Devotions

Turn To Me and Be Saved

by  • 

People in the world are deceived, we often get so busy that we only have room for the work in front of us. We eat, and are warm and have a few things we have made. We know there must be more, a creator, a purpose, and our focus turns to what we have made as if it has power to save us and protect us. The Lord is looking for us to recognize him in the things of the world. They were created by him, as it says in Romans 1:19–20 because what can be known about God is evident among them, for God made it clear to them. 20 For from the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, both his eternal power and deity, are discerned clearly, being understood in the things created, so that they are without excuse”. But a deceived mind separates us from him, the Lord, creator of heaven and earth. He though, will cause righteousness to come down like rain and spring forth in the earth so that all that turn to him will be saved. 

A Deceived Mind Misleads Him

Isaiah 44:9–20
How can something we have fashioned be a god to us? Yet, there have always been craftsmen that have fashioned elements into objects that somehow we hold dear and ascribe power to. Whether it is the smith who casts forms or hammers out shapes or the carpenter that shapes and joins wood, these are all the works of a man as is described in Isaiah 44:9-19. Can wearing wearing gold and silver chains and rings make a man more masculine? Can a plastic or plaster image of a person, even though they may have demonstrated a saintly Christian life, offer any protection or help for us today? Does wearing a cross make us any closer to God? I think not because God is spirit and he is always there wherever we are.

I (the Lord) Have Redeemed You!

Isaiah 44:21–28 

Let Clouds Trickle With Righteousness

Isaiah 45:1–13
The Lord prophecies of a leader that will restore Israel. He will rule with righteousness because the Lord has opened the heavens in

Isaiah 45:8 Trickle, O heavens, from above, and let clouds trickle with righteousness; let the earth open so that salvation may be fruitful, and let it cause righteousness to sprout along with it. I myself, Yahweh, have created it.

There is a flow that comes when the heavens are opened and it is a flow of blessing as righteousness prevails. And we know righteousness when we find a man where “He himself shall build my city, and he shall set my exiles free, not for price or a gift,” says Yahweh of hosts” as is described in Isaiah 45:13. 

Turn To Me and Be Saved

Isaiah 45:14–25
After the land of Israel was trampled under foot by foreign armies, the Lord says “the acquisition … the merchandise … shall pass over to you” in

Isaiah 45:14 Thus says Yahweh: “The acquisition of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush and the Sabeans, tall men, shall pass over to you; they shall be yours, and they shall walk behind you. They shall pass over in chains, and they shall bow down to you; they will pray to you: ‘Surely God is with you, and there is no other. Besides him there is no God.’ ”

To those that have followed after idols, the works of their own hands, the Lord says, in

Isaiah 45:22 Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none besides me.

My Salvation Will Not Delay

Isaiah 46:1–13

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Isaiah 44:9-28
  • Isaiah 45:1-25
  • Isaiah 46:1-13
Devotions

I Have Called You by Your Name

by  • 

The coming of Jesus Christ is foretold. The Lord has always operated this way, He speaks, and things come into existence. There is a great lesson in faith for us here as the nations around them had been overrun and destruction had come right to their door, now they are told in Isaiah 42:1 Look! here is my servant; I hold him, my chosen one, in whom my soul delights. I have put my spirit on him; he will bring justice forth to the nations”. The Lord tells them “you must not fear” and promises an outpouring of his spirit where we become his witnesses. 

I Declare New Things

Isaiah 42:1–9
The Lord always shows us things before they happen. This is how things work with God as it says in

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand the worlds were created by the word of God, in order that what is seen did not come into existence from what is visible.

So then, in

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the realization of what is hoped for, the proof of things not seen.

Since this may still seem cryptic lets look at it in operation, “God said” and it came into being in

Genesis 1:2–3 Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light!” And there was light.

And again in Genesis 1:6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29 “And God said” through every step of creation even to Genesis 2:18 “God said, “it is not good that the man is alone. I will make for him a helper as his counterpart”.

So why am I belaboring this point here? Because the Lord says through in

Isaiah 42:9 Look! the former things have come, and I declare new things. I announce them to you before they sprout up.”

The Lord is announcing the coming of Jesus Christ and says in

Isaiah 42:1 Look! here is my servant; I hold him, my chosen one, in whom my soul delights. I have ⌊put⌋ my spirit on him; he will bring justice forth to the nations.

Sing a New Song to Yahweh (the Lord)

Isaiah 42:10–17

Who Among You Will Heed This

Isaiah 42:18–25 

I Have Called You by Your Name

Isaiah 43:1–13
The Lord again extends his hand to the children of Israel. He began a work in them and made them a nation. He “created—not only in the general sense, but specially created as a peculiar people unto Himself … So believers, “created in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:10), “a peculiar people” (1 Pe 2:9)”.1

Now, the Lord says to them in Isaiah 42:1 “”you must not fear” and again in Isaiah 47:5 “you must not fear”. He is saying to them that they must not have that “Emotional foreboding or dread of impending distress or misfortune”.2

People of the world may easily think that way because there is trouble in the world. There are those that will take advantage. There are those that will oppress others. There is a real devil and his fallen angels, principalities and powers that rule as it says in

1 John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

But the Lord is encouraging them, that they are not alone as he says in Isaiah 43:1″I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name; you are mine”. And, even more than that, he is actively gathering them in Isaiah 43:5 “I will bring your offspring from the east, and I will gather you from the west”.

Now again, he makes a statement twice, in Isaiah 43:10 and 12 “you are my witnesses”.

I Am About to do a New Thing!

Isaiah 43:14–28 

I Will Pour My Spirit Out on Your Descendants

Isaiah 44:1–5
Again the Lord says in Isaiah 44:2 “you must not fear” and follows this with a promise in

Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour out water on a thirsty land and streams on dry ground. I will pour my spirit out on your descendants and my blessing on your offspring.

The promise that we recognize as the day of Pentecost in

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them ability to speak out.

This promise was a sign to those around them, but even more it was that they would know they belong to the Lord as it says in

Isaiah 44:5 This one will say, ‘I belong to Yahweh!’ And that one will be called by the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand ‘Yahweh’s’ and take the name of Israel.”

I Established an Eternal People

Isaiah 44:6–8

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Isaiah 42:1-25
  • Isaiah 43:1-28
  • Isaiah 44:1-8

References

  • 1. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 478). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
  • 2. Sacks, S. D. (1988). Fear. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 781). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
Devotions

I Have Chosen You

by  • 

Hezekiah’s enemies, the Assyrians have disappeared. The Lord has restored his health and promised him fifteen more years of life and Hezekiah is happy. When emissaries come from Babylon, maybe to show the goodness of God, but I think with great pride Hezekiah shows them all and in Isaiah 39:2 “There was nothing that Hezekiah had not shown them in his house or in all his dominion”. Isaiah brings a message from God that Hezekiah’s children will be taken captive as eunuchs in the palace of Babylon. Then the Lord says two things, in Isaiah 41: 10 “You must not fear, for I am with you”, and in Isaiah 41:18–20 “I will open rivers on the barren heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness like a pool of water … (a flourishing land)” The Lord says in Isaiah 41:12 “all those who are angry with you … your opponents shall be like nothing”. 

Peace and Security in My Days

Isaiah 39:1–8
In his pride, Hezekiah shows all of the treasures of the kingdom to the emissaries from Babylon. What great wealth they have. What great store houses they have. What great weapons they have. For one that had followed after God in his youth and sought reforms for the nation so they would also follow after God, in these last fifteen years that God has given him, he is acting foolishly. The Lord sends the prophet to say in

Isaiah 39:6–7 ‘Look! days are coming, and all that is in your house and that which your ancestors have stored up to this day shall be carried off to Babylon. Nothing shall be left,’ says Yahweh. 7 ‘And some of your sons who go out from you, whom you fathered, shall be taken, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ”

But rather than calling to the Lord in prayer and interceding for his nation and even his own sons, Hezekiah responds with this sadly self-centered statement in

Isaiah 39:8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of Yahweh that you have spoken is good,” for he thought, “Surely there will be peace and security in my days.”

Hezekiah may be able to fulfill his pledge to the Lord in

Isaiah 38:20 Yahweh, save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives at the temple of Yahweh.”

But what of his people? With all of the great things that been accomplished, for example, Hezekiah brought “religious reform to Judah … The temple in Jerusalem was reopened … idols were removed … Temple vessels … were sanctified for use … The sacrifices were initiated with singing and the sounds of musical instruments … Hezekiah organized the priests and Levites for the conducting of religious services … The tithe was reinstituted … (and) feasts called for in the Law”.1

Still, Hezekiah was not able to secure the future of the people. But what is most surprising is his egregious disregard for their coming captivity. It seems his only concern was that “there will be peace and security in my days”.

