“It shall come to pass in the latter days ...” (Is 2:2 ESV)

Isaiah 2-4
There is certainty in the statement: “It shall come to pass”. Whatever Isaiah’s next sermon discusses, we are reminded about the certainty behind what God does. Whether blessing or curse, without a doubt, “it shall come to pass”.

This sermon is framed by two pictures of the “latter days”:
1) “the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains” - Is 2:2
2) “the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious” - Is 4:2

No matter what would transpire between the day Isaiah spoke the words and the commencement of “that day”, God’s mountain and branch would be the most powerful and glorious around. It’s hard to say what the mountain and branch are supposed to be. Are they the physical or spiritual kingdom? Maybe they are referring to a return from exile or the New Testament church.

We do know, however, that the nature of God’s teaching, paths, law and judgment are what make his mountain attractive to people. The attraction to peace through righteousness may best describe what the mountain is supposed to represent: living in godliness & Righteousness. These are both the means to reach God and the reward of being in his presence. The height of the mountain and the glory of the branch.

This is what will come to pass in the latter days to God’s mountain & branch: the peoples will stream to it and the survivors of Jerusalem will be holy. With God’s righteous teaching and lifestyle as the goal, Isaiah begins to itemize problems he saw in the people around him.

~ People were influenced by the world - 2:6-8
~ People who hide from God (like Adam & Eve?) - 2:9-11, 19-21
~ People with “haughty looks” & “lofty pride” - 2:11
~ People who, left to themselves, lived foolishly - 2:22-3:8
~ People live and speak against the LORD - 3:8
~ People without shame for sin - 3:9
~ People with misleading guides - 3:12

When God looks at the behavior of his people, their faces betray them (Is 3:9). When God opens his court of judgment against all peoples, his own have no answer to their oppression of the poor & helpless (Is 3:13-14). When God looks to the women of the land he only sees decadence and pride (Is 3:16-4:1).

When God look out to his people, what does he see? A city that stumbled and a country that fallen “against the LORD, defying his glorious presence” (Is 3:8). Not quite the picture of expectation we read in Isaiah 2:2 & 4:2.

If Isaiah’s previous sermon (Isaiah 1) was a “wake up call”, this sermon is a tool to educate the child of God. It contrasts the ideal ways and paths of the LORD with the current lifestyle Isaiah’s audience was a part of. When you grow up “on a pew” in a religious family you grow accustomed to the assumption that you are in the way of the Lord. Isaiah challenged his audience to reconsider - the same way James did in his letter to the early Christians.

Isaiah says, consider how the nations will be drawn to God’s paths, judgment and decisions - are you drawn to these aspects of God? The behavior of the people in Isaiah’s day indicated otherwise.

“In that day ... when the Lord shall have washed away the filth from the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem” - Is 4:2-4

It is a sure thing - sure enough to speak of the approaching purging to have already happened. Isaiah wanted his brothers and sisters to consider whether they would be purged from Jerusalem or be “he who is left in Zion ... who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem” (Is 4:3).

Brothers and sisters, just as Isaiah warned Zion of the “spirit of judgment” and “spirit of burning”, we are warned of the same spirit - Matthew 3:11-12. What will we be revealed by fire in our day? (1Co 3:10-15)

"Come now, let us reason together" (Is 1:18 ESV)

Isaiah 1
When Isaiah delivers his first sermon to Jerusalem it is not his own, it’s God’s: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken" (Isaiah 1:2). This first chapter helps us see the aims of the prophecy of Isaiah.

What does the Sermon say about the People?
The lesson is for a people that does not understand who they are, what they are doing or the problems they are dealing with. A people who are hurting from head to toe but don't do anything about it. They seem to stand alone in the field and suffer needlessly.

The sermon is a wake up call to a people who still worship the Lord. Notice what they proudly bring to God in vs. 12-14: offerings, incense, festivals, convocations, assemblies and feasts. They may be doing them wrong but they're still doing them! They safeguard themselves by their religious behavior - but show them off to God with bloody hands (Isa 1:15). God tells them he wants a people without evil. People that "do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, [and] plead the widow's cause" (Isa 1:16-17).

Same Old Story
This estimation of the people doesn't stand out agains the backdrop of history. James tried to correct the same problem in the early church telling Christians to stop deceiving themselves and be "doers" of God’s word. Instead than just listening to sermons, James wanted Christians to actually change the way they listened (James 1:19), controlled their emotions (1:20), thought about others (2:1-13) and performed their duties and "works" (2:14-26).

Isaiah’s “wake up call” sermon serves as a preface to what the whole vision of the book is to be:
a) Wake up and see what your situation is
b) Consider what you are (or are not) doing
c) Remember who the redeemer is

Redemption
Verse 18 is a search light in the middle of the fog lived in. They were engaged in religious activity, but forgetful of their own heart & conduct - so this opportunity to be “white as snow” must have seemed promising. They were hurt and didn’t know why. Their effort to worship God was turned down - and yet, he is still the one who could clean up their problems. Submission was all they needed - and was just within reach ...

