Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:16 (NIV):  "Bind up the testimony and seal up the law among my disciples."

Thought:  To me, we can never overestimate the value or power of God's Word.

Question:  Am I a disciple who "binds up" and "seals up" God's Word?

To prevent the stumbling and falling, entrapment and ensnaring we have seen in the previous verses, we now have the prophet's wise advice:  "bind up the testimony and seal up the law."  Always, God provides His people with the opportunity to avoid failure and/or a way to recover from failure.  And, quite often, we see the solution is found in our relationship to His Word.  The words "testimony" and "law" clearly remind us of God's Word.  

"Bind up the testimony":  to bind something is to prevent its loss.  It is to tie it closely to yourself so that when you move, it moves; when you walk, it walks with you; when you run, it stays with you.  A "testimony" is a spoken record of personal value.  God's Word becomes helpful to us only when it is personally valuable--otherwise it is merely a collection of empty syllables.  We are to keep God's Words so close and so "one with" us that we value them and suffer at their loss. 

"...and seal up the law":  to seal something is to secure it, as with a promise.  A seal reminds us that we are dealing with issues of trust.  We can implicitly trust God's Word!  God's Word has been called many things, but here it is referred to as "law."  Laws are rules of conduct.  We are to promise to obey God's rules of conduct within a relationship of trust with Him.

And so we readily see how to counteract the stumbling and falling, entrapment and ensnaring of the evil one.  

The "we" of this verse is also clear:  "...among my disciples."  Disciples are true and loyal followers--they are learners under the instruction of the master.  If we follow God, in and through Jesus Christ, we must be rightly related to God's Word!

Prayer:  Lord God, strengthen me to remain loyal always to Your Word!  May I bind it to myself in daily reading, memorization and meditation.  May I personalize it to my specific needs.  May I entrust myself to You by showing I am willing to obey what Your Word lays out for me.  Amen.  

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:15 (NIV):  "Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured."

Thought:  To me, there is still hope after stumbling, falling, breaking, being snared and captured.

Question:  Am I one of the "many" who will stumble?

"Many of them will stumble".  We are speaking here of the Jews who are being assaulted by a strong enemy, the Assyrians.  Isaiah is prophesying the coming of this cruel horde of attackers.  They come as an allowed judgment of God's.  They come as a direct result of what the Jews themselves had sown:  rebellion against God and the sins of idolatry, oppression of the poor, immorality, etc.  

What is meant by "stumbling"?   As mentioned in yesterday's blog, they stumble over the "rock", God Almighty, Who seems to interfere (from their standpoint) with their chosen lifestyle.  They would rather recognize other nations and kings.  As described in Isaiah 1:4; "Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption!  They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him."  In Isaiah 2:6 we see a "preference" made in place of Jehovah, God:  "You have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob.  They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and clasp hands with pagans."  And so we see Israel stumbling, beginning to lose their balance and headed for a fall, in their choices of who to worship and who to respect. 

After stumbling comes falling.  "...they will fall and be broken."  Brokenness is a tragic, yet hopeful, experience.  One who collapses into brokenness has need of another to help pick him back up.  He cannot recover on his own.  This is a golden moment for the one who helps to show his kindness, compassion and concern.  Will Israel be open to the compassion of God?  Will they let God restore them at this time?  Have I ever been through an experience of brokenness?  In God's sovereignty, He often lets us fall down completely.  For many of us it is the only way our eyes will be opened to His kind love.

Yet Israel seems to need even more "discipline."  "...they will be snared and captured."  God permits the enemy to take hold of little Israel.  They will held in Satan's clutches.  And there they will remain "trapped" for a time.  We often think we have chosen a middle ground where we can be the captain of our own choices.  But the truth of the matter is, there is no such gray zone.  Either we are servants of God, or we have chosen to serve the evil one.

One last thought...

Our verse today says, "many of them will stumble".  "Many", but not all.  There are always those who remain periennially true and faithful even though the majority choose to go astray.

Prayer:  Lord God Almighty, may I be always faithful to You, Lord.  But if I do stumble, fall and break, help me back up into Your arms, Father!  In You and close to You is the best place to be.  Amen.     

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:14 (NIV):  "and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.  And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare."

Thought:  To me, knowing God is The Only Holy One is the fastest way to peace and safety.

Question:  Do I stumble over God's words or commandments?

If we, as seen in yesterday's blog, regard God as the only holy One, fearing Him and reverencing Him, then "he will be a sanctuary"--a safe haven for us.  Once we are rightly related to Him, devoting our whole heart to Him and not some other, then we can discover the secret hiding place "under His wings".  (Psalm 91:4: "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.")  Sanctuary is a word that reflects both purity of holiness and safety in being set apart from the world.  That is what we find with God.  

If we do our part:  (Isaiah 8:11-13), God will do His part:  (Isaiah 8:14a).  

Yet this verse contains that small connecting word "but".  "Both houses of Israel" will not find that sanctuary.  ("Both houses" being the northern 10 tribes, called Israel or sometimes the Ephraimites, and Judah and Benjamin, the 2 southern tribes.)  The warnings, found as the foundational theme of the entire book of Isaiah, were put down in print because all the Jews were guilty of much rebellion:  idolatry, injustice, usury, oppression of the poor and immorality, to name a few.  Their rebellious sin causes God Almighty to become problematic.  He becomes "a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall."  They "trip" over God--He interferes with their selfish, forward progress.  He has gotten in their way.  Once God Almighty is no longer one's object of reverence, once unconfessed sin persists, then that person will first stumble, that is, find God a nuisance under their feet.  Then if their attitude is not corrected, the stumbling increases until there is a total collapse into sin as a way of life.  First we trip--then we fall.  

In either case, whether devoted to God or falling away from Him, God remains "the rock."  The New Testament teaches that Christ (God) will either become one's "cornerstone", upon which all true and good life can be built, or one's "stumbling stone", over which the wicked trip and fall into destruction.  (See Isaiah 28:16, Romans 9:33 and I Peter 2:6 - 8.)  There is no middle ground.  God is either your great leader and Father, or you will dislike Him and get hung up over His "demands."

The Jews in Jerusalem will go another step further and find Him "a trap and a snare."  To me, this seems to say that, having an aged heritage in the Lord, yet finding themselves in rebellion, they are, as it were "trapped" in their own law and religious system.  Just as a trapped animal cannot get away from the snare but is held to it, so these religious Jews are bound by their laws, yet their religiosity is empty and unrewarding--they are not enjoying the "sanctuary" under His wings.

Prayer:  Lord God my rock, thank You for providing a place "under Your wings" for all those that are devoted to You.  Thank You for the sweetness of that place of sanctuary!  I pray I would never come to find You an offensive stumbling stone.  Guide me away from beginning to take that road, Lord--guide me back to You.  Amen.  

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:13 (NIV):  "The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread,"

Thought:  To me, remembering that God is holy is an extremely worthwhile activity.

Question:  Do I fear and dread my enemy too much?

The calling, assignment, task and great undertaking of all of God's people, no matter where or who they are, is well stated in this verse!  By implication we are not to regard anyone or anything else as more holy than God, we are not to fear anyone or anything else as much as we fear God, and we are not to dread anyone or anything else as much as we dread God.

Let us examine each of these three statements:

1) "The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy":  taken with the context of Isaiah chapter 8 we see that "the nations" are the competing interest here.  Just because a power, or enemy, has overcome you does not mean it, or they, are "holy" (pure and thoroughly good and virtuous in nature).  As Assyria comes down upon Judah with fierceness and battle skill, the people are not to bend into submission to the pressure to believe that they are holy because they have been victorious.  As Judah may be outwardly conquered the LORD is saying they should remain inwardly true only to God.  No other entity is to considered "holy"--only Jehovah, their Creator/Father.  The Assyrian gods are not holy, even if their nation becomes victorious in battle.  

2) "he is the one you are to fear":  it would be almost automatic to hold the Assyrians in respect--the kind of respect that trembles at the presence of the conqueror, but God commands otherwise.  He insists that they reserve their awesome, reverential respect only for Him--that they tremble only at the mention of His name.  How and why?  Because God is over all nations, even the Assyrians.  He is the One with Whom they (and we) have to do!

3) "he is the one you are to dread":  Webster defines "dread" as "anticipating with great fear or anxiety, being in awe of.  Having unconquerable fright, shrinking horror, terrifying anticipation, deep veneration."  We are to "fear" God; but to "dread" God, one could say, is another notch higher in intensity.  To me, the word "dread" also carries the idea of impending gloom:  we do not necessarly want to be in the presence of the one we dread.  Why not?  Because we are so much less than the dreaded One--so vile and full of fault when compared to the great One's power, purity and capability.

Through the prophet Isaiah God is instructing His children to remain in right relationship to Him, and to do so even while under the heaviest enemy attack.  That is a good principle for all Christians to remember!

Prayer:  Holy, fearful and dreadful God, I bow before You.  I ask that You help me to remain faithful in my devotion to You.  I ask that You help me to put respect and regard for the world in its proper place, that is, way underneath my respect and regard for You, oh God!  May I not at all fear or dread my enemy, but instead, look up to You as being the totally sovereign God that You are.  Amen.   

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:12 (NIV):  "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it."

Thought:  To me, fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.  Not to fear Him is foolishness. 

Question: Do I succumb to worldly peer pressure? 

We have been discussing how "the nations" oppose Israel/Judah.  It is as though the whole world comes against little Judah.  But from Isaiah 7:14 we see a prophesied promise, the coming of the Christ, "Immanuel" which means "God with us."  Though the enemy nations will assault bitterly, God is with His people and will not allow utter defeat.  He will, in fact, use the enemy armies as instruments of judgment to refine Judah--to "fire" away, like the refining furnaces of silversmiths, the dross and sinful part of their natures.  

Yesterday's verse taught that, as God's children, we are not "to follow the way of this people", that is, the worldly assailants who bring huge pressure as they come.  Pressure to conform to their customs and mind-sets is great as they outwardly have the upper hand.  But just because a power has strength and is able to conquer outwardly is no reason to collapse under that evil influence and "follow" their inward "way."

Today the instruction is similar:  "do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy."  If your enemy has labelled God's ways, or your choices as influenced by God's principles, as "conspiratorial", you are not to buckle under that accusation.  If your enemy says a thing has been planned by evil motives, do not join with that reasoning just because "they" would want you to.  

"Do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it" is God's further advice here.  What we truly fear defines us.  It "molds" us until we are dictated by that fear.  That fear moves us--becomes the underlying, forceful reason we choose to do anything we do.  God says do not fear or dread the same things your enemy fears and dreads, or, obviously, you will become like your enemy.  You will have the same basic motivators at work in your lives.  And if that becomes true, then we too will overpower someone else just as we were overpowered by our enemy.  How tragic!

Applied to the Christian life, we see clearly that what we fear must be different from what the rest of the world fears.  "These people" are the enemy:  do not become like your enemy, fearing what they fear.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to understand that, through proper reverence of You, I am not to join with the world in being caught up in fearing evil plans or conspiracies.  Help me to turn away from the fearful reasonings of the world.  Build my faith in You, Father, and in Your holy ways.  May I fear You, Father God.  Amen.

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:11 (NIV):  "The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people.  He said:"

Thought:  To me, if God takes the time to warn us, we should take the time to listen and obey.

Question:  Have I ever felt the weight of God's "hand" upon me?

Yesterday we discussed the fact that the worldly (godless) plans of "the nations" against Judah will be thwarted by God Himself.  God Who dwells among them ("Immanuel") will overcome any and all devices that the men of "the nations" may dream up.  Though the attacks may come against God's people, those enemies will be "shattered" (Isaiah 8:9) by God Himself.

Today we see that God brings advice concerning these worldly schemers.  He brings His advice in a very pointed way:  "The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me..."  The weight of God's "hand" can be enormous, especially when it takes the form of a "warning."  It can be like an unspoken influence of righteousness and uprightness rising up within the heart.  It can be a very personal touch, a calling, a weight of conscience.  It can be deeply moving.

This warning, "not to follow the way of this people", is clear and specific.  God's call is often a separating call.  He urges us to avoid conformity to the world.  Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world..."  Why?  Because "this world" is under the control of the prince of the power of the air, none other than the devil himself, Satan.  And his intent is to lead you astray until he can destroy you and consume your soul.  This world is not our home.  This world is earthy and loaded with the ways of the flesh.  Scripture teaches that the flesh wars against the spirit: (Galatians 5:16 and 17).

Prayer:  Lord, thank You for laying Your "strong hand" upon me.  Thank You for calling me away from this world and its evil.  Help me to listen to You now as You teach me by Your Spirit.  I will listen to You.  Amen.   

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:10 (NIV):  "Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us."

Thought:  To me, God almost taunts or dares Satan to bring on his worst!

Question:  Have I found the golden victory that is in and through Christ because He is "with" me?

This verse is addressed to "the nations" and "all you distant lands", (verse 9 of yesterday's blog).  They are the worldly who have risen against God's chosen people, Judah (the true Israel).  

Worldly man makes his plans.  He takes great pains to arrange complicated and clever strategies of war and battle.  In doing so, he thinks he will succeed where others have failed in the past.  Apply this even beyond the "games of war."  Apply it to any area where man feels self-confident in his ideas and proposals.  Man's suggestions are endless!  Why do we weary so easily with politicians?  We hear titillating words of promised peace or success, and we are led to believe such a person may make a difference.  Time and time again we will try to bank on certain leaders, or certain policies.  

God is clearly saying that no matter what strategy or plan is brought forth by those who would oppose God's people, "it will be thwarted...it will not stand".  (See Proverbs 16:1; 16:9 and 19:21).  No matter how powerful or overwhelming the enemy (even dreaded Assyria), they cannot succeed against God Almighty.  Though their strategies be devised and plans proposed, none will stand, "for God is with us", that is, with Judah.  "God is with us", as you will recall, is the meaning of the word "Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14).  "If God be for us, who can be against us?"  (Romans 8:31) 

What I find most interesting is that God will remain faithful and loyal to Judah even though He is also allowing them to be subjected to the disciplinary "punishments" of judgment.  We may be amazed by this; yet if we remembered how our good parents raised us as children, we would understand immediately that this is the true behavior of a very strong love.  Good parents always love, remaining everlastingly loyal and faithful to their children, and they may display their love by being firm and tough in the discipline of their children.  Scripture clearly teaches in other places that true parental love would never set aside "the rod of correction", or else the child will become "spoiled."  (See Proverbs 22:15; 23:13 and 29:15).  I'm afraid our American culture has, by and large, lost their understanding of the principles of "tough love."  

This simple verse says that no matter what the enemy may throw at us, God will stick with us because He loves us.  If our earthly fathers and mothers demonstrated this kind of love, that is wonderful, and we are probably better children for it; but God's demonstrations of love far exceed those of our earthly parents!

God not only loves us, He has promised to be with us.  Think about how wonderful that promise is!

Prayer:  Omnipresent God, thank You that You can be here with me!  Thank You that Your Holy Spirit can indwell me!  Thank You that Your love for me protects me from whatever the enemy may devise against me.  The enemy's plans will be thwarted--they will not stand!  Amen.   

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:9 (NIV):  "Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered!  Listen, all you distant lands.  Prepare for battle, and be shattered!  Prepare for battle, and be shattered!"

Thought:  To me, evil will have its day only to be completely defeated in the end. 

Question:  Have I believed that Christ "shattered" Satan on the cross?

As is true in many places in the book of Isaiah, sections of scripture can refer to more than one era, more than one event.  For example, the river that overflows, as mentioned in the previous two days in verses 7 and 8 of this chapter, some believe refers to the River Euphrates, and the event of its overflow through the "king of Assyria with all his pomp" (verse 7), refers prophetically to one of the earth's final battles in that area.  Indeed, all the nations will come against Israel in the end days, and all nations will conspire there at Armageddon (near the Euphrates) together to destroy Israel.  

In today's verse we almost see an encouragement to this activity:  "raise the war cry, you nations..."  It is as though iniquity must ripen and be given its "day".  But it is a brief day, to be sure.  They will "be shattered"!  "All you distant lands" makes an inclusion of all surrounding nations--everyone will be against Israel in that day.

Yet twice repeated is the concise prophecy, "prepare for battle, and be shattered!"  Who will be strong enough to shatter "all" the "distant lands", and all the "nations"?  

Who else but the LORD God Almighty Himself?  He will rise up to defend His people and Israel will be saved!

Yes, He may bring judgment to Israel through Assyria, but He will also save Israel from the attack against her.  Yes, He may permit a horrible world war (Armageddon), but He will save His people out of it.  May that be a lesson for us today:  though as His children we may find Him judging sin in our lives, yet He does so to ultimately save our souls.  Our enemy, Satan, will be shattered!  And, for emphasis, God will say it again:  Satan will be shattered!

Prayer:  Lord, thank You for the hidden lessons in Your word that give us confidence as Your children.  Just as You demonstrated deep loyalty to Israel, and will yet show that loyalty in days to come, so You are loyal and faithful to Your children today and forever.  I am Your child--thank You for remaining faithful to me!  Amen.   

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:8 (NIV):  " 'and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck.  Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, O Immanuel!' "

Thought:  To me, unless God keeps my soul, I could drown in the sweeping flood of the enemy. 

Question:  Can God say of me, "O Immanuel!" (God is with me)?

As yesterday's verse indicates, the swelling waters of the "river" of Sennacherib's army will "flood" Judah.  This Assyrian army will "sweep on into Judah", having first invaded other areas (Damascus and Samaria, Isaiah 8:4), but now "swirling over" Judah and "passing through it."  Just as flood waters slowly rise with fearful suspense, the invading army will continue to escalate, "reaching up to the neck."  This phrase seems to indicate near fatality:  another inch or two and all hope is lost!

The "outspread wings", possibly representing "wings" of spreading pools of water that encroach into new areas as the water level rises, will "cover the breadth of your land."  This is as if to say that no corner is left "dry" or untouched--no refuge of safety can be found away from this powerful enemy.

And as this description of prophecy ends today, we see God's words addressing Judah:  "...O Immanuel!"  Remember, Immanuel means "God with us."  The prophet Isaiah has warned of much disaster:  the coming of a great and powerful enemy who will overrun the land, yet Judah is still a land owned by God.  God is still "with them"--even through all of this violence.  And God can be with each of us through any "enemy" attack--if we have given God permission to own us.

Prayer:  Father, thank You for being in full control.  Thank You for owning me and keeping me.  Help me to cling to You during troubling times, and may You have Your way as You bring cleansing judgments into my life.  Amen.  

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:7 (NIV):  " 'therefore the LORD is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the River--the king of Assyria with all his pomp.  It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks' "

Thought:  To me, we must unfortunately often become victims of the enemy before we learn truth. 

Question:  Has Satan overwhelmed me--have I learned from that?

After the "gently flowing waters of Shiloah" in Jerusalem are rejected (see yesterday's verse), ..."the LORD is about to bring...mighty floodwaters..."  This is God's irony, is it not?  So they reject Shiloah?  Then they shall have a flood--a flood of enemy soldiers!  This "river of soldiers" will descend under the leadership of the king of Assyria "with all...pomp".  Yes, God is using the pride of Assyria.  Proverbs 16:4 says, "The LORD works out everything for his own ends--even the wicked for a day of disaster."  There is no haphazardness in these occurrences; God engineers every one of them to achieve His purposes.       

Just as a flooding river indiscriminately brings water everywhere, so will the Assyrian soldiers "run over" all of Judah.  Certainly that would be a day of fright and dismay!  Will this "day" accomplish what God intends?  

This prophecy was fulfilled by the invasion of King Sennacherib in 701 B.C.  Sennacherib overwhelmed all the cities of Judah except Jerusalem (see Isaiah 1:7-9:  the "remnant" is saved).  What God predicts does indeed come to pass.

Prayer:  Great King of all kings, I pray today that I may never resist You.  I pray that You would prevent me from ever having to be overwhelmed by the enemy in order to be disciplined.  May I clearly see truth in Your Word and learn to obey rightly, humbly and early.  Amen.   

• Main
• archives
• Albums
• Links
• Admin
• Send us a story!

• Isaiah - Day 160
• Isaiah - Day 159
• Isaiah - Day 158
• Isaiah - Day 157
• Isaiah - Day 156
• Isaiah - Day 155
• Isaiah - Day 154
• Isaiah - Day 153
• Isaiah - Day 152
• Isaiah - Day 151

• General [315]

• RSS 0.90
• RSS 1.0
• RSS 2.0
• Atom