Isaiah 22:1-5, 8-16, 19-25

Isaiah 22:1-5, 8-16, 19-25 NIV

A prophecy against the Valley of Vision:

What troubles you now, that you have all gone up on the roofs, you town so full of commotion, you city of tumult and revelry? Your slain were not killed by the sword, nor did they die in battle. All your leaders have fled together; they have been captured without using the bow. All you who were caught were taken prisoner together, having fled while the enemy was still far away.

Therefore I said, “Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people.”

The Lord, the Lord Almighty, has a day of tumult and trampling and terror in the Valley of Vision, a day of battering down walls and of crying out to the mountains. The Lord stripped away the defenses of Judah, and you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest. You saw that the walls of the City of David were broken through in many places; you stored up water in the Lower Pool. You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall. You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago.

The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth. But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! “Let us eat and drink,” you say, “for tomorrow we die!” The Lord Almighty has revealed this in my hearing: “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for,” says the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

This is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says: “Go, say to this steward, to Shebna the palace administrator: What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a grave for yourself here, hewing your grave on the height and chiseling your resting place in the rock? I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position. “In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a seat of honor for the house of his father. All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots—all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars.

“In that day,” declares the Lord Almighty, “the peg driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down.” The Lord has spoken.

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Caesar Nero played the violin while Rome burned. Some accounts say Hitler's highest officials got drunk in the bunker in Berlin as Allied Forces surrounded the city. They took their own lives.
These are the behaviors of some during times of crises.

In Isaiah 22 the prophet decries those who party in the face of doom. When called to humble themselves in repentance, fasting, and prayer, they drink wine and feast. At the news of the Assyrian army taking Judean villages and cities, the king's officials fled Jerusalem. Others partied. The palace administrator, Shebna, had a fine tomb dug out and set aside for him. Was he planning suicide before the fall of Jerusalem to the Assyrians? All these folks show that they have lost heart. Those who fled the city, those who dug their graves, and those who dulled their senses, are all responding to the impending doom without the one thing they really need...faith.

The prophet confronts their faithlessness. They made many preparations to endure a lengthy siege against Jerusalem. They fortified the walls of the city by tearing down houses. They built reservoirs for drinking water. They stockpiled provisions, but in all this activity they did not pray. They did not turn to the Lord.

Isaiah claims that these people were beaten before the enemy arrived. Before the first arrow flew these faithless Jews were defeated by their lack of faith. Frankly, they were out of practice. They had turned away from Yahweh a long time ago and worshiped other gods instead, gods like those of their neighbors, the Philistines, the Moabites and the Ammonites. Isaiah calls Jerusalem the valley of vision. In the place where God dwells in His temple, the place where the Lord gives visions to prophets and seers, to priests and kings, the people sacrifice to idols and ignore the Lord their God who brought them out of slavery and into this land.

How often are we defeated by our fear before calamity falls? Often we're afraid when we cannot be certain any danger will befall us. Fear is powerful. It drives us to fight, freeze, or flee. You can see these various responses in Isaiah 22. City officials flee the city while others get drunk. They are running away, literally and emotionally. Others busy themselves with battle preparations. They are ready to fight. Still others contemplate their death and dig graves for themselves. They have given up. They are frozen in fear. There's not enough energy in them to fight or flee.

Shebna, the palace administrator will be replaced by a good man, Eliakim. He will exhibit faith and be strong for Jerusalem, but even he will fall when Jerusalem falls.

Interestingly Jerusalem does not fall to the Assyrians. Instead God saves the city through Hezekiah's humble prayers.

2 Chronicles 32:20-22 NIV

King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword. So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side.

Don't count out God. You do not know for certain what troubles will befall you. Have faith in God, with whom all things are possible. Instead of being beaten by fear, kneel and pray. Instead of running away, be still and know He is God. Instead of giving up and planning your death, give thanks and look to the Lord to lead you through.

May you be established firmly in faith to brave every storm. May your eyes witness the deliverance of your God.

Isaiah 21:11-17 - Cleaning House

Isaiah 21:11-17 NIV

A prophecy against Dumah:

Someone calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?” The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again.”

A prophecy against Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia, bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives. They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle.

This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.

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Isaiah continues his prophecies against neighboring nations to Judah. This time he predicts the destruction of the Edomites and Kedarites. The Edomites are descendants of Esau, brother of Jacob. Jacob and Esau were twins from Rebekah and Isaac. Isaac was the miracle child born to Sarah and Abraham in their old age. Ishmael preceded Isaac as the firstborn of Abraham, but from a different mother Hagar the Egyptian handmaiden. The Kedarites are the descendants of one of Ishmael's twelve sons.

Both the Edomites and Kedarites have on and off conflict with the Hebrews. The conflicts are rooted within the family of Abraham. The Ishmaelites (Arabs) ended up selling Joseph, son of Jacob, as a slave in Egypt. The Edomites turned the Hebrews away when they came up out of Egypt, refusing them safe passage. Now these rivals are going to suffer the Assyrian invasion along with Israel.

The prophecy against Edom reads like a riddle. The watchman who keeps watch out for threats to the city is asked, "What is left of the night?” I understand this to be an inquiry about the safety of the nation. In other words the question about night means, "Has the danger passed? Is it safe?" The answer comes as a bit of a riddle. Morning is on the way, but night will follow. I think this means that it may seem safe, but don't be fooled. Danger is soon to follow. Ask me again and I'll tell you the same. (grin)

The Arabs will also suffer destruction with only a few survivors. While they may provide for the needs of war refugees, the war is coming to them too. Within a year, Isaiah is very specific, the Arabs will suffer their end.

