A Spa Or A Flood?

 

Isa 8:5 The LORD also spoke to me again, saying:  6 "Inasmuch as these people refused The waters of Shiloah that flow softly, And rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah's son; 7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them The waters of the River, strong and mighty-The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels And go over all his banks. 8 He will pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over, He will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! (“The Lord spoke to me again.”)

The waters of Shiloah mean nothing to you and I, but Isaiah’s audience knew full well what he was talking about. This pool was located in the southern part of Jerusalem. It is mentioned again in Jn 9:7, when Jesus made a clay substance out of dirt and His spit and applied it to the eyes of a blind man. Jesus then instructed the man to wash it off in the pool of Siloam.

“And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. (Jn 9:7)

The pool’s name means “sent.” And in this sense is meant to be a picture of the Messiah, who comes to us humbly, meekly, as the Son of God, who washes away our spiritual blindness in the waters that flow “softly.” The still small voice of the Holy Spirit calling us to repentance and subsequent forgiveness of our sins.

But Ahaz and the people of Judah would have none of this kind of help. They sought the help of an alliance with the world, and God granted it to them in spades with the ultimate result being a complete overwhelming of the nation by the armies of Assyria. A flood from the nation on the other side of the River (Euphrates.) Nothing would escape these floodwaters of judgment on the people who refused the waters of Shiloah, (who refused God’s gracious gift of salvation through His “sent” Son.

 

This truth hasn’t changed and it stands as a warning to you and I even today. What’s it gonna be for you?

An alliance with the world, or an alliance with the humble servant Son of God Jesus Christ. He comes to you, sent by God, to save your soul and take away your spiritual blindness.

God Has A Plan For You

 

Isa 8:3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, "Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; 4 "for before the child shall have knowledge to cry 'My father' and 'My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria."

 

We must remember here that God named the child even before he was conceived. The very name of the child was a prophetic message from God for King Ahaz and Judah. His name means, “speed the spoil and hasten the booty.” Strange name right?

 

But God was telling Ahaz and Judah that they need not fear Damascus or Samaria, because before the child is old enough to say “mommy”  or “daddy” God would use the Assyrians to “speed the spoil and hasten the booty” of these two enemies of Ahaz.

 

As it turns out, this was a major event in the history of God’s people. The prophecy was fulfilled in 732 B.C. when both Syria and Israel (the Northern Kingdom) were conquered by Assyria. A decade later, Assyria removed Israel’s wealth (the spoil and booty) AND many of her people, obliterating their national identity. Those Israelites who remained in the conquered land, intermarried with a variety of foreigners imported by Assyria, eventually giving rise to the Samaritans that we hear so much about in the New Testament.

 

Grasp the depth of the truth found in these passages! God knows you, indeed He KNEW you even before you were conceived! He has a reason for your existence, a plan for you. You fit into His overall scheme of things!

 

Ps 139:16 tells us: “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”

And in Jer 1:5 we read,  "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."

And then there’s the reminder concerning Esther:  "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" ES 4:14)

 

God has had His eye on you from the beginning of time. 2Ti 1:9 put it this way: “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,”

 

Saved for “His own purpose.”  Want to discover that purpose? Then “Be, believe, and pray.” By that I mean, live your life as it comes your way, believing and trusting in God’s Word as Your guide. When you do, His plans will unfold for you one trusting and believing step at a time.

Church Discipline

 

Isa 8:1 Moreover the LORD said to me, "Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man's pen concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 2 "And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah

 

Judah was being threatened by Syria and Samaria when the Lord gave this stunning prophecy to Isaiah. This prophecy was to be inked by Isaiah in front of two very reliable witnesses. These witnesses would be well known by the people of Isaiah’s day. (Uriah the priest, and Zechariah)

There is a well-known biblical truth espoused here in that a matter should be established by two or three witnesses. De 19:15  says, "One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.”

The Apostle Paul mentions it in 2 Cor 13:1, “This will be the third time I am coming to you. "By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established." (2 Cor 13:1)

 

And Jesus brought it up in the matter of the application of church discipline in  Mt 18:15-17, "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  16 "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' 17 "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

 

Church discipline is a very sticky topic and must be handled with cautious biblical application. Unfortunately, in most cases it is ignored for the very reason that it is a sticky situation, and the offender is allowed to continue in their rebellious behavior against God. That is not the loving thing to do.

 

How soon we forget the first part of this verse in that when sin is lovingly confronted, a brother (or sister) may be gained for the kingdom. What would you rather have? A restored brother or a ticked off unrepentant sinner?

