Milo

MAY 22

Reading 142

DAY OF VENGEANCE Isaiah 33–35

“For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause” (Isa. 34:8).Beyond the troubles glory waits. What these chapters tell us is that faith enables believers to live safely even while the consuming fire burns.

Overview

God is a sure foundation for our times (33:1–9) and hope for our future (vv. 10–24). Isaiah contrasted the judgment that will devastate the nations, represented by Edom (34:1–17), with the joy awaiting the redeemed (35:1–10).

Understanding the Text

“Be our strength every morning” Isa. 33:1–9.

God is a sure foundation for every time, “a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge.” But we must use a key to open that storehouse, to enjoy its bounty. The text says, “The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.” As we’ve seen, “fear” of God is a reverential awe that keeps us aware of Him at all times. Our awareness that God is, and that He is sovereign, gives us confidence even in the most uncertain of times. “Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?” Isa. 33:10–16 Isaiah pictured God, rising as a monarch from His throne to set out for war (v. 10). This terrified the sinners of Zion (v. 14), who despair of surviving the consuming fires of God’s judgment, and they cried out, “Who of us can dwell with [survive] the consuming fire?” They did not expect an answer. But Isaiah provided one. “He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil.” These words contain no promise that the believer will be immune to trouble in those times when God judges a nation. When the bombs fall, the believer and unbeliever alike will be without electricity and fresh water. No, to “dwell with the consuming fire” is to maintain a hope that contrasts with the despair of the wicked. The righteous take refuge in God, and have faith that no matter how grim life’s circumstances, God will supply the necessities to maintain life (v. 16). “Nothing there to be called a kingdom” Isa. 34:1–17. The contrast drawn here is between civilization and wilderness. Between nature tamed by man and fields returned to the wild. The nations that God would judge refused to respond to the Lord. Their lands would be returned to the birds and the beasts. The scroll here is the prophecy found in the preceding verses. Everything God says will happen will come to pass. What God has ordained is certain. It’s striking that Scripture so often contrasts cultivated fields and wilderness when calling up visions of blessing and judgment. God really did create our earth to be the home of man. “It will burst into bloom” Isa. 35:1–10. This brief chapter concludes the first book of Isaiah. These chapters have drawn dark pictures of divine judgment, with brief flashes of light. But this final chapter glows with warmth and hope. Some of the most beautiful and best known of Isaiah’s images are found here. For some 10 years I lived in Arizona, in desert country. Dry and parched for so much of the year, the desert literally burst into bloom with the fall rains. The dominant tans and browns suddenly disappeared and in their place was a warm green, decorated with a riot of delicate colors. What a vision of the future God has in mind for earth, and for us. All that is dry and parched in our lives will soak in His rain. Then we too will rejoice and blossom, for our lives will reflect the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. “Steady the knees that give way” Isa. 35:3–4. When you and I feel weak and overcome, we find strength in this thought: “Your God will come.” While others shrink back in terror, we rejoice at the thought. He comes with retribution for them, but to save us. “Then” (Isa. 35:5–10). The concluding words of Isaiah are so vivid that they speak for themselves. No comment can do them justice. The prophet shared what God’s coming will mean for us, His people, in verses 5–10.

DEVOTIONAL

Upon the Burning of Our House(Isa. 33)

On July 10, 1660, the house of Puritan poet Anne Bradstreet burned to the ground, leaving her destitute of earthly possessions. She shares the pain she felt in a poignant poem bearing the title of this devotional. When by the ruins oft I past My sorrowing eyes aside did cast, And here and there the places spy Where oft I sat and long did lie: Here stood that trunk, and there that chest, There lay that store I counted best. My pleasant things in ashes lie, And them behold no more shall I. Anne understood the pain that always accompanies the loss of familiar and precious possessions. Anne understood, and expressed, the pain felt by believers of every era who must live through a period when God arises to judge their societies. But Anne also understood the secret of dwelling among the consuming fires that burn then. Her poem continues: Raise up thy thoughts above the sky That dunghill mists away may fly. Thou hast an house on high erect, Framed by that mighty Architect, With glory richly furnished. Stands permanent though this be fled. It’s purchased and paid for too By Him who hath enough to do. A price so vast as is unknown Yet by His gift is made thine own; There’s wealth enough, I need no more. Farewell my self, farewell my store. The world no longer let me love, My hope and treasure lies above. The secret? To realize that the fires can burn only what is destined to pass away. And to remember that what God has purchased for His own stands permanent, though all in this world be fled.