As I read Isaiah's litany of prophecies against various nations, I get the feeling God is cleaning house. God is punishing Idolaters and enemies of the Jews, at least that's the interpretation of the prophet and his followers. I am more apt to believe that Assyria's grab for power is the reason these nations all suffer destruction and displacement, but the ancient Hebrew understood God to be behind everything that happens. A biblical theology concurs that God uses military powers that are in play for His divine purposes.

It's important to remember what is God's purpose. God separates light from dark, waters of chaos from dry land. God creates safe places for holy life to flourish. He gave the land of Canaan to the descendants of Abraham because Abraham obeyed the Lord. His faith credited him as a righteous man. So Israel, the children of Abraham, is God's holy project. By nourishing holy life through a covenant keeping people God is building a nation filled with the knowledge of God. They practice charity, hospitality, mercy and compassion. They live according to the righteous will of God and their society is just. That's the idea anyway. All the nations are supposed to be blessed by the life of holy community.

Of course not many of the nations wish to participate in the holy life offered by Israel's God. Instead they prefer playing the worldly games of idol worship, warfare and oppression. So just as God separates dark from light, God uses military powers to separate destructive societies from his holy people. When God's chosen people fail to nurture holiness, God lets them fall prey to their enemies to correct them. It's how the Jews understand their relationship with Yahweh. Obedience brings blessings from God. Disobedience brings curse. While Israel is chosen for this special task to be holy as God is holy, God cares about all nations and shapes them too. Edom and Kedar are not innocent bystanders, but also part of what God is doing in the world through Assyria.

The question that is asked of me by this text is whether I am actively part of his work to nurture holy community or am I creating chaos, disturbing His holy project through sinful behavior. Am I distracted and obsessed with American versions of idols we worship? And what is God up to with current military conflicts? How is God shaping our world according to His divine purpose? What will the fall out be for me and mine? Ultimately I must rely on the belief that God is good and all things, even war, work together for good.

May I be found to be on the right side.

Isaiah 20:1-6

Isaiah 20:1-6 NIV

In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it— at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.

He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot. Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt’s shame.

Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be dismayed and put to shame. In that day the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’ ”

Isaiah 21:1-4, 6-7, 9 NIV

A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea:

Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror. A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.

At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see. My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.

This is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees. When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.” Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!’ ”

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As I read Isaiah 20 and 21 I'm aware of the toll his ministry takes from him. It can't be easy to deliver the kind of confrontational messages God gave him to speak to the Israel's kings and people. It's hard enough to deliver a tough message filled with prophecies of doom, but to be asked to walk around naked and barefoot in public had to have been terribly humiliating.

Isaiah named two of his sons what God told him to name them as a witness to the people. One son's name means a remnant shall return. The other son had a name that means go quickly to the spoils and gather plunder. Can you imagine giving your children such names?

My respect for Isaiah is profound today as I consider the sacrifices be made to be obedient to God's claim on his life as a prophet. Having a normal quiet life was not possible for him. He could not retire peacefully after serving with distinction either. Tradition has it that Isaiah died a horrible death, being sawn in two while hiding from king Manasseh in a hollowed out tree trunk.

Why did Isaiah do it? What made him choose to obey such extreme demands on his life and family? I can only guess. He must love God more than his own life. He must love his country more than his family. How much choice did he really have? Did his visions come because he meditated, fervently seeking a word from the Lord, or were these sudden happenings beyond his will to invite or stop? I think perhaps the latter is true. Isaiah trembled with fear at the sight of the Lord in his vision at the temple when God called him to prophesy. And when he saw visions of desolation of the Babylonians here in Isaiah 21, the prophet describes how it affected him.

Isaiah 21:3-4 NIV

At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see. My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.

Isaiah was faithful to deliver the messages and visions God gave him to share with Israel and Judah. It cost him everything, but look how we've been blessed because he was obedient to his call? His poetry, his unforgettable imagery, and the hope his writings bring, has blessed people of faith for over 2700 years. His barefoot, naked, and painful ministry led people to repentance, gave hope to hopeless, and warned the wayward. His naked spectacle was a three year ordeal. This odd behavior was a sign from God communicating that Egypt and Ethiopia will be taken away naked and barefoot in chains by the Assyrians. The intended effect is that Judah would realize how foolish it is to think that Egypt can save them. Isaiah's vision of the destruction of Babylon at the hands of the Medes and Elamites, while greatly disturbing to him personally, must have been a comfort to Judah at a time when they were threatened by Babylonian tyranny.

The world has benefited from many martyrs and prophetic madmen in the service of God. Those who give their lives for a holy calling are one of God's blessings to the world. Those who give their lives for God have a special honor. Jesus spoke of such reward to His apostles.

Matthew 19:27-30 NIV

Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."

What does it profit a person to gain the whole world but lose his soul? Jesus once asked this rhetorical question. It's one worth considering. What are you hoping to gain with your life? What are you hoping to give? Have you considered God's claim on your life? How is God calling you to serve His mission to bless the world through the knowledge of God? We may not like the answer, so we don't really give such questions a hard look.

Today I thank God for people like Isaiah who gave everything that we might be blessed with godly knowledge. I'm sure you can name a few yourself.

