Year 3, Day 31: Isaiah 47

Isaiah 47 gives us a couple of really neat snapshots.  So let me summarize the chapter really quickly and then I’ll be free to chase a few rabbit trails of thought.  I like rabbit trails.  Some of the best theology comes from chasing rabbit trails.

The Humiliation Of Babylon

Anyway, Isaiah 47 is about the coming destruction of the Babylonians Empire.  However, this chapter isn’t so much about the defeat of the Babylonians as it is about the humiliation of the Babylonians.  The Babylonians thought they were the queen – even the mistress of the gods.  God would show them just how wrong they were.  Their arrogance would turn into their folly.

You see, this should seem like a familiar theme.  Do you remember the proclamation of folly upon the Assyrians in the chapters prior to 40?  God used the Assyrians to bring judgment upon the kingdom of Israel and a good portion of the land of Judah.  But the Assyrians were proud and they went too far.  They were merciless in their conquest.  So, God uses the Babylonians to bring judgment upon the Assyrians.

However, the Babylonians are no better.  Yes, the name changed.  Yes, the form of government was a little different.  Yes, the geographic location of the capitol was changed.  But the reality is that the lack of humanity displayed in the conquering nation was no different.*  The Babylonians thought they were the masters of the world and that all their captives were there to serve them forever.  They were brutal and arrogant – equaling the arrogance and brutality of the Assyrians.  So, God will bring them to their knees as well.  It’s not mentioned in this chapter, but we know that God will bring the Persians down upon the Babylonians.

Alone At The Top

I have been doing a great amount of thinking about this dynamic of humanity for a few years now.  Our competitiveness is such a double-edged sword.  If we have a little, we grow and increase and become better people.  But when we feed our competitiveness we become focused on the win.  Nothing is as important as being number one.  Nothing is as important as grinding our opponents into the ground.  Too much competitiveness causes us to focus on ourselves and our own glory.  An overabundance of competitiveness drives us into being a self-monger.  We see it over and over in human history as nations rise and fall – as leaders of nations rise and fall.  We see it in athletes and pop culture icons.

I remember hearing the saying that “it’s lonely at the top.”  As verse 10 says, “I am here and nobody is beside me.”  I’ve begun to think that the reason it is lonely at the top is that in order to get to the top one must take on such an overabundance of human competitiveness that nobody even wants to be around us anymore.  We become so focused on our success and domination that we forget to be humble.

So, God promises to bring the Babylonians down.  He promises to expose the Babylonians.  They will be the ones taking up the millstone and grinding the flour rather than being served by those who do such things.  God promises to spare none of them.  They will go down and sit in darkness and shame.  Because they showed no mercy, God will cast them away.  Note to self: Learn that lesson NOW.  Show mercy.

Profaning His Own People

I would also like to follow the rabbit trail of verse 6.  God says, “I was angry with my people.  I profaned my heritage.  I gave them into your hand.”  I was struck by two things.  First of all, God is clear.  He was the cause of the humiliation of the Hebrew people at the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians.  God didn’t just allow it to come to pass.  God brought it upon His heritage.

Second, what really struck me about this is the use of the word “profane.”  In the Hebrew, the word used hear can also mean to kill, pierce, wound, violate, pollute, or defile.  None of those terms are all that pleasant, for the record.  But here’s the deal.  God did it to His own people.  Granted, they walked away from Him.  It was judgment.  They totally deserved it.  They completely had it coming.  But God did it nonetheless.

So often we like to think of God as the God of grace.  He is.  So often we like to think of God as the God of peace.  He is.  So often we like to think of God as the God of mercy.  He is.  So often we like to think of God as the God of love.  He is.

But He is also the God of judgment.  He is the God who can be just in giving us what we truly deserve.  He is the God who knows how to give out exactly what is called for based upon the status of our hearts.  Today, I think that thought scares me.  I so want to run back to the “grace side” of God.  But I think today I need to dwell in the Law.  I think I need to remember that while God does give grace and forgive the repentant, He is also the God of judgment – even upon His own.

<>< 

*For another rabbit trail, I have begun to wonder why we use the word “humanity” to describe the “right way” to treat one another.  Words like “humanity” and “humane” are beginning to make less sense the more I read into God’s Word and try to see through God’s eyes.  The problem with humanity is that we don’t treat one another with grace and compassion.  We don’t give one another the benefit of the doubt.  We don’t forgive.  Those are things that are second-nature to God, not humanity.  Conceptually, I think what Isaiah 47 is saying that the problem with the Babylonians wasn’t that they didn’t have “humanity” among them but rather that they had too much “humanity” among them!  They don’t need more humanity; they need more divinity {or at least divinely inspired behavior.}  Anyway, I know I’m not going to change the English language.  But I wanted to put that thought out there.  

