The Book Of Isaiah. Day 164, The Glory Of Zion, Part Three

Isaiah has been relaying the Lord's message about the future glory of Zion (Jerusalem). There is far more in view here than the return from captivity that Isaiah has already foretold. What we are seeing in this prophecy is the prosperity of the nation of Israel during what is known as the "millennial kingdom" and then later during the eternal reign of the King of kings.

Today's verses regard the way the Lord intends to give these believers only the very best of all things. "The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the juniper, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn My sanctuary; and I will glorify the place for My feet. The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah 60:13-14) 

The superiority of the fine woods grown in Lebanon is mentioned a number of times in the Bible. I believe the mention of these woods in the verses above have to do with the Lord's sanctuary during the millennium (the thousand years when Christ reigns from Jerusalem before the final judgment). We will study more about the millennium when we arrive at the book of Revelation, but we know from the book of Revelation that there is no temple in Jerusalem after the final judgment, during the eternal reign of Christ, because when the Apostle John beheld the city he said, "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." (Revelation 21:22) This is how we know that the reference to the Lord's sanctuary must have to do with the millennial kingdom. 

Gentile believers from all over the world will glorify the God of Israel and will make pilgrimages to Jerusalem, for it will be the capitol city of all nations. "Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations. You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." (Isaiah 60:15-16) 

Many nations throughout history have attempted to wipe out the people of Israel. The people of Israel are still hated by a number of nations in the world today, who would love to see every descendant of Jacob gone from the earth, who would love to take over the land for themselves. But God will be true to His word. No matter how many obstacles have been in the path of the people of Israel, and no matter how many times this future glorious prosperity has appeared impossible, the Lord will do exactly what He has promised.

 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 163, The Glory Of Zion, Part Two

We continue on with Chapter 60 which deals with a prophecy of future prosperity for Isaiah's people.

"Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests? Surely the islands look to Me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the Lord their God, the Holy One of Israel, for He has endowed you with splendor." (Isaiah 60:8-9) Here we see the Gentile nations honoring the Lord God of Israel. They are helping descendants of Jacob to return to their homeland and they are giving valuable gifts to the nation of Israel. There have been times in history when nations have extended a hand of friendship to Israel. There are still some nations, such as the United States, who extend a hand of friendship to Israel. But in the eternal kingdom of Christ, all nations will be friends with Israel. 

"Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion." (Isaiah 60:10) In ancient times the Lord allowed enemy nations to strike the inhabitants of the Promised Land. He did this to discipline them for their idolatry and waywardness. But the discipline was intended to correct them, not to destroy them, just as the discipline of a loving parent is intended to correct the disobedient behavior of a child, not to destroy the child.

The fulfillment of these verses will find their final completion in the kingdom of the Messiah, when He reigns over all the earth from Jerusalem. People whose ancestors persecuted the Jews will recognize them as an honored and chosen people of God. They will love the Messiah and they will love the nation from which He sprang.

The Lord says of Jerusalem: "Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations---their kings led in triumphal procession. For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined." (Isaiah 60:11-12) The Lord will be the king in those days and forevermore, so I think the "kings" mentioned here may be some type of governors under the Lord. In the Bible we find kings appointing various officials whose rank is under that of the king. Or these kings may be people who were leaders of nations and tribes before Christ came to reign over the earth and they may be coming to lay down their authority at His feet.

When the Apostle John was given a vision of the eternal kingdom of Christ, he said of Jerusalem: "The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:24-27)

People in ancient times would shut the city gates at night. They did this to secure the city against enemies that might try to sneak in under cover of darkness. But there will be no darkness in the kingdom of Christ. There will be no enemies: none outside the gates, none inside the gates. You and I have lived our whole lives in a fallen world where there are plenty of things to be afraid of, but that will not be the case on the restored earth with Christ as the king. No one will have an enemy. We will live unafraid and at peace. 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 162, The Glory Of Zion, Part One

Chapter 60 is titled "The Glory Of Zion" as the Lord talks about the wonderful things the future holds.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you." (Isaiah 60:1) The Lord speaks of His glory like the sunrise. There is no glory for us apart from Him; He is our glory. 

Isaiah's people have been through some dark times. There are some dark times still ahead. But as our previous chapter stated, the Redeemer is coming to Zion. The glory of Zion was partially fulfilled at the advent of Christ, after which many Gentiles and a number of Jews believed on Him. "See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." (Isaiah 60:2-3)

The complete fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy will occur when Christ returns to reign over the whole earth forever, but we already see "peoples" and "nations" coming to Him. These are expressions used to describe the Gentiles who have placed their faith in Him. 

This next passage was partially fulfilled when the people were allowed to return to their land and rebuild after their defeat and captivity. It found another partial fulfillment when Israel became a sovereign nation in the world again in 1948, after which many Jewish people returned to their ancestral land. It's complete fulfillment will occur when, presumably, all the Jewish believers return to their ancestral land when Christ reigns over the world from Jerusalem.

"Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come." (Isaiah 60:4-5) The Apostle John foresaw this in Revelation 21:24 when he said of Jerusalem: "The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it."

