Archives for August 2017

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, 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 His 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 chose to remain rebellious and obstinate, He could mar them in an instant, right in His powerful hands, and as the Potter, it would be 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 God’s 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 is evident 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, it becomes obvious that Jeremiah has gotten fed up with the people, and calls upon God to just go ahead and give them what they deserve.

In chapter 19, God wants to use another object lesson, in making a point to the people, that was similar to the one He used to make His point to Jeremiah in 18:1–10. He tells Jeremiah to a take “a potter’s earthen bottle” and to 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 are kind of like this jar,” and then he smashed it to smithereens right in their face! (19:10–12) Jeremiah continued on, “And God is going to smash you into a million tiny pieces, just like that, 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 into the stocks in the city jail. Jeremiah tells him, “Just for that, God has changed your name from Pashur (meaning “freedom”) to Magormissabib” (meaning “terror on every side”) Jeremiah prophesied the “terror” (20:4) that would soon come upon Pashur, and all those who believed his lies. (20:6)

But once again, the opposition of the people was wearing on Jeremiah. He registers his complaint against God for calling him to such a long, difficult, and painful ministry. He even communicates that he felt as if God had deceived him. In effect, he tells God, “You may be able to take this because You’re stronger than me, but I just 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 what Jeremiah found was that God’s Word was so deeply embedded in him, that it burned like a fire in his bones, and that the only way to find relief was through preaching! 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, recognizing that 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! (2 Cor. 11:24–28)

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 the ministry to which he had been called. It is evident that he has matured as a believer and a prophet. Just as God had 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, likewise, receiving the retaliation God had prophesied from each. Each time, however, the more seasoned and mature 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 — Jeremiah 19:15 (John 5:22)

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 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”, which was what we would call today, a linen belt or waistband, and put it around his “loins” or his waist. He then told him to remove it, and to hide it in a hole in 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.” We might need to ask ourselves, “Are we hearing Him?”

Even after God had revealed to Jeremiah all that He had concerning 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 actually beginning to sound much 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 simply 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 instructs him not to marry (16:1–4), because his wife and children would only 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 the people 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 that, once again, 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 trust in Him alone. Verse 9 is a classic, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: Who can know it?” May we all 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 with the responsibility of standing at the gates where all who came in or out of Jerusalem could hear, and confront them about their observance of the Sabbath, or lack thereof! 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:

As the HOPE OF ISRAEL — Jeremiah 14:8 (Titus 2:13)

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 he is 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 “reproof” and “rebuke” in these Laodicean days (2 Tim. 4:2), that he will also preach with a heart that loves and breaks for the people. (“exhort with all longsuffering” — 2 Tim. 4:2)

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! Note also that these are 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 (1 Cor. 2:14), or “know” Him at all. It was through the cross that our Lord “exercised 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 and 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” (2 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 — Jeremiah 11:11 (2 The. 1:7–9)

As the ONE WHO WILL DEVOUR WITH HIS SWORD — Jeremiah 12:12 (Rev. 19:19–21)

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 sin of 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 depths to which His people had apostatized, and why His judgment against them was so deserved. Just as God told Ezekiel in his day to search for one single man to “make up the hedge and stand in the gap” (Eze. 22:30), God tells Jeremiah to see if he, too, could find just one man somewhere in the land who simply sought truth and executed judgment. (5:1) But just as Ezekiel’s search ended with the pitiful words, “But I found none,” Jeremiah’s search produced the same empty 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.