Year 3, Day 30: Isaiah 46

God Versus The Idols

Isaiah 46 brings us into a direct comparison of idols versus God.  Let’s briefly start with idols.  What power does an idol have over what happens to it?  If I have an idol and I lock it up in trunk, can it do anything about it?  If my idol is money and the stock market crashes, can it do anything about it?  If my idol is a beloved family member and they get sick – or even worse, die – can they do anything about it?  No.  As God says through Isaiah – the idols we make go into captivity with us.  They have no ability to affect the world around them.  We make them into idols, but they are just as powerless as we are.

On the other hand, we get a very beautiful statement in verses 3-4.  God carried us through life from the womb to old age.  He carries us when we are young (and immature, stupid, rash, etc) and He carried us into our gray years (feeble, weak, prone to sickness).  He created this world.  He bears its burden.  He carries us all in His hand.  He can save us.

As I wrote that last sentence, I was really struck by the layers of meaning found in the verse 4.  God says, “I will carry and I will save.”  Now, of course we think of ourselves as resting in God’s hands.  Of course God carries us.  But He does more than carry us.  He carries our burdens.  In Christ, He literally bore our burdens straight to the cross.  He carried our burdens and through the cross He saved us from those burdens.  As this verse says, “I have made, I will bear, I will carry, and I will save.”  What an incredibly blessed verse. 

Again, I think this is a verse of double-interpretation.  I think Isaiah meant it one way, but through Christ this verse takes on a whole new layer of interpretation!

In the next three verses we go back to the idea of idols.  I really love the idea that God puts forth about the idols being stationary.  Yes, human beings create the idol.  Yes, human beings lift up the idol and put the idol in its place.  But once the idol is set down, will it move again?  Can an idol that is placed by our hands ever move on its own accord?  If the idol cannot even move – rather we move it – what power can an idol really have?

On the other hand, consider one of the most important attributes of God.  God is always on the move.  In fact, can we contain God even if we wanted to?  No, God is always on the move.  He is everywhere.  His hand is upon everything.  Nothing happens of which God is not aware.  That which God purposes shall come to pass.

God Comes To The Stubborn And Distant

To end this chapter, we have two really neat thoughts.  First of all, look at to whom God makes His address in verse 12.  God speaks to the stubborn of heart and to those who are far from righteousness.  You might be wondering what exactly is so cool about this passage.  Well, who among humanity does not fit into these categories?  It tells us that God is not interested in forsaking those who are far from Him.  Rather, God is interested in calling out to those who are far from Him and drawing them close to Him.  This is a very comforting verse to me.  When we walk away from God, we do not walk beyond His ability to call to us.

Along these same lines is the other part of the ending that seemed to leap off of the page at me.  The righteousness of the Lord is not far off.  This verse really piggybacks onto what I said about the prior verse.  No matter how far we stray from God, His righteousness is never far off.  God will not delay in bringing His salvation to us.

Isn’t that a great thought to have at the end of the chapter?  We can stray, But God is waiting right there to bring righteousness back into our lives.  How generous and forgiving of a God do we have!  How generous indeed!  God is great and mighty.  To Him goes all the glory and praise.  We are the ones who walk away.  He is the one who follows, beckons us back, and wraps us up in His righteousness.

<>< 

Year 3, Day 29: Isaiah 45

Who’s The Messiah?

I love Isaiah 45.  I love it because I have an opportunity to be controversial.  Perhaps I should be thanking that another opportunity for confession and forgiveness is coming around on Sunday.

But, this opening line contains one of the more difficult passages for many Bible students to wrap their heads around – at least at first.  You see, here’s what the text actually says: “Thus says the Lord, to His Messiah, to Cyrus.”

There it is.  Right there in black and white.  We all know that the Hebrew word Messiah (literally mashiach) means “Anointed One.”  But what many of us don’t realize at first is how this title is used in conjunction with Cyrus.  For the record, remember that Cyrus was a Persian King.  Here God clearly calls a ruling official of the Gentiles His Messiah.

