Devotionary

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Ep 773 – Isaiah 14:3-11 Jan 28, 2019

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God always has the end in mind. He knows the outcome of all things and, because He operates outside the restrictions of time and space, God is fully aware of how the story ends. Mainly, because He is the author of the story. There is nothing that happens on this planet that surprises God or catches Him off-guard. Every single aspect of human history has been pre-ordained by God and, as we will see in Isaiah 14:3-11, even the ultimate outcome of that history has been pre-determined by God. But, while God knows how the story ends, we as human beings tend to live with our eyes focused on the here-and-now, mesmerized by the current events that make up our lives. And the people of Judah were no different. All they could think about was the pending arrival of the Babylonians, as decreed by God and prophesied by Isaiah. From their vantage point, everything looked bleak. They had already seen their northern neighbors, the nation of Israel, fall to the Assyrians and end up in captivity. Now, it seemed like only a matter of time until they suffered a similar fate. But little did they know that God had a far different end in mind.

Ep 772 – Isaiah 14:1-2 Jan 27, 2019

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required to wait. We may even begin to wonder and doubt whether He is going to come through for us, but He always does. And in Isaiah 14:1-2, we have yet another promise from God that assures the people of Judah that their future will be bright – all because God has decreed it. He has made a covenant commitment and He will not go back on His word. These two short verses are pregnant with meaning and literally overflowing with encouragement. Yet, how easy it is to read them and miss all that God is trying to convey through them. For the people of Judah, the news of God's pending judgment and the approaching armies of Babylon weighed heavy on their minds. They couldn't see past the current predicament in which they found themselves. But over and over again, God assures them that He has great things in store for them. His plans for them include blessings that will far over-shadow any suffering they may have to endure. And they will happen because He is the covenant-keeping God.

Ep 771 – Isaiah 13:17-22 Jan 26, 2019

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God stands outside of time. He is eternal, having no beginning or end. And, as the eternal, transcendent God, He is just as knowledgeable of future events as He is of those that happened in the distant past. So, as we look at Isaiah 13:17-22, God is going to provide some insights into the future judgment of the nation of Babylon. And some of what we will see will include events that predict Babylon's more immediate fate. From our vantage point, they are ancient history, having already taken place. But there will be other prophetic pronouncements that remain unfulfilled. God is speaking of the Babylon as Isaiah knew it in his day, but He is also revealing what will happen to the Babylon that will appear at the end times, during the days of the Great Tribulation. When it comes to God judging the nations, there are clear indications that His wrath comes all along the historic timeline. Nations have come and gone. Dictators and kings who once ruled are now little more than footnotes in a history book. But God, because He stands outside of time, has plans in place that have yet to happen. But part of the purpose of God displaying proof of His wrath against sin in history is so that His people will trust His promises to deal with sin in eternity.

Ep 770 – Isaiah 13:10-16 Jan 25, 2019

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Man has always had a unique ability to fabricate his own gods. Ever since the fall, humanity has made a habit out of creating false gods to replace the one true God. Yet, as Isaiah 13:10-16 will reveal, the day is coming when God will eliminate all the false gods from the face of the earth and judge all those who have chosen to replace Him with the lifeless products of their sinful imaginations. As Isaiah continues to discuss "that day" – the coming day of God's judgment upon the world for their rejection of Him, he paints a rather bleak picture of the consequences of that judgment. God will deal harshly, but also justly. He will simply mete out the punishment rebellious mankind deserves. No one will be able to argue with Him or deny their guilt. His judgment will be just and sure. And while we may find the descriptions of this day disturbing and difficult to reconcile with our concept of an all-loving God, it is essential that we not diminish or downplay God's hatred for sin and His righteous obligation to deal with those who have chosen to reject His rightful place as their God.

Ep 769 – Isaiah 13:1-9 Jan 24, 2019

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God has plans for Israel, but He also has plans for all the nations of the earth, including all those who stand opposed to His will and who futilely attempt to thwart His ways. In these opening verses of chapter 13, Isaiah delivers a divine oracle against Babylon. This powerful nation was going to be used by God to bring His judgment upon the people of Judah. But God would also punish them for the role they would play in the destruction of God's people and city. While acting as instruments in the hands of God, that would not excuse them for their actions, because they would thoroughly enjoy the part they played. They would find great joy in defeating the people of Judah and would take unfair and unnecessary advantage of them. And God would eventually repay them, along with every other nation that stands opposed to Him. This oracle reveals God's plans for the nations of the earth, and reminds us that He is sovereign over all, including every king and country that has been or ever will be. He alone is God and the coming day of the Lord will find every tribe, nation and tongue coming under His divine jurisdiction.

Ep 768 – Isaiah 12:1-6 Jan 23, 2019

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There is no greater praise of God than when His people are able to say, "He has done great things!" Deliverance by God and the provision of God are just a few of the many ways in which we can praise Him for His goodness and grace. As His children, there is not a day that goes by where we lack cause to praise Him. He is always active in and around our lives, oftentimes, in ways that we can't even see. And in Isaiah 12, a very short chapter consisting of just six verses, Isaiah lets the people of Judah know that there is a day coming when they will give praise and thanks to God for His salvation. As with the last chapter, Isaiah is speaking of a future day when God will intercede for His rebellious and unrepentant people, replacing His well-earned wrath with undeserved mercy and grace. By the time God is done delivering and transforming them, they will know that it has all happened according to His power and in keeping with His promises to them. He will have done great things and they will gladly give Him glory.

Ep 767 – Isaiah 11:11-16 Jan 22, 2019

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God makes promises. But, unlike man, God keeps His promises. In fact, Numbers 23:19 states, "God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?" And in Isaiah 11:11-16, we are going to see God remind His covenant people just how faithful He is going to be regarding His promises to them. While things may have looked dim from their perspective, God knew the future and was letting them know that He had a plan in place for them. He would not forget them. He would not permanently abandon them. In fact, He would one day restore a remnant of them to a right relationship with Himself. And He would do it by keeping the very promise He made to King David that there would one day be a permanent heir to his throne. God has promised that there will be a ruler, a Son of David, to sit on the throne of David. He has also promised a remnant of God's people will one day rule alongside the Son of David is a restored Kingdom of Israel. And what God promises, He always brings about.

Ep 766 – Isaiah 11:1-10 Jan 21, 2019

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One of the amazing things about the Scriptures is how well they display their divine inspiration. The 66 books contained within the Bible, while written by a variety of authors over a more than 1,400-year period of time, have a synergy and syncretism about them that is difficult to imagine. They reflect their divine origin and communicate a single story that reflects the redemptive plan of God for the world and its inhabitants. And, in Isaiah 11:1-10, we are provided with one of those amazing sections of God's Word that reflects a far-greater scope to God's message than first meets the eye. One of the truly great joys of reading God's Word is to discover the remarkable connections that link the Old and New Testament. These hidden gems of truth provide evidence of the Spirit's inspiration of the authors and God's overarching agenda for mankind that goes far beyond any ethnic, regional, or historical confines. God has the big picture in mind. His focus is eternal in nature. And right when circumstances seem to indicate that God is done, He surprises us with His eternal plan.

Ep 765 – Isaiah 10:20-34 Jan 20, 2019

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God does not do anything halfway. He is not in the habit of partially accomplishing that to which He sets His mind. He completes what He starts. He finishes what He begins. And when it comes to the peoples of Israel and Judah, God has long-term plans for their good that He has yet to bring to fruition. Centuries have passed and generations of Jews have come and gone, but God's covenant promise to Abraham remains intact and His determination to fulfill what He promised remains unchanged. And in Isaiah 10:20-34, God will reassure His people yet again of His plan to reestablish them in their land and restore them to a right relationship with Him. When you consider all that the Israelites and their southern brothers, the people of Judah, had done to offend God, it is amazing to think that He is going to keep every single one of His promises to them. They had violated their covenant relationship with Him time and time again, but as the covenant-keeping God, He will remain true to His word – until a full end to His promises has come about.

Ep 764 – Isaiah 10:5-19 Jan 19, 2019

Show notes

The sovereignty of God is difficult to understand, but, at times, even more difficult to accept. When things are going well, we find it easy to accept God's sovereignty. We like the idea of an all-powerful, all-knowing and completely-in-control God when things are going our way. But as soon as things take a turn for the worse, we begin to question His control. And when the Bible reveals God as using pagan nations to punish His own people, we get uncomfortable. And, as if to make matters even more confusing, the Bible reveals that God punishes the very nations He used to do His bidding. That kind of control seems unfair and even unethical. But in Isaiah 10:5-19, we will see just such a situation as God warns the Assyrians of their coming judgment. They had been instrumental in His judgment of the nation of Judah, defeating and destroying many of their cities. Then they had besieged the capital city of Jerusalem. All according to God's sovereign plan. But then God turns around and warns them that He was going to punish them for doing what He had ordained them to do. Is God capricious and fickle? Or is He sovereign and holy, and completely right in all He does?

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