As you read 5:31, allow it to not only acquaint you with the horrific spiritual climate of Jeremiah’s day, but to remind you of the horrific spiritual climate of our own day: “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priest bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so.” God said something strangely similar through what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy 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.” (2 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 our world has gotten to the place it has, and how churches have gotten to the place they are. Week after week in most churches, both from the pulpit, and in the personal lives of the people, truth sits forsaken. Perhaps this is a great time to be reminded that the goal of our 365 Days of Pursuit isn’t simply to go through the Word of God, but to so delight ourselves in the God of the Word, that we allow His Word to go through us, and find a resting place everywhere it “reproves, rebukes, and/or exhorts” us! (2 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 delineated to him 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 and their great involvement there (7:4), that they were doing fine spiritually. Oh, may we never confuse “blessings” and “busyness” at church with spirituality! God’s words through Jeremiah are just as potent and 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 is 2 Corinthians 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 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 simply attend church services 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 many implications and applications of Jeremiah’s words to those of us living in the last days of the Laodicean Church Period, notice that much of Judah’s problem was rooted in the fact 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 (2 Tim. 4:4), telling the people that God was going to be okay with them continuing to live the way they were living. Oh, where are the “Jeremiahs” that will unashamedly, lovingly, and yet, dogmatically proclaim the truth of God’s Word regardless of the consequence in these spiritually dark Laodicean days.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As THE ONE WHO DEMANDED A CLEANSED TEMPLE — Jeremiah 7:1–11 (Mark 11:17)

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 Israel’s refusal to repent. (4:5–31)

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

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, they, of course, were overthrown by the Babylonians.

According to 1:2, Jeremiah’s ministry actually began in the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign (627 B.C.), who ruled for 31 years. (2 Chr. 34:1) His ministry continued through the reigns of the last four kings of Judah (Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah), all of whom were wicked, as we saw coming through 2 Chronicles and 2 Kings. As Jeremiah reveals 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, the sad reality is, Judah never did. There was certainly no Old Testament prophet who 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)

As we make our way through this Book, it will be important to realize that the Book of Jeremiah is not necessarily arranged in chronological order but by similar subject matter. By presenting the truth of Jeremiah by similar subject, it helps us to more clearly see 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)

As mentioned above, Jeremiah details in verses 2 and 3, of chapter 1, 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 1, forever settles the question of when life actually begins. The Bible is very clear that life begins BEFORE our actual BIRTH (Jer. 1:5; Psa. 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 before his birth! He tells Jeremiah that even before forming him in his mother’s womb: He “knew” him; He “sanctified” him; and He “ordained” him to be “a prophet unto the nations”. The same thing could be said about God’s purposes for our lives!

In similar fashion to Moses’ response to God’s call (Exo. 3:11), Jeremiah’s initial response to God’s call on his life 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 is! He tells Jeremiah: “I’ll send you…I’ll tell you what to say…I’ll put My very words in your mouth…and when the people don’t like it, I’ll deliver you…because I have set you over the nations and the kingdoms.” (1:7–10)

God goes on to tell Jeremiah that his actual ministry would be six-fold. It would be:

1)    “To root out.”

2)    “To pull down.”

3)    “To destroy.”

4)    “To throw down.”

5)    “To build.”

6)    “To plant.”

Interestingly enough, two-thirds of Jeremiah’s preaching 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 His side against the people who had turned away from Him. Obviously, there were other implications, but that’s it in a nutshell! Do note, the ministry of the Old Testament prophet is not much different than what God intends for a New Testament preacher! God said through Paul, in 2 Timothy 4:2, that a preacher of the Word must “reprove” (negative), “rebuke” (negative), and “exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (positive). Once again, God’s instruction is that two-thirds of the preaching is to be negative! 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! In the Laodicea Church Period (1901 – Rapture), just as in Jeremiah’s day, “God’s side” is a far cry from His “people’s side”! (Rev. 3:14–22)

Notice in 1:17–19, God didn’t tell Jeremiah that his task would be easy! In fact, He warned that it would be very intimidating (“be not dismayed at their faces” — 1:17c), and that it would be a constant battle (“they shall fight against thee” — 1:19a). Amidst the difficulty, however, God commanded Jeremiah to “man up” (i.e. “gird up thy loins” — 1:17a), and promised His abiding presence and power. (“I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee” – 1:19c). Wow! How much difficulty and adversity do you think you could endure in your mission with a promise like the one Jeremiah received?! But, may I remind you of God’s promise to us in our mission?! Jesus said in Matthew 28:18–20: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye THEREFORE (Note that He’s implying 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 2:1–3:5, 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. In 2:1–3, He tells Jeremiah 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); that she had changed her God (2:9–13); that she had ignored God’s discipline (2:14–19); that she had denied any wrongdoing (2:20–28); that she had mistreated the poor (2:29–37); and that, spiritually speaking, she 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, having put away her other lovers. (3:6–4:4) What an incredibly merciful and gracious God we serve!

