One size doesn’t fit all — Isaiah 28-30

Posted on September 14, 2011 by parklinscomb

I don’t know if you do things like this — sometimes I do — put your finger where you are reading in the Bible and close the book to see how far you’ve progressed. If you haven’t noticed, we’re over half-way through. In fact, we’re almost half-way through the book of Isaiah with today’s reading. Keep going! Starting tomorrow, we’ll be reading some of more glorious parts of the book: the glorious future (ch. 32), the Highway of Holiness (ch. 35), historical sections of the invasion of the Assyrians (chs. 36,39), and the more memorable Messianic sections (chs. 42ff).

Let’s dive into the three sections that I think you’ll find especially interesting in today’s reading…

“For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is the cartwheel driven over cummin; But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a club. Grain for bread is crushed, Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever. Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually damage it, He does not thresh it longer. This also comes from the LORD of hosts, Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.” Isaiah 28:27-29 — This is part of a larger context that has a really neat message about God’s grace and mercy even in His judgment. The essence of the illustration used here is that you don’t use the same harvesting and processing techniques on different farm products; to do differently will either fail to get the grain (for bread) or utterly destroy the thing you wanted to harvest (dill). So also with God’s punishment; it isn’t a one size fits all endeavor. God’s interest in these judgments that we’ve been reading about is not in merely venting His spleen about man’s unfaithfulness. If He did that we’d all be destroyed in a moment. God’s interest is in getting mankind’s attention and correcting and guiding him — just like a good parent. Now there is a day coming in which God will give full vent to His righteous wrath on sinful men and He will “destroy” them in Hell; but that is not what is in view here. Here we see a God who’s real interest is in us. Are you listening? Are you forcing God’s stronger hand by failing to be corrected? That’s not to say that all suffering and trial are God’s judgment; sometimes our suffering is innocent. I’m just saying, it’s something to seriously consider.

“The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, “Please read this,” he will say, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, “Please read this.” And he will say, “I cannot read.” Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.”” Isaiah 29:11-14 — This passage was quoted by Jesus as He argued with the Pharisees about their tradition, and it’s a pretty strong statement. The larger context, however, has an even stronger statement about how such traditions can and often do actually render literate men effectively illiterate. How many PhD’d individuals, who’ve read every theology in the library, who’ve studied every tradition, who’ve heard every class lecture, and who’ve even written a book or two on them have had their eyes (minds) blinded from the words of God Himself by the traditions of men? Many, many, many.

“For this is a rebellious people, false sons, Sons who refuse to listen To the instruction of the LORD; Who say to the seers, “You must not see visions”; And to the prophets, “You must not prophesy to us what is right, Speak to us pleasant words, Prophesy illusions. “Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.” Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, “Since you have rejected this word And have put your trust in oppression and guile, and have relied on them, Therefore this iniquity will be to you Like a breach about to fall, A bulge in a high wall, Whose collapse comes suddenly in an instant,” Isaiah 30:9-13 — This passage takes little comment. It speaks plainly about the contempt that some men have for unpleasant words from God. These words are pretty similar to those used among the politically correct, yesterday, today, and right down to the last moment. We must be careful, when God says things we don’t like — they may be unpleasant, but they will always be true, and we will be judged by them.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Swallowing up death — Isaiah 25-27

Posted on September 13, 2011 by parklinscomb

You may have scratched your head a bit yesterday, because it appeared in the title that I had skipped right over  a couple of chapters. Of course, as it turned out I merely put the wrong chapters in the title — sorry. I hope there wasn’t too much confusion.

One of the great aspects of Isaiah is that it is full of not only warnings of judgments, but of promises of restoration, forgiveness, and good news. Today’s reading is full of some of those promises.

“He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 25:8 — What a wonderful double-barreled promise of blessing! One of these promises is echoed again in 1 Corinthians 15:54: “But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.” And another is found in Revelation 21:4: “and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”” We serve a God who really does understand our pain, our suffering, and our tears. There is coming a day when the former things will have been taken away, death swallowed, tears wiped away.

“Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.” Isaiah 26:19 — But this is not all the wonderful things that God has in store for those who are His. There is also the resurrection of the body; not just a spirit that lives in eternity, but a spiritual body like Christ’s, immortal, indestructible, powerful! But more about this later in 1 Corinthians 15. 🙂

“In that day the LORD will start His threshing from the flowing stream of the Euphrates to the brook of Egypt, and you will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel. It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.” Isaiah 27:12, 13 — And once again, salvation isn’t just for the Jews. God’s intention clearly always was to use the nation of Israel as His means to reach all the world: “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’” Genesis 12:1-3, NAS95.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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The LORD of hosts has planned it — Isaiah 24-26

Posted on September 12, 2011 by parklinscomb

Thanks for joining me in reading and thinking about the book of Isaiah again today. I hope your Lord’s Day was worshipful and uplifting. Let’s dive in…

“‘What right do you have here, And whom do you have here, That you have hewn a tomb for yourself here, You who hew a tomb on the height, You who carve a resting place for yourself in the rock?” Isaiah 22:16 — We don’t know a whole lot about Shebna except that he had been placed over the household of King Hezekiah, and that he was rather full of himself, symbolized in the special tomb that Shebna was making for himself. Having a tomb carved out for oneself was ordinarily reserved only for royalty. Shebna was over-reaching, though we can’t be exactly sure how far, and it was this arrogance and self-important attitude that God found so disagreeable and intended to punish. Shebna would not be buried in his prepared tomb. This was not only the personal justice that needed to be executed for arrogance, but a good lesson for any observers, including us, dear reader. God has placed a premium on order and appropriate submission to authority, whether it’s in the family, the church, or the nation.

By the way, a lintel from a tomb in Jerusalem was discovered in 1953. This lintel had an inscription on it in paleo-Hebrew (from the times of Hezekiah), which read, “This is [the sepulcher of] . . . yahu, who is over the house. There is no silver or gold here but only his bones, and the bones of his slave-wife with him. Cursed be the man who breaks this open.” Sadly, the name itself was partially destroyed; but many scholars believe that it is actually the tomb that Shebna (Shebaniah — “yahu” would have been the end of his name in Hebrew) had prepared for himself but never occupied (Isaiah 22:15-18).

“The LORD of hosts has planned it, to defile the pride of all beauty, To despise all the honored of the earth.” Isaiah 23:9 — Is God active in this world? The answer is yes. This is not to say that the LORD is micro-managing everyone’s life, the Scripture is pretty clear about the free will that God has granted mankind. But God does have plans — and they will not be denied. In this specific context, they are plans for justice and judgment. They weren’t plans that the beautiful and powerful were going to like, but it didn’t matter. This is a solemn principle of warning to the high and mighty, the popular and the beautiful, the rich and famous, who often rely on money, position, or fame to manipulate the world and get what they want. But the Lord has plans and they can’t be resisted or denied.

“The earth is broken asunder, The earth is split through, The earth is shaken violently. The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard And it totters like a shack, For its transgression is heavy upon it, And it will fall, never to rise again.” Isaiah 24:19, 20 — This whole chapter is a stereotypical “Day of the LORD” stuff, speaking of a great day in which God would intervene in a major way in the affairs of men. In this case, the turmoil, brought to us in metaphor, is about the huge upheavals of great kingdoms and empires. And over the next 100 years great empires were going to rise and fall — God plans came to complete fruition. But this is also a double prophecy with its secondary fulfillment looking to the end of time itself. This second fulfillment will be less metaphorical and more literal as we can see in New Testament passages like 2 Peter 3:10-13, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Striking but healing — Isaiah 19-21

Posted on September 11, 2011 by parklinscomb

It was impossible to believe, when I was a kid: “This hurts me more than it will hurt you,” and “I’m doing this for your own good.” Punishment for bad behavior always was unpleasant to me as the punished and (in my own childish logic) unfair. In soberer retrospect, I now understand. Because my parents loved me corrective action was required, no matter how painful it was going to be for both of us. In today’s continued reading of the portion of Isaiah prophesying judgment on the nations around (19-21) this is the continued theme.

