today's meditation (Is.9) Walking in the Light

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Isaiah 9:1-21)  But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He will make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

2   The people who walk in darkness 
     Will see a great light;
     Those who live in a dark land,
     The light will shine on them.
3   You will multiply the nation,
     You will increase their joy;
     They will rejoice in Your presence 
     As with the joy of harvest,
     As people rejoice when they divide the spoils.
4   For You will break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
     The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
5   For every boot of the marching warrior in the roar of battle,
     And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6   For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;
     And the government will rest on His shoulders;
     And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
     Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7   There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace 
     On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
     To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness 
     From then on and forevermore.
     The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.

8   The Lord sends a message against Jacob,
     And it falls on Israel.
9   And all the people know it,
     That is, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
     Asserting in pride and in arrogance of heart:
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
     But we will rebuild with smooth stones;
     The sycamores have been cut down,
     But we will replace them with cedars.”
11 Therefore the Lord raises superior adversaries against them from Rezin 
     And provokes their enemies,
12 The Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west;
     And they devour Israel with gaping jaws.
     In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away,
     And His hand is still stretched out.

13 Yet the people do not turn back to Him who struck them,
     Nor do they seek the Lord of armies.
14 So the Lord cuts off head and tail from Israel,
     Both palm branch and bulrush in a single day.
15 The head is the elder and esteemed man,
     And the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail.
16 For those who guide this people are leading them astray;
     And those who are guided by them are confused.
17 Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men,
     Nor does He have compassion on their orphans or their widows;
     For every one of them is godless and an evildoer,
     And every mouth is speaking foolishness.
     In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away,
     And His hand is still stretched out.

18 For wickedness burns like a fire;
     It consumes briars and thorns;
     It also sets the thickets of the forest aflame 
     And they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the wrath of the Lord of armies the land is burned,
     And the people are like fuel for the fire;
     No one spares his brother.
20 They devour what is on the right hand but are still hungry,
     And they eat what is on the left hand, but they are not satisfied;
     Each of them eats the flesh of his own arm.
21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,
     And together they are against Judah.
     In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away 
     And His hand is still stretched out.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The book of Isaiah has so many prophecies regarding Israel and the Jewish Age, although in this chapter there is also a very clear message to us (to everyone), confirming what God promises in the Abrahamic covenant that through his seed "all nations will be blessed!"  

Verses 6 and 7 speaks about the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He will accomplish the things mentioned.  There will be justice.  His arm will still be stretched out until there is Jesus, who is God, hates sin and will judge all those who have not come to Him for forgiveness.  Until death, everyone has a fair chance of making this decision.  And because He loves everyone and has gone to the cross to pay the price for everyone's sins, His hand is also still stretched out to anyone who wants to be saved. 

There will be peace and joy, for anyone who accepts Jesus' free gift of salvation and walks in His light.  When we become a Christian, we receive Jesus' righteousness and forgiveness, therefore we will not be judged according to our sins.  Even though, as believers, we will still struggle with sin until we reach heaven, let us remember to continue walking in His light.  It is a daily and purposeful step-by-step kind of thing where we need to remember to ask the Lord to help us in His love, strength and righteousness.  His hand is always stretched out.

today's meditation (Is.8) Consulting the Bible

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Isaiah 8:1-22)  Then the Lord said to me, “Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it in ordinary letters: Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 2 And I will take to Myself faithful witnesses for testimony, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.” 3 So I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry out ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

5   Again the Lord spoke to me further, saying,

6   “Inasmuch as these people have rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah 
     And rejoice in Rezin and the son of Remaliah;
7   Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates River,
     That is, the king of Assyria and all his glory;
     And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks.
8   Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through,
     It will reach as far as the neck;
     And the spread of its wings will fill the expanse of your land, Immanuel.

9   “Be broken, you peoples, and be shattered;
     And listen, all remote places of the earth.
     Get ready, yet be shattered;
     Get ready, yet be shattered.
10 Devise a plan, but it will fail;
     State a proposal, but it will not stand,
     For God is with us.”

11 For so the Lord spoke to me with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

12 “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’
     Regarding everything that this people call a conspiracy,
     And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it.
13 It is the Lord of armies whom you are to regard as holy.
     And He shall be your fear,
     And He shall be your dread.
14 Then He will become a sanctuary;
     But to both houses of Israel, He will be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,
     And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 Many will stumble over them,
     Then they will fall and be broken;
     They will be snared and caught.”

