Isaiah, Chapter 21

Sometimes, I get so tense
But I can't speed up the time
But you know, love, there's one more thing to consider
Said woman take it slow
Things will be just fine
You and I'll just use a little patience – Guns N' Roses, Patience

Beginning a Bible study entry with the words of Guns N' Roses is just a tad unexpected, but despite the fact they aren't exactly a fine example of Christian morals and ethics, their words here still relate to Isaiah, Chapter 21. Chapter 21 is a lesson in patience, as we are back to seeing a prophesy against Babylon. As we have learned, Babylon was the strongest society of the time of Isaiah, and the people of Israel had come to fear the Babylonians. Isaiah presents the promise here that God will deliver them from the oppression of the Babylonians. All they had to do was exercise a little patience and trust in God.

4 My heart falters,
       fear makes me tremble;
       the twilight I longed for
       has become a horror to me.

 5 They set the tables,
       they spread the rugs,
       they eat, they drink!
       Get up, you officers,
       oil the shields!

 6 This is what the Lord says to me:
       "Go, post a lookout
       and have him report what he sees.

 7 When he sees chariots
       with teams of horses,
       riders on donkeys
       or riders on camels,
       let him be alert,
       fully alert."

 8 And the lookout shouted,
       "Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
       every night I stay at my post.

 9 Look, here comes a man in a chariot
       with a team of horses.
       And he gives back the answer:
       'Babylon has fallen, has fallen!
       All the images of its gods
       lie shattered on the ground!' " – Isaiah 21:4-9

Historically, Babylon fell not by a conquering army, but by decay and disarray within after the rule of Alexander the Great. It was nothing that Israel or Judah did, and no army of Israel or Judah ever rose up to conquer this oppressor. We see in the verses above that God was telling the people of Judah that they only need exercise patience and God would deliver them from Babylon. Instead of being told to rise and fight, they are told to post a lookout and wait for Babylon to fall on her own.

How can we apply this patience to our daily lives? Well, as a personal example, I was blessed greatly yesterday for my patience. I have published a Purdue sports blog since August of 2006. In 2007, God blessed me with a network and connections that increased my readership to a couple thousand people per week. It became a project that I enjoy spending time on because I knew I would be honing my craft of writing, plus I simply enjoy writing about Purdue athletics. I dream of one day getting paid to write full time for this, but the revenue I was receiving from some ads I had sought out were minimal (about $10 a month) at best. Still, I persevere because I know this is what God wants me to do for now.

Yesterday that perseverance began to pay off, as I was able to snag my first major ad contract. It was only $400 for five text ads placed on my site for one year, but to me it was a huge step. In a period of less than 24 hours, I went from not even a glimmer of expected ad revenue to this blessing. To me, it represented a realization of a dream, as I was finally being compensated for something I had dreamed of being paid for since I began writing it. I also know it represents a future promise, as it is just a step along the journey that God has planned for me. It is also a reassurance that I am doing what He wants me to do at this time. In a way, this is my lookout, waiting for the signs that God is going to fulfill His promise in my life. I cannot think of a better way to serve God than by continuing on this path.

TODAY's QUESTIONS:

1. What are you on the lookout for in your life?
   
2. How else can you see patience in this lesson?
   
3. How important is it to remember patience is often learned through hardship?

Isaiah, Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Isaiah is a short one, but it provides a powerful lesson in trusting God. During the time it was written Hezekiah was king of Judah and was witness to King Sargon of Assyria when he conquered and resettled Israel to the north. Naturally, as king of Judah, this made Hezekiah fearful that he was next to be conquered. As a result, he considered seeking an alliance with nearby Egypt and Cush.

Now as we saw in the previous two chapters, there had been prophecies made against the people of Egypt and Cush, but there was still some friendship between those people and Judah. King Hezekiah wanted to form an alliance of strength against the Assyrians, but God had other plans. God wanted Hezekiah to trust Him, not some outside source of strength, and that is why we get this warning against such an alliance.

3 Then the LORD said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, 4 so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt's shame. 5 Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame. 6 In that day the people who live on this coast will say, 'See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?' " – Isaiah 20:3-6

According to my study Bible there are two reasons for this warning. First, the warning was because Isaiah foresaw that any insurrection against Assyria would be useless. We know, historically, that this was true. It was akin to picking a fight against someone you had no chance of beating. Second, as mentioned previously, Isaiah wanted Hezekiah to trust God instead of trusting a foreign ally. Judah had become too dependent on foreign allies by this time, and needed to return its focus to God.

Remember on Friday, in our discussion of chapter 17, how I discussed the importance of putting the focus back on God? That is what we are reminded of today. In reality, this is the most important thing we can do, and over the course of the past several days I have been reminded of this not only from the Bible, but from several other voices. As a result I have made a conscious effort to quite myself when things appear to be out of my control and listen for that still, small voice of God. It is that voice that reminds me, even in the maelstrom of life, that I need to persevere.