Personal Application

Treasures in heaven free us from despair when we lose earthly possessions.

Quotable

“Beware of an overconcern for money, or position, or glory. Someday you will meet a man who cares for none of these things. Then you will know how poor you are.”—Rudyard Kipling

MAY 21

Reading 141

THE ARM OF FLESH Isaiah 28–32

“Woe to those . . . who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord” (Isa. 31:1).In condemning Judah’s failure to consult the Lord before rebelling against Assyria, these chapters of Isaiah serve as a warning to us as well. We are to look to God for guidance. And do His will.

Background

The messages in this section of Isaiah date from about 705B.C Sargon, one of Assyria’s most successful rulers, had just died. The leaders of Judah saw this as an opportunity to rebel against Assyrian domination, and made a treaty with Egypt. The decision was foolish because while the Egyptian power once again extended to all its traditional territory, Egypt remained weak. It could offer no significant military help to any ally. The decision was also wrong because the leaders of Judah had failed to consult God. Thus an angry Isaiah interrupted the festival announced by Judah’s leaders to celebrate their declaration of independence from Assyria. In graphic images and plain words Isaiah denounced Judah’s leaders. Now they were tipsy with the drink served at their premature celebration. In acting without consulting God, they showed that even before they had one bowl of wine they had as little judgment as any drunk! We need to visualize an angry Isaiah and drunken, dulled leaders as we read these chapters.

Overview

Isaiah condemned Judah’s decision to rebel against Assyria and make a treaty with Egypt. That treaty was a covenant with death (28:1–29), and God’s unresponsive people would suffer humiliation (29:1–24). Plans made without consulting God will fail (30:1–31:9), yet God’s plan to establish a righteous kingdom will succeed (32:1–20). In His time God will arise. Jerusalem will again experience peace (33:1–24).

Understanding the Text

“The remnant of His people” Isa. 28:1–6.

