SOULJournal

Isaiah 10

The first part of the chapter is a continuation of of chapter 9.  

The second part of the chapter is a totally new prophecy.  In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah, 725 BC. Hezekiah, alarmed at the approach of Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, sent messengers to him to obtain a peace treaty. Sennacherib agreed to such a peace, on condition that Hezekiah should pay him three hundred talents of silver, and thirty of gold. In order to meet this demand, Hezekiah was obliged to advance all the silver and gold in the treasury, and even to strip the temple of its ornaments. Having done this, he hoped for safety; and on this occasion, probably, this prophecy was uttered. It was designed to show that the danger of invasion was not passed; to assure them the king of Assyria would still come against the nation, but that still God would intervene, and would deliver them.

Some thoughts for application...

God’s rod (10:5). God’s Sovereign power enables Him to use even His people’s enemies to accomplish His purposes. Isaiah calls Judah to see God’s hand in painful experiences.

Assyria’s purpose (10:7). While God intends the Assyrian invasion as discipline, Assyria’s motive in attacking Israel is rooted in a godless arrogance and pride. Thus God says, “I will punish the king of Assyria” (10:12).

It is intent that makes the difference.  We may suffer discipline, even though we outwardly conform to Christian standards. God is concerned about motivation as well as actions, and will judge both.

The results of discipline (10:20). Those who survive the Assyrian invasion will “truly rely on the Lord.” Suffering purges those who will not believe and deepens the faith of those who do.

What revelation of God do you see in this chapter and how does that knowledge change or transform how we live?

Isaiah 9

6 For a child has been born—for us! 
   the gift of a son—for us!

In this chapter Isaiah prophesies about the coming of Jesus.  Two thoughts struck me.  

The first is that if I had heard that prophecy in that current cultural time and in the times that followed before Jesus' birth I would have a totally different idea of who Jesus would be.  Like the Israelites I would look for the Messiah as being a conquering king, a ruler in the prestigious circles of the day.  I can understand why they struggled with Jesus being the Messiah of Isaiah's prophecy.  But isn't that just the way that God goes about things.  We get a word about what He wants to do in our lives and we build a totally different expectation around that word and when it does not go the way we pictured it we think...God did not follow through on His promise.  But every word of Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled because it was God's promise and He never goes back on His promise.

The other thing comes from verse 6.  Jesus was sent...for us.  The gift of God's Son was given...for you and for me.  It reminds me that God so loved us He gave His Son...for our benefit.  He loves us.  He loves you, He loves me and He is jealous for us. Because He loves us I need not fear all the hardships and tough circumstances of my life, I have a Father who is watching over me.  I can trust Him.

Take a listen to this song, I know it is kind of long and written in a touchy, feely way but it is the truth of Isaiah 9.  The artist is Kim Walker.

How He Loves Us

Isaiah 8

Today I would encourage you to read the passage in the Message Translation.  Click on the chapter for today from desertstreams.com and Bible Reading.  Then in the drop down menu that says New International Version click and choose The Message.  

Here are some excerpts from today's reading from the Message and my comments...

 9-10But face the facts, all you oppressors, and then wring your hands.
   Listen, all of you, far and near.
Prepare for the worst and wring your hands.
   Yes, prepare for the worst and wring your hands!
Plan and plot all you want—nothing will come of it.
   All your talk is mere talk, empty words,
Because when all is said and done,
   the last word is Immanuel—God-With-Us.

 11-13God spoke strongly to me, grabbed me with both hands and warned me not to go along with this people. He said:

   "Don't be like this people,
   always afraid somebody is plotting against them.
Don't fear what they fear.
   Don't take on their worries.
If you're going to worry,
   worry about The Holy. Fear God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

 16-17Gather up the testimony,
   preserve the teaching for my followers,
While I wait for God as long as he remains in hiding,
   while I wait and hope for him.
I stand my ground and hope,

Here is a great line for us in verse 10...When all is said and done the last word is that God is with us.  Yes that is cause for people to get up from where you are sitting and start dancing.  We need to believe that with all that is in us.  Don't be afraid and paranoid that things are always going to go against us, God is with us.  If you want to worry about something why not worry about if you are pleasing God and living a holy life.

Verses 16-17 tell us what to do while we are in the middle of hard times and trying circumstances...While I wait for God to come to my rescue I stand my ground and keep putting my faith and hope in Him.  

Take a moment to read this Psalm, his decision is in keeping with what Isaiah was saying...

Psalm 42:1 –Psalm 42:6 (TMSG) 

A white-tailed deer drinks

from the creek;

I want to drink God,

deep draughts of God.

I’m thirsty for God-alive.

I wonder, “Will I ever make it—

arrive and drink in God’s presence?”

I’m on a diet of tears—

tears for breakfast, tears for supper.

All day long

people knock at my door,

Pestering,

“Where is this God of yours?”

These are the things I go over and over,

emptying out the pockets of my life.

I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd,

right out in front,

Leading them all,

eager to arrive and worship,

Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving—

celebrating, all of us, God’s feast!

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?

Why are you crying the blues?

Fix my eyes on God—

soon I’ll be praising again.

He puts a smile on my face.

He’s my God.

When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse

everything I know of you,

Psalm 42:11 (TMSG) 

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?

Why are you crying the blues?

Fix my eyes on God—

soon I’ll be praising again.

He puts a smile on my face.

He’s my God.

Isaiah 7

Today I will give you some background info to better understand this chapter.  It may be a little lengthy but take the time to read it because it will help you in understanding the passage and making life applications.

It is around 734BC and the Assyrian kingdom is conquering the land of the Israel and Judah.  It is Israel and Judah because the twelve tribes have split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.  For about 40 years the two kingdoms had experienced great prosperity but in the middle of the prosperity there had been an increase in idol worship, materialism and oppression of the poor.  (Remember chapter 5)  The northern kingdom of Israel formed an alliance with another king and tried to oust the king of Assyria out of their territory.  They came to King Ahaz of Judah (southern kingdom) to have him be part of the alliance but he had declined so they began a series of battles against Ahaz.  That brings us to chapter 7 where the city of Jerusalem is under seige and Ahaz has suffered many losses in the previous battles.

Ahaz is deeply distressed by his predicament and his solution is to ask the king of Assyria for help against the alliance of Rezin and Pekah.  So God sends Isaiah and his son to let Ahaz know that the invasion would be unsuccessful.  In fact, within 65 years the deportation policies of Assyria would mean the virtual elimination of Ephraim (northern kingdom) as a people, and so Isaiah urged Ahaz to stand firm in his faith or would not stand at all.  The prophet was challenging the king to trust God rather than panic and put his trust in men,

To bolster Ahaz's faith, the Lord promised to show him a sign.  But Ahaz refused because he did not want to believe God's Word.  Hmmm.  His mind was already made up, he wanted to appeal to Assyria for help.  So he hides behind a religious facade by pretending to be concerned to obey the command of God to not put Him to a test, but since God had volunteered to give Ahaz a sign, by saying no he was actually disobeying God.  Isaiah condemns Ahaz's attitude and proceeds to tell him what the sign from God would be...

"A virgin will give birth to a son named Immanuel..."  Now while this is used in the NT to announce Jesus there is a more immediate understanding to this phrase that would help us understand this chapter.

In Isaiah's day the phrase "a virgin will give birth" was a common blessing on an upcoming marriage.  At the time of the announcement of the blessing  the woman is a virgin, but soon she will be married and become a mother.  Another bit of understanding for this passage...in order for a sign to be a sign it must be fulfilled within a few years or else it ceases to be a sign.  Remember God was going to give Ahaz a sign, the birth of Jesus would be another 700plus years away.  Most BIble commentators say that this sign was probably fulfilled in Isaiah's engagement and marriage and his new wife bearing a son.  We will read about it tomorrow in chapter 8. 

So a virgin will give birth to a son and his name will mean God is with us.  That name Immanuel was a rebuke to Ahaz.  If God is with us why should you fear?  Hmmm.  At this crucial moment in their history Ahaz chose the path of unbelief - choosing to trust man rather than God.  Ahaz failed to realize that the real enemy was the king of Assyria who offered only temporary relief.

