Home thoughts from abroad.wordpress.com

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.

Isaiah 32:9-20

‘’Get serious, you pampered dolls!’’ (11) The Message. It seems that Isaiah had a particular concern for the ‘flaky’ ladies of the land (see also 3:16-26, and Amos 6:1ff.) Someone pointed out that wives and mothers can have a great influence for good, but these women were living complacently as judgment was about to fall. Their happy homes were about to be destroyed and they didn’t seem to have any understanding of what was just around the corner. They had a false sense of security (something Isaiah emphasises in 9, 10, and 11).They would lose not just their luxuries but also their necessities.

In the ‘New Bible Commentary’ the point is made that the disaster of verse 14 and the glory of verses 15-20 surpass anything that happened in Isaiah’s time. But such pictures of a secure and well-watered land portray the ‘new things’ God will do in the future in terms of things already known.

There is a basic principle here, and it is that ‘’righteousness’’ is indispensable to ‘’peace’’. There is no easy path to peace. God does not superimpose ‘peace ‘on a rotten society. No, the ground must be cleared, and then re-sown with ‘righteousness’, and then ‘peace’ will be its fruit (17). For this, the outpouring of the Spirit is essential (15), and, as we saw yesterday, this is the secret of sharing the qualities and characteristics of the Messiah. The Spirit enables us to get into a right relationship with God, and live right, and so we can enjoy God’s own peace (Romans 5:1, 2; James 3:17).

‘’RIGHTEOUSNESS must precede peace…The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews clearly affirms that Melchizedek, the type of Christ, is first King of Righteousness and then King of Peace…Many seek for peace apart from righteousness. They refuse to adjust some wrong in their lives which calls aloud against them. They refuse to permit the light of God’s Spirit to ransack their past, because they are conscious that to do so will expose them to the inevitable need of confession and restitution; and as they will not submit to the laying of the foundations of peace, they miss the peace.’’ F.B.Meyer: Great verses through the Bible, p.281.

Meyer goes on to rightly point out that righteousness precedes peace in any peace-making attempts between people. Wrongs and injustices can’t be just swept under the carpet. They must be adequately addressed:

‘’Be sure to go to the bottom of disputes and disagreements. There is a right and a wrong in every question. It is always wise to lay the foundations of justice at any cost, assured that peace will inevitably result sooner or later. Honeyed words will not abide; but just deeds are a permanent basis for a happy and lasting reconciliation.’’

Prayer: Thank you Lord that you transform desert places by the power of the Holy Spirit. Come upon all that is barren and desolate in me, and make me a fruitful ‘land’ for you. I bring to you all those things that disturb my peace, and ask that you will so graciously cleanse my conscience. I let go of the wrongs that have to go before I can ever enjoy your peace. Thank you for your mercy in disturbing my peace so that I may ultimately find true ‘shalom’.

 Isaiah 32:1-8

Right smack in the middle of Isaiah’s series of ‘woes’, he gives a shining prophecy of hope concerning the Messianic Kingdom to come. In it, not only will the Messiah rule with righteousness (9:7, 16:5; and see also 25:4), but also the ‘’rulers will rule with justice’’ (1). Each subordinate of the Messiah, in his serving role, will share in the work of ruling, protecting and blessing God’s people (2; see Matthew 19:28). This is a beautiful picture, and something for every leader to aspire to: ‘’Each one will stand as a shelter from high winds, provide safe cover in stormy weather. Each will be cool running water in parched land, a huge granite outcrop giving shade in the desert.’’ The Message. Let us pray that all those who are called to serve with and for the Messiah will fulfil their destiny. Here is a portrait of true leadership. (See also 26:4).˙

Godly leaders protect people, care for them and give to them. They are ‘channels of blessing’ to others. They don’t use them for their own purposes. The only hope we have for true leadership is to be found in the rule of Jesus, and in Him shaping His leaders into the design He has for them. Let Jesus Christ reign over all your heart and He will make you more and more like Himself. Leaders in the Kingdom of God ‘’…should be both rocks and rivers, providing security and sufficiency. Rocks do not move or change, while rivers are ever moving and changing. Leaders must be both consistent and adaptable, combining the faithfulness of the rock with the fruitfulness of the river.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.470.

This section is headed ‘’A kingdom of true men’’ by Derek Kidner in the ‘New Bible Commentary’. He writes: ‘’This fourth oracle on the coming king (cf.7:14; 9:6-7; 11:1-5) shows his greatest triumph, in the flowering of his own qualities (given by the Spirit of the Lord, 11:2; cf. 32:15) in the character of his subjects, from his office- bearers downwards.’’ p.652. Where Jesus reigns as King, He changes people into His image. He supplies the power to live differently and swim against the current.

In the Kingdom of the Messiah, people’s spiritual eyes and ears will no longer be shut as they were in Isaiah’s day. It will be a time of bright revelation (3, 4). For those of us who have got to know Jesus, ‘’the light of the world’ ‘(John 8:12), we can verify by experience how true this is. He has given to us truth to know and to speak (4), and He gives us the ability to proclaim it as well as understand it.

It is also true to say that in the fullness of that Kingdom, still to come, all bad leadership will be overthrown (5-8): ‘’No more will fools become celebrities, nor crooks be rewarded with fame. For fools are fools and that’s that, thinking up new ways to do mischief. They leave a wake of wrecked lives and lies about GOD, Turning their backs on the homeless hungry, ignoring those dying of thirst in the streets. And the crooks? Underhanded sneaks they are, inventive in sin and scandal, Exploiting the poor with scams and lies, unmoved by the victimized poor. But those who are noble make noble plans, and stand for what is noble.’’ The Message. Isaiah saw the demise of those who used their position for personal profit and not for the common good. In Isaiah’s day, as in our own, the ordinary people were dazzled by the lives of the ‘rich and famous’, even though the character and conduct of these ‘celebrities’ were not deserving of respect. They had money, fame and influence, and in the eyes of many that made them important. But God saw through the glossy magazine myth, and He still does.

Prayer: Reign in me, Sovereign Lord, reign in me. Captivate my heart; make me more like you.