16 Bind up the testimony, seal the Law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait for the Lord who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will wait eagerly for Him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of armies, who dwells on Mount Zion.

19 When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should a people not consult their God? Should they consult the dead in behalf of the living? 20 To the Law and to the testimony! If they do not speak in accordance with this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land dejected and hungry, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will become enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward. 22 Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven away into darkness.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Behold - take note - there is only anguish and darkness without God and without loving His word. If you think that you can fend for yourself against God or without God, you will fail. Listen and be ready!  The only way to escape God's wrath is to have a broken heart, which is to humbly look to Him for His salvation and His guidance.

Do not be like the world and think that it will be helpful to consult the dead!  Jesus died on the cross for all our sins, and then He rose again to have victory over death... so that we can have victory over death - when we believe in Him.  Why would we not want to consult the living God who is all-knowing!!!  Why would we not want to consult His word, the Bible, for every aspect of life?

today's meditation (Is.7) Trusting the Lord

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Isaiah 7:1-25)  Now it came about in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not conquer it. 2 When it was reported to the house of David, saying, “The Arameans have taken a stand by Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake from the wind.

3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the road to the fuller’s field, 4 and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stumps of smoldering logs, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying, 6 “Let’s go up against Judah and terrorize it, and take it for ourselves by assault and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 this is what the Lord God says: “It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. 8 For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken to pieces, so that it is no longer a people), 9 and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you certainly shall not last.”’”

10 Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask for a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I put the Lord to the test!” 13 Then he said, “Listen now, house of David! Is it too trivial a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. 15 He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. 16 For before the boy knows enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be abandoned.

17 The Lord will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah—the days of the king of Assyria.”

18 On that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is in the remotest part of the canals of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 They will all come and settle on the steep ravines, on the ledges of the cliffs, on all the thorn bushes, and on all the watering places.

20 On that day the Lord will shave with a razor, hired from regions beyond the Euphrates River (that is, with the king of Assyria), the head and the hair of the legs; and it will also remove the beard.

21 Now on that day a person may keep alive only a heifer and a pair of sheep; 22 and because of the abundance of the milk produced he will eat curds, for everyone who is left within the land will eat curds and honey.

23 And it will come about on that day, that every place where there used to be a thousand vines, valued at a thousand shekels of silver, will become briars and thorns. 24 People will come there with bows and arrows, because all the land will be briars and thorns. 25 As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the plow, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

There are a few prophecies in this chapter.  King Ahaz was told not to fear the ones getting ready to attack Jerusalem, but to trust the Lord, because those other kingdoms would come to an end.  This would all happen before Jesus came in flesh, born through a virgin.  And this did happen, because at the time of Jesus' birth, only King Herod was sitting on the throne - in Jerusalem.  But he was not the rightful king, and he was not even fully Jewish.  The Roman Empire had placed him there.

When Jesus was born, many saw Him as a threat, while some had high hopes that as King, He would kick the Romans out and all their covenants would be fulfilled.  This would have happened, had they accepted Jesus as their Messiah and rightful King.  We know that the nation of Israel rejected Jesus and hung Him on the cross.  Because of this, the Jewish Age was put on hold.  At some point, after the rapture occurs, the seven remaining years will begin.  

During the Tribulation, the Lord will send judgments upon the earth.  These judgments are also the signs of the times, to let Israel as a nation see that Jesus was and is their Messiah and rightful King, and that He is coming again soon.  At the end of those seven years, the Jewish Age will be finished.  This is when Jesus will set up the Millennial kingdom and all of Israel's covenants will be fulfilled.

We know that the first two prophesies have already taken place, so we can be confident that God will fulfill the remaining prophesies.  Meanwhile, God's message to king Ahaz is the same for us - listen and behold - take care, be calm, have no fear, and do not be fainthearted.  Especially because we can see what God has already done, and what He is doing, we can trust in the Lord in everything!

today's meditation (Is.6) Being Saved, Willing and Obedient

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Isaiah 6:1-13)  In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above Him, each having six wings: with two each covered his face, and with two each covered his feet, and with two each flew. 3 And one called out to another and said,

     “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies.
     The whole earth is full of His glory.”

4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. 5 Then I said,

     “Woe to me, for I am ruined!
     Because I am a man of unclean lips,
     And I live among a people of unclean lips;
     For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of armies.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your guilt is taken away and atonement is made for your sin.”