Hope this little background helps.  So how is this passage applicable to our lives today?  I would love to hear from you.

Isaiah 6

Scripture
Isaiah 6

Observation
Isaiah experienced something that is common to everyone of us as believers.  His exact circumstances were different but I believe the processing is similar to what we all are faced with.

Understanding
So here is the process.  Isaiah caught a revelation of God that made him realize just how holy and awesome God was.  The holiness of God made Isaiah realize just how far short of the mark he was.  It is why later on he writes that "all of our righteousness compared to God's holiness, were just filthy (menstrual) rags."  Ouch.  That revelation of God's holiness made him fall down on his knees and acknowledge the greatness and holiness of God. But what did God do?  He didn't gloat over His righteousness as compared to Isaiah's, instead He provides a way to make Isaiah righteous and able to stand before Him in order to have fellowship.  Now you would think that this would be the end of the story but God did not make isaiah right before Him only for Isaiah's sake - no, there was a greater plan.  Isaiah now clean, hears god talk about His heart for others to come to righteousness and isaiah does the right thing, he says "I will go."  So God sends him to a people who don't that excited or open to the 'Good News" that God can restore us to right standing with Him, but Isaiah is to stick with it and not give up.

Life Application
God reveals Himself to us.
We realize the depth of our sin and we feel overwhelmed by our guilt.
God does not leave us but instead provides a way to restore us back to relationship with Him.
Once restored we have a tendency to want to just stay there and get whatever God wants to give us.
But God has other plans for us - He wants us to go and tell others of this good news.
Hopefully when He asks who will go we will say yes to His call.
Understand that the people He is sending us to will not always be receptive to the good news but we are not to give up.

So are you ready to answer the call?

Isaiah 5

This chapter is a parable representing Israel as the vineyard of God, which, contrary to all expectation, had produced bad fruit, and therefore was given up to devastation. What kind of bad fruit it produced is described in a six-fold “woe;” and woven in there is the judgement that would come upon them as a result.

One of the things we can do when we read passages like this is to catch a revelation of God.  What makes Him smile?  What angers Him?  What does He consider sin?  

This chapter helps us see six things that God considers sin.

People who get rich at other's expense.   vs 8-10
 Some people were acquiring much land at the expense of their fellow countrymen. Selling houses permanently in a walled city was allowed under the Law, but selling houses in unwalled cities and fields was allowed only until the Year of Jubilee when the houses would revert back to their former owners. Because God had given the people the land they were not to get rich at others’ expense.

Drunkenness. vs 11-12
People who spend more time partying and in selfish pursuits than on doing the work of God.  People were so addicted to wine that, unlike most drunkards, they rose early in the morning to drink. They also stayed up late at night. In their revelry they enjoyed music at their banquets, but cared nothing for the deeds of the Lord. Their lack of respect for the work of His hands meant they abused other people made in the image of God. Caring only for their own pleasures, they had no concern for the Lord or for others.

People who want God to work on their behalf but they do nothing in return. vs 18-19 
The people were questioning whether God was in control of the nation. Though attached to sin and wickedness by cords and ropes (i.e., deeply involved in sin) they wondered if God could save their nation. Apparently they wanted God to deliver them even though they did not want to give up their sinful practices. They wanted to see God act (let Him hasten His work) without any spiritual change on their part. But, deliverance, both personal and national, does not work that way. A spiritual change must be made before God will save His people from destruction.

People who call evil good and lead others astray. vs 20 
Some people lead others astray by their perverted values. Evil—for example, adultery, idolatry, materialism, murder, and many other sins forbidden in the Scriptures—is often held up as being good. Those who say such things are under the threat (woe) of God’s judgment

People who think they are wiser and more clever than God.  vs 21. 
They think that they are their own providers and they are their own protectors.

Drunken bribe-takers.  vs 22-23 
People in authority who are using their offices for personal gain rather than understanding that they are there to help people.  They are concerned more with their own pleasure than the rights of the innocent.

So how can we apply this revelation of God to our lives in a practical way?

Isaiah 4

Scripture
³ Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.

