8. For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.
9. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
10. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
11. But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness.
12. They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing.
13. And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls.
14. The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.
15. There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate.
16. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.
17. And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.

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Isaiah 35

In our text today, we see a clear reference to the coming Reign of Christ during the Millennium. For True Christians, this will be a glorious time, as Jesus will be King and we will rule and reign with Him. 2Ti 2:11 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us. The key word here is endure; if we endure. There are a lot of folks today, who profess to know Christ, but that is about as far as their Christian walk goes. It is only a profession, as there is no spiritual fruit. Then there are some who live like they ought for a time and are excited about the Lord, but begin to waver as the winds of trials and temptations overtake them. This word endure is a very serious thing for us to consider. What does it really mean to endure?

 True Believers who endure are giving evidence of Genuine Salvation. There is no way we can endure in the flesh. We simply cannot continue in the faith without Christ. Mat 26:41  "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Mar 14:38 “Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Phi 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.Phi 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

 God is at work to accomplish what He desires in our lives, but we must do our part. It comes by repentance, submission, and obedience. Then we must focus on what is ahead. Heb 12:1  Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Dear Lord, Forgive our sin and help us to endure faithfully. Amen.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 35
1. The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
2. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.
3. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
4. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
5. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
7. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
8. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
9. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
10. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

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July 13

Isaiah 36

Isaiah 36 begins a historical interlude between Chapters 1-35 and 40-66. These chapters 36-39 record the history of the Assyrian invasion, and are also recorded in 2 Kings 18:13-20 and chpt.19; and 2 Chronicles 32.

When something is recorded several times in Scripture it is the responsibility of the reader to know why. Dear readers, we need to know that to lean on the flesh and to make a big decision that involves other people, we need to seek the wisdom of God.

The message of the chapter is in verses 4-21. These verses reveal the arrogance of the Assyrian messenger. The Messenger was boastful, promising and was a sewer of discord among the Jews. When Rab’-sha-keh was unable to persuade King Hezekiah to surrender or accept a bribe. Then he turned to propaganda and lies to convince the people of Jerusalem, that they would be slaughtered. Rab’-sha-keh’s motive was to belittle the king and create mob rule. It has been true since the beginning of time, that a big lie told often enough, people will believe it. The first lie was recorded in Genesis 3, when Satan in the form of a serpent, came into the garden to deceive Eve. A secular proverb that has been around for a long time needs repeating, “A lie travels around the world while Truth is getting its boots on.”

What the messenger to Hezekiah did not understand was that the God of Israel, Jehovah Tsebaoth, “The Lord of the Hosts of Heaven” was so superior to the gods of other nations that had fallen before the Assyrian army. Rab’-sha-keh did not understand that Israel’s God was on Israel’s side and would destroy her enemies. Our God also is interested in the election of city, county, state, and national offices. Therefore, let us begin to pray, NOW, for divine guidance as we go to vote in November

One syndicated columnist recently quoted another, a much used proverb: “I believe nothing that I read and only half of what I see.” In this election year, it would be wise to discount all but 5% of what is said for public consumption. The other 95% that we will read in the newspapers or hear over the radio and television is pure unadulterated hogwash.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 36
1. Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them.
2. And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field.
3. Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.
4. And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
5. I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
6. Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.
7. But if thou say to me, We trust in the Lord our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?
8. Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
9. How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
10. And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? the Lord said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
11. Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
12. But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?
13. Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.
14. Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.
15. Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
16. Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;
17. Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
18. Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
19. Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
20. Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
21. But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
22. Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

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Isaiah 37

Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, in his power and arrogance thought he could do as he pleased with Jerusalem and even God would be powerless against him. I always find a certain sense of security and satisfaction whenever our enemies speak in this way. For it is even as we read in Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. When faced with such a powerful and determined enemy, Hezekiah did not give way to the same spirit of pride. Rather, he went into the temple and spread Sennacherib’s letter before the Lord. Then he poured out his soul to God in prayer.

In doing so, Hezekiah recognized the human reality of the situation. He faced a powerful and determined enemy. There was not even the possibility of trying to forge and effective alliance to meet this challenge. God was their only hope. When we look at the history of this world, we ought to see the goodness of God. This world has faced powerful and great evil, and yet such powerful and evil forces have never come to dominate this world as planned. Hitler once boasted that he would build an empire that would last 1,000 years. His pitiful attempt at ordering the history of this world didn’t even last 1,000 days.