Clear the Way of Yahweh (the Lord)

Isaiah 40:1–10

Who Has Measured up the Spirit of Yahweh

Isaiah 40:11–20

Yahweh (the Lord) is the God of Eternity

Isaiah 40:21–31 

I Have Chosen You

Isaiah 41:1–10
Though Israel has gone through the judgement of God and the opposition of the god of this world, the Lord says in

Isaiah 41:8–9 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you, the offspring of Abraham my friend, 9 you whom I grasped from the ends of the earth and called from its remotest parts and told, “You are my servant; I have chosen you and I have not rejected you.”

To these descendants, to the children of Israel is God’s promise,

Isaiah 41:10 You must not fear, for I am with you; you must not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, indeed I will help you, indeed I will take hold of you with the right hand of my salvation.

This is a specific promise to the seed of Abraham, but in this, we understand something about God’s ways. What God began here, flows through Jesus Christ and through Him, to us, no longer by natural physical lineage, but by faith to all who believe. From this we can also take courage and can take these very words for our own. 

All Those Who Are Angry With You

Isaiah 41:11–20
How many times have you been confronted by anger? How many times have you faced opposition as you are doing your utmost to follow after the things of God? How many false accusations against you? How many times have they made you feel like the lowest of the low as the people of Israel are described in Isaiah 41:14 “O worm of Jacob”. Here is God’s promise in

Isaiah 41:11–12 Look! All those who are angry with you shall be ashamed and humiliated; your opponents shall be like nothing and shall become lost. 12 You shall seek them, but you shall not find them; your opponents shall be like nothing, and the men of your war like nothing.

Our natural reaction is to defend ourselves, to fight back, to get revenge, but God says in Isaiah 41:13-14 “You must not fear; I myself, I will help you. You must not fear”. Twice he says, “you must not fear” and twice he says “I”, “I myself” and “I will help”.

Now look at this, in Isaiah 41:15-16 “I will make you into a new sharp threshing sledge … you shall thresh … you shall make the hills like chaff … you shall winnow”. The Lord is well able to defend us on his own, but as an earthly father might teach his son to stand up to a bully, so there is a work the Lord wants to do through us.

Then there is a work he will do all by himself for the poor and needy in

Isaiah 41:18–20 18 I will open rivers on the barren heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness like a pool of water and the land of dryness like springs of water. 19 I will put the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive oil tree in the wilderness; I will set the cypress, elm, and box tree together in the desert 20 so that they may see and know, and take to heart and understand together that the hand of Yahweh has done this, and the holy one of Israel has created it.”

Present Your Legal Case

Isaiah 41:21–29

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Isaiah 39:1-8
  • Isaiah 40:1-31
  • Isaiah 41:1-29

References

  • 1. Hardin, G. (2003). Hezekiah. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, & T. C. Butler (Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 758). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Devotions

O Yahweh, Please Remember

by  • 

Hezekiah prays for the nation and the Lord responds. The Assyrian army finds many dead among them and they return home. The Lord tells Hezekiah his life is over and Hezekiah prays again reminding the Lord of the life he has lived and the Lord gives him fifteen more years of life. There are times when we can present our request to the Lord and he will grant it but we must ask. Instead of facing the end of his life, Hezekiah rejoices saying in Isaiah 38:19–20 “The living, the living one praises you like me today”. 

The Angel of Yahweh Set Out

Isaiah 37:36–38
When the Lord says he will act, things happen. And in

Isaiah 37:36 And the angel of Yahweh set out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When they rose in the morning, look! All of them were dead corpses.

So, the King of Assyria returned home where he was killed by his own sons as it was said in

Isaiah 33:1 Ah, destroyer, and yourself not destroyed! And treacherous one, and no one has dealt treacherously with him! When you cease destroying, you will be destroyed. When you stop dealing treacherously, one will deal treacherously with you.

