03.18.10
Posted in
General
| 17:38
Scripture: Isaiah 25: 5b (NIV): “You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.”
Thought: To me, God will one day silence all the vanities of this planet! He is a cooling balm against chaos.
Question: Do I “sing” for this earth’s ways, or for God’s?
The previous verse describes how God is a refuge, a shelter and a shade to us in a time of poverty, distress or “storm.” Today’s verse goes on to point out that even “foreigners” are affected by God. He is sovereign over all peoples of the world—not only His chosen nation, Israel.
“You silence the uproar of foreigners;” what is meant here by “uproar”? Looking to the King James Version, we find a slightly different wording: “Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers…” To me, a “stranger” or “foreigner” is representative language for pagan peoples—unbelieving nations outside of those who are saved. Their “noise” or “uproar” could be all the vain, man-made words, political actions and policies that a typical, earthly-oriented people display. The fleshly instincts to acquire more land and property, to have power of authority and rule over others (which leads to a desire to conquer and subjugate others), are all typical “noises” that unbelieving nations display. These qualities stand in opposition to God’s ways; “foreigners” are devoid, usually, of mercy, lovingkindness, gentleness, forgiveness and the like. No doubt the expended energy of the opposites to all these, (cruelty, hatred, unforgiveness, etc.), are like a terribly irritating “uproar” to God!
So the LORD brings “silence” to all this “noise.” One day, God Almighty will silence the greatest of noisome extremists—Satan, himself. Satan is “foreign” and against all of God’s ways. Satan is creating a great deal of “uproar” in our world! But God will put him to silence.
“…as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.” “The song of the ruthless”…what is this? Looking again to the KJV we read: “the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.” What is translated in the NIV as “song” is translated “branch” in the KJV. Both a song and a branch spring forth from the life of an organism, right? They are both expressions of the life of that object, and represent that object’s “glory.” In this case, the “branch” or “song” belongs to “the ruthless” or “terrible ones.” Their “glory”, or expressiveness, is not of any positive, god-like qualities at all; no, they exude a different “tune”—a different “growth.” “Ye are of your father, the devil”, Christ said of the evil Pharisees (John 8: 44, KJV), “and you want to carry out your father’s desire,” (same verse, NIV). These “children of Satan” have been “singing their song” and “making their music” over the whole earth for a very long time. But it will be “stilled” finally by God Almighty! Praise the Lord!
This silencing power of God is likened to “the shadow of a cloud” over heat on the earth. Who hasn’t enjoyed the cover of clouds overhead on an extremely dry, hot day? It is a welcome coolness that brings longed-for relief! Notice, however, that this cloud cover does not eliminate the heat; it “reduces” it—it intervenes between the heat and the people below, (even as Christ “intervened” upon the cross for our sins, coming between us and death (the consequence of sin) ). This is, apparently, the way God “stills” or “silences” the ruthless outpourings. He intervenes Himself between them and His beloved people, causing the “heat” to be “reduced,” and the “song” “stilled.” (I am reminded also of the story of Abraham, asked by God to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, upon the altar. Rather that permit this killing of Isaac, God intervened Himself by providing the ram for the sacrifice.) Perhaps He also yet allows a bit of “heat” to remain so that we are reminded to continue to resort to Him again and again, as needed. This creates an “atmosphere” of continual dependence upon God. And that is indeed a very good thing!
Prayer: Thank You, Lord God Almighty, for Your loving power and sovereignty over the uproars of unbelievers and their ruthless expressions. How I look forward to the day when all their “songs” will be silenced and stilled completely. Convict me, Lord, if I have ever added my voice to their vain choruses! In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
Permalink Print View
03.17.10
Posted in
General
| 18:45
Scripture: Isaiah 25: 4 and 5a (NIV): “You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall, and like the heat of the desert.”
Thought: To me, God allows distress to come to us so He can allay that distress personally.
Question: Where do I run when the pressures of life push on me?
Yesterday’s verse mentioned God getting “honor” and “reverence” from “strong” and “ruthless” (pagan) nations. Today’s verse shows that He also deserves “honor” and “reverence” from those people who have suffered under the abuse of those “strong” and “ruthless” nations, that is, primarily, Israel, God’s chosen people.