Isaiah 19:1-5, 8, 10, 13-14, 18-25

Isaiah 19:1-5, 8, 10, 13-14, 18-25 NIV

A prophecy against Egypt:

See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.

“I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian— brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists. I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

The waters of the river will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and dry. The fishermen will groan and lament, all who cast hooks into the Nile; those who throw nets on the water will pine away. The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.

The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis are deceived; the cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray. The Lord has poured into them a spirit of dizziness; they make Egypt stagger in all that she does, as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit.

In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun. In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign and witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them.

So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them. The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”

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The prophecy concerning Egypt I in Isaiah 19 is remarkable. Few places in the Bible reveal God's compassion for other countries beyond Israel. This chapter shows how God cares about nations that are at war with one another.

The prophet predicts that Egypt will be subdued by Assyria. Of course the prophet uses powerful imagery to communicate this message. The Egyptians, who've suffered Yahweh's wrath before during the exodus, tremble with fear at the coming of the Lord. The coming of the Lord is in the form of the armies of Assyria. There will be civil strife because of their fear and anxiety. They will look for answers in their idols and spiritual mediums, but to no avail. They will fall to the power of a cruel king of Assyria.

In addition to civil conflict within Egypt, the prophets sees crop failure and drought as the Nile River dries up. Fish disappear and plants die. Cloth makers have no supplies to spin. And the leading officials continue to consult mediums and magicians, taking Egypt headlong into disaster. For their idolatry and other sins, God is reproaching Egypt.

The good news is that the prophet foresees Egypt turning to faith in the God of Israel. There will be an altar built to honor Yahweh in Egypt and a shrine on their borders with Israel. Both Egypt and Assyria will worship with Israel under one God.

What a beautiful vision! There's a open road coming between enemies. No more war and no more hostility. When they submit to the authority of Yahweh, the Lord of heaven and earth, they become brothers in a global family.

There are synagogues and churches in Egypt and Iraq today where these ancient empires once ruled. Mosques cover the Middle East honoring the God of Abraham. Yet peace does not exist between Jews and Arabs everywhere. The hostility is not fundamentally the cause of religion. It's about grudge, pride and tribalism. These passions are fueled with religious ideas on all sides, but these ideas are very narrow and selected only to support an already hostile posture toward one another.

God holds no such hostility. He uses war for God own purposes, to turn hearts toward Him, to establish Himself as the indisputable sovereign among nations. God's vision is for all nations to come together in peace and humility before Him. One day this vision will find its ultimate expression. All the people of earth will lay down their arms and attack disease, ignorance and poverty instead of each other. Crime will fade away and righteousness will prevail.

I look forward to the day when Washington and Baghdad, London and Tehran, Paris and Islamabad, Jerusalem and Damascus all build an open road under their mutual adherence to the love of God. Then blessings will come like those promised to Egypt and Assyria so long ago.

Isaiah 19:24-25 NIV

In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”

May all our nations become a blessing to the world and to the name of God.

Isaiah 18:1-7 - Thanksgiving

Isaiah 18:1-7 NIV

Woe to the land of whirring wings along the rivers of Cush, which sends envoys by sea in papyrus boats over the water. Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers.

All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it. This is what the Lord says to me: “I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place, like shimmering heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives, and cut down and take away the spreading branches. They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey and to the wild animals; the birds will feed on them all summer, the wild animals all winter.

At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers— the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the Lord Almighty.

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Isaiah turns his attention to Cush which is often thought to refer to modern Ethiopia. Some also believe it to refer to Egypt. Assuming these are correct interpretations, the land described as divided by rivers, here in Isaiah 18, means the Nile River. The curious phrase "land of whirring wings" has various interpretations and there's really no satisfactory conclusion on the meaning. The one I prefer refers to the mountain ranges that look like wings shadowing over the land of Egypt and Ethiopia. It's a geographical reference that ancient people understood but one we have to guess at.

Hezekiah, king of Judah in Jerusalem, was at times interested in forming an alliance with Egypt to defend themselves against Assyria. This did not work out. God is telling Hezekiah that the Egyptians are not going to be strong enough to save them. God will cut them down like a vinedresser prunes branches full of grapes. The birds will feed of the corpses of dead Egyptians and Ethiopians.

I'm not sure if I have a good interpretation here, but this is the one I'm going with. The point is for Hezekiah to trust in the Lord alone, not in political alliances with Egypt.

The people tall and smooth skinned will worship at Jerusalem. Egypt will submit to the God of Israel and the remnant will join Israel as servants of the Lord. This doesn't mean Egypt will convert to the faith of Israel. It means they will honor the God who chastised them. They will seek to appease the Lord with gifts. They will acknowledge the supremacy of the God of Israel. The subduing of the nations and their subsequent honor for God is a major theme through the prophets. This is a hopeful message, for when the nations honor God there will be lasting peace. Jerusalem will be the place all nations come to honor the Lord of heaven and earth. The city on a hill will shine the light of the knowledge of God and the whole world will come to know the Lord.

It's a beautiful and hopeful promise, but how might I apply this message to the living of my life?

I might hear the message to trust in God alone, not in any human relationships that I think might benefit me. Do I expect my wife to save my soul? Do I expect her to fill my spiritual need? That would be unfair to her and foolish of me. Only God can fill the void in our hearts that was meant for Him to inhabit.

I might hear this message as hope when I am threatened by enemies. God will deal with them. I don't need to suffer anxiously as I try to build a strategy to fight against them. I can pray and trust God to act. If I'm instructed by God to build some kind of alliance or some strategy, I'll do it, but not until I've been directed by the Lord to do so.

