Isaiah

Syria 

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Isaiah 17:1
“The burden against Damascus.
‘Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city,
And it will be a ruinous heap.’”

Many prophecies had both near and far fulfillment. In other words, the prophet was speaking of events that would transpire in or around his lifetime, as well as foreshadowing future events. It seems clear, Isaiah is doing that here. Since Jehovah is the one true and living God, and not merely the God of Israel, every nation and people will stand before Him to give account for their actions. In addition to explaining the consequences of Israel’s actions, Isaiah goes on to speak to Damascus, Syria, of the judgment that awaits it.

History records the fall of Damascus to the Assyrian forces. This event took place in the mid 700′s B.C. Not only was the city defeated, but the inhabitants were taken as prisoners of war to Assyria. It is apparent, at least part of Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled at that time. However, if we look more closely, we see he predicts Damascus ceasing to be a city. This portion of the prophecy has undoubtedly not been fulfilled yet, and is speaking of a future event.

The events transpiring on the world stage today are quite interesting. Syria is in the midst of a horrible civil conflict and is facing the threat of outside attack. Many experts suggest any outside retaliation will turn the events in Syria into a global conflict.

I am not implying these events are a fulfillment of Isaiah’s words. Nevertheless, we would be foolish to ignore a wake up call to the reality of the soon return of Christ. This might be a good time to consider the words of Paul,

Romans 13:11
“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

Pastor Jim

 

Countdown 

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Isaiah 16:14
“But now the Lord has spoken, saying, ‘Within three years, as the years of a hired man, the glory of Moab will be despised with all that great multitude, and the remnant will be very small and feeble.’”

The Moabites were not only Israel’s neighbors, they were also relatives. The Moabites were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Their relationship should have created an alliance between the nations. Instead, their history was one of constant conflict. One of the most costly attacks during the wilderness years was masterminded by Balak, King of Moab. It was this constant conflict, against the people of God, which led Moab to the brink of destruction. Isaiah predicted, in three short years, Moab would be defeated and the inhabitants would be fleeing for refuge.

Since Isaiah did not date this prediction, we cannot know exactly when it was given. However, we do know, during the time of Isaiah’s ministry, the Assyrians were mounting attacks against the entire region. It was only a matter of time before Syria, Israel and Moab, fell to Assyrian forces. Hearing the warning from Isaiah, and looking around at the signs of the times, Moab should have concluded their time was short. They should seek to prepare for the unavoidable reality of coming face to face with God.

Isaiah presents an interesting scenario; he puts a shelf life on the Moabites, in order to help them prepare for eternity. It is as though they went to the doctor and heard compelling evidence that they would only live for three more years. I wonder, if the countdown officially started for me, and I knew I only had a few short years left, would I live differently? Perhaps it would do us good to examine our lives within the following categories, to determine if changes need to be made.

First, our spiritual life. God created us with a need to worship and a desire for Him. As a result, people must worship something; everyone, in one way or another, is religious. The issue is not whether or not you worship, but who you worship. Jesus explained that He came to this planet to enable us to prepare for eternity by getting right with God. This happens when we trust Christ as our Savior, and follow Him as Lord.

Second, our private life. We learn, at a very young age, to hide our wrong-doings so others cannot see them. It is important to remember, we cannot hide our sin from God, and our private life is a representation of our walk with God. Instead of hiding secret sins, we should be confessing them. Instead of spending our private time doing what we shouldn’t, we should spend that time with the Lord, in His Word and prayer.

Third, our family life. Perhaps the most important place for us to live out our Christianity is in the home. Our spouse and children learn far more from us than they ever will in a Sunday school classroom or a Bible study. Our Christian life should show itself in the home and in the way we treat our loved ones.

Finally, our community life. Jesus called people publicly, and sent them out into the world to make a difference. It is important for us to realize, we can make a difference when we live committed to the Lord. Our community life includes how we live at work, in recreation, and at our local church.

Life is short, let’s live for eternity.

Pastor Jim

 

Wrong Number 

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Isaiah 15:2
“He has gone up to the temple and Dibon, to the high places to weep. Moab will wail over Nebo and over Medeba; On all their heads will be baldness, And every beard cut off.”

Isaiah describes the fall of Moab. He explains that it will be devastating and it will take place very soon. While this is clearly a divine prophecy which will include specific details, including the time in which this fall will take place, it did not come without warning. The Assyria troops were marching throughout the region and conquering all who opposed them. Since Moab was no match for Assyria, it was inevitable,  they would soon be overthrown. I am struck by their reaction to these warning signs.

“He has gone up to the temple and Dibon, to the high places to weep…”

Knowing things were falling apart, the people became religious. They inundated the temples, made offerings, and cried out in prayer. The problem is, they were crying out to a god who could not help them, for he was the creation of their own hearts, minds and culture.