 

We often hear that people have been “hurt by the church.” Many times that hurt has been felt by the application of church discipline. Sometimes the discipline was mishandled, but other times the attempt at correction was simply and brazenly ignored.

 

As for me, I want to belong to a Bible-believing church that has the guts to confront me if I should stray from the truth, and if I am in the wrong, I pray that I will have the guts to admit it, and with the Lord’s help correct my ways!

Grapes Or Thorns?

 

Isa 7:21 It shall be in that day That a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep; 22 So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give, That he will eat curds; For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land. 23 It shall happen in that day, That wherever there could be a thousand vines Worth a thousand shekels of silver, It will be for briers and thorns. 24 With arrows and bows men will come there, Because all the land will become briers and thorns. 25 And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe, You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; But it will become a range for oxen And a place for sheep to roam.

This chapter closes out with a prophetic picture of the desolation of the land due to the conquering nations of Egypt and Assyria. Verses 21 and 22 remind the people that what was once tillable farmland will become nothing but undeveloped pastureland. A man could hope to have a cow and maybe a couple of sheep but that will be about it. The land will no longer be colonized except for colonies of bees.

 

Verse 23 says that what could have been a fruitful vineyard worth lots of money will be nothing but the underbrush of briars and thorns.

 

Verse 24 says that the land will be good for nothing but hunting. The land that was once fruitful in every way will be turned into a hunting preserve.

 

Verse 25 tells us that the land will be utterly overrun by briars and thorns. In modern terms, the thorns and briars will be so bad, you wouldn’t bother looking for your golf ball! It will only be fit for tough oxen and thick wooled sheep.

Contrast the condition of the land when the Israelites first spied it out! Nu 13:23 Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs.

 

Grapes so lush it took two men to carry the cluster!

 

What does this mean for you and I? Simply put, in the eternal scope of things it’s one or the other. God’s eternal blessing for people who have put their faith in Christ, or God’s eternal lack of anything good for those who reject His Son.

 

It’s heaven or hell. What will it be for you, clusters of grapes or everlasting thorns?

Stripped Masculinity

 

    

Isa 7:20 In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor, With those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria, The head and the hair of the legs, And will also remove the beard.

 

The prophecy concerning the judgment against God’s people continues: The Assyrians, whom King Ahaz hired to help him, will be used by God as an instrument of judgement against His people. This God-ordained “barber” (Assyria) will be used of the Lord to utterly humiliate the Israelites.

 

The complete removal of hair from the conquered males was a sign of stripped masculinity. It is not without precedent in the Scriptures: The king of the Ammonites showed his utmost contempt against David when he cut off half the beards of David’s servants.  We read about it in  2Sa 10:4,5a, “Therefore Hanun took David's servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away.  5 When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed.

 

The stripping of masculinity in the church is a great weapon of the devil. Men have been ordained by God to fulfill specific roles of leadership in their families and in the church. When men abdicate their responsibilities, a void is created and the feminization of the church and family begins.

 

It’s not to say that women don’t have the abilities, it’s rather a violation of the God-ordained created order. It’s not the way He originally set it up to be. 1Ti 2:13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve.

 

So to the men I say…..”man up!” The church needs you to step back into your God-given role. The sooner you do, the sooner this gender confusion thing going on now will be resolved.  

He Created the Risk Board!

 

    

Isa 7:18 And it shall come to pass in that day That the LORD will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 They will come, and all of them will rest In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks, And on all thorns and in all pastures

Have you ever seen bees swarm? It’s one of my earliest childhood memories of growing up on a farm. Bees everywhere in the air, clouding the sky as they search for a new place to live. Their new abode could be in the clefts of rocks (any opening for that matter) or in the hollows of trees, or nests built in bushes and trees.  

 

God will whistle for these foreign armies and they will come and overrun Judah and then settle in every nook and cranny in the land. It’s His plan, it’s what He said He would do to judge Judah for their sins, and He did it.

If you ever find yourself struggling with the concept of the sovereignty of God, remember this verse from Isaiah. God is able to whistle for the bee and the fly. Like a trained dog, they will come and do his bidding. The bee and fly have no choice, they must do the Lord’s bidding.

 

The point is, He has the same power over the nations. He is able to move them around like a giant game board of Risk. Pr 21:1 tells us: “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

 

We may not like what we see going on in the nations of the world, but as bad as it may seem, God has a reason, and He has a plan and HE uses these nations as pawns to carry it out.

 

Whatever it may be that we don’t like about the situation in the nations of the world, let us humbly make it a matter of prayer, petitioning the One who created the Risk board. He is the only One who really can do anything about it! And maybe….just maybe, He is using these situations to stir us up as an arm of His mercy.

A Praise Aid

 

    

Do you ever struggle with finding the right words to use when praising the Lord? You know you should praise Him, but your words seem so inadequate. Or you skip over the exercise of praising the Lord, (because you have reduced your praises to an exercise) and instead of praising God, confessing your sins, and thanking Him, you just move on to your “wish list?”

I know this has happened to me more often than I like to admit! “I’m busy! I’ve got things to do today!” And I hand over my wish list to God and leave my prayer closet.

 

If that’s your struggle too, here’s some help for us. Break out the 145^th Psalm and READ IT OUT LOUD!

 

Ps 145:1 <<A Praise of David.>> I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

 2 Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.

 4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.

 5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.

 6 Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness.

 7 They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness.

 8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy.

 9 The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.

 10 All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless You.

 11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power,

 12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

 14 The LORD upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down.

 15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season.

 16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

 17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.

 18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.

 19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.

 20 The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.

 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.

Go Ahead, Whistle For A Fly

 

Isa 7:17 "The LORD will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father's house-days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah." 18 And it shall come to pass in that day That the LORD will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

 

The Lord speaks to King Ahaz through the prophet Isaiah and tells him, “this nation of Assyria with whom you want to make an alliance to save your skin, will rise up against you. I will beckon them in my timing and they will be an instrument of My judgment against you.”

 

This will not be pretty. It will mirror in many ways the downfall of the northern tribes (Ephraim)  who continually practiced the abominations that Ahaz was now engaging in. (Baal worship, child sacrifice, etc)   

 

Listen to the faulty reasoning of Ahaz as he seeks help in defending Jerusalem:

 

2Ch 28:23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

 

“They were the ruin”……… telling words. Sometimes we seek help for our dilemmas in the wrong places and we are willing to compromise our faith for what we view as an answer. We look to the arm of flesh to save us, but we really need is the Spirit of the Lord.

 

Zec 4:6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.

Let’s look at it this way: when we are able to whistle for flies and bees and they come buzzing to us to do our beck and call, maybe then we can rely on our flesh. Start today! Let me know when that first fly sits and shakes paw.

A Morning Prayer

 

   

Ps 143:8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. 9 Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; In You I take shelter. 10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. 11 Revive me, O LORD, for Your name's sake! For Your righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. 12 In Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant.

 

Continuing in the 143^rd psalm today and what a way to start your day! It worked for David, why not you?

 

At the start of his day, David asks for a touch of the Lord’s lovingkindness! “Lord kick start my day with Your mercy! Show me the way I should live today! I place my entire being in Your hands, to You O Lord I lift up my soul.

I acknowledge that there is an enemy of my soul who will try and thwart me at every turn from doing Your will. Deliver me from these enemies. Shelter me when I need it.

Holy Spirit teach me to do the Father’s will today. Don’t let me miss a single teachable moment. Lead me! Give me the spiritual energy I will need to follow You for Your righteousness and name’s sake!

Cut off my enemies! Head them off at the pass. Nip all temptations that come my way in the bud.

 

I ask that You do all these things for Your name’s sake that I may serve You today in all my doings. I am Your servant. Here I am Lord, what is it You would have me do!”

A Telling Remark

 

Let’s continue looking at this prayer of David found in the 143^rd Psalm. We pick it up at verse 7:

 

Ps 143:7 Answer me speedily, O LORD;

 

And you thought you were the only one who prays: “I need an answer and I need it now!”

My spirit fails! “I can’t handle this delay!”

 

Do not hide Your face from me,  “Give me something Lord!” Just a glimpse of Your lovingkindness!

 

Lest I be like those who go down into the pit. Oooh, now that’s a telling remark. You do not want to be lumped in with those going to hell. They will never get a glimpse of the Lord again! His face will be hidden from them! They will never, ever taste of anything good for eternity. No glimpses of the goodness of God that come to us in His creation. Those of you who reject Jesus in this life, all I can tell you is enjoy your life now because it is the only good you will ever see again. You, like the rich man, in the parable of Lazarus will beg for quick relief, but it will not be forthcoming. You have made your bed by rejecting Jesus in this life, and now you must lie in it forever.

It doesn’t have to be like that! Listen to the Holy Spirit calling you to Jesus who promises in Joh 6:37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

A Prayer From David

 

 

Ps 143:1 <<A Psalm of David.>> Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness.

