Isaiah 21:3-4
“Therefore my loins are filled with pain; pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor. I was distressed when I heard it; I was dismayed when I saw it. My heart wavered, fearfulness frightened me; the night for which I longed He turned into fear for me.”
Isaiah faced a season of life that filled him with pain, distress, fear and sleepless nights. This condition was brought on by the events that were taking place on the world stage. The Assyrians were mounting their forces and attempting to expand their nation into a world empire. They were known to be a particularly violent people who showed no mercy to their victims. As Isaiah heard reports of the nation’s around Judah falling victim to Assyria, he was filled with dread. This is not an uncommon experience. Watching reports of what is happening today on the national and international stage, will fill most of us with worry or perhaps even panic. While we can do very little about what is happening, we are in control of how we will respond. I think there are a few lessons we can learn from the prophet.
Isaiah called for a watchman to be set at his post. A watchman’s job was to keep his eyes on the horizon and report any and all activity, as a form of warning for the city. Ezekiel compared the role of the believer to that of a watchman, explaining that it was our job to warn the wicked of coming judgment, as a way to lead them to the Lord.
Instead of allowing the nightly news to fill us with dread, fear, and worry, we should use each report as catalyst to remind us of the need to proclaim the hope of the Gospel. Let’s be watchmen, standing on the walls and declaring to all who will listen, that Jesus loves them and desires to set them free from sin and death.
Pastor Jim
A few years ago we purchased a pool table for the kids as a Christmas gift. Because of the size of the table it was not practical to wrap, so we set it up in the middle of the living room, threw a table-cloth over it and set our breakfast on it. Our disguise worked. The kids went about the morning without even noticing there was a huge gift right under their noses.
Although the counsel of Bildad was misdirected when applied to Job’s situation, he still gives some valuable insight. He addresses one of the dangers we face as we walk with the Lord. He warns of a snare set to entangle the righteous. Psalm 91 refers to this as “the snare of the fowler”, or a trap set by the enemy to trip us up. It is important to keep in mind, walking with the Lord is serious business. We must be aware of the pitfalls along the way. Ephesians 5 is an important part of the road map to a successful Christian walk.
Ezra and his company were traveling hundreds of miles without a military escort and carrying the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold, silver and bronze. Had word got out of their precious cargo, they would no doubt be the target of thieves, and their lives would be at risk. Caravans have been attacked and lives taken for far less than they were carrying. In their desperation, Ezra made a calculated decision not to ask the king for protection, but to gather the people, proclaim a fast and seek the Lord. In the end, they not only made it safely to their destination, but they were able to see God accomplish the miraculous. This story reminds me of a statement made by Gideon when he was hiding in a cave from the Midianotes. He said,
We have all had experiences that have saddened us. Sometimes the word ‘sad’ is too shallow to describe what we are feeling, we might say we are sorrowful or even consumed with grief. When a relationship comes to an end or someone we love dies, the sadness is often so deep it becomes difficult to manage.
Ezra tells the story of the children of Israel returning to Jerusalem, at the end of seventy years of captivity in Babylon. We find that while hundreds of thousands were taken captive, less than fifty thousand returned. I am relatively certain that many should have returned that didn’t, but we are also given insight into the ones that were willing to leave all and take up the challenge of engaging in the work of God.
Without giving the details of the particular trial he is facing, David writes a recipe for success when overcome with opposition. The recipe includes three key ingredients.
Once the Temple was erected and the altar and priesthood put in place, Solomon explained the purpose of the Temple. It was designed as a means for sinful men to have relationship with a holy God. As Solomon prayed, he revealed the great benefits of the Temple. We might say, 2Chronicles 6 gives us the doctrine of the Temple. It became clear, no matter what the cause, turning to the Lord was the cure. If the people were suffering loss, pain, sorrow, sickness, or defeat, they could turn toward the Temple, pray, and find restoration with the Lord. Since the Temple provided access to God, it was the means to receiving mercy from the Lord.
David’s domestic policy included doing everything possible to ensure that the Lord was at the center of the nation of Israel. To this end, he sought to bring the Ark into the city of Jerusalem. In doing so, David committed one of the more common mistakes in ministry; doing the right thing, the wrong way. Instead of opening the Word of God and doing the necessary research on the subject of transporting the Ark, David used “common sense” and a pattern set by the Philistines. The Ark was placed upon a new a cart and driven to Jerusalem. Tragedy struck along the way and a young servant of the king was killed. The reason for the failure was that David had failed to seek the ways of the Lord.
As David and his men pursued the Amalekites, some of them grew weary. It is not difficult to understand why. Not only were they pursuing at a rapid pace, but they were doing so with broken hearts. Amelek had plundered their goods and kidnapped their families. For days, these men had been grieving, many, perhaps, unable to eat, due to the deep sorrow they were feeling. As a result, two hundred men were unable to press on, and the company split into two groups. Two hundred men stayed behind, and four hundred went to battle.
Jim Gallagher 