Good morning.
Question of the day: What is your favorite fall food?
This morning we are doing something a bit different. We are going to go over 8 chapters. I know that sounds impossible. We aren't going to read every word. We are going to look over them. Here is why. The next 8 chapters are prophesy against Babylon, Philistines, Moab, Damascus, Cush, Egypt, Cush and Egypt, Babylon again, and then Edom and Arabia. Each of these have similar themes. Important yes, but I think we can do them together.
Isaiah 14 - 21
These chapters are titled prophesy against but it could also be said that these chapters are about God redeeming Israel. God having compassion on Israel and freeing them from their oppressors.
These passages show us God redeeming his people.
Isaiah 14:1
The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land.
That is the crux of these 8 chapters. God is having compassion on Jacob and he will vindicate Israel. He will defeat he will take care of all their enemies.
Lessons for us.
1. We KNOW you have been chosen by God. He chooses you!
What does that mean?
What does that mean to us?
2. He will defeat ALL our enemies. HE HAS DEFEATED OUR ENEMY! RIGHT?
Knowing that he has already defeated our enemies or enemy, how do we then live?
What are your enemies?
I would love for you to make a list of those cities and then replace them for the enemies of your life. What holds you captive? What would be in your list?
If these 8 chapters were your list... if each chapter was God saying to you... I will "give you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:" Isaiah 14:3
Isaiah 14:5 The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, which in ager struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression.
All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing.
Doesn't that sound wonderful when we think of it in terms of all the effects of sin in our lives. Health, brokenness, heart ache, sin we seem to fall into again and again, loss, etc.
Important in these chapters are the moments or the verses where God, takes a breath from the words of condemnation against the city to remind them what he is doing.
Example of that is at the end of chapter 14:32 "The Lord has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge."
The Lord has established Zion for us to all take refuge in. What does that mean to me?
REFUGE. Refuge implies, you aren't in a perfect place. Circumstances aren't perfect. I am still in a struggle. After all I don't need refuge in Utopia. I need it when I'm in the storm! I need it when I'm in a war. I need it when I'm being attacked.
Isaiah 16:5 is again a nugget or reminder of what these passages are all about.
"In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it - one from the house of David - one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness."
Some of the sins or reasons for the destruction of these cities or people are:
- Self
- Isaiah 14:13-15 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend about the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
- Forgetting God
- Isaiah 17:10 You have forgotten God your Savior, you have not remember the Rock, your fortress."
- Leading people astray
- Isaiah 19:13 The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis are deceived; the cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray.
I don't know about you but these three things hit me this week.
From these chapters there are some important takeaways. Primarily God is your refuge! God's got this! He has already won the war! He has and will continue to care for us! He is taking car of our enemies!
He is doing amazing things! HE IS!
Comments
Post a Comment