Isaiah repeated a warning given the Northern Kingdom, Israel, before Samaria’s fall some 20 years before. The earlier warning came true. So would the warnings Isaiah was about to utter concerning Judah. How much easier to learn the lessons of history, rather than learn by painful personal experiences! God’s Word enables us to avoid disastrous mistakes by showing us what happens when the Lord’s people fail to consider and do God’s will. Verses 5–6 remind us that human failure to obey God cannot thwart the accomplishment of His purposes. All that our disobedience does is rob us of blessings we would otherwise have experienced. “Do and do, do and do” Isa. 28:7–22. Isaiah’s words made no sense to the tipsy celebrants in Jerusalem. Unable to grasp Isaiah’s message, the priests mumbled, “Who is he trying to teach?” while the prophets muttered, “To whom is he explaining his message?” The repeated phrases, “Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule,” have been taken to (1) represent the mutterings of the drunks, who could only catch and repeat phrases Isaiah uttered, or (2) to represent the way young children are taught the basics in school, by rote and repetition. Another possible interpretation is (3) that these phrases represent the legalistic way in which Isaiah’s hearers approached faith. They could not comprehend the invitation to peace through trust in God imbedded in Scripture. All they could see were the ritual rules. Whichever is intended, the people of Isaiah’s day would not understand God’s message. So God determined “with foreign lips and strange tongues” to speak to this people (v. 11). The Assyrians would speak in a language God’s people could not mistake—the language of sword, fire, devastation, and misery. If we do not listen to God’s quiet, loving voice, He remains capable of grabbing us by the shoulders, and shaking us until we pay attention! “It will break in pieces like pottery” Isa. 30–31. Again and again these chapters stress the futility of relying on anything other than God. Perhaps the clearest expression of this is found in 31:3: “The Egyptians are men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, he who helps will stumble, he who is helped will fall; both will perish together.” We’re so vulnerable to the attitude seen here in the people of Judah. We keep on putting our trust in things we can touch, see, and feel. The Persian poet Omar Khayyam put it this way: Ah, take the cash, And let the credit go. Nor heed the rumble of a distant drum. You and I, however, are to listen for that distant drum, and ignore the cash! We know that the only things that are real, the only things that offer true security, are spiritual and not material. If we keep this truth clearly in mind, and act on it, we will be safe from the sin that brought disaster on ancient Judah. “This is the way; walk in it” Isa. 30:21. Modern airliners have a special guidance system for landings. If the plane strays either right or left of the flight path, a warning is sounded, and the pilot brings it back to the correct bearing. God had this guidance system long before manned flight was dreamed of! If our relationship with the Lord is characterized by “repentance and rest” and “quietness and trust” (v. 15), then God will speak to our hearts when we stray to the left or right of His path for us. His Spirit will speak to our hearts, and tell us “this is the way; walk in it.” The Christian life is a supernatural life. We can’t explain how God’s Spirit guides us. But we can and do hear His voice. “Till the spirit is poured upon us from on high” Isa. 32:1–33:24. Isaiah constantly contrasted the dark days of divine judgment with the brightness of the kingdom the Lord will establish afterward. The pattern is clearly seen in these chapters. Isaiah’s fellow countrymen had doomed themselves to anguish and mourning. But God’s plans to bless His people cannot be overturned by the wickedness of any number of generations. In a beautiful passage Isaiah said that the Promised Land will become a waste—but only ’till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. Isaiah 32:15–17

DEVOTIONAL

I Don’t Know(Isa. 29)

It’s frustrating to teach folks who simply won’t learn. My wife once asked one of her 11th-graders a question about a short story they were studying. The story was called, “The Sculptor’s Funeral.” Her question was, “Who died?” The student she asked replied, “I don’t know, I didn’t read the story.” She asked the question again. “Well, read the title and tell me, who died?” And the irritated student answered, “I told you I didn’t read the story! I don’t know.” I expect Isaiah felt the same frustration as he tried to communicate God’s message to his unwilling listeners in Judah. They were as dense as drunks. It was like giving a book to a person, only to have them hand it back and say, “I can’t read.” The words of Isaiah simply made no sense to the people of Judah. Today we wonder, Why? Why didn’t the people of Isaiah’s day grasp his message? Why couldn’t they see what seems so clear to you and me? But the Lord explained (v. 13). The people of Judah had a superficial faith. In modern terms, verse 13 says: “They go to church. They sing hymns, and mouth the creeds. But while the preacher gives his sermon their thoughts are on other things. Their ’worship’ isn’t of Me. It’s just doing things that others expect—showing up on Sunday, dressing right, supporting what to them is more of a ’club’ than a community of faith.” When religion fails to focus on God, but deteriorates to a mere social convention, then the hearing of churchgoers is dulled. God speaks. But they can no more hear Him than can a man lying in the gutter in a drunken stupor (vv. 9–10). How do we protect ourselves from this kind of dullness? Today, as then, it is a matter of the heart. Going to church isn’t something we are to do because it’s expected. We are to go to church to worship God, to learn more about Him, to express our love in worship, praise, and generous giving. When we come near to God with our whole heart, then you and I will hear God speak to us. And we will understand what He says.

Personal Application

Get your heart and not just your family ready for church next Sunday.

Quotable

“How rare it is to find a soul quiet enough to hear God speak.”—Francois Fenelon

MAY 20

Reading 140

RUIN TO RESURRECTION Isaiah 24–27

“On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples” (Isa. 25:6).The judgment of God on sin is part of His plan for the redemption of humanity. When sin is punished and the wicked wiped out, salvation will come and “the earth will give birth to her dead.”