If only they hadn’t replaced justice and righteousness with murder and bribery. If only they had kept their silver clean and wine unmixed (Isa 1:21-22). God wanted them to wake up and clean up their act with submissive humility - because he was about to come in to clean up their world in a severe way (1:25-26).

This sermon tells us God’s expectations in repentance:
1) We need to see what we look like - the way God sees us (Isa 1:2-6, James 1:22-25)
2) We need to clean up our act - washing only comes from God (Isa 1:16-18)
3) We need to recognize and remember the significance of God’s effort in this work: We are his - 1:2; We only know right through him - 1:24-25; We are only saved through righteousness - 1:26-27.

Whether or not we realize it, he is behind all we are able or hope to do.

"My transgressions were bound into a yoke ..." Lam 1:14 (ESV)

In the book of Lamentations, we see that God's people are wasted by their tormentors. Why?

Here are reasons from the first chapter:
transgressions - 1:5, 14, 22
sin - 1:8
uncleanness - 1:9
rebellion - 1:18, 20

Don't overlook this because of its simplicity.
Don't overlook this because of its repetitious nature.

The prophets warned that these things would happen - and they did.

They will today too. Are we above rebellion and transgression? When we devote our lives to Christ we repent from our former deeds and live as God wants us to. We start to cut out sins: no more cussing, no more pornography, no more sinful friends.

Then comes the hard part: speaking with kind words, keeping our eyes from our neighbors, and avoiding time at the water-cooler.

Yes, Israel & Judah were involved with idolatry - but they were also severely punished for "normal" stuff like Injustice & Negligence (Isaiah 1:17). Let's keep our eyes open to our own behavior (James 1:22-25) and our hearts pure with God (Matthew 5:8).

"He who steals must steal no longer" (Ep 4:28 NASB)

Paul's letter to the Christians around Ephesus is useful for Bible teachers. It is a more generic letter and contains a broad spectrum of topics. After opening with three chapters demonstrating the wonderful gift of Jesus, Paul spends his time addressing issues that he saw Christians were facing.

Stealing was among these problems, to which Paul states, "He who steals must steal no longer" Ephesians 4:28 (NASB).

The absolute simplicity of this statement is what appeals to me. There is no argument about how stealing hurts others and is fed by one's own laziness & covetousness. Instead, Paul simply says, "Stop it!"

He does, however, continue on:
"He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need." Ephesians 4:28 (NASB)

It is not enough to merely stop stealing. We have to Labor and Work for ourselves.
It is not enough to merely work for ourselves. We have to labor and work to give to Others.

This is a clear explanation of repentance. Not only "changing your mind", but pushing for the other direction. We don't just stop stealing, but instead we work hard to help others out!

(That's the opposite of lazy selfishness!)

"But as for you, you must not turn to them" (Je 15:19 NASB)

Poor Jeremiah. The "weeping prophet" had such a depressing message. I don't know why, but it's soundly more depressing than Isaiah's message. Sure, the latter half of Isaiah has as much hope as despair (possibly more hope), but even when Isaiah is pronouncing doom, it's not as sad as what Jeremiah has to say.

Consider what Jeremiah says to Israel on God's behalf:

My inheritance has become to Me
Like a lion in the forest;
She has roared against Me;
Therefore I have come to hate her. (Je 12:8)

Lift up your eyes and see
Those coming from the north.
Where is the flock that was given you,
Your beautiful sheep?
What will you say when He appoints over you- ...
Former companions to be head over you? ...
If you say in your heart,
"Why have these things happened to me?"
Because of the magnitude of your iniquity ...
Can the Ethiopian change his skin
Or the leopard his spots?
Then you also can do good
Who are accustomed to doing evil.
Therefore I will scatter them like drifting straw
To the desert wind.
This is your lot, the portion measured to you
From Me, declares the LORD,
Because you have forgotten Me ...
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
How long will you remain unclean? (Je 13:20-27)

Then the LORD said to me, "Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people; send them away from My presence and let them go!" (Je 15:1)

That's sad.
It's not merely pronouncements of judgment,
but sad descriptions of just how sorry a people they were.
The people were so bad!
That is what Jeremiah had to spend his days doing.

And then we have Jeremiah 15:15-21.
Jeremiah asks God "Remember me, take notice of me, And take vengeance for me on my persecutors" (Je 15:15). He tells God "Your words became for me a joy ... For I have been called by Your name" and that he "did not sit in the circle of merrymakers" and that he "sat alone" (Je 15:16-17). He then asks God, "Why has my pain been perpetual ...?" (Je 15:18).