In the case of Sennacherib, God dealt with the situation personally. He sent an angel that killed 185,000 men in the Assyrian army in just one night. Then He raised up Sennacherib’s own sons to kill him. Without human help, God directly brought Sennacherib’s plans, power, and even life to a quick end. We would be wise to realize what Nebuchadnezzar learned in his pride. Nebuchadnezzar said, I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: ³⁵And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? I can’t help but wonder, how many who name the name of Jesus Christ really realize this important truth. The hope of this world is not in education, politics, etc. It is in God. Only God can defeat evil and bring in everlasting righteousness. God is the only hope we have in this world. 

Reference verses:
Isaiah 37
1. And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.
2. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
3. And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
4. It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.
5. So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
6. And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
7. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
8. So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
9. And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
10. Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
11. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?
12. Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?
13. Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?
14. And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.
15. And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying,
16. O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the Cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.
17. Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open thine eyes, O Lord, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.
18. Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,
19. And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
20. Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only.
21. Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria:
22. This is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.
23. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
24. By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel.
25. I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.
26. Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.
27. Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.
28. But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.
29. Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
30. And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.
31. And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:
32. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.
33. Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it.
34. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord.
35. For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
36. Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
37. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
38. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

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Hezekiah’s Life Extended

Isaiah 38

Many times we pray for those that are sick that we may know, and we ask God to help them get better, but we don’t always ask God for His will to be done rather than ours. We cannot see what is ahead and we ask God to do things for us that we think will be to our benefit, but we have no idea what the future holds. God does and that is why it is so important to pray for the right things and pray for them in the right ways and allow God to fulfill His desires in our lives, rather than our desires.  It is interesting to read the account of Hezekiah’s sickness and how he prayed and asked God to allow him to live longer. God did answer His prayer and allowed him to live another 15 years. Hezekiah really did ask God with the right motives in mind, but as we read the whole account of those next 15 years, we also see Hezekiah’s parading of his wealth and he also fathered a son, Manasseh, who proved to be the worst king in the history of Judah. How would history have been rewritten if God would not have answered Hezekiah’s prayer and not allowed him to live another 15 years, or if he had just prayed differently?

We need to carefully consider our own prayer life and what it consists of. How are we to pray? We are to; 1Th 5:16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. We are to; Eph 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

Many times God does not answer our prayers because; Jam 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. So, we see that we must always pray giving thanks for all things, and to do so in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that we are not praying for things in the flesh. So, Gal 5:16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. The three main sins of a persons life are these; 1Jo 2:16  For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Say dear friend, are you praying as you ought? Hezekiah didn’t know what that extension to his life would cost. We must pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, or we, too, may find ourselves with something other than what God really wants.

Reference verses:

Isaiah 38
1. In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
2. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord,
3. And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
5. Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.
6. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.
7. And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken;
8. Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.
9. The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:
10. I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
11. I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.
12. Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a Weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
13. I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
14. Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.
15. What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.
16. O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.
17. Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
18. For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
19. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.
20. The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.
21. For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.
22. Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?

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  July 16

Isaiah 39:1-8

At this time of Hezekiah’s healing by the Lord and the extension of fifteen years to the king’s life, the King of Babylon sent a message to King Hezekiah and included a “Get Well Card.” The Babylonian king had an ulterior motive which was to spy out the land and learn two things, 1) Hezekiah’s army and military strength, 2) The treasures in the King Hezekiah’s house and the gold in the Temple. Hezekiah revealed to strangers the collections of his predecessors, the treasurers of David and Solomon. It’s easy to brag about one’s possessions, and in so doing, reveal not only to the one shown, but also put your possessions in jeopardy to be stolen by another, because people cannot keep their mouths shut.

 Immediately after the visitors from Babylon left with their new found knowledge, Isaiah came to Hezekiah and asked the king a searching question. “What did you reveal to them?” “All that is in my house, there is nothing in my treasury that they have not seen.” Then comes Isaiah’s disastrous prophecy. Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. ⁷And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon, 39:6-7.

We see the fulfillment in several other places, but none like unto the Book of Daniel. In Daniel 1:6-7the record is open for all to read about four from Hezekiah’s household. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: ⁷Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.

Jewish teenagers made Eunuchs in the house of Nebuchadnezzar. Here again, God steps in, and uses these four men as a testimony to the heathen kings. The Book of Daniel opens to us some of the greatest prophecies found in the Old Testament as to the future of Israel and the Church. Especially, the seventy weeks of years regarding Israel.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 39
1. At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.
2. And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.
3. Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.
4. Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.
5. Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts:
6. Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
7. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
8. Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.

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July 17

Isaiah 40

In the opening lines of this chapter, we see God’s great love and compassion for His wayward people. They are suffering because of their unfaithfulness. Yet, God is touched with their sorrow and pain. We read in verse 1, comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God… her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins. God does not delight in inflicting pain. He does it for our profit, but He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked or in chastening His people. Thank God, He knows what we need, and is more concerned about our character than our comfort.