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” 9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

     ‘Keep on listening, but do not understand;
     And keep on looking, but do not gain knowledge.’
10 Make the hearts of this people insensitive,
     Their ears dull,
     And their eyes blind,
     So that they will not see with their eyes,
     Hear with their ears,
     Understand with their hearts,
     And return and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered,

     “Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
     Houses are without people 
     And the land is utterly desolate,
12 The Lord has completely removed people,
     And there are many forsaken places in the midst of the land.
13 Yet there will still be a tenth portion in it,
     And it will again be subject to burning,
     Like a terebinth or an oak 
     Whose stump remains when it is cut down.
     The holy seed is its stump.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

WHEN God calls us, we need to understand:  God wants everyone to become believers, but He will never force anyone.  When we realize our unworthiness and go to Him to be saved, He forgives us.  Atonement is made for our sin, and our guilt is taken away.  

THEN when we are believers, God asks that we serve Him, but He will never force anyone.  So in our love and thankfulness, we should be willing to serve.  

THEN when we are willing, God will help us in what we are to do, but He will never force His help on anyone.  To help us in our obedience, when we ask, He will give us His strength, guidance and wisdom.

God is so very loving, patient and gracious!  Even though we are so unworthy, selfish and undeserving, He still wants to give us everything!  

today's meditation (Is.5) Growing and Being Productive

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Isaiah 5:1-30)  

1   Let me sing now for my beloved 
     A song of my beloved about His vineyard.
     My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.
2   He dug it all around, cleared it of stones,
     And planted it with the choicest vine.
     And He built a tower in the middle of it,
     And also carved out a wine vat in it;
     Then He expected it to produce good grapes,
     But it produced only worthless ones.

3   “And now, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
     Judge between Me and My vineyard.
4   What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it?
     Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?
5   So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard:
     I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed;
     I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground.
6   I will lay it waste;
     It will not be pruned nor hoed,
     But briars and thorns will come up.
     I will also command the clouds not to rain on it.”

7   For the vineyard of the Lord of armies is the house of Israel,
     And the people of Judah are His delightful plant.
     So He waited for justice, but behold, there was bloodshed;
     For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.

8   Woe to those who attach house to house and join field to field,
     Until there is no more room,
     And you alone are a landowner in the midst of the land!
9   In my ears the Lord of armies has sworn, “Many houses shall certainly become desolate,
     Even great and fine ones, without occupants.
10 For ten acres of vineyard will yield only one bath of wine,
     And a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.”
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning so that they may pursue intoxicating drink,
     Who stay up late in the evening so that wine may inflame them!
12 Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine;
     But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the Lord,
     Nor do they consider the work of His hands.

13 Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge;
     And their nobles are famished,
     And their multitude is parched with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth beyond measure;
     And Jerusalem’s splendor, her multitude, her noise of revelry, and the jubilant within her, descend into it.
15 So the common people will be humbled and the person of importance brought low,
     The eyes of the haughty also will be brought low.
16 But the Lord of armies will be exalted in judgment,
     And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.
17 Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture,
     And strangers will eat in the ruins of the wealthy.

18 Woe to those who drag wrongdoing with the cords of deceit,
     And sin as if with cart ropes;
19 Who say, “Let Him hurry, let Him do His work quickly, so that we may see it;
     And let the plan of the Holy One of Israel approach 
     And come to pass, so that we may know it!”
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
     Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
     Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes 
     And clever in their own sight!
22 Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine,
     And valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink,
23 Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe,
     And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!

24 Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble,
     And dry grass collapses in the flame,
     So their root will become like rot, and their blossom blow away like dust;
     For they have rejected the Law of the Lord of armies,
     And discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 For this reason the anger of the Lord has burned against His people,
     And He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them.
     And the mountains quaked, and their corpses lay like refuse in the middle of the streets.
     Despite all this, His anger is not spent,
     But His hand is still stretched out.

26 He will also lift up a flag to the distant nation,
     And whistle for it from the ends of the earth;
     And behold, it will come with speed swiftly.
27 No one in it is tired or stumbles,
     No one slumbers or sleeps;
     Nor is the undergarment at his waist loosened,
     Nor his sandal strap broken.
28 Its arrows are sharp and all its bows are bent;
     The hoofs of its horses seem like flint, and its chariot wheels like a storm wind.
29 Its roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions;
     It growls as it seizes the prey 
     And carries it off with no one to save it.
30 And it will roar against it on that day like the roaring of the sea.
     If one looks across to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress;
     Even the light is darkened by its clouds.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verse 8 jumps out at me today.  While this message is speaking specifically to the Israelites, it parallels everyone and their relationship with the Lord.  As believers, we are children of God, so we inherit all that is His.  We are landowners.  Therefore, why would we think to ally with unbelievers, putting our hope and trust in them to help us tend our own land?

Unbelievers are not children of God and do not share in our inheritance, so they will not respect what we have in Christ.  When we give our control over to unbelievers, we will not be as fruitful as we could be in Christ's strength wisdom and guidance.  In fact, by not seeking out the Lord's will and His help, we should expect damage, darkness and despair.

As believers, when we sin, we will not go to hell, but we will experience consequences here on earth.  To avoid this, we need to continue studying His word and trusting Him in all things, so that we may strive to live in obedience. This is when God will bless us and cause us to grow spiritually and be productive.  

For all those who are not believers, no one can say that they are beyond saving, or that their sin is so great that not even God can forgive them.  Not only can He, but the Lord wants to forgive and have a close relationship.  So God's hand is still outstretched to everyone, but the choice is yours to make. 

today's meditation (Is.4) Experiencing Healing and Protection

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Isaiah 4:1-6)  For seven women will take hold of one man on that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our disgrace!”

2 On that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the beauty of the survivors of Israel. 3 And it will come about that the one who is left in Zion and remains behind in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create over the entire area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. 6 And there will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verse 1 is describing a bit of the Tribulation.  "On that day" refers to "the Day of the Lord" which encompasses both the prophesied Tribulation and the Millennium.  Verses 2 to 6 describe the Millennium.  Verses 2-3 very clearly says that there will be survivors of the Tribulation, who have been "left behind."  So that we can understand better, there are two events where people are "left behind." 

Before the Tribulation, all believers of all time will be "raptured" (this is the Greek word which means "to be caught up").  Jesus will snatch up all believers and take them to heaven (1 & 2 Thessalonians).  Therefore, at the start of the Tribulation, only unbelievers are left behind here on the earth.  Throughout those seven years of judgement, people will become believers.  As a nation, the people of Israel, will see the signs of Jesus' second coming, and they will believe.

At the end of the Tribulation, when Jesus comes to earth to fight the battle of Armageddon, He will remove all evil and all unbelievers from the earth.  Therefore, at the start of the Millennial kingdom, there will only be believers left behind here on the earth.  It will be a new beginning, and Jesus will sit on the throne and reign with righteousness.  He will fulfill the covenants, so Israeli will have  their land, seed and blessings.  He will also heal and protect the earth, to become more like the Garden of Eden.

We can be confident in these words, knowing that God is Sovereign and has a plan which He will carry out, so we do not have to worry about the future or the state of the earth.  He's got this!  So there is also comfort in these words.  One day, Jesus will bring physical healing and protection to the entire earth.  And for right now, we can experience spiritual healing and protection, which is only found in Jesus Christ the Lord, the bread of life, who clothes us in His righteousness.

today's meditation (Is.3) Finding the Good News

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Isaiah 3:1-26) 

For behold, the Lord God of armies is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah 
     Both supply and support, the entire supply of bread 
     And the entire supply of water;
2   The mighty man and the warrior,
     The judge and the prophet,
     The diviner and the elder,
3   The captain of fifty and the esteemed person,
     The counselor and the expert artisan,
     And the skillful enchanter.
4   And I will make mere boys their leaders,
     And mischievous children will rule over them,
5   And the people will be oppressed,
     Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor;
     The youth will assault the elder,
     And the contemptible person will assault the one honored.
6   When a man lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying,
     “You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler!
     And these ruins will be under your authority,”
7   He will protest on that day, saying,
     “I will not be your healer,
     For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
     You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”
8   For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
     Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord,
     To rebel against His glorious presence.
9   The expression of their faces testifies against them,
     And they display their sin like Sodom;
     They do not even conceal it.
     Woe to them!
     For they have done evil to themselves.
10 Say to the righteous that it will go well for them,
     For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly for him,
     For what he deserves will be done to him.
12 My people! Their oppressors treat them violently,
     And women rule over them.
     My people! Those who guide you lead you astray 
     And confuse the direction of your paths.

13 The Lord arises to contend,
     And stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and leaders of His people,
     “It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
     The goods stolen from the poor are in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing My people 
     And oppressing the face of the poor?”
     Declares the Lord God of armies.

16 Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty 
     And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes,
     And go along with mincing steps 
     And jingle the anklets on their feet,
17 The Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
     And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.”

18 On that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, 19 dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, 20 headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, 21 finger rings, nose rings, 22 festive robes, outer garments, shawls, purses, 23 papyrus garments, undergarments, headbands, and veils.

24 Now it will come about that instead of balsam oil there will be a stench;
     Instead of a belt, a rope;
     Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp;
     Instead of fine clothes, a robe of sackcloth;
     And branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men will fall by the sword 
     And your mighty ones in battle.
26 And her gates will lament and mourn,
     And she will sit deserted on the ground.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Here is a warning if one does not turn to the Lord.  The entire chapter describes some of the consequences.  How can we not see that God is the righteous Judge, and He is very serious?  Where there is sin, there is darkness, hopelessness and death.

Verse 10 gives us hope!  It is the message of the gospel.  The good news!  It will go well for the righteous.  When we seek the Lord and His forgiveness, we are set free from sin and we take on the righteousness of Jesus.  Believers in Christ will enjoy the fruit of our actions.  As we strive to live in obedience, all in His strength, guidance and love, we will be rewarded.  

Let this be an encouragement to us!  Let this be our motivation!

today's meditation (Is.2) Avoiding Darkness

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Isaiah 2:1-22) 

The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2   Now it will come about that 
     In the last days 
     The mountain of the house of the Lord 
     Will be established as the chief of the mountains,
     And will be raised above the hills;
     And all the nations will stream to it.
3   And many peoples will come and say,
     “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord,
     To the house of the God of Jacob;
     So that He may teach us about His ways,
     And that we may walk in His paths.”
     For the law will go out from Zion 
     And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4   And He will judge between the nations,
     And will mediate for many peoples;
     And they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives.
     Nation will not lift up a sword against nation,
     And never again will they learn war.

5   Come, house of Jacob, and let’s walk in the light of the Lord.
6   For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob,
     Because they are filled with influences from the east,
     And they are soothsayers like the Philistines.
     They also strike bargains with the children of foreigners.
7   Their land has also been filled with silver and gold 
     And there is no end to their treasures;
     Their land has also been filled with horses,
     And there is no end to their chariots.
8   Their land has also been filled with idols;
     They worship the work of their hands,
     That which their fingers have made.
9   So the common person has been humbled 
     And the person of importance has been brought low,
     But do not forgive them.
10 Enter the rocky place and hide in the dust 
     From the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of His majesty.
11 The proud look of humanity will be brought low,
     And the arrogance of people will be humbled;
     And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.

12 For the Lord of armies will have a day of reckoning 
     Against everyone who is arrogant and haughty,
     And against everyone who is lifted up,
     That he may be brought low.
13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up,
     Against all the oaks of Bashan,
14 Against all the lofty mountains,
     Against all the hills that are lifted up,
15 Against every high tower,
     Against every fortified wall,
16 Against all the ships of Tarshish 
     And against all the delightful ships.
17 And the pride of humanity will be humbled 
     And the arrogance of people will be brought low;
     And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day,
18 And the idols will completely vanish.
19 People will go into caves of the rocks 
     And into holes in the ground 
     Away from the terror of the Lord 
     And the splendor of His majesty,
     When He arises to terrify the earth.
20 On that day people will throw away to the moles and the bats 
     Their idols of silver and their idols of gold,
     Which they made for themselves to worship,
21 In order to go into the clefts of the rocks and the crannies of the cliffs 
     Before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty,
     When He arises to terrify the earth.
22 Take no account of man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils;
     For why should he be esteemed?

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

During the Tribulation, God will judge the nations (of unbelievers).  Because they will have chosen to deny God, they will be terrified of Him.  At the same time, the Israelites will see the signs of Jesus' second coming, and they will believe that He was and is their Messiah.  They will admit their sins and seek His forgiveness and believe in Him.  

Anyone becoming a believer during the Tribulation will enter the Millennial kingdom with Jesus.  This is when Jesus will establish His throne in Jerusalem.  And for the thousand years that He is here on earth as King, He will establish peace on earth.  

When Jesus came in flesh the first time, the Israelites were only interested in a King who would rid their land of the Romans and usher in physical peace.  Most did not understand, and did not want to understand, that He came to offer spiritual peace to anyone who believed in Him, which was made possible through His work on the cross.

Isaiah is not just writing about what will happen in the future, he is writing to warn and encourage Israel to turn back to the Lord - before they go through more darkness.  This message is also applicable to us right now.  If we cling to our own way, which is sin, we will be terrified of God's light because it exposes us.  Or we can seek salvation through Jesus who forgives our sins!  

To avoid darkness, we must walk in the light of the Lord!