The Apostle John also foresaw the entire earth restored to an Eden-like state in Revelation 22, where he describes the beauty and bounty of the world. The world will flow with milk and honey; Jerusalem will be the crown jewel of the world because the Lord's throne will be there. Isaiah speaks of the prosperity of Jerusalem and of the eternal kingdom. "Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord. All Kedar's flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaith will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on My altar, and I will adorn My glorious temple." (Isaiah 60:6-7)

The passage above had some literal fulfillment when the people went home from captivity and rebuilt their ruined temple. They were able to set up an altar to the Lord, consecrate it, and resume making offerings to Him. But I think the passage above is being used figurately as well, to denote the overflowing goodness of the reign of Christ. I think the language used is intended to indicate that no one will do without anything they need. No one will be hungry or thirsty. No one will be homeless. No one will be without clothes on their back and shoes on their feet. No one will ever have an illness or injury. No one will ever die. 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 161, The Lord's Own Righteousness And Justice

As we conclude Chapter 59 we learn that, because righteousness and justice were not found in the land, the Lord did what humans were not doing. 

In the previous portions of this chapter we saw that the people were perverting justice, that they didn't have compassion on the needy, that they were trusting in idols, that they were living lives of excess as if life would always continue the same way, and that they were only calling upon the Lord when troubles came---and even then they weren't confessing and repenting of sins. No one stood up for what was right, other than the prophets, and we know that they were scorned. The Lord speaks of this situation below.

"The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, He was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so His own arm achieved salvation for Him, and His own righteousness sustained Him." (Isaiah 59:15b-16) He has sent prophet after prophet to the nation, urging the people to repent. But we know from our study of the kings that the spiritual condition of a majority of the people continued to grow worse. Adversity is going to do what words did not do. In captivity in foreign lands, a number of the people will be sorry for having lost the way and they will turn back to the Lord.

Human armies will bring about the adversity but this is by the will of God. "He put on righteousness as His breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself in zeal as in a cloak." (Isaiah 59:17) Here we see Him dressing for battle, for the battle is actually His, no matter what nation comes against the people. If it were not His will, no nation on earth could defeat them. He promised them that very thing before He ever brought them into the land, saying that their security depended on their faithfulness. But He also said that unfaithfulness would bring disaster and that He would remove them from the land.

"According to what they have done, so He will repay wrath to His enemies and retribution to His foes; He will repay the islands their due. From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere His glory. For He will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along." (Isaiah 59:18-19) Who are the enemies and foes of the Lord? Those who reject Him. His enemies and foes are also those who persecute people faithful to Him. In these two verses I believe He is speaking not only of disciplining Isaiah's people who have forsaken Him (by allowing Assyria to conquer Israel and by allowing Babylon to conquer Judah) but also He is speaking of the judgment that will fall upon the heathen nations. In time, as He has promised earlier in our study of Isaiah and other prophetic books, He will deal with those who invaded the nation and carried people to foreign lands. The captives will be set free and many will go back to the Promised Land.

An even bigger picture of deliverance is found in today's passage. The Lord will allow the people to return to their land and the Redeemer will come from these people and from their land. The Lord says: "'The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,' declares the Lord. 'As for Me, this is my covenant with them,' says the Lord. 'My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and My words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants---from this time on and forever,' says the Lord." (Isaiah 59:20-21) 

The Messiah could not come "to Zion" unless the people are allowed to return to Zion, for the Lord has already made it clear in the Bible that the Messiah will come from the lineage of King David and that He will be born in Bethlehem in Judah. Therefore, the people know that the promise to return to the land is true, for none of the promises following that one can come true unless they are in their land. But it's important to note that the Lord is not promising salvation for all but salvation for those "who repent", as He states in the concluding verses. The entire human race is not saved simply because the Redeemer was born, only those who repent of their sins and place their faith in the Redeemer. 

This salvation is offered to the descendants of Jacob and to the descendants of pagan idolaters. That is why the Lord said in today's passage that people from the east to the west (in other words, all over the map) would revere and glorify His name. We are blessed to be living in the church age, to be living after the advent of the Messiah, so we can believe on Him. My ancestors were Gentiles, no doubt bowing to all sorts of heathen idols and living in all sorts of abominable depravity, but I have found redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone can! He makes His invitation for redemption to every person on the face of the earth. We could not save ourselves, so the Lord accomplished a method of salvation for us through His own righteousness.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 160, Personal And National Sin

In yesterday's study we viewed some of the things that were preventing the people's prayers from being heard. Today we look at some of the results of those sins, of which they have not repented.

But since the people are persisting in sin, they are seeing no relief. They are stumbling and fumbling about like someone trying to find an exit in pitch darkness. "Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead." (Isaiah 59:10) When we give in to our own compulsions and go our own way, we can end up in a very dark place. But what happens when our lives are guided by the Lord? The Lord Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) We don't have to stumble and fumble through life; we can have the guidance of the Lord.

A life not centered upon the Lord is unsatisfying. We can run to and fro and we can look here and there but nothing we try will satisfy the needs of our souls. The Lord compares the unsatisfied soul to the growls of a hungry bear or a bird in distress. "We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away." (Isaiah 59:11) It seems like nothing good is happening. Everywhere the wayward person looks, there is more bad news.

Why is no justice found? Why are people's rights being ignored? Why are enemies increasing on every side? Troubles have increased because sins have increased, as Isaiah confesses on behalf of the whole nation to the Lord. "For our offenses are many in Your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: rebellion and treachery against the Lord, turning our backs on our God, inciting revolt and oppression, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey." (Isaiah 59:12-15)

Isaiah sets an example for us to follow in prayer. Although Isaiah himself hasn't committed the specific sins listed above, since he loves the Lord and is faithful to Him, he is not a perfect man. He has committed some sins, as we all do, and he is also aware of the sins the citizens of his nation are committing. He lumps himself in together with all the people and with all the sins of the people. We can do the same in our prayers, praying for forgiveness for our own sins and praying for forgiveness for all the citizens of our nation. We are not perfect, for no one is, and although we may never have committed sins as grievous as some folks have, we have made our own mistakes. We should deal with our own mistakes first and then move on into praying for the whole nation, just as Isaiah did, and we can ask the Lord for mercy on all of us together.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 159, Rushing Into Sin

We know from our study of the kings that the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria and the southern kingdom of Judah was conquered by Babylon. The fall of the northern kingdom occurred during Isaiah's lifetime; the southern kingdom continued for approximately 130 more years. In both cases the causes of the fall were idolatry, immorality, and lack of compassion for their fellow human beings. As we move on into Chapter 59 we take a look at how the people's feet were swift to run into sin and were swift to run away from the Lord's principles.

"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:1-2) In our previous chapter we talked about how the majority of the people were only calling out to the Lord when they were in trouble. They were ignoring Him the rest of the time or going through the motions of honoring Him without feeling anything in their hearts. When He ignores their pleas for help it's not because He lacks the power to help them. It's because He will not bless their sin. If He orchestrated a miraculous deliverance from their enemies while they are still sinning against Him, this would not encourage them to repent. Instead it would send the false message that it's okay to keep doing what they're doing.

Folding their hands in prayer is meaningless when they are living in unrepentant idolatry and immorality and cruelty against their fellow man. "For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil." (Isaiah 59:3-4)

Judges are taking bribes to pervert justice in the courts, thereby disenfranchising the poor and needy. Witnesses are perjuring themselves after taking oaths in the Lord's name to tell the truth. They are responsible for people's rights being taken away from them and, in some cases, they are responsible for people's lives being taken away from them.

The Lord compares them to dangerous snakes and spiders. "They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider's web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched. Their cobwebs are useless for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are evil deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands." (Isaiah 59:5-6) 

The people think they are profiting by their evil schemes. But they are morally and spiritually bankrupt. Their deeds are like poison; they will be the death of them in the end. Their wicked webs of deceit are as fragile as a spider's web; they won't hold up to the Lord's scrutiny. 

"Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks along them will know peace." (Isaiah 59:7-8) Why do they "rush" into sin? Because they enjoy it. If they didn't enjoy it they would be rushing away from it because humans have a very strong tendency to avoid or put off unpleasant tasks. If the people didn't enjoy the way they were living, they would be doing something else, but they take so much pleasure in their sin that they rush to it as quickly as they can.

All of the things we've looked at today are impediments to their prayers. The Lord could save them from their enemies but He won't because they refuse to listen to Him and repent. He is going to allow them to be conquered in order to discipline them for their sin. After the era of captivity is over, on the pages of the Bible we don't see them bowing to false gods anymore, so that is a lesson they learned---and they learned it the hard way.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 158, True Religion, Part Three

Thank you for your patience the last several days while the blogger program seemed to be having some technical difficulties. I think everything is working again as it should.

We are still in Chapter 58 where the Lord talks about what "true religion" is. It's not simply going through the motions. It's not calling on the Lord only when we are in trouble. It's a right relationship with the Lord and with our fellow man. If a person loves the Lord, a person will do a better job of loving other human beings; therefore, a person will do a better job of obeying the Lord and of doing good to others.

The Lord says: "If you do away with the yoke of oppression and the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your light will become like the noonday." (Isaiah 58:9b-10) 

The Lord doesn't tell most people to get rid of everything we have in order to serve the poor and that's not what He's saying in the text above. The only person the Lord Jesus Christ told to give up everything was a man whose wealth was his god. That man's wealth was standing between him and salvation. But if we have more than we need, there is no reason why we can't give some contributions to programs that help the hungry. And even if we don't have much extra, perhaps we can devote some time instead. In the verses above, many of Isaiah's fellow citizens had no concern for the hungry beggars among them. They weren't donating to them. They weren't giving time to serve them. They were living comfortable lives with enough leisure time to have time to gossip about others. They were pointing at the sins of others without acknowledging their own mistakes.

If the people get back to the basics of their religion and form a personal relationship with the Lord, they will naturally care about others. As the Lord Jesus Christ said, the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love others. (Matthew 22:37-40) If our relationship with the Lord isn't right, our relationship with others won't be right. If we don't love the Lord, we can't love others the way we are supposed to love them. 

If people will heed the Lord's words and get right with Him, which will naturally help them to treat their fellow man right, He will bless them abundantly. "The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings." (Isaiah 58:11-12)

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on My holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." (Isaiah 58:13-14) Obeying the Lord should be a delight to us. When we love someone, we want to do things that please them, don't we? If we love someone, we want to spend time with them. The Lord commanded a day in which we are to focus on Him and commune with Him. It's not too much to ask that we attend a worship service or spend some quiet time in Bible study and in prayer and meditation.

In this whole chapter the Lord is not asking too much of us. We should love and honor Him because He loves us so much that He was willing to do anything it took in order to offer us a means of salvation. In addition to that, He supplies our needs and comforts us and strengthens us and guides us. How can we not love Him? And if our love for Him is real, we can love others. After all, didn't Jesus die for everyone? Jesus thought our fellow man was worth dying for, just as He thought you and I were worth dying for. If He found value in them then we should as well. He's not asking us to like everyone but to value them as human beings who have eternal souls. We can care about the destiny of their eternal souls without necessarily agreeing with them or having much in common with them. 

If we love the Lord and love our fellow human beings, the Lord promises to hear our prayers and to help us through our difficulties in this fallen world. He never breaks a promise, which is why He ends our chapter by saying, "The mouth of the Lord has spoken." When He says something, it can be counted on. 

The Book Of Isaiah, Day 157, True Religion, Part Two

 

(I apologize that the formatting is weird today. I don't know what's causing it.)

In our last study session the Lord said that many of the people were only going through the motions of religion. They were calling on Him only when they were in trouble. Even when they set aside a day to fast and call out to Him, they were doing it in the wrong attitude. They were oppressing their workers, getting in arguments with each other, going through the day however it pleased them, and generally acting in ungodly ways.

Now the Lord talks about what a true fast is. "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter---when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" (Isaiah 58:6-7)

There is value in fasting and praying but not if we are living in unrepentant sin. If we intend to set aside a day for fasting and for calling upon God, we need to examine our hearts before bringing our specific issue to Him. He has no obligation to recognize our day of fasting if we have sin in our lives that needs to be dealt with. The people He describes in the verses above are people who have sin in their lives that needs to be dealt with. We can see by what He says about them that they are allowing injustice to prevail, that they are oppressing their fellow citizens, that they are inhospitable to travelers, that they are not concerned about the needy folks among them, and that they are turning a blind eye even to the needs of their own family members.

The Lord Jesus said that people with these attitudes won't fare well in the judgment. He said that not caring about our fellow man is the same as not caring about Him. Jesus loves everyone and He gave His life for everyone. If we don't have a heart for our fellow man, we are not displaying a heart like Christ's. Indeed, we would have to question whether we belong to Christ at all. When we are cold-hearted about the needs of others, Jesus says this to us: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me." (Matthew 25:45)

What happens when people belong to Christ, love their fellow man, and care about the needs of their fellow man? The Lord Lord will bless them. "Then your light will break through like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I." (Isaiah 58:8-9a)

The Lord is not obligated to answer prayers if we are living in unrepentant sin. He is within His rights only to hear prayers of contrition for those sins. Once we have dealt with what is standing between us and Him, we can come to Him in confidence that He will hear (do something about) our problems.

This doesn't mean He will answer our prayers in exactly the way we expect, but it means He will do what is best about our situation. It means we will have His help, His comfort, His provision, and His peace. He will come to our aid. If He does not answer us in exactly the way we expect, it is because the way He intends to answer us will turn out for a greater purpose. For example, there was a very big problem in my life that I was praying about earlier this year. It was something I really needed solved. It was something I truly felt the Lord wanted to solve. He did solve it, only not in the way I expected. He allowed a difficult situation to come into my life and He worked out this problem and several others at the same time by dealing with everything in a way I didn't expect!of the people were only going through the motions of religion. They were calling on Him only when they were in trouble. Even when they set aside a day to fast and call out to Him, they were doing it in the wrong attitude. They were oppressing their workers, getting in arguments with each other, going through the day however it pleased them, and generally acting in ungodly ways.
Now the Lord talks about what a true fast is. "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter---when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" (Isaiah 58:6-7)
There is value in fasting and praying but not if we are living in unrepentant sin. If we intend to set aside a day for fasting and for calling upon God, we need to examine our hearts before bringing our specific issue to Him. He has no obligation to recognize our day of fasting if we have sin in our lives that needs to be dealt with. The people He describes in the verses above are people who have sin in their lives that needs to be dealt with. We can see by what He says about them that they are allowing injustice to prevail, that they are oppressing their fellow citizens, that they are inhospitable to travelers, that they are not concerned about the needy folks among them, and that they are turning a blind eye even to the needs of their own family members.
The Lord Jesus said that people with these attitudes won't fare well in the judgment. He said that not caring about our fellow man is the same as not caring about Him. Jesus loves everyone and He gave His life for everyone. If we don't have a heart for our fellow man, we are not displaying a heart like Christ's. Indeed, we would have to question whether we belong to Christ at all. When we are cold-hearted about the needs of others, Jesus says this to us: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me." (Matthew 25:45)
What happens when people belong to Christ, love their fellow man, and care about the needs of their fellow man? The Lord Lord will bless them. "Then your light will break throughIn our last study session the Lord said that many of the people were only going through the motions of religion. They were calling on Him only when they were in trouble. Even when they set aside a day to fast and call out to Him, they were doing it in the wrong attitude. They were oppressing their workers, getting in arguments with each other, going through the day however it pleased them, and generally acting in ungodly ways.

Now the Lord talks about what a true fast is. "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter---when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" (Isaiah 58:6-7)

There is value in fasting and praying but not if we are living in unrepentant sin. If we intend to set aside a day for fasting and for calling upon God, we need to examine our hearts before bringing our specific issue to Him. He has no obligation to recognize our day of fasting if we have sin in our lives that needs to be dealt with. The people He describes in the verses above are people who have sin in their lives that needs to be dealt with. We can see by what He says about them that they are allowing injustice to prevail, that they are oppressing their fellow citizens, that they are inhospitable to travelers, that they are not concerned about the needy folks among them, and that they are turning a blind eye even to the needs of their own family members.

The Lord Jesus said that people with these attitudes won't fare well in the judgment. He said that not caring about our fellow man is the same as not caring about Him. Jesus loves everyone and He gave His life for everyone. If we don't have a heart for our fellow man, we are not displaying a heart like Christ's. Indeed, we would have to question whether we belong to Christ at all. When we are cold-hearted about the needs of others, Jesus says this to us: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me." (Matthew 25:45)

What happens when people belong to Christ, love their fellow man, and care about the needs of their fellow man? The Lord Lord will bless them. "Then your light will break through like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I." (Isaiah 58:8-9a)

The Lord is not obligated to answer prayers if we are living in unrepentant sin. He is within His rights only to hear prayers of contrition for those sins. Once we have dealt with what is standing between us and Him, we can come to Him in confidence that He will hear (do something about) our problems.

This doesn't mean He will answer our prayers in exactly the way we expect, but it means He will do what is best about our situation. It means we will have His help, His comfort, His provision, and His peace. He will come to our aid. If He does not answer us in exactly the way we expect, it is because the way He intends to answer us will turn out for a greater purpose. For example, there was a very big problem in my life that I was praying about earlier this year. It was something I really needed solved. It was something I truly felt the Lord wanted to solve. He did solve it, only not in the way I expected. He allowed a difficult situation to come into my life and He worked out this problem and several others at the same time by dealing with everything in the way that was best. By doing it His way, He worked out more things that I had even asked for!In our last study session the Lord said that many of the people were only going through the motions of religion. They were calling on Him only when they were in trouble. Even when they set aside a day to fast and call out to Him, they were doing it in the wrong attitude. They were oppressing their workers, getting in arguments with each other, going through the day however it pleased them, and generally acting in ungodly ways.

Now the Lord talks about what a true fast is. "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter---when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" (Isaiah 58:6-7)

There is value in fasting and praying but not if we are living in unrepentant sin. If we intend to set aside a day for fasting and for calling upon God, we need to examine our hearts before bringing our specific issue to Him. He has no obligation to recognize our day of fasting if we have sin in our lives that needs to be dealt with. The people He describes in the verses above are people who have sin in their lives that needs to be dealt with. We can see by what He says about them that they are allowing injustice to prevail, that they are oppressing their fellow citizens, that they are inhospitable to travelers, that they are not concerned about the needy folks among them, and that they are turning a blind eye even to the needs of their own family members.

The Lord Jesus said that people with these attitudes won't fare well in the judgment. He said that not caring about our fellow man is the same as not caring about Him. Jesus loves everyone and He gave His life for everyone. If we don't have a heart for our fellow man, we are not displaying a heart like Christ's. Indeed, we would have to question whether we belong to Christ at all. When we are cold-hearted about the needs of others, Jesus says this to us: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me." (Matthew 25:45)

What happens when people belong to Christ, love their fellow man, and care about the needs of their fellow man? The Lord Lord will bless them. "Then your light will break through like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I." (Isaiah 58:8-9a)

The Lord is not obligated to answer prayers if we are living in unrepentant sin. He is within His rights only to hear prayers of contrition for those sins. Once we have dealt with what is standing between us and Him, we can come to Him in confidence that He will hear (do something about) our problems.

This doesn't mean He will answer our prayers in exactly the way we expect, but it means He will do what is best about our situation. It means we will have His help, His comfort, His provision, and His peace. He will come to our aid. If He does not answer us in exactly the way we expect, it is because the way He intends to answer us will turn out for a greater purpose. For example, there was a very big problem in my life that I was praying about earlier this year. It was something I really needed solved. It was something I truly felt the Lord wanted to solve. He did solve it, only not in the way I expected. He allowed a difficult situation to come into my life and He worked out this problem and several others at the same time by dealing with everything in the way that was best. By doing it His way, He worked out more things that I had even asked for! like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I." (Isaiah 58:8-9a)
The Lord is not obligated to answer prayers if we are living in unrepentant sin. He is within His rights only to hear prayers of contrition for those sins. Once we have dealt with what is standing between us and Him, we can come to Him in confidence that He will hear (do something about) our problems.
This doesn't mean He will answer our prayers in exactly the way we expect, but it means He will do what is best about our situation. It means we will have His help, His comfort, His provision, and His peace. He will come to our aid. If He does not answer us in exactly the way we expect, it is because the way He intends to answer us will turn out for a greater purpose. For example, there was a very big problem in my life that I was praying about earlier this year. It was something I really needed solved. It was something I truly felt the Lord wanted to solve. He did solve it, only not in the way I expected. He allowed a difficult situation to come into my life and He worked out this problem and several others at the same time by dealing with everything in the way that was best. By doing it His way, He worked out more things that I had even asked for!

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 156, True Religion, Part One

As we move on into Chapter 58 the Lord points out that many of the people are not practicing true religion. They are going through the motions of following the rules, sometimes only partly, and they are doing these things while their hearts aren't right. It will take us several study sessions to look at this chapter.

The Lord says to the prophet Isaiah: "Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to My people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins." (Isaiah 58:1) The people think they are basically okay because they are still (at least partially) following the laws the Lord gave them. A lot of them are still bringing the prescribed offerings they were commanded to bring. But something has gone very wrong in their hearts. This is like someone who attends church every Sunday but who isn't living according to what they hear in church on Sundays.

Have you ever known anyone who pretty much completely ignores the Lord in regard to how they are living but who call on Him only when they are in trouble or only when they need to make a big decision? That's what we see happening in these next verses. "For day after day they seek Me out; they seem eager to know My ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commandments of its God. They ask Me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You have not noticed?'" (Isaiah 58:2-3a)

They ignore the Lord until trouble comes, then they pause and take a day to fast and call out to God. But they don't acknowledge and repent of the ways they've been rebellious. They don't forsake their wrongdoing. Even while they are fasting, they are sinning, as He points out below.

"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high." (Isaiah 58:3b-4) They call out to the Lord but they keep on living as they please. They don't repent of anything that may have brought this trouble upon them. They even get angry and irritable while fasting and get into fights with each other and mistreat their workers.

Because their hearts aren't right, no amount of putting on a show of humility is going to help them. Rending their clothing, lying on the ground, and flinging dust on themselves---which are intended to symbolize sorrowful hearts---means nothing if their hearts aren't really sorrowful. The Lord sees through all of this. "Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?" (Isaiah 58:5)

In our next study session we will see what the Lord considers an acceptable fast and an acceptable display of sorrow.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 155, The Lord Will Heal

The remainder of Chapter 57 deals with the healing---spiritual healing---of those who turn back to Him.

"And it will be said: 'Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of My people.'" (Isaiah 57:14) The Lord will orchestrate a return to the land, which is partly in view here in this promise, but primarily He is speaking of their spiritual return to Him. He wants no stumbling blocks in their way. In ancient times, whenever a great caravan of people was coming, the road would be prepared ahead of them. The potholes would be filled in (built up) and obstacles such as rocks and fallen tree branches would be removed from the roadway. 

"For this is what the high and exalted One says---He who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" (Isaiah 57:15) Although the Lord is greater than all things, He wants fellowship with us. As David said in Psalm 18, the Lord stoops down to make us great. The Lord reaches down to us to lift us from the mire of sin. The Lord enables us to grow spiritually into what we were created to be. 

"I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of Me---the very people I have created. I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid My face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways." (Isaiah 57:16-17) Not being able to have fellowship with the Lord should seem to us like the most dreadful thing of all. Because the people were wallowing in sin, He was silent to them. The only thing He wanted to hear from them was prayers of repentance. He would not have been silent to repentant prayers but, since they kept doing what they were doing, He did not answer their prayers for help against their enemies. He allowed them to be conquered and taken into captivity. But that wasn't going to be a permanent situation. If He had turned His face away forever, their enemies would have made an end of them as a race and as a nation, and He did not intend for that to happen.

"I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel's mourners, creating praise on their lips." (Isaiah 57:18) It's possible to fall so far into sin that we have no idea what to do when we realize we are ruining our lives. Just as someone can become so addicted to drugs or alcohol that they can't stop using substances on their own, no matter how much they want to stop, the person who has dug themselves a pit of sin may want out but cannot get out. The Lord takes the initiative for the one who has a willing spirit. He says here that He has seen the wicked ways of Isaiah's people but that He will hold out a hand of reconciliation to them. He will lift them out of the pit when they become tired of it. He will cure them of their immorality when they see it has brought them no satisfaction.

What about the one who feels no remorse? What about the one who rejects the Lord's helping hand? What about the one who never has and never will want anything to do with Him? "But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. 'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked'." (Isaiah 57:19-21) Chapter 57 began with the Lord promising peace to those who are faithful to Him and we see here that there is no peace for those who refuse to accept Him as Lord. 

I want to close by backing up to look at verse 18 again. The Lord used that verse in my life to let me know He was about to perform a tremendous and miraculous act of healing for someone. There was someone who had fallen into a deep pit of sin, a pit of immorality and of addiction and of dabbling in an occult practice. I had prayed for years for this person and they seemed to only be growing worse and worse. One morning I was sitting in the waiting room at the allergy doctor's office and with a heavy heart and with this person on my mind I picked up the Gideon Bible and began reading it. It was in the KJV and the KJV renders verse 18 like this: "I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners." Why is this KJV translation significant? Because the person I was praying for was a male and because the Lord refers to Israel as a female more often than as a male, especially when accusing Israel of not being true to Him, but here He uses the words "him" and "his".

When I read that verse, the Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit so strongly that I felt like jumping out of my chair in the doctor's waiting room and dancing and shouting with joy. When I got back to work I printed out the verse and carried it in my purse, taking it out often and reading it, until the Lord healed that person and restored comforts to him and to his mourners (to those who love him and who were grieved by his actions). That person is still healed today, for he accepted Christ as his Savior and has forsaken all the immoral, addictive, and occult practices of his past. He is in fellowship with the Lord, who reached out a hand to him just as the Lord said He would when I was reading Chapter 57 of Isaiah that day. 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 154, The Righteous Versus The Unrighteous, Part Three

In the beginning of Chapter 57 the Lord spoke of the peace that is the inheritance of those who love Him. Then He moved on to talk about those who hate Him. We studied the first portion of that text yesterday and now we pick up at verse 11.

"Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have not been true to Me, and have neither remembered Me nor taken this to heart?" (Isaiah 57:11a) Who did they fear (reverence, stand in awe of, regard as supreme) more than the Lord? Did they fear their fellow man more than God and join in with idolaters in order to make treaties with them? If so, this is what the Scriptures say about that: "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." (Proverbs 29:25) "The Lord is my light and my salvation---whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life---of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1) If they had remained faithful to the Lord, no enemy could ever have defeated them.

Or perhaps they persisted in wickedness because they didn't believe the Lord would do anything about it. He says: "Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear Me?" (Isaiah 57:11b) They thought that because He did not immediately punish them for sins, He would never punish them. But the Lord, like a loving Father, appeals to mankind before taking punitive action because He does not want to have to be severe with us. He says: "Come now, let us settle the matter. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (Isaiah 1:18) He reasons with us first. He gives us several opportunities to repent of our rebellion. As the Apostle Peter said, the Lord is "patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance". (2 Peter 3:9b) He doesn't remove sinners from the earth the very instant they reject Him because He wants them to be saved, not destroyed. But some interpret the delay in action as a lack of strength on the Lord's part or as a lack of morality on the Lord's part. That's why He asks the people of Isaiah's nation, "Is it because I have not already destroyed you that you think I will never discipline you?"

A lot of people think they are basically good people, even though they have not made God the Lord of their lives. They compare their morality to the morality of their fellow man and decide that they look pretty righteous in comparison to others. But we were never meant to compare our righteousness to that of our fellow man; we were meant to compare our righteousness to that of Almighty God! We will always come up short when we do that, which is intended to bring us to repentance so that our sins can be covered by the One who gave Himself for us. 

The Lord will expose self-righteousness for what it is. "I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you." (Isaiah 57:12) We cannot obtain salvation by our own righteousness or by doing a lot of good works. Isaiah will say later in our study: "All our righteous acts are like filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:4) This doesn't mean that the believer isn't to do good works but that good works don't save us. We should do good works because we are saved, not in order to get saved.

The one who has trusted in his or her own works or who has forsaken the Lord for idolatry will reap what he or she has sown. "When you cry out for help, let your idols save you! The wind will carry them all off, a mere breath will blow them away." (Isaiah 57:13a) Idols are powerless. They will be no help to those who worship them. In contrast, those who trust in the Lord will inherit the beautiful things He has planned for His children. "But whoever takes refuge in Me will inherit the land and possess My holy mountain." (Isaiah 57:13b) 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 153, The Righteous Versus The Unrighteous, Part Two

In yesterday's study the Lord talked about how the righteous find peace, even in death. Now He moves on to talk about the unrighteous.

"But you---come here, you children of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! Who are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not a brood of rebels, the offspring of liars?" (Isaiah 57:3-4) The Lord often compares idolatry to various forms of sexual immorality. In the Old Testament we sometimes find Him speaking of Himself as the husband and of Israel as His wife, charging her with committing unfaithfulness against Him. Although a number of the people did live sexually immoral lives, idolatry is primarily the sin in view here, as we see below.

"You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your children in the ravines and underneath the overhanging crags. The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion; indeed, they are your lot." (Isaiah 57:5-6) These verses speak of how the people carried out pagan rituals in the groves, even resorting to human sacrifices upon the altars of their false gods. Because they have rejected the one true God, who was the source of all good things, their "portion" will only be these false gods who can do nothing for them. Their prayers, offerings, and sacrifices to those gods are useless.

This next segment reminds us of the saying, "You've made your bed; now lie in it," because they will reap what they have sown. They have rejected and blasphemed the living God and will have to face the consequences of their actions. "You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; there you went up to offer your sacrifices. Behind your doors and your doorposts you have your pagan symbols. Forsaking Me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love, and you looked with lust on their naked bodies." (Isaiah 57:7-8) They "got in bed", so to speak, with pagan idolaters. They tried to hide some of their sin, painting occult symbols where they thought the Lord would not see them. They committed a lot of their immoral acts behind closed doors where they thought the Lord would not see them. They believed neither He nor their fellow citizens (some of whom had remained faithful to the Lord) would not take them to task for their sins.

They spent their energies on things that could never help them. They were so depraved that they gave their children to the abominable god Molek, and there is nothing more depraved than sacrificing those who are to be protected. They poured out offerings of oil and perfume in adoration of false gods. They sent ambassadors to make friends with heathen nations and engaged with those nations in their idolatrous acts. In the final section we study today, the Lord talks about these things and about how the people grew weary appealing to gods that don't exist. But because they'd rest and gain a second wind, they'd go right back at their futile attempts to contact deities that cannot help them.

"You went to Molek with olive oil and increased your perfumes. You sent your ambassadors far away; you descended to the very realm of the dead! You wearied yourself by such going about, but you would not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint." (Isaiah 57:9-10) They kept doing what they were doing, deceiving themselves that their futile works would produce results any day now. Just because in our modern age we aren't bowing to Molek (or to other images) doesn't mean we can't fall into various types of idolatry. Many people run after money or pleasure or relationships or all the things this modern world offers them, thinking that any day now they will feel better, but there isn't anything that can satisfy the human soul other than a relationship with the one and only God. 

When we have the Lord at the center of our lives, the good things He bestows upon us are like the icing on the cake. But without Him, no amount of things in this world will ever satisfy our deepest needs. Let's not weary ourselves by running after those things while leaving the Lord out. Only He can give us the peace and satisfaction and comfort we long for.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 152, The Righteous Versus The Unrighteous, Part One

As we begin Chapter 57 the Lord makes a contrast between the fate of the righteous versus the fate of the unrighteous. In today's portion of those verses we find a partial answer to the question, "Who do bad things happen to good people?" In tomorrow's portion we will talk about the fate of the wicked.

You and I know that we live in a fallen world. Sin has polluted it. The best way I can describe the way sin has had a bad effect on the creation is to compare it to a pollution that has grown worse and worse ever since the first man and woman disobeyed God. Sin has had an effect on the environment, on plant life, on all land animals and sea creatures and insects, and on the human race. Why do natural disasters happen? Because of this pollution. Why do diseases affect crops and animals and humans? Because of this pollution. Why do animals prey on each other and why do humans prey on animals and why do humans do bad things to their fellow man? Because of this pollution.

In our first segment today we talk about the fact that bad things sometimes happen even to the godly. Their fellow man may persecute them for their faith or for other reasons. They may fall victim to illnesses or accidents. But their fate is different from those who reject the Lord, and this is what the Lord focuses on as we begin our text.

"The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death." (Isaiah 57:1-2) The death of our loved ones brings us sorrow. When they leave the world we think of it as a bad thing. From the Lord's perspective they are entering into rest. They are finding peace. They are being spared the troubles of this world.

The Lord allows some believers to reach a very old age, while some may die in youth or in middle age. By faith we believe He has a reason for the time of a person's death, although it grieves us far more when we feel like a person left us too soon. The Lord doesn't always explain to us why one person leaves the world at a younger age than another, but in the passage above we are told that sometimes it is to spare them from evil. Something in the future might have happened to them that was worse than having them leave this world suddenly and unexpectedly. We don't know what that thing was but, since the Lord can see every event that will happen in the future, He knows what it was. He knows that events on the earth or things that are done by mankind would have brought that person worse troubles than what He intends to allow to happen to them. 

A woman from my church said that Isaiah 57:1-2 was a great comfort to her when her fifteen-year-old son died unexpectedly. He'd been fine when he left for school that morning but when he came home he told her he'd had a headache all day. I believe his intention was to take some aspirin or something for it, but before he could do that he suddenly collapsed unconscious to the floor. By the time the ambulance got him to the hospital he was losing the ability to breathe on his own and had to be placed on artificial respiration while the doctors frantically rushed him to a brain scan only to find he'd already lost all brain activity due to what turned out to be meningitis. It was extremely sudden and extremely mysterious, since no one could ever determine how he'd contracted it due to not knowing of anyone else who had it, but his mother said that she firmly believed that Isaiah 57:1-2 explained why the Lord allowed him to be taken so unexpectedly. She believed that this was a humane passing compared to what might have been in his future. Taking comfort from these verses doesn't mean she won't miss her son every day of her life, but it does mean that she knows her son (who had accepted Christ as Savior and who loved the Lord deeply and tried to live a life that honored Him) was spared some sort of evil on the earth and that he is at peace in the presence of the Lord.

Both of my parents passed away far too young, in my opinion. They weren't significantly older than I am now. I don't know how their deaths fit into the Lord's plan but I know that, because they believed in Him, they are at peace in His presence. And I know that, no matter how much they loved their family, they wouldn't return to this world for anything. After resting in the presence of the Lord, even if there was a way they could return and be with their loved ones again, they would not choose to do so because being in the presence of the Lord is so much better than living on this earth. They will wait for their loved ones to come to them where we will all know the peace and joy of beholding our Savior's face forever.