Finally, I can hope in the day the nations will submit to the Sovereign Lord. I can hope in the promise of all the world bringing gifts to honor my God. I can take joy in knowing the Lord has promised this blessed peace.

Be grateful for the promises of the Lord. He is good on His word. Happy Thanksgiving.

Isaiah 17:1-14

Isaiah 17:1-14 NIV

A prophecy against Damascus:

“See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,” declares the Lord Almighty.

“In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away. It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain, gathering the grain in their arms— as when someone gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs,” declares the Lord , the God of Israel.

In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.

In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation. You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain.

Woe to the many nations that rage— they rage like the raging sea! Woe to the peoples who roar— they roar like the roaring of great waters! Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone!

This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us.

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Let's recap Isaiah so far. He has denounced Israel and Judah's unfaithfulness to the Lord and injustices against the people. Then he shares several promises of restoration after God's wrath turns away from them. These promises include a godly anointed leader, the messiah, to restore the people to faithful living according to the law of Moses. Next Isaiah announces doom for surrounding nations. All of them will endure the hardship of Assyrian and Babylonian invasions. Isaiah offered prophesies against Philistia, Moab and now against Damascus, the Arameans.

Syria is all over the news these days. Damascus is the capitol city of modern Syria. But the people in ancient days were of the nation of Aram. A map might help you and me to get a better understanding of the surrounding nations. (See below)

The Arameans and the nation of Israel, that is the ten tribes to the north who seceded from Judah and Jerusalem's authority, were allied together against Jerusalem. The nation of Israel is sometimes referred to as Ephraim or Samaria. Ephraim is the son of Joseph, the son of Jacob. Jacob loved Joseph more than all his sons. Their Ephraim, whom Jacob blessed above his brother Manasseh, is called the glory of Jacob.

It's hard to know sometimes who it is that Isaiah is talking about. With all these different references to names and places, you really do need a commentary and maps to help you get the lay of the land. (Pun intended)

The Arameans of Damascus had fortresses in Israel. These are going to be destroyed. So will Damascus. They will be deserted. Sheep will graze in the ruins. Both Israel and Aram will fall like wheat when cut with a sickle.

This doom is coming through Assyria. The Assyrian Empire is grasping control of the region with its war machine, but God is using them to chastise His wayward people and to defeat enemies of God's people. Even though the Israelites and Judeans are not faithful to the covenant, God remains faithful. He promised Abraham to bless those who bless Israel and to curse those who curse them. (Genesis 12:3) Therefore the Arameans will suffer God's wrath for their aggression against Jerusalem and for their idol worship. Damascus is accountable to the Lord even though they are not part of God's covenant. The Lord is sovereign over all nations, whether they recognize Him out not. Their looting and plundering of Judah is now being paid back.

The good news in this passage is when the prophet announces that the people will stop looking to idols and turn to the Lord.

Isaiah 17:7-8 NIV

In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.

Though the Israelites have forgotten God and turned to the idols of their neighbors, the terror of the Assyrian invasion will turn their hearts back to God. Regardless of the situation that brings hearts to repentance, it's always a good thing to celebrate when a sinner returns to the Lord.

Jesus taught the parable of the 99.

Luke 15:4, 6-7 NIV

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Difficult and challenging times sometimes draw people to search for God. People show up in worship when their lives are getting out of control. Divorce brings them in. Job uncertainty brings them. Wayward children bring them to God. In the weeks following 9/11 church attendance leapt upward. (Let's pray our churches are prepared to help them connect the living God!)

Hearts sometimes turn to God when life is beyond their control. How much better life would be if we'd all acknowledge that we are never really in control. When we submit to the authority of God, we find our lives in joyous harmony with the King of the Universe. Woe to the warring nations who try to control each other. Blessed are those who surrender control to God and worship and serve Him.

Isaiah 15:1, 5-9 - Moab Bites

Isaiah 15:1, 5-9 NIV

A prophecy against Moab:

Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night!

My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the hill to Luhith, weeping as they go; on the road to Horonaim they lament their destruction. The waters of Nimrim are dried up and the grass is withered; the vegetation is gone and nothing green is left. So the wealth they have acquired and stored up they carry away over the Ravine of the Poplars. Their outcry echoes along the border of Moab; their wailing reaches as far as Eglaim, their lamentation as far as Beer Elim. The waters of Dimon are full of blood, but I will bring still more upon Dimon — a lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon those who remain in the land.

Isaiah 16:1-6, 12-14 NIV

Send lambs as tribute to the ruler of the land, from Sela, across the desert, to the mount of Daughter Zion. Like fluttering birds pushed from the nest, so are the women of Moab at the fords of the Arnon. “Make up your mind,” Moab says. “Render a decision. Make your shadow like night— at high noon. Hide the fugitives, do not betray the refugees. Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer.”

The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land. In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it— one from the house of David— one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.

We have heard of Moab’s pride— how great is her arrogance!— of her conceit, her pride and her insolence; but her boasts are empty. When Moab appears at her high place, she only wears herself out; when she goes to her shrine to pray, it is to no avail.

This is the word the Lord has already spoken concerning Moab. But now the Lord says: “Within three years, as a servant bound by contract would count them, Moab’s splendor and all her many people will be despised, and her survivors will be very few and feeble.”