Okay, now that I’ve opened that can of worms, let me try to wrench it open just a little more before closing it.  You might also realize that the title Anti-Christ is the opposite of Messiah.  I mean this quite literally, since Christ and Messiah are the same word in different languages.  And we all know of the Anti-Christ who is to come.  But did you know that throughout the ages many people have been called the anti-Christ?  In fact, one of the first people to be called an anti-Christ was a man by the name of Antiochus Epiphanes IV.  He was a Greek ruler who sacked Jerusalem in 167 BC.  Notice that’s actually before Christ.  He took the temple of God and rededicated it to the worship of Zeus.  He also made it illegal to own a copy of the Hebrew scripture, what we call the Old Testament.  I think it is clear why people might call him the Anti-Christ.

Anyway, here is where I am going with all of this.  Sometimes we use the words Messiah and Anti-Christ in such a way as to presume that there can be only one.  From a divine perspective of salvation, that is absolutely true.  There is only one man through whom salvation comes: Jesus.  And the New Testament tells us that there is one great deceiver yet to come who will draw all mankind to himself: the Anti-Christ.  So from that perspective there is only one Messiah and one Anti-Christ.

However, we need to remember that the word Messiah simply means Anointed One.  It was a term used to distinguish David from Saul.  In fact, it was a term used by Jews to describe anyone who was called by God to free the people as well as usher in God’s judgment upon unbelievers.  From this perspective, while Cyrus may not be the divine and ultimate Messiah, Cyrus absolutely is one of God’s temporary Messiahs.  Cyrus certainly does step in, play the role God desires him to play, frees the Hebrew people from captivity, and brings judgment on those who would oppose God.

Our Personal Choice

So where can we take this thought today?  Well, there is one simple conclusion.  Every day each one of us has the choice.  We can either be a little messiah or we can be a little anti-Christ.  We can either encourage people to be free of their sin or we can work a little more towards their enslavement.  Every day we have that very opportunity.  What will it be today?

God Is At Work

As for the rest of this chapter, it is clearly a chapter giving glory to God.  Clearly God, who created the universe and did not call Israel to seek Him in vain, is in charge and worthy to be worshiped.  What is really neat about this chapter is that it truly does set the whole messiah conversation above in the right perspective.  It doesn’t matter who is doing the work of the Lord.  It doesn’t matter who is being referred to as one that is anointed by God to do His work.  The reality is that it is God’s work that is being done.  God deserve the praise.  God deserves the glory.  God is the one who saves.  We are just the tools in His hand.

Turn to Him and be saved.  Join with those who willingly bend the knee and confess allegiance with the tongue.  For only in Him are righteousness and strength.  Amen.  Amen.  Hallelujah!

<>< 

Year 3, Day 28: Isaiah 44

God And His Promises

The first five verses of Isaiah 44 are like a breath of fresh air compared to what we normally hear from the prophets.  God will pour out His Spirit.  The faithful descendants will spring up among the grass!  They will claim their relationship with authority.  They will not be ashamed to wear their allegiance to God upon their skin.

Of course, this is followed by a very famous passage.  God says, “I am the first and I am the last.  Beside me there is no God.  Who is like me?  Let him proclaim it.  Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people.”  God continues, but I think I’ve quoted enough to understand the point.

Who can know the fullness of history except God?  Who can look into the future except God?  Who except God can plan out each of our lives, work through the high moments, reveal Himself in the low moments, and bring it all together in a way that actually makes sense in the end?  We have every reason to believe God when He says, “Fear not, nor be afraid.”  Who but God can make any sense out of life?

Isaiah’s Prose About Idols

Then Isaiah begins a long section of prose.  I don’t ever remember reading this section before – but I know I have since I’ve read through the Bible before.  But I can tell you one thing, this section of logic has got to be one of my new favorite gems.  Let’s take a look at the points that Isaiah makes.

First, we have the example of the craftsman.  The craftsman makes an idol for profit.  They are merely trying to sell you something.  Their idols can’t see anything, yet the craftsman would have you believe they can.

Next, we have the example of the blacksmith.  Here is a person who fashions one thing or the next.  But yet, if the blacksmith doesn’t eat or drink, he will become faint and be unable to continue working.  If the limit of the blacksmith’s strength is found in food we eat or the water we drink, how can anything we make with our hands have any more power than the feeble power within ourselves?

