The Book Of Isaiah. Day 187, The One Who Brings Back To Life

As we mentioned in yesterday's study, the Lord's message through Isaiah was primarily to Isaiah's people: the Israelites. Today's text has to do with the deliverance of Jerusalem from her enemies. However, Gentile believers can be comforted by Isaiah's words in our text, for Jerusalem will someday be the capitol city of the whole world. Her restoration, success, and endurance is going to be important to all Gentile believers as well as to all Jewish believers.

When we concluded yesterday's text the Lord made a reference to "the city", meaning Jerusalem. That is where we pick up today. The reference to "she" is to be understood as a reference to Jerusalem and also to Israel as a whole.

"Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children." (Isaiah 66:7-8) Nations are not normally born without "labor". War, revolution, clearing of land, building dwellings, building infrastructure, and setting up laws/constitutions are usually involved. But the "giving birth" of Zion and the restoration of Jerusalem will be the Lord's work; the release of the captives from Babylon was done quickly and peacefully so they could return to their land and rebuild. The captivity and release were approximately 130 years in the future in Isaiah's day, but just as he has predicted the coming captivity, so also he predicts freedom and rebuilding. 

I am sure that the other world powers of that era thought that Israel was finished. The northern kingdom was conquered by Assyria and the southern kingdom was conquered by Babylon. All but the poorest and least skilled were removed from the land and the land was resettled with conquered people from other nations. But the Lord accomplished exactly what He said He was going to accomplish. No one thought it was possible except those Israelites who kept the faith, and this is why the Lord says, "Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this?" Most nations that have been conquered and destroyed (or nearly destroyed) do not rise from the ashes at all. The ones that do don't accomplish it without a fight. But the Lord fights for Israel and He accomplished the return to the land without them having to lift a sword. Indeed, He accomplished the return by having them sent home with building materials given to them by the king who set them free. They did not return empty handed.

The Lord never breaks a promise. The One who is able to resurrect from the dead can certainly resurrect nations. He can also resurrect broken relationships and bring them back to life. He can rebuild He can heal hearts and bring hope back to life There is nothing too difficult for Him. Whatever needs you may have today, take them to Him. He is the source of all our help. 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 186, The Lord Repays His Enemies (And Ours)

In yesterday's study we found the Lord warning of judgment against those who rejected His pleas to repent of their wickedness. Today He speaks words of comfort to those who have been persecuted by the wicked. As we read these verses we need to keep in mind that the message the Lord gave to Isaiah was primarily intended for Isaiah's people: the Israelites. This is why the Lord speaks so many times of Jerusalem (often referenced as "the city") in our previous chapter and in this chapter. But Gentile believers can claim the Lord's promises as well; He will avenge us too. The Lord sees every wrong done to His children and He will not ignore harm done to His children.

Although many of Isaiah's people had rejected the Lord entirely or had blended idolatry with their worship of the Lord, there were still people who trusted in His name, just as though there are still people on earth today who trust in His name. To those people the Lord says: "Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word: 'Your own people who hate you, and exclude you because of My name, have said, 'Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy!' Yet they will be put to shame. Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of the Lord repaying His enemies all they deserve." (Isaiah 66:5-6)

The people of Isaiah's day who were living wrong hated the people who were living right. They hated the Lord's prophets and they hated the citizens who remained faithful to Him. They didn't give them equal opportunities, they shunned them publicly, and even plotted to kill some of them (and in some cases were successful). The Lord's faithful ones were mocked and treated like outcasts. While mistreating the Lord's people, they'd say, "Let's see you glorify Him now! Prove to us He is with you! If He is with you, wouldn't He strike us down?" The enemies of Christ said the same type of things to Him. When they struck Him, they shouted, "Prophesy to us!" And when He hung on the cross, they mocked Him, saying, "Let the Lord rescue Him if He is pleased with Him." 

Ah, but the Lord will avenge those who are His! He will judge those who have hated His Son and He will judge those who have hated those who are His children through faith. Our enemies are His enemies. That is why He says in verse 6 above that He will repay "His enemies all they deserve". 