“The LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and will heal them.” Isaiah 19:22 — One of my favorite verses from the Bible is Romans 8:28, which promises that God can bring good out of even grievous things. I believe it, but it wasn’t always easy to believe — especially trials, testings, consequences of wrong doing, disappointment, discouragement, etc. But the truth is that they do strengthen and heal. A farmer was trying to get produce to the market in a wagon pulled by a mule. As mules are famous for doing, it randomly stopped and refused to move, no matter what the farmer had tried to do. The farmer’s neighbor passed by on the same road and asked if he needed any help. “Yes, but I don’t think you can do anything; I’ve been trying for an hour to get this mule to move.” “Let me try,” said the neighbor, and he pulled out a 6 foot long 2×4 out of the back of his wagon, reared back, and smacked the mule with the 2×4 right between the eyes. The mule staggered, but the neighbor grabbed the reins and pulled the mule along easily. “I just needed to get his attention,” said the neighbor with a wink. Sometimes God needs to get our attention, too.

““Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; And all the images of her gods are shattered on the ground.”” Isaiah 21:9 — I noted this passage primarily to point out that it is used again in Scripture (Revelation) as a reference to how God will faithfully punish evildoers. Babylon takes on the meaning, then, of a world force of evil — but one which will never stand.

“The oracle concerning Edom. One keeps calling to me from Seir, “Watchman, how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone is the night?” The watchman says, “Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again.”” Isaiah 21:11, 12 — When troubles come, we always want to ask when it will end. The night here represents troubles and trials, and the question posed by the folks of Seir boils down to “When will the trouble end?” The watchmen (prophets) tell them, “Soon,” but also that there will be a string of “nights” — that night will follow day in a cycle. And so it is with our lives, too. Thanks be to God, however, we’re promised a place without night, because the LORD will be our eternal light (Rev. 21:25). Isn’t that good news?

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Demo work for later building — Isaiah 16-18

Posted on September 10, 2011 by parklinscomb

Sometimes demolition is necessary before a better building can be built. Sometimes it’s necessary to break the will to rebuild the spirit. In today’s reading in Isaiah there are certainly judgments that are leveled at Israel’s neighbors for their idolatry and arrogance, but there’s also a vision of hope for their future, one that is tied to Israel’s brighter future. There are good lessons here for us to mull over. Let’s see…

“A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, And a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; Moreover, he will seek justice And be prompt in righteousness.” Isaiah 16:5 — In spite of the fact that Moab now had its own set of gods, despite the fact that God was going to destroy them to the point that they would be small and weak (16:14), a time was coming, Isaiah prophecies, when Moab would come asking for advice, counsel, and righteous judgment from the Chosen People. Such justice would, Isaiah says, from the “tent of David”, another way of saying the Messiah. Demolition for building something better.

“For you have forgotten the God of your salvation And have not remembered the rock of your refuge. Therefore you plant delightful plants And set them with vine slips of a strange god.” Isaiah 17:10 — Here’s a great metaphor for a corrupted religion, a delightful plant into which someone has grafted a slip of a poisonous plant. God’s “delightful plant” — the religion found in the Law, and later the church — needs no man-made addition, no grafting of human tradition, teachings, or philosophies. It’s like adding a Jew’s harp to a Beethoven concert, or putting a mustache on the Mona Lisa.

“At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the LORD of hosts From a people tall and smooth, Even from a people feared far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation, Whose land the rivers divide– To the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, even Mount Zion.” Isaiah 18:7 — There was coming a time, Isaiah said, when even nations as far away as you can imagine (Ethiopia in this case), will come bearing gifts to the LORD and His people. And it happened, not just through the indirect hands of the Persian empire who did help rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, but in a more important way with the coming of the Christian era — when peoples from all nations came to believe and obey the Lord Jesus. And it would all come after the demolition of nations had occurred: via the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, and the Romans. Sometimes demolition is necessary before a better building can be built. Sometimes it’s necessary to break the will to rebuild the spirit.