        4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.—Revelation 2:4

I wanted to conclude with this verse from Revelation because I feel it relates to the message that Isaiah is trying to give us. John here is submitting a letter from Christ to the church in Ephesus. Though they were commended for following Christ and doing what Paul had charged them to do years earlier, they had become so consumed by it that they had forgotten the spirit of Christ, their first love. This relates because Isaiah is asking Hezekiah to remember his love of God. We also must remember this first love so that we trust in him, because we can easily become so consumed with what we are doing we forget to rely on God for our strength.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. What is your definition of the Love of God?
   
2. Why is it important for us to rely on God for strength?
   
3. Was Hezekiah weak in his faith for not relying on God when it seemed he had a solution in front of him?

Isaiah, Chapter 19

In chapter 19 of Isaiah, we once again find ourselves face to face with another of Israel's enemies. Egypt had been one of the dominant cultures on the planet for centuries, but around the time that Isaiah was written, their culture was a shadow of its former self. We saw an example of their power from the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob up to the Exodus. Though the early Egyptians had befriended Joseph and his family, by the time of Moses they had turned on them and made the Israelites slaves.

Does this judgment mean that God hates Egypt because of the way that she mistreated Israel? Not necessarily. God is angry with Egypt here because of the way that she worshipped false idols instead of God. That is outlined here in chapter 19 through Isaiah's poetic verse. Here Isaiah speaks about how Egypt will turn to her idols and false gods in a time of crisis, but those gods would be silent. Because of that, Egypt will learn to fear the Lord.

1 An oracle concerning Egypt:
       See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud
       and is coming to Egypt.
       The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
       and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.

 2 "I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—
       brother will fight against brother,
       neighbor against neighbor,
       city against city,
       kingdom against kingdom.

 3 The Egyptians will lose heart,
       and I will bring their plans to nothing;
       they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
       the mediums and the spiritists.

 4 I will hand the Egyptians over
       to the power of a cruel master,
       and a fierce king will rule over them,"
       declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

 5 The waters of the river will dry up,
       and the riverbed will be parched and dry.

 6 The canals will stink;
       the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up.
       The reeds and rushes will wither,

 7 also the plants along the Nile,
       at the mouth of the river.
       Every sown field along the Nile
       will become parched, will blow away and be no more. – Isaiah 19:1-7

Why would God show this judgment to Egypt? Well, like He did with the Assyrians, Babylonians, and such before this, God wanted to get Egypt's attention. So much of Egypt's economy relied on the Nile river and its annual floods. Here, this prophecy pretty clearly alludes to a disastrous drought that would prevent the floods from bringing their annual water for crops. Such a thing would be catastrophic, and naturally Egypt would turn to its own gods first. Since those gods were powerless, the true God would finally have their attention.

16 In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the LORD Almighty raises against them. 17 And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the LORD Almighty is planning against them. 18 In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD Almighty. One of them will be called the City of Destruction. 19 In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border. 20 It will be a sign and witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. – Isaiah 19:16-20

Here, we see hope for Egypt. In their time of greatest fear, a people that they oppressed, Judah, would come back and settle in the heart of Egypt. We also see here a final promise of the Lord delivering a Savior. Now why would God deliver a Savior to people that He hated? Well, this just shows His love and that he intends for all people to love Him. If God can love the enemies of His people and provide a Savior for them then, we can learn from this lesson and learn to love our own enemies.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. How would shaking up the kingdom of Egypt get the Egyptians to love God?
   
2. Why would Judah want to go and live in the land that had oppressed them?
   
3. Has this already happened, or is it yet to happen?

Isaiah, Chapter 18

During my commentary last week on chapters 13 and 14 of Isaiah, I pointed out that, despite the ethnocentric view that the Bible sometimes takes, God's message is still for the entire world. As we have seen so far throughout Isaiah, God has had specific judgments and warnings against Damascus, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and Moab. It may seem that God did not like these people and only liked the Israelites, but we know from reading that it was merely His judgment against them because they had turned away from Him.

Today we see something slightly different because the prophecy in chapter 18 concerns the people of Cush. The Cush were descendents of Ham that were believed to have lived in northeastern Africa and part of what is now modern day Saudi Arabia. Their largest concentration was along the Nile river south of Egypt. We see in the beginning of this chapter that they are called an aggressive people, but God calls for messengers to be sent to them. This is key because it appears that God has a different plan in mind for them other than judgment.