In 4:5–31, God tells Jeremiah that, though Israel has time to repent, He is only providing a window of opportunity 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 LIVING WATERS — Jeremiah 2:13 (John 7:37; John 4:1–26)

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 of Jerusalem, 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 will have stepped in and reconfigured the entire landscape and situation. Interestingly enough, the word “glory,” or one of its forms (“glorify, glorified, glorious”) is found 23 times in these seven chapters of Isaiah alone!

Be aware, that according to the New Testament, 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 “nighttime” as far as God is concerned. (Rom. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:5–7; Phil 2:15). We now await the glorious day when the “Sun” (Mal. 4:1–2 — note that Malachi referred to Christ as the capital “S-u-n,” not “s-O-n!”) of righteousness” will “arise”, and the light will again shine on this planet, because 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 when He was invited to speak in His “home 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 was/is a specific reference to Him, if, perchance, there could be any doubt of that in anyone’s mind. It is also quite interesting to note that when Jesus read these verses that day, He very purposely and calculatedly stopped in the middle of Isaiah 61:2, just before reading the next phrase in the verse: “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. the Tribulation/Second Coming) will not actually begin until God’s plan for the church has been accomplished. Because “the day of vengeance of our God” has not yet begun, it lets us know that we are still presently living in what God calls “the acceptable year of the Lord”! We must, therefore, “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 (i.e. “the day of vengeance”), the Lord will “comfort all that mourn” (i.e. the 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 then be called “Hephzibah” (meaning, “my delight is in her”), and “Beulah” (meaning, “married”), as once again, she will be “married” to Jehovah, and He will “delight” in her. (Hos. 2:16–17) Keep in mind, Israel is the bride of the Father, we (the church) are the bride of Christ. (2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 21:9)

We are presently living at a time when God is pouring out His love, mercy, and grace. Be it known, however, justice on this planet will be served! That’s what Isaiah 63 emphasizes. Often, as Christians, we are guilty of only showing the side of the coin that is stamped with Christ’s love. There is, however, another side of the coin. It is stamped with His wrath. (Rev. 15–16) Just as far-reaching and powerful is His love, so, also, is His wrath. Perhaps this is the reason that those who are not saved, as well as those of us who are saved, do not “fear the Lord,” as the Scripture repeatedly admonishes us to do. (2 Cor. 7:1)

Isaiah 63 pictures Christ as a bloody warrior. At His first coming, His enemies stained Him with His own blood. When Isaiah sees Him in this passage, at His Second Coming, once again, He will be stained with blood. This time, however, it will not be His own blood, but the blood of His enemies! (63:1–4) Never lose sight of the fact that He who was the “Prince of Peace” in His first coming (Isa. 9:6), will be a “Man of War” at His second coming! (Exo. 15:3; Rev. 14:17–20; Isa. 63:1–4)

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 referred to as a “microcosm of the Bible”), note that chapter 66 covers the same ground as the 66^th Book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation (i.e. the Tribulation, the Second Coming, the Millennium, and the 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 — Isaiah 61:1 (Luke 4:16–22)

As the CREATOR OF NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH — Isaiah 65:17; 66:2 (John 1:1–3; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1)

As the ONE WHOSE GLORY WILL BE WITNESSED BY ALL NATIONS — Isaiah 66:18–19 (Rev. 5:12–13)

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 the eunuch responded, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” (Acts 8:31), the scripture says, “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto Him Jesus.” (Acts 8:35) Philip actually 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 1^st 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 oppression and domination of Rome. Needless to say, they hated it! Therefore, 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 their thinking, in which the Jews would be preeminent. They failed to understand, however, that the physical oppression of Rome under Caesar was just a minor illustration of a spiritual oppression they were experiencing because they were being held in the “snare” of this world by the very will of Satan himself. (2 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 would have to be dealt with (Gen. 2:17; Rom 5:12), and that to qualify for citizenship in His Kingdom, they would need to experience a supernatural spiritual birth by calling upon the name of the Lord. 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; and that there would be SUFFERING before there would be GLORY.