How does God respond?
If you return, then I will restore you- ...
And if you extract the precious from the worthless,
You will become my spokesman ...
Then I will make you to this people
A fortified wall of bronze; ...
They will not prevail over you ...
So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked ... (Je 15:19-21)

Wait a minute!
a) Jeremiah has one of most depressing messages God has ever sent to man
b) The people are rejecting God
c) The people are rejecting Jeremiah and he is suffering
d) The wicked are having "a good ol' time"

And when Jeremiah asks God what's going on, God says "If you return, then I will restore you" (Je 15:19).

What?
After all he has to go through ...
After the people leaving God ...
After the effort Jeremiah makes ...

God wants him to be restored?

Sure puts things into perspective, huh?
The Israelites were so bad ... and Jeremiah was still told to reform himself.
We have to do what God wants and be perfect and complete, no matter how nasty everyone else is.
We have to do what God wants and be perfect and complete according to his standard ... and not rest our laurels on merely being better than the sinners around us. When I read Jeremiah 15 I get the feeling that God's standard is tough to measure up to no matter what's going on!

It makes me think of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32.

"For I will not contend forever ..." (Is 57:16 NASB)

The end of Isaiah chapter 57 shows that God wants to reach out to the meek but has reached his limit with the sinful. What is interesting is that he regards all of them as having sinned.

The one who God heals in verse 18 is the same one with whom he says in verse 17:
"Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him;
I hid My face and was angry,
And he went on turning away, in the way of his heart.
[then, in verse 18]
I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
I will lead him and restore confort to him and to his mourners,"
Isaiah 57:17-18 (NASB)

God was upset with this individual because of the "iniquity of his unjust gain". Yet, God "will not contend forever, Nor will [He] always be angry" (Is 57:16 NASB).

This struck a strong chord with me as a father. Training a child in the way he should go is a lot of hard work. A child will learn but may be stubborn. A child will understand but still test to verify. A child will sometimes be ignorant despite our efforts to train and instruct.

When God looked down on his people he saw a people that would faint in front of him if he did not maintain mercy:
"For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
'I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.
For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry,
For the spirit would grow faint before Me,
And the breath of those whom I have made.'"
Isaiah 57:15-16 (NASB)

God is considerate in his judgment.
God is merciful to the contrite & meek, even in the face of our problems.

This is what I need to do as a father. I must expect godly perfection and devotion, train toward that perfection and yet live with a merciful heart.

When God saw a meek heart in a sinner, it did not matter how far away they ran, but that they had a meek heart and wanted to love God still. We see this in the story of the Lost Son (Lu 15:11:-32).

For those who do not maintain this attitude, God does not have much compassion:
"'But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
For it cannot be quiet,
And its waters toss up refuse and mud.
There is no peace,' says my God, 'For the wicked.'"
Isaiah 57:17-18 (NASB)

"Remember this, and be assured ..." (Is 46:8 NASB)

Israel had several problems that God was trying to deal with when he sent his messages through Isaiah. One which we may take for granted today is the supremacy & singularity of God himself.

Isaiah 46:8-11 (NASB)
Remember this, and be assured;
Recall it to mind, you transgressors.
Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
God, and there is no one like Me. ...
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned, I will do it.

I don't think this is an issue the world has quite learned to cope with yet. Growing up on a pew, I was raised with God's word and the primacy of his rule & authority. But the world offers many options now as it did back then. The general idea today is, "I believe in an Almighty God, and I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God". (http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58026)

The LORD heavily stressed to the Israelites that he stood alone as God and that he is a jealous God (Ex 20:5).

However, God also expresses his reach, care & concern for the people he has created in Isaiah 46:1-4 (NASB):
Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle.
The things that you carry are burdensome
A load for the weary beast.
They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But have themselves gone into captivity.
Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been borne by Me from birth
And have been carried from the womb;
Even to your old age I will be the sam,
And even to your graying years I will bear you!
I have done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.

This isn't a LORD who stands apart and away but reaches down to carry our burdens.
This isn't a wooden idol which is heavy on an animal, but a God who has bourn us since our birth.

There's still a bit of confusion out there: Is there another God? Are there lesser gods? Is Jesus really God or a lesser God? Are there other sources of hope?

There's still a lot of options for us to trust in: Some trust in empirical evidence ... or their own experiences ... or in a collection of faiths, distrusting any one on its' own.

God reminds us that we can trust in him as a single and supreme God.
God reminds us that we can trust what he's said:

For I am God, and there is no other; ...
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned, I will do it.
Isaiah 46:9-11 (NASB)

"You have not obeyed me ..." (Je 34:17 ESV)

In Jeremiah 34:8-10 we see that the Israelites made a covenant with God and freed their slaves as they had been instructed in the Law.

This story gives us God's perspective on obedience:
"And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free. But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves." Jeremiah 34:10-11 (ESV)

They did what God wanted, and then waffled.

Hindsight, it's easy for us to see their problem. Nonetheless, I've been in the same situation. We can't kid ourselves to think that we can flip back and forth on issues.
"I'll repent about this again"
"I'll ask God for forgiveness"
"I've been forgiven before"

You know this isn't repentance, right? I did, and I still got caught up in it.

Here's God's response:
“Therefore, thus says the Lord: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; a behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the Lord. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth." Jeremiah 34:17 (ESV)

Not very passive is it? I need to remember the intensity of God's response in Jeremiah when I'm reading what John wrote in his first letter:
"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
1 John 1:5-10 (ESV)

"You are my hammer and weapon of war ..." (Je 51:20 ESV)

What was Babylon?
The biggest authority on the planet.
The unstoppable effort of Nebuchadnezzar.
The world dominating power of the 5th Century BCE.

What was Babylon?
“You are my hammer and weapon of war:
with you I break nations in pieces;
with you I destroy kingdoms"

Jeremiah 51:20 (ESV) says that Babylon was God's hammer.


Think about what this means: If there is a world dominating power ruling the globe, God's using it as his hammer. World dominating powers are tools to God. They are not the product of their own effort or will. They are not a demonstration of the power of mankind. There are merely God's tools.

There haven't even been any since then.
God's Kingdom has dominated the world since the fall of the Roman empire. That's comforting to know.

New project

My wife forwarded this to me. Looks like I have a new project:

A careful study of the book of Proverbs identifies nine major themes of the book:

1) The principle of the tongue and the truth
2) The principle of hard work
3) The principle of self-control and avoiding temptation
4) The principle of conflict resolution and getting along with others
5) The principle of fearing God
6) The principle of receiving reproof and respecting authority
7) The principle of trusting God
8) The principle of humility
9) The principle of a virtuous spouse

"You are telling a lie ..." (Je 43:2 ESV)

Poor Jeremiah.
The people are desperate for help, but only because they're desperate. They are interested in God's answers, but only because they have no other alternatives.
They say "Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the LORD your God for us, for all this remnant—because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us—that the LORD your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do. ... Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God." (Je 42:2-6 ESV), but they don't "Bear fruits in keeping with repentance" (Lk 3:8 ESV).

The answer God gives them is interesting.
He says, "If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you." (Je 42:10 ESV). God had punished Judah because they were Horrible! Yet, he was sorrowful for what had to happen. It's what every son hears his father say right before a whipping: "This hurts me more than it hurts you".

Did the Israelites have any respect for the honest and open offer God made?
No.
Did the Israelites realize what God was offering to them?
No.
Had God made a poor decision when "whipped" the Israelites with the Babylonians?
No, and this story makes that obvious.

How did the Israelites respond to God's offer? "Azariah the son of Hoshaiah and Johanan the son of Kareah and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, You are telling a lie. The LORD our God did not send you to say, Do not go to Egypt to live there, but Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon." (Je 43:2-3 ESV). They knew that they could not deny God, so they merely denied that this was a message from God.

I think it's cowardly to dismiss God's word because of how it is delivered: Preachers, books, lessons, translations, etc. God has provided enough information for us to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God" (1Jn 4:1 ESV). But if you're bent on dismissing God's commands (Hell Bent), you will be desperate for an "out".

Listen quietly to God's word. Honestly consider that the creator of our universe deserves this attention. Respect what he has instructed you to do and do it. Don't be a coward and back out.

"So Saul had laid an oath on the people ..." (1Sa 14:24 ESV)

When young men become husbands they have leadership immediately thrust upon them:
"But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God." (1Co 11:3 ESV)

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior." (Ep 5:22 ESV)

Sadly many young men will become leaders long before they understand what it means to lead. Just look at the story of Saul. Though his performance in 1 Samuel 11 demonstrates that he would make an excellent judge (after the model of the book of Judges), we see that he fails in his attempts to lead as the nation's king. I want to look at two moments of Saul's leadership in chapter 14:

"And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people had tasted food." (1Sa 14:24 ESV)

"And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. For l as the Lord lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him." (1Sa 14:38-39 ESV)

Saul is a cowboy shooting from the hip.

Caught within a situation he makes a decision way too fast. People say that, "Leaders make decisions for other people." Is that what Godly leaders do? Are New Testament elders "masters" over the people they lead, or are they shepherds who lead by example?

It was pointed out to me this week that even the rule a mother has over her house is stronger than that of elders with the flock. 1 Timothy 5:14 "manage a household"

Young men, leadership does not only mean standing up and making decisions! It means you are seeking after God's will.

I was confused for a while too. I thought, "I need to make some decisions so that I can be a leader! I'm going to decide where we eat for dinner tonight no matter what!"

That's not how you lead. Leadership draw people to accept your rule by your example and wisdom.

"Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and a your hearers." 1 Timothy 4:11-16 ESV

"Then I said, 'These are only the poor; they have no sense ...'" (Je 5:4 ESV)

Jeremiah had quite a bourgeois reaction to the moral and spiritual situation in Judah. It's the sort of reaction we often mimic ourselves. Either it's the "liberal elite" or the "lazy" and "selfish people on welfare" that are morally bankrupt.

Jeremiah is told by God to find someone "who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her [Jerusalem]" (Je 5:1 ESV). Instead, Jeremiah sees what God has known all along: "They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent." (Je 5:3 ESV).

It is here Jeremiah steps into the trap we often step into:
Then I said, These are only the poor;
they have no sense;
for they do not know the way of the LORD,
the justice of their God.
I will go to the great
and will speak to them,
for they know the way of the LORD,
the justice of their God.
But they all alike had broken the yoke;
they had burst the bonds. Jeremiah 5:4-5 ESV.

Why did he assume that the problem of sin was associated with a economic or social position? We often make assumptions like that. We shouldn't assume that the rich, the powerful and those with authority are any better or worse than someone else. Sin attaches itself to everyone, ourselves included.

Jeremiah hoped that if he climbed up the echelons of society he would find a purified reverence for God. He didn't find that at all. Note that he didn't necessarily find the opposite either.

"Seek the LORD while he may be found ..." Is 55:6 (ESV)

In Isaiah 55 God calls to the needy, offers supplies and asks us why we keep ourselves busy with useless and worthless things.

Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me ... Isaiah 55:1-3 (ESV)

God calls out with what we need and wonders why we get caught up in aimlessness. After all, he made us and designed our world, why wouldn't he know what's best? This same call for support is offered as an "everlasting covenant" (Is 55:3 ESV) to those of us who are unresisting enough to enjoy what he has to offer.

Offering to help a people cast aside, God says:
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; ... let the wicked forsake his way ...let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
Isaiah 55:6-8 (ESV)

I've usually heard Is 55:8 used to say: Don't do things your way, you're only human and God knows best.
Though that is a true idea, I think that in this chapter God is saying: Anyone can come back. Anyone can get what I'm offering.

Kind of makes me think of Luke 15.

"And shall you be delivered?" Is 37:11 (ESV)

The king of Assyria was laying siege to Judah having conquered the Northern kingdom of Israel. Sennacherib, as a spokesman for the Assyrian king declares to King Hezekiah, the Priests and all the people of Jerusalem the impending destruction Assyria had planned for them.

The major argument Sennacherib was "Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, The LORD will surely deliver us. ..." (Is 36:15 ESV).

He offered them an 'out': "... thus says the king of Assyria: 'Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.'" Isaiah 36:16-17 (ESV)

He says, "Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD ... Make your peace with me"
He means: "Don't put up with the difficulties of the LORD ... take it easy with us"

God's way, though it proved to be advantageous in hindsight, was really tough! The people had to listen to Sennacherib & Assyria berate their God, their King and themselves. They had to listen to a man tell them they'd eat their own filth and starve. They had to deal with angry family members who were tired of suffering. They had to deal with their own nagging suspicions that God was letting them be punished (why not, God had already condemned Israel to the Assyrians?)

Holding on to God's word
Holding on to God's ways
Holding on to God's will will be a difficult thing to do.

It means hurting family and ourselves. It means going hungry and enduring pain. It means we will be unhappy.

But it only means we'll be unhappy here. I need to remember that "this world is not my home".

(maybe I'll write a conclusion to this 'sermon' later)

"No one considers ..." Isaiah 44:19 (ESV)

In Isaiah 44 God points out the irony of idol worship with funny results:

"He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, 'Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!' And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, 'Deliver me, for you are my god!'

"They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, 'Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?'"
Isaiah 44:14-19 (ESV)

I always laugh at the way God presents the senseless behavior of those who have "worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator" (Ro 1:25 ESV).

"Their horses are flesh, and not spirit" Is 31:3 (ESV)

In Isaiah 31 God tells his people that he would be able help his people while others would not be able to. It's clear that God wanted to save and protect his people but was upset when they ran to other people.


"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
and rely on horses ...
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel
or consult the LORD! ...

The Egyptians are man, and not God,
and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.
When the LORD stretches out his hand,
the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,
and they will all perish together." Isaiah 31:1-3 (ESV)


I found it interesting that God compared himself with the Egyptians with the words flesh & spirit. A worldly defense was something they could count, touch, see and invest in. The spiritual defense was more intangible. Untrusting minds have a hard time with intangible things.

God concludes the chapter by pointing out exactly how Assyria would fall:
"And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man;
and a sword, not of man, shall devour him" Isaiah 31:8 (ESV)

"My beloved had a vineyard ..." Is 5:1 (ESV)

What did God do for Israel? (Is 5:1-2 ESV)

"Let me sing for my beloved
my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes."

What was God's reaction to Israel? (Is 5:3-4 ESV)

"And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
What more was there to do for my vineyard,
that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?"

God was upset because all of his careful work for Israel seemed useless. This is a big in the story of God's people.

This passage in Isaiah makes Jesus' parable in Matthew 21:33-44 even more interesting.

"When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them." (Mt 21:45 ESV)

He bowed his head and gave up his spirit (Jn 19:30 ESV)

"After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), I thirst. A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, It is finished, and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19:28-30 (ESV)

Jesus gave up his life for me and my sins. That's a big concept to consider. Something that struck me recently was the idea that he gave up his life. No one took it from him. No one tricked him. He knew what was coming and gave it up.

Pilate questioned Jesus about this: "'Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?' Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.'" (Jn 19:10-11 ESV)

Jesus' answer was clear: You have no control here, I do.

Paul comforts us with the following statement: "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (1Co 10:13 ESV) That means that God is in control of my life too. No matter what comes, God's in control. Knowing that, I can rest myself from the weariness of my labors here on earth.

"Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony" (Jn 4:39 ESV)

Jesus awed a woman with his authority and power after a short conversation. She was so excited about what she was hearing she ran off to get her friends, forgetting her water jar at the well.

That's when John writes, "Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me al that I ever did'" (Jn 4:39 ESV) I'm really impressed with her friends. They eagerly believed and were excited with her excitement. They didn't doubt, question or act skeptical.

Note that they weren't blind believers. "So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.'" (Jn 4:40-42 ESV)

I need to be believing and not a doubter (Jn 20:24-29)

"But when he came to himself ..." (Lk 15:17 ESV)

Even though the "Lost Son" was blowing away his father's money on wasteful & sinful things, he didn't come to his senses. He ignored his problem.

Even though the "Lost Son" lost all his money and a famine hit, he didn't come to his senses. He ignored his problem.

Even though the "Lost Son" hired himself at the most disgusting job there could be, feeding pigs, he didn't come to his senses. He ignored his problem.

Finally, he got hungry. So hungry he wanted to eat pig food. Pods, or shells, of the good food. That's when the Jesus says, "But when he came to himself, he said, How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!'" (Lk 15:17 ESV). Poor guy, I wish it didn't take him so long to think about it.

I realized a few years ago the value in admitting, acknowledging and owning up to sin and problems. I try to think about what I'm doing, and more often than not, I can see that what I'm doing is sinful. It's through the grace of God that I can know right from wrong and by his help that I can turn away from it.

The only way I'll ever know right from wrong is by reading his word as often as I can. I urge you all do the same. God's word and help is the only way I can be saved.

Jesus clarifies what correct authority & rule is

I was reading through Mark 7-14 today, and I was struck by the theme of bad authority and rule. The stories in the first half of these chapters seem to address the problem of people grabbing more power, authority and rule than they should:

1) 7:1-23 :: the Pharisees complain about Jesus' disciples not washing hands & Jesus condemns their use of scripture & traditions
2) 8:11-12 :: the Pharisees won't listen to Jesus unless he proves himself to them with a sign
3) 9:2-13 :: Jesus' authority & rule is confirmed by God in his transfiguration
4) 9:14-29 :: in healing a man's possessed son, we see that the disciples were weak in their own belief and faith while Jesus' authority was solid
5) 9:33-37 :: the apostles demonstrate their confusion over authority & rule by arguing about who would be the greatest
6) 9:38-41 :: the apostles want to punish someone for working without (their perception) of Jesus' authority

The topic really continues through some more chapters, but you get the idea.

I need to be careful as a brother & teacher that I don't say (or try to say) more than I should. Relying on God's word, and its own strength, is all I should ever do.

"Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Mt 16:17 ESV)

Peter makes his bold confession "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" and shows his belief in Jesus even when others started to turn away from him. (Mt 16:16 ESV) I feel proud to be a Christian when I read passages like this or hear my sisters and brothers making bold confessions.

Today I started thinking about Jesus' comment, "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven". (Mt 16:17 ESV) How exactly did Peter get this revelation? Was it:
* "Zapped" into his brain by God, the Father?
* A "special" and "secret" revelation that Peter heard and others didn't?
* Or was it merely the result of seeing Jesus' miracles (by the power of God) and hearing Jesus' message (the words of God) and taking the time to think about it?

God reveals his will to us when we read his word and consider what he's said and what it means for our lives. I don't think I have to sit on the couch to be moved by God to learn. Reading God's word "moves" me. When I love what I read and consider, I am: 1) moved closer to him and 2) moved on to better and better things. However, if I read his word and reject what it says, it moves me farther and farther away from him.

When people saw Jesus cast out demons and reacted by saying that Jesus was using the power of demons, they were "moved" by God's revelation. Sadly, they were moved in the wrong direction.

I pray that I will listen to God's word and always move forward with him.

Simple Instructions

I love the simplicity of the instructions in Hebrews chapter 13:

"Let brotherly love continue.
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you..." (He 13:1-5 ESV)

The topic in the book is holding on to a faith that may cause troubles for you on earth. The author gives us confidence to hope and trust in God until the end. And after all of these heart wrenching chapters pleading with holding on, we are told simply to love, show hospitality, and other "simple" things.

Though they may be simple to understand, they're not always simple to act on. Nevertheless, we're encouraged to hold on to these good works and a faith that will lead us to God in the end.

I need to remember to love, show hospitality and seek out ways to help others.

"And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed ..." (Lk 5:18 ESV)

"... and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with a his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, 'Man, your sins are forgiven you.'" (Lk 5:18-20 ESV)

This man would not have been healed without his friends' help. There was no way he would reach Jesus without their help and support.

This man would not have been healed without his friends being persistent. There was no way they would have made it through the crowds if they had not been diligent and serious about their task.

More importantly, this man would not have been saved without their trust in Jesus. They weren't the ones who forgave the man his sins, but Jesus forgave the man's sins because of their faith. Their faith was exhibited through their effort. The effort was made because of their love for the man.

There are a lot of people out there who we need to carry to Jesus. Maybe they can't make it on their own. Maybe their too tired or afraid. Maybe they're afraid of the crowds or the jeering Pharisees. There are a lot of friends who need our help, faith and trust.

I need to be a busy worker.

Presenting the Gospel - 1 Thessalonians 1:5

How did Paul present the gospel to the people of Thessalonica? "... our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake." (1Th 1:5 ESV)

What do you think Paul's referring to? I usually guess it's a mixture of the following ideas:
1) I'm sure Paul was a very convincing speaker
2) It's probable that miracles helped demonstrate the power of God with the word

Beyond this, however, the Thessalonian brethren themselves demonstrate that there was power involved, when Paul says, "And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia." (1Th 1:6-7 ESV)

Now there's power! They were a strong bunch of people to have the nerve to listen to a "man on the run" and begin to suffer in the same way. Their conviction was 'loud' enough to be heard by cities all around them. Their behavior seems to have been a direct result of the power of God.

I don't think we need to wait for miraculous or emotionally exciting moments to see the power of God working in others. God's word does it simply enough on its own. These Christians heard the message and believed it. They believed it with enough 'gumption' to withstand troubles of their own!

I need to take more time to appreciate the effectiveness God's word on its' own level, before I try to present it to others.

"Out of Egypt I called my son" (Ho 11:1, Mt 2:15 ESV)

Matthew devotes a lot of his gospel to commentary on Old Testament prophecy. Through many examples, Matthew shows how Jesus fulfilled even the most obscure prophecies.

When we look at the story of Jesus fleeing from Herod to Egypt as a child, Matthew writes "This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, 'Out of Egypt I called my son.'" (Mt 2:15 ESV) At first glance, the passage Matthew uses seems to barely relate to Jesus at all.

When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
The more they were called,
the more they went away;
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and burning offerings to idols.
(Hosea 11:1-2 ESV)

This didn't seem to point to Jesus at all. How could you compare Jesus with Israel?
* When Israel came out of Egypt, the worshipped idols. When Jesus came out he was a holy and obedient son.
* When Israel came out of Egypt, they wanted to return to slavery. When Jesus came out he led others closer to God.
* Most of the Israelites who came out of Egypt died in the wilderness. But Jesus says that he keeps and protects his own.

Where originally I was looking for similarities, I should have been looking for contrasts! This is what Jon Focht pointed out to me when we were studying this today. Israel suffered and withered away in shame and selfishness. Jesus was an honorable and obedient child who willingly suffered to save everyone.

God called his children out of Egypt, and one was perfect. How do we respond to his call? Let's follow his perfect son.

"What does it mean when Jesus says ...?"

People ask me this question all the time, and I've just recently learned how to help them answer the question for themselves.

Here is a good illustration: "Another of the disciples said to him, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' And Jesus said to him, 'Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.'" (Mt 8:20-21 ESV).

When people ask, "What does it mean when Jesus says to let the dead bury themselves?" we should use questions to help them answer it for themselves

Ask your students questions like:
a) Did Jesus care for the feelings of others?
b) Did Jesus mourn for the dead?
c) Did Jesus empathize with the cares and concerns of other people?

The answer to all three is YES! We all know Jesus was in tears to see his friends mourning Lazarus' death. Now we say, "If we know that Jesus does care about these things, why would he say this in Matthew 8:21?" The student will soon come to the realization: "He must have been teaching a lesson!"

"Now," we reply, "what do you think is the lesson in this story?"

"For many deceivers have gone out into the world ..." (2Jo 7 ESV)

In this short letter, John warns a dear friend about the dangers of deceivers. "Deceiver" & "False Teacher" are loaded words today. Sometimes people are afraid to use them because they're so harsh. Whatever our feelings about the words, they're just as valid today as when John used them.

John writes, "And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world..." (2Jo 6-7 ESV). John wanted his listeners to listen to and live by God's commandments. Not the deception others had to offer.

He warns, "Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward ... If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works." (2Jo 8-11 ESV). John was afraid that all the hard effort Christians had made would wash away when deceitful teachers showed up. Christians were warned to keep away from them and not even greet the teachers. Giving a deceiving teacher "God speed" would be participating in their effort!

Most people today have a real relaxed attitude about religion & God's rules. To hear someone say, "I'm a Baptist, but I attend a Lutheran church" (or some other church) is a common thing. It seems no one really cares about the truth anymore. It's depressing for me to see. We can't ignore it if preachers and teachers who aren't speaking the truth. We need to say something! Going to church somewhere that teaches something wrong is just not right. It might seem awkward in todays day and age to act this way, but if we give in here, we'll slip up in a bunch of other ways too.

Reading John's letter gives me the encouragement to stick to the truth I've read, re-investigate it to be sure it's right, and teach others to do the same.

"...no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah" (Lk 11:29 ESV)

When people needed saving, Jesus would save; but when people wanted a show, Jesus was less than enthusiastic. Jesus tells the crowds, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation." (Lk 11:29-30 ESV) This has to be my favorite prophecy/allusion to Christ rising from the grave.

Jesus then tells his audience that they would be condemned by the city of Nineveh and the Queen of the South at the Judgment. Most Jews probably thought that Nineveh & the Queen of the South owed their lives and salvation to Jonah, Solomon and all of the other children of Abraham. To hear that these foreign gentiles would condemn them would be a pretty big insult indeed.

Why would the generation be condemned? Because they saw the power of Jesus and ignored it! Because they heard the wisdom of Jesus and ignored it! The Queen & Nineveh didn't ignore what God sent to them.

The phrase I usually think of in this story is, "They should have known better!" That's the same phrase I use with myself when I sin today, "I should have known better."

"Let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Lk 9:23 ESV)

I use some passages more often than others. I try to memorize their locations in the Bible so that I can reference them when speaking with other people. Luke 9:23-27 is one of those passages.

Sometimes when I see people reacting to the word of God, I second guess what's going on. I tend to think, "Are they good soil, rocky soil? I feel uncomfortable when I react this way. Jesus seemed to understand this feeling, however.

In Luke 9 Jesus lets everyone following him know that they needed to consider what they were getting themselves into. He says they'll need to carry their cross daily if they were going to follow him. Nowadays the cross is a romantic symbol of Christianity. Back when Jesus made this statement it was an ugly torturous tool of execution. There was nothing romantic about it at all.

Jesus warns his followers that they'll need to deny everything about themselves if they wanted to follow him. I think we need to warn the world also. Though Jesus is our only hope of salvation, we can't make a half hearted effort. Jesus demands everything we've got.

I need to pray more often for help in denying myself in favor of his desires.

"And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me" Luke 7:23 (KJV)

I like thinking about how the Bible uses the word offense & offend. We're caught up in a fear of offending people, and rightly so. We should be Peacemakers, Humble & Meek.

However, if Jesus blessed those who did not take offense in him ... it makes me wonder what he does with those who do take offense in him.

The real key is that when "offended" is used in Luke 7, Jesus is referring to people who choose to be offended (more accurately translated "stumble") over what they hear. That's exactly what his following argument against the Pharisees, with regard to John the Baptist, was about.

"They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling to one another, and saying, 'We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.'" (Lk 7:32 KJV) The Pharisees were annoyed when John didn't behave like they wanted him to. Jesus describes their reaction to John by saying: "For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, 'He hath a devil'" (Lk 7:33 KJV).

They were all offended by what Jesus said and did. They chose to stumble over who and what he was, and ended up killing him. "But wisdom is justified of all her her children." (Lk 7:34 KJV)

I pray that I'm wisely listening to the Bible's teaching and not stumbling over what I hear.

Repentance is more than Intent

Reflections from the lesson book "God's Perfect Plan", by Kelly Ellis (pg 9).

In a discussion about God's grace, Mr. Ellis makes an interesting point: "The grace of God does not allow for the unconditional pardon of sins which the Christian 'intended' to make right, but somehow never got around to correcting." Correcting what he calls the "religion of intent", Mr. Ellis is describing God's expectations in repentance.

Repentance is a change of mind. It doesn't mean to "have a new idea", but to convert your present worldview to something completely different. I often use a political illustration: If someone repents from being a Republican, they don't merely vote Independent, but Democrat.

When we repent to God there should be a shock to our system. Your friends will be shocked about the change too: "With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you" (1Pe 4:4 ESV).

No pain no gain: If we're not hurting from the sin we left behind, we need to reevaluate whether we've actually left it or not. Think about it this way. If, before we saw the light of God's grace, we stole cars, we need to do more than merely stop stealing cars. We need to return the cars!

God doesn't call people righteous for only feeling sorry about their sin. Our old sin needs to be completely abandoned!