1 Woe to the land of whirring wings
       along the rivers of Cush,

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

This is clearly not a judgment against them. Clearly the Israelites had already had contact with the people of Cush, and since they are believed to be descendents of Ham they were ethnically related to the Israelites through Noah. This may be one of the earliest instances of the Lord sending out missionaries in His name to spread His love. As we can see from our previous discussions this is a big step. This also sets the stage for what Paul and the early church would accomplish in the New Testament. Clearly God has an open heart and an open mind here because he is not reigning down a judgment upon these people. They had had previous contact with the Israelites that appeared to be friendly (as evidenced by the fact they had sent envoys), so we know they are not a new people. They are also said to be aggressive, but they are not conquering like the Assyrians.

4 This is what the LORD says to me:
       "I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place,
       like shimmering heat in the sunshine,
       like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."

 5 For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone
       and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
       he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives,
       and cut down and take away the spreading branches.

 6 They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey
       and to the wild animals;
       the birds will feed on them all summer,
       the wild animals all winter.

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

If these people were aggressive against Israel, why would they bring gifts to the Lord Almighty? In this they were being submissive to the Lord, therefore, He found them in His favor. According to my study Bible's commentary, they were thankful that God had defeated the Assyrians, so they paid tribute to the Lord. I think this is a wonderful example that shows that even before Christ came, His message was meant for all nations.

One final point that is made here is the fact that the people of Cush, though relatives of the Israelites through Ham, are believed to be ethnically different from the Israelites. They are described as a tall, smooth-skinned people. Many Biblical scholars also believe they were black, and this was in no way viewed in a derogatory way by the Israelites. This proves that even as far back as the Old Testament, God was busy breaking down ethnic and racial barriers simply because those barriers are not as important as His message.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS

1. How have we sent his relationship with the Cush progress to the present day?
   
   
2. Do you see any animosity in this chapter between Cush and Israel?
   
   
3. How does this set the stage for future missionary work?
   
   

 

Isaiah, Chapter 17

10 You have forgotten God your Savior;
       you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.
       Therefore, though you set out the finest plants
       and plant imported vines,

 11 though on the day you set them out, you make them grow,
       and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud,
       yet the harvest will be as nothing
       in the day of disease and incurable pain. – Isaiah 17:10-11

It is unusual that I begin this blog with the Scripture passage, but those two verses from Chapter 17 of Isaiah stood out to me this morning. Lately I have been troubled by many burdens, both personal and public. Last night, however, God delivered in the form of a wonderful conversation and planning session with my wife. As I was lying in bed this morning, just minutes before my alarm went off, I felt compelled to simply praise God for His love and His mercy. I like to begin each day in prayer like this, giving Him the day before I even begin it. Today was a little bit different in that I felt the need to praise God for delivering me through yet another difficult period in my life. I have felt His hand moving so clearly lately, through my life, my marriage, and my new role as a leader in the small church group my wife and I attend.

That is where the above verses come in to play. Part of the reason for my recent depression is that fact that I was trying to handle all of these burdens myself. I was trying to do all the planning and figure out every step in solving every burden on my own. This, unfortunately is a step back to my old nature, as it shows my frail human side. I had forgotten God, my Savior. Therefore, even though I had set out the finest plants (my own plans) and made them grow, there was nothing there for me on the day of harvest. That day of harvest has been quickly approaching, as my wife and I have had many important decisions to make at the end of this month. Until last night, there was nothing to harvest, and I felt that everything I had been doing was in vain because I felt no direction and no better than when I had begun this process.

Though these verses come from yet another warning against one of Israel's enemies (this time Damascus) I feel they still apply on a personal level today. It certainly is possible to be caught up in this world and forget not only who God is, but what He has done for us. This gets back to our lessons on knowing where our strength lies. I think most people, including myself, are guilty quite often of forgetting what our rock is. This is a bad thing only because it takes us away from God and shows a lack of faith. Personally, this is one of the things I struggle with most, but when I do remember strength, my rock, it makes those moments so much sweeter. This morning was a very special moment basking in the glow of the savior, as it felt like I was awakening to a new day in the palm of the King of Kings. Therefore, I give the glory all to God on this day.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. How often do you feel you forget God?
   
2. Does this mean it is wrong to make your own plans?
   
3. How does God assist with planning such as this?
   

Isaiah, Chapter 15 and 16

My apologies for not publishing anything yesterday, but this is an incredibly difficult chapter to tackle and I was simply unable to come up with anything at work. I am also working on a few things to make this blog better and get it out to more people, so that has been consuming my spirit as well as many other things going on right now.

As a result of yesterday's largesse and because of a dearth of things to write about, I am putting chapters 15 and 16 together for today's discussion. Both go together because they concern the prophecy against Moab. Most people don't know where or what the land of Moab was. According to my study Bible, it was a very small country near Israel that fiercely valued its independence from the Assyrians and Babylonians. It shared a few links with Israel in that the Moabites had the same ancestral father as Israel, Terah, and King David's great-grandmother, Ruth, was from Moab. While they shared these things with Israel, they often conflicted with the Israelites. They frequently raided Israel, and that is why the bulk of chapter 15 offers a portent of doom for them.