There are things to think about for our own lives, too, aren’t there? Why do trials occur? Maybe its just some demolition happening before the better building can be started. Maybe a stubborn will has to be broken, before a beautiful spirit can be constructed.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Judgment on God’s rod of judgment — Isaiah 13-15

Posted on September 9, 2011 by parklinscomb

Justice is hard to truly realize. The reason is because we’re all guilty. Doubtlessly it is one of the most important reasons that God has forbidden us get our own justice or revenge. Today’s reading gives us some reasons to understand why.

“They are coming from a far country, From the farthest horizons, The LORD and His instruments of indignation, To destroy the whole land.” Isaiah 13:5 — Like we talked about yesterday, God often allows bad guys (“instruments of indignation”) to bring judgment on other bad guys, and (as our reading today will remind us again) will allow more bad guys to punish those bad guys — and so forth. The judgment and justice of God that we can see in this world is amazing and wholly perfect; how much more so will it be in the eternal realm, where God will set every wrong, large and small, aright. Christians never need worry or plot their own revenge; God will do much, much better.

“And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.” Isaiah 13:19, 20 — There are so many amazing aspects to this section (vv. 17-22). The larger context of this verse names the Persian empire (which was not yet an empire) as being the punisher of Babylon (which was not yet an empire), who was going to punish Assyria yet (Isa. 14:24-27). Amazing predictive prophecies. But this isn’t even the most amazing part of the prophecy. In this verse is the promise that the city of Babylon after its fall and demise would never be inhabited again. That’s a pretty astounding prediction, since Babylon was very important city in Isaiah’s day and at the height of its empire was the most important city in the world. Such cities don’t just fade away. But this prophecy remains true even to this day!

““For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”” Isaiah 14:27 — Here’s an obvious but important thing to remember, when God says it, it will be no other way. So, what are some of those things that God has spoken and will not be turned back? Those who are in Christ will be saved. All things will work together for good for those who love God. There will be a resurrection of the dead. There will be a judgment and condemnation of the sinful world. Justice will be served. And more. When God says it, there’s never any need to doubt it for a moment, you can take it to the bank.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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God’s rod of punishment can have a name — Isaiah 10-12

Posted on September 8, 2011 by parklinscomb

Today’s reading is one that has given me pause for thought. What a great planner God is! What great things He accomplishes through blessing and tragedy, triumph and defeat, good guys and bad buys, lean times and fat. The first four passages that I’ll comment on are all about God’s use of Assyria as a rod of punishment. The last three are about the days of the “remnant”. Good stuff! Too bad I can only afford a couple of lines of comment on each.

“Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is My indignation,” Isaiah 10:5 — We recoil these days at the idea that God would punish evil people. But Scripture says that such things can and do happen; this passages is one of them. Jesus commented on a couple of disasters in His own day (a man-made slaughter, and an urban disaster):

“Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:1-5, NAS95.

Disasters aren’t always direct judgment for the worst sins; sometimes they are for the purpose of calling others to repentance. In this case, Assyria was going to be specifically used as a rod of God’s punishment on His own people for their breaking of covenant through disobedience; God’s rod had a name, Assyria.