Background

Divine judgment.

Some feel uncomfortable with the notion of divine judgment. Isaiah, however, was completely comfortable. In these chapters, which all commentators see as a unit, Isaiah examined the relationship of history, divine judgment, and God’s ultimate intentions for humanity. The message of the passage is, first, that the disasters that overtake men and nations demonstrate God’s determination to punish sin. But second, no human failure will prevent God from shaping the righteous society that His holiness demands. The God who judges sin and forgives those who trust Him will create a just moral society at history’s end.

Overview

Isaiah predicted devastating judgments (24:1–23) which would bring about the triumph of God (25:1–12). For the righteous, God’s triumph promises a resurrection (26:1–21). In His judgments God will destroy oppressors and restore the blessings of the oppressed (v. 20–27:13).

Understanding the Text

“Its people must bear their guilt” Isa. 24:1–23. Isaiah announced that the whole world will be punished. No class of people (v. 2) will escape, for earth’s inhabitants have “broken the everlasting covenant” (v. 5). This is a reference to the covenant God made with humanity in Noah’s time (Gen. 9:16), which made man responsible for maintaining a just society. Though God’s judgment will leave earth devastated (Isa. 24:6–13), the people of God will “acclaim the Lord’s majesty” (vv. 14–16). With all evil human and spiritual powers judged, “the Lord Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously” (vv. 17–23). What is striking here is the picture of the saints, praising God while everything around them crashes in ruins. Each believer must be affected by the kind of devastation described here. Yet faith gives the believer the ability to see the hand of God in what seems nothing but tragedy to others. Faith also gives us the strength to praise God and “acclaim the Lord’s majesty” when every earthly hope is lost. “You have been a refuge” Isa. 25:1–12. Isaiah explained the outcome of God’s acts of judgment, and described the future of the blessed. What the future holds is praise for God, who has stilled “the song of the ruthless” (vv. 1–5). With the wicked destroyed, God prepares a “feast of rich food for all peoples.” It is then that God will “swallow up death forever” and “wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth” (vv. 6–8). While images of the future differ slightly between the Old Testament and the New Testament, there is no difference at all in the two Testament’s description of who will enjoy it. The blessed of every age are those who can say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” How natural it is for you and me to join Isaiah in praise to the Lord, and share Isaiah’s joy. We too know God as our Saviour. We trust in Him. We know that He will deliver us from the coming judgment. We will be at His side when the song of the ruthless is stilled. “Your dead will live” Isa. 26:1–21. Not even death can thwart God’s purposes. Isaiah looked ahead and saw a day when salvation’s song will be sung in Jerusalem (vv. 1–7). Yet his own day was one of longing, not of fulfillment. “We wait for You,” Isaiah sighed, and added, “My soul yearns for You in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for You.” His yearning was great, because, even “though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness” (vv. 8–10). You and I may know Isaiah’s frustration well. Yet we have the same promise that gave Isaiah hope. Isaiah looked ahead, and knew that “Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead” (v. 19). Even death cannot thwart God’s purposes. We live in hope, because we know that if we should die before we see God’s plan for this earth achieved, He will raise us from the dead to share His triumph! “In that day” Isa. 27:1–13. The phrase “that day” typically indicates history’s end, an eschatological period during which God draws the threads of all His purposes together. Someone has suggested that the phrase simply means, “in God’s time.” Well, what is it that will happen “in God’s time”? (1) The Lord will destroy evil spiritual powers, 27:1. (2) The Lord will restore and protect His Old Testament people (vv. 2–7). (3) This will be accomplished after God has atoned for their guilt, and by strict punishment weaned them from their hunger for idolatry (vv. 8–11). (4) This will happen when God recalls His people from exile, and the nation is regathered to “worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem” (vv. 12–13). History does maintain its purposeful flow, coursing as God directs. At history’s end God will bring all things to the conclusion that He intends. When will this happen? We cannot know. But it will happen. “In that day.” In God’s time.

