Wednesday, September 30, 2020

#974 Isaiah 13 Concerning and Concerned

 




The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.


2 On a bare hill raise a signal;
cry aloud to them;
wave the hand for them to enter
the gates of the nobles.
3 I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,
and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,
my proudly exulting ones.


4 The sound of a tumult is on the mountains
as of a great multitude!
The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,
of nations gathering together!
The Lord of hosts is mustering
a host for battle.
5 They come from a distant land,
from the end of the heavens,
the Lord and the weapons of his indignation,
to destroy the whole land.


6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is near;
as destruction from the Almighty it will come!
7 Therefore all hands will be feeble,
and every human heart will melt.
8 They will be dismayed:
pangs and agony will seize them;
they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.
They will look aghast at one another;
their faces will be aflame.


9 Behold, the day of the Lord comes,
cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,
to make the land a desolation
and to destroy its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations
will not give their light;
the sun will be dark at its rising,
and the moon will not shed its light.
11 I will punish the world for its evil,
and the wicked for their iniquity;
I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,
and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.
12 I will make people more rare than fine gold,
and mankind than the gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,
and the earth will be shaken out of its place,
at the wrath of the Lord of hosts
in the day of his fierce anger.
14 And like a hunted gazelle,
or like sheep with none to gather them,
each will turn to his own people,
and each will flee to his own land.
15 Whoever is found will be thrust through,
and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.
16 Their infants will be dashed in pieces
before their eyes;
their houses will be plundered
and their wives ravished.


17 Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,
who have no regard for silver
and do not delight in gold.
18 Their bows will slaughter the young men;
they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;
their eyes will not pity children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,
will be like Sodom and Gomorrah
when God overthrew them.
20 It will never be inhabited
or lived in for all generations;
no Arab will pitch his tent there;
no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.
21 But wild animals will lie down there,
and their houses will be full of howling creatures;
there ostriches will dwell,
and there wild goats will dance.
22 Hyenas will cry in its towers,
and jackals in the pleasant palaces;
its time is close at hand
and its days will not be prolonged. Isaiah 13 ESV

Isaiah 13

1. The oracle concerning Babylon - Isaiah is giving history before it occurs. He is prophesying as the oracle of God, a message of weight against a nation that has not yet reached it's fullness as a world power. 

Isaiah finished his prophetic career in 685 B.C., almost 100 years before Judah finally fell before the Babylonian Empire (586 B.C.). At the time of this prophecy, Babylon was a significant nation, but they were definitely behind the Assyrian Empire in status. Yet the LORD who knows the end of all things can speak of the judgment on the pride of Babylon hundreds of years before the judgment comes. - Enduring Word

2-8. I myself have commanded my consecrated ones - Babylon is in it's infancy when Isaiah writes. God has shown that He will use Babylon to punish the wickedness in Judah, but now we look even beyond this to the destruction of Babylon by the Persians and even further to the final Babylon. These have been made vessels both of and unto destruction. As "consecrated", they represent God's hand against Babylon. 

My proudly exulting ones - Pride is the original sin, the creature elevating itself against the words of the Creator. Lucifer wanted to ascend to the throne of the most high, and then he deceived Eve in the garden by getting her to question not only what God said, but also the integrity of what God said. It is interesting that those being brought to judge the pride and sin of Babylon are themselves guilty of the same, which looks forward to their own judgement. 

And every human heart will melt - Everything that they believed in pride, all their security, their strength, none of it will hold. They go into shock, writhing like a woman in labor, pain that will not lessen, anxiety that grips tightly and shakes them to the core. They stare at each other in amazement, what they didn't think possible is now upon them. They have seen the writing on the wall.



King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.

2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared[b] to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.

10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. 14 I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. 16 But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

24 “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31  And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. Daniel 5 ESV

9-16. Behold, the day of the Lord comes - What happens to Babylon should assure future generations that God has spoken to this prophet, and what God says will happen, must. There is a near future (within 100 years) fulfillment of this prophecy that will elevate the still future aspect of Messiah's return to judge the nations. Day of the Lord. Every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 

…28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.… Matthew 24: 28-30

17-22. Who have no regard for silver - You won't buy them off; they can't be paid to leave you alone. They want power and control; they're here to conquer and devastate. 

Their bows will slaughter the young men - I remember from history that though many peoples during this time had bow and arrow, the Persians had developed the technology further with lamination. This aloud them to set up archers further away, before the other force could get into range. Technology has played an important role in many wars. The discovery of gun powder, the rifle, cannon, six shooter, machine gun; these all gave an advantage. The atomic bomb was so devastating that nations clamored for the technology, people sold out their country as traitors for prophet. Nations came to talks of peace when considering the reality of an all out nuclear war. Even China has considered but passed on this because it's use would leave the conquered land undesirable. Immature leaders have given nuclear potential to terrorist states like Iran. There is chemical warfare, economic, biological; men drunk with the taste for power will stop at no lengths.  


Of particular note were the soldiers of the Achaemenid Empire. Also known as the first Persian Empire (550 BC – 330 BC), the Achaemenid dynasty was known for its elite force of warriors named by Herodotus - ‘The Immortals’.
The Powerful Achaemenid Composite Bow

The bow used by the archers of the Achaemenid Empire is known as the composite bow. It is said that this weapon was developed by Central Asian nomads during the 2nd millennium BC. The body of this bow was constructed using horn and wood laminated together using animal resin. When the resin dried, a bond would have been formed between the horn and the wood, thus giving the body of the bow enough strength to withstand the immense pressures placed on it when the bow was drawn. To provide the bow with explosive power, sinews from animal tendons were then laminated to the outside face of the bow. It has been speculated that the construction of the composite bow might have taken up to 18 months to complete, and the end product was an immensely powerful weapon. - Ancient Origins

Will be like Sodom and Gomorrah - God spoke against Israel in this same fashion. When we see sin prevalent then know that God is still just. The end times will be like the time before the flood, eating, drinking and giving in marriage. People become sedated by their comforts, and as I sit here eating my burrito bowl, I have to look back on history and say what is so different now? The weapons are massive, and they are at the press of a button. I hear my friends say that will never happen to us, God will never judge us like that, but show me a country anywhere that meets God's moral standard. He dealt with His own first, for their sin and apostasy. The American church, for the most part, avoids all such talk of God's Holiness and judgement. We sacrifice our children, have corrupt leaders that we do not speak out against until it affects our own comforts. What God has called sin we think falls under some other sort of dispensation, and much of the church looks more disgusting than the world. It is filled with false prophets and teachers, entertainers, but few shepherds. Repent.

 
































Tuesday, September 29, 2020

#973 Isaiah 12 In That Day

 




You will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.


2 “Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:


“Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.


5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”  Isaiah 12 ESV

Isaiah 12

1-2. You will say in that day - The chapter before has described the Millennial kingdom, what things will be like under Christ rule. There will be true peace, no propaganda, no inequality, in Christ it will be in truth, a beautiful reality between God and man, and man and beasts. What was lost in the fall has been redeemed.

I will give thanks to You, O Lord - In no other is this possible. It is all a work of God and not of man.

Many Christians have God for their strength, who have him not for their song; they walk in darkness: but those who have God for their strength ought to make him their song; that is, give him the glory of it, and take to themselves the comfort of it. This salvation is from the love of God the Father, it comes to us through God the Son, it is applied by the new-creating power of God the Spirit. When this is seen by faith, the trembling sinner learns to hope in God, and is delivered from fear. - Matthew Henry

For though You were angry with me - Oh the love of God, how magnified it is by the anger of God, and this is the whole counsel that faithful ministers preach. In chapter 6 we learned of the holiness of God, and though we say the word majestic, understood from the testimony of all that He created, every mountain, stream, waterfall, star, sunset, it is His divine revelation, His word to us that makes Him known. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. 





Your anger turned away - Every human born of Adam has been born under the curse of sin, there is no acceptable sin, and all have sinned, coming below the bar of God's holiness. We see God's intent towards sin in the flood, so we would pretend that did not happen. We see it in His wrath against Sodom and Gomorrah, and say, "well that is not the God I believe in." He chastened even the people He called out of Egypt, and when they acted in like manner to Sodom, then all of Israel had to go up against Benjamin, but some thought it no business of theirs, not my concern. Isaiah has been warning of coming judgment, of captivity in Assyria and for Judah in Babylon, yet he speaks of a remnant, and what then has turned His anger away from them? How do they come to live in such peaceful place?

Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God. 21God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5: 20-21

…13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace… Ephesians 2: 13-15

That You might comfort me - 

“Satan also tempts us by all methods, and employs every expedient to compel us to despair. We ought, therefore, to be fortified by this doctrine, that, though we feel the anger of the Lord, we may know that it is of short duration, and that we shall be comforted as soon as he has chastened us.” (Calvin)

I will trust, and will not be afraid - If God is with us, if we believe that, have come to know His mercy and grace, then what of men and their threats. Should we fret about tomorrow, the storm, or knowing that it is in our Father's hand, shall we face it with expectant wonder. Either He will deliver me or take me home, but He is my hope either way, and I am a sojourner but for a little while.

…25The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26“You of little faith, Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid? Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm. 27The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”… Matthew 8: 25-27

3-6. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation - It is interesting to study the Old Testament times, and water is no less important now than then, but in a somewhat arid country, or in the high desert, a well was defended just as much as one's house. There was often a capstone over the well; this would protect the water from being fouled by animals and their defecation. Sometimes water was scarce, and without it their was no life. 

…13Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. 14But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life. 15The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I will not get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”… John 4: 13-15

Proclaim that His name is exalted - Many have promised, but only He has delivered. Make His name famous throughout all the world. It is a beautiful thing, often overlooked, but we divide History up this way, for it is His - B.C. (Before Christ) A.D. (In the year of our Lord).

For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel - God is the Holy One of Israel, Christ is Immanuel, the incarnate God, and in our midst- with us. How glorious! I look forward to that day.

…2In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going.”… John 14: 2-4















Saturday, September 26, 2020

#972 Isaiah 11 Utopia

 



There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.


6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

11 In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. 


12 He will raise a signal for the nations
and will assemble the banished of Israel,
and gather the dispersed of Judah
from the four corners of the earth.
13 The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart,
and those who harass Judah shall be cut off;
Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah,
and Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
14 But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west,
and together they shall plunder the people of the east.
They shall put out their hand against Edom and Moab,
and the Ammonites shall obey them.
15 And the Lord will utterly destroy
the tongue of the Sea of Egypt,
and will wave his hand over the River
with his scorching breath,
and strike it into seven channels,
and he will lead people across in sandals.
16 And there will be a highway from Assyria
for the remnant that remains of his people,
as there was for Israel
when they came up from the land of Egypt. Isaiah 11 ESV

Isaiah 11

1-5. There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse - I'm going to include a great sister passage to this in Revelation. 100s of years will pass, and Jesse, the father of David, the king from whose line Messiah would come, his stump will seem long dead. The pride of Judah has been hewn down, they will have been taken into captivity in Babylon, then returned to rebuild a less dramatic temple. Babylon will have been destroyed by Persia, Persia defeated by Greece, and by the time of Messiah, Israel will be under Roman rule. People have been dispersed everywhere, and a ruler coming from the Davidic line will be a more massive improbability than opening up Sarah's dead womb. 



Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,


“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,


“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”

13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,


“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Revelation 5 ESV

Spirit of the Lord, wisdom, counsel, knowledge and fear - People are look-ing for a good ruler, wise governance, knowledge and fear of doing what is evil. Every dictator on this planet has promised this, has promised utopia of some sort, "hey poor, you don't have to be poor anymore." Sin has brought death, sickness and unrest, as it should, it is the opposite of good. God has blessed us with doctors, scientists and technology to ease some of this, but we are all dying and this planet is too. 

I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 31If I testify about Myself, My testimony is not valid. 32There is another who testifies about Me, and I know that His testimony about Me is valid.… John 5: 30-32

Eyes see and ears hear - He won't judge like the wicked rulers we have learned about previously. It won't be based on outward appearance; he won't be a respecter of persons or oration, but righteousness, for He will look at the heart. The poor will receive true justice, not waiting in line behind the rich, God never needed their money.

And with the breath of His lips he shall kill the wicked - Just as the world was created by the word of God, so Jesus words of judgment will remove wickedness. He is the only One Who can restore all things.