“I send it against a godless nation And commission it against the people of My fury To capture booty and to seize plunder, And to trample them down like mud in the streets. Yet it does not so intend, Nor does it plan so in its heart, But rather it is its purpose to destroy And to cut off many nations.” Isaiah 10:6, 7 — Now Assyria didn’t know that it was acting on behalf of God. Assyria was just doing what Assyrian kings always did in that age: attack, kill, pillage, enslave, move on to the next kingdom, and repeat until rich. Could — would — God use such a greedy, selfish, conscience-less, ruthless, violent, and unjust instrument for punishing His people? Yep. An instrument of punishment doesn’t need to know — usually doesn’t know — it’s being used. Like this…

“Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.”Isaiah 10:15 — Assyria, being God’s instrument, was wholly convinced that it was it’s own power; all its victories were due to its own power, strength, battle plans, equipment, organization, strategy, and leadership. It’s what you might expect from a pagan nation, but many of God’s tools for good don’t acknowledge their “User”. From philanthropists to philosophers to politicians — and even a few “religious people” who trust too much in themselves. And it’s probably why God prefers using the small, the unknown, and the “least likely to succeed” to do great things. Consider 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10.

“So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness.”” Isaiah 10:12 — God doesn’t let the guilty, even His rod of punishment, escape justice. Why would God punish Assyria for doing what He wanted them to do? Remember: “Yet [Assyria] does not so intend [to punish justly], Nor does it plan so in its heart, But rather it is its purpose to destroy And to cut off many nations.” Isaiah 10:7. Intentions make a big difference.

“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.” Isaiah 11:1, 2 — This Messianic prophecy reminds me Jesus’ baptism and anointing by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; and John 1:32).

“And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them.” Isaiah 11:6 — There are some who look at these passages and assume some sort of physical “Age of Aquarius” with universal peace and harmony here in this world. What this passage is pointing to, however, isn’t an Age of Aquarius, but the era of the church. The polar opposites listed as living side by side in peace and harmony is simply a metaphor for various peoples, cultures, languages, races, and divisions in the world coming together under the rule of Jesus, the Christ. “AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father…” Ephesians 2:17-22, NAS95. Or contextually…

“Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.”Isaiah 11:10 — Each Lord’s Day as I look out over the congregation from the pulpit, I am amazed at how the Lord has managed to draw together such a family from widely divergent backgrounds to be Jesus’ church, God’s people — now united, at peace, under the rule of the King of kings and Lord of lords.

After reading Isaiah 10-12, Paul’s doxology in Romans 11 really resonates with me, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:33-36, NAS95. How about you?

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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For unto us a Child is born — Isaiah 7-9

Posted on September 7, 2011 by parklinscomb

Well, I understand that those of you in the midwest and the south (Texas, in particular) are welcoming a break from the heat. Yeah, for September! Yeah, for the Lord who blesses us with changes in seasons!

But on to less seasonal things. Let’s take a look at what God is saying to us today through Isaiah.

“and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.” Isaiah 7:9 — This verse is the latter part of a larger statement from God promising protection from Samaria and Syria. The part I wanted to emphasize and throw out for meditation is this last sentence, “If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.” It’s true for us today, too. There are lots of promises that God has made to us as Christians that are meant to help us last — have hope, keep enduring, triumph over discouragements, find comfort in times of sorrow, keep going when everyone else has turned away. And they all depend on our faith in the God who made the promises. Reading the Bible daily is one way to strengthen that faith, but there are others: church attendance, fellowship, paying attention to answered prayer, and Bible study with others. What helps your faith? Maybe others could benefit from what you suggest.

““Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. “He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. “For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.” Isaiah 7:14-16 — This is a double prophecy. It’s part of the same context as the passage just above; God is giving a sign, so that Ahaz’s faith will be strengthened and his fears assuaged. The first fulfillment of the prophecy happened during Ahaz’s own time, a child was born of a young woman (not a virgin, but a young woman) and they named him Immanuel, “God is with us”. Ahaz’s faith in God, however, wasn’t strong to begin with, and it failed him; and his fears paved the way to make Judah a vassal kingdom to Assyria. But the secondary fulfillment of this prophecy is the one we remember — a prophecy of the Messiah, born of a virgin, who was physically “God is with us”, and whose Kingdom is forever. Notice how these double prophecies work; it is far from the last time we’ll see them in this book, in the Old Testament, or even in the New Testament.

“When they say to you, ‘Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.” Isaiah 8:19, 20 — Where should we look for our spiritual information? There still are a lot of folks who seek info from the dead or some other source than the God of the Bible: Mohammed, Buddha, new age religionists, philosophers, and their own hearts. But to these people God constantly points back to the truth: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”

“But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.” Isaiah 9:1, 2 — This is a Messianic prophecy speaking of the time when 1) the Gentiles who live in darkness will no longer be left out, but be enlightened with God’s word and 2) points to the area in particular when that great light would be located in the Galilee region. Who among the Jews would have thought it? But that’s typical for God, zigging when the rest of the world is expecting a zag — which is something to think about. You are probably a valuable “zig” in God’s toolbox, when the whole world is expecting the “zag” (e.g., Max Lucado, Billy Graham, etc.) to make the difference — so be God’s “zig” (not your own) and see what God will do through you.

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6, 7 — This a continuation of the Messianic prophecy above, and there’s enough here to fill a book. What I’d like to dwell on for a minute here are the names: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Two of the names declare Jesus’ divinity — an irrefutable argument against those religions of Christendom that inexplicably deny Jesus’ divinity (e.g., Jehovah’s Witnesses). One deals with the Messiah’s great counsel — and indeed the positive, hopeful, sensible, moral difference that following His counsel gives is wonder-filled!

“For those who guide this people are leading them astray; And those who are guided by them are brought to confusion.” Isaiah 9:16 — When you read the larger context (as you always should), you find that this verse is a stern condemnation of Judah’s and Israel’s leaders and prophets who steadfastly guided the people away from God. Perhaps they thought that if they said “good is bad” (see Isaiah 5:20-23), it would make it right. It didn’t then, it doesn’t now; it never will. Leaders, teachers, preachers, elders, parents: be careful.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Here am I, send me — Isaiah 4-6

Posted on September 6, 2011 by parklinscomb

Well, summer is over now that Labor Day is passed, at least that’s the rule of thumb in New England. Some of the leaves are beginning to turn; fall is coming. Now might be a good time to look back over our reading regimen and consider how much more you know at this point than you did at the beginning of the year. Why? Sometimes our spiritual growth is subtle, and marking where you’ve been and where you are now can be eye opening and motivating.

So — ready to grow some more? Let’s take a look at what Isaiah will say to us today.

“In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel. It will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy–everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, then the LORD will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.” Isaiah 4:2-6 — The is one of those “remnant” passages that I mentioned yesterday, and this one has its emphasis less on return from exile and more on the church, the new Israel. In this glorious time of the “Branch of the LORD”, the Messiah, sins will be washed away and sin itself purged from Israel’s midst. In sin’s place will be a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, a metaphor recalling the Exodus, the honeymoon of Israel with God. The cloud and the pillar of fire represents the very presence of God. What a wonderful promise and reality for God’s people, God’s presence and protection. This, after a fashion, is a prophecy about the God’s Spirit indwelling the LORD’s people! “AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:17-22, NAS95.

““So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard….” Isaiah 5:5 — Parables are not the exclusive property of the New Testament. There are a few scatter through the Old Testament, too; and this is one of them. The upshot of the parable is that God, like a vinedresser, has planted a vineyard (representing Israel) and given it every advantage to succeed. But instead of succeeding, the vineyard utterly fails. God, in deep disappointment and frustration, talks about what He rightfully will do in ways that any farmer of the day would understand — take away its protection and let the ground go fallow. And there’s real significance for God’s people of today, too. If God would punish His first covenant people for producing worthless grapes, would he hesitate to punish His second covenant people? Paul answers it, “Quite right, they (Israel) were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.” Romans 11:20, 21, NAS95.

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine And valiant men in mixing strong drink,” Isaiah 5:20-22 — Does this sound like the modern day’s crossed-up moral confusion, or what? The more things change, the more they’re the same. Morality’s standards, without definite standards,,always slides and drift. And it should emphasize to us how much we need to constantly compare what we believe to the Scriptures.

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” Isaiah 6:8 — This record of the transforming vision of Isaiah (vv. 1-8) is one of my favorite in the Bible. It’s the powerful telling of the story that many of us are personally familiar with — an almost blinding realization of who God really is, who we’ve been neglecting and offending, and how much “trouble” (a serious understatement of the facts) we’re in. And then, out of the clear blue, not because of anything we’ve done or earned, He offered to cleanse and purify us. What are we, therefore, to do, when He calls for someone to send, but to say, “Here am I, send me!” What will you do? Don’t tell Him that there’s enough folks doing this — when He calls, you volunteer and go.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Let us reason together — Isaiah 1-3

Posted on September 5, 2011 by parklinscomb

Today we begin the book Isaiah. Let’s start by looking at a few interesting pieces of information about Isaiah, by way of introduction.

  • It is the first of a group of Old Testament books known as the major prophets, which include Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel — called major prophets because of their length not because of any superior importance.
  • Isaiah lived and prophesied in the days of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and possibly Manasseh — maybe as long as 64 years in the last half of the 8th century BC and the early part of the seventh century BC.
  • Isaiah is known as the Messianic Prophet, since there are more prophecies about the Messiah (Jesus Christ) than any other prophet.
  • Isaiah is not only full of Messianic prophecies, but also prophecies about “the remnant”. The remnant referred to the group of Israelites that would return from exile, a punishment brought on by Israel’s and Judah’s many sins. But secondarily, the remnant also referred to the Messiah’s people, the church. Through the remnant prophecies we get an opportunity to see what God’s ideal for His people was.
  • Isaiah is traditionally believed to have been martyred by king Manasseh, who, it is said, put Isaiah in a hollow tree trunk and sawed him in half. It is thought that the reference in Hebrews 11: 37 specifically is speaking of Isaiah.
  • The prophecies are dated, but they are not in chronological order. Instead, they are organized by oriental orthodoxy, theme.
    • Rebuke and promise (ch. 1-6)
    • About Immanuel (ch. 7-12)
    • Judgment on specific nations (ch. 13-23)
    • First general judgment and promise for the world (ch. 24-27)
    • Woes on the unbelievers in Israel (ch. 28-33)
    • Second general judgement and promise for the world (ch. 34-35)
    • Historical section regarding Hezekiah (ch. 36-39)
    • Comfort for Israel (ch. 40-66)

With this behind us, then, let’s look at a few interesting texts…

“An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master’s manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand.” Isaiah 1:3 — Those who are cared for usually know their benefactor, but not Israel; she gave credit to non-gods. How deeply deprived of understanding we all are when we presume to be our own benefactors!

“When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.” Isaiah 1:12-15 — Does what we do outside worship make any difference to God. Apparently so! It’s not that these acts of worship were unacceptable in and of themselves — God had commanded them. They were unacceptable because the people who offered them were unrepentantly guilty of sin outside the Temple court.

“’Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.’” Isaiah 1:18 — Have you ever wondered whether your sin might be too bad to forgive? Here’s God’s answer: no. God can forgive anything, if we are willing to repent. And His forgiveness isn’t like the kind we see among men; the stain of sin is completely and utterly gone! Wow!

“Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.’ For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.” Isaiah 2:2-4 — This is the first of the “Remnant” passages that we’ll find in Isaiah. It refers, by way of reminder, to the returning exiles from the coming Assyrian and Babylonian exile. But it also refers specifically to “the last days”, when the Gentiles would be eagerly searching for the LORD. This isn’t talking about the “end of time”, but rather about the Christian era, the era of the church. This would have been a jarring prophecy to the people of Isaiah’s day, but we know that it happened just this way.

“The LORD enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people, ‘It is you who have devoured the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the face of the poor?’” Declares the Lord GOD of hosts.” Isaiah 3:14, 15 — God cares about oppression, about the poor; and He intends to avenge wrong-doers.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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