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The destruction wrought by nations like Assyria, Babylonia, and Persia will come to Moab. Without consulting commentaries I don't know whether Isaiah is referring to Persia or Babylonia. Having just read about the prophecy against Babylon I might assume that it's Persia who will destroy Moab, but I must recognize that the collected oracles of the prophet are not necessarily in chronological order.

Isaiah 15-16 is a prophecy against Moab. The Moabites are descendants of Abraham's nephew Lot. You may remember in Genesis after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his daughters fled to Zoar, to high ground. The daughters feared the whole world had been destroyed and they were left with no prospect for husbands. They decided to get their father Lot drunk on wine and then to sleep with him. Their plan worked and they gave birth to Moab and Ammon. These two illegitimate children of incest gave rise to two nations to the east of the Jordan River. They became enemies of Israel. When Moses and the freed Hebrew slaves came up from Egypt, the Moabites rose to fight against them, their women perverted some Hebrew men to idolatry, and one king hired a prophet to curse Israel.

So it's not a surprise that God would be removing this enemy from Israel's borders. The during refugees of Moab will seek refuge in Jerusalem. They will bring sacrifices to the temple at Zion, but their hearts will be arrogant as they demand Israel and their God to make up their minds. That's no way to offer God a sacrifice. Humility before God is required. Moab will suffer greatly for their arrogance. As pagans they are used to manipulatinging their gods to do for them. Yahweh is the only true God and His will prevails. His worshipers seek to know and do His will. Pagans seek demigods and spirits to do their personal bidding.

There is a deep irony in the text that can only been known by those who know the whole story of the Bible. In chapter 16, God speaks of a throne established in love with a son of David.

Isaiah 16:5 NIV

In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it— one from the house of David— one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.

In the midst of details on the destruction of Moab, there is this brief glimmer of hope. The irony is that David and his kingly sons are descended from Ruth, the woman from Moab who followed Naomi to Bethlehem. There Ruth cared for the elderly widow by gleaning the fields of harvesters. She met Boaz, a landowner who showed her kindness. Eventually they fell in love and Boaz married Ruth. Ruth gave birth to Obed and laid him in Naomi's lap.

Ruth 4:16-17 NIV

Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Christians believe that the prophecied king who will sit upon the throne established in love is Jesus Christ. The messiah promised by Isaiah came to offer Himself as the spotless lamb to be sacrificed at Zion to atone for the sins of the world. After being made perfect through suffering, God enthroned Jesus at God's right hand. God is placing all enemies beneath the feet of Christ. But all those enemies are forgiven for their trespasses in the blood of Christ. All are called to come to Christ for shelter.

Let the tale of Moab remind you to come to the throne of love and seek the shadow of Christ to fall over you and keep you safe within His amazing grace. Let the story of Ruth remind you that God works His plan through all kinds, even former pagans who worshiped idols. Let The word of God inspire you to trust in the Lord and His divine will at work the world. His will is that all may come to the throne established in love.

Philippians 2:9-11 NIV

Therefore God exalted him (Christ Jesus) to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Amen! So let it be!

Isaiah 14:28-32

Isaiah 14:28-32 NIV

This prophecy came in the year King Ahaz died: 

Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent. The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors. 

Wail, you gate! Howl, you city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks. What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? “The Lord has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.”

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We now enter a section of Isaiah with a series of prophecies against the various neighbouring nations to Israel. The latter part of Isaiah 14 concerns Philistia. The Philistines have a long-standing emnity with Israel. Their feud goes back to the time of the judges when Samson rose against their tyranny and oppression. King David killed hundreds of Philistines in King Saul's battles against them, including the giant Goliath. Today, Palestinians occupy the space where Philistia lay. It's the Gaza strip. To my knowledge, Israel has never possessed it without hostile occupants.

Isaiah speaks of a venomous serpent coming from another snake, an oppressive rod that's been broken, Babylon. If I have my history correct the venomous snake that comes from the cut down Babylon is the Persians. When God announced the fall of Babylon, Isaiah the prophet told the Philistines not to get too excited. Though it means freedom and restoration for Israel, the Persian army that defeats Babylon will also turn its attention to Philistia. Though the poor and helpless will find provision and safety, the Philistines will find only death. God plans to destroy them through the Persians. He will do so by famine.

War tactics include cutting off supplies, and destroying agriculture. The Philistines may suffer as a bystander to Persian conquest or from direct conflict. They ceased to be a distinct ethnic group by the late 5th century according to Wikipedia. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philistines)

Isaiah refers to the Persians as a cloud of smoke, in addition to a darting venomous snake. The cloud of smoke comes from the north and covers the land. As that invading nation approaches they send out envoys to negotiate terms of surrender. But there will be no surrender for those under the protection of the Lord. While the Philistines have no such protection, the Israelites will be under His care.

The good news is announced.

Isaiah 14:32 NIV

What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? “The Lord has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.”

Zion is another name for Jerusalem a city built on a hill. There the temple of the Lord sits among His people. There they will find refuge and safety. God worked with the Persians to revere Him through Cyrus and other subsequent kings of Persia. Xerxes and Daruis paid for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and it's temple. Xerxes married Esther, a Jewess. Nehemiah was the chief cupbearer for Artaxerxes. Because of Israelites such as these the Persians treated the Jews kindly. They were seen as worthy citizens within the Persian Empire.

God has established His people in Zion and they will prosper there. That they did for quite a long time until the Greeks came along.