DEVOTIONAL

Waitin’ for Justice(Isa. 26)

We had just written (another) letter to our superintendent of schools. When our third-grader changed schools midyear, she was placed in a classroom where she suffered serious verbal abuse from other children, and received no support from her teacher. The stress caused Sarah some serious stomach problems. It caused us serious upset too, because only after a number of complaints did we get Sarah transferred to another classroom. Even then her first teacher seemed to take it out on Sarah by threatening to fail her in one of her subjects. What was frustrating was that, despite the fact Sarah had an A her first semester, and an A the first quarter in her new school, the teacher threatened to fail her for the year—and despite stated school policy we were not even allowed to check the grade book. I could go on and list other abuses, but the point I want to make is simple. All of us, even in the best of times, are victims now and then of injustice. I know that our situation with Sarah is relatively insignificant. There are far greater injustices suffered by others. But the experience has made us more sensitive to the frustration experienced by the powerless. This is what Isaiah felt as he cried, “Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.” He went on to complain that though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness, but keep on doing evil (vv. 8–10). How frustrating to try, but always to be kept waiting. How frustrating to struggle, but never seeming to dent injustice. When something like this happens to us, we need to remember the hope that brought Isaiah comfort. All will be made right, in God’s time. It may not be during our lifetime. But, “Your dead will live!” Even death is not the end. Even death can’t thwart the ultimate achievement of justice for all in this world. One day, in God’s time, we’ll hear His voice calling us. He’ll cry out to those of us who dwell in the dust, and we will “wake up and shout for joy.” For then we will have justice. Then we will have peace.

Personal Application

Fight injustice. Even if you lose, you will surely win in God’s time.

Quotable

“In Germany, they first came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist; then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me—and by that time no one was left to speak up.”—Martin Niemoller

MAY 19

Reading 139

AGAINST THE WICKED Isaiah 13–23

“How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended! The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers” (Isa. 14:4–5).These chapters of Isaiah take a new direction, and communicate a single message: God surely will act against the enemies of the righteous.

Background

Sovereignty.

The niv translates ˒adonay yahweh by “Sovereign Lord.” The first Hebrew word is an intensive form of the word for “master,” or “owner”; a form used only of God in the Old Testament. While the name itself, rendered “Lord God” in older versions, tells us little about the nature of God’s sovereignty, these chapters of Isaiah reveal much. Little Judah was surrounded by powerful enemies, who frequently brought God’s people into subjection. Yet the God of Israel was worshiped as Lord of the whole earth and Creator of the heavens. How could this vision of an all-powerful God be supported in view of the relative weakness of His people? Isaiah’s answer is found in this series of oracles-prophetic announcements of judgment-directed against Judah’s enemies. God is in complete charge of the flow of history. The Lord will judge the wicked world powers that have oppressed His people. One by one they will fall. As the decades march on, the fall of Judah’s enemies will provide evidence that God is God, and that the good He intends for His people will surely come to pass. At times we may feel overwhelmed, reading through chapters of the Old Testament which seem to us obscure or even perhaps irrelevant. Yet these oracles against the nations were not irrelevant to his listeners—nor are they irrelevant to you and me. They remind us too that, though the wicked may at times seem to prosper, God is sovereign. People and nations pass away and history flows on, channeled by God’s hidden power. In God’s time history will empty into an eternity that He has planned from the beginning, and all God’s people will be blessed.

Overview

Our sovereign God will overthrow all enemies of His people. Judgment will fall on Babylon (13:1–14:23), on Assyria and Philistia (vv. 24–32), Moab (15:1–16:14), Damascus (17:1–14), Ethiopia (Cush) (18:1–7), Egypt (19:1–25), Egypt and Ethiopia (20:1–6), Babylon, Edom, and Arabia (21:1–17). It will fall on contemporary Jerusalem (22:1–25), and on Tyre (23:1–18).