Third, we have the carpenter.  He goes into the forest and cuts down some wood.  Of some of the wood he chops it up and burns it in a fire so that he can feel the warmth and perhaps cook himself a meal.  Yet, out of the same bunch of wood the carpenter takes a piece and makes it into an idol.  What power could the wood have possibly contained if it was not able to even keep part of itself from being burned up in the fire?

Then Isaiah asks a really bold question.  What kind of a fool places belief and power into an idol?  Idols are made by human hands; how can they be any more perfect than our flawed nature?  How could they possess any more power than their creator?

Redemption Is At Hand

Then we turn to the wonderful ending of this chapter.  There are some key words that jumped out at me as I read.  The first one is redeemer.  Redeemer is such an awesome word.  It implies a time when the relationship wasn’t right.  But it also implies a time when the relationship is made right.  It is a word that is simply filled with truth about our relationship with God.

When you combine the word redeemer with the concept of saying to Jerusalem, “she shall be inhabited,” you get another neat image.  At one point, the people of Jerusalem were scattered among the Babylonians.  The city was desolate.  Foreigners were brought in to live among the lands of Judah.  At one point Jerusalem was discarded.  But now Jerusalem is redeemed.  It is to be inhabited again.  It is to be made new.  This same God who made the world out of nothing brings life to a place that was once declared desolate.

How great is God?  He disciplines us when we need it so that we might see the path back to Him.  After punishment, there is always forgiveness for the repentant.  With God, death is never the end.  There is always a Messiah to shepherd us back to Him.

<>< 

Year 3, Day 27: Isaiah 43

God’s Promise Of Ransom

As we continue into Isaiah 43, we have more of the double-prophesy.  The first set of verses in this chapter talk about God’s salvation.  Much like God did in the exodus story, God will yet again pay a ransom for His people and bring them out of captivity from Babylon.  God will once more gather His people into His holy land.  God will find a way to redeem all of those who are called by His name.  From a historical context this passage is speaking about the release of captivity and the inspiration of a faithful remnant in their return to God.  We’ll get to the Holy Spirit’s reinterpretation of these words at the end, as I did yesterday.

God’s Challenge

As we look at verses 8-13, we hear God challenging Israel and the world.  We know God is speaking to Israel because we hear the same language that we had in chapter 42.  God asks the “blind and the deaf” to come to Him.  Then God tells the nations to gather before Him.  He challenges them to come before Him and tell Him that there is any truth besides the truth that God brings to life.  Then He gives them a blessing.  God calls them His witnesses.  They are His witnesses that there was no God before Him.

I don’t know if it is really all that intended by Isaiah, but I think these middle verses in this chapter are a great synopsis of the life of a follower of God.  We start off under our own devices.  We think we know everything.  But then we are slowly humbled.  We come to realize that as we stand in God’s creation that we don’t know everything.  We can’t know everything.  We realize that we are but a small fish in God’s very large pool.  As we stand before the Creator we gain perspective.  Rather than being a people who seek after our own desires we become a people who witness to God’s glory.  The process might be long and involved, but that is indeed a general overview of the process of becoming a follower of God.

Then we learn the ultimate truth.  There is no god other than Him.  He is salvation.  He is the deliverer.  He is the redeemer.  He is.  Perhaps that’s why He always refers to Himself as ‘I am!’

God’s Promise of Something New

Then we hit the end of the chapter when we get to verses 19-28.  We hear that God is doing a new thing.  Then, just to prove His point, He asks the question, “Do you not see it?”  LOL.  Sometimes God’s sense of irony kills me!

God sent His people into Babylon and when they come back God will begin a new thing.  God has loved humanity; humanity has burdened God with our sinfulness.  God has given us His ways to live in peace with Himself and the world; we only return disobedience.  So what is this new thing that God will do?

God is going to take matters into His own hands.  He will take care of the sacrifice.  He will take care of the process of blotting out our sins forever.  He knows that through no argument of our own can we make a case for our salvation; therefore He will take care of the issue Himself.  He will provide the deliverance.

Before making the obvious turn to Jesus Christ, let me take a moment and make sure we understand the broad gestures of God’s hand. 

1. God made a promise to Abraham and introduced the concepts of faith and faithfulness.  But in Egypt the people turned away.  God had to redeem them. 
2. God brought the people out of Egypt and gave them good leaders {Moses, Joshua, Samuel, etc} but they scorned the Law and rebelled.  So God sent them to Babylon and then redeemed them. 
3. God has tried faith, and we could not handle it.  God has tried Law, and we could not handle it.  So after this second redemption God will take care of it Himself.  God will show His grace having proven that humanity is neither fully capable in matters of faith or law.  God redeems us, because we cannot do it ourselves.  This is the big picture of God’s hand at work in this world.