I take comfort in knowing that God looks after His people by eliminating long-standing enemies and protecting them from further harm by providing a safe sanctuary and beneficial relationships. Take refuge in the God of Zion and join the people of the covenant. For in Christ all gentiles who believe in salvation through His name are fellow partakers in the promises to Israel.

Ephesians 2:12-13, 19 NIV

Remember that at that time you (gentiles) were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household...

Come and take refuge in the God of Zion who has established you securely in the love of Jesus Christ. There is no enemy He will not defeat and no beneficial alliance He can not build for the benefit of those who love and serve Him. Enter the new Jerusalem, the city of peace, through faith in Christ and know peace.

Isaiah 14:1-6, 9-17, 22-24, 26-27

Isaiah 14:1-6, 9-17, 22-24, 26-27 NIV

The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob. Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And Israel will take possession of the nations and make them male and female servants in the Lord ’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.

On the day the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended! The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression. The realm of the dead below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you— all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones— all those who were kings over the nations. They will all respond, they will say to you, “You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us.” All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you. How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”

“I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord Almighty. “I will wipe out Babylon’s name and survivors, her offspring and descendants,” declares the Lord . “I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland; I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord Almighty.

The Lord Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen. This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?

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Isaiah 14 is a continuation of the prophecy against Babylon. Here the prophet moves from condemning Babylon to consoling Israel. The exiles will not suffer forever. God will bring an end to the exile and bring them home. They will be restored and the nation will rise again to power. Justice looks like role reversal. The captives become the captors. The new masters now control those who used to control them.

The bulk of this prophecy concerns the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. The returning exiles will take up a cheerful taunt against their oppressor. They will delight in how the mighty has fallen! In stark imagery Isaiah paints a picture of Nebuchadnezzar in the grave. The souls of other dead kings rise to greet him and join in the taunt. Isaiah's descriptions of the grave are grizzly... worms for a blanket! The subduer of nations has been subdued himself by mortality. Death has finally come knocking at his door and all that he was is no more.

This passage is sobering for all who prize the limelight. Fame and glory are intoxicating prizes to chase. Success and notoriety are beacons in the night guiding many lives. Look at how the king of Babylon set his heart! He wished to become worshipped as a god.

Some have read Lucifer/Satan in this chapter. Specifically the following verses have become a bit of a proof text for people lifting the scripture from its original context.

Isaiah 14:12-14 NIV

How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

Taken out of context, these verses fueled a mythology about an archangel named Lucifer who wished to assume the throne of God Most High. There was a war in heaven, so the story goes, and Lucifer and those who followed him in his rebellion were cast out of heaven and down to the earth. On earth the fallen ones wreak havoc.

Of course the only devil in Isaiah's mind is the warrior king Nebuchadnezzar. His tyranny levelled city upon city and made slaves of many nations. He was a power hungry, megamaniacal, despot. Our version of such a devil in more recent history is Adolf Hitler. His reign of terror also ended in the grave. His thousand year reich lasted only a brief moment, about 6 years. His war machine nearly took possession of all of Europe, Russia and northern Africa. In the end, his name is synonymous with evil. His death and the end of the Nazis is celebrated much like the Jews fantasize celebrating the death of Nebuchadnezzar here in Isaiah.

Isaiah speaks for the Lord in first person. God says, "I will rise up against Babylon and wipe then from the face of the earth with the broom of destruction". (My paraphrase) God wills it, therefore it will be done. Isaiah is confident of this. None can stop God when He has commanded it.

I admire the conviction of Isaiah's words. He has no doubt that what God has revealed to him will take place. How helpful this prophecy must have been to the ears of those in exile under the tyranny of Babylon.

God's hand stretched out over all the nations. It is God's will that prevails. We know God as loving merciful and just. Therefore when wars erupt, and when peoples fight among themselves, when terrorists take the lives of hundreds in insane attacks, let us remember the hand of God is over all the nations. God has a plan for the whole earth and it ends with all the enemies of God coming to nothing, just like Nebuchadnezzar.

We have promises from God too, as we lived exiled from paradise here on this beautiful and broken world.

Paul wrote,

1 Corinthians 15:24-26 NIV

Then the end will come, when he (Christ Jesus) hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

And John also recorded prophetic messages from God to encourage the church in the midst of suffering.

Revelation 21:3-5 NIV

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

The hand of God is over us. Rejoice. It's all going to be beautiful.

Isaiah 13:1-3, 6-11, 14-19

Isaiah 13:1-3, 6-11, 14-19 NIV

A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw: 

Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles. I have commanded those I prepared for battle; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath— those who rejoice in my triumph. Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.

Because of this, all hands will go limp, every heart will melt with fear. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame.

See, the day of the Lord is coming —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger— to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.

Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, they will all return to their own people, they will flee to their native land. Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives violated.

See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold. Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children. Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.

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Isaiah 13 begins a new prophecy against Babylon, the capital city of Babylonia. The prophecy continues well into chapter 14. Isaiah 13 announces the Day of the Lord, a day of wrath and great suffering. This divine visitation to Babylon is not unlike the day of wrath prophesied for Samaria or for Jerusalem. God uses Babylon to punish Jerusalem, and Assyria to punish Samaria. Now God is using the Medes to punish Babylon.

The prophecy begins with a rallying cry for the armies of the Medes to gather for war against Babylon. The prophet tells the people of Babylon to wail for the day of their judgment is coming. The overwhelming sight of thousands of warriors approaching will strike fear in the hearts of the Babylonians. The thunder of the army's approach to the city will cause the people to flee for their lives. They will be in utter horror.

