Indignation of the Lord Isaiah 34

Isaiah 34:1 "Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people; let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it."

Indignation is a very strong word. It means anger aroused by something unjust. While Assyria and others were used to execute judgment on Israel, there was instance of nations going beyond this chastisement and abusing Israel. I do not totally understand all that is involved here but I think of parents and their children. A parent may do something that seems extreme prompted by a single event but is actually a result of cumulative infractions of parental rules. It was like the straw that broke the camel's back. But one thing for sure, no stranger should think they will get away with stepping in and correcting the child. So, it is with Israel.

v2 "For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all nations, and his duty upon all their armies; he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter."

It is a scary thing to be on the wrong side of the Lord's anger. It will happen to the unsaved when judgment day finally comes. There will be those looks of 'why me' and I've done so much for everyone and given to charity. The problem is we will not be judged by how we followed our plan of salvation but by how we followed God's plan of salvation. It will be an awesome day. Even as a child of God, I dread facing him.

v6 "The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea."

That verse escapes me for meaning but my thoughts, as I read it, were two fold: one of the word of God which is said to be sharper than a two edged sword, and of all the sacrifices Israel made even while they were turning away from the Lord. Sacrifices were an indication of their belief in God but without loyalty they meant nothing.

Then we see a description of a great nation and city which I think refers to Babylon.

v13 "And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof; and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court of owls."

Finally, we are told as was Israel, to search through the book of records to see if things did not happen as the Lord said they would.

v16 "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read; no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate; for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them." Speaking of the owls and vultures. See also Psalm 56:8 and Malachi 3:16

So Isaiah, is going about preaching of the coming days of trial and the judgment that follows. Also, he speaks of a future day when the people will be gathered and there will be joy with their true worship of the Lord.

Sunday Morning

Good Sunday Morning. My health won't let me go to church in the traditional sense so I tune in to an online service and set aside that time most every Sunday. On the side you will see a link to 'A country church' which is where I go. it is Eleventh Avenue Baptist Church. Just click on their webcast and pick a Sunday. Also, you might like to go to their music section and hear a few songs.

Land that is Very Far Off Isaiah 33

Isaiah 33:17 "Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off."

For those scattered and in captivity, this verse must have been a promise they kept in their hearts. At least some of them, those who came back to rebuild the wall for sure.

Those who have taken advantage of the weak will have their judgment day.

v2 "Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee."

Israel was rare (and is so now), they worshipped the one true God and there was a time when they exalted Him. For a time, this was not the case and trouble has come to the nation.

v5 "The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness."

He is high and lifted up but people need to acknowledge it. Our belief or non belief does not change his position but it certainly changes ours.

v9 "The earth mourneth and lanquisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits."

But there is hope in the Lord. Once the hearts of the people are changed. After judgment has turned the people from idols, then the good times come.

v10 "Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted, now will I lift up myself."

Imagine being taken from your homeland by people who do not understand your pleas for mercy. You tell them of your child who is lost in the crowd but they ignore you. They have no mercy or feelings and even if they did they did not understand your words.

v19 "Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand."

After judgment, then a new day.

v21 "But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. v21 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us."

Trouble now but joy is to follow.

Zephaniah 3:8 "Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy."

A King, A Man, A Hiding Place Isaiah 32

Isaiah 32:1-2 "Behold a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land."

Sounds like Jesus to me. He will be king. For now, he is our hiding place in a troubled world. He was called the Son of man while here as well as God with us. This chapter starts with the mystery that we now know to be the coming of Jesus as a virgin bringing salvation to us all.

It goes on to tell of the trouble that is to come and ends in hope.

v10 "Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women; for the vintage shall fall, the gathering shall not come."

We are still dealing with the judgment or chastisement of Israel. Remember Isaiah is going around telling the nation of things to come. The women are accustomed to plenty and of the harvest coming on time, as are the men. These verses tell them that there is coming a time when things will not be so.

v13 "Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city."

I noticed in this verse that the Lord still calls Israel 'my people'. He is not deserting them, only chastening them to bring them back to Him. He is by no means disowning them.

This verse tells of the time after.

v18 "And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;"

So, Isaiah tells them, trouble is just ahead but beyond that there is salvation.

Egypt Isaiah 31

Isaiah 31:1 "Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many;and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!"

Doesn't Israel sound a lot like all of us in our Christian life? We look every where for help when the Lord is standing there with outstretched hands.

Egypt is often used in a spiritual sense, in addition to the physical where the children of Israel fled to for protection.

Spiritually, Egypt is the place Christians often head for when things go wrong at church or in their life generally. Like Israel, they remember the food and good times but not the idols and slavery. Once we have crossed Jordan in our spiritual life, we have no business back in Egypt. The Lord is our protector now, even when things are bad.

v3 "Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh and not spirit, When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is helped shall fall down, and they all shall fail together."

What do people go back to? For some it is drugs or the bottle. They remember the friends that gathered round them and the feeling they got when all their problems seemed to disappear. Problems and troubles do not disappear just because they are forgotten in a drug or alcohol state. Someone still has to deal with them. It is only when their life comes crashing down that those returning to Egypt remember why they sought the Lord. Best to stay with what works even when times are bad.

v5 "As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem, defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it."

The Lord loves Jerusalem and loves us no less. He will defend us and preserve us if we let him.

Better days are ahead.

v7 "For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin."

So we see that it was not the best thing for Israel to flee chastisement by going down to Egypt and trusting in Egypt's horses and chariots. Those horses and chariots would be fine in a physical battle but Israel's problem is a spiritual one. They have forsaken the Lord for idols. Payday is here and there is no escape.

Be Quiet, Be Still Isaiah 30

Isaiah 30:15 "For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength; and ye would not."

We have said several times that Israel is going under the judgment of God for their idol worship and rejection of the one true God. Now instead of taking their chastisement like children should, they are running to find shelter someplace else.

v1 "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin."

We've heard it said to people in trouble that refuse help from those who love them, 'You are just making it worse.' Israel by not seeking the Lord but rather returning to the land they were delivered from, is just making things worse.

v2 "That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt."

Egypt is not the help Israel needs. Egypt gave Israel shelter once because of Joseph but later made them slaves. Israel departed slaves and were turned into a great nation by the Lord. It is shameful for Israel to now return to the land that enslaved them.

v3 "Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh, be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion."

So, if running is not the answer, what is the answer?

v7 "For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose; therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still."

v16 "But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee, and We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift."

So, we see Israel trying to avoid facing their chastisement but there will come a day when they seek the Lord for help and he will be there.

v18 "And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you; for the LORD is a God of judgment; blessed are all they that wait for him."

When the day comes that Israel can admit that they have been wrong to worship idols, then the Lord can help them. No one can really be helped until they admit to themselves that they need help.

Ariel Isaiah 29

Isaiah 29:13 "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men v14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."

It happened in the Jewish community and has happened in churches down through the ages...men have taken it upon themselves to try to improve on what God has said. It results in rule books put out by leaders. These rule books end up being heeded to more than the word of God.

v16 "Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?"

Ariel was where David dwelt but even that area was not exempt from the judgment because they had turned from God. You'd think people would learn that just because they are friends with someone special or that they belong to a certain organization, that it does not deliver them from obeying what thus saith the Lord. When it comes time to stand before God, it will be one to one, not as one having another to speak for them or having someone to blame for mistakes. When it is time to answer God, each individual will have to answer.

v6 "Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire."

There is one exception to what I said above. Jesus came to die for our sins. He alone can stand before God and represent us to his Father. That is what the plan of salvation is all about. We need someone who knows the judge and Jesus knows him well. He gave his life so that he could stand in for man. All we have to do is accept his salvation. He will do the rest.

After that stern beginning to the chapter, we are again given hope.

v18 "And in that day, shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. v19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."

We have seen this in our day. While it is not impossible for rich men to go to heaven, even Jesus said it was difficult as in his picture of a camel and the eye of a needle. But people get distracted by things and the rich have a lot of things. Often if we go to church, we will see the poor and needy making up most of the congregation.

Now there is some warning about people putting down other people for some error and shutting them out.

v21 "That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought."

We must be forgiving of people. Even the most devoted can make a mistake.

v24 "They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

I think it is saying to Israel that a better day is coming. We also can learn from the verses.