Isaiah 40:1-6, 8, 10-15, 18-19, 21-23, 25-31

Isaiah 40:1-6, 8, 10-15, 18-19, 21-23, 25-31 NIV

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord ’s hand double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding? Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him? As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord ; my cause is disregarded by my God”?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

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The first 39 chapters of Isaiah deal with the threat of Assyrian invasion between 720-701BC. Isaiah 40 begins the second part of Isaiah, dealing with the exilic period under Babylon between 586-538 BC. Babylonia conquered Judah and deported Jews three times over a period of years. The last time they sacked Jerusalem, tore down the city walls, and razed the temple. The deportations were in 597, 586, and 581 BC. The traditional period for the exile is 70 years. Isaiah 40 is a message delivered to the Jews living in exile under Babylonian oppression.

The exiles had become hopeless and said things like, "God has forgotten us." "God does not see our suffering or surely He would do something about it." Isaiah intends to speak into their hopelessness a word of comfort and truth by reminding the exiles of who God is. The message is delivered as the words spoken by Yahweh to the people.

The good news begins by comforting the people of God with the news that their time of punishment for their sins is over. With tenderness the Lord announces it's time to go home. Pack up and make a straight path back to Judah and Jerusalem. The Lord is coming to deliver you. Make way! The Lord like a shepherd is bringing you home with love and tenderness.

The prophet compares God to people and to other aspects of creation. This section intends to make the point of God's magnanimity. People are like grass compared to the Eternal One. They're here today and gone tomorrow. Mortals fall when God blows a puff from His nostrils. Kings and kingdoms topple with a wave of God's hand. Oceans fit in the psalm of God's hand. The immensity of the creator of the universe cannot be fathomed, nor can God's mind be mastered by any other being. God has no teacher for God is all knowing.

Isaiah 40:25 NIV

“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.

The purpose for this rhetoric is to encourage the Jews. The unstoppable God is coming to deliver them. Idol makers foolishly portray God as an image of some creature or heavenly body made of precious metals or hardwood. Is there really anything in heaven or earth that can adequately represent God? God is creator of all, the mind and power behind all life everywhere. How can the Jewish exiles think that God doesn't know their pain? God sees all and understands everything completely.

God had not forgotten His promises to Israel. He had not disregarded them. In fact they endure exile just as promised in the law of Moses. Their unfaithfulness to the Lord brought it about. Those were the terms explicitly recorded for all to see, but the Jews chose idolatry instead of faithful worship and attendance to the living God. They settled for less, thinking they were getting more.

But now their time in exile is over. They are ready to return home. Isaiah comforts them with words of God's strength given to them. He will give them what they need to endure and return home to thrive.

Have you ever thought God was too busy to hear your prayers? Have you thought your concerns were too small to bother God? Has it crossed your mind that God doesn't care about your struggle? Isaiah 40 is the biblical passage for you. For the prophet reminds us of the truth. God is everlasting. He has all the time in the world. He is not bound by time or space. He is everywhere and always. You can rely on His strength as you wait in hope on the Lord to lead you through your trials, whatever they may be. Look up at the stars and know God named every one of them when He placed them there. And all the hairs on your head are numbered, meaning your God knows you intimately. Let the Lord shepherd you and lead you home. Trust in Him and be renewed in His mighty strength.

Isaiah 39:1-8

Isaiah 39:1-8 NIV

At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?” “From a distant land,”

Hezekiah replied. “They came to me from Babylon.”

The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”

“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord Almighty: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

“The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”

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Wow! I was just getting to like Hezekiah and then he pulls this stunt! Here's a king who showed great devotion to Yahweh and the covenant through Moses and David. He tore down all the pagan shrines in Jerusalem and throughout Judea. He reestablished proper worship of the living God at the temple. He led revival throughout the southern kingdom. When Assyria threatened Jerusalem be humbled himself before and God prayed for Jerusalem and for God's reputation. God saved the city. When he fell ill and was near death, he wept and cried out to God. God showed him mercy. He swore to humbly serve the Lord for the rest of his days.

Isaiah 38:15-16 NIV

But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Lord, by such things people live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live.

