Home thoughts from abroad.wordpress.com

 Isaiah 35

This chapter concludes the first part of the book of Isaiah. In the previous chapter we considered the final judgment of the world. However, that chapter is not the last word. The final word is not of judgment but redemption (9). It is a story of over flowingly abundant joy.

In verses 1 and 2 you have a picture of rejuvenated nature (see also 6, 7). This speaks powerfully about God’s transforming power; His ability to do the unexpected, and perform the opposite of what might be anticipated. In these first two verses Isaiah personifies nature: the ‘’desert… will be glad’’; the ‘’crocus…will rejoice.’’ This is common in Hebrew poetry. The ‘’splendour’’ of transformed nature will reflect the splendour of God Himself (2). Whatever else the prophet had in mind, he was surely looking ahead to the end of history and the new heaven and new earth. Warren Wiersbe makes the point that history began in a garden, but man’s sin turned it into a desert. When Jesus comes again, the creation will rejoice to be set free from the bondage of sin (Isaiah 55:12, 13; Romans 8:18-25.)

But the new heaven and the new earth are still future, and in the present we are on a tough pilgrimage through this world, so we need to support each other on this journey (3, 4; see Hebrews 12: 12, 13). Here are constructive ways we can do this: a.) serve practically: ‘’Strengthen…steady…; b.) speak truthfully (or we might say theologically): ‘’…say…’’ Above all we want to be pointing people to God. Although we look to support them, we don’t want them leaning on us. We want them to know God as their all in all, and look to Him for all their necessary resources. We surely desire that they will prove Him for themselves?

The next section (5-7) looks ahead to the Messianic age, inaugurated at the first coming of Jesus, and which will fully flower at His second advent (Isaiah 29:18; 32:3; Matthew 11:4, 5; 12:22; 15:29-31; Acts 3:7, 8). With the coming of Jesus there were wonderful miracles of healing. These things happened because God had come (4).But when the fullness of His kingdom comes there will be no spiritual blindness or deafness whatsoever, and all sickness will be banished for good (33:24). The Kingdom of God will be one of total light and perfect life.

In (8-10) Isaiah looks far into the future. Although he may partly be envisioning the returning exiles coming home from captivity across the desert to Jerusalem (in a second Exodus!) he surely is also looking ahead to the ‘’new Jerusalem’’ (Revelation 21:2) into which nothing ‘’unclean’’ or ‘’impure’’ will be permitted to enter (Revelation 21:27). In that city ‘’sorrow and sighing’’ will be no more (see Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 21:3, 4). We note from these verses that ‘’the redeemed will walk…’’ on ‘’the Way of Holiness’’. If we have been bought at such a price by Jesus, then we are to honour God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20). F.B. Meyer comments that holiness is a ‘Way’. He says: ‘’Our holiness is progressive. Though we may perfectly obey up to the limit of our knowledge, that knowledge is ever on the increase, beckoning our advance.’’ ‘Great verses through the Bible’, p.282.

‘’Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb, your loosened tongues employ; Ye blind , behold your Saviour come; And leap, ye lame, for joy! Charles Wesley.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that ‘blessings abound’ wherever Jesus reigns

Isaiah 34

In this chapter Isaiah pronounces God’s judgment on the nations of the world that are hostile to Him and His people. Throughout history, God’s judgment has been falling on evil nations and empires; but here (1-4) he has in mind, it seems, God’s last judgment at the climax of human history, when heaven and earth themselves will be judged and replaced with a new heaven and new earth (Isaiah 13:9-13; Mark 13:24, 25; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 6:3-14; 21:1). ‘’Stars will fall out of the sky like overripe, rotting fruit in the orchard. And the sky itself will be folded up like a blanket and put away in a closet. All that army of stars, shrivelled to nothing, like leaves and fruit in autumn, dropping and rotting!” The Message.

But following the description of this great universal judgment in the first four verses, Isaiah suddenly switches his attention to one tiny nation, Edom (5-15). However, we have to understand that Edom is representative of all the enemies of God. For the author of Hebrews, Jacob’s brother Esau (Edom) symbolized godlessness (Hebs.12:16); Isaiah shared the same understanding. Edom also symbolizes the persecutor (Obadiah 10-14), the adversary of the church. So we need to understand that (5-15) continues with the theme of God’s judgment on all nations, not just Edom. (The references to ‘’chaos’’ and ‘’desolation’’ in (11) are the ‘’without form’’ and ‘’void’’ of Gn.1:2. They imply here and in Jeremiah 4:23 an undoing of the very work of creation.)

After God’s judgment falls on Edom (that is all nations), people will read ‘’in the scroll’’ what Isaiah has written here. They will realize that his words were true (16, 17). ‘’None of these’’ – that is, the birds and animals mentioned in verses 11-15 – ‘’will be missing’’ (16). The prophecy will come to pass exactly as Isaiah stated it. God will give all these creatures permanent ownership of the land of Edom (17). ‘’Vultures and skunks will police the streets; owls and crows will feel at home there.’’ (11) The Message. God’s Word will never fail; none of His Words will ever fall to the ground. Though heaven and earth may pass away, His mighty Words won’t. Here is a rock-like foundation to stand on and build upon.

We do well to remember the reason for God’s indignation (8). As has been pointed out, God fights against His people if they disobey Him, but He fights for them when His chastening has accomplished its purposes. But we must always remember that God’s vengeance has no malice or bitterness in it. He takes no pleasure in punishing people; instead He wants all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3, 4.)

Prayer: I may not understand everything in your Word, Lord, but I know it is trustworthy and true, and everything you have promised will come to pass. I thank you that I can count on it because I can count on you.

Isaiah 33:13-24

Through His prophet Isaiah, God calls those ‘’who are far away’’ (the Gentile nations) and those ‘’who are near’’ (the Jews) to hear what He has done (13). He has both consumed His enemies and purified His own people. He Himself is ‘’consuming fire’’ (14; see Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29). But only those who are rebellious towards God need to fear being ‘consumed’ by Him. For those who are right with Him, and who therefore walk ‘’righteously’’ (15), there is a life of security to be enjoyed (poetically spoken of in terms of dwelling on the ‘’heights’’ and in the ‘’mountain fortress’’  in verse 16). ‘’The answer’s simple: Live right, speak the truth, despise exploitation, refuse bribes, reject violence, avoid evil amusements. This is how you raise your standard of living! A safe and stable way to live. A nourishing, satisfying way to live.’’ The Message. The answer is still simple! But the majority head down a route where incineration in God’s fire can be the only end result.

In (17-22) Isaiah states the central promise of the chapter: ‘’Your eyes will see the king in his beauty…’’ (17; 4:2, 32:1. See also 21, 22, where the eye returns to fix on the Lord Himself as strength and sovereign). I find it fascinating that this assertion follows on from the words about holiness in (15, 16; see also Psalms 15:1-5 and 24:3, 4), because in Matthew 5:8 Jesus says the ‘’pure in heart’’ are ‘’Blessed…for they will see God.’’ (Someone pointed out that the vigorous renunciations in verse 15 recognize the potency of habits, words, thoughts and sense-impressions as the seeds of action.) If you are right with God, and seeking to live right, His ‘’fire’’ will be a beautiful, drawing sight to your eyes, like a glowing hearth on a winter’s evening. Isaiah is looking beyond the attacks of the Assyrians and Babylonians (18, 19) to the restoration of Jerusalem (20). Jerusalem was initially ‘restored’ after God struck down Sennacherib’s army (2 Kings 19:35, 36). One hundred and fifty years later it was again restored when the Jewish exiles returned from Babylon and rebuilt the city. Jerusalem will be restored a final time when Jesus the Messiah returns to establish His Kingdom (Revelation 21:2). Only then will the prophecy in (24) fully come to pass: ‘’No one in Zion will say, ‘’I’m sick.’’ Best of all, they’ll all live guilt-free.’’ The Message. Both sickness and sin will be removed from the city.

In (23) Isaiah pictures Assyria as a ship that is unprepared to sail; not ready to resist the Lord. Its cargo will be plundered and carried off even by the ‘’lame’’ – the weakest of nations. No people are so powerful that they can shake their fists at God and get away with it. There are hosts of shipwrecked anti-God civilisations to prove the point.

‘’God’s victory over Assyria was but a ‘’dress rehearsal’’ for His victory over the whole Gentile world system that will one day assemble to destroy the Holy City (Zech.14:1-9). When our Lord was ministering on earth, the unbelieving Jews said, ‘’There is no beauty that we should desire him’’ (Isa.53:2). But when they see Him and believe, then they will perceive His great beauty (Zech. 12:3-13:1; Ps.45).’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘The Wiersbe Bible Commentary’ (Old Testament), p.1178.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for revealing to me the beauty of Jesus. I further pray that Christ’s beauty will be seen in me, drawing people to Him.

Isaiah 33:1-12

It is a solid Bible principle that you will reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7, 8). This chapter opens with a statement that Assyria will receive the same treatment she has meted out to others (1).

The overthrow of all evil (foreshadowed in the judgment on Assyria) will be carried out by the Sovereign Lord of history. Although there is a strong element of mystery surrounding this, we know that He acts in response to the earnest prayers of His people (2-6). In these verses Isaiah prays for the deliverance of Judah from the Assyrians, and He looks forward to a certain answer (see also 10-12). ‘’History belongs to the intercessors.’’ For ourselves, we continue to live in desperate times, and there is an underlying fear that things are set to get a lot worse before they improve. We are witnessing terrible evil unleashed in the world. But (6) holds good for whatever ‘’times’’ we live through. The key to experiencing all the rich resources available in God is to ‘’fear’’ Him (6b; see Proverbs 1:7). That means we revere and worship and honour Him. We can prove God to be true and trustworthy. This is open to all. ‘’With God there is not only the prospect of the final answer (3-4) but meanwhile his strong arm (2) sufficing for each day’s demands (cf. 50:4).’’ Derek Kidner: ‘The New Bible Commentary’, p.653.

But what happens when we don’t trust Him? In (7-12) you have an example. The scene abruptly changes to the desperate plight of Judah and Jerusalem in Isaiah’s day. Judah came to be occupied by the Assyrians (2 Kings 18:13). Judah’s ‘’brave men’’ cried aloud in the streets (7). The ‘’treaty’’ king Hezekiah made with Sennacherib king of Assyria was broken (2 Kings 18:14, 15). Lebanon and Israel had already fallen (9).

But, ‘’the darkest night is just before the dawn’’, and when it seemed things couldn’t get much worse, God intervened (10-12). ‘’Now I’m stepping in,’’ GOD says. ‘’From now on, I’m taking over. The gloves come off. Now see how mighty I am.’’ The Message. The Assyrians’ plan to capture Jerusalem will come to nothing; they will merely ‘’give birth to straw’’ (11). They will be consumed by their own evil plans. God’s intervention, however, will not be confined to the enemy (10-12). He will also burn the evil out of Zion (13-16). We can take encouragement that God can act; He does act; He will act.

Let’s heed the call in this chapter to shape history by our prayers: ‘’All of this was discouraging, but one thing encouraged Isaiah: a godly remnant that trusted the Lord and interceded for the land (vv.2-4, 14-15). When you pray, you see the Lord exalted (vv.5-6), you hear His words of encouragement (vv.10-13), and you view your King in glory and power (vv.17-24). Are you looking in the right direction? Are you a part of the godly remnant of intercessors?’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.471.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the privilege to be a partner in your work through prayer. Help me to play my full role, and see history changed for your glory.