A day is coming in which the Lord will right every wrong. A day is coming in which His enemies must stand before Him to answer the charges against them. Jews and Christians have been persecuted time and time again and, according to the book of Revelation, the worst of this persecution is yet to come. People will socially exclude us for our faith. We will be passed over in our professional lives because of our faith. We may be mocked and ridiculed. We may be forbidden to openly practice our faith. We may be jailed for our faith, or worse. But a day is coming when we will hear the sound of uproar and alarm when the Lord comes to avenge us. Nothing wicked has ever been done to us that the Lord has not seen and that the Lord will not judge.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 185, False Worship Judged

As Isaiah has been concluding the prophecies the Lord has given him, we have been looking ahead to the 1,000 year era known as the millennial reign of Christ, also to the final judgment, and also to the eternal kingdom. The portion we are about to look at today appears to involve the time period prior to the millennium or during the millennium.

We know from the Scriptures that there will be a third temple in the end times. This may be the temple that is referenced in today's passage, for we also know that there will not be a temple during the eternal kingdom. (We spoke about that yesterday.) The time period in view here seems to be after the third temple is built, when the Jewish people resume bringing offerings and sacrifices. But anyone who brings them in a wrong spirit of false worship will be judged. The Lord is not deceived.

"But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a person, and whoever offers a lamb is like one who breaks a dog's neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig's blood, and whoever burns memorial incense is like one who worships an idol." (Isaiah 66:3a) How do we know the Lord is speaking of those who have no reverence in their hearts for Him? He will explain this in the next verse, but for now we will discuss the comparisons He makes in the first part of verse 3.

Bulls and lambs were acceptable sacrifices in the Old Testament's sacrificial system. Grain and incense were acceptable offerings. But sacrifices and offerings become unacceptable when they are made by hearts that are far from God. There are many reasons why a person who doesn't accept God as their Lord would bring sacrifices and offerings. They might do it to appease their families. They might do it in order to have a good reputation in their community. They might do it in order to enjoy fellowship with others at the temple. They might do it thinking God won't know they aren't truly repenting in their hearts and that He will answer a special petition. 

But the one who brings things to the temple in the wrong spirit is like one who brings an unclean offering. Sacrificing a person is an abomination to the Lord, so He compares the bringing of a bull to that, saying that a bull brought in the wrong spirit is an abomination. Bringing a lamb is like bringing a dog (which would be an "unclean" animal, since only the animals that were "clean" for eating could be brought) and also it was unacceptable to bring an animal that had already been killed or injured (the mention of the broken neck). Bringing a grain offering without a spirit of thankfulness to God is as abhorrent to Him as pouring out the blood of a pig (another unclean animal) on the altar. Burning incense to the Lord without any reverence in the heart is as sickening to Him as burning incense to an idol.

We know the people He speaks of above are bringing things in the wrong spirit because of what He says next. "They have chosen their own ways, and they delight in their abominations; so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring on them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in My sight and chose what displeases Me." (Isaiah 66:3b-4) 

Fake worship will be judged by Him. He knows what's in our hearts; He made our hearts and has no trouble reading them. A person may be able to fool his fellow man into thinking he loves the Lord, but he can't fool God.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 184, The Lord Must Be First In Our Hearts

We are beginning the final chapter of the book of Isaiah today. We have been looking at the future eras of time known as the millennium and the eternal kingdom. In those times, worship will be turned back to the One who deserves it. The focus will be on Him.

In Christianity we often talk about how we have a "relationship, not a religion".  A religion can contain all sorts of things, such as legalism (trying to obtain salvation by works), or even idolatry, for a person whose hopes are based on a religious organization or practice can often be swayed into some other organization or practice since living by rules instead of a relationship is not satisfying to the soul. As our chapter opens we find the Lord pointing people back to the relationship rather than a religion.

"This is what the Lord says: 'Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the house you will build for Me? Where will My resting place be? Has not My hand made all these things, and so they came into being?' says the Lord." (Isaiah 66:1-2) Everything that has been created was created by Him. There is no temple or altar we could make for Him without using things that He created.

This doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong to honor the Lord in these ways. In fact, He commended King David for desiring to build a temple to honor Him. This is because David's heart was in the right place. But sometimes we can get our hearts in the wrong place by placing our focus on what we are doing rather than on what God has done and will do. An example of this would be if we get so caught up in doing church work that we are leaving the Lord out. We can actually burn out our energies and get into negative thinking by being so busy that we don't have time to sit in the stillness with God and enjoy our relationship with Him. 

Good works have their place but they cannot take the place of God. He must be first in our lives. If we take the time to commune with Him first thing in the morning, everything we do for Him that day will be a joy. We will feel energized instead of burned out. We will have the sweet fellowship of His presence with us all day long instead of crowding Him out of our minds by concentrating on our to-do list.

The eternal kingdom will be about relationship, not religion. We will be focused on the Lord, who will be first in our minds and hearts at all times. There will be no danger of ever drifting into just going through the motions. We will behold Christ face to face, which is why the eternal kingdom will have no temple (or church). This was revealed to the Apostle John who said, when he beheld Jerusalem where Christ's throne will be: "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." (Revelation 21:11)

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 183, New Heavens And A New Earth, Part Three

In yesterday's study we found Isaiah depicting a future in which humans will be at peace with each other and with the animal kingdom. He also foresaw the animal kingdom being at peace with each other. This is how it was at the beginning of creation in the Garden of Eden and this is how it will be when creation is remade---when a "new heavens and a new earth" are produced by the Lord.

A better way to think of the new heavens and new earth might be to think of them as "recreated" or "restored". They will be swept clean of all sin and of the curse of sin, which can be compared to a form of pollution that corrupted everyone and everything. After Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord, the earth brought forth thorns and briers that had to be fought in order to grow crops. Humans had to deal with things like devouring insects, blight, and drought to produce food from the earth. Disease and death began to strike humans and animals alike. Humans began to prey on animals and animals began to prey on each other. 

This will not be the case when the Lord restores the creation. There will be no sin and therefore no curse, as the Apostle John stated when he beheld the new heavens and the new earth: "No longer will there be any curse." (Revelation 22:3a) John was given a vision of the world returned to an Eden-like state with pure flowing waters and trees that bear fruit all twelve months of the year. Conditions will be perfect for sustaining eternal life and the Lord Jesus Christ will dwell on the earth, reigning from His throne at Jerusalem, forever and ever. That is when, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4) 

This is when Isaiah's prediction from yesterday's text will fully and completely come true: "The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox." (Isaiah 65:25a) It appears from Isaiah's words, and also from what the Apostle John envisioned, that all animals and humans will be vegetarian. 

The Apostle Paul foresaw the eternal era in which the earth, the animals, and human beings would be set free from the curse that came into the world due to sin. Looking toward to that glorious forever-day, he said, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." (Romans 8:18-21)

It is clear that the "children of God" and the "creation" are being spoken of as two separate things in the verses above. The creation is waiting for the day when believing humans dwell on earth in immortal bodies like Christ's. The creation is waiting for the day when the world is cleansed of the pollution of sin. The creation is waiting for the day when disease and death and decay no longer exist. The creatures of the earth wait for this day because they, like humans, will be set free from disease and death and decay.

Does this mean that there will be animals during the eternal kingdom of Christ? I don't see why not! The Lord included animals in the first creation and I see no reason to think He will not include them in the recreation. As an animal lover I also hope that He will restore our beloved pets to us. Again, I see to reason to believe He cannot (for He can do all things) or that He will not, because even Solomon (the wisest man to ever walk the earth except for the Lord Jesus Christ), said he did not know whether animals had souls. (Ecclesiastes 3:21) As far as that goes, I am not sure that possessing a soul would be required for the Lord to bring our pets back to life. I believe He could bring them back in bodies that never die.

The Bible doesn't tell us everything we want to know about the eternal kingdom of our Lord. When the Apostle Paul was given a vision of the glory to come, he didn't even attempt to describe it in human words. No words can describe it! The human mind is not capable of picturing such glory, so Paul simply said that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and no human mind has ever conceived the things God has prepared for us. (1 Corinthians 2:9) 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 182, New Heavens And A New Earth, Part Two

As we begin our portion of Scripture today, Isaiah appears to switch his focus from the eternal kingdom to the millennial kingdom: the time period between the return of Christ and the final judgment. According to the book of Revelation, Christ will return and reign for 1,000 years, during which time Satan will be placed under lock and key. Satan will not be able to tempt mankind during these 1,000 years. 

During this era there will be a reinstatement of longer lifespans for humans, and it's important to keep in mind that these are humans who are still inhabiting mortal bodies at the return of Christ. If these events and these timelines seem confusing, they will be mostly cleared up when we arrive at the book of Revelation, although I must point out that some Christian scholars believe that some of these passages are meant to be taken more symbolically than literally, which is another subject we will discuss when we study the last days. 

As we begin our study today we focus on the city of Jerusalem, which will be the capitol city of the world during the reign of Christ. The Lord says of that city: "Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed." (Isaiah 65:20) You will recall that early in the Old Testament there were people who lived hundreds of years. This appears to recur during the millennium, likely because the tempter is in prison and the "pollution" of the environment (caused by sin) is less prevalent. 

"They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of My people; My chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them." (Isaiah 65:21-23) The references to "My people" and "My chosen ones" remind us that the Lord's message in the book of Isaiah is primarily to the nation of Israel. While it's true that there are passages in the book of Isaiah that reference the Redeemer (the Redeemer of all people), the majority of the book of Isaiah deals with the sins of the people of Isaiah's time and with their coming defeat and captivity. It also deals with the eventual return to the land and the far off future reestablishment of Israel as a sovereign nation in the world. Time and again we've found the Lord promising to restore the people to the land and to restore the land itself. With this in mind, it's natural for Isaiah to talk about what their conditions will be like during the millennial kingdom age.

The Israelites will behold the King of kings during the millennium, as He sits on the throne of David at Jerusalem. This will instill in them a reverence for the Lord like never before. In Revelation we learn that after the 1,000 years are over, Satan will be released for a time, and there will be some people from all nations who will forsake the Lord and fall into sin, but during the 1,000 years the people will look to the Lord and He will answer them. In Isaiah's day there were a lot of unanswered prayers because a majority of the people's hearts were far from the Lord, but during the millennium it appears that the majority of the people's hearts will reverence the Lord, for there won't be any unfulfilled needs. "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." (Isaiah 65:24)

Humans will be at peace with each other during the millennial kingdom. They will be at peace with the animal kingdom and the animals will be at peace with each other. "The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, says the Lord." (Isaiah 65:25) It will be like the Garden of Eden. It will be a time of peace and prosperity. It will be an era in which all creatures will behold the face of the Creator. And yet many will turn against Him after the 1,000 years are over. Just as Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord in the Garden of Eden although they had everything they needed, so also will some of the people of earth sin against the Lord although they have everything they needed.

But that time is still far away in Isaiah's day. It may still be far away in our day, for all we know. So we will pause between Chapter 65 and Chapter 66 to discuss some things about the Eden-like state of earth and talk more tomorrow about the millennial kingdom and the eternal kingdom. We will talk about how the entire creation will be affected positively during those ages.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 181, New Heavens And A New Earth, Part One

A number of times in the book of Isaiah we have found the Lord promising to restore Isaiah's people to their land and to make the land fruitful again. In the remainder of Chapter 65 we find Him promising to restore the entire creation. This will happen after the millennial reign of Christ and the final judgment---at the time when eternity begins and Christ reigns forever over the earth and is the beloved King of all who have made Him their Savior.

"See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in My people; the sound of weeping and of crying in it will be heard no more." (Isaiah 65:17-19) 

The Apostle Peter makes reference to the new heavens and new earth in 2 Peter 3:13, stating that the Lord will keep the promise we just read about above. The Apostle John actually saw the new heavens and the new earth in the visions the Lord gave him in Revelation. Near the end of the book of Revelation we find John describing an earth restored to an Eden-like state. 

When Christ reigns over the earth, He will reign from Jerusalem, which will be the capitol city of the world during His eternal kingdom. Never again will the sound of weeping and crying be heard in that city. Indeed, weeping and crying will never be heard again anywhere, for the Lord will: "Wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4) This promise is spoken not only to the believing Jews but to people of all nations who are believers. Death itself will die! We will inhabit immortal bodies like Christ's.

Not only will the human race be set free of the curse of sin: troubles and trials and sickness and death. But the animal kingdom and the entire creation will be set free. Just as all creatures lived in harmony with each other in the Garden of Eden, so also will they lived in harmony with each other on the restored and recreated earth. Join us in our next study section when we will go into this subject in more detail.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 180, Past Troubles Forgotten

In today's text the Lord contrasts the fate of His faithful ones with the fate of those who have rejected Him. Although this message was spoken to Isaiah's people, it is as applicable to all of us today as it was to the people of Isaiah's day, for it is spoken to those who have knowledge of God and have chosen to turn Him away. 

"But as for you who forsake the Lord and forget My holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of wine mixed for Destiny, I will destine you for the sword, and all of you will fall in the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in My sight and chose what displeases Me." (Isaiah 65:11-12) The references to "Fortune" and "Destiny" are references to idolatry. He is speaking to those who forgot His "holy mountain" (who are not worshiping Him at Jerusalem) and who have chosen to worship other gods.

These words are spoken specifically to the Israelites of Isaiah's day but the message is the same throughout the ages: we can choose to worship God and reap the blessings promised to His children or we can choose to reject Him and reap the consequences of our sin. It's not as if Isaiah's people didn't know about the Lord; they deliberately chose to reject Him. In our day most people of the developed world have heard about the Lord; anyone who has heard about Him but who rejects Him is making a deliberate choice. 

"Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.'" (Isaiah 65:13) God promises to provide for those who have made Him their Lord. Earlier in the Old Testament, before He took the Israelites into the Promised Land, He spoke about all the blessings that would be theirs if they remained faithful to Him. In this same way, He speaks a promise to us today in regard to His Son, saying that He will provide all of our needs according to His riches in Christ. (Philippians 4:19) He speaks this promise to those who are "in Christ"---who have accepted Him as Lord. 

The Lord continues comparing the righteous with the wicked, saying to the wicked: "My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit." (Isaiah 65:14) We were created for a relationship with our Creator. When we reject Him, we can never be whole in spirit. There is nothing else that can satisfy our souls. 

"You will leave your name for My chosen ones to use in their curses; the Sovereign Lord will put you to death, but to His servants He will give another name." (Isaiah 65:15) A person's reputation endures after they have left the earth. If they lived a godly life, their name can be used as an example of faith. We find many of these examples on the pages of the Bible. If they lived a wicked life, their name can be used as a "curse"---as an example of the judgment a person can bring upon himself by evil deeds. Their name can become synonymous with shame. 

But those who place their trust in the name of the Lord will be provided for. Those who place their trust in the name of the Lord will be an example of godliness. Those who place their trust in the name of the Lord will have His provision in our mortal lives and will have eternal life with Him after life in our mortal bodies is over. "Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the name of the one true God; whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the one true God. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from My eyes." (Isaiah 65:16)

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 179, A Remnant Spared

I am finally back to the Bible study after all the computer issues and delays in receiving the new laptop due to the winter storm. I'm sorry it took so long.

We are still in Chapter 65. We ended the last session with the Lord speaking about the judgment that would fall on those who forsook Him in favor of idols. But not everyone forsook Him for idols. Just as there has likely never been a time when every single descendant of Abraham loved the Lord, there has never been a time when every single descendant of Abraham forsook the Lord. Time and again in the Bible we find the Lord speaking of a "remnant" in regard to those who remain faithful to Him.

In today's passage the Lord compares this remnant to a vineyard in which there are still some fruitful vines among those that have become unfruitful. He compares the remnant to grapes that are still good for something. "This is what the Lord says: 'As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and people say, 'Do not destroy it, there is still a blessing in it,' so will I do on behalf of My servants; I will not destroy them all.'" (Isaiah 65:8)

As we have discussed before, during Isaiah's lifetime the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the nation of Assyria. This happened because the vast majority of people in the northern kingdom had become idolaters. It took an additional 130 years for the people of the southern kingdom of Judah to reach that level of idolatry, but when it did it fell to the nation of Babylon. But the Lord did not allow these people to cease being a separate and distinct group of people on the earth. He preserved a remnant of them in spite of their captivity in foreign lands. He preserved the royal line of David. He allowed many to return to the land of their forefathers.

He says: "I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah those who will possess My mountains; My chosen people will inherit them, and there will My servants live. Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for My people who seek Me." (Isaiah 65:9-10)

The two locations mentioned above were two of the most fertile areas in the kingdom of Judah. The Lord is promising to make the land and its people flourish again. Though defeat and captivity may look like the end to them, it is not. The Lord will keep His promise to restore them to the land. The Lord will keep His promise to preserve them as a people. The Lord will keep His promise to bring forth the King of kings from the royal line of David.

New Laptop On Its Way

Thank you for your patience during my problems with the old laptop that keeps crashing. 

My husband and I selected a new one and ordered it. It's supposed to arrive on Tuesday if this snowy weather doesn't delay it. 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 178, Found By Those Who Did Not Seek Him

We begin Chapter 65 today and will be comparing our Scripture from the book of Isaiah with a portion of Scripture from the book of Romans.

The Lord says to the people of Isaiah's culture: "I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call on My name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I.'" (Isaiah 65:1) Isaiah's people, of all the people on the earth, should have known the Lord. They should have called upon Him and clung to Him. But here we find the Lord saying that Gentiles will call upon Him more than the people He led out of bondage in Egypt.

We know He is speaking of Gentiles because the Apostle Paul, a Jewish convert to Christianity, quoted this passage of Isaiah when speaking about Gentiles who had come to faith in the one true God through Jesus Christ. "But not all the Israelites accepted the good news...Isaiah boldly says, 'I was found by those who did not seek Me; I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me...But concerning Israel He says, 'All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.'" (Romans 10:16, 20-21) Paul clearly makes a distinction between Israel and those who "accepted the good news", meaning the believers of Gentile nations.

The Lord points out that He has tried to reason with those He brought out of Egypt---those whom He called by His own name---those who have rejected Him in favor of idols. "All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations---a people who continually provoke Me to My very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick; who sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of impure meat; who say, 'Keep away; don't come near me, for I am too sacred for you!." (Isaiah 65:2-5a)

The list of deeds above is a list of occult practices. They were offering sacrifices and burning incense to pagan deities. They were holding vigils in graveyards at night, hoping to commune with the dead or with evil spirits that were believed to inhabit graveyards. They were living according to their carnal natures: "pursuing their own imaginations". They were disregarding all the Lord's laws. Yet they still thought they were better than people of Gentile nations.

They knew about the Lord but chose not to worship Him. We could compare this to someone in today's world who grew up in church and who knows what the Bible says but chooses to reject the Lord and to live in opposition to Him. That's worse than someone rejecting Him who has heard very little about Him. When Isaiah's people rejected the Lord, they were sinning far more in His eyes than were the Gentiles who knew very little about Him.

The Lord is righteously offended by the refusal of the Israelites to worship Him, for He is the only God who ever did anything for them. He brought them out of Egypt and made them into a great nation. He protected them time and time again from enemies whose military power was far stronger than theirs. Because they are forsaking Him in favor of false gods who never have and never will do anything for them, He says, "Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day. See, it stands written before Me: I will not keep silent but will pay back in full; I will pay it back into their laps---both your sins and the sins of your ancestors,' says the Lord. 'Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains and defied Me on the hills, I will measure into their laps the full payment for their former deeds.'" (Isaiah 65:5b-7)

The wickedness of the generations who have lived in the Promised Land has reached a tipping point by Isaiah's day. We know from our study of the kings that the northern kingdom fell to Assyria during Isaiah's lifetime and that the southern kingdom fell to Babylon approximately 130 years later. This is because Israelites of generation after generation stopped worshiping the Lord and began worshiping idols, not long after He made them into a nation in the first place. He has pleaded with them through the prophets to repent and they have not done so. He has allowed them to experience various difficulties intended to cause them to ask, "Why are bad things happening to us?", so that they would conclude, "It is because we have turned away from the Lord." But they have not allowed their hardships to cause them to consider their ways. Therefore, He must take more severe action in order to keep their entire race from destroying itself. 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 177, We Can't Save Ourselves

I managed to get my laptop up and running again. I'm sorry for the issues yesterday. My husband and I have decided to go ahead and buy a new one because this one is old and outdated and low on memory. It's not worth paying to get it worked on anymore and it will help me with the Bible study and other things to be able to stop dealing with computer issues.

We are continuing our look at Chapter 64 today. We closed our last study session with the people acknowledging that they are sinners and with them saying, "How then can we be saved?" These are two very good things: acknowledging the problem of sin and asking how the problem can be solved. We can't solve the problem ourselves, as they conclude in the portion of Scripture below.

"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." (Isaiah 64:6) This verse isn't saying that there's no value in good works but that we can't be saved by works. We are unclean ourselves; therefore, our works are unclean too. You may recall from our studies earlier in the Old Testament that there were laws regarding uncleanness. A number of things could render a person unclean, such as particular contagious illnesses and conditions that cause seepage of bodily fluids. Anything that person wore and anything they lay upon or sat upon was rendered unclean because they were unclean. In this same way, because we are unclean due to our sins, all of our works are unclean: "like filthy rags". Salvation is by faith, not by works. The Lord doesn't weigh our good deeds and our bad deeds on a scale to see if our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds. Even at our best, our works are flawed. 

The people of Isaiah's nation have ignored the Lord's commands to repent for a long time. They have not responded correctly to the discipline He has applied so far. This is why the northern kingdom was conquered during Isaiah's lifetime and why the southern kingdom (which took longer to fall into the utter depravity of idolatry) was conquered 130 years later. Here we find the people admitting that they have failed to respond appropriately and that this is why the Lord is not rescuing them from their troubles. "No one calls on Your name or strives to lay hold of you; for You have hidden Your face from us and have given us over to our sins." (Isaiah 64:7) They are not claiming that the Lord caused them to sin or that He wants them to sin. What's happening here is that, because they insisted on going their own way for so long, the Lord is allowing them to have their way. That is because sometimes the only way a person will repent is for the Lord to let them hit rock bottom.

It can be really hard to allow someone we care about to hit rock bottom but sometimes it's the most loving thing to do. Someone I care about was methodically ruining their life in every way. They made one illogical bad decision after another. When they were on the verge of making a particularly big bad decision, there was actually a way I could have stopped them but the Lord very clearly said to my heart, "Don't do it. This decision is going to bring them to rock bottom and that's the way it has to be in order for them to change." So I held back and watched them make the decision and watched the outcome bring them to the brink of losing everything they had. It was a hard thing to do but I knew what the Lord had said. And He was right, because the tough lesson they learned caused them to repent and accept the Lord as their Savior and He turned their life completely around. Who knows how much longer it would have taken if I'd stepped in and prevented their mistake in spite of what the Lord said to me? 

He knows each of us more intimately than anyone else will ever know us. He knows precisely how much pressure it will take for us to face our sinful state and be sorry for it. He knows what method brings each of us to repentance. For some people, all it takes is hearing the Scripture and taking it to heart. For others, it takes facing up to what a mess they've made of their lives by leaving God out of their lives. I'm one of the latter. It took me facing up to what a mess I'd made of my life. It took me acknowledging that I was lost in my sins and that there was nothing I could do to save myself. That's when I turned to the Lord.

Computer Crashed Again

I'm posting this from my phone because the laptop has crashed again. I am thinking I may have to go ahead and get another one. I will update as soon as I can.