 

David begins this Psalm with a plea to God: It reminds me of that portion of our weekly worship service when we present our prayer petitions before the Lord, and the pastor says, “Lord in Your mercy,” and the congregation replies, “Hear our prayer.”

God delights to hear the prayers of the upright! Pr 15:8b reminds us: “the prayer of the upright is His delight.

Then, in verse 2, we read, 2 Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

David acknowledges that he is not worthy of God’s delight and if his prayer is to be heard, it’s not because he deserves it, but only because of God’s great grace and mercy!

This is the right attitude of prayer, it mirrors the tax collector’s prayer found in Lu 18:13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

David continues: 3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead. 4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed.

Here we see David’s reason for prayer. He feels like the devil’s personal hacky sack

Then in verses 5 and 6 it hits David! 5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. 6 I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.

 

“It wasn’t always like this, I have let my first love slip! I remember now those days when I pondered Your work in my life, and so here I am, once again lifting my hands to You, asking You to quench my spiritual thirst!

 

He concludes with the word “Selah.” It’s a musical direction and indicates a time to pause, to rest, to let what has just been said sink in. Let us do the same.

Then let us follow the direction given to church at Ephesus found in Re 2:4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.

 

“God, rekindle that first love in our hearts, when Your Holy Spirit first showed us how great Your love toward us has been and continues to be.

For the Cave Dweller (Spiritual Spelunkers)

 

Today I want to spend a little time speaking to those who find themselves trapped. Those who feel a bit squeezed in on all sides. David wrote the 142 Psalm when he was in a cave…..trapped. Typically there is only one way out of a cave….you head for the light.

 

Ps 142:1 <<A Contemplation of David. A Prayer when he was in the cave.>> I cry out to the LORD with my voice; With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. 2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. 3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk They have secretly set a snare for me. 4 Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul. 5 I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, "You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. 6 Attend to my cry, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are stronger than I. 7 Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name; The righteous shall surround me, For You shall deal bountifully with me."

 

Note some things that David did in his situation. He verbalized his complaint. He declared his trouble to the Lord. “Don’t just “think” your troubles and complaints, speak them out to God. He is not afraid of your honesty!

David feels alone in his dilemma, as if others wouldn’t understand, Even though there are others in the same situation, he can’t see them for the darkness that has overtaken him.

For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul. Maybe you’re feeling like that as well. Take heart for God understands! Bring your situation to Him!

Ask Him as David asked Him to “attend, deliver, and bring.”

. 6 Attend to my cry,; Deliver me from my persecutors Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name And when He does, don’t forget to “praise His name.”

Fulfilled Prophecy: Let It Strengthen Your Faith In the Sovereignty of God

 

    

Isa 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.  15 "Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 "For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.

 

This is where prophecy at times seems to be muddled, as the line between distant future events and immediate future events gets a little blurry. It’s easy to see how this prophecy concerns the distant arrival of Jesus the Messiah, but then in verse 16 we see a more immediate prophecy in the offing.

 

It is helpful here to know that Isaiah had brought his son along with him to this meeting with Ahaz, and the son’s presence serves as an object lesson for the king.

 

We read about it in Isa 7:3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller's Field,

 

Shear-Jashub in the Hebrew language means, “a remnant shall return..” So here’s Isaiah with his son. I can imagine the introduction. “Hi King Ahaz I’d like you to meet my son, “a remnant shall return.” (ahem…hint, hint) The very name of the boy, (whom God had instructed Isaiah to bring along speaks of consolation to King Ahaz.) it reminds him that it’s not necessary to get outside help to deal with these two kings.

 

God has placed the object lesson (Shear-Jeshub) before the king and says before this kid reaches adolescence, these two kings will be history. And history tells us, it was so.”

 

Fulfilled prophecies! Too many to mention in this short devotion, but allow these prophecies to speak to you concerning the Sovereignty of God, and thereby strengthen your faith. Bow your knee to the one who holds history in His hand. We don’t call it His-story for nothing.

Fully God, Fully Man

 

Isa 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 15 "Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.

 

You know what? These prophecies are above my pay grade. One minute we are talking about the virgin birth of Immanuel, (and I get that) but what has a diet of curds and honey got to do with Him and since when does a diet develop a gift of discernment? I mean c’mon, this is Immanuel, God with us! He has known to refuse evil and choose good from eternity! He’s the One who set the standards of right and wrong before there was anything. What’s going on here?

 

Let me say first of all, say that whereas the virgin birth and name of Immanuel speak of the deity of this prophesied child, verse 15 speaks of His humanity! He will eat the diet of all children, but even as an infant and preadolescent He will be sinless. “Refusing evil and choosing good in all circumstance!

 

Jesus is fully God and fully man and He was without sin! We need to know this and believe it! 2Co 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

So these two verses in Isaiah help strengthen our faith in Jesus as the One whom God sent to save us from our sins! He was promised to us in the garden of Eden and that promise is reaffirmed here in Isaiah. Believe it! And believe the words in Joh 3:16,17 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Let This Strengthen Your Faith

 

Isa 7:13 Then he said, "Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

 

Isaiah shifts gears here. Ahaz and his contemporaries will not listen to God and the shoe of God’s judgment is about to fall on them. It will be a crushing judgment and in light of God’s promise to the house of David, the remnant are going to have to be reassured.

Remember God’s promise to David? Nathan told David in 2Sa 7:12,13,  "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  13 "He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

 Here, Isaiah reassures the remnant in the house of David that He has not forgotten! He has prepared a sign for them, something to watch for as a reminder that God has not reneged on His promise.

 

A miracle of a virgin birth will occur and the child will be called Immanuel (God with us!) That sign would come to pass in full realization some 700 years later when Jesus was born! Mt 1:22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

 

This was the great hope of “the House of David,” (the Old Testament church) We in the NT church have been blessed in the fulfillment of this prophecy which we commemorate every Christmas season.

 

Let the fulfillment of this prophecy  strengthen your faith as we await the fulfillment of still another….the return of Jesus on Judgment Day.

Joh 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

 

Jesus is coming again! 2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

 

Embrace this truth and live in the hope of His return!

 

Make A Joyful Noise

 

 

For me, there is nothing like the Psalms to hear the voice of the Lord. As I mentioned last time, I have gotten lackadaisical in my personal prayer time and when that has happened in the past, I have learned to return to the Psalms to restart my personal conversations with the Lord.  “The heavens are never bronzed, when I spend time in the Psalms.”

 

Ps 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion.

 2 We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it.

 3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

 4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song In a foreign land?

 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget its skill!

 6 If I do not remember you, Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth-If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy.

As I read this Psalm this morning, I was struck by the importance of “joy in the Lord.” Nehemiah reminded the people that “the joy of the Lord is their strength,”

 

In this Psalm the Israelites are about to cross the river into captivity, and they are ready to hang up their harps! As they prepare for what appears to be the joyless drudgery of captivity.

Note that their captives ask a song of “mirth” (v3) from them. This tells me that songs of mirth were something the Israelites were known for, and it ought to be a trademark of Christians as well!

Ps 100:1 encourages us to: “Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!”

What a wake up call for God’s people as they ask the rhetorical question, “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? And they answer themselves with “ How can we not?”

If we don’t desire to praise the Lord, may I forget how to play the guitar! (v5)

If we don’t desire to sing the Lord’s song, may my voice go on lock down! (v6)

Let my songs of praise to You O Lord, trump any and all joys of this world! (v6)

 

Maybe you are being roughed up a little today by the Babylonians (the devil and the world) Break out the praise songs! Open up the hymnal! Belt out a song or two praising our God!

In light of what Jesus has done for us, how can we not?

God's Overriding Mercy

 

 

I’m going to step away from Isaiah today, and I would ask that you take the time to read the 136^th Psalm with me. It’s too lengthy to include in what is meant to be a short devotion, so I’ll trust that you’ll give it a read on your own.

 

First of all, I have a confession to make. I have been so intent on writing devotions and preparing sermons and Bible studies that I have allowed my personal prayer life to go south. This is never a good thing as we read in Pr 24:33,34, “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest;  34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

Anyway, I was reading the 136^th Psalm today and in it, the Psalmist recounts the great deeds of God in creation and in delivering His people. But the biggest distinguishing mark of this Psalm is the repetition of the phrase, “For His mercy endures forever.” This phrase is repeated 26 times!

 

This was a spiritual jolt for me today! Let me never forget this overriding character trait of the God of gods, and Lord of lords!  Let me never dismiss the times that God’s overriding mercy has shown up in my life. (I don’t know the half of

 

I had to ask myself, “What have I been able to accomplish in my life? What have I enjoyed in my life? What have I been able to endure in my life, were it not for the overriding mercy of the Lord!  The answer is nothing! And so, I say, and I invite you to say  with the Psalmist: Ps 136:1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.