“You have been a refuge for the poor,” the poor Israelites, beset by aggression from Assyria, and others, are not disappointed if they turn to God for help. He is a trustworthy “refuge” for them! A “refuge” is defined by Webster as “shelter or protection from danger or distress—a place that provides protection.” Can we today say that the Person of God is truly our personal place of protection? “The poor” find Him to be so. But why the “poor”? To me, it is because they have been unable to afford any man-made solutions for their predicament. Being poor, their only recourse is but to turn to God. Oh, that we could all be so “poor” as to have “only God!”
“… a refuge for the needy in his distress…” Poverty is one kind of distress, but there are many others. Whatever distresses us, or puts a weight of pressure on us, the LORD can ease it! Israel, and the Jewish people, certainly had their distresses! Reading the book of Isaiah reveals an abundance of trials and judgments against God’s people, and does not history reveal much persecution upon the Jews? Why so much? To me, God gives His greatest gift to those who are under His allowed distress if they flee to Him for “refuge”: He gives Himself! Thus God clearly shows how much He wanted to give Himself to His people, Israel, by permitting the “distresses” to drive them into His arms.
“…a shelter from the storm…” God is a great protector. When troubles rain down, God can divert the effects. He can channel them away from us as we draw to Him. Anytime we refuse to think about the elements of the “storm” and instead focus on God and His awesome attributes, we will discover the “shelter” we so desperately need. We will discover supernatural strength and power—and God will share “Himself” with us as we lean on Him and trust Him.
“…and a shade from the heat.” “The heat” saps our energies. It diminishes our sources of water, doesn’t it? If the Living Word is our “water”, and the enemy, our messenger of “heat”, God can, and will, intervene as our “shade”! He provided a shade-plant for Jonah outside the city of Nineveh, did He not? God has the compassion for this—most certainly! He cares about our condition. He “remembers that we are dust.” We need only ally ourselves to Him, then we will find our relief.
“For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall, and like the heat of the desert.” The prophet, Isaiah, now specifies exactly, at this time, what is “the storm” for Israel: it is “the breath of the ruthless”! Who are these that are ruthless? In verse 3 of this chapter we see the “ruthless nations.” They are, like Assyria and Egypt, the strong, powerful and unbelieving enemy nations that surround Israel. They are the very nations God utilized to judge Israel. Assyria’s aggression and cruel battle tactics were horrific for Israel! Like a “storm” they descended upon Israel, killing and taking captives. (See Isaiah 8: 6 – 10). Like a storm butting up against a wall, beating relentlessly, their attacks continued. Like “heat of the desert” they “burned” their way throughout the land, both in a physical and real way, but also in an abusive and emotional way, leaving damages at every turn. But where God permits such events, God also supplies Himself as the antidote! This is why we have the little word “for” at the beginning of this phrase. God is a proven refuge, a proven shelter and a proven shade: why? Because, (or “for”), the need is great.
Prayer: Great God, our Refuge, You are a very present help in time of need! Thank You for always being there, ready to exhibit compassion, safety, protection, shelter, supply and cooling “shade.” Help me to always run to You, dear Lord, if ever I am in distress. Amen.
Permalink Print View
03.11.10
Posted in
General
| 20:41
Scripture: Isaiah 25: 3(NIV): “Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you.”
Thought: To me, because of judgment, God will be honored and revered.
Question: Do I honor and revere God without having to be judged?
What is the “therefore” of this verse there for? To me, it is connecting the verse of destruction (verse 2), with today’s verse, the verse of resulting “honor” and “revere(nce)”. That is, once cities are turned into rubble, once towns are ruined, once foreign strongholds are eliminated and once these reach a point of man’s inability to reconstruct them—then honor and reverence will begin to flow to God. And who specifically will be the ones to show this honor and reverence? It will be the very “enemy nations” that God permitted to invade His people’s lands: those such as Assyria and Egypt.
“Therefore strong peoples will honor you;” We know from history that Egypt and Assyria were “strong peoples.” Egypt is known for its wisdom, knowledge and greatness; Assyria for its power, military might and strength to conquer. But God, as verse 1 of this chapter has already pointed out, has “done marvelous things” both with and to these nations. Though Egypt and Assyria were both enemies of Israel, God used them to judge Israel, and through the destructive processes of these judgments, also “spoke to” many who lived in Egypt and Assyria, drawing those people as well to His greatness and power.
“…cities of ruthless nations will revere you.” To be “ruthless” is to be without kindness and compassion. Once harsh to Israel, many of its neighboring nations have come under the control of God via the judgment process. Now, exposed to God’s righteous indignation, their eyes have been opened to His greatness and power. Whole cities begin to “revere” God, that is, hold Him in reverence (holy respect and worshipful awe). That is why the prophet can say (here in Isaiah 25: 1): “…you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.” The “plan” “long ago” was, apparently, to transform these “ruthless nations” and teach them reverence for God.
God knows what He is doing and it is very good; not only for Israel and His chosen people, but also for the entire earth.
Prayer: Thank You, Father, for bringing forth the results You intended all along: changes in the way people regard You—more honor for You, and more reverence. Thank You for “converting” the strong and “ruthless” nations through Your judgments. And thank You even more, dear Father, for converting my strong will through Your judgments in my life and Your grace and forgiveness, as given through Your Son, Jesus Christ. In His Name I pray, Amen.
Permalink Print View
03.08.10
Posted in
General
| 19:44
Scripture: Isaiah 25: 2 (NIV): "You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigner's stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt."
Thought: To me, as God allows the destruction of material cities, He is creating positive, spiritual results.
Question: Am I placing confidence in that which is man-made?
Yesterday's verse praises and exalts God for his "perfect faithfulness" in the earth. How can this be true if today's verse lists God's destruction of the cities of men? Quite simply, God's judgmental destruction of many of the world's cities is actually a very merciful act! It 1) commands people's respect of His power and purposes, it 2) purges away the evil corruptions of Satan at work among sinful men, it 3) encourages people to rely more upon God and less upon themselves, and it 4) converts the thinking of many foreign nations, opening their eyes to the reality of God Almighty.
"You have made the city a heap of rubble," Man-made projects, from towers (like Babel), to cities (like Jerusalem), and even to kingdoms (like Babylon), become points of pride. 'Who needs God when we can build something by ourselves, for ourselves, that will meet all our needs?' This mind-set was the reasoning behind the tower of Babel. God's reaction was interesting: Genesis 11: 6: "The LORD said, 'If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them." And why was this thinking such a bad thing? Because they were pursuing the "heavens" in their own strength. they were worshipping themselves above God. They were proceeding with their own plans and not consulting God. God is still in control! and so He nixed their plans by creating a language barrier and the tower project was abandoned. Likewise, many cities have been turned into a "heap of rubble" under God's judgment, as man continues in idolatries and other sins. Jericho comes to mind.
God does not want man to "settle" in heart upon a physical location, thus He gives man "no continuing city", (Hebrews 13: 14 (NIV): "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we [believers who love God] are looking for the city that is to come [the New Jerusalem].") The "New Jerusalem" will be one city the Lord does allow!
"...the fortified town a ruin," Jericho was heavily fortified. So was Jerusalem. So were many others. Those walls and ramparts of stone did not prevent God's willed judgment from taking place. God has all power! What man builds in his own strength often becomes a meaningless mound in later times--perhaps only a broken pot or handful of ancient coins found buried as a testimony to its existance. Is God in "the destruction/demolition business"? No! God is in the business of saving men's souls! If He can awaken a soul by ruining a city's fortification, He will do it!
"...the foreigner's stronghold a city no more;" Looking back to the many nations judged in Isaiah chapters 13 through 23, we can review several examples of "foreigner's stronghold(s)" and glorious cities laid waste at the hands of God. He has had purpose in it all! A large purpose was to protect and preserve His people, Israel. God is faithful to His own.
"...it will never be rebuilt." Many of these cities were destroyed in such a way as to "never be rebuilt." They were utterly wiped out, and, in some instances, their people were also utterly destroyed. Such was the case of many cities that lay in Joshua's path as the Israelites possessed the land of Canaan. God's plan was to purge the land of whole sects of peoples that were idol worshippers. It is in His hand to do this, and He has accomplished it--for His own glory and as a teaching to all humanity!
Prayer: King of kings, I appreciate Your accurate judgments! You have molded and controlled our history to Your glory, and You will continue to do so until all Your plans are accomplished. Though the inclinations of men have all tended to run to tragedy, You will redeem each instance for good in the end! Amen.
Permalink Print View
03.06.10
Posted in
General
| 08:19
Scripture: Isaiah 25: 1 (NIV): "O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvellous things, things planned long ago."
Thought: To me, God is over all plans forever, and it is, and will be, a marvel to me for all eternity!
Question: Is Jehovah my personal God?
Praise is a disconnect from who we are: broken, unfaithful, sinful, drab people, and a connect to Who God is: whole, faithful, perfect and Wonderful. When we are drowning in our awful condition, we can praise His glorious condition, and thus pull ourselves up to Him and to His standards. He will impart His standards to us in that Day--we will "know" Him as He has known us. He has promised. Meanwhile we can bask in the benefits of believing it is true. The future affects our present. Praise raises us out of depression. The best truth of all is that this Wonderful God is our God--we possess Him. He allows us to own Him. He has let us join Him because He bought us through Christ's blood. The personal proximity of God to us through this purchase transaction is so close and binding, nothing can interfere with it. Nothing can penetrate to break us away from the blood-bond we have. Romans 8: 35, 37, 38 and 39: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creatioin, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." This is why we can praise Him. This is a marvelous thing.
"O LORD, you are my God;" Our relationship with God is very personal. Anyone who says they do not believe in a personal God is way off base. Personal intimacy is exactly what God is after, exactly what He pursued through permitting His Son to die on Calvary, and exactly what He offers to anyone who wants it.
"I will exalt you and praise your name," Joy over this wonderful intimacy with an all-powerful God drives us to thrust His Name very high! We speak of Him in our daily activities. We talk to Him (in prayer) all throughout our days. And every good event is attributed to Him, while every difficult event becomes an incentive to know Him more deeply. Living this way is a life lived wholly "in praise" of God's Name. No matter what happens, the lover of God (the prophet Isaiah in this writing), will exalt Him and will praise His Name. It does become part of the person's "will"!
"...for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things," When we know God intimately, we begin to comprehend His nature and His actions, and this increases our appreciation of both. We begin to see how God has stuck with us through everything. We begin to see that His processes produce amazing (and perfect) results in the end.
"...things planned long ago." God is timeless. He operates from within a sphere of eternality. Yet His work is directed toward men who all have limited days on this planet; who all function in terms of time and its constrictures. But as we relate to God, trusting Him more and more, the hard edges of what time "steals" from us begin to melt away. We begin to comprehend that God's purposes are age-old. We then can start to rest in His peaceful power: He has all things in hand--we need not become frantic! Let His ancient plans be worked out! Have Your own way, Lord--have Your own way!
Prayer: Lord, I trust You. You are ever good--ever wise--ever perfect--in all that You do. I join with Isaiah: I, too, will exalt Your Name forever. Help me to do that more and more all the time! I, too, will praise Who You are forever. Help me to fill all my days with this kind of praise! In Your Name I pray, Amen.
Permalink Print View
03.03.10
Posted in
General
| 21:16
Scripture: Isaiah 24: 23 (NIV): "The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mt. Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously."
Thought: To me, the embarassment and "shame" of the sun and moon are completely understandable: who can comprehend the brightness of God's great glory?
Question: Do I look forward with joy to Christ's rule on earth?
After the earth is devastated, (which is basically a judgment against all "earth-dwellers" who live unto themselves and reject God), and the heavenly beings of power, as well as the earthly kings of power, are sequestured into "holding tanks", or dungeons and prisons, (Isaiah 24: 1, 6, 21 and 22), then God will reign at long last! This reign is characterized by glory.