There's a lot of good in Hezekiah, but there is vanity too. Now healed miraculously from his life threatening illness, Hezekiah receives envoys from Babylon who bring gifts from the son of the Babylonian king, Baladan. Hezekiah shows them all his treasures and all the national armament. This was foolish and vain. Perhaps Hezekiah thought himself grand, blessed, and wise like his ancestor King Solomon.

1 Kings 10:4-5 NIV

When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

Did Hezekiah hope to overwhelm the Babylonians with the wealth God had showered upon his kingdom? Had he hoped to show military strength? Whatever his motivations, it was a foolish thing to do. Now the Babylonians know the treasures they can loot and they know the limitations of their military, for they saw everything.

The prophet Isaiah confronted Hezekiah for this vanity. He told him the consequences of his actions. One day the Babylonians will take all of the wealth of Jerusalem away and even some of Hezekiah's descendants will be enslaved and turned into eunuchs to serve the king of Babylon.

Hezekiah's response reveals the level of his selfishness. He is glad it won't happen in His lifetime. He showed no remorse. He didn't turn to the Lord and humble himself as he had before. He was just glad he didn't have to face the consequences himself. It doesn't seem to bother him that Jerusalem will fall and others will suffer greatly under the Babylonians.

God warned the Israelites in His law about becoming self satisfied like Hezekiah.

Deuteronomy 8:10-14, 17 NIV

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”

The next king to take the throne is the worst in the history of Jerusalem. Manasseh returned Judah to pagan idolatry and even sacrificed his own son to idols. (2 Kings 21:1-6) Hezekiah isn't totally responsible for his young son's actions. Manasseh was only 12 when he took the throne. But Hezekiah had some burden of guilt. He did not assure that a godly king would follow him. He reveals in his heart that he really is not caring much about future generations. He seems to care only for his own security and peace. Didn't this attitude affect his young son? Manasseh becomes the extreme version of self-seeking.

The word of the Lord today to me is beware of arrogant thinking. "Don't get too big for your britches," is how the old folks said it when I was a kid. Those who exalt themselves will be brought low. Those who humble themselves before the Lord will be exalted. Remember to remain thankful and grateful for all your blessings. All that we are and all we possess is a gift from the hands of God. Be a good steward with what He has entrusted to you and you will be given more. Give God the glory. Become puffed up and you may fall in a big way. If not you, then your children or grandchildren may suffer the consequences.

Isaiah 38:1-3, 5, 7-12, 14-15, 17-20

Isaiah 38:1-3, 5, 7-12, 14-15, 17-20 NIV In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord , “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. “ ‘This is the Lord ’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’ ” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down. A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery: I said, “In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?” I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself in the land of the living; no longer will I look on my fellow man, or be with those who now dwell in this world. Like a shepherd’s tent my house has been pulled down and taken from me. Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the loom; day and night you made an end of me. I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens. I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!” But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about your faithfulness. The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the Lord. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hezekiah's prayer is a nice little nugget nestled in the midst of Isaiah. The prophet's collection of oracles includes material recounting history. Some of Isaiah 38 can be found in 2nd Kings 20, but not the prayer of Hezekiah when he asked to be healed. Apparently Hezekiah has an infected boil threatening his life. The prophet Isaiah told him to get ready to die. Hezekiah wept and prayed to the Lord, asking God to remember how he had been faithful by tearing down the pagan shrines in Jerusalem and Judea and reestablishing the proper worship of Yahweh. God heard his prayer and offered a miraculous sign to confirm that He would heal Hezekiah, adding fifteen years to His life. God would cause a shadow on the steps of Ahaz, steps built for the king of Jerusalem to have his own private entrance to the temple, to go backwards. This would mean the earth and sun would need to move in a direction different than inertial forces have them normally move. It would be like the earth rotated backwards and the sun in the sky, which normally moves east to west, would move west to east. That is quite a sign! God did something similar during the conquest of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua. God stopped the earth from spinning so that Joshua could complete a victory against five kings of the Amorites. Joshua 10:12-13 NIV On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. Isaiah records Hezekiah's prayer. It reads like a psalm. It begins in lament and ends in confident praise. Hezekiah laments that his life is to be cut short. He cries and mourns like the coo of a dove. Then the prayer shifts with the words, "But what can I say?". Hezekiah shares that God has spoken. He will be healed and live a full life. Hezekiah reflects that He will walk in humility all the days he has left because of the mercy God has shown him. He believes there is a divine reason for the suffering he endured. Isaiah 38:17 NIV Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. Perhaps, Hezekiah believes it is so he could become humble. The near death experience he believes will be a continual reminder that God held his life in His hands and showed mercy. Perhaps Hezekiah also believes that it was better for him to be a living worshipper than a dead one. The dead cannot praise God, Hezekiah says. He knows God has forgiven his sins. He will praise God and lead others to do the same. As I write today I am aware of people struggling to live. They fill our hospitals. They live homeless in our cities. Hezekiah had the advantage that he was a descendent of King David, a benefactor of God's covenant. Those who call upon the Lord Jesus will be saved, for all who believe in His name are part of an even greater covenant. It is a covenant in the blood of the Son of God. Do like Hezekiah and cry out for mercy in your sickness or whatever trouble befalls you. Even if you should die, yet shall you live. Trust there is a purpose. Surely there is some benefit. It might be a greater faith given to you. It might be that your witness will strengthen others. God knows and you will someday also understand. 1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Isaiah 37:21-35

