Peace - Isaiah 66

Isaiah 66:13 "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem."

Basically, this chapter says, I the Lord started it and will finish it. In the end Jerusalem will be a place of rejoicing.

v9 "Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD; shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God."

Remember what we have studied, how the Lord took Abraham on a journey from his home to the land of Canaan. Then, how he multiplied his family after he was old and Sarah was old. Then in travail, he forged a nation from slaves out of the land of Egypt and marched them to victory in Canaan.

The sad part is that after all they they rebelled against Him and worshipped idols. Thus the punishment, but victory will still come.

v15 "For behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire."

We cannot pass this chapter with mentioning verse 12 which I believe the great song "It is Well with my Soul" came. V12"For thus saith the LORD, Behold I will extend peace to her like a river, ..." I Heard a story about the writing of that song which I hope is a true account: A man lost his family on a voyage to America. He journeyed back across the ocean and the captain told him when he reached the spot where his family went into the deep. He then penned the words to the song upon receiving peace in his soul that only God can give in such a tragedy.

"When peace like a river, attendeth my soul and shadows like sea billows roll..."

v23 "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD."

Salvation - Isaiah 63

v9 "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: In his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old."

The chapter talks of the fury of the Lord over the sin of his people then of the salvation he brought to them, not because they were good but because he loved them.

v3 "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments; and I will stain all my raiment."

Here we are made aware of the tremendous capability of an angry God. It is said in scripture that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31

Psalm 7:11 "God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day."

Humankind faces judgment for sin. It seems there is no way out. The good part is that along with judgment, there is grace right now. People can find that grace by seeking the Lord. There will be a day when the time of grace is over and the world will be judged for wickedness.

v8 "For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie; so he was their Savior."

Have you ever been disappointed in someone? It is bad when a stranger or someone at work disappoints you. When it comes to family, those who say the love you, those you have given your life to protect, when they lie to you and do those things that break your heart, it is almost to much to bear. So did Israel to the Lord and so do we Christians at times.

v10 "But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit; therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them."

You love that child who has been disobedient, perhaps a spanking is in the works. Then, they cry those tears and you take them in your arms.

v11 "Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?"

A desperate prayer, everyone has forgotten us but surely Lord you remember.

v16 "doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not; thou, O LORD, art our Father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting."

They are seeking God in their distress. Sometimes it takes extreme measures to turn people back to God. Seeking the Lord is the first step toward salvation. We will only seek him when we are able to see that we are sinful and need his salvation.

Jesus and New Jerusalem - Isaiah 60

Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee."

I cannot begin to get all this chapter has to offer. It talks of the coming Christ, the New Jerusalem and the coming together of the nations at the feet of the Messiah. Of course, for this time of writing, it is shrouded in mystery not to be revealed until a child is born in a little town in Israel.

v2 "For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee."

I think all people hunger for true words of wisdom that will show the way to peace and happiness. Perhaps, and most likely, that was why all the people were so hungry for those words when first John the Baptist and then Jesus came on the scene in Israel. They pointed the people back to their God.

v3 "And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."

That is a glimpse of what happened in Bethlehem when the wise men came to present their gifts.

v6 "The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD. See also Genesis 25:4, Psalm 72:10

The redemption of Jerusalem.

v10 "And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee; for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor have I had mercy on thee."

We all need that mercy at times. It is not punishment we want for what we know we have done wrong but we fall under grace and mercy and trust in God's forgiveness.

v15 "Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I wil make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations."

Then we glimpse what John saw in Revelation.

v19 "The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory." See also Revelation 21:23

The great prophecy yet to be fulfilled but it is to be a reality coming soon.

v21 "Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified."

This chapter is worthy of more study. It will take you to the life of Jesus and to the book of Revelation and probably Daniel. It will make you want to, once again, study the history of this great nation Israel.

Light - Isaiah 59

Isaiah 59:16 "And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him."

The hopelessness of man seems evident when we get down to the facts. A doctor may be the best there is but when he is sick he needs another to treat his illness. We are in no way the best when compared to God's righteousness. We cannot measure up by ourselves. Therefore we need someone who can measure up, to stand for us and represent us. To treat us.

v1-2 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."

Here is the dilemma for man: We cannot approach God because we are sinful. How then can we defend ourselves before him. Just as Job became silent, so must we before his righteousness. We are guilty without a doubt. Then in came Jesus to our defense. He lived a perfect life and died in our place for our sin and rose again to present himself to his Father on our behalf. Thus the answer to sinful man's approach to God.

v8 "The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings; they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace."

Isn't peace what we all seek?

This message to verse 8 seems to have touched the prophet deeply for the chapter turns into a prayer.

The confession: v9 "Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us; we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness."

Hopelessness: v10 "We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes; we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men."

I have always said that you cannot teach someone who knows everything already. It is true also that a person who does not realize that they are lost will not take direction. One must see a need in their life before they will seek to fulfill that need. Such is salvation.

v12 "For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;"

There it is out in the open. We are lost and undone.

v20 "And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. Repentance is turning from.

Though this passage was to Israel in those days, there is the inclusion of the Gentiles. The Redeemer is for all who will come to him. So, we find application for our lives in these words. There is hope for those who stumble in the darkness. Let the light of the Redeemer guide to peace inside.

Acceptable Fast - Isaiah 58

Isaiah 58:6 "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?" v7 "Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh"

Here is a time when ritual is carried out in fasting. They are declaring a fast while going about their pleasures, then asking why God does not hear them.

v4 "Behold ye fast for strife and debate, and to site with the fist of wickedness; ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high."

It is pointed out to them that they cannot expect to be heard by the Lord if they are going to observe fasting while still carrying on their wickedness and ignoring the needs of those around them, even their own people.

v10 "And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:"

Jesus described fasting as a private thing that should be done in secret and with a cheerful appearance.

Matthew 6:16 "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. verily I say unto you, They have their reward. v17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; v18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."

So, we see that fasting is a private matter of the heart with God. It is not for a show to others to illustrate how religious we are or as would be said these days, how spiritual we are. You might find it difficult to carry out a fast without explaining yourself to family. They might think you sick or something. You might say "I'm just not eating for a day or two."

v13 "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; v14 Then shalt thou delight thy self in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father, for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

We are learning that worship of the Lord is a matter of the heart. There are still outward actions that signify that we are devoted to him, but they are overflow from true worship of the heart.

See Leviticus.

Troubled Sea - Isaiah 57

Isaiah 57:20-21 "But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."

We have all seen the pictures of the sea when it is tossed and slams against the beaches in rage. Such is the case for those who persist in wickedness even after they see the uselessness of the struggle to declare their righteousness.

v10 "Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved."

By comparison the righteous have a hope of peace and rest.

v1-2 "The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and mericiful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come."

Although the righteous seem to be the ones punished it may be that they are taken to protect them from a greater trial ahead.

v2 "He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness."

The evil ones keep on in their deeds of evil:

v3 "But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore. v4 "Against whom do ye sport yourselves?..."

v5 "Enflaming yourselves with idols..."

v7 "Upon lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed..."

v8 "Behind the doors also and the posts ..."

Sometimes it seems evil is all around us and there is no stopping it. But judgment day will come when they will stand to account.

v13 "When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away, vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain;"

As has been said before, the ways of God are much above our understanding but he tells us in his word that there is a day of reckoning (as the song says) in the by and by.

Watchman - Isaiah 56

Isaiah 56:10 "His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber."

The mystery will be revealed and the time is drawing near. v1 "Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice; for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed."

In spite of the present trouble, they are encouraged to hang on, to keep doing the right thing for just a little while longer.

There is hope given to the stranger and the eunuchs as well.

v3 "Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people; neither let the eunuch say, Behold I am a dry tree."

For the stranger they will be gathered together and as for the faithful eunuch there will be a place in with an everlasting name.

Verse 7 tells the reward: "Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people." I think the key phrase here is 'for all people'.

What must they do to receive this reward? It is in the previous verse.

v6 "Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;"

It reminds me again of the story Jesus told about the wedding where those who were invited would not come so the king sent out to bring in those of the highways and byways. It is found in
Matthew 22:2-14.

Come to the Waters Isaiah 55

Isaiah 55:1 "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, bu, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."

There is no greater satisfaction than to get a cool drink of water when you are thirsty. I remember when we were on the farm, it was so hot we hat to bury the water jug in the sandy soil to keep it cool. It tasted so good when we worked our way to that jug of water.

Here thirst is not just the physical thirst but the thirst of the soul for that which is good and right. It is being out 'there' where evil reigns and finally struggling to that righteous water of forgiveness where it is given freely.

v7 "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Perhaps, one would wonder how God could forgive after people have turned from him and worshipped idols. How does a parent forgive and welcome home a wayward child? It is love.

v8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD."

Men often think that they have reached a pinnacle of some sort in their thinking. Perhaps thinking that they have climbed higher than any other in their intellect. Still, to their dismay, they are still man and think only with the God given capacity of a man.

v9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

As we explore space on our limited basis, we can see even clearer how small we are compared to God. His hand made the vastness than we can only imagine.

We should indeed respect and take the hand of God that reaches toward us.

Redemmer - Isaiah 53:4

Isaiah 53:4 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

I cannot do this chapter justice. It is a prophecy of Christ's suffering and his nature. He would come, not as a mighty king but, as a lowly citizen of Israel yielding to the sorrows and grief of man. Yet, He was God manifested in the flesh. It is a difficult concept if you are not a Christian. Even then, it requires that we reach deep within our hearts to try to understand this kind of love.

v2 "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him."

I believe this speaks of Jesus being formed in the womb and his birth as the shepherds saw him. He would be conceived of God 'made of a woman'. It was indeed a miracle but not hard for God. He did after all take clay and form man then made woman from a rib of man. Without belief there will be no acceptance of such miracles.

Doesn't this sound like the life of Jesus? v3"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief : and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

In the previous chapter, we were told to Hearken, Awake, sit up straight and learn that a redeemer is coming and Zion will shine again. Jesus was the vehicle of this recovery.

His suffering: v5"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

We have long concluded that man cannot save himself from his rebellion against God. Better known as sin against God. It is like a man caught in quicksand, beyond the reach of a limb or a vine. He is sinking without hope of help from man or himself. Then God reaches down with a way to reconcile man to God. He provides a hand to reach out to and it is a strong hand that can pull him out of his situation if man will but reach up and take it.

He could say the hand is not there and die but that would not be the sensible thing to do.

v9 "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth." Matt.27:57 also.

What follows is the 'mystery' of the will of God and the character of God. I cannot fully understand nor explain it but this is how I see it.

God is righteous and cannot stand nor will he tolerate sin. He is like the judge who has a law that he must go by. This is the crime and this is the required punishment. But God is also full of love and compassion for man. So how does he reconcile his demand for not sinning with his love. He sends His son to pay the penalty for man's sin. He came as a man but lived a perfect life so that he would be a pure sacrifice acceptable to God. See the epistles. Hebrews would help.

v10 "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; (I believe because it was a way to redeem man, not because he found pleasure in 'bruising' his son.) he hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (speaking of the resurrection - that Jesus would suffer but when the price was paid he would live to see the results of his sacrifice - many children.)

v12 "Therefore (because Jesus was willing and able to reconcile God with man and was obedient to the Father's will) will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." See Phil 2:9, Col. 2:15

There lies the story of Jesus as told by Isaiah. We now know the conclusion of the matter. It is up to the individual to reach up and accept the hand that paid such a great price for redemption.

Zion Awake - Isaiah 52

v14Isaiah 52:1 "Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean."

Israel is in a sad state at this time. They are captive and it would seem there was no hope. Here the Lord is telling them to get all cleaned up and put on your best for the Lord is going to restore them to greatness.

v2 "Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion."

Can you see the picture? A slave with a collar around their neck being beaten, dragged and walked on. Then comes a voice that tells them to shake off these symbols of bondage for they are coming home.

v3 "For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money."

Here we can jump over to Zechariah and spot some beautiful verses:

Zechariah 2:8 "For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you; for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye." Joshua seems to represent the nation and we see him in dirty garments but is cleaned up by the Lord. v3 "Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and stood before the angel. v4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." So he will do for Israel. Although they are helpless to redeem themselves, He will redeem them because he loves them.

v9 "Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem."

As a Christian, I recognize that this redemption comes through Jesus. Israel, as a nation, still waits for the Messiah and this redemption. Here is the verse that I believe refers to Jesus as do many others:

v13 "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high."

Further we see the crucifixion mentioned, although, not understood at the time. See also Psalm 22.

v14 "As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men;"

So we see the mystery that many wished to understand.

v15 "So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider."

See also Luke 22-23.

Hearken to Me - Isaiah 51

Isaiah 51:1 "Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD; look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged."

Here the Lord is telling Israel to listen. Those who follow righteousness, that is. They would know who they are. He is reminding them of Abraham and how a great nation was brought forth from one man whom the Lord trusted.

v3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody."

You will sing again in the promised land. The Lord has not cast you off forever. It was a time of judgment but judgment will end and the nation will again blossom.

v7 "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings."

In the midst of captivity, this seems to come for it appears that the Lord is encouraging his people to persevere.

v9 "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old, Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?"

I can almost see Isaiah standing before a crowd delivering a soul stirring message from the Lord.

v11 "Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and morning shall flee away."

Then we see the mercy of the Lord. He will remove the fear from his people and give it to their enemy.

v22 "Thus saith the Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: v23 But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee;"

The message to Israel is that those of you who know the Lord should listen (hearken) build up your strength and get ready for something good.

Gentiles Isaiah 49

Isaiah 49:6 "And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."

Speaking as a Gentile, I am glad for that verse. See Matthew 22 in conjunction with this chapter.

One day, Israel will see their mistake. Jesus came to Israel but also to fulfill the law that condemned man so that he could offer himself for a sacrifice for all mankind. He came to Israel first but that his house might be filled and in grace and mercy, he also included the Gentiles in His invitation.

v8 "Thus saith the LORD, in an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; v9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth, so them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places."

In due time Christ came. No doubt, it was a great mystery at the time of the writing of Isaiah. Israel was dispersed among the nations and there appeared little hope that the nation would be established once more. But God knows the end before the beginning and so he tells of it here.

v13 "Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted."

It goes on to speak of the feeling of Zion that the Lord had forgotten about them but the Lord explains that he could never forget his children and compares it to a mother's love.

v15 "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. v16 Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me."

There will be so many gathered together that there will be pleas for more room. v20 The mighty shall give up those they hold.

v26 "And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wind; and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Savior, and thy Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob.

First and Last Isaiah 48

"Isaiah 48:18 " O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea;"

Isaiah looks beyond the captivity to the calling out of the remnant. Babylon and the Chaldeans are about to be destroyed and in a move of grace (for Israel is still rebellious) the Lord brings them out.

"from the time that it was, there am I"

The Lord speaks of Israel still claiming to be of the holy city but not acting like it.

v2""For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name. but verse one declares "...but not in truth, nor in righteousness."

To further convince them, the Lord tells them that he has told them things that would happen before they happened. He says from the start I told you the truth and didn't hid things from you.

v6 "Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them."

Nevertheless, the Lord still loves Israel and will rescue them again. If he cannot do it for their obedience He will do it for his own name's sake.

v9-11 " For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another."

Israel could have followed the commandments told Moses and again David and Solomon, and flourished in their new land. They chose idols and suffered chastisement for it. Yet the Lord will still fulfill his promise (for His name's sake) and as He often said for his servant David's sake.

v20 "Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob."

God who carries You or a god who You carry Isaiah 46

Isaiah 46:1 "Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle; your carriages were heavy laden, they are a burden to the weary beasts."

Bel: chief idol of Babylonians. (Baal)
Nebo - Assyrian god

We've just studied about Cyrus of the Persian empire who was used of God to defeat these other kingdoms. Israel has been among these people and no doubt have worshipped their idols as they are prone to do. We see here scripture that tells them just how silly it is to worship something that must be carried around. Idols are no help to their makers. ON the other hand the one true God is a help to his people.

v3 "Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: v4 And even to your old age, I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you; I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."

There you have it. God made us and he will carry us thorough out our life. Then He tells them to look back beyond the recent captivity where they were surrounded by idols and idol worship to another time when they worshipped God.

v8-9 "Remember this, and show yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none else; I am God and there is none like me."

It would do our nation good as well to remember how God established our nation. ti would do our nation good to turn again to Him.

v12-13 "Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness. I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry; and I will place salvation i Zion for Israel my glory."

Cyrus Isaiah 45

Isaiah 45:1 "Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;"

Cyrus was the founder of the last great Persian empire. Daniel found favor in his eyes. (Daniel 6:28)

After he conquered Babylon, he allowed the Jews to go back to Jerusalem (Judah) and establish again a nation. It is foretold here in Isaiah.

v2 "I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron;"

We saw it when the Lord fought for Israel as they came into Canaan. Now, he is doing the same thing with Cyrus to bring them back home again after their captivity.

v3 "And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel."

Besides opening the way for Cyrus, the Lord also finances the war with treasures yet unseen.

Again, Isaiah tells of the folly of the worship of idols in this chapter. He discusses the utter, may I say silliness of making something then bowing down to worship it.

In the case of the only true God, he was not made but instead made all that we see and all the other things we wonder about that we cannot yet see.

v12 "I have made the earth, and created man upon it; I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded."

In the comparison between God and the graven images, there is no contest. (Only love for his people could explain why he bothered to explain.)

v18 "For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited; I am the LORD; and there is none else."

The amazing part of these words in Isaiah is that the LORD told what was going to happen in the order that it happened. He did it before hand so that Israel would know he was God.

v22 "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else."

We still live in a world where many seek everything but God to worship. Perhaps it is rebellion against someone who has ultimate authority and the power to enforce it. It is much easier to worship something that can be covered or turned off than to worship someone who is in power over us. It will happen willingly or by force. Someday, the world will recognize that the LORD is in charge and rightfully so.

Folly of Idols Isaiah 44

Isaiah 44:9 "They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know that they may be ashamed."

At first in the chapter, the LORD claims Israel for his own. Of course, it is not the first time he has claimed Israel but he says it again: 'You belong to me." Israel is not for idols or graven images.

v1 "Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen;"

Israel has been prone to turn from the LORD but still he looks after them.

v3 "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring; v4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses."

But as for idols, it is ridiculous to worship them. After all, you take the same material that you make a fire to cook with and do the everyday things with, then bow down to that same thing. It just does not make sense.

v15 "Then shall it be for a man to burn; for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshipeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto."

When you put it like that, it seems a little silly to worship a stick.

The alternative to worshipping such graven images makes a lot more sense and should be the logical thing to do. With graven images, the thing that is made is worshipped. With the LORD the thing that is made is the worshipper. Satan is always trying to turn things around and upside down.

v24 "Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;"

It is a amazing act of love and grace for the LORD to explain all this over and over, but He does, as we often see in scripture. Children use to often say, "I didn't mind the whipping but it was the talking to that got me." That was when they got a thirty minute lecture from Mom or Dad before they got a 10 second whipping.

v28".... Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid."

Israel's Redeemer Isaiah 43

Isaiah 43:1 "But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine."

I call this the gentle chapter. The passage looks beyond the captivity and the punishment for disobedience to a time when a redeemer is come. Like when Moses went back to Egypt to bring out the children of Israel.

The chapter is filled with 'fear not'.

v2 "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

I think most of us remember the three Hebrew children who were thrown into the fiery furnace because they would not bow to a false god. The came out untouched by the flames (See Daniel) even though those who tossed them in were killed. "When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned."

v5-6 "Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;"

We see this passage fulfilled in our lifetime. Israel is going home. They were also brought back to Israel for a time and were there under Roman rule when Jesus was born.

v14 "Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. v15 "I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King."

Then, he tells Israel that it is time to forget the old things, to lay aside their past trouble, even their rebellion for it is a new day. If people would only accept forgiveness and leave the past behind.

v16-17 "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

Here is a wonderful verse to think about. Imagine a clean slate to start over.

v25 "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins."

Notice he says for 'mine own sake' not because of anything Israel did. They have been truly a stiff necked people (we all seem to be) and worshipped idols BUT he still loves them and will blot out their sins.

So, we end this chapter of promise that a redeemer is coming for Israel and forgiveness is to be freely given.

He is Coming Isaiah 42

Isaiah 42:9 "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them."

As evidence that the Lord is able to tell what will come, He reminds us that he has done so before and those things did happen. Now, we learn a new thing, that there is coming to Israel someone to Restore them.

v5 "Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:"

It is no different that when someone is introduced at one of our gatherings: "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce?" You see there is no greater to introduce God than himself. So, he is making an announcement and he is telling us who he is.

Speaking of the mission of Jesus, the son of God on earth.
v6 "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles;"

v7 "To open the blind eyes, ..."

At this time, the people did not understand the words of Isaiah, the Lord is telling them so that they will remember when it comes to pass.

v13 "The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war; he shall cry, yea roar; he shall prevail against his enemies."

When it dawns on Israel that Jesus is their Messiah, this verse will come to remembrance.

v17 "They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, Ye are our gods."

It is not possible to study our Christian heritage without studying the heritage of Israel. Their physical and spiritual rebellion are examples to us of our own personal rebellion against God. For us now, there is salvation without the shedding of blood of animals. The reason is that Christ shed His blood for us and it was necessary that he be the sacrifice only once.

v21 "The LORD is well-pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honorable."

In the next two verses, we see the sum of the matter.

Verse 24: The problem: "Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law."

So, in the absence of obedience and in reluctance :
v25 "Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle; and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart."

Israel Isaiah 41

Isaiah 41:8 "But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend."

God has not cast Israel aside. There is a plan for their restoration beyond what is happening now. The promise to Israel goes back far beyond history as we remember it. It goes back to a day when a man named Abraham believed God.

Hebrews 11:17 "By faith Abraham when he was tried, offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, v18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called; v19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure."

The plan that included Isaac in the formation of the nation Israel, also included Jesus in the formation of that spiritual kingdom we call the church.

Concerning Israel, although it seems that in history, they have been cast aside, it was for their chastening that things went as they did. The promise, however, still stands.

v10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

These words of encouragement came at a critical time for Israel. They were going off to captivity and their country was lost to them except for a very small remnant of poor who were left there to tend the vineyards. I don't know how that worked out. But there was to be a small number who came back to Jerusalem as you can read in the books we have covered already.

v14 "Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye en of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel."

One of the sins of Israel was that they took money to themselves in greed and did not help the poor and needy. No doubt there were many widows that needed help in those days because of the wars and subsequent loss of life.

v17 "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them."

He goes on to say that he will make rivers where there were none and pools of water. It is not too hard for God.

A challenge is made for any who can provide any objections or to predict what will come in the future but there is none except God who can tell what will come.

v28 "For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counselor, that when I asked of them, could answer a word."

So, we see a mixture of encouragement for Israel and a promise that they will be cared for as well as predictions of the coming Messiah.

Voice in Wilderness Isaiah 40

Isaiah 40:3 "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." See also Matt. 3:3

It is appropriate, in this Christmas season, that we come to this chapter where the coming of the Christ is mentioned. Indeed, it would be a difficult thing to find a part of the Bible that is not about him. It is His story.

Verse 3 above is referring to John the Baptist who came a few months ahead of Jesus and baptized and told of his coming. John the Baptist was similar in appearance and character to Elijah.

v5 "And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." See also Exodus 16:7 Luke 2:10

Perhaps, some of these passages are why Israel did not understand the coming of Jesus. I am sure they expected him to set up his kingdom, his fleshly kingdom, then and there. Jesus, though, had the whole world in mind and set up a different kingdom, one of the heart so that all could come. He will be back to set up an earthly kingdom and rule from Jerusalem.

v10 "Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him."

I am unsure how to explain this, let me try. Not the verse but the mission of Israel and that of the Savior.

I've said in previous studies (many times) that Israel was like a pregnant lady carrying the promise down through the ages so that Jesus could be born at the appropriate time. He was born of a virgin, yes, but the promise was established with Israel. For them firmly, but also for the whole world, As Abraham was told that in him all nations would be blessed.

v11 "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."

Then we are told of his greatness. It would require God, that such a system of worship as was established with Moses on the mountain could be set up. It would require God, to fulfil such a worship system and bring a new and better system. As the original system required blood sacrifices, the new system would require a blood sacrifice but a pure one and greater than all those offered. A sacrifice that could be offered ONE time only and be sufficient. Jesus was that sacrifice.

v21 "Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?"

They should, by now, understand that there is but one God. But the mystery of salvation by the cross of Calvary was not understood. Isaiah left the explanation of this mystery off, although we can understand it now.

I Peter 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;"

I Peter 2:24 "Who (speaking of Christ) his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

I think of this ministry of Jesus in the same vein as the ministry of Israel. Let me explain. Israel had a purpose and an ultimate destination. They were to honor one God amidst a world that worshipped many gods. Israel was on a journey to the time when Christ the Messiah would reign over them and they would again be great as with King David. Jesus was headed to that same destination, to glorify his Father and to set up his kingdom. He did it differently than was expected by Israel but being king, he can do things differently. The king does not have to tell all his plans to those he rules. Jesus went to the cross to fulfill the requirement of the law for a sacrifice. He made things better than under the law. He is still on his way to reigning in Jerusalem but he choose to include all of us under the offer of grace through faith in Him. Jesus was often on his way someplace but stopped along the way to help someone sick or blind or in need. It did not hinder his goal to stop and help.

I'm sure I did not explain myself well but I gave it a shot.

v31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."