Jesus Really Is The Answer

So now we turn to Jesus.  As I ended the blog yesterday, so shall I end it today.  Jesus is the answer.  Jesus is the new thing that God is doing.  Jesus is the one thing that we cannot screw up because the point of Jesus is to cover our sins!  Jesus is quite literally God taking our problems into His hands and providing the one permanent solution.  All we need to do is truly accept and receive God’s solution.  Yes, part of accepting and receiving is living accordingly.

God ransomed His people out of Egypt.  God ransomed His people out of Babylon.  In Christ, God has done something new by ransoming His people out of all sin.  Thanks be to God.

<>< 

Year 3, Day 26: Isaiah 42

Double Interpretation

Isaiah 42 is a classic passage of double prophetic interpretation.  I’ve spoken about that concept before.  It is a passage that has one message during the context in which it is given but the Holy Spirit reinterprets the message to make another meaning later.  Almost all of the prophecy in which Christians find Christ is really double prophecy.

Let’s resist the urge – for now – of reading Jesus into these words.  Let’s let the prophetic oracle speak to the historical context.  What is Isaiah talking about when he prophesies to the Hebrew people?

Remember yesterday when I spoke about the true relationship with God as being a relationship of service?  In Isaiah 41:8 we can identify that Isaiah speaks about God’s servant as Israel.  It is Israel that is different than the nations.  So when we get to Isaiah 42, we read this passage in the original context as Isaiah speaking about Israel as the servant.

Historically, this makes much sense.  God did choose Israel.  God did put His Spirit upon some of the kings, many of the judges, and all of the prophets.  It was God’s plan for them to be the nation that brought forth justice in the world.  As verse 6 says, God did take the Hebrew people by the hand and try to give them to the nations as a covenant of faithfulness.  As verse 7 says, God wanted Israel to be a people that opened the eyes of the blind and released people from the prison of their sin.  God’s plan was that His people would be a light into the world.

This should have given raise to shouts of joy on behalf of the Hebrew people.  This is cause to celebrate!  The Lord was patient with them.  The Lord wanted to teach them a better living.  The Lord wanted to take the emotional rollercoaster of living and turn it into level ground.  There is great reason to give praise!

However, we know that this is not reality.  Yes, there were a few kings who were obedient; but there were far more who followed their own hearts.  Yes, there were prophets who spoke true messages; but there were many Hebrew people who didn’t listen, much less heed anything that was said to them.  Yes, there were judges that tried to bring people back to God; but every single time the people were faithful for just a short time before returning to the error of their own ways.

This is why in Isaiah 42:19 God calls His servant blind and deaf.  The Hebrew people saw God’s hand at work.  They carried their history with them in great pride.  The Hebrew people took all of the protection and plunder that the Lord gave to them and made it all about themselves.  They were meant to be a beacon into the world and instead they became a people who still fell into judgment and needed to be punished by God. 

For the record, these last verses (Isaiah 42:18-25) are one of the biggest problems with looking upon this chapter as ONLY a prophecy about Jesus Christ.  If it is taught that Christ is the natural and first subject of this prophecy, then one cannot help but also say that God is calling Jesus Christ blind and deaf and the subject of His wrath.  Certainly that is not true!  This is one of the reasons why I so adamantly teach about this passage and passages like it as double prophesy.  It contextually applied to the Hebrew people first.

As I often ask, are we so different?  Has not God sent His Spirit into us?  Has not God asked us to be the light into the world?  Has He not made a new covenant with us and laid His Word on our hearts?  And how do we react?  Are we still not consumed with our own desires?  Are we still not consumed with our sin and thus in need of forgiveness and repentance?  Are we so different than the Hebrew people of the first covenant?

Only now are we ready to experience the double-interpretation that the Holy Spirit can bring.  Now we are ready to see Jesus in these words.  Jesus is the ultimate servant in whom God delights.  Jesus is the true person upon whom God has placed His Spirit.  Jesus is the true one who brings justice into this world.  Jesus never grew faint.  Jesus never grew discouraged.  Jesus is the true covenant, given to all those who would receive Him.

Without Him we can be nothing.  Without Him there is no source of true life.  Without Him, we continue to focus inward on ourselves time and time again.  Without Jesus, our world is all about us.  He is God’s true servant, in whom God delights.