Isaiah explains the purpose for this day of vengeance. It is to clear the land of sinners.

Isaiah 13:11 NIV

I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.

The language goes beyond Babylon. It's not just Babylon that will feel the shaking of this day. The whole world will experience the day of the Lord.The sky too will be affected by this visitation of the Almighty. The stars will not shine. The sun and moon will go dark. All creation will be in awe at the appearance of its creator, when He comes to settle accounts with Babylon.

It's easy to see how some would read this scripture as a description of the so called Judgment Day, when the whole earth will be judged for its sin. That's not what Isaiah had in mind. His literary tool is hyperbole. His imagery is over the top in order to seize the imagination of his listeners and readers. As he describes the fear the Babylonians will experience, I couldn't help think of 9/11 when the twin towers of the World Trade Center fell. People were running for their lives. The rest of us watched in shock and utter horror. Our world changed that day. 9/11 was cataclysmic! Everything is different now. The way I experience life in America is different in significant ways. Security is heightened. Our personal liberties are limited. Our government watches their own citizens as they keep vigil against another attack. The level of fear is our society can sometimes be felt in the air. Hopelessness drives desperate acts of violence. Children shoot their classmates and teachers. Disgruntled employees kill co-workers and employers. Yes, the world has changed for us. When we feel this loss and experience the tense paranoia that another attack is imminent, even the sky somehow looks different. We cannot enjoy the light of the sun or the shimmer of the moon and stars. Our very lives are threatened. The attacks in Paris remind us that we are not safe. Our enemies are gathering for war.

It's always good to connect to a passage of Scripture emotionally. I think it opens us up to God speaking to our hearts. The important thing is to remember that this oracle was delivered against the enemies of Israel, enemies who God used to punish them for their sins. The level at which this passage speaks to me personally, is to know that God will hold me accountable for my sins. He has done so in the cross of Christ. For on the cross He has poured out His wrath upon His own Son.

The good news is that God is just. God will vindicate those who have suffered under oppressors. The wicked will not go unpunished. God will cleanse the earth of all evil in the establishment of a new creation. That new creation began with the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. Those who trust in Christ for salvation will share in this new creation through the Holy Spirit. His grace empowers us to live with love and holiness. Evil is vanquished in our hearts as God takes up more and more territory in our souls. Security is restored. Peace prevails within even as our dying world continues in its madness.

Some say all the signs point to the imminent Day of the Lord, the final judgement. Armageddon is at hand. I don't know that they are right. I can understand why they feel that way. I prefer to allow events to unfold as they will and not make predictions.

Isaiah teaches me that God uses military powers according to God's will. I trust in God to work out all things according to His good purposes.

Isaiah 12:1-6

Isaiah 12:1-6 NIV

In that day you will say:

“I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: 

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

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Isaiah 12 wraps up the oracle concerning Israel and Judah's punishment at the hands of the Assyrians and their promised restoration at the hands of God. God uses the Assyrians to discipline His wayward children, but of those who survive the invasion and exile, God will return a portion back to the promised land to renew His mission to bless the world through holy community. After the exile has achieved its purpose to shape Israel and teach them obedience, God will turn His wrath toward Assyria and chastise them for their arrogance and bloodlust. All nations belong to the Lord and all are His concern. Israel has a special relationship and mission among the nations to be holy and tell of the greatness of God. Isaiah 12 reflects this calling.

God promised to restore Judah and Israel as one nation under the leadership of a son of David, the shoot of the stump of Jesse. This messianic figure will lead the nation in righteousness and justice. Their blessed society will be a light to the nations and they will flock to this holy community and its king seeking to know their God. Isaiah 12 celebrates these promises.

First the prophet says what the Israelites will say when all that God has promised comes true. Once they've returned from exile and are enjoying the blessed life living faithfully in covenant with God and each other, they will reflect on all that has occurred and praise the Lord. They will celebrate that God's anger has turned to compassion and comfort. They will proclaim God's salvation first to themselves, then to all the world.

Isaiah 12:2 NIV

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

Isaiah 12:4 NIV

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.

I notice that the personal acknowledgment of God's saving acts leads to public celebration and sharing the good news with others. Recently I've become a grandfather. I post pictures of our little cherub on Facebook with regularity celebrating her with my friends. When something good is happening you just naturally want to celebrate and tell others. In the same way Isaiah is saying that Israel and Judah will once again bind their hearts to the Lord and their joy will be in His salvation. They will "draw water from the wells of salvation" with joy. They will want to tell others.

What does it mean to draw water from the wells of salvation? Water cleanses, refreshes and gives life. Without water we wither and die. With plenty of water everything in the body works efficiently. Just as the body needs water, the soul needs God. Knowing that God is invested in my life is salvation from hopelessness. Trusting God frees me from fears about the future and a great many other things. Having Christ as my saviour quenches a thirst within my soul I didn't know I had.

Life teaches us that we have this thirst. There's nothing in this world that can satisfy it. We keep striving for the betterment of our lives but satisfaction eludes us. No pleasure lasts and each thrill requires a bigger and better high or somehow it fails to satisfy our thirst. Eventually we learn that only God our creator can quench this longing within. We were made for Him. Until we come to the Lord in love and obedience we will remain restless wanderers. But when we place our trust in the Lord, our joy cannot be contained. We celebrate openly and tell others.