Isaiah begins in verse 1 to foreshadow the fact that the Jews would have difficulty “believing” once the “arm of the Lord” (the Lord Jesus Christ) was “revealed” on the earth. Their difficulty, Isaiah says in verse 2, is because of how the Father chose for Him to make His entrance 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 physical 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 promised Messiah. He who was the King of kings became “a man of sorrows”. The One to whom belongs all glory was “acquainted with grief”. The One who offered life and forgiveness to all who would simply look to Him had his very 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 had inflicted upon himself through the choice of sin, it was of no consequence. The Lord Jesus Christ was treated as a common criminal as if He was worthy of the treatment He received. (53:4)

Note in 53:5, the words used to describe Christ’s crucifixion: He was “wounded”; “bruised”; “chastised”; and “striped” (referring to the stripes upon His back through being scourged with whips). Notice also in verse 5, the reason for such brutality: Isaiah tells us it was “for our transgressions” and it was “for our iniquities.” He then goes on to reveal to us the result of His crucifixion: it was so we might experience “peace” with God, and thus, “peace” with ourselves, and it was so we could be “healed”! Certainly not our physical healing, but the healing that was necessary in our soul and spirit because every one of us had “gone astray”, turning from God, “to our own way”. God reveals to us in this passage through Isaiah, that He was providing His only begotten Son to die a substitutionary death for our sin: “the Lord hast laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  Notice also, that Isaiah’s prophecy lets us know that through the entire ordeal of our Lord Jesus Christ’s unfair trial and merciless crucifixion, never would “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) ever “open his mouth.” (Isa. 53:7–8)

Isaiah goes on to prophesy that when Christ 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 a rich man by the name of Joseph of Arimithea — Matt. 27:57.)

Though the details of Isaiah’s prophecy are humanly tragic and horrific, verses 10–12 let us know that every single detail of this entire ordeal was purposed and planned by none other than God Himself! It is the same incomprehensible truth Peter preached about on the Day of Pentecost: that Christ was “delivered (to His tormentors) by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.” (Acts 2:23)

Once again, you can “keep your bearings” through the chapters in today’s reading by following the outline presented in today’s overview. But at the same time, do allow yourself to “lose your bearings” today in the wonder of our glorious Savior and His willingness to offer Himself as a sacrifice for us as it is detailed in Isaiah 53. Let us also pray that, like Philip, God will allow us to use this chapter to “preach Jesus” to some needy soul today.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As the ONE WHO WAS REJECTED BY HIS OWN — Isaiah 53:3 (John 1:11; Luke 23:18)

As the ONE WHO REMAINED SILENT THOUGH FALSELY ACCUSED — Isaiah 53:7 (Mark 15:3–5)

As the ONE WHO WAS BURIED WITH THE RICH — Isaiah 53:9 (Matt. 27:57–60)

As the ONE WHO WAS CRUCIFIED WITH SINNERS — Isaiah 53:12 (Mark 15:27–28)

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 of 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 the captives of Israel free, 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 c.f. Phil. 2:10–11)

In chapters 46 and 47 in today’s reading, Isaiah details Babylon’s collapse along with all of 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 to conquer Israel’s oppressor (46:11), 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 when 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, notice that He also promises to bring them back. Praise the Lord for His marvelous grace and mercy, because we all need it in our “stubbornness” and “obstinacy” just as surely as does, and 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)

Oh, may we be filled with a passion 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) Once again, may we all cry out with the Apostle John, “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 — Isaiah 48:12 (Rev. 1:11; 2:8; 22:13)

As THY SAVIOR AND REDEEMER — Isaiah 49:26 (Tit. 2:13–14; 2 Pet. 1:1; 1 Cor. 6:20; Gal. 4;4–5; 1 Pet. 1:18–19)

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); the 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. (Chapters 40–66) Interestingly enough, 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)

