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Day 153: June 1, 2008
ISAIAH 19-25
OVERVIEW: The judgment of Egypt; the judgment of Babylon; the judgment of Edom; the judgment of Arabia; the judgment of Jerusalem; the judgment of Tyre; the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom; the blessings of the Millennial Kingdom.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: Isaiah points to the judgment of Egypt as we come into chapters 19 and 20. He pictures the “Lord riding upon a swift cloud” coming in judgment into Egypt (19:1) causing such havoc and upheaval that is sends Egypt into a massive civil war (19:2). Once again, though there was certainly an historic fulfillment of this prophecy in Isaiah’s day, it is also pointing to a different day! Specifically, “that day”! What day? The day of the Lord! The day of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. The Assyrian judgment of Egypt is simply a prefigure of our Lord’s judgment upon Egypt in the near future! Isaiah sees a time when the land of Judah is preeminent in the world (19:17), and both the Egyptians and the Assyrians will be subject to Israel’s Messiah and worship Him (19:18-23). During the Millennium, Isaiah sees these three former enemies, Israel, Egypt and Assyria living in harmony, blessed of the Lord (19:24-25). In chapter 20, God uses Isaiah to be an object lesson to warn the people of Judah who were seeking an alliance with Egypt against Assyria. God tells Isaiah to remove his outer garment and his sandals to picture what would become of the Egyptians and Ethiopians: they would become humiliated and destitute (“naked” and “barefooted”). He says that the Assyrians would expose the Egyptians “behinds” (20:4), and because Judah had sought an alliance with them, they too, would be ashamed, and realize that rather than trust Egypt, they should have trusted the Lord!
As chapter 21 begins, “the desert of the sea” is a reference to the Babylonian plain by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Babylon is identified in 21:9 as the object of this prophecy, and once again, it becomes obvious that there is both an historic and prophetic fulfillment of God’s prophecy through Isaiah, as the words “Babylon is fallen, is fallen” (21:9) are repeated in Revelation 14:8 and 18:2, to be fulfilled at the time of the Second Coming. Verse 10 lets us know that Babylon’s destruction will spell freedom for God’s people Israel, who will have been “threshed” (i.e. beat down, or afflicted). The remainder of chapter 21 deals with the judgment of Edom (21:11-12) and the judgment of Arabia (21:13-17). Having prophesied God’s judgment upon the nations surrounding Jerusalem, in chapter 22, Isaiah prophesies God’s judgment upon Jerusalem. It is called “the valley of vision” in 22:1 because Jerusalem was surrounded by valleys on three sides. From an historic standpoint, this is the judgment found in II Kings 25, as Babylon invaded Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar in 588-586 B.C., but notice the tell-tale signs of a futuristic fulfillment at the Second Coming of Christ in 22:8, 12, 20 and 25 – “in that day”!
In chapter 23, God prophesies that Tyre, the commercial trading center of the Mediterranean world would be destroyed because of her pride. This prophecy was fulfilled in an historical sense by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. when he laid waste the city. Note the word “Behold” in 24:1. “Behold” always points to a future event. What Isaiah describes in chapter 24 is the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. In the first six verses Isaiah describes a universal judgment of the entire earth. Verse one is tremendously graphic: “Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.” In verses 13-16, Isaiah points to the fact that the godly remnant that survives the Tribulation Period will praise the Lord for His righteous judgments. The Apostle John sees the same fulfillment in Rev. 7:1-10; 15: 3-4; 16:5, 7; 19:2. The remainder of the world will be judged in a horrific fashion, as described in 24:17-23. In chapter 25, the millennium is described as a feast, or a banquet at which Gentiles from all over the entire world will bow their knee and worship Israel’s king who sits on His throne in Jerusalem (“this mountain” – 25:6, 7, 10).
SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”:
19:16 – “in that day”
19:18 – “in that day”
19:19 – “in that day”
19:21 – “in that day”
19:23 – “in that day”
19:24 – “in that day”
20:6 – “in that day”
22:5 – “it is a day of trouble”
22:8 – “in that day”
22:12 – “in that day”
22:20 – “in that day”
22:25 – “in that day”
23:14 – “in that day”
24:21 – “in that day”
25:9 – “in that day”
CHRIST IS REVEALED: In ELIAKIM, MASTER OF HEZEKIAH’S HOUSEHOLD – Isa. 22:20-22 (What is said of him is true of Christ Who is the master over the household of faith – Rev. 3:7; Heb. 3:6; Gal. 6:10).
Day 154: June 2, 2008
ISAIAH 26-31
OVERVIEW: Worship in the Millennial Kingdom; praise for the preservation of Israel; woe against the drunkards of Ephraim; woe against Jerusalem; woe against the schemers; woe against those who trust in Egypt; woe against those who trust in Egypt’s military defense.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: Chapters 26 and 27 describe the worship that will be taking place in the Millennial Kingdom. Chapter 26 begins with the words, “In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah,” and then it goes on to give us the actual words of the song! The song is a song of praise to the Lord for His glorious protection. The godly will enter into the “strong city” of Jerusalem, but the strength of the city is not because of her physical walls, it is the salvation imparted to its occupants by the Lord Himself (26:1-2)! Because of their trust in the Lord and their meditation on the Lord, the Lord blesses them with perfect peace (26:3). Don’t miss that verse 3 is a biblical prescription for that kind of peace now, as well as then! The song in chapter 26 continues with praise for the Lord’s judgment against His enemies in verses 5-11. In verses 12-15, it is praise for God’s permanent victory over His enemies; and verses 16-21 are praise to the Lord for his deliverance from suffering. Isaiah is describing Israel’s suffering in the Tribulation, and is giving to them the glorious promise of resurrection (26:19)! The song continues in chapter 27, praising God for the slaying of Leviathan. Israel’s enemies are pictured here by this slithering creature that is described as a serpent and a dragon. As we discussed in our coverage of Job 41, Leviathan is none other than that seven-headed red dragon (Ps. 74:13-14; Rev. 12:3) that is “that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan” (Rev. 12:9). Israel’s enemies in the Tribulation Period are the nations, but God identifies for us the actual power that is working behind the scenes and through these nations. It is none other than Satan. Rev. 13:4 tells us that Satan has wanted to devour Israel since the day she was born! Chapter 27 goes on to praise the Lord for His judgment against the Gentile nations that have afflicted Israel. The chapter ends with Israel “worshipping the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem” (27:12-13). It’s exactly what the Father has always longed for His Son to receive.
In the remaining chapters in today’s reading (28-31), Isaiah pronounces five of six “woes” upon those who scoff at God’s Word (We will pick up the sixth “woe” in the next day’s reading). For the most part, God is indicting Israel and Judah for trusting in their wealth and the help they could receive from their alliances with foreign nations, rather than trusting Him. The first woe is directed against Ephraim, the large tribe that was representative of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It anticipates the Assyrian invasion and subsequent fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C., but also looks ahead to the day of the Lord (“in that day” – verse 5) when the remnant of Israel would repent and receive a “crown of glory” and a “diadem of beauty,” the very Lord Jesus Christ when He returns to the earth to establish His Millennial reign. In chapter 29, the second woe is given against “Ariel, the city where David dwelt!” (29:1 – i.e. Jerusalem). It prophesies the invasion of the Assyrian army under Sennacherib, and describes in an historic sense and a prophetic sense, how the nations that hunger and thirst for Israel’s destruction will be destroyed themselves. The third woe appears in verses 15-24 of chapter 29, and is directed against those who seek to scheme against the Lord, thinking He doesn’t see them. Chapter 30 opens with the fourth woe, directed against Judah for their rebellion against the Lord — specifically the rebellion they expressed by trusting in Egypt rather than the Lord Himself. The chapter continues on to describe how that their alliance with Egypt would fail, and how Judah would be chastened of the Lord. In verse 18, God begins to point, once again, to that time when the chastening would be over, and He would destroy the nations of the world that set themselves against Israel, and bring them into the blessings of the Messiah when He rules in His Kingdom. The fifth woe, in chapter 31, continues the condemnation against Judah for looking to Egypt for help militarily against the Assyrians. The chapter ends with God’s declaration that Assyria would ultimately be defeated, not by man, but by Him (!), and that they would be defeated, not by man’s sword, but God’s! You’re holding that Sword in your hands at this very moment! Allow it to defeat and destroy all of the worldliness that is afflicting your life today!
SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”:
26:1 – “in that day”
27:1 – “in that day”
27:2 – “in that day”
27:12 – “in that day”
27:13 – “in that day”
28:5 – “in that day”
29:18 – “in that day”
30:23 – “it is a day of trouble”
30:25 – “in that day”
30:25 – “in the day of the great slaughter”
30:26 – “in the day”
31:7 – “in that day”
CHRIST IS REVEALED: As the PRECIOUS (CHIEF) CORNER STONE, A SURE FOUNDATION – Isa. 28:16 (Eph.2:20- 21; Matt. 1:42; Acts 4:10-12; Rom. 9:33; I Pet. 2:6-8).
Day 155: June 3, 2008
ISAIAH 32-39
OVERVIEW: Israel’s deliverance through Messiah’s reign; woe against Assyria; destruction of the Gentile nations; blessings in the Millennial Kingdom; the invasion of the Babylonians under Sennacherib; Hezekiah’s consultation with Isaiah; Hezekiah’s dependence and trust in the Lord; Hezekiah’s illness and recovery; Hezekiah’s foolish reception of the Babylonian messengers; Israel’s captivity into Babylon foretold.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: As we pick up in chapter 32 today, Isaiah points us to that time in the Millennium when, “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.” This is the same time to which John was referring in the Book of Revelation when he wrote, “[Thou] hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:10); “…But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6). Isaiah said that that time would be when “the spirit [would] be poured upon us from on high.” It is a prophecy concerning the “last days” which actually kicked in and were partially fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 (see Acts 2:16-17 specifically), but were put on hold after the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7. They will pick up again during the Tribulation Period after the “parenthesis” of the “Church Age.” (also see Isa. 44:3; Ezek. 36:25-27; Joel 2:28-32). In chapter 33 we pick up the sixth and final “woe.” This woe is pronounced on Assyria. Isaiah prophesies that the Assyrians, under Sennacherib would bring Judah into subjection, forcing them to pay annual tribute (taxes), while demanding their total surrender. The Lord promises deliverance from the Assyrians, and uses the occasion, as we have consistently seen Him do, to point to the fact that there will come a time (in the Millennial Kingdom) when the nations of the world will never be a threat to Israel again. The righteous will then live in peace with their Messiah: “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king: he will save us” (33:22).
In chapters 34 and 35, just as we saw in chapters 24-27, the Lord goes from talking about the judgment of Assyria (chapter 33), to the universal judgment of the Gentile nations which will be fulfilled at Armageddon (Rev.19:11-21). Notice how God points to the universality of this judgment in 34:1 through the words ”nations,” “people,” “earth,” and “world.” At the Second Coming of Christ when the Lord Jesus Christ establishes His Millennial reign on the earth, Isaiah points to the physical (35:3-6) and spiritual (35:7-10) changes that will then take place on the earth. Verse 8 says, “And an highway shall be there.” You’ve gotta love it, it’s called, “The way of holiness,” and only “the redeemed (those who have been bought by the blood of the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ) shall walk there” (35:9)! Chapter 36, all the way to 38:8 parallels what we saw in II Kings 18:17-20:11. The highlight for me is when threatened by the Assyrians, King Hezekiah looks to Isaiah, God’s man (37:1-2), and to God Himself for help (37:14-15). The proud Assyrians warned Hezekiah not to trust the Lord to deliver them, and notice what Hezekiah did with the letter: “And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD” (37:14-15). How is the Devil seeking to intimidate you today? Follow Hezekiah’s example! The New Testament equivalent is Philippians 4:6-7: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Because of Hezekiah’s dependence and trust in the Lord, the Lord promised to protect Jerusalem and deliver His believing remnant. That night the Lord destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, and Sennacherib (the loudmouth, boastful “intimidator”) went back home with his tail between his legs! When Hezekiah got sick (38:1), he prayed that the Lord would spare his life. The Lord answered his prayer, granting him 15 more years. When the Babylonians heard that he had recovered from his sickness (39:1), they sent messengers and a present to him. Hezekiah foolishly received them, and showed them all of the immensity and glory of the treasures in Solomon’s Temple. As a result, Isaiah prophesied that they would return and carry away all of the treasures they had seen, along with all of God’s people into Babylonian captivity. One thing to note about chapters 38 and 39 in today’s reading: they actually precede chapters 36 and 37 from a chronological standpoint, but they are placed where they are because they anticipate the Babylonian captivity, which is the subject matter in chapters 40-66. Also be reminded that chapter 39 ends the section of Isaiah representing the 39 Books of the Old Testament.
SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD":
34:8 – “the day of the Lord’s vengeance”
34:8 – “the year of recompense for the controversy of Zion”
35:4 – “God will come with vengeance”
35:4 – “God [will come] with a recompense”
37:3 – “a day of trouble”
38:1 – “in those days” (more specifically, Tribulation Period)
CHRIST IS REVEALED: As the ONE WHO WIELDS “THE SWORD OF THE LORD” IN JUDGMENT – Isa. 34:6 (Rev. 19:15).
Day 156: June 4, 2008
ISAIAH 40-45
OVERVIEW: Judah’s future captivity in Babylon and promise of deliverance (40:1-11); God’s omnipotence (40:12-26); God’s sustaining power (40:27-31); God’s sovereignty in history (41:1- 7); God’s protection of Israel (41:8-20); God’s challenge to the idols (41:21-29); the Servant of the LORD (42:1-25); assurance of Israel’s restoration (43:1-44:5); the witness of the restored nation (44:6-23); the fulfillment of restoration (44:24-45:25).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: In the microcosm of the Bible that we call the Book of Isaiah, having covered the first 39 chapters, representative of the Old Testament, we begin today the section representative of the New Testament. Interestingly, as we come to chapter 40, Isaiah begins, as does Matthew in the New Testament, with “The voice of him (John the Baptist – Matt. 3:1-3) that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (40:3). Just as a little sidelight, this is one of my favorite little “ditties” to show Jehovah’s False Witnesses outside the doors of my house (II John 7-10) just before I lovingly tell them they are of an antichrist spirit (II John 7). Note that when Isaiah makes this prophecy, John the Baptist, he says, will be preparing the way of “Jehovah.” Every time you see the word “LORD” in our King James Bible written in all capital letters, as in verse 40:3, it is signifying that this is the Hebrew word for “Jehovah.” When the prophecy is fulfilled in Matt. 3:1-3, Jehovah is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ!!! The same incredible truth also took place earlier in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 6. In Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah saw “Jehovah” (the “LORD” of hosts — KJV) in all of His glory. When the Holy Spirit writes of this (II Pet. 1:21) in John 12:37-41, He says that Isaiah was seeing CHRIST’S (!!!) glory and spoke of CHRIST!!! And all of God’s people said, AMEN!!!
Hey, this is way too much fun to stop now! Let me show you a few more little Jehovah’s False Witness “ditties.” In chapter 42:8, God clearly says that “GLORY” belongs to “JEHOVAH” (‘the LORD” – KJV) ALONE: “I am the LORD: that is my name (“Jehovah”!): and my glory will I not give to another.” John 1:14 says, “And the Word (Christ – John 1:1) was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Very simply, in light of Isaiah 42:8, if Jesus Christ isn’t “Jehovah,” where did He get His glory. Hopefully, you’re seeing how monumental these verses are! In John 17:5, as Jesus prayed to “Jehovah,” His Father, He prayed, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” Again, in light of Isaiah 42:8, why would Jesus ask for something “Jehovah” doesn’t give. In chapter 43 and verse 10, God makes reference to His “witnesses.” These are what we like to call the “True Jehovah’s Witnesses” ! And in verse 11, God says very clearly, that there is only one “Jehovah” (“the LORD” – KJV), and “Jehovah” is the ONLY SAVIOUR: “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.” Check out Titus 2:13: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great GOD and our SAVIOUR Jesus Christ.” Notice that Jesus Christ is referred to as the “SAVIOUR” (Isa. 43:11), and that He is “THE GREAT GOD”! Not “a” God. “THE” GOD!!! Welllllllll, Glory!!!
In chapter 44 and verse 6, it lets us know that “Jehovah” (“the LORD” – KJV) is the ONLY eternal God, and that the attribute of being “the first and the last” is only true of “Jehovah God.” In light of the clear teaching of this verse, check out Revelation 1:10-11: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice (the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ in the context!), as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, THE FIRST AND THE LAST” !!! Hallelujah to ya!!! And just one more. In chapter 44 and verse 24 says that “Jehovah” (“the LORD” – KJV) made “all things” by HIMSELF (“myself”). In light of that, check out John 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:16: “ALL THINGS(!!!) were made by him (the “Word,” the Lord Jesus Christ!); and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). “For by him (the “Son” – Col. 1:13, again, the Lord Jesus Christ!) were ALL THINGS (just as in Isa. 44:24) created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: ALL THINGS (there it is again!) were created by him, and for him” (Col. 1:16). How ‘bout them apples for God proving that Jesus Christ, His Son, is “JEHOVAH”! To help you keep the flow going in Isaiah in the chapters of today’s reading, follow the sequence listed in today’s more extensive “OVERVIEW.”
SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD":
40:10 – “the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him.”
42:4 – “till he have set judgment in the earth”
42:13 – “The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man”
CHRIST IS REVEALED: As JEHOVAH in the verses in today’s reading listed above – Isa. 40:3; 42:8; 43:10-11; 44:6; 44:24. As SHEPHERD – Isa. 40:11 (John 10:11). As CREATOR – Isa. 40:28 (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16). As REDEEMER – Isa. 41:14 (Gal. 3:13; I Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 5:9). As HE TO WHOM EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW AND EVERY TONGUE SWEAR (CONFESS) – Isa. 45:23 (Phil. 2:10).
Day 157: June 5, 2008
ISAIAH 46-52
OVERVIEW: Israel’s preservation and restoration from Babylon (46:1-47:15); admonition to the restored nation (48:1-22); the mission of the Servant (Messiah) (49:1-26); the submission of the Servant (Messiah) (50:1-11); the provision by the Servant (Messiah) (51:1-52:12).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: In yesterday’s reading we saw the Lord’s prophecy through Isaiah to raise up Cyrus, the Persian King, to conquer the Babylonians and set free the captives of Israel, enabling them to return to their land. Do note, however, that Cyrus only prefigures “the Lord’s anointed.” (45:1), the Lord Jesus Christ, who will one day (soon!) establish His Millennial Kingdom and restore Israel to her homeland. “In that day,” all of the Gentile nations of the world will submit themselves to the rule of Israel’s King, and “every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear” (45:23). In chapters 46 and 47, Isaiah details Babylon’s collapse, along with its gods. God declares that Babylon’s gods are absolutely powerless to rescue Babylon from His impending judgment and destruction. Just as God raised up Cyrus from the east (46:11) to conquer Israel’s oppressor, the Lord Jesus Christ will also rise from the east as the “SUN of righteousness” to deliver the Nation of Israel on the “day of the Lord” (Mal. 4:1-2)! In chapter 48, like many in “Laodicea” (Rev. 3:14-22), the Lord indicts those who confess His Name and even profess the same in baptism (devotional application), but it can’t be recognized by the life they live (48:1). The chapter goes on to show that because of Israel’s stubbornness (“thy neck is an iron sinew” – 48:4a) and obstinacy (“thy brow brass” – 48:4b), the Lord would discipline them by allowing them to be brought into Babylonian captivity. Even so, He promises to bring them back. Praise the Lord for His marvelous grace and mercy, because we need it in our stubbornness and obstinacy just as surely as does/did Israel!
As we enter chapter 49, the Lord reveals His Servant (the Messiah), and how He will restore Israel both physically and spiritually in the Promised Land. Though “Zion said, The LORD hast forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me” (49:14) the Lord promises that He will not “forsake” or “forget” them! Even though they rejected Him (John 1:11), He will still fulfill His purposes and promises to them, ultimately bringing blessing to Israel, along with the Gentile nations of the world, in the Millennium (49:22, 25-26). Chapter 50 contrasts the disobedience of Israel, with the obedience of Israel’s Servant (Messiah). In chapters 51 and 52, the Nation of Israel is exhorted to “look” (51:1, 2) through the eyes of the faith into the future to see the LORD, the Comforter of Zion (51:3), as He rescues Israel from the nations, bringing them into their land, and into the blessing of Messiah’s rule in the Millennial Kingdom, when they will no longer be afflicted by the Gentile nations (52:1). In light of His promise of deliverance, Israel is exhorted to “Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (52:9-10). I, personally, can’t wait for the “suffering Servant” (i.e. “his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men” – 52:14) to “be exalted and extolled, and be very high” (52:13), when “the kings [of the nations] shall shut their mouths at him” (52:15). And, once again, with the Apostle John we cry out, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20)!
SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD":
46:13 – “I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.”
51:3 – “the Lord will comfort Zion”
51:11 – “the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion.”
52:6 – in that day”
52:8 – “when the Lord shall bring again Zion”
52:10 – “The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations”
52:10 – “all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God”
CHRIST IS REVEALED: As THE FIRST AND THE LAST – Isa. 48:12 (Rev. 1:11; 2:8; 22:13). As THY SAVIOUR AND REDEEMER – Isa. 49:26 (Titus 2:13-14; II Pet. 1:1; I Cor. 6:20; Gal. 4;4-5; I Pet. 1:18-19).
Day 158: June 6, 2008
ISAIAH 53-59
OVERVIEW: The humiliation of the Servant (Messiah) (53:1-12); the blessings of the Servant (Messiah) (54:1-55:13); the blessing of God upon the Gentiles (56:1-8); the condemnation of God upon the wicked (56:9-57:21); the restoration of true worship (58:1-14); the transgression of Israel (59:1-8); the confession of Israel (59:9-15a); the Lord’s deliverance of Israel (59:15b-21).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: Isaiah 53 is one of the most incredible chapters in the entire Bible. It was this very chapter that the Ethiopian eunuch was struggling to understand out on that desert road in Acts 8, when the Lord prompted Philip to ask him if he understood what he was reading. When he responded, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” (Acts 8:31), “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto Him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). Philip used this passage to lead this Ethiopian dignitary to Christ, and it is commonly believed that it was through his conversion that the gospel first made its way into the continent of Africa in the first century. This is the most comprehensive, and yet concise passage in the entire Bible concerning the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of its significance, we will devote most of our attention to this chapter of today’s reading. In verses 1-3, Isaiah prophesies the rejection that our Lord would endure. John 1:11 says, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” By the time the Lord Jesus Christ came to the earth, the Jews were living under the oppressive domination of Rome. The Messiah they were looking for was a political revolutionary who would come in warrior-like fashion to overthrow the Roman government and establish His own Kingdom and empire on the earth – a Kingdom in which the Jews would be preeminent. They failed to understand that the physical oppression of Rome under Caesar was just a minor illustration of a spiritual oppression they were experiencing because of sin, and the fact that they were being held in the “snare” of this world by the very will of Satan himself (II Tim. 2:26; Eph. 2:2). They failed to realize that in order for their Messiah and King to have citizens in His kingdom, the sin issue that caused spiritual death in them (Gen. 2:17; Rom 5:12) would have to be dealt with, and that they would need to call upon the name of the Lord to be delivered from their sin, and experience a spiritual birth, before even they, the Jews, would qualify for kingdom citizenship. They failed to realize that their Messiah would take up a cross before He would take up His crown; that there would be humiliation before His exaltation; that there would be suffering before there would be glory. Isaiah begins in verse one to foreshadow the fact that there would be difficulty for the Jews “believing,” once the “arm of the Lord” (the Lord Jesus Christ) was “revealed”on the earth. Their difficulty, Isaiah says in verse 2, is how He came into this world. He came as a humble bush (“tender plant”), not as a stalwart tree. “Dry ground” is a reference to the barren spiritual condition of the Nation of Israel when their Messiah would be “revealed.” He came offering life to the parched soil of their lives, but it wasn’t the life they were looking for. He didn’t come on the scene displaying the power and majesty that would attract them to Him (“he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him” – 53:2). Because of it, the Jews “despised and rejected” God’s glorious Servant, and their Messiah. He who is the King of kings became “a man of sorrows.” The One to whom belonged all glory, was “acquainted with grief.” The One who offered life and forgiveness to all who would simply look to Him, had his own people “hide” their “faces from him.” The One who should have been lauded and honored, was “despised” and “esteemed not.” Even though He came to bare the “griefs” and the “sorrows”man inflicted upon himself through the choice of sin, it was of no consequence. The Lord Jesus Christ was treated as a common criminal, one worthy of the treatment He received (53:4).
Note in verse 5 the price that he paid through His crucifixion: He was “wounded;” “bruised”; “chastised;” “striped” (referring to the stripes upon His back through being scourged with whips). Notice also in verse 5, the reason for such brutality: It was “for our transgressions.” It was “for our iniquities.” It was so we might experience “peace” – “peace” with God, and thus, “peace” with ourselves. It was so we could be “healed.” (Certainly not physical healing, but the healing that was necessary in our spirit and soul because of sin!) It was because every one of us had “gone astray,” turning from God “to our own way.” It was the Father providing His only begotten Son to die a substitutionary death for our sin (“the Lord hast laid on him the iniquity of us all”). Through the entire ordeal of His unfair trial and merciless crucifixion, never did “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) ever “open his mouth” (53:7-8). Isaiah said that when He died, it would be with “the wicked” (i.e. crucified between two thieves), and yet His burial would be connected with “the rich” (i.e. He “borrowed” the tomb of Joseph of Arimithea, or rich man – Matt. 27:57). And yet, all of this, according to verses 10-12, was purposed and planned by God! It is the same incomprehensible truth Peter preached about on the Day of Pentecost. That Christ was “delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23)!
You can keep your bearings through today’s reading by following the content of the chapters detailed in today’s overview, but do allow yourself to lose your bearings today in the wonder of our glorious Saviour and His willingness to offer Himself as a sacrifice for us as it is detailed in Isaiah 53. Pray that, like Philip, God will allow you to use this chapter today to “preach Jesus” to some needy soul.
CHRIST IS REVEALED: As the ONE WHOWAS REJECTED BY HIS OWN – Isa. 53:3 (John 1:11; Luke 23:18). As the ONE WHO REMAINED SILENT THOUGH FALSELY ACCUSED – Isa. 53:7 (Mark 15:3-5). As the ONE WHOWAS BURIED WITH THE RICH – Isa. 53:9 (Matt. 27:57-60). As the ONE WHOWAS CRUCIFIED WITH SINNERS – Isa. 53:12 (Mark 15:27-28).
Day 159: June 7, 2008
ISAIAH 60-66
OVERVIEW: The exaltation of Jerusalem in the day of the Lord (60:1-22); the mission of the Messiah in His first coming (61:1-2a) ; the mission of the Messiah in His second coming (61:2b-11); the restoration of Zion (62:1-63:6); the petition of Israel (63:7-64:12); God’s response to Israel’s prayer (65:1-25); the blessing of God in the Millennial Kingdom (66:1-24).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: All the way through the Book of Isaiah, God has been pointing us through the prophet to that incredible day when the Lord Jesus Christ will establish His rule and reign in His Millennial Kingdom. Once again, that is the theme and focal point in the chapters in today’s reading (60-66). When the remnant of Israel returned into their homeland following the Babylonian captivity, the city, with its walls, gates, and temple was in shambles, (“laid waste” – 64:10-11) and anything but glorious. But Isaiah looks down through the years to a time when the Lord Jesus Christ has stepped in and changed all of that. Interestingly, the word “glory,” or one of its forms (glorify, glorified, glorious) is found 23 times in these seven chapters of Isaiah alone. We are presently living in a biblical “nighttime.” The “night” began in Acts 1:9 when Jesus ascended back to the right hand of His Father, because Jesus had clearly said in John 9:5 – “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” At that point, the “Sun” went down, so to speak, and it became night as far as God is concerned (Rom. 13:12; I Thess. 5:5-7; Phil 2:15). We now await the glorious day when the “Sun (Mal. 4:1-2 – note, capital S-U-N, not S-O-N!!!) of righteousness” will “arise” and the light will again shine on this planet and it will be “the DAY of the Lord”! This is exactly what Isaiah is prophesying in 60:1-2 “Arise, shine; for the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” In that day, as Isaiah goes on to explain in verses 3-9, the Gentile nations will be coming in peace to Jerusalem, offering gifts to “the Holy One of Israel,” the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. At that time, as Isaiah describes in verses 10-22, the walls of the nation will be rebuilt (60:10), and the “gate shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night” (60:11), implying that there will no longer be the threat of an invading nation or nations (also, see 60:18).
Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 61 were read by the Lord Jesus Christ in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-21). Jesus concluded the reading by saying, “this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears,” letting us know that Isaiah 60:1-2 refers to Him, if there could be any doubt of that in anyone’s mind. It is quite interesting to note that when Jesus read those verses, He very purposely and calculatedly stopped in the middle of verse 2, before reading “and the day of vengeance of our God.” We now know that the reason He didn’t read it, was because the fulfillment of the prophecy was dependent upon what the Nation of Israel would do with their opportunity to receive her King. When Israel refused her final offer of the Kingdom at the stoning of Stephen, God inserted a parenthesis we call the Church Age, and now “the day of vengeance of our God” (i.e. Tribulation/Second Coming) will not kick in until God’s plan for the church has been accomplished. Because “the day of vengeance of our God” has not yet started, it lets us know that we are still presently living in what God calls “the acceptable year of the Lord”! We must “redeem the time”making sure that we “walk in wisdom toward them that are without” (Col. 4:5). Notice in Isaiah 61:2, that following the Tribulation and Second Coming (“the day of vengeance”), the Lord will “comfort all that mourn” (Millennium), and will flip-flop Israel’s suffering and affliction into blessing and rejoicing. Though Israel in Isaiah’s day was God’s “forsaken” wife (62:4) and had been left “desolate” because of her whoredoms, when the Lord Jesus Christ establishes His kingdom, Israel will be called “Hephzibah” (“my delight is in her”), and “Beulah” (“married”), as once again, she will be “married” to Jehovah, and He will “delight” in her (Hos. 2:16-17). (Remember, Israel is the bride of the Father, we (the church) are the bride of Christ.)
Chapter 63 pictures Christ as a bloody warrior. At His first coming, His enemies stained Him with His own blood. When Isaiah sees Him here at His Second Coming, once again, He will be stained with blood. This time, however, it is not His own blood, but the blood of His enemies (63:1-4)! Never lose sight of the fact that He who is (was) the “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6) in His first coming, will be a “Man of War” (Ex. 15:3) at His second coming! Chapter 65 records the Lord’s response to the prayer of His remnant, and chapter 66 describes the true worship of the Messiah in His Millennial Kingdom. As we conclude the Book of Isaiah, what we have called “a microcosm of the Bible,” note that chapter 66 covers the same ground as the Book of Revelation (Tribulation, Second Coming, Millennium, New Heaven and New Earth).
SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD":
60:1 – “the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”
60:2 – “the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.”
60:7 – “I will glorify the house of my glory.”
60:13 – “I will make the place of my feet glorious”
60:20 – “the days of thy mourning shall be ended”
61:2 – “the day of vengeance of our God”
63:4 – “the day of vengeance”
63:4 – “the year of my redeemed”
66:15 – “the Lord will come with fire”
66:18 – “I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory”
CHRIST IS REVEALED: As the ANOINTED ONE PREACHING GOOD TIDINGS – Isa. 61:1 (Luke 4:16-22). As the CREATOR OF NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH – Isa. 65:17; 66:2 (John 1:1-3; II Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1). As the ONE WHOSE GLORY WILL BE WITNESSED BY ALL NATIONS – Isa. 66:18-19 (Rev. 5:12-13
INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH
Jeremiah was used of God to prophesy during the last 40 years of the small Southern Kingdom of Judah’s history. By the time Jeremiah begins his ministry, it had been 100 years since the Assyrians had destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel. As the Assyrian empire weakened through the years, of course, they were overthrown by the Babylonians. Jeremiah’s ministry actually began in the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign (627 B.C.) according to (1:2), who ruled for 31 years (II Chron. 34:1). His ministry continued through the reigns of the last four kings of Judah, all of whom, as we saw coming through II Chronicles and II Kings, were wicked (Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah). As Jeremiah notes in 1:3, his ministry concluded with “the carrying away of Jerusalem captive,”which was in 586 B.C. Jeremiah is sometimes referred to as “the Weeping Prophet” (see 9:1; 13:17; 14:17; 15:17-18; Lam. 1:2; 2:11, 18). His tears flowed out of his passion for God’s glory (13:15-17), and Israel’s “backsliding” from her God. “Backsliding” is the key word in the Book (see 2:19; 3:6,8,11-12, 22; 5:6; 8:5; 14:7), for which cause the word “repent” is used 11 times by the prophet. Though repentance was his continual message, Judah never did. No Old Testament prophet suffered more opposition than did Jeremiah (2:8, 26; 4:9; 5:31; 6:14; 14:13-16; 18:18; 23:9-40; 26:8-19; 27:9-16; chapters 28-29). It is important to realize that the Book of Jeremiah is not necessarily arranged in chronological order, but by similar subject matter. Remember, the Bible is not laid out according to how Americans think. We think linearly (i.e. in a line). The Bible is an Asian Book. It is presented in a circle. By presenting the truth of Jeremiah by similar subject, it helps us to see more clearly the tragic results of sin.
Perhaps the simplest breakdown of the Book is as follows:
The Fate of Judah (1-33)
The Fate of Jerusalem (34-45)
The Fate of the Gentile Nations (46-52)
Day 160: June 8, 2008
JEREMIAH 1-4
OVERVIEW: God’s call of Jeremiah (1:1-19); God’s explanation that Israel was an unfaithful spouse (2:1-3:5); God’s explanation that there was still time for Israel to repent (3:6-4:4); God’s warning of judgment for refusing to repent (4:5-31).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: As mentioned in the “Introduction,” Jeremiah details in verses 2 and 3 of chapter one that the period in which he prophesied was approximately between 627-587 B.C. His ministry spanned from Judah’s last RIGHTEOUS king (Josiah; 640-609 B.C.) to Judah’s last ACTUAL king (Zedekiah; 597-587 B.C.). Verse 3 lets us know that Jeremiah lived to see Jerusalem destroyed by the Babylonians, an event he both prophesied and lamented. God’s call upon Jeremiah as it is revealed in chapter one forever settles the question of when life begins. The Bible is very clear that life begins before our actual birth (Jer. 1:5; Psalm 139:14-15), and continues on after our actual death (Heb. 9:27)! God tells Jeremiah that a whole lot had taken place concerning him even before He formed him in his mother’s womb: He “knew” him; He “sanctified” him; and “ordained” him to be “a prophet unto the nations.” The same thing could be said about God’s purposes for your life! Much as in the case of God’s call upon Moses (Ex. 3:11), Jeremiah’s initial response was to focus on his own inadequacies and inabilities. God tells Jeremiah, as He did Moses (Ex. 3:14), that His call upon his life wasn’t about who Jeremiah was, but who He was! He tells Jeremiah: “I’ll send you; I’ll tell you what to say; when the people don’t like it, I’ll deliver you; I’ll put my words in your mouth, because I have set you over the nations and the kingdoms” (1:7-10).
God tells Jeremiah that his actual ministry would be six-fold: 1) “to root out” 2) “to pull down” 3)”to destroy” 4) “to throw down” 5) “to build” 6) “to plant.” Interestingly, two-thirds of Jeremiah’s ministry was intended by God to be negative. Perhaps this is a good time to make sure we understand what a “prophet” was actually being called to do. Basically, we could say that a prophet in the Bible was a man that God raised up to take God’s side against he people who had turned away from him. Obviously, there were other implications, but that’s it in a nutshell. It is not much different than what God intends for a New Testament preacher. In fact, it is interesting to note that two-thirds of the ministry of a preacher of the Word of God, God intends to be negative! God said through Paul in II Timothy 4:2, that a preacher of the Word must “reprove” (negative), “rebuke” (negative) and “exhort” (positive) “with all longsuffering and doctrine.” No wonder Jeremiah had it so tough in his day, and no wonder those who “preach the Word” have it so tough in our day (Rev. 3:14-22)! In Laodicea, just as in Jeremiah’s day, God’s side isn’t a whole lot like His people’s side! In fact, Jesus said it’s the exact opposite! “Because thou sayest (here’s what we think about ourselves), I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not (here’s what Jesus says is really true of ourselves) that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17). Notice in 1:17-19, God didn’t tell Jeremiah that his task would be easy, in fact, He warned that it could be very intimidating (“be not dismayed at their faces” – 1:17), and that it would be a constant battle (“they shall fight against thee” – 1:19). Amidst the difficulty, however, God commanded Jeremiah to “suck it up” (i.e. “gird up thy loins” – 1:17), and promised His abiding presence and power. (“I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee” – 1:19). How much difficulty and adversity could you endure in your mission with a promise like that? Check out God’s promise to us in our mission in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye THEREFORE (And, implied is that He is going to empower us with His power!),… and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world”!
In chapter 2 and through 3:5, God has some incredibly strong things to say to Jeremiah about His people. He even likens them to an unfaithful, adulterous spouse, in contrast to God’s constant faithfulness and goodness to them. He tells Jeremiah (2:1-3) that Israel had forgotten her devotion to Him in her “youth” (when God had first delivered them out of Egypt – i.e. her “first love” – Rev. 2:4); that she had become ungrateful (2:4-8); had changed her God (2:9-13); had ignored God’s discipline (2:14-19); had denied any wrongdoing (2:20-28); had mistreated the poor (2:29-37); and had been sleeping around (3:1-5). In spite of her sin, however, God tells Jeremiah that He is merciful, and that He is willing to forgive her if she will simply return to Him, and put away her other lovers (3:6-4:4). What a God! In 4:5-31, God tells Jeremiah that though Israel has time to repent, He is only providing a window of time to do so. He warns that if they refuse to return to Him, He will send an army to annihilate their nation.
SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”:
3:16 – “in those days” (specifically, the Tribulation Period)
3:17 – “At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord”
3:18 – “in those days” (specifically, the Tribulation Period)
4:9 – “at that day”
CHRIST IS REVEALED: As THE FOUNTAIN OF LIVINGWATERS – Jeremiah 2:13 (John 7:37, 4:1-26).
Day 161: June 9, 2008
JEREMIAH 5-8
OVERVIEW: God’s instruction for Jeremiah to search for the righteous (5:1-9); God’s promise to judge the wicked (5:10-6:30); Jeremiah’s first message to the people concerning their faith in the temple and external religion (7:1-8:3); Jeremiah’s message concerning rejecting the truth of God’s Word (8:4-22).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: Before God actually begins to EMPOWER Jeremiah to preach against the people in chapter 7, He takes the events recorded in the first six chapters to IMPASSION him. As chapter 5 begins, God doesn’t send Jeremiah on a “search and destroy mission,” but a “search so I won’t destroy mission”! God wants Jeremiah to understand the depth to which His people had apostacized, and why His judgment against them was so deserved. Just as Ezekiel went looking for one single man in his day to make up the hedge and stand in the gap, God tells Jeremiah to see if he, too, could just find one man somewhere in the land who simply sought truth and executed judgment. Just as Ezekiel’s search ended with the pitiful words, “But I found none,” (Ezek. 22:30), Jeremiah’s search produced the same result. The people were so incredibly perverted in their thinking, they even viewed God’s mercy as weakness (5:11-13). Through the “fiery” preaching of Jeremiah (5:14), God promises the invasion of a mighty army to destroy them. Allow verse 31 of chapter 5 not only to acquaint you with the horrific spiritual climate of Jeremiah’s day, but our own day: “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priest bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so.” It is simply another way of saying what Paul wrote concerning our day: “After their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (II Tim. 4:3-4). As we move into chapter 6, it becomes clear why Judah had become so debauched that God says that “from the least of them even to the greatest of them everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest every one dealeth falsely” (6:13). The key is in verse 10. Very simply, the people had come to the place that the Word of God held no delight or significance in their hearts. It is a great commentary on how America has gotten to the place it has, and where things are heading for churches where week after week, from the pulpit, and in the personal lives of the people, truth sits forsaken. It’s a great time to be reminded that the goal of our 365 Days of Pursuit isn’t simply to get through the Word of God, but to so delight ourselves in the God of the Word, that we allow His Word to get through us, and find a resting place everywhere it “reproves, rebukes, and/or exhorts” us (II Tim. 4:2).
As we come into chapter 7, God now takes the things He revealed to Jeremiah in chapters 1-6, and turns him loose to carry out the six-fold ministry he described in chapter 1 and verse 10. God strategically places Jeremiah at the entrance to the Temple so he can specifically confront those who thought that because of their great Temple (7:4) and their activity there, that they were doing fine spiritually. Never confuse “blessings” and busyness at church with spirituality. God’s words through Jeremiah are just as pertinent today as they were then: “For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever." The New Testament equivalent might be II Cor. 7:1 – “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." The entire chapter emphasizes the fact that our personal and holy God is neither impressed nor the least bit interested in external religion. In chapter 8, Jeremiah’s message to the people was similar to his message in chapter 7. The same attitude the people had about themselves spiritually because they were in possession of the Temple (7:4), they also had about themselves because they were in possession of the Law of Moses (8:8). Again, it is such a reminder that God is interested in so much more than that we go to church and read our Bible. Obviously, those things have their place, but God is interested in holding His rightful place as Lord in our lives! Because of the Laodicean implications and applications, notice that much of Judah’s problem was that their spiritual leaders did not properly proclaim the truth of God’s Word (8:8-12). Their prophets turned the truth of God into lies (II Tim. 4:4), telling the people that it was no problem for them to continue living the lives they were living, everything was going to be all right. The question today is not, “where is the Lord God of Jeremiah?” But, “where are the Jeremiahs of the Lord God?” Pray that God would use your pastors as “Jeremiahs” in these spiritually dark Laodicean days.
CHRIST IS REVEALED: As THE ONE WHO DEMANDED A CLEANSED TEMPLE – Jer. 7:1-11 (Mark 11:17).
Day 162: June 10, 2008
JEREMIAH 9-12
OVERVIEW: Jeremiah’s life amid a deceitful people (9:1-9); Jeremiah’s grief over Judah (9:10-26); Judah’s idolatry and exile (10:1-25); Israel’s history of covenant breaking (11:1-17); Jeremiah’s enemies plot against him (11:18-23); Jeremiah’s complaint concerning the wicked (12:1-4); God’s challenge to Jeremiah (12:5-13); God’s promise to restore Israel (12:14-17).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: Jeremiah was definitely the right man for the job! What was needed was a prophet that would not only clearly communicate God’s MESSAGE, but God’s HEART! Jeremiah gave the people both. We saw God’s heart in Jeremiah as chapter 8 came to a close in yesterday’s reading (8:18-22), as Jeremiah said that because of Judah’s refusal of her King and Healer, he was unable to find comfort for the sorrow and pain in his heart. As chapter 9 begins today, we hear Jeremiah cry out, “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people” (9:1). What Jeremiah provided the people of Judah, giving God’s message and God’s heart, is exactly what Laodicea needs of its pastors. Sadly, it seems that it is most generally one extreme or the other. Either a pastor is all heart and no truth, or all truth and no heart. Pray earnestly that God will allow your pastor to have both! Pray that he will give the message just as God gave it, and with God’s heart! Pray that although he must preach a message of rebuke in these Laodicean days, that he will have a heart that loves and breaks for the people. The more Jeremiah began to understand just how devastating God’s judgment would be (9:9- 26), the more earnestly he preached, and the more he longed for God’s people to repent. In the context, verses 23 and 24 let us know that God’s judgment could have been stayed if the people, rather than glory in everything but God, would simply have sought to “understand” and “know” Him! These are also two great verses to meditate upon to bring us into the glorious wonder of our God! Jeremiah said, “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jer. 9:23-24). That is exactly why Paul said, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). It is only through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ that we can “understand” anything about God (I Cor. 2:14), or “know” Him at all. It was through the cross that our Lord “excercised lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth” (9:24)!
As Jeremiah preaches his heart out in chapter 10, he declares the greatness of the one true God (10:10) saying, “There is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might” (10:6). His point is to confront Israel with the fact that God is not just their national deity, but the Creator (10:11-12), the only “living God,” the “everlasting King,” and the One who will unleash His judgment upon the whole world (10:10). He also shows how that when God’s people bow to the gods of other nations, the Lord turns them over to be consumed by those nations (10:25). As we move into chapters 11-12, we find that even though God had warned Jeremiah of the opposition and adversity that would inevitably come his way (1:17-19; 9:1-3), it is apparent that Jeremiah somehow thought that it might happen otherwise. It is the same syndrome that continues today. Though God clearly told us, “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33), and “Yea, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Tim. 3:12), somehow it seems to take us off guard when it actually happens to us. Even though God said through Peter, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (I Pet. 4:12), again, it is amazing how amazed we are when it actually unfolds in our lives! The Lord reveals to Jeremiah in 11:18-23 a plot to take his life by the men of Jeremiah’s hometown, and in chapter 12, tells Jeremiah to prepare for even worse times (12:5-13). One of the beautiful things that continues to surface through the Book of Jeremiah, is that God’s ultimate purpose behind exercising His judgment is to restore and renew. Chapter 12:14-17 points to the compassion of the Lord, and His willingness to not only deliver Israel, but all nations.
SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”:
10:10 – “at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation”
11:11 – “I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape”
11:12 – “the time of their trouble”
12:12 – “the sword of the Lord shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land”
CHRIST IS REVEALED: In the ONE WHOSE JUDGMENT IS INESCAPABLE – Jer. 11:11 (II Thess. 1:7-9). As the ONE WHOWILL DEVOURWITH HIS SWORD – Jer. 12:12 (Rev. 19:19-21).
Day 163: June 11, 2008
JEREMIAH 13-17
OVERVIEW: The object lesson of the ruin of Judah (13:1-11); Israel described as a drunken nation (13:12-14); Jeremiah pleading to the nation (13:15-27); Judah’s drought and Jeremiah’s intercession (14:1-22); God’s refusal to answer Jeremiah’s prayers (15:1-9); Jeremiah’s complaint against God (15:10-18); God’s call for Jeremiah’s repentance (15:19-21); Jeremiah’s personal renewal (16:1-17:18); God’s message through Jeremiah’s concerning the Sabbath (17:19-27).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: As chapter 13 begins, God wants to give Jeremiah an object lesson concerning the people of Judah. He instructs him to get a “linen girdle,” what we would call today a linen belt or waistband, and put it around his “loins” or waist. He then told him to remove it, and to hide it in a hole of a rock near the Euphrates. After many days, God told him to go back to retrieve it, only to find that the belt was totally ruined and “good for nothing.” God explained to Jeremiah that, like the belt, Judah would become “good for nothing” because of her pride, her refusal to hear the Word of God, her wicked imagination, and her idolatry (13:9-10). God’s desire for Judah was for them to “be unto [him] for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory” (13:11), but sadly, verse 11 ends by saying, “but they would not hear.” As God’s people in a different dispensation, His desire for us is that we also “be unto [him] for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory.” Are you hearing Him? Even after God had revealed to Jeremiah all He had about Judah’s inevitable fate, Jeremiah’s heart still caused him to plead, to weep, and to yearn for Judah to repent and give glory to God once again. Would to God we had Jeremiah’s passion for the glory of God and the souls of men!
God’s punishment first manifested itself in chapter 14 with a terrible “death” or drought. Jeremiah’s heart led him to ask God to be merciful to them and remove the drought, but God told Jeremiah that they were getting what they deserved (14:10), and even told him to stop praying for them (14:11)! Even then, Jeremiah continued to pray on their behalf. As chapter 15 begins, God tells Jeremiah that it wouldn’t matter who was interceding on Judah’s behalf, even if it were Moses or Samuel (that’s some pretty major props for those two fellas!), His judgment was going to be unleashed. In 15:10-18, Jeremiah becomes rather upset with God about his role. He complains that all he had ever done was what God wanted him to do, but all it had ever gotten him was pain and heartache (15:15-18a). He even charges God at the end of 18 with being a liar! Jeremiah was beginning to sound like the people to whom he was called to minister. In verses 19-21, basically, God tells Jeremiah that he better sort things out in his head and in his heart, and get back to the task God had intended for him. Jeremiah was going to have to find a way to carry out his mission, even though he would never receive any encouragement from the people to whom he was seeking to minister. Imagine, in Jeremiah’s entire ministry, a 40 year span, (627-587 B.C.), he never saw one convert!
In chapter 16:1-8, once again, God gives an object lesson. Jeremiah is given a series of three strange commands in order for God to make His point. First, he is told not to marry (16:1-4), because wives and children would be mercilessly killed by the armies God would use to punish Israel’s sin. Second, God tells Jeremiah not to mourn for the dead (16:5-7), because in light of what was about to happen in Judah, they would be better off than the living. And third, he was not to participate in feasts of any kind, because all it produced was just wishful thinking in a land that was without hope. God tells Jeremiah that these three things would provide him the opportunity to warn them of the impending judgment to come, and the need to repent. At the end of chapter 16 (16:14-18), God points to a time following His judgment upon them, when He would deliver Israel out of her oppression and bondage, just like He did in delivering them out of Egypt. In chapter 17, God affirms to Jeremiah once again, that Israel’s idolatry was etched in their hearts with “a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond” (17:1). Because of their unfaithfulness to Him, God warns Jeremiah against trusting them for anything, and urges him to only trust in Him alone. Verse 9 is a classic, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: Who can know it?” Meditate on that for about the next 20 years! In 17:12-18, Jeremiah offers an incredibly humble and powerful prayer for renewal, asking God for spiritual healing, deliverance from his oppressors, and for courage. Immediately, God charges Jeremiah to stand at the gates where all who came in or out of Jerusalem could hear, and confront them about observing the Sabbath. He tells them that if they don’t stop carrying things in and out of the city on the Sabbath, God would allow an invading army to see to it that all activity in the city ceased!
CHRIST IS REVEALED: A s the HOPE OF ISRAEL – Jeremiah 14:8 (Titus 2:13).
Day 164: June 12, 2008
JEREMIAH 18-22
OVERVIEW: God’s lesson to Jeremiah at the potter’s house (18:1-10); Jeremiah’s message to Judah based on the lessons from the potter (18:11-17); Israel’s opposition to Jeremiah (18:18-23); Jeremiah fights his calling (19:1-20:18); Jeremiah’s message of opposition to kings (21:1-22:30).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: God is most certainly the Master Illustrator. He has masterful ways of using things in His physical creation to teach us spiritual truth, just as Romans 1:20 says He does. As we move into chapter 18, God is employing this teaching technique in the ministry of Jeremiah just as He had done in the two previous occasions in 13:1-7 and 16:1-9. This time God takes Jeremiah on a little “field trip” to the potter’s house to make this point. God shows Jeremiah that He (God) is as the Potter, and Israel is as the clay, and He can do with them whatever He jolly-well wants! The real point He wants Jeremiah to see is that if Israel would repent, He would instantaneously fashion them into a beautiful and usable vessel, but if they choose to remain rebellious and obstinate, He can mar them in an instant sight in His powerful hands, and as the Potter, it is perfectly within His right to so! Based on what God showed Jeremiah in his object lesson in 18:1-10, He then tells him to get out there and call the nation to repentance (18:11). Obviously, knowing and understanding God’s sovereignty (“as seemed good to the potter to make it”- 18:4) and omnipotence (“as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand” – 18:6) puts a whole different “umph!” behind a preacher’s message! As you can see in 18:18, the “umph!” of the message wasn’t well received, and as it has consistently done throughout Jeremiah’s ministry, it only brought more hatred and opposition from the people to whom he ministered. As chapter 18 comes to a close, you can see that Jeremiah has gotten fed up with the people, and calls upon God to go ahead and give them what they deserved.
In chapter 19, God wants to use an object lesson in making a point to the people, that was similar to the one He used in 18:1-10 to make His point to Jeremiah. He tells Jeremiah to a take “a potter’s earthen bottle” and go preach to Judah’s king and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He was to preach a strong message about God’s judgment that would come upon them because of their idolatry and rebellion. In effect, Jeremiah said, “You’re kind of like this jar,” and then he smashed it to smithereens right in their face (19:10-12). “God is going to smash you into a million tiny pieces, and you won’t be able to glue yourself back together!” Well, needless to say, the message didn’t go over real well with the supposed religious leaders, much less the people in general! In chapter 20, Pashur, “the chief governor in the house of the Lord” smacks Jeremiah right in his face and slams him right into stocks in the city jail. Jeremiah tells him, “Just for that, God just changed your name from Pashur (“freedom”) to Magormissabib” (“terror on every side”), and Jeremiah prophesied the “terror” that would soon come upon him and all those who believed his lies (20:6). But once again, the opposition was wearing on Jeremiah. He registers his complaint against God for calling him to such a long, difficult, and painful ministry. He even felt that God had deceived him. In effect he tells God, “You may be able to take this because you’re stronger than me, but I can’t take it anymore!” (20:7-8). He even vows that he’s never going to preach again, and never even mention the name of the Lord to anybody (20:9), but he found that God’s Word was so in him, that it burned like a fire in his bones, and that the only remedy was through preaching! It was a major case of what the old black preacher called the “Ah-cain’t hep-its!”. The message was in him, and he just couldn’t help but letting it out. Would to God that His Word would be that deeply embedded in us! So, Jeremiah preached on. He had come to grips with the fact that it was the right thing to do, but just because it was right, didn’t make it easy. In fact, biblically, it might be better stated, if it’s right it won’t be easy! Paul, most certainly, could vouch for that!
As we move into chapters 21 and 22 in today’s reading, it becomes apparent that Jeremiah had nailed some things in his relationship with God, and concerning the ministry to which he had been called. You can see that he has matured as a believer and a prophet. Just as God told Jeremiah back in 1:17-19, that he would be called to preach to and receive opposition from kings, princes, priests, and the people of the land, in this next section (chapters 21-29), Jeremiah preaches to each of these groups of people, and likewise receives retaliation from each. Each time, however, the more seasoned and matured Jeremiah is able to hand the opposition over to God, rather than blame Him for it.
CHRIST IS REVEALED: As the ONE WHO PRONOUNCES JUDGMENT UPON THOSE WHO REFUSE TO OBEY HIS WORD – Jer. 19:15 (John 5:22).
Day 165: June 13, 2008
JEREMIAH 23-26
OVERVIEW: Jeremiah preaches about the Righteous King who would rise to the throne (23:1-8); Jeremiah preaches against the false prophets (23:9-40); Jeremiah preaches against the people (24:1- 25:38); Jeremiah preaches against false worship and false prophecy (26:1-29:32).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS: As was mentioned in the previous day’s reading, in chapters 21-29, Jeremiah is called on by God to preach to those to whom God said He would preach back in chapter one, verses 17-19: kings, princes, priests, and the people of the land. Beginning in 21:1, all the way into chapter 23 and verse 8 in today’s reading, Jeremiah has been preaching against the kings. Though God pronounced “woe” upon these wretched shepherds (“pastors”) who were leading Judah to destruction, God begins to point to a different day, when a righteous King from David’s line would rise to the throne! “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD |
