Father, Forgive Them

 

 

Continuing to look at the reign of the wicked King Ahaz. Unlike his predecessors (Uzziah and Jotham) Ahaz did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord. Let’s look at the specifics:

 

(1) He made molded images of Baals for people to worship.

(2) He burned incense in the Valley of the son of Hinnom. Apparently, this “valley” was the place where child sacrifice was practiced. It was sort of the abortion clinic of the Old Testament! Where innocent lives were sacrificed on the altar of ignorance. Father forgive them, they know not what they do or they wouldn’t do it.

(3) He encouraged moral decline in Judah, (2Ch 28:19 For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the LORD.

(4) He became increasingly unfaithful to the Lord. 2Ch 28:22 Now in the time of his distress King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the LORD.

 

The “distress” that King Ahaz underwent was a direct result of the judgment of God, who had delivered Judah into the hands of Syria and a great many of the people were killed or carried away captive. Yet Ahaz did not change his ways. He did not repent, In fact he went the other way becoming increasingly unfaithful. Like a snowball on it’s way to hell.

 

But it’s not all bad news, in the midst of this great apostasy, God sent His prophet Isaiah who consistently called the people to repentance. And Isaiah spoke of better days for those who would return to the Lord! Isa 4:2 In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped.

 

The message hasn’t changed. Beautiful and glorious days await those who escape God’s judgment by putting their faith in the Messiah. Eternal death and destruction for those who refuse Him and choose to continue to be unfaithful. And remember, there is no sin that Jesus didn’t pay for on the cross!

Giving Us What We Want

 

 

The prophet Isaiah prophesied during the reign of 4 kings in Judah and we’ve been looking at the state of things during these times to get an idea of the moral condition of Judah. The first two kings, (Uzziah and Jotham) were good kings who sought to do what was right in the sight of the Lord.

Unfortunately, the people had other ideas and lived contrary to the Word of God. Then along came King Ahaz. He was a disaster, he was just what the “corrupt” people were asking for, and as it is so many times, God judged the people by giving them what they wanted.

 

Remember when the people complained about a lack of meat in the wilderness and God gave them birds. So many birds that they choked on them! Let me refresh your memory as we look at God’s response to their complaint: Nu 11:19 'You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,  20 'but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the LORD who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, "Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?"'"

Then there’s the judgement of God we find in Ro 1:20-25, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Did you catch that part in verse 24? “God gave them up!” He was saying this is what eventually happens when you refuse to glorify God and you decide to worship the creature rather than the Creator.

And then He spells it out for us in the remaining verses of that chapter: Ro 1:26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

This is what has been happening in our nation for years. We lament the moral decadence in our country, but the truth is God is just giving us what we want. He is giving us the results of our self-creature-worship, rather than God-worship.

Beware Lukewarmness

 

Just beginning to walk through the Book of Isaiah, and I thought it would be instructive to get a little background concerning the times in which this book was written. Context is always a good thing when meditating on the Scriptures!

 

Isaiah prophesied (was the Lord’s mouthpiece) during the reign of 4 kings in the southern kingdom of Judah. 3 of the 4 kings were “good,” meaning they sought to do what was right in the sight of the Lord.  Three of the four kings were blessed with times of prosperity and security, yet during Jotham’s reign, the people “acted corruptly.” 2Ch 27:2 says this about Jotham, “And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of the LORD). But still the people acted corruptly.”

 

The word “corruptly,” means “to decay.” Let’s allow that word to sink in a little. Good times were rolling, the borders were secure, and the people got morally lackadaisical. Spiritual decay was setting in, and the putrid smell of decay, in the form of moral decay was wafting up to the nostrils of God…and when that happens, God typically sends judgment in an attempt to get our attention, so that we might turn back to Him.

 

The first time this word “corrupt,” shows up in Scripture is found in Ge 6:11 just before God called people to repentance through Noah. “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” The people “stunk” but God always warns us before He sends judgment, and so Noah preached righteousness for 120 years, but the people ignored him, and therefore God judged the world with the great flood.

 

So now we see, the necessity of sending Isaiah to Judah…the people were “acting corruptly.” They needed to be warned about His impending judgment and they needed to be told the way of escape. There is never a greater need for prophets, than when the good times are rolling!

 

Am 6:1 puts it this way: “Woe to you who are at ease in Zion,”

 

Given the state of things in our nation today, I’d say we need prophets! We need a call away from corruption. A call away from spiritual decay, and lackadaisical morality. Beware of spiritual lukewarmness in your own life, lest the Lord spew you out. Re 3:16 "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

You Can Lead A Horse To Water, But...

 

Isa 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Isaiah prophesied during the reign of these kings in the southern kingdom of Judah, and I thought it might be instructive to get a feel for the backdrop of these “words from the Lord.” Last time we talked about the military genius Uzziah who was eventually done in by pride, today let’s look at the next king…Jotham.

Jotham was another “good” king in the lineup of the kings of Judah, We are told that he “did what was right in the sight of the Lord.”  “But still the people acted corruptly.” Ahh, now we begin to see the necessity of Isaiah calling the people to repentance. Two good leaders so far during Isaiah’s time, and yet the people acted corruptly. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink!

 

Under Jotham, new fortified cities were built, the Ammorites were defeated, and the national treasury was in good shape. What was the secret to Jotham’s success? We find it in 2Ch 27:6, “So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.”

 

Simply put, he didn’t make his plans and THEN asked God to bless them, rather, he took his plans to the Lord in prayer and waited on His guidance. STRONG lesson there for you and I! This lesson is affirmed for us in in Pr 16:1-3, “The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.  2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits. 3 Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established.

 

Next time you’ve got some plans bursting forth in your mind, why not take the time to run them by the Lord? Then wait and see how things unfold. Isa 28:29  says this about the Lord and His guidance, He is: wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.

 

Plans are all about tomorrow, aren’t they? Then why not put them in the One who holds tomorrow in His hands: “Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (James 4:13,14)

 

 

Be Very Wary of Pride

 

Isa 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

I cracked open the Book of Isaiah this morning and am praying that God would allow me to unearth some of the treasures He has for us in this greatly revered book of the Old Testament.

My Zodhiates Hebrew/Greek Study Bible says this about the Book of Isaiah: “The Book of Isaiah contains more prophecies about the Messiah than any other Book in the Old Testament. In fact, the plan of salvation is so comprehensively revealed in Isaiah’s work that Augustine called it the fifth Gospel, and others have referred to it as “the Bible in miniature.”

If this were the only Book of the Bible, it would be enough to lead us to saving faith in Jesus!

 

The visions found in this book came to Isaiah from the Lord, during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. These four kings ruled in the Southern Kingdom from about 740 to 697 B.C. and you’d think they were all bad rulers that needed correction from the Lord through His mouthpiece, Isaiah. But the truth is, three out of four of these kings weren’t all that bad. Ahaz was the only rotten apple in the bunch and we are told in 2 Chron, 28:1, that he did not do what was right  in the sight of the Lord.

 

Today, let’s briefly look at the reign of Uzziah. 2Ch 26:5 tells us, “He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.”

 

Uzziah was a military genius, conquering many of Judah’s enemies and even inventing weapons of war that were far ahead of his time: 2Ch 26:15 And he made devices in Jerusalem, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong.

 

What happened to Uzziah when he became strong? Next verse: 2Ch 26:16 But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.

The pride of Uzziah, led to his downfall. The Lord struck him with leprosy and he remained a leper until he died. By the way, when you see leprosy in the Bible, pride and self-righteousness are its companions. Be very wary of these two sins, lest they lead to your own downfall.  

 

Let that be our lesson for today. Pride goes before the fall. Pr 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

Preparing For Worship

 

 

Ps 121:1 <<A Song of Ascents.>> I will lift up my eyes to the hills-From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

 

I love the “Songs of Ascents”  as found in Ps 120 – 134. These are the songs the people sang on their pilgrimage to the temple at Jerusalem. They are “ascents” because Jerusalem was on a higher elevation and it was a climb to get there. It wasn’t as easy to get to church in those days as it is today.

In our world of Covid restrictions, we just “lift our eyes” to our smart phones, or our computers, or our large screen TV in order to worship on Sundays, and the only thing we have to worry about tripping over are those Legos the kids left on the floor! As far as “heat of day and cold of night,” well, just adjust the thermostat!

Yes, it’s a lot easier going to church these days!

And we are all looking forward to the day when we can once again pile into our vehicles and drive to church. I wonder, what did that drive to church sound like and look like in your vehicle before we were hit with these Covid restrictions? Was there stony silence over some careless words or action spoken the morning of? Was there the sound of the bickering of children in the back seat? Was there a view of a sulking reluctant teen in your rearview mirror? Was the whole family in the vehicle, or was the spouse staying home again?

Maybe that trip to church isn’t as easy as I’m making it out to be. But these songs of ascents have a purpose. They can help us get our focus in the right place. No matter what’s going on in our lives, we can choose to join with the pilgrims in this Psalm and head to church with joy in our hearts because we know that our help is found in the God whom we will meet in a very personal way in church.

This is the God who created heaven and earth and He is on your side. He will keep you from stumbling. He is your Keeper who never dozes off! He will keep you in the heat of day and the cold of night. And check this out, three times in the last two verses we are told that this God that we are going to worship in church will preserve us. He will keep us safe in His arms no matter what’s going on around us.

It is as Jesus said in  Joh 10:28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

 Maybe it would be a good idea to read one of these Psalms before we pile into the SUV and head off to church. Nothing like a fresh perspective as we head off to church!

 

Eye Has Not Seen

 

Job 42:11 Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. 12 Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17 So Job died, old and full of days.

Here we are, at the end of the Book of Job. A book that starts out with a devout believer experiencing great blessing, only to have it all stripped away. He even lost his ten children tragically in a tornado, and then was inflicted with extremely painful sores.

He went from someone you would want to hang out with to a pitiful man who was difficult to look at and in fact was unrecognizable to his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.

Here at the end of the Book, Job evidently has been healed of his sores and now his brothers and sisters and friends begin to call on him again. Words that didn’t come easily when Job was going through his struggles, now apparently flow like honey. They comfort Job, they console Job after the fact.

 

The motivation behind this reversal of a desire for fellowship is irrelevant here. The main point is fellowship has been restored! Let us rejoice in that!

His livestock restored in spades! Rejoice!

Gifted with 10 more children including three stunningly beautiful daughters. So strikingly beautiful that they are named! A rare honor in Scripture! Rejoice!

 Job is granted many more years and is able to see his great, great, great, grandchildren, and he dies “old and full of days.” Which is another way of saying, “he lived a full life!” Rejoice!

 

This account of Job is mentioned in another place in Scripture and well worth noting as a lesson for all of us! Jas 5:11 says, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

The lesson for all of us is to endure and persevere. As we reside in this veil of tears this side of heaven, we will have trial and tribulation, but the end result for those who endure is enjoying the end intended all along for you by a compassionate and merciful Lord!

That “good end” may happen in the here and now as it did for Job, but it also may be reserved for you in heaven, where Jesus is busily preparing a mansion for you! As you hang in there during those tough times remember: 1Co 2:9 But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

 

Endure! Persevere in the faith. There is a compassionate and merciful God who intends to bless you!