Understanding the Text

“An oracle concerning Babylon” Isa. 13:1–14:23. Why Babylon? In Isaiah’s day Assyria, not Babylon, was supreme. In Isaiah’s day the Medes, cast here as the agents of Babylon’s downfall, were allies rather than enemies. How could Isaiah speak so certainly of events that happened, not in his own time, but over a century later? Such questions have led some to insist that Isaiah could not have written this oracle. But such questions remind us of the sovereign power of God, who knows things that have not yet come to pass, and reveals them through His prophets. Perhaps one of the most striking images is found in 13:19–22, which pictures a deserted Babylon, so much a specter that no Arab will pitch his tent there, a home for wild animals that will scurry among its ruins. For well over 2,000 years the site of ancient Babylon has been just such a specter. The night winds have howled through heaps of ancient mud bricks, and superstitious Arabs have avoided and feared Babylon’s desolation. What an image of worldly glory! It flourishes for a moment. And then as history rushes on, worldly glory crumbles. How empty the ambitions and the achievements of the world. “Ar in Moab is ruined” Isa. 15:1–16:13. Moab had been an enemy of Israel from the days of the Exodus (cf. Num. 22–24). Isaiah announced that Moab would be devastated within three years (Isa. 16:14). Nestled among the predictions of destruction is a beautiful passage that reminds us of an important truth. God’s judgments are not vindictive, but are intended to bring blessing and peace. “The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land. In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it—one from the house of David—one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness” (vv. 4–5). “The glory of Jacob will fade” Isa. 17:1–14. The coalition of Syria and Israel, formed to resist Assyria, was doomed to fail. Damascus, the capital of Syria, would fall, leaving Israel exposed to the brutal invader. But Isaiah did not see Israel’s destruction as an unmixed evil. Stripped of national pride and glory, destitute, and starving, “Men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel” (v. 7). What we are likely to see as a disaster is often intended by God for some greater good. “Stripped and barefoot” Isa. 20:1–6. In the 1960s when Arthur Blessett marched in U.S. cities carrying a gigantic wooden cross, he was frequently ridiculed. But Blessett felt called, and was willing to be thought a fool for Christ. Isaiah must have felt something of a fool in the eighth centuryB.C, when he was told by God to wander the streets of Jerusalem stripped (to a loincloth) and barefoot for some three years. This relative of the royal family exposed himself to shame at God’s command, to serve as an object lesson. Soon the sovereign God would execute judgment against Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia), and their people would suffer Isaiah’s fate. God is unlikely to ask you or me to walk about in diapers or drag a cross. But there will be times when we feel a little embarrassed or foolish at the thought of doing something we feel convicted is God’s will. At such times let’s take heart from the example of God’s bolder servants, and put obedience first. “O city of tumult and revelry” Isa. 22:1–25. Jerusalem rejoiced over its deliverance from the forces of Sennacherib in 701B.C Isaiah, however, was distressed. The goodness of God should have led the people of Judah to repent (vv. 12–13), not to party! In this Isaiah reflected a thought expressed later by the Apostle Paul: “Do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Rom. 2:4)

DEVOTIONAL

Move Over, God(Isa. 14:12–15)

The author of Ecclesiastes said it. “There is nothing new under the sun.” He was right. Try as hard as one can, it’s even impossible to invent a new sin! I suspect that’s one reason why so many commentators take Isaiah 14:12–15 not just as the description of some arrogant but petty Babylonian ruler, but as a description of Satan. Probably they’re right in seeing at least a reflection of Satan here. The passage does describe what is perhaps the root of every sin. Some call it pride. What it really is, is the intention of the creature to “make myself like the Most High.” It’s the intention of the creature to sit on the throne of the universe, and have its own way. If Satan is in view here, his intention was quite literal. He really did say in his heart, “Move over, God, I want Your throne.” You and I aren’t likely to express ourselves quite as blatantly. But all our sins do reflect the same attitude. What we feel and think is, “I want. . . . ” and “I will. . . . ” What’s wrong with that? It’s just that there is room in the universe for only one God. Our attitude should be, “What You will” and our desires, “What You want.” It may seem strange, but that one little change in pronoun can help us avoid the judgment that these chapters assure us will overtake the wicked. If in our heart of hearts we replace the “I” with “You,” a good and holy life will follow.