There is a great Messianic prophecy starting in verse three. The Gospel writers quote this text and apply it to Jesus Christ. The word Jehovah is used and John the Baptist is preparing the way for Jehovah God who is Jesus Christ. In the person of Jesus Christ, the glory of God was revealed in the form of human flesh. Then there is a great picture of God’s sovereign rule on this earth in verse 22. Here we read, It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in… We see the same truth in the book of Job and Proverbs. Proverbs 8:27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth… (If God’s people had understood the Bible, they would have understood that the earth was a sphere.) In controlling history God establishes rulers and removes them (cf. Dan. 2:21). This truth would have been comforting to Isaiah’s original readers who were living under the threat of the Assyrian Empire and who heard his prophecy that the Babylonian Empire would take them into captivity. (1)

 God will help us endure as we bear the consequences of sin and failure. Even though in captivity they were weary the Lord would help them endure and soar . . . like eagles, to be uplifted emotionally and spiritually. (2) It is not our experience in life, but our experience of God that dominates our lives. I wonder, what is your experience in life?

 (1) (2)  Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 40
1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
3. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
6. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
9. O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
10. Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
12. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
13. Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord, or being his counseller hath taught him?
14. With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
15. Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
16. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
17. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
18. To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
19. The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
20. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.
21. Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22. It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
23. That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
24. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
25. To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
26. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
27. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?
28. Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

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July 18

Assurance of God’s Help - The Futility of Idols

Isaiah 41

God promised Israel that He would take care of them and that He would provide their every need. God also gives true believers these same assurances. Phi 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Have you every stopped to think about what your needs really are? Needs are things we need to live. Food, water and shelter are among the basic of needs. How many of us not only have these basic things, but so much more. We literally are living in an abundance of things. We have way more than we really need to be sure, and yet, we, often times, don’t realize this as we are caught in the thinking that we need just a little bit more. This is called idolatry.

Idolatry is an ugly word that we don’t like to think really is a part of our culture or way of life but if we honestly stop for a moment and think about all the things that are idols in our lives, it would sober us.

Just what is an idol? An idol is anything that we figure as the most important thing or things in our lives. It can be bad things and it can also be good things. Things like jobs. We need money to live for sure, but some inadvertently think that they need just a little more. After all, if we work hard we should have those things right? We deserve it. What about food and clothes? How many of us have more than we need for this day? There are not very many folks who only have one set of clothes and who don’t know where their next meal is going to come from. We live in a land of abundance and all these things can become idols if we are not careful to place God first.

God must be first in our lives; otherwise, we have placed an idol in His place. It is foolish to work for so much money that we have no time for God. Money becomes an idol. The main god and idol of our country is money. Just how much money do we need anyway? God gives us enough for our daily bread. We are to tithe and to give offerings to God of our first-fruits and then we are to live sacrificially, meeting the needs of others that God shows us. Sad fact is, most of us do not live sacrificially. Mat 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Where’s your heart? Idols or Heaven?

Reference verses:
Isaiah 41
1. Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
2. Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
3. He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.
4. Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.
5. The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
6. They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
7. So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
8. But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
9. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
10. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
11. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
12. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
13. For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
14. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
16. Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
18. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
19. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:
20. That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
21. Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
22. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.
23. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.
24. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.
25. I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.
26. Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
27. The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.
28. For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counseller, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
29. Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.

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July 19 

Isaiah 42:5-9

In verses 1- 4 the Lord God is speaking about the Messiah, but beginning in verses 5 - 9 God is speaking to the Messiah as a person would speak to another person, face to face. God the Father introduces the Messiah as the Creator and Sustainer of all creation. Cf. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist, Col. 1:16-17. The Messiah’s great glory is seen in that He stretched them out in what appears to us as a tent filled with the lights of sun, moons stars and planets that stretch from horizon to horizon. Cf. And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll:… Isa. 34:4a. and  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places, Rev. 6:14. Christ not only created them but, He gave the trees and plants the power of reproduction and growth. He also refers to both beasts and people in that Christ is the source of life and breath. In the last phrase of verse 6 … and give thee (Messiah) for a covenant of the people (Jews), for a light of (unto) the Gentiles. Cf.

Luke 2:30-32, where dear old Simeon makes several prophecies that the Bible says Mary’s heart would also be pierced. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, ³¹Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; ³²A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Verse 7: “To open the blind eyes” This has a double reference, to both the blind physically and spiritually. On several occasions the Messiah opened the eyes of the blind and especially the one born bind in John 9. The second reference is to the spiritually blind. All who are born into this world are spiritually blind until the Holy Spirit reveals the sinful mind and heart, and the need to see the Light, that is Christ, who is the light of the world. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life, John 8:12. Have you considered that with-out that light you will miss the rapture and be left behind?

Reference verses:
Isaiah 42: 5-9. Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
6. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
7. To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
8. I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
9. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

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July 20

Isaiah 43

  God brought Israel into captivity in Babylon because of the ongoing sin of idolatry. God likened this sin to an adulterous wife who seeks out other lovers. Jacob need have no fear in her captivity because God had created (cf. v. 7) and formed her (cf. vv. 7, 21; 44:2, 24) and had redeemed her from bondage in Egypt. “Redeemed” translates gaµÕal,”to buy out of slavery”. Reference to this Exodus was fitting in view of what Isaiah wrote in 43:14-28 about a new “Exodus” in which God would bring the people back to their homeland from Babylon. (1)

 In this chapter, we find some of the most beautiful words in the Bible. It describes God’s love for His people. We read … I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. ²When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned…. ³For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of

’s existence witnesses to His sovereignty and eternity. No one can reverse what God puts into action or thwart His plans (cf. Job 42:2). (2)

In other words, God’s dealing with His people is something God wants the world to witness. As the world witnesses the dealings of God with His people, they see God’s great power and love. This means that the world will see

temple the exiles were obviously unable to take sacrifices to the altar. So with no offerings their unforgiven sins piled up! However, God would forgive them because of His grace, for His own sake. (3) There is no limit to the grace of God. What security and blessing there is in being a child of God. Are you His child?

 (1) (2) (3) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985. 

Reference verses:
Isaiah 43
1. But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6. I will say to the north, give up; and to the south, keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7. Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
9. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10. Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.
12. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.
13. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
14. Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.
15. I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
16. Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
17. Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
18. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
20. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
21. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
22. But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
23. Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
24. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
25. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
26. Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
27. Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
28. Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.

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 July 21

 God’s Blessings, Rather than the Foolishness of Idolatry

Isaiah 44  

We all desire to have God’s blessings. Why wouldn’t we? We think about God as benevolent and that He will just give us anything we want for our hearts desire. After all, God is love, right? But this attitude is one of self. In fact, Jam 4:1 From whence [come] wars and fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts.4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? Sad to say, there are many people caught in these attitudes of self.

Idolatry is a serious sin of rebellion. God warns us many times in His word about the sin of idolatry. Money can be an idol, as well as, anything we put in God’s place. That includes self. Say, that’s an interesting thought. We often think of idols as the things that people buy from a store like a statue or something. But in fact an idol can be ourselves; our rebellious opinions, our music, our thinking, and our lack of response to God’s call to obey. When we purposely do not obey God, it is rebellious, stubborn-hearted idolatry. 1Sa 15:23 "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you… The Apostle Paul was so concerned about this that he said, 1Co 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

Simply by not doing things God’s way, we are in fact choosing our own way and that is a very serious sin. There are many professors who claim to know Christ but when their spiritual fruit is inspected, there is no life of repentance, there is no life of submission, and there is no life of obedience. 1Sa 15:22 Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice… Say dear friend, where do you stand this day? Are you caught in idolatry? God desires repentance. God really does desire to bless, but only to those who obey.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 44
1. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
2. Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
3. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
4. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
5. One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
6. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
7. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.
8. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
9. They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
10. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
11. Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
12. The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
13. The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
14. He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
15. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
16. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:
17. And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
18. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
19. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
20. He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
21. Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
22. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
23. Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.
24. Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
25. That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
26. That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:
27. That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
28. That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

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July 22

   Murmuring Against God is Both Foolish and Wicked

Isaiah 45:9-11

Men are apt to think of themselves as wiser than God in certain circumstances and in so doing they were murmuring against God. The classic illustration is found in Moses’ leadership and refusing to obey God when the Israelites were in the wilderness, after leaving Egypt. If the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD. And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. Num. 16:30-32.

Many is the person who has set out to destroy a minister or a church and has met with an untimely death. In the ministry, we speak of these people as a Diotrephes, III John 9-10. I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. ¹⁰Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

The second admonition: is of the potter and the pot. It is not for the piece of pottery to ask why or complain. Remember, we are made of the dust of the earth, or to say it another way, we all have feet of clay. Look these up and read Job 10:9 and 13:12. Murmuring is rebellion against God and wicked, therefore, it is the greatest ingratitude, because God is our great Benefactor to whom we owe everything. It is also selfish and prideful. When we complain about things God has given us, we are expressing that we feel we didn’t get enough. Never ask God’s blessing on your food and then complain about it. Humble yourselves before God and be grateful for every blessing, even the smallest ones. Remember even your life is in the hands of God and He can take you any time He wants.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 45: 9-11. Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
10. Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?
11. Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.