 

O Yahweh, Please Remember

Isaiah 38:1–11
In Isaiah 38:1 “Hezekiah became sick to death, and Isaiah … came to him and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Order your house, for you are about to die, and you shall not recover.’ ”

We learn later in Isaiah 38:20 that Hezekiah had a boil, an infection, and in those days, they did not have antibiotics like we have today. But more importantly, there was no help coming from the Lord as Isaiah said “you shall not recover”. But Hezekiah didn’t listen to Isaiah’s words, he turned to the Lord in

Isaiah 38:2–3 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh, 3 and he said, “O Yahweh, please remember how I have walked before your presence in faithfulness with a whole heart, and I have done the good in your eyes!” And Hezekiah wept with great weeping.

Now, let me ask you, does God ever change his mind? Well, we need to understand that we also have something to say about how long we live on the earth. Yes, there are limits, one hundred and twenty years as it says in

Genesis 6:3 And Yahweh said, “My Spirit shall not abide with humankind forever in that he is also flesh. And his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

But God has also said he would satisfy us with long life and show his salvation in

Psalm 91:14–16 Because he loves me, therefore I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name. 15 He will call upon me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

So the Lord hears Hezekiah’s prayer and speaks to Isaiah and sends him back to Hezekiah in

Isaiah 38:5–6 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of David your ancestor: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am going to add fifteen years to your days. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.” ’

The Lord promises not only to add years to Hezekiah’s life, but also to deliver Hezekiah and the city from the Assyrians. But the Lord doesn’t want Hezekiah wondering if this word from Isaiah is really true. The Lord offers Hezekiah a sign in

Isaiah 38:8 Look! I will cause the shadow of the steps, which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, to turn backwards ten steps.” And the sun turned back ten steps on the steps which it had gone down.

The sun never moves back, at least that is what most scientists will tell you. But there are two occasions in history where time stood still or went backward and this is one of them. The other is in

Joshua 10:12–14 Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh, on the day Yahweh gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun in Gibeon, stand still, and moon, in the valley of Aijalon.” 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Is it not written in the scroll of Jashar? The sun stood still in the middle of the heaven and was not in haste to set for about a full day. 14 There has not been a day like this before it or after, that Yahweh listened to the voice of a man; for Yahweh fought for Israel.

But let us not be carried away with the many miracles of God, this is about God hearing the word of a man and responding to it. The Lord added fifteen years to Hezekiah’s life because he asked for it. 

Restore Me to Health and Keep Me Alive

Isaiah 38:12–22
Hezekiah had not expected that his life would be over in Isaiah 38:12 he says “My dwelling place is pulled up and removed from me like the tent of my shepherd … from day to night you bring me to an end”. Suddenly, as his life is extended, every day has new meaning for him as he says in

Isaiah 38:19–20 The living, the living one praises you like me today; a father will make your faithfulness known to children. 20 Yahweh, save me, and we will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives at the temple of Yahweh.”

And if God had not wanted us to live full rich lives, He would have taken us up with Jesus. Instead, he wants us to live and celebrate life and honor Him while we are on the earth.

Psalm 116:15 Costly in Yahweh’s view is the death of his faithful ones.

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Isaiah 37:36-38
  • Isaiah 38:1-22
Devotions

Yahweh, Our God, Save Us

by  • 

The Assyrian army is standing outside Jerusalem having overrun the regions around them. The Assyrian commander taunt King Hezekiah’s messengers in their own Judean language and publicly in Isaiah 36:11 “in the hearing of the people who are on the wall”. They know they cannot defeat, or even defend against this army yet the word of the Lord comes through Isaiah, “You must not be afraid because of the words that you have heard” but Isaiah also says pray. Hezekiah goes to the “God of Israel who is enthroned on the cherubim”, he goes to the mercy seat. And the Lord responds, in Isaiah 37:21 “Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib, king of Assyria” and in Isaiah 37:33 “He shall not come to this city”. It wasn’t enough for Hezekiah to inquire of Isaiah, the Lord wants to hear from us directly.

They Shall Come to Zion With Rejoicing

Isaiah 35:1–10
Even though there had been judgement on the land, and they were occupied by foreign forces, the Lord offers them a future and hope in

Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who are hasty of heart, “Be strong; you must not fear! Look! your God will come with vengeance, with divine retribution. He is the one who will come and save you.”

 

What is This Confidence in Which You Trust?