<>< 

Year 3, Day 25: Isaiah 41

The Trouble

It took me a while to catch on to the first ten verses of Isaiah 41.  After all, at first pass these verses don’t seem to be saying much.  It seems like God is talking to the world (nations) about the things they naturally do.  But then we get to verses 6-7.  The blacksmith supports the goldsmith.  Everyone helps their neighbor.  They hammer things into perfection so that it is strong and immoveable.  Human society is supporting one another so that it can keep things the way they are.  Sounds like typical human work, doesn’t it?

You see, that’s really the problem.  Human beings work and work to get into a position where they can be happy and never change.  We work hard for that end of life where we can just coast and roll smoothly in a carefree manner.  In many ways, is that not the American Dream?  Study hard so you can get a good job.  Get a good job so you can save up lots of money.  Save up lots of money so you can live a carefree life in retirement.  Doesn’t that sound familiar?

Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t think there is anything bad about studying hard, working hard, and even saving some money.  I think that’s all pretty good stuff, actually.  But the problem is in the motivation.  Why are we doing it?  Are we doing it so that we can provide a nice life for ourselves?

Stop for a moment and reread the question at the end of that last paragraph.  I’m willing to bet that most everyone read over that question and didn’t think a thing wrong with it.  So let me rephrase that question, putting the spin on where I meant it as I typed it.  Are we doing it so that we can provide a nice life for ourselves?

When we get to verses 8-10, look at where the emphasis rests.  In God’s spiritual relationship with Israel, God calls them His servant.  In fact, that’s the word God uses to describe the relationship twice in those verses.  Israel is a servant to God.

God’s Response

But keep reading through verse 10.  God tells them to be not dismayed.  Be not afraid.  God is with them.  God protects them.  God upholds them.  God strengthens them.  God keeps them in righteousness.

The problem with humanity is that we spend so much time trying to provide for ourselves.  The first six verses are all about God trying to tell the nations that their stubborn reliance upon themselves is the biggest difference between them and the Hebrew people.  We need to learn how to have a good work ethic, sure.  But we need to work while relying upon God’s will, protection, and providence.  We work hard out of God’s provision, not our own.

I, The Lord

The next ten verses continue on in a similar pattern.  Look especially at verses 17-20.  Who is the subject of practically every single sentence?  “I, the Lord,” the Bible says over and over.  God is the provider of sustenance.  God is the provider of life.  God is the provider of understanding.  God is the provider of knowledge.  God is the provider of creation.  It all rests with Him.

How Good Are Your Idols At Providing?

So then we come to the end of the chapter.  Here is a concrete challenge.  God tells those who are in the world to look at their idols and see if they can predict what is coming.  Within the specific context of this chapter, what God is doing is telling the nations that Cyrus is coming.  The Persians will come onto the scene and nobody will be able to withstand them – although He will use Cyrus to restore the Hebrew people to the Promised Land.  But the rest of the nations will be swallowed up by the Persian Empire when they come to conquer the Babylonians.

However, the point for us is really still pretty valid.  Can any of our idols look into the future and guarantee our survival?  I can’t help but think of our stock market analytics.  Can they really guarantee success?  What about our news media?  Can they guarantee a successful glimpse into the future?  What about pop culture?  Can they look into the future with any success and pull us through?  What about the rest of the idols we have in this life?

No, the reality is that there is only one person who can look into the future.  Only God can truly know what is to come.  For that record, only God can truly guarantee our success – or at least survival.  From the perspective of salvation, this is even truer.  Only God can look into the future and promise eternal life.  No idol can compete with that.

<>< 

Year 3, Day 24: Isaiah 40

Deutero-Isaiah

As we begin Isaiah 40, I need to talk about Second Isaiah (sometimes called Deutero-Isaiah) and Third Isaiah (Sometimes called Trito-Isaiah).  Much of the remaining chapters in Isaiah speak about God’s comfort of His people.  In fact, many of these passages seem to actually be speaking to the Hebrew people at the end of their 70 year captivity under Babylon. 

Isaiah was already a prophet well before the Babylonians conquered Judah.  He would certainly have been dead by the time the captivity was coming to an end.  Therefore, if these passages are to be read as being written at the end of the Babylonian captivity, some people conclude that they must have been written by a disciple of Isaiah’s (or several disciples) – hence the Second and Third Isaiah concept.