Personal Application

In the Christian life if not the alphabet, “U” always comes before “I.”

Quotable

“Psychologist Bernard Rimland, at the Institute for Child Behavior Research in San Diego, has just published a simple test. “Make a list of 10 persons whom you know the best. After each name write either H (for happy) or N (for unhappy). Then go down the list again, this time writing S (for selfish) and U (for unselfish) after each name. Once you have completed your list, draw a table . . . count each category, and place the numbers in the appropriate cell. “When Rimland added up the cases of 1,988 people rated by 216 students in 6 college classes, he found that the happy/selfish category was almost empty (only 78 of the cases), while 827 fell into the happy/unselfish cell. Paradox: Selfish people are by definition devoted to bringing themselves happiness. Judged by others, however, they seem to succeed less often than people who work at bringing happiness to others. “Conclusion: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”—Cris Cox

MAY 18

Reading 138

GOD’S SILVER LINING Isaiah 7–12

“For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders” (Isa. 9:6).Dark clouds hung on the international horizon when Isaiah spoke the words recorded in these chapters. But three times the sun broke through, as Isaiah spoke of the coming Messiah who would set all things right.

Background

The international scene.

The states of Syria-Palestine, led by Pekah of Israel (Samaria) and Rezin of Syria (Damascus) forged a coalition of kings to resist Assyria. Ahaz of Judah refused to join, and the two kings threatened to invade Judah. In desperation Ahaz sent envoys to offer the Assyrians a large bribe to attack Syria and Israel before the two local powers could attack him! This strategy backfired. Assyria accepted the bribe, and overwhelmed Judah’s enemies, but then invaded Judah as well! Today’s text describes a confrontation between Isaiah and Ahaz, as the prophet announced that God would protect Judah from Pekah and Rezin. Told to ask God for a sign, Ahaz refused. He would not trust God, but insisted on turning to Assyria, thus sealing the devastation of his homeland as well as the destruction of his enemies! Isaiah’s words in this situation are a healthy reminder for you and me when we find ourselves in difficult situations, and look about desperately for a way out. “Do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy, He is the One you are to fear, He is the One you are to dread, and He will be a sanctuary” (Isa. 8:12–14).

Overview

A reluctant Ahaz was given the sign of Immanuel (7:1–16), and told that Assyria, on whom he relied, would bring devastation to Judah (v. 17–8:22). Yet a Child identified as “Mighty God” would be born and reign on David’s throne (9:1–7), but not before the wickedness of Israel, Judah, and Assyria have been punished (v. 8–10:19). The survivors of Judah would rely on the Lord (10:20–34), and Messiah will establish God’s righteous kingdom worldwide (11:1–12:6).