It is common today, on a personal and even a national scale, for people to cry out to God when things begin to go wrong. Whenever someone is hit by tragedy or personal difficulty, their prayer life begins to soar, and in some cases, they even make their way into a church. We see this happen on a large scale whenever a community, state, or nation is struck with calamity. The problem is, people often cry out to the god of their imagination, instead of bowing to the true and living God. A god we fashion after our own design, is not a god who is able to assist us when our world falls apart. There was help available for Moab.  Had they turned to YHWH, they would have been delivered just as Judah was. There is help for you and me if we will turn to Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

Pride Before A Fall 

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Isaiah 14:13
“For you have said in your heart:
I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north; . . . ”

Here, in Isaiah, we are given the details behind Satan’s fall. Before his ruin, Scripture describes the devil as the mighty angel Lucifer, who served Jehovah loyally. Isaiah explains it was pride that turned Lucifer away from God in rebellion. This pride manifested itself in exalting his desires above the desires of God. That same sin has been stumbling the servants of God ever since.

Eve sat alone one day in the shade of the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’. Her whole life had been spent enjoying the benefits of being in a relationship with the Lord. All that changed when she began to desire that which was forbidden. It was not long before that desire led her to exalt her ways above the ways of God.

David, staring out the palace window, was struck by the beauty of Bathsheba. Years of faithfully following and serving Christ, were suddenly in jeopardy, as his heart began to long for the wife of another. Once his own ways were exalted above the Word of God, it was only a matter of time before desire became action, and his life took a downward turn.

Achan is not nearly as well know as Eve or David, but his life similarly illustrates the danger of exalting our ways above the ways of God. Achan dwelt alongside Joshua as Israel entered the Promised Land. Upon entering the city of Jericho, God gave instructions concerning the spoils of war; Israel was not to loot the defeated city. Achan however, saw three items God had forbidden, and desired them for himself. Once his desire took root, it was not long before he took hold of that which was forbidden, and it cost him his life.

We could go on and on with story after story, of those who chose to exalt their own ways above the ways of God, only to find their lives were destroyed as a result. It is worth noting, Eve, David and Achan, not only brought ruin to their own lives, but also negatively impacted the lives of their loved ones. Perhaps the words of James best expresses the danger of placing our own desires above the Word of God,

James 1:14-15
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.”

Every time we sin we are exalting our way above he ways of God. It is for this reason Jesus declared that in order to follow Him, we must deny ourself. Instead of doing what seems right in your eyes, or what your emotions are driving you towards, take time to consider the ways of God and exalt His word above your ways.

Pastor Jim

 

Shaky 

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Isaiah 13:13
“Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger.”

Recently, I was driving with some friends, some of whom were from California, and others from Florida. It did not take long for the subject of hurricanes to come up. As we described our experiences of boarding up windows, stocking up on supplies and even evaluating our homes, one of the Florida folks said, “but at least we know they are coming, unlike those California earthquakes.” As you can imagine the conversation then switched to what it is like to have the ground we believe to be solid, suddenly begin to roll underneath your feet. Fortunately, we reached our destination before the conversation became more grave. Suffice it to say, it is a pretty eerie feeling when, what we believe to be solid, suddenly begins to shake;  proving our foundations are not what we thought them to be.

Isaiah speaks of a day when God will shake the whole earth. Everything in which mankind falsely places trust, will be shown to be unstable. Only those who have built their lives upon the solid Rock of Christ, will be able to stand. A time is coming when everything man trusts in will prove to be shaky: politics, governments, economies, even the environment, will go through cataclysmic changes, as God pours forth His judgment on man, for rejecting His word and His way of escape. At that time, only trust in Christ will be a firm enough foundation to hold us.

Have you placed your trust in Him?

Pastor Jim

 

The Well Of Salvation

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Isaiah 12:3-4
“Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.
And in that day you will say:
“Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.”

Isaiah paints a beautiful picture to illustrate salvation and its benefits. He writes it is like a well from which the waters of life can be drawn, and the child of God can be filled with joy. He goes on to say that we should declare this to all people.

In many parts of the world, the center of village life is a community well. It is the place people gather daily to retrieve the most essential ingredient for life. Without water, they will not survive a week. The atmosphere around the well is often very joyful. People tell stories, and express love for one another, as they await their turn to fill their buckets. Isaiah is using that to illustrate the joy found in relationship with the Lord.

When a person comes to Christ, their sins are forgiven and a relationship with God begins.  However, the benefits of being a child of God do not stop there. We also become part of a community with those who have come to Christ. We gather together, around the waters of life, and seek to encourage one another to continue to follow and serve our Savior and Lord.

Be sure to gather at the well of salvation today. Take your time, and spend it with Jesus. Then look for opportunities to share with others, the things Christ is doing in your life.

Pastor Jim

 

Peace 

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Isaiah 11:6-7
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.”

In beautiful, poetic fashion, Isaiah describes the conditions of the world after Christ returns to set up His kingdom. His purpose is to make all things right by establishing a rule of righteousness and peace. One thing is clear, in thousands of years of human governments, man has never been able to rule in righteousness or peace. Even today, with all of our advances, war continues to stain the face of the earth.

While the Bible clearly promises the return, and righteous rule of Christ, it also promises righteousness and peace can rule in the life of all who will receive Christ as Lord and Savior. The Bible refers to Jesus as the Prince of Peace and life. When we allow Him to rule in us, and we live in accordance with His Word, we will find that even in the midst of turmoil, we can have joy and peace.

My prayer is that you will let Christ be king in your life, and live to follow Him.

Pastor Jim

 

Improved 

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Isaiah 10:20-21
“And it shall come to pass in that day, That the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty God.”

Israel was facing the threat of annihilation. Years of wandering from the Word and ways of God had led them to the brink of destruction, as Assyria mounted their troops in preparation for an all out attack upon them. As bleak as things appeared, God gave a wonderful promise regarding how this judgment would impact the people. Those who walked through this discipline would one day return, having learned to no longer depend upon men, but upon the Lord.

The discipline of God is never without purpose. He does not chasten us with outbursts of wrath but with a calculated approach designed to win us back to Himself. Twice we read of the purpose of His chastening:

Proverbs 3:12
“For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.”

Hebrews 12:6
“For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”

When we wander from the Lord and begin to travel down a path that will lead to our own destruction, the love of God will force His hand to reach out and draw us back. Sometimes, this hand has to come in the form of discipline. Sometimes, this hand delivers the consequences of our actions, but always, this hand is designed to win us back to God, while removing the things that once led us away.

If you are in the midst of difficulties caused by turning from His way, and living according to your own way, perhaps it is time to change direction. The first step is to stop. Stop walking down a path that God cannot bless and will bring His correction. The second step is to turn. Turn around and begin to take strides toward what you know to be pleasing to Him.

Do not despise the chastening of the Lord, it is an expression of His love. He is jealous for you, always desiring what is best for you, both for now and for eternity.

Pastor Jim

 

When He Comes 

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Isaiah 9:6
“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder,
And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

This is one of the most well known verses in Isaiah, and perhaps in the entire Bible. It is a verse which predicts the coming of the Messiah, seven hundred years before His birth. In this verse, we have a detailed description of the Savior of humanity. We are told a Child will be born, who is in fact, the Son of God.

This verse was originally penned in the midst of extremely dark times in Israel’s history. Externally, they were facing the threat of destruction. The Assyrians began to expand their empire by conquering the nations adjacent to Israel and Judah. Internally, the nation became increasingly immoral. They lost site of the principles upon which they were founded, had wandered from the Lord, and invited the false gods of the surrounding nations into their borders. In earlier chapters, Isaiah describes these conditions by explaining the culture had begun to “call good evil and evil good.”

It is not difficult to see the similarities between Isaiah’s day and our own. Nations are facing the continual threat of terrorism, stemming from the same area of the world where Assyria once ruled. In addition, the tide of immorality is on the rise. It seems to be almost a daily occurrence, where some judge or legislator seeks to impose their personal immoralities upon the rest of us. We are being forced to accept sinful behavior as normal. We are even considered to be bigots, if we suggest that certain lifestyles are unacceptable to God. The Bible is looked upon either as an antiquated fairy tale, or viewed, like many interpret the constitution, as a document that changes to fit the times.

The ambiguous and shifting moral codes being pushed upon our culture are producing all kinds of social chaos. Yet, our leaders refuse to recognize the real cause of the social chaos is immorality and godlessness. We, like Israel, have pushed God out of the way, and as a result, we are experiencing what many call “the wrath of removal;” where God seems to have taken His hand of blessing off of us. We are suffering the consequences of removing God from our lives.

I am so glad in the midst of those dark days, God promised to send His own Son. The Wonderful, Counselor, and Prince of Peace has come to make a way for our sins to be washed away, and a relationship with God restored. Anyone who will receive Christ can have a brand new start in life, and have the hope of heaven. I am also very  glad to know the Savior promised to return. The predictions concerning the first coming of Christ were fulfilled to the letter, and there are three times as many promises of His return, than there are of His incarnation.

The great hope for humanity is found in the pages of God’s Word.

Pastor Jim

 

We’re Watching 

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Isaiah 8:18
“Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion.”

Isaiah understood something about his life, which is often forgotten today. He realized his life was to be lived as an example. He was a model for others to learn how to follow and serve the Lord. Everything he did, including the way he raised his family, was designed to be a sign to the world in which he lived; teaching them something about the Lord.

Isaiah is not alone in this. Paul declared to his friends they should follow him as he followed Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). Essentially, Paul was stating, they could learn how to walk with the Lord by looking at the way he lived. Paul went on to say, every believer is an epistle or letter from God, written to the world to teach them how to live for Christ (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). In another place, Paul wrote of how each of us is on display. The whole world is watching and will determine the validity of the Gospel’s claims, based upon the way we live.

God is not expecting perfection from us, but He does require that we see ourselves as witnesses to the world. As much witnessing is done with our actions, as with our words. As we head out the door today, we should realize we are on display; the world is watching. Our lives, and lifestyles are a huge part of a person’s decision to follow Christ.

Pastor Jim