So praise, sing and tell of the joy of your salvation in Christ who has delivered you from estrangement from God through forgiveness and restored you to God through grace. Shout aloud and sing for joy, for great is the Holy One among you.

Isaiah 11:1-11

Isaiah 11:1-11 NIV

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord — and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people...

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Isaiah 11 is a very strong passage revealing the promise of messiah. The shoot growing out of the stump of Jesse, is the prophet's poetic way of saying that a new leader will come from the kingly line of David, who is the son of Jesse. Why a stump? Because Israel will be cut down by Assyria. But from that which is left, from those who survive, the nation will rise again with Christ leading them.

Christ is Greek for "messiah". Both Christ and messiah mean "the anointed one". Anointed means to be set apart by God for His special service. Priests are anointed. Kings are anointed. But Jesus Christ is not only the anointed one, He is the one who anoints us with the Holy Spirit. The same spirit that makes him a banner over us, the same spirit that makes Jesus a rallying point for much of the world, is the same spirit that lives in believers.

Through Christ the kingdom of heaven is given to us. That kingdom is not of this earth, but Christ has established that kingdom here on earth through the church. We are the ones who pray, "Thy kingdom come."

Isaiah describes the kingdom and it's leader, the son of David. The kingdom will begin with the remnant of survivors. God will gather the Jews from Assyria, Egypt, Babylon and wherever they may have been taken. They will rally to the Christ. They will build a society of justice and righteousness. The poor will be cared for. Their society will be a light to the rest of the world. The nations will come to Jerusalem and rally to the Christ, God's anointed one.

The messiah will lead with knowledge, understanding, courage and deep reverence for God. He will be faithful to God's covenant with Israel. He will lead the people to keep the law of Moses. God will bless them with peace and plenty. And the world will marvel at this people and want to know their God. This has always been God's intention, to bless the world through a blessed nation that keeps his right ways and who honor Him in all they do or say.

The prophet describes life in the kingdom of Christ with poetic imagery. The wolf and lamb live in harmony. The baby plays with poisonous snakes. No harm comes to the child. The lamb need not fear the wolf. This peace between predator and prey, between human child and snake, is a way of pointing to a future peace between peoples on earth. Jerusalem is a symbol of that hoped for future. Christ is the light which shines upon us showing the way there. For by the witness of the church, living the blessed life anointed with the Spirit of Christ, the world will be filled with the knowledge of God.

Isaiah 11:9 NIV

They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah's prophecy came true. The Jews were gathered from the nations where God had scattered them. Their witness among the nations spread the knowledge of God. When Christ was born wise men from the east came to honor Him because exiled Jews had lived among them and they learned of the God of Abraham. Great cathedrals have been built to honor Christ. Countless millions over the millennia worship Him. And where Christ is honored fully and His Spirit heeded, peace prevails. Little pockets of His kingdom are scattered all over the globe. These are the churches of Jesus Christ.

Just as the Lord reached out to the exiles, He reaches out to you today, calling to to rally to the banner, Jesus Christ the king of kings. Do your part to spread the knowledge of God by living in Christ.

Isaiah 10:12-17, 20-22, 24-25

Isaiah 10:12-17, 20-22, 24-25 NIV

When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. For he says: “ ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings. As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as people gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.’ ”

Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood!

Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors; under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame. The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers.

In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God. Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous.

Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says: “My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did. Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.”

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Isaiah 10 continues with an oracle against Assyria. Though God is using Assyria to punish Israel and Judah for their idolatry and wickedness, God will turn His wrath from His chosen toward the arrogant Assyrians. The king of Assyria does not honor God. He thinks his own might has made him successful in military conquest. So God will humble the nation of idol worshipers. He will lop off the tree tops, which is a way of saying God will destroy the leadership of Assyria. The nobles and the king's court will meet their end. The Assyrian empire will come to an end and a remnant of the Israelites who were taken captive will return to their homeland and to obedience to God.

This pattern is repeated later with Babylon. This pattern emerged first in the days of the judges. The people turned away from faithfulness to Yahweh and worshiped other gods, following the customs of neighbouring peoples. God raised up an enemy force to chastise His disobedient children. Then when they cried out for mercy with repentant hearts, God raised up a deliverer among them to lead the Israelites from the oppression of their enemies and to establish the nation once again in righteousness.

Judges 2:11-14, 16, 18-19 NIV

Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord ’s anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

The pattern of disobedience and idolatry continued throughout the divided monarchy. There were bad kings who led Israel astray into idol worship and other sins. God chastised them with an enemy force or some other challenge like diseases, famine, or inner strife. The people would groan under the oppression. God would show compassion by raising up a righteous leader to save them. The nation would return to faithfulness to the law of Moses. But when the good king died, they eventuality slip back into idolatry, influenced by the pagans among them.

Does this pattern hold true to your own experience? Has God dealt with you in a similar way? I know my sins have caught up with me more than once. I was oppressed by the consequences. I was humbled and broken. Then I cried out to God for help. I repented of my sinful habits and returned to right living according to God's word. It seems my journey of discipline continues through the years as God works within me to teach and train my heart for righteousness.

The wonderful news is that the teacher lives within me. It is His righteousness that empowers me through the Spirit. God raised up a deliverer once and for all in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Do do not fear times of chastisement. God is training you for righteousness. Do not harden your heart, but open up to the loving direction of Mighty God. Look to your savior king, Jesus and follow in His way. Then you shall be free of oppression.

John 8:36 NIV

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.