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 False Faith - Idols

Isaiah 46

Babylon would be used by God to judge Judah, but she in turn would be destroyed by God. Her gods, mere idols, would not be able to save her from defeat… Bel, not to be confused with the Canaanite Baal, was another name for Marduk (cf. Jer. 50:2), god of the sun. Nebo, son of Marduk, was the god of learning, writing, and astronomy. Large images of those gods, carried about on Babylon’s New Year’s Day festival, were  heavy and burdensome. So those idols could not help relieve the Babylonians’ burden. In striking contrast, the God of Israel sustains and carries His people (Isa. 46:3-4). (1)

When people turn from the true and living God, they turn to idols. People, as a rule, do not go through life without direction and purpose. Sadly, in turning from God, they turn to illusions. When people follow illusions, they find reality hits them in the face repeatedly. This was true of Israel and it was true of Babylon. However, there was a faithful remnant in Israel that would come to repentance, but Babylon would end. The same is true of individuals. Those who believe will end right, but those who harden their hearts and turn from truth will come to spiritual ruin and end.

Unlike the false gods, the true God can answer peoples’ prayers and save them. (2) There is no reality or substance in an idol. It is a creation of the mind of man, but salvation is certain in God. We could never save ourselves, but if we commit ourselves to God in faith and hope, He will deliver us from death and hell. In Isaiah’s day, this meant destruction for Babylon and deliverance for a remnant in Israel. The stubborn-hearted and those far from righteousness were the Babylonians (cf. rebels, v. 8), who would be defeated by the Persian Empire. God would bring against the unrighteous Babylonians His righteousness, that is, Cyrus, who would carry out God’s righteous will. This would result in salvation for Zion, deliverance from exile for Jerusalem, which would mean Israel would again display God’s splendor or glory (cf. 44:23). (3) God is involved in the things of this life in a substantive and powerful way. He is not an idol, but one who loves and saves His people. Are you His?

 (1)               (1) (2) (3) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 46
1. Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.
2. They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.
3. Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:
4. And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
5. To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?
6. They lavish gold out of the bag, and and weigh silver in the balance and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
7. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
8. Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.
9. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
11. Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
12. Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:
13. I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

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The Humiliation of Babylon,

A Picture of the World

Isaiah 47

Even though God had to use the country of Babylon to deal with the rebellious and stubborn hearted Israelites, He still brought punishment to the Kings and the country of Babylon for their own evil hearts and unrepentant ways. God used the picture of Babylon as a virgin in the sense of never having been captured in verses 1 through 3 of our text.

You see, God dealt with Babylon and they sat like a royal virgin in the dust and experienced complete humiliation. The throne was gone as it had been taken by Persian power and the empire never recovered from being robbed of its power, its people, and its name. The former royal virgin is depicted as a slave woman forced to exchange her royal garments for working clothes. Babylon had been prideful and had mocked the true God by treating Him with contempt and they frivolously presumed on His Deity. Interestingly, Babylon did not decay slowly, but they went from being the wealthy lady, the unconquered virgin, the invincible mother, to the degraded slave woman in the dust who lost everything including her throne, her children and her very life and it happened in one night, suddenly and unexpectedly, when Cyrus and the Persian army entered into the city in Daniel 5:28, 30.

This is a clear picture of how sinners think that they are safe and there is no one who will bring judgment upon them and their indulgent lifestyles. Folks, we really need to apply this to our situations today. We live in an indulgent society. We live in a country where God and His ways are being replaced by man’s supposed wisdom and by popular opinion. We are living in these last days where people are outright rebellious against Godliness and Christianity. Some folks ask the question, why doesn’t God deal with all these other people? But the real question is this. Why has not God already dealt with us in our own sin? We are all sinners and we all deserve damnation. God is a God of love, but He is also a just God and He MUST punish sin. God has not dealt with us yet as He could have, because of His grace and His mercy. But these will not last forever and we cannot presume upon Him. We must repent! That is the only answer. We must repent and turn and cry out in humble anguish, Lord Jesus, Save Me, a sinner. God will have mercy on those who will turn to Him. Where do you stand in God’s court?

Reference verses:
Isaiah 47
1. Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.
2. Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.
3. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.
4. As for our redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.
5. Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.
6. I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.
7. And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.
8. Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:
9. But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.
10. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.
11. Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.
12. Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.
13. Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.
14. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.
15. Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.