For the record, this passage in Isaiah is one the key places I take Jehovah’s FALSE Witnesses as I engage them outside the doors of my house (2 John 7–10 tells us not to let them in our house!), just before I lovingly, but very matter-of-factly, tell them they are of an “antichrist spirit!” (2 John 7) Note that when Isaiah makes this prophecy (which the Jehovah’s FALSE Witnesses will very readily agree is in reference to John the Baptist!), Isaiah says, that he (John the Baptist) will be preparing the way of “Jehovah”. Remember, every time the word “Lord” appears in the Old Testament in a King James Bible (with a tall capital “L,” and smaller capital letters for the “ord”), as in Isaiah 40:3, it is signifying that this is the Hebrew word for “Jehovah”. The word is even translated “Jehovah” in the “Bible” (and I use the term extremely loosely!) that the Jehovah’s FALSE Witnesses use! When Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled and recorded in Matthew 3:1–3, “Jehovah” just happens to be none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself!!! The same incredible truth also took place earlier in the Book of Isaiah, in chapter 6 and verse 5. In this verse, Isaiah saw “Jehovah” (the “Lord” of hosts — KJV) in all of His glory. When the Holy Spirit writes of this (2 Pet. 1:21) in John 12:37–41, He says that Isaiah was seeing “CHRIST’S glory” and was speaking of “CHRIST!!!” Hallelujah! And all of God’s people said, “AMEN!!!” Jesus Christ IS Jehovah!!!

Now, please allow me to 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 might call the “Jehovah’s TRUE Witnesses!” 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.” With that in mind, 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, like the Jehovah’s FALSE Witnesses’ “Bible” says in John 1:1… but “THE GOD!!!” Doesn’t that just make you wanna shout a big hearty, “AMEN?!”

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! John says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice (in the context, it is the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ!), as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, THE FIRST AND THE LAST!!!” Hallelujah to ya!!!

Here is just one more. 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: “ALL THINGS(!!!) were made by him (that is, by the “Word,” the Lord Jesus Christ!); and without him was not any thing made that was made!” (John 1:3) Then, check out Colossians 1:16: “For by him (the “Son” — Col. 1:13, again, the Lord Jesus Christ!) were ALL THINGS created (just as in Isa. 44:24!) 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) There’s no mistaking it biblically, folks! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is “JEHOVAH!”

To help you keep your bearings as you make your way through the chapters in today’s reading, please refer to the outline provided 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 — Isaiah 40:3; 42:8; 43:10–11; 44:6; 44:24

As SHEPHERD — Isaiah 40:11 (John 10:11)

As CREATOR — Isaiah 40:28 (John 1:1–3; Col. 1:16)

As REDEEMER — Isaiah 41:14 (Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 1:18–19; Rev. 5:9)

As HE TO WHOM EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW AND EVERY TONGUE SWEAR (CONFESS) — Isaiah 45:23 (Phil. 2:10)

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 glorious time in the Millennium when, “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.” (32:1) This is the same time to which John was referring in the Book of Revelation when he wrote in Revelation 5:10: “And [Thou] hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” and in Revelation 20:6: “…but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Isaiah said that that time would be when “the spirit [would] be poured upon us from on high…” (32:15) 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” which 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”. Isaiah points to the physical (35:3–6) and spiritual (35:7–10) changes that will take place on the earth when the Lord Jesus Christ returns, to this planet, at the Second Coming of Christ, and establishes His Millennial Kingdom on the earth. Verse 8 says, “And an highway shall be there”! And, you’ve gotta love it, it is 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 chapter 38 and verse 8, parallels what we saw in 2 Kings 18:17–20:11. 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 in a letter not to trust the Lord to deliver them. Pay real close attention to 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) Wow! We all might need to ask ourselves, “how is the devil seeking to intimidate us today”, and carefully 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.

Something to note about chapters 38 and 39 in today’s reading: they actually precede chapters 36 and 37 from a chronological standpoint. They are placed where they are, however, because they anticipate the Babylonian captivity, which is the subject matter in chapters 40–66. Also, be reminded, that with Isaiah being a microcosm of the Bible, chapter 39 ends the section 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, the Tribulation Period)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As the ONE WHO WIELDS “THE SWORD OF THE LORD” IN JUDGMENT — Isaiah 34:6 (Rev. 19:15)