Observation
Even in the midst of a nation walking away from God and experiencing the consequences of not following His commands God makes sure that there is a "Remnant."

Understanding
Throughout the book of Isaiah we see this cycle happening. 
The people commit to serving God and following His commands. 
They begin to stray from His commands and take on the worship of the gods of the culture around them. 
They become totally disobedient to God and walk out from under the protective covering of God. 
They are then conquered and enslaved by the nations around them and experience great hardships. 
Usually there is a few who do not forsake serving God and they begin to call out to God to forgive them and rescue them. 
God relents from the anger He feels from His people betraying Him and comes to their defense. 
The people begin to experience blessings again. 
The people commit to serving God and following His commands. 
Things go well. 
The people begin to stray from His commands and take on the worship of the gods of the culture around them...

Life Application
Two thoughts...
Can't we learn from the mistakes of others?  Why do we have to do the same thing over and over again?  We tend to run to God when times are tough and walk away from Him in the good times.  How does that make God feel?
Then I am challenged that there are those who do not turn away from faithfully serving God.  There is the remnant.  That is where I want to be.  I want to be one of the faithful ones who never waver.  I want to be one of the remnant who is used by God to bring holiness and righteousness back to a nation.  I want to be one of the remnant who is salt and light.  A small but powerful force for the kingdom of heaven. 
Anyone else with me?

Isaiah 3

The Bible Knowledge Commentary

Having affirmed in broad terms (2:9-21) that judgment would come, Isaiah gave examples of present sins in the nation that needed to be judged by God.

3:1-7.
God would take away from Judah any semblance of good government and replace it with a sense of futility. Because of her sin the LORD would take away all the supplies and people on which she relied: food and water (v. 1), soldiers (v. 2), civil (judge) and religious (prophet) leaders (v. 2), wise people (v. 2), military leaders (v. 3a), and skilled workers (v. 3b). The fact that Isaiah included the soothsayer (v. 2) and the clever enchanter (v. 3) in this list does not mean he was endorsing them. He was merely noting those on whom the nation was depending for survival and security.
In contrast with these people who were considered wise and mighty the Lord would raise up foolish, weak leadership. Inexperienced boys and children (3:4) would be unable to stop oppression and conflict (Isa. 3:5). Anybody who could be grabbed would be placed in charge of the people, his only qualification (v. 6) being that he owned a cloak. But the only thing over which he would rule anyway would be a heap of ruins. The leaders would have no solution to the problem shortages the people would face (v. 7). Isaiah was speaking of the coming devastation of Judah by the Babylonian army.

3:8-9.
The reason such destruction would come on Judah (v. 1) is that everything the nation said and did was against her covenant God. The people defied God and were open about their. Therefore the coming disaster was brought on by themselves. 

3:10-12.
When God judges, the righteous need not fear; they will be justly rewarded for their deeds. But the wicked will be recompensed (paid back) for their deeds. God’s judgment is always fair. Wicked people often think that sinful living is the way to get ahead in life. Isaiah noted, however, that it is far better for a person to live righteously. The leaders (guides) were turning the nation away from the proper path (Isa. 3:12).
Youths may refer to minors in age or to adults who were naive like the young.
The reference to women may mean that wives were influencing their husbands who were rulers, or that the male leaders lacked vigor.

3:13-15.
Isaiah pictured the LORD seated in a courtroom ready to judge the people and especially the leaders.  Two charges were leveled against the leaders...
The first is that they had ruined God’s vineyard (v. 14), that is, God’s people. Like husbandmen caring for a vineyard, the leaders were to care for the people. But they had ruined the people by oppressing (crushing, Isa. 3:15a) them.
The second charge is that they had taken advantage of the poor (vv. 14b, 15b) by plundering them (stealing what little they had) and grinding their faces. This violated the commands in the Book of Deuteronomy not to oppress others, especially widows, orphans, and the poor. Concern for the poor is also encouraged and illustrated in the New Testament (Acts 9:36; 10:4, 31; 24:17; James 1:27; 2:1-9). A materialistic, oppressive spirit was symptomatic of the leaders’ self-centeredness. Rather than seeing their leadership positions as service opportunities they saw them as means of making money at the expense of others.

Any lessons we can learn from this passage?  Share them with us.

Isaiah 2

Scripture
Isaiah 2:6 through Isaiah 2:9 (TMNT)
6GOD, you’ve walked out on your family
because their world is full of hokey religion,
Philistine witchcraft, and pagan hocus-pocus,
7a world rolling in wealth,
Stuffed with things,
no end to its machines and gadgets,
8And gods—gods of all sorts and sizes.
These people make their own gods and worship what they make.
9A degenerate race, facedown in the gutter.

Observation
Throughout the centuries God's people have struggled with the same things over and over.

Understanding
Remember what we said yesterday that there are three themes that are repeated throughout the book of Isaiah:  messages of judgment, messages of comfort and messages of hope.  We must keep that perspective in mind as we read the first section of Isaiah which are the messages of judgment. 
Having said that it is interesting to see that God's people, whether it is the Israelites or whether it is the people like us who have been adopted into the family of God, all seem to be led astray by the same acts of disobedience to God. 

We begin to pursue hokey religion instead of a dynamic and growing relationship with God, more content to just go through a bunch of rituals that have lost it's meaning rather than running hard after God and seeking to know Him.

We buy in to the culture of the world around us and pursue their gods, trying to find ways to have their gods co-exist with the one, true God.

We get seduced by the promise of wealth.  Money is not evil, neither are material possessions, but what happens is that we put our hope and trust in those things and forget that God is our provider.  We forget that though "some may trust in horses, some may trust in chariots, we will trust in the Lord."

Life Application
Lord, help us to learn from those who have made mistakes in the past and not continue to make the same mistakes over and over.  Let us choose to put you first and in so doing bring a smile to your face.  I love you and I want my life to show that love in my actions towards You.

Introduction to Isaiah

Eugene Petersen (The Message)

For Isaiah, words are watercolors and melodies and chisels to make truth and beauty and goodness. Or, as the case may be, hammers and swords and scalpels to unmake sin and guilt and rebellion. Isaiah does not merely convey information. He creates visions, delivers revelation, arouses belief. He is a poet in the most fundamental sense—a maker, making God present and that presence urgent. Isaiah is the supreme poet-prophet to come out of the Hebrew people.

Isaiah is a large presence in the lives of people who live by faith in God, who submit themselves to being shaped by the Word of God and are on the lookout for the holy. The Holy. The characteristic name for God in Isaiah is “The Holy.” As we read this large and comprehensive gathering of messages that were preached to the ancient people of Israel, we find ourselves immersed in both the presence and the action of The Holy.

The more hours we spend pondering the words of Isaiah, the more the word “holy” changes in our understanding. If “holy” was ever a pious, pastel-tinted word in our vocabularies, the Isaiah-preaching quickly turns it into something blazing. Holiness is the most attractive quality, the most intense experience we ever get of sheer life—authentic, firsthand living, not life looked at and enjoyed from a distance. We find ourselves in on the operations of God himself, not talking about them or reading about them. Holiness is a furnace that transforms the men and women who enter it. “Holy, Holy, Holy” is not needlepoint. It is the banner of a revolution, the revolution.

The book of Isaiah is expansive, dealing with virtually everything that is involved in being a people of God on this planet Earth. The impressive art of Isaiah involves taking the stuff of our ordinary and often disappointing human experience and showing us how it is the very stuff that God uses to create and save and give hope. As this vast panorama opens up before us, it turns out that nothing is unusable by God. He uses everything and everybody as material for his work, which is the remaking of the mess we have made of our lives.

“Symphony” is the term many find useful to capture the fusion of simplicity and complexity presented in the book of Isaiah. The major thrust is clearly God’s work of salvation: “The Salvation Symphony” (the name Isaiah means “God Saves”). The prominent themes repeated and developed throughout this vast symphonic work are judgment, comfort, and hope. All three elements are present on nearly every page, but each also gives distinction to the three “movements” of the book that so powerfully enact salvation: Messages of Judgment (chapters 1–39), Messages of Comfort (chapters 40–55), and Messages of Hope (chapters 56–66).