Isaiah 36:1–10
Hezekiah is the King, the leader of the people and he sent messengers to the Assyrian army. The Assyrian commander Rabshakeh spoke in their Judean language so all of the people, the Judean defenders, could hear saying Hezekiah had not always followed after God in

Isaiah 36:7 And if you say to me, ‘We trust in Yahweh our God,’ was it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed? And he said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall bow down in the presence of this altar.’ ”

While it was true that Hezekiah had removed idols, “The Assyrian mistakes Hezekiah’s religious reforms whereby he took away the high places (2 Ki 18:4) as directed against Jehovah. Some of the high places may have been dedicated to Jehovah, but worshipped under the form of an image in violation of the second commandment”1

Whether Rabshakeh’s mistake was through ignorance or an intentional twisting of the facts, the tactics are common, yell loudly for all to hear your accusations, founded or not, and you cast doubt in peoples minds. We see this happen every day in the media.

Where Are The Gods … Have They Delivered

Isaiah 36:11–22
The Assyrian commander Rabshakeh continued to taunt openly before all of the Judean people even though Hezekiah’s representatives had asked him not to in Isaiah 36:11b “you must not speak to us in Judean in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” but this was part of Rabshakeh’s intimidation tactic

You Must Not Be Afraid Because of the Words

Isaiah 37:1–13
Hezekiah sends his messengers to Isaiah who responds in Isaiah 37:4 “you must lift up a prayer for the benefit of the remnant that is found” and in Isaiah 37:6 “You must say this to your master: ‘Thus says Yahweh: “You must not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me” and in Isaiah 37:7 “he shall return to his land”. 

Yahweh, Our God, Save Us

Isaiah 37:14–20
The Assyrian commander had challenged Hezekiah, he had challenged the Lord himself. But the Lord’s assessment of Hezekiah is different in

2 Kings 18:3–5 He did right in the eyes of Yahweh according to all that David his ancestor had done. 4 He removed the high places, and he smashed the stone pillars; he cut down the poles of Asherah worship and demolished the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to those days the Israelites were offering incense to it and called it Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in Yahweh the God of Israel; there was no one like him, before or after, among all the kings of Judah.

So, in Isaiah 37:14 “Hezekiah took the letter … read it … went up to the temple of Yahweh, and Hezekiah spread it out before the presence of Yahweh”. Hezekiah did as Isaiah the prophet said, in Isaiah 37:4 “you must lift up a prayer for the benefit of the remnant that is found” and he took this to the Lord praying himself. And he did this in a very specific way by calling on God, but not just the God of “who made the heavens and the earth”, in Isaiah 37:16 Hezekiah calls on the “God of Israel who is enthroned on the cherubim”, Hezekiah called on God at the Mercy Seat (see Hebrews 9:1-5). Then he made his request known, saying in

Isaiah 37:17 Yahweh, extend your ear and hear! Yahweh, open your eyes and see, and hear all the words of Sennacherib that he has sent to taunt the living God!

Certainly, the Lord has heard and now Hezekiah says in

Isaiah 37:20 So now, Yahweh, our God, save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are Yahweh, you alone!”

 

Because You Have Prayed To Me

Isaiah 37:21–27
The Lord does not always answer us directly. Here, the Lord speaks to Isaiah after King Hezekiah prays, saying in Isaiah 37:21 “Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib, king of Assyria”. But before we go to the message, what might have happened if Hezekiah had not prayed? We often forget that there is authority that God has given to us and he will not overstep His boundaries and act against our will. But now, Hezekiah has asked, in Isaiah 37:20 “save us from his (the Assyrian King and his army) hand”. And now the Lord says in response in

Isaiah 37:23 Whom have you taunted and blasphemed, and against whom have you raised up your voice and lifted your eyes upward? To the holy one of Israel!

So the Lord says in

Isaiah 37:33 Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not come to this city, and he shall not shoot an arrow there, and he shall not meet it with a shield, and he shall not heap a siege ramp up against her.

I Will Defend This City

Isaiah 37:28–35

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Isaiah 35:1-10
  • Isaiah 36:1-22
  • Isaiah 37:1-35

References

  • 1. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 468). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Devotions

He Will be the Security of Your Times

by  • 

God is all powerful and long suffering and righteous and gracious. He waits for the fullness of time before bringing judgement, but he also waits for our request “to be gracious to you”. But in this world there are those, the destroyers, the treacherous ones that gather spoil by taking from others. They will come to a time of judgement but we, well, those of us that are not destroyers and treacherous, live through these same times and depend on the Lord who promises to “be the security of your times”. He, the Lord, will bring his day of vengeance and we will see it. 

Yahweh Waits to be Gracious to You

Isaiah 30:18–26
We know that God is all powerful and that God is everywhere so why does Isaiah 30:18 say “Yahweh waits to be gracious to you”? God is the ultimate gentleman, he made us with free will. We have the will to choose and he will never override our choices. So why does God wait to be gracious? He is waiting for you to give him an invitation. Have you ever heard someone in a crisis say “God help me!” They have just opened the way “and therefore he will rise up to show you mercy”.

Isaiah 30:19b–20a Surely he will be gracious to you; when he hears the sound of your cry, he will answer you. 20 And the Lord will give you the bread of distress and the water of oppression”.

But we don’t need to wait until we are in a crisis. How much better if we could seek the Lord now and come to this place where in

Isaiah 30:21  And your ears shall hear a word from behind you, saying, “this is the way; walk in it,” when you go to your right and when you go to your left.

Go to the Mountain of Yahweh (the Lord)

Isaiah 30:27–33

The Egyptians are Human and Not God

Isaiah 31:1–9

The Nobleman Plans Noble Things

Isaiah 32:1–8

Until a Spirit is Poured Out on Us

Isaiah 32:9–20 

He Will be the Security of Your Times

Isaiah 33:1–12
There is an army of people, the “destroyer” and “treacherous ones” in Isaiah 33:1 and the Lord says to them “When you cease destroying, you will be destroyed. When you stop dealing treacherously, one will deal treacherously with you”. These will have their fill, they will think they have won and done exploits. In Isaiah 33:3-4 “peoples fled … nations scattered … your spoil is gathered”. But now, even in the midst of seeming destruction the Lord extends his promise in

Isaiah 33: 5 Yahweh is exalted, for he dwells on high; he filled Zion with justice and righteousness, 6 and he will be the security of your times, an abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of Yahweh is his treasure.

The Lord says, “he will be the security of your times” as “Isaiah moves from the defeated world (3–4) to the coming Zion … First (5b), he will act to make Zion what he promised it would be (1:26–27), just in practice, righteous in principle. Secondly (6a), he will himself be Zion’s stability … they will enter upon their true times (‘ēt) of security. Thirdly (6b), the Lord will be his people’s resource. Store (from √ḥāsan, ‘to be strong’) is practical resource for life”.1

Come Near, Nations, to Hear

Isaiah 34:1–7
After this salvation of the Lords people, there is coming a time of judgement and it includes everyone else, nations and peoples in Isaiah 34:1 “Let the earth hear, and that which fills it; the world and all its offspring”. No one is left out, no one excluded, all will be judged in

Isaiah 34:2 For the anger of Yahweh is against all the nations, and his wrath is against all their armies; he has put them under a ban, he has given them up for slaughter.

 

Yahweh (the Lord) Has a Day of Vengeance

Isaiah 34:8–17
This “day of vengeance” in Isaiah 34:8 is directed here at Edom from Isaiah 34:5-6 and there is a specific pronouncement on this land, “a year of retribution for the strife of Zion”. And this is not just a passing judgement, but in Isaiah 34:10 “From generation to generation it shall be in ruins; forever and ever there will be no one who passes through her. And this is not just that it will be a barren land, in Isaiah 34:11 “he shall stretch the measuring line of confusion out over it, and the plumb line of emptiness”. But these things are not just a whim, they are not just random acts or thoughts by the Lord, they are considered and written judgments that the Lord has “commanded” as it says in Isaiah 34:16 “Seek from the book of Yahweh and read”.

These judgments sound very much like the judgments found in the scroll in

Revelation 5:4–5 And I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.

And this ends with the great harvest of the Church in

Revelation 14:16 And the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

This is followed by the final harvest for the cleansing of the earth in

Revelation 14:19 And the angel swung his sickle into the earth and harvested the vine of the earth, and threw the grapes into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Isaiah 30:18-33
  • Isaiah 31:1-9
  • Isaiah 32:1-20
  • Isaiah 33:1-24
  • Isaiah 34:1-17

References

  • 1. Motyer, J. A. (1999). Isaiah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 20, p. 235). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.