5 My heart cries out over Moab;
       her fugitives flee as far as Zoar,
       as far as Eglath Shelishiyah.
       They go up the way to Luhith,
       weeping as they go;
       on the road to Horonaim
       they lament their destruction. – Isaiah 15:5

Isaiah, knowing the links that Israel and Moab share, shows a bit of sorrow here for the people of Moab unlike for the rest of Israel's enemies. This is also here to show that the Bible is a message of hope to all nations, and not just the nation of Israel. Many times in the Bible it appears that God is only concerned about the nation of Israel. Here though, is a prophetic vision where the author is mourning the fact that Moab had turned away from God. Why would there be sorrow over a nation God was judging? It is because God's message is for all people. As we know, God loves even as He disciplines. This is a case where His patience had ended and He was forced to discipline in order to turn people back to Him.

4 Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you;
       be their shelter from the destroyer."
       The oppressor will come to an end,
       and destruction will cease;
       the aggressor will vanish from the land.

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

 6 We have heard of Moab's pride—
       her overweening pride and conceit,
       her pride and her insolence—
       but her boasts are empty. – Isaiah 16:4-6

Who are these Moabite fugitives? Well, much like it was mentioned previously in Isaiah, there was a remnant of Moabite society that still followed God. Because of their proximity to Israel and the way the cultures had crossed for centuries, the message of God had reached them as well. These were the people that God was trying to save in his judgment against Moab. We must remember that there is always more to the story than what is written down here in the Bible. God's message has always been spread to people, but has not always been documented.

Finally, in this prophetic passage of judgment we see another message of hope. This is buried in verse five, which is clearly another prophecy concerning the majesty of Christ. I like how this links with the Moabite refugees from the previous verse, as it shows that Christ would be coming to bring hope to all people. These fugitives needed a Messiah as well, and they were turning to the God of the people who were often their enemies. Can you imagine this happening today? To me, this just shows even more of the power and beauty that the majesty of God brings.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. What made Moab different from Assyria and Babylon?
   
2. Why does Isaiah refer to this future vision of Christ as merely a man in verse five of chapter 16?here for the people of Moab unlike the rest of Israe
   
3. How does God's judgment show His love to those He is judging?

Isaiah, Chapter 14

So far in the book of Isaiah we have seen plenty of allusion towards the judgments awaiting this world. Here in chapter 14 we see more of that, as Isaiah returns to issuing dire warnings. This chapter is a little different, however, in that he begins to talk about what is going to happen to Lucifer at the end of time. He never mentions Lucifer by name here, but it is strongly hinted at that he is the one that will be subject to the worst of these judgments.

Almost since the beginning of time Lucifer has been sowing discord not only here on earth, but in heaven. We know that he is a master manipulator and deceiver. He is responsible for causing original sin and was cast out of heaven before the creation of the world. Because he once was in heaven and led a revolt of angels, we do know that he is a former angelic being. Despite what he thinks though, he is not equal to God.

12 How you have fallen from heaven,
       O morning star, son of the dawn!
       You have been cast down to the earth,
       you who once laid low the nations!

 13 You said in your heart,
       "I will ascend to heaven;
       I will raise my throne
       above the stars of God;
       I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
       on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.

 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
       I will make myself like the Most High."

 15 But you are brought down to the grave,
       to the depths of the pit.

 16 Those who see you stare at you,
       they ponder your fate:
       "Is this the man who shook the earth
       and made kingdoms tremble,

 17 the man who made the world a desert,
       who overthrew its cities
       and would not let his captives go home?"

 18 All the kings of the nations lie in state,
       each in his own tomb.

 19 But you are cast out of your tomb
       like a rejected branch;
       you are covered with the slain,
       with those pierced by the sword,
       those who descend to the stones of the pit.
       Like a corpse trampled underfoot,

 20 you will not join them in burial,
       for you have destroyed your land
       and killed your people.
       The offspring of the wicked
       will never be mentioned again. – Isaiah 14:12-20

One of the names Lucifer has been given is the morning star. This is how we know that he is the morning star that Isaiah is referring to here. We see that when God has won the final victory over him he will not have a fate as simple as one who ignored. Rather, he will be sent to the pit because he tried to exalt himself as the most high. This is yet another lesson against having too much pride, as we cannot hope to exalt ourselves above God. It is also a lesson in being humble. Lucifer has very little humility, which we know as a quality that God desires in us. The moment we begin to think we are equal to God in any way we begin to turn away from him because we then think we can accomplish things on our own.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. Why is Lucifer in store for a worse fate than someone who turned away from God.
   
2. Why does Isaiah equate Babylon to the morning star in this chapter?
   
3. Why are there further warnings here against Assyria?