Isaiah 37:21-35 NIV

Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word the Lord has spoken against him: 

“Virgin Daughter Zion despises and mocks you. Daughter Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee. Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! By your messengers you have ridiculed the Lord. And you have said, ‘With my many chariots I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its junipers. I have reached its remotest heights, the finest of its forests. I have dug wells in foreign lands and drunk the water there. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.’

“Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone. Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up. “But I know where you are and when you come and go and how you rage against me. Because you rage against me and because your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came.

“This will be the sign for you, Hezekiah: “This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

“Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: “He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city,” declares the Lord . “I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!”

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After receiving a letter from Sennacherib, the king of Assyria who has invaded Judah and taken down many of its cities and villages, Hezekiah, king of Judah, appealed to the Lord in prayer. He laid the letter before the altar and prayed to God to defend His name.

In Isaiah 37:21-35 we see God's answer to Hezekiah through the prophet Isaiah. God first acknowledges that He heard Hezekiah's prayer. He then shares how the Lord will taunt Assyria in the same way the king's field commander taunted Jerusalem. Jerusalem will laugh at the Assyrians as they flee from the wrath of God. The king of Assyria thinks he's managed to conquer every kingdom he's attacked because he is so great, but it is God who is behind his success.

Isaiah 37:26 NIV

“Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.

And just as God can raise up Assyria for His own purposes, God can do away with Assyria. Their insolence displayed at the gates of Jerusalem is now being answered. God will put Assyria back in its place just like a farmer leads a bull back into its pen with a hook in its nose.

God offers Hezekiah a sign that His words will come true. They will eat of the free produce of the land, what comes naturally, for two years. Because of the rape of the land by Assyrian invasion cultivated crops will be scarce, but there will be plenty to eat for the survivors. In the third year the survivors will cultivate crops again. Assyria will not attack Jerusalem. God will act to save the city for His own name sake and for the sake of the line of David, to whom Hezekiah belongs.

Why David? Because David was a man after God's own heart. God promised David that He would always have a son to rule the throne in Jerusalem, as long as that king was obedient to the Lord and led Israel to keep the law of Moses.

God acted to save Jerusalem so that His name might be revered among the nations, that they might ultimately trust in Him. God acted to save Hezekiah, son of David, that the Jews might also trust in the Lord's promises to them through the covenants with Abraham, Moses and David. God is bound in promise to Israel and to her kings through the line of David. His mercy shown to Jerusalem is a mercy based on God's integrity, His faithfulness.

Hezekiah's prayer moved God to show mercy. Centuries later another son of David will move God with compassion. Hanging from a cross, bleeding and dying, Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they are doing." God forgave the world of its sin and showed mercy forever through the cross of Jesus Christ. His great mercy reveals His great love, a love that is celebrated the world over. It is a love that saves.

The next time you're in trouble pray to God, humbly acknowledging who He is, the creator of the universe and ruler of the nations. Look to the cross and know God hears your prayer and will show mercy. May your fears turn to joy in the Lord.

Isaiah 36:1, 4, 6-7, 10, 18, 20

Isaiah 36:1, 4, 6-7, 10, 18, 20 NIV In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: “ ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. But if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar”? Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’ ” “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Have the gods of any nations ever delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria? Who of all the gods of these countries have been able to save their lands from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Isaiah 36:1-37:38 and 2 Kings 18:13-19:37 are exactly the same, word for word. Whether the writers of 2nd Kings got this material from Isaiah, or the compilers of our scriptures inserted this material in Isaiah from writings in 2nd Kings, is not clear. What is clear is that the compilers of Isaiah want us to know the time at which Isaiah's prophecies took place. For nearly 40 chapters Isaiah has warned of the Assyrian threat. He has confronted the sin of Jerusalem, of Israel to the north, and of many others nations. He has predicted doom and salvation, suffering and redemption. Now his words are being fulfilled. Assyria has invaded Judah after conquering Israel's tribes in the north. Sennacherib sent his field commander to Jerusalem to urge the city's surrender while he attacked the fortress city of Lachish. The message from the king of Assyria to Jerusalem was belittling. His arrogance is evident. His basic appeal to Jerusalem was, "No god will stop me from taking this city, so why not surrender?" King Hezekiah of Jerusalem was in torment. He tore his robes in distress and prayed to the Lord. He urged the prophet Isaiah to pray to the Lord on their behalf. Isaiah 37:4 NIV "It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.” Isaiah reassured the king that Assyria would not take Jerusalem. God will defend the city. Suddenly Sennacherib withdrew his troops from Judah to face a new threat. Cush had come up from Africa to fight with him. Sennacherib sent word to Hezekiah a letter reiterating his words sent through his field commander. Hezekiah took the letter and laid it before the altar of the Lord and prayed. Isaiah 37:16-20 NIV “Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God.” God sent word through the prophet Isaiah in response to Hezekiah's prayer. God will save the city from Assyria. What truth will guide my life in this section of the book of Isaiah? Those that arrogantly believe their own power comes from themselves, and do not acknowledge the Lord, will eventually come to nothing. Sennacherib died by assassination at the hands of his own sons. His army suffered greatly by a plague that swept through their camp. His threats against Jerusalem was a threat to the reputation of Yahweh, the God of Israel. The Lord is about blessing the world with the knowledge of God. In some instances God's acts for the sake of His fame. Because God is bound to Israel and to the sons of David through covenant, God's reputation is on the line. So God acted in a way that spread the wonder of His glory. The sudden death of 185,000 Assyrians would certainly get The Lord headline news in the ancient world. The arrogance of Sennacherib is contrasted with the humility of Hezekiah. Those who humble themselves in dependency upon the Lord are the ones who benefit from the Lord's strength. So I am guided to be humble and to acknowledge the Lord in all things. When I get to thinking my victories and achievements are my own, when I start believing I'm all that, I'm due for a humbling. And when I am humbled, like Jerusalem was with Assyria knocking at their gates, I need to humble myself in prayer before God, exalting only Him. For truly God is the only one worthy of worship. Let Hezekiah's prayer remind us. Isaiah 37:16 NIV “Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth."

Isaiah 35:1-10

Isaiah 35:1-10 NIV The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Isaiah 35 is a welcome message of consolation for the people of God who will endure the invasion of the Assyrian army. While the city of Jerusalem will be spared this time, the people of Northern Israel and some of the towns in Judah were not as fortunate. The survivors were hauled away to exile and slavery. But after God conquers Assyria, the exiles will return. Isaiah's imagery communicates a complete inversion of things as they are under the brutality of Assyria. Up will be down. Death will be life. In other words the transformation of life for the exiles will be a joyous turning of events when they find themselves suddenly free, walking back to Jerusalem to the Holy city with the blessings of God. Isaiah tells us how the desert will become fertile like well watered mountains. Life will unfold like an early spring crocus. The fearful will find courage in the good news that God is coming to save. They will feel like the blind that can now see and the lame that can now walk! The returning exiles will journey back home to the Lord at Jerusalem. Isaiah calls the path home, "The Way of Holiness." Those who keep the Law of Moses will travel home to God. The unclean and foolish will remain exiled from God, for they refuse to take the path of a disciplined life in obedience to God. The righteous will find security in their journey of holiness. And when they near the gates of their dwelling place with God they will be filled with incredible joy! Sounds wonderful. Am I willing to commit to the Way? Jesus set the path. His grace guides and empowers. His love blesses with joy each day. Give yourself a Christmas gift and get on the path home.

Isaiah 34:1-10, 13-14, 16-17

Isaiah 34:1-10, 13-14, 16-17 NIV

Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it! The Lord is angry with all nations; his wrath is on all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will stink; the mountains will be soaked with their blood. All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have totally destroyed. The sword of the Lord is bathed in blood, it is covered with fat— the blood of lambs and goats, fat from the kidneys of rams. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. And the wild oxen will fall with them, the bull calves and the great bulls. Their land will be drenched with blood, and the dust will be soaked with fat.

For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause. Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur; her land will become blazing pitch! It will not be quenched night or day; its smoke will rise forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever pass through it again. Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds. She will become a haunt for jackals, a home for owls. Desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and wild goats will bleat to each other; there the night creatures will also lie down and find for themselves places of rest.

Look in the scroll of the Lord and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together. He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure. They will possess it forever and dwell there from generation to generation.

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More unpleasant tidings from Isaiah as he announces God's wrath on the warring nations of the world and destruction for Edom. Isaiah has already mentioned Edom earlier. I have to remember that Isaiah is a collection of oracles. Even though Edom is mentioned earlier in this collection, it does not mean that this oracle is part of a long continuous speech. Rather it is a separate prophecy delivered at a different time than the previous one in this book.

I am making an assumption that the reason God is angry is because of war. I might also interpret that God is angry because of idolatry. Not only do the pagan nations worship idols, but even God's own chosen people are worshiping idols. It is God's mission to be known through His holy nation who keep his covenant. Their failure means God must step in to resume his holy mission to spread the knowledge of God. Therefore the Israelites understand that God is using the armies of the day to carry out His will.

Isaiah uses graphic imagery of blood and fat and stench as he describes God's wrath executed upon the armies of the world. Not only will the earth suffer God's wrath, but also the heavenly powers will be shaken. Isaiah speaks of the heavens rolling up like a scroll and the stars dropping from the heavens like a leaves from a tree. And once God is done with his battle in heaven, He turns his attention to the enemies of Israel, Edom, Jacob's brother.

Edom will be destroyed. Their cities will be left desolate, a haunt for jackals and other wild animals. Isaiah, with great irony, speaks of God portioning out allotments of land to the wild animals to possess, as if these beasts and birds were heirs to the covenant with Abraham.

Esau, the progenitor of the people of Edom, was grandson to Abraham and therefore a recipient of God's favor. Chapter 36 of Genesis is proof of this as there is a lengthy lineage recording the descendants of Esau and the rulers of Edom. Jacob/Israel was the one to carry on the spiritual leadership of Abraham's descendants. Esau and the Edomites lived apart in Seir and eventually become enemies to the Hebrews.

Is there a message to apply? God does not like idolatry. God promises peace and plenty to those who keep the covenant faithfully, but war and famine, sickness and barrenness to the unfaithful. Israel is experiencing the results of their failure. Edom is experiencing the results of their cursing Israel. For the Lord curses those who curse His chosen. God uses the circumstances of war and politics sometimes to chastise, punish and correct. This is how Israel understood God. Do I believe God still behaves this way?

The New Testament uses similar language with a mighty battle to finally bring all opponents of God into submission. Isaiah uses hyperbole to make his points. Sometimes his language is over the top and not to be taken literally. For instance Edom, according to Isaiah, will be deserted forever. Clearly that did not happen. I interpret his prediction to be colorful, bold, and over the top, not to be taken literally.

I do believe God holds the world accountable. I do also believe God works all things, including war, into His plan to bless the world with the knowledge of God. (See Romans 8:28) Great conflict sometimes turns hearts to the living God. Will yours?

Questions I ask myself are what sort of idolatry am I in to? Star Wars? Rock 'N' Roll? Family? My own comfort and pleasure? I also want to know how God is using the current conflict with Islamic terrorists in His mission to bless the world. Is America being chastised for unfaithfulness? Is God using Islam, as these fanatics believe, to punish the infidel sinners of the world? Will the world's people look to God in this time of trouble? Will I trust God as the world grows more violent and dangerous? Will I give the prophet a serious listen?

Isaiah 34:1 NIV

Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it!