"the moon will be abashed..." Webster defines "abashed" as "feeling self-conscious or ashamed, embarrassed or disconcerted, due to modesty." The moon has a God-given glory. In Genesis God created the reflected light of the moon, known as the "lesser light" in the heavens, and its light "rules the night." Genesis 1: 16: "God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars." (From this verse we also know it is the moon, not the stars, that is the "lesser light.") But in that great day of judgment, the moon will become "embarrassed"! Its glory and beauty will be outdone by a greater glory and a much more significant beauty: the glory of the LORD Almighty Himself!
"...the sun ashamed;" Even the "greater light", the sun--ruling over the days--will be no comparison to the nature of God's great power, light and glory. We also know from other scriptures that cosmic darkness characterizes the "day of the LORD." Isaiah 13: 10: "The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light." Also Joel 2: 31: "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD." And Revelation 6: 12 and 13: "I watched as he [the Lamb, Jesus Christ] opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth..."
"...for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mt. Zion and in Jerusalem," As "the LORD Almighty" takes His position of supreme authority on earth, the created lights, sun and moon, "shrink" in comparison to His glory. It is because He is "the everlasting light" as described in Isaiah 6: 19 and 20: "The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end." See also Revelation 21: 23: "The city [Jerusalem--the New Jerusalem] does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb [Jesus Chist] is its lamp." And Revelation 22: 5: "There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light..."
Thus God Almighty reigns in great glory, with Light, upon the earth! Just before He does, there is horrible darkness. It is the darkness of judgment and punishment. But it is soon replaced with the brightest of all lights, Jesus Christ, the Light of the World (John 8: 12)! Christ takes His rightful position in Jerusalem, entering through the "eastern gate" on Mt. Zion, returning to the very spot from which He ascended, as He promised He would. (See Acts 1: 9 - 11). Ezekiel 43: 1 - 4 clarifies that God's glory will come "from the east"--indeed, like the rising of a bright, new, powerful (Son) Light!!
"...and before its elders, gloriously." This phrase encourages me because it clearly includes men in the "governance" of Jerusalem in "that day." These, no doubt, will be men who worship and love and obey God. Any who do will be happily included in "the program" of rulership. They will reign with Christ. Hallelujah!
Prayer: Great Father of Lights, I worship You--all Your greatness and glory and brightness are so awesome! How I long for the day You will reign on earth! Even so, come, Lord Jesus--come to Mt. Zion and begin Your bright rule! In Christ's Name I pray, Amen.
Permalink Print View
03.02.10
Posted in
General
| 19:01
Scripture: Isaiah 24: 22 (NIV): "They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days."
Thought: To me, God will not neglect to gather up the wicked in "that day"--even those souls who have already died.
Question: Am I among those "bound in the dungeon", or will I be free in Christ?
The "they" of today's verse refers us back to yesterday's verse, Isaiah 24: 21, "the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below." "They" have both received authority from God to rule to a certain measure. But now, after their period of rule, "they" will be subject to God's rule, as He judges them, holding them accountable for their behaviors. Yesterday's verse mentions punishment. If they have ruled without the justice and kindness of God they will indeed have punishment--they will reap what they have sown. How will God punish them?
"They will be herded together..." First of all they will be separated from everyone else. In scripture we see this truth as described by Jesus in the gospel of Matthew: 25: 31 - 33: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left." The passage in Matthew goes on to say that those "sheep" on the "right" will be given eternal life, while those "goats" on the "left" will inherit eternal punishment.
"...like prisoners bound in a dungeon;" Prisoners are ones held captive against their will. Dungeons are horrible places of confinement where these people are "bound" and kept from freedom, light and life. These, to me, are all representations of what hell is like. God's power holds these souls in hell--they are unable to break free.
"...they will be shut up in prison..." the picture here is one where those who will be punished are taken away to a place of punishment; and that place is far away from God, from Christ and from believers. Theuy are "shut up", or shut away, from godliness and life, and imprisoned away from eternal life. They cannot enter into it at all, and, again, they are powerless to escape their prison.
"...and be punished after many days." This phrase clearly indicates that the punishment is delayed. II Peter 2: 4, 9 and 10 show this delay as well: "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;...if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority." (The authority despised by them is, of course, God's authority!) Just how long "many days" is remains unknown to men. But God knows! He knows when the time of punishment is right, and then He will mete it out.
Prayer: Lord, God, You do have all authority! Father, forgive me if and when I ever push against Your authority. Cleanse me with Christ's shed blood that I may be separated with the sheep unto everlasting life! Amen.
Permalink Print View
02.25.10
Posted in
General
| 17:45
Scripture: Isaiah 24: 21(NIV): "In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below."
Thought: To me, it is high time we remembered to Whom we are accountable!
Question: Do I look forward to "that day" or do I fear it?
"In that day..." what day? It is the Day of Judgment--of final judgment--for the whole of earth. There are many scriptures that describe this "day." Some include John 12: 48: "...the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day;" Romans 2: 5: "...because of...your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed;" II Timothy 1: 12: "...I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day;" Hebrews 10: 25: "...let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching;" Jude 6: "And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day;" and, Revelation 6: 17: "For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
"...the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above..." this is an interesting phrase! Who are "the powers in the heavens above"? Perhaps the verse just quoted above, Jude 6, applies here. Perhaps the "powers" "above" are these angels, which, if they have rebelled against God, would include Lucifer (Satan), the "Prince of the Power of the Air" as he is called in the book of Ephesians (King James Version), Ephesians 2: 2; see also Ephesians 6: 12: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." There are evil forces swirling above our heads, "in the heavens above", that God will judge in that day. That will be a good day for all who love righteousness and who serve God! (See Revelation 20: 7 - 10 for a description of Satan's demise.)
"...and the kings on the earth below." Not only will the spiritual creatures be accountable to their Creator, but also human beings whom God has created and appointed to leadership. Time has run out for both groups. Those in authority, who hold responsibility, will be "punish[ed]" for their evil choices. God will examine how they held power: was it kindly, mercifully, compassionately? Or was it cruelly, vindictively and angrily? The "kings on earth" only have power because God gave it to them. Romans 13: 1: "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." And to God they will answer!
Prayer: Great God Who judges mankind, thank You that finally total divine justice will be served for all souls--in that great day! Help me to examine myself, purify myself and prepare myself in the light of this picture of utter accountability seen here in Isaiah. May I be pleasing to You, Father, with repentance of sin, trust in Christ's blood, and hope in Your blessings to come, as all do who comprise the saved "remnant." Through Jesus' grace I pray, and in His Name, Amen.
Permalink Print View
02.24.10
Posted in
General
| 18:04
Scripture: Isaiah 24: 20 (NIV): "The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls--never to rise again."
Thought: To me, sin is a destructive force that will one day ruin our entire planet.
Question: Am I guilty of rebellion against God?
Today's verse clearly outlines the demise of planet earth. From this judgment of God there is no recovery. We see imagery that displays a horrifying scene, we see the central cause of all the trouble, and we are brought to an ending collapse!
"The earth reels like a drunkard," Anytime the word "like" is used we can safely compare all that we understand about one thing to the actual outcome of another thing; that is, we can apply what we know about "drunkenness" to what will happen to our planet in this day of coming judgment. People who are drunk have forteited control of themselves. They have given it over to alcohol and its effects upon the human body when taken in excess. The earth, (actually the earth-dwellers, or human beings), have forfeited their control. The consequences of the peoples' poor choices will "take over." Those poor choices were done to excess! God has become "fed up" with the overload of sin, and though He does in fact execute judgment, it really is simply an application of earned consequences taking their natural course against mankind. They are reaping exactly what they have sown. Drunkards "reel" in their loss of control. There is staggering and stumbling and often outright falling as they attempt to carry on as usual. Drunkards are intoxicated with alcohol. Earth-dwellers will be "intoxicated," or infused with the toxic poison of their sin.
"...it sways like a hut in the wind;" More imagery here points out how helpless earth and its people will be in the grip of this judgment. It is easy to picture walls of a hut collapsing and its roof blowing off in a strong wind. The wind will destroy the hut! It will be swept away--its parts scattered and irretrievable. The wind overpowers the hut just as God's mighty hand of judgment will easily overrule man's pitiful efforts and plans. Compared to the natural power of the wind, the hut is weak and flimsy. So God will "out-power" the weak, immoral earth-dwellers.
"...so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls--" Guilt indicates sin and wrongdoing. The earth has become filled with error, immorality and idolatry. These unrighteousnesses are part of a great spirit of rebellion against God's authority. Mankind has chosen its own way instead of God's way: Isaiah 53: 6: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us turned to his own way;" To turn to one's own way is to defy God's way--to become a rebel at heart, fighting against God. This wicked spirit of rebellion weighs the earth down until, like the self-poisoned drunkard, it falls. And what a fall this is! We have remembered Adam's choice in the Garden of Eden and how it has become known as the initiation of the "fall of man." Falling from a higher position, the human race really took a tumble downward that day in Eden, daring to cross against God's ways (rules); but here in our verse today we have another "fall." Here the entire planet pays the price for the accumulation of evil and wicked sin that has piled up since Eden. What a "fall" this will be!
"--never to rise again." God worked with Adam and Eve after their fall. But He will not work with mankind any longer after this fall. (Genesis 6: 3: "Then the LORD said, 'My Spirit will not contend with man forever,...' ") Only those who have escaped into the grace of Jesus Christ as provided by God the Father on Calvary will survive this awful judgment! Only the "remnant", who still believe God and seek to obey Him, will live beyond this fall. And where will they live? They will become residents of the "new earth" (Revelation 21: 1) and of the "New Jerusalem", 1500 miles cubed (Revelation 21: 2 and 16), that will hover over the new earth. Only these new places, fashioned by God, will "rise" in that day! The former earth will be destroyed forever.
Prayer: Omnipotent God, I bow before Your awesome power and authority! You have planned all along to destroy evil, and one day it will be accomplished! Have Your own way, Lord--even unto the destruction of this planet! Amen.
Permalink Print View
02.23.10
Posted in
General
| 18:51
Scripture: Isaiah 24: 19 (NIV): "The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken."
Thought: To me, sometimes we cannot reform a thing; we must rather annihilate it and begin anew.
Question: Is my faith and hope linked to God's new heaven and earth?
God has every right and ability to "unmake" that which He has made. What we need to understand is the reason this is being done, which is, to pass judgment upon man's evil wickedness. Sin will not go unpunished!
"The earth is broken up..." The King James Version says, "The earth is utterly broken down." The sense of this phrase, to me, speaks of finality. It seems to be saying there will be no recovery. As when an old building has begun to rot and give way, those who oversee will tear it completely down and clear the useless material away. The most effective "clearing" is then accomplished through burning. (And we know from II Peter 3: 10 - 12 that God will use fire to burn and destroy everything in the earth in the end time.)
"...the earth is split asunder..." Again, the King James Version is quite descriptive: "the earth is clean dissolved." How can a planet be "split" in two and "dissolved" and ever recover? Well, very simply, it will not recover! Tomorrow's verse reflects the further effect of being split apart: "the earth reels like a drunkard...", with the King James Version adding reels "to and fro"--backward and forward or side to side--displaying total instability. God will knock earth off its axis with severe earthquakes and the like!
"...the earth is thoroughly shaken." Haggai 2: 6 and 7a adds another description of what "thoroughly" might mean: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations...' " Thus "thoroughly" means the atmosphere, the planet, the oceans, all dry land and "all nations." No one will remain unaffected by this judgment coming from God. This is not a localized or brief encounter: it is global and will obviously take time to reach to all the ends of the earth.
When I hear the word "shaken", especially in combination with the words "broken up" and "split asunder", I think of trauma. Trauma is defined as "serious physical damage caused by violent harm, often having long-lasting effects." Our planet will be so seriously and violently damaged that it will not recover--it will be replaced: Revelation 21: 1: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea."
Prayer: Lord God of the universe and of all creation, thank You that in Your wisdom You see fit to destroy and remove the "site" of all mankind's wickedness, and then replace it with a new and better heaven and earth. I can hardly wait! Thank You that through knowing and trusting Jesus Christ I can "live" to see it! Amen!
Permalink Print View