…7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival. 9The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder,… 2 Thessalonians 2: 7-9

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb - When Christ removes all wickedness there will be no more predation. I hear people in various cultures talk about going to the "happy hunting grounds", and many a friend has said, "won't it be great when were able to just fish like this all the time?" They get mad when I tell them I don't believe we will be fishing, for that's heaven to them, but to me, God is much greater than that.

The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.…
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. 23Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.… Romans 8: 19-23

And a little child shall lead them - The relationship between animals and humans will be restored; there will be no dread from or toward either.

The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra - When I get a better camera I plan to do a Scalelily post on reptiles, their mention in the Bible, people's superstitions about them, etc.., but for now just know that the relationship was not always like this. Someday it will be restored, and there will be harmony between man and beast.

…2The fear and dread of you will fall on every living creature on the earth, every bird of the air, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are delivered into your hand. 3Everything that lives and moves will be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things.4But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.… Genesis 9: 2-4

For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord - Now before this time comes there will be false prophets, teachers, rulers. Some will preach veganism, we will strive after medicines and vaccines, anything to extend our lives here. People will warn of global warming, try to fix the earth with solar panels, lower emissions, wind turbines, a cult of eco friendly tyrants, who swear they can fix the world, yelling "science", but ignoring science, ignoring the Creator. They recognize that there is a sort of evil, but they are too self righteous to see their own. Some of the false prophets will even perform signs in the heavens, just like the Pharisees asked of Jesus, but probably with technology, yet the people will be deceived. Most think, "yeah right, not me", but people have followed so many lies, even in the evangelical church they have followed those claiming to do miracles that could not. If you don't truly want God, you are going to settle for an image.

…2influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. 3They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,… 1 Timothy 4: 2-4

…12And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. 13And the second beast performed great signs to cause even fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people. 14Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.… Revelation 13: 12-14

And assemble the banished of Israel - Fortunately for Israel, there is a remnant, and it was a unilateral covenant that God made with Abraham. The story of redemption is about Christ all along.

Ephraim will not envy Judah - There will be no more wars in His kingdom, and those that persecuted Israel will be judged. Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

















Friday, September 25, 2020

#971 Isaiah 10 Rod And Staff

 


Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees,
and the writers who keep writing oppression,
2 to turn aside the needy from justice
and to rob the poor of my people of their right,
that widows may be their spoil,
and that they may make the fatherless their prey!
3 What will you do on the day of punishment,
in the ruin that will come from afar?
To whom will you flee for help,
and where will you leave your wealth?
4 Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners
or fall among the slain.
For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.

Judgment on Arrogant Assyria

5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger;
the staff in their hands is my fury!
6 Against a godless nation I send him,
and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take spoil and seize plunder,
and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 But he does not so intend,
and his heart does not so think;
but it is in his heart to destroy,
and to cut off nations not a few;
8 for he says:
“Are not my commanders all kings?
9 Is not Calno like Carchemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad?
Is not Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols,
whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols
as I have done to Samaria and her images?”

12 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. 13 For he says:


“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;
I remove the boundaries of peoples,
and plunder their treasures;
like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.
14 My hand has found like a nest
the wealth of the peoples;
and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,
so I have gathered all the earth;
and there was none that moved a wing
or opened the mouth or chirped.”


15 Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it,
or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?
As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,
or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!
16 Therefore the Lord God of hosts
will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors,
and under his glory a burning will be kindled,
like the burning of fire.
17 The light of Israel will become a fire,
and his Holy One a flame,
and it will burn and devour
his thorns and briers in one day.
18 The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land
the Lord will destroy, both soul and body,
and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
19 The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few
that a child can write them down.

The Remnant of Israel Will Return

20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22 For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. 23 For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.

24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. 25 For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. 26 And the Lord of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt. 27 And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat.”


28 He has come to Aiath;
he has passed through Migron;
at Michmash he stores his baggage;
29 they have crossed over the pass;
at Geba they lodge for the night;
Ramah trembles;
Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 Cry aloud, O daughter of Gallim!
Give attention, O Laishah!
O poor Anathoth!
31 Madmenah is in flight;
the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
32 This very day he will halt at Nob;
he will shake his fist
at the mount of the daughter of Zion,
the hill of Jerusalem.


33 Behold, the Lord God of hosts
will lop the boughs with terrifying power;
the great in height will be hewn down,
and the lofty will be brought low.
34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe,
and Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One. Isaiah 10 ESV

Isaiah 10 

1-4. Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees - This continues from the last chapter. Israel and Judah have had many wicked rulers; Israel has seen the most, starting with the state religion of Jeroboam. They have hated and or murdered those who God sent to warn them. If God has said a thing, made a law, like thou shalt not kill, or told us that children are a blessing, then those that make decrees against such are going against God. There is the iniquity of the people that will be judged, but their is a greater iniquity in those that would legislate to lead them astray. It happens in government and it happens in the church as well. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked.

3Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints. 4For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed— ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5Although you are fully aware of this, I want to remind you that after Jesus had delivered His people out of the land of Egypt, He destroyed those who did not believe.… Jude 1: 3-5

And writers who keep writing oppression - Making stupid laws that hurt or keep people down. It would be like writing a law that closed down small businesses, keeping people from earning a living, forcing them to let go of employees, but allowing big businesses to run. It's hard to imagine something like that happening, and then the same people who won't let others run their business, or let the common folk come to that establishment, imagine those same law makers getting their hair blown and without following the protocols put in place for the rest of the population. I hope we never see anything like that here. 

To turn aside the needy from justice - Justice only for the rich or the ruling class. Sorry, you can't afford justice. Imagine leadership that would surround themselves with security but then call out to defund the police who patrol and protect the poorer communities. That would probably make crime go up, and make life even more difficult on those struggling to get by. 

That widows may be their spoil - Here the prophet gives a good example. God has spoken against oppression of the fatherless and widows, yet these people use them and take advantage of their misfortune. Give her a stripper pole, send her to the welfare line, tax everyone hard, so when they default you can seize their property for someone who is paying you under the table. 

In His teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces, 39and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”… Mark 12: 38-40

And that they may make the fatherless their prey - Pimps, sex traffickers, men and women who deceive the young to fulfill their greed and perverseness. What kind of country turns on its young, misguides the future, turns them over to the wolves rather then getting rid of the wolves? I would think a just God would have to judge a place like that.

And where will you leave your wealth - Their real concern, what will trouble them most. You can't buy your way out of this, ruin is coming, and there is no one to turn to that can deliver you. 

Crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain - Be taken as a slave, a thing you had no issue with other men being, or die fighting, these are your choices. 

5-19. Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger - God will use the godless to judge Israel. This is ultimate sovereignty, like when Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, but as Joseph, through providence noted, what they intended for evil, God used for good. He calls them a rod, a tool at His disposal, His wrath against a godless nation. Yes, godless, for they acted as their neighbors, as the people who God drove from the land before them. They were engaged in all the same sin, but with less excuse, if there were ever an excuse fitting. 

But he does not intend - Though the king of Assyria will be God's instrument of wrath, he is not for God; it is not his intent or heart to do justice. He cares nothing of the honor of God, and everyone who exalts themselves will be brought low. 

Whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria - None of the gods of the other nations were able to save them, and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will not save the northern kingdom from the Assyrian invasion, because they have forsaken God. Isaiah is prophesying what will happen, and though Israel will be taken captive, Jerusalem will be spared in the siege. 

Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it - The little king thinks he made himself, that he is a great force to be reckoned with, but God will let him know that he is a tool made for that day. Pride is the darkest of all things to come across in ourselves. Once a man sees it as evil he wishes he could go back to being blind, but no, humble thyself in the sight of the Lord. Beg for the strength to fight this grotesque beast. Let no sin sicken me so much as my own. I need a Mediator.



And His Holy One a flame - God is a consuming fire and Jesus is the True Light; if you read the links above you see that part of what Isaiah was saying had a near fulfillment, and the fullness of it for the whole world was yet to be revealed. Christ true followers are to be a light in this darkness, and He will come again to set all things right. 

…8He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. 9The TRUE Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.… John 1: 8-10

Only a remnant of them will return - Though they be dispersed, God will bring His elect back to the land He promised Abraham.

5Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen. 6 It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”… Romans 9: 5-7

…18Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor. 19God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?20I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.… Numbers 23: 18-20

if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; 13if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. 14Remind the believers of these things, charging them before God to avoid quarreling over words, which succeeds only in leading the listeners to ruin.… 2 Timothy 2: 12-14