I have some misgivings about this approach.  At the same time, there is no factual dispute of this teaching, either.  But my misgivings are as follows. 

Church tradition believes that Isaiah was the author of the whole book. 

Church tradition asserts that God is the source of the truth spoken by Isaiah.  Therefore, if God already knows that Babylon will take Judah into captivity – which we saw at the end of Isaiah 39 – then why can’t God also know about the release of the Hebrew people from captivity?  If God can know the future, which I absolutely believe He does, then there is no reason to think that God cannot give words of comfort prior to the events occurring for which they need to be comforted.  I don’t find any reason to force a Second or Third Isaiah understanding, so I choose to teach and believe that Isaiah wrote this whole book.

In fact, isn’t our Bible full of stories of people to whom God made promises regarding the future?  Did not God save Noah through a warning about the future?  Did not God teach Abraham several times through future promises of offspring?  Did God not promise good things through Joseph in Egypt?  Did not God promise future things to Moses and Joshua?  What about David?  If we so readily accept that God can speak to future promises in all of these stories, why is it so impossible to think that God can speak a message of hope through Isaiah prior to the people actually knowing the circumstances surrounding the message of hope?

I’ve digressed a good bit from the chapter at hand.  But I think it was necessary.  What we have learned is that while most of the chapters prior to Isaiah 40 speak about warnings and the coming judgment, the rest of these chapters will talk about hope and commitment to God.  This is a wonderful thing.

Comfort

Notice the first two words Isaiah speaks from God.  “Comfort, comfort.”  The Hebrew people have been through the wringer.  The Assyrians have just come and conquered every Hebrew land except for Jerusalem.  Isaiah has prophesied the captivity of the Hebrew people under the Babylonians.  The Hebrew people will again taste the fruit of their unfaithful labor.  They will understand the lesson.  At that point it is the time of comfort.

A Way In The Wilderness

Then we come to a very familiar passage.  “A voice is crying out in the wilderness.”  “Make straight the way of the Lord.” 

Isaiah is telling the Hebrew people that when the time of comfort comes, it is also joined up with a time of straightening out our lives.  Receiving comfort from God is paired with obedience to God.  If you think about this, it just makes sense.  God is always there to comfort us.  It is not God who tells us that His love is far from us.  It is we who turn our backs upon God and tell Him we are not interested in His love.  In order for us to truly appreciate and receive God’s comfort, we must turn, repent, and be obedient to Him.  As I’ve said before as I often quote Dietrich Bonheoffer, “Only those who believe obey; only those who obey believe.”

Can You Fathom God?

Then we come to the rest of this awesome chapter.  Who has considered the Lord?  Who has measured the Lord?  Who has been able to find where the Lord begins and the Lord ends?  Can any of us fathom God?  The middle section of this chapter sounds like something straight out of the end to the book of Job!

No.  We cannot fathom God.  God created this world.  God set life in motion.  It is He who sits upon the throne.  It is He who knows the proper agenda for this world.  It is He who counsels us through His Spirit.

We are like fading flowers in His sight.  We are like mown grass.  We are like grasshoppers.  We are born, we live, we rebel, we make promises we cannot keep, we seek forgiveness, we do that cycle a few million times, and then we die.  We are not and cannot ever be the focus.  God is great and mighty and majestic.  Life is not about me, it is about Him!

But the really cool part is how this chapter ends.  Even though life is not about us and life is all about God, we shall still receive our strength from God.  Even though we humbly submit to God, we shall fly aloft like eagles resting on God’s ability to make them soar.  Even though we turn and rebel and die, we shall not be weary.  God can rescue us.  He can save us.  He is the ultimate source of comfort.

<>< 

Year 3, Day 23: Isaiah 39

Historical Context

Isaiah 39 gives us another story of Hezekiah.  As I mentioned yesterday, this chapter historically occurs before the Lord deals with Assyria as recounted in Isaiah 36-37.  We know this because Sennacherib’s invasion of Jerusalem occurred in 701 B.C. and Merodach-baladan is off the political scene in 701 BC.