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 July 25

Isaiah 48:1-11

History repeats itself! It’s wise to know what God has done in the past to bring people to Himself and He will do the same in the future. Jehovah has, in times past, predicted events by His prophets. Today, He reveals His will through the Scriptures and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, I Peter 1:10-12. The Prophet’s of the Old Testament were but a mouthpiece for the Lord, to the people. The predictions soon forgotten or ignored and the fulfillment was delayed, but today we are seeing many of these O. T. prophecies come to fruition. God promised destruction, but His people ignored the warnings. When they least expect something to happen is when it happens.

We meet people who say “God has given me a revelation and this will happen on a certain day.” God says that when someone makes a prediction in His name that does not come to pass the prophet is one of the false prophets. Yet most of our present day cults began their existence with a "Leader" with a Revelation to Me. These revelations are proven false, yet that wolf and his gullible followers find an excuse to bolster the cause anyway. If you belong to any denomination or movement that has a history of wrong predictions (later most probably edited or explained away) God says to "come out from among them!"

 God does not reveal all that He knows to humans, only enough for them to absorb at one time, with more to follow. This is what we call “progressive revelation.” A simple illustration is found in our text from Isaiah. They had heard of the captivity in Babylon, but they did not know that God had already made a way for their return to the Promised Land through a heathen king, named Cyrus. What is amazing to me is that after fifty years of study in the Bible, God reveals new things to me every time I read it, a whole book or short passage. Each of these new understandings, prove that God is the author of the Bible and used His Prophets and Apostles to enlighten the heart and mind today. It is interesting that in verses 3, 5 - 8 God gives proof of His foreknowledge and reveals that He is unquestionably the only true and living God. All around us we see the reality of His unquestionable authority; the universe and all nature are the products of His speaking or His hands. And to top that, no other god can guarantee salvation. Rom. 10:13, whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord, shall be saved.

That means all of us.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 48
1. Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
2. For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; the Lord of hosts is his name.
3. I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
4. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
5. I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.
6. Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.
7. They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.
8. Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
9. For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
10. Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
11. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

Deuteronomy 18: 20-22. But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
[21] And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
[22] When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

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God is beyond our comprehension. He knows the beginning from the end, and because He does, His purpose for His people in time and space begins with life itself. We read in verse 1, the LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. ²And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; ³And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. I don’t see how those who believe can read texts like this and not realize that life is sacred from conception. Why is the Servant here called Israel? This cannot refer to the nation because the Servant is to draw that nation back to God. The Messiah is called Israel because He fulfills what Israel should have done. In His person and work He epitomizes the nation. (1)

In verses 14-21 the prophet recorded a dialogue between Israel and God. Zion (i.e., the people in Jerusalem) felt as if God had forgotten her (v. 14). But God replied that He certainly had not forgotten Israel. He could not possibly do so because He is like a mother to the nation. Furthermore, the nation was inscribed, as it were, on His palms. (2) I like this. In His glorified state, Jesus has the nail prints in His hands. They witness to the greatness of His love for His people. He will never forget us, leave us or forsake us. We may and do fail Him, but He will never fail us.

The return mentioned in verses 19-21 seems to be much larger and therefore probably refers to Israel’s return at the beginning of the Millennium. When Israel returns to the land in the future the Gentiles will worship before the Lord and will be friendly toward Israel. Gentile leaders will be subservient to Israel, which will cause her to realize that the Lord really is in control of the world (v. 23). Israel’s enemies will be destroyed, which will cause the whole world to acknowledge that the Lord is Israel’s God and her Savior, Redeemer, and the Mighty One of Jacob (cf. 60:16). (3) In the end, God’s purpose for Israel will be realized, and so too in the lives of all who believe. It will happen when the saints come marching in during the kingdom. Will you be in that number?

(1) (2) (3) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 49
1. Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
2. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a Polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
3. And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
4. Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.
5. And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.
6. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
7. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
8. Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
9. That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
10. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
11. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
12. Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
13. Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
14. But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
15. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
16. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
17. Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
18. Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.
19. For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.
20. The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.
21. Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?
22. Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
23. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
24. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
25. But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
26. And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

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July 27 

  The Servant, Israel’s Hope

Isaiah 50

God is looking for those few people who will serve Him and obey Him, but sadly there are few who will. In vs. 2 God asks the question, why? God asks why no one was willing to believe and obey Him, even after all they had seen in His redemptive power in Egypt, when He dried up the Red sea and opened the river Jordan by turning it into dry land. The Lord’s power to redeem was indisputable and He proved it by His deliverance from Egypt and yet no one was willing to serve and obey Him. Then we see a clear reference to Jesus Christ the Messiah, God’s Servant, who would serve, suffer and obey God the Father even to the point of death on the cross in vs. 4-11.

Most people back then were not willing to follow God and most people today are not willing to serve and obey God. But we see that Jesus the Servant was willing to remain obedient even though He received such vile treatment as people struck Him, as His beard was yanked off of His face, as He was spit upon, and as He was disgraced by wicked sinners. Folks, those wicked sinners are you and I. We are the ones who have disobeyed, we are the ones who struck Jesus with our fists in shameful mockery, we are the ones who spit in His face with our vile phlegm, we are the ones who pulled and yanked His beard from His bloody face, we are the ones who picked up the handle of the whip and beat Jesus body to a bloody pulp, we are the ones who rammed the crown of thorns down on His unrecognizable face, we are the ones who cried out, CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM, and yes, we are the ones that pounded the very nails into His hands and feet and watched with laughing scorn as His cross was cruelly dropped into place, hanging there in naked shame. If we do not realize that it was us that did these wicked things then we have not come to know Jesus Christ, the Servant of all, as our Savior and as our Lord and we are the ones who will be held responsible and who will be cast into Hell and the Lake of Fire. We will suffer the final fate of God’s righteous judgment. God would that none should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Where do you stand in your life? Are you one of those stubborn hearted rebellious ones, or have you cried out to the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance to save you, who paid your sin debt on the cross, as the Servant of all? Father God, have mercy.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 50
1. Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
2. 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? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.
3. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
4. The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
5. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
6. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
7. For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
8. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
9. Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.
11. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.

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July 28

My Salvation shall be forever,

And My Righteousness Shall Not be Abolished

Isaiah 51:6b

In verses 1-8, God mentions “Salvation” 3 times and “Righteousness” 5 times. I am going to use a little word play, I was saved, I am saved, and I shall be saved. PAST - I was saved when I accepted “God’s Gift of Love, the Lord Jesus Christ.” PRESENT- I am now saved because Christ holds me in His hands. FUTURE – I shall be saved for all eternity. Therefore salvation is not just a “pie in the sky” experience, but its right now and living in every born-again person. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come, I Thess. 1:10.

Righteousness is mentioned five times. That’s the number of GRACE! For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, Eph. 2:8. I offer you an acrostic: “G” God’s, “R” righteousness, “A” at, “C” Christ’s, “E” expense. So simple, but so profound. If God had made us work for our salvation maybe we would have more respect for it. In the Ministry I have seen the following many times. The father works and saves to leave a nest egg to his children. This parent actually goes without many of the necessary things to sacrifice for his children. Then he passes away and the children get the estate. They squander their money for things they do not need just because it is a gift. The estate is soon gone and the children begin to complain that Dad did not leave them more. How sad, Israel had all the blessings that other nations did not have; protection in battle, food and water supplied by miracles, bountiful crops and an abundance of sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys and camels. But Israel was always complaining about one thing or another. They were never satisfied!

Lastly: We see the words “hear” and “hearken.” There is a preacher on TV who often repeats to the congregation, “Are you listening?” “Hear me now,” or “Listen carefully.” He is trying to get their attention. God is trying to get the attention of the Jewish nation in our text and all through the Old Testament, but their ears are stopped and their hearts are not in tune with what God is saying to them. Let us not be as they were! 

Reference verses:
Isaiah 51: 6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

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July 29

The Temporal Blessing of Faith

Isaiah 52

Here the Lord is speaking to those who pursue righteousness and seek Him. The believing remnant in Israel is to think back on their background. The rock from which they were cut, figuratively speaking, is explained in verse 2 as Abraham and Sarah, the “founders” of the nation. God made him many, that is, gave the patriarch many descendants as He had promised (Gen. 12:2; 15:5; 17:6; 22:17). For many years Abraham and Sarah had no children, but they believed God (Gen. 15:6). These people too are to believe Him. Though they have not yet seen the fruition of God’s promises about Israel being a nation in the land (Gen. 15:18-21) they do have His sure word that God’s kingdom will be established on the earth. Because of the Lord’s compassion (cf. Isa. 49:10, 15) the land will someday be fruitful like Eden . . . the garden of the Lord. Because of this, joy (cf. 51:11) will abound among the remnant. (1)

 Our hope, even in this life, extends beyond the grave. I believe the destiny of all who believe is that they will partake of the blessings of the kingdom on this earth. It is that day when the saints come marching in with the King in His kingdom. This is perhaps the best-known section in the Book of Isaiah. Several parts of this passage are quoted in the New Testament: Isaiah 52:15 in Romans 15:21; Isaiah 53:1 in John 12:38 and Romans 10:16; Isaiah 53:4 in Matthew 8:17; Isaiah 53:7-8 in Acts 8:32-33; Isaiah 53:9 in 1 Peter 2:22; and Isaiah 53:12 in Luke 22:37 .Most of this vivid passage concerns the suffering and rejection of the Servant, but the main point (in Isa. 52:13; 53:11-12) is that His suffering will lead to exaltation and glory. True, the suffering is important, but His glory, which will be revealed, is equally important for it will show that the Servant did the will of God voluntarily. The Servant was rejected (chaps.49-50), and then the remnant was exalted (51:1-52:12). Now the Servant is to be exalted (52:13-53:12). (2) It is important that we understand that Jesus is coming to this earth again. When He came the first time, He was despised and rejected. When He comes again, He will be joyously received by the majority of people on this earth. The end is not a cross, but a crown. Even so, come Lord Jesus! 

 (1) (2) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

Reference verses:
Isaiah 52
1. Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3. For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
4. For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5. Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
6. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
8. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.
9. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
11. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.
12. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and God of Israel will be your rereward.
13. Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
14. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
15. So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

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July 30

A Clear, Old Testament Reference of Jesus Christ

Isaiah 53

Please meditate on today’s text. Many people went to see the Passion of the Christ movie and saw the unbelievable suffering that Christ went through, and many were sobered, although few were moved to the point of repentance. It is interesting that people had to go to the movie to understand what actually took place, because we have been given the clearest of descriptions in the pages of God’s Holy Word, which is the real descriptive truth. Sad to say, most people have not read the whole Bible even once, and certainly don’t have a good grasp on it’s truths and so they miss out on what God desires for them spiritually.

Why is it that folks will watch movies, but they won’t read the Word of God? The answer is a three letter word called “SIN.” The question was asked by God to Isaiah. Vs. 1 “Who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” The answer was this. “Very Few.” Why? Vs. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 

 Sadly, most people back then and yes, most people today are looking for some king of their own imagination, a god of their making.Hollywoodand Rock and Roll and all its worldly pop stars fit into this category. But name just one of these who is willing to give up all the fame and the stardom for the life of a repentant and submissive servant? There is none. Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips: Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet [are] swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery [are] in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Are these the people that we are watching on TV and the Movies? Are we becoming like them? God help us to turn our hearts on Jesus Christ, our suffering Savior. He is the way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Him.

Dear friend, do you know Him?

Reference verses:

Isaiah 53
1. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

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July 31

A Promise to Israel of Great Increase

and Persistent Protection

Isaiah 54:2-17

Verse 2, God is making a great promise to Israel. Enlarge your tents, lengthen your tent cords, and strengthen your tent stakes, because you will be the mother of many children. In other words, God is going to bless the nation with large families and they will eventually be a nation above all other nations. This is referring to the millennial age when the nations of the world will come to Jerusalem to worship.

Verse 5, Israel is married to Jehovah Tsabaoth (the God of the heavenly armies) and He will protect her, not only in Isaiah’s day, but throughout the centuries to come. Note: the Redeemer the Holy One of Israel is promised to be the world leader, not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles.

Verse 10, Israel’s blindness will become sight and they will behold Messiah’s return to the Mt. of Olives, and Olivet will split to the North and South. A great river will flow to the East and West to water all Israel.

The picture changes with verses 11-17 and we see the glory of the New Jerusalem and the happiness of its inhabitants. Hitherto Israel has been addressed; now the direct object of address is Jerusalem. The eye of the prophet sees the far distant future and Isaiah sees what John saw on the Isle of Patmos seven centuries later. Isaiah sees the twelve precious foundation stones under the New Jerusalem and even the windows of the buildings are of agate. Here is a new one, “all your children will be taught of the Lord. Verse 13,tells us that “Great shall be the peace of your children.” No more delinquency or disobedience in the homes or on the streets. Verses 14-15, God’s righteousness shall be established in the city and there will no longer be the fear of car or bus bombs or other acts to terrorize the nation of Israel. Be assured that if and when your enemies gather against you, they are not sent by God, but I will fight for you and you will prevail. Verse 17, Neither weapons nor words will be used against you, This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. Remember this is for Christians, too. We are under Jesus’ blessed protection.

Isaiah 54
1. Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.
2. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
3. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
4. Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
5. For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
6. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
10. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
11. O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
12. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
14. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
15. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
16. Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

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