Understanding the Text

“The virgin will be with Child and will give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel” Isa. 7:1–16. “Immanuel” is a Hebrew construction that means “God with us.” Actually, it is an unusual construction that makes the point: “WITH US is God!” Isaiah would not have understood the full significance of the name. Yet it, as well as other names given the Messiah in this section of Isaiah, made it clear that the promised Child was to be both human and divine. Thus Matthew referred to this prophecy when he described Jesus’ conception not by any human father but by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:23). The promise was a sign to Ahaz, in that it identified a period of time within which his enemies would no longer threaten him. From conception to birth is nine months; from birth to weaning to solid food was typically two to three years. So Ahaz was told that within three years the kings he feared would no longer be a threat. And the “whole house of Israel” was invited to watch David’s line for a Virgin Birth, and told that the Child would be the promised Deliverer. Each of the three great messianic visions in these chapters dates some 700 years before the birth of Christ! Cast against the background of Israel’s and Judah’s troubled times, they remind us that the Lord is in complete control of history. Whatever happens to us today, our future is secure, for tomorrow is in God’s hand. “The Lord will bring on you” Isa. 7:17–8:22. The Assyrian invasion of Israel and Judah reminds us that God can use even wicked people to accomplish His purposes. Yet the passage reminds us of something else. What makes us vulnerable to the wicked is our own sin. Isaiah portrayed his fellow countrymen consulting mediums and spiritualists rather than God, as abandoning the Law, and as people who when distressed curse God rather than seek forgiveness. Holding tight to the Lord is our only protection against “distress and darkness and fearful gloom” (8:19–22). “To us a Child is born” Isa. 9:1–8. The Child to be born was a Son, given us as a gift by His Father. He is called “Mighty God” as well as Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace. The name “Everlasting Father” is more likely “Father of Eternity.” Each of these names makes it clear that the promised Messiah is no ordinary human being. What no natural descendant of David could do—uphold the kingdom “with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever”—this miraculous Descendant who is God as well as man, will accomplish. Names like these help us appreciate just who Jesus is. We sense the warmth of His love as we walk with Him through the Gospels. But Isaiah reminds us that our gentle Jesus is Father of Eternity, One whose elemental power has shaped and still upholds our universe. “His anger is not turned away” Isa. 9:8–10:4. What makes a person angry, as well as what he loves, is a key to understanding his character. What makes God angry? Isaiah tells us, as he pronounced, “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and rob My oppressed people of justice, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless” (10:1–2). If these same things in our society make us angry, then our hearts are in tune with God. “I will punish the king of Assyria” Isa. 10:5–19. Is it fair for God to punish Assyria, which He Himself chose to discipline His people? The answer again reveals the delicate balance that Scripture maintains between divine Sovereignty and human free will. God permitted the rise of Assyria so that nation might discipline His people. But Assyria chose to use the power given to it “to destroy” (v. 7). Assyria became proud, as though God were not the source of its might. Assyria is not being punished for having the power God gave it, but for its pride and misuse of God-given power. God isn’t to blame for the way any person or nation uses the wealth or power He grants. God gives us the freedom to choose how to use His gifts—but holds us responsible for our choices.

DEVOTIONAL

We Live in Hope (Isa. 11–12)

One of the best movies I’ve seen in several years is Dead Poets’ Society. It tells the story of a teacher who challenges students at an exclusive private school to think for themselves—with tragic results. One young man finds the courage for the first time to do what he wants rather than what his father demands. He acts in a play. His angry father takes him out of the school, tells him he has to spend the next 10 years studying for a medical career, and forbids him to ever act again. That night, unable to face such a future, the young man takes his father’s gun and commits suicide. That’s a strange thing about suicide. Most people who kill themselves do so because they feel hopeless. Most who kill themselves don’t do so because of some terrible present lack. They have money, food, clothing, shelter, and friends now. It’s just that looking ahead, they can’t see any meaningful future. Isaiah 11 and 12 remind us that it’s just the opposite for true believers. The believer of Isaiah’s day faced imminent danger from powerful foreign enemies. His society was marked by injustice; many may well have been homeless and hungry. Yet what Isaiah offered God’s people was a vision of the future. A descendant of David (11:1) will appear, to establish righteousness on earth (vv. 2–5). In His day nature itself will be at peace (vv. 6–9). All the hostile world powers that have threatened Judah will rally to Israel’s Messiah, and the Lord will “reach out His hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of His people” (vv. 10–16). Then God’s people will know the full meaning of salvation, and will together sing praises and give thanks (12:1–6). Inspired by this vision of the future, the believer was filled with hope. How strange it is. The suicide, who has everything needed for life on earth, kills himself because he can’t face the future. Yet many a believer who has suffered persecution or lacked life’s necessities has lived victoriously because his hope is fixed in God. In Christ, the future is never truly bleak. Beyond whatever darkness we face, we know there lies a glorious tomorrow.

Personal Application

Rather than hope for some thing, hope in God.

Quotable

“No man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear. Never load yourself so. If you find yourself so loaded, at least remember this: it is your own doing, not God’s. He begs you to leave the future to Him, and mind the present.”—George MacDonald