Since this is a short chapter and the history is pretty interesting, let’s take a brief side trip down the history.  In 722 B.C. the king of Assyrian, Shalmaneser V, died.  This gave Merodach-baladan the perfect opportunity to try and retake the Babylonian capitol and free a portion of his people from Assyrian rule.  He was successful in doing this and Merodach-baladan reigned for 10 years.  Eventually the new king of Assyria, Sargon II, conquered Babylon for a second time and took possession of Babylon from the Assyrians.  Sargon II died in 705 B.C. and this gave Merodach-baladan a second opportunity to drive the Assyrians out of Babylon.  They were successful, and in 702 B.C. Merodach-baladan began a second Babylonian reign.  He reigned in Babylon for 9 more months.  After those 9 months, the new king of Assyria, Sennacherib, came to power and by 701 B.C. took care of Merodach-baladan for good.  This means that Sennacherib took care of Merodach-baladan in the same year as he invades and conquers much of Judah.

Because of this historical account, it is likely that Isaiah 39 tells an account that happens during these 9 brief months of Merodach-baladan’s second reign.  From a political perspective, what is likely happening is that Merodach-baladan comes into power and immediately begins looking for allies against the Assyrian war machine.  He knows that the Assyrians will attempt to recapture Babylon, which they do.  Naturally, he turns to Hezekiah in Judah.  Judah is already struggling with the coming Assyrians, so they would be natural allies for the Babylonian rebellion.

The Dangerous Liaison

In this chapter, we see that Hezekiah completely understands this logic.  Hezekiah wants this alliance to happen.  We know from prior chapters that he has been grasping at straws (Egypt, Edom, etc) to find any kind of help against Assyria.  He’s turning over any rock to find any kind of ally with any sort of strength.  Hezekiah welcomes the envoy.  After all, Babylon had just managed to pull off a revolt.  Logically, that makes them a great choice for an alliance, right?

God has other thoughts.  God doesn’t see this as prudence, but we in the world could make a great case for this being a prudent move on Hezekiah’s part.  God sees this as rebellion, just like He sees an alliance with Egypt as an act of rebellion.  Every time Hezekiah turns to another human source of strength it reinforces with God just how much Hezekiah is not depending on Him.  Hezekiah has a much more natural tendency to lean upon the chariots and horses and spears and swords of the other nations than the supernatural might of the God who created the universe.

Sounds stupid, doesn’t it?  When I phrase it like that, it sounds utterly ridiculous.  Why would anyone trust in things that moth and rust will destroy more than they trust in God?  Why would anyone trust in a human life that can be snuffed out in a single instant more than they would trust in God?  From the perspective of faith, it is utterly ridiculous.

Why indeed.

But do we not do this every day of our life?  In our core, is any single one of us any different than Hezekiah?  How many times does God have to come crashing into our life and say, “Hey, I’m over here!”  I don’t know about you, but I am no different than Hezekiah.

So what does God say to Hezekiah?  Yes, the people of Judah left in Jerusalem will be spared from the Assyrians.  We had that part of the story earlier in Isaiah 36-37.  Yes, they will live in some sort of peace for a time.  But because Hezekiah was so willing to rely upon the Babylonians then the Babylonians will drag them off into slavery.  If Hezekiah wants to forge an alliance with mankind so badly, then God will allow the fruit of that relationship to blossom to its full human capacity.  The Hebrew people will discover what the true depths of human alliances can bring about.  They will be dragged into captivity until there is a new generation that is willing to return to the Lord.

I love Hezekiah’s response.  “What you have said is good.”  Hezekiah realizes his mistake.  He is humble.  Would I have been so gracious had Isaiah come and said those things to me?

<>< 

Year 3, Day 22: Isaiah 38

Chronological Anomaly

Isaiah 38-39 gives us a chronological anomaly.  If we take verse 6 literally – and I recommend we do – then the assumption is that when this incident occurred that Jerusalem had not yet been delivered from the Assyrians.  Of course, chapter 37 ended with the supernatural destruction of the Assyrian army and Sennacherib’s retreat.  Therefore, it is necessary to conclude that chapters 38-39 likely come prior to chapter 37.

Of course, this doesn’t have to bother us.  Remember that 36-39 are already a break in the prophetic poetry that makes up the majority of the rest of the book.  So these chapters are already an anomaly to the whole of Isaiah.  Furthermore, the author makes no promise for a chronological retelling.  In fact, often times in the course of human dialogue we don’t actually tell things in chronological order.  We start off explaining something only to realize that when we get to the end we need to go back and explain a little more.  This could easily be what Isaiah (or his scribe) has done here.  Isaiah may have wanted to complete the story of the Assyrian destruction first. Now, he could well be going back to complete the story of Hezekiah.

The Power of Repentance

Either way, notice what happens here.  Hezekiah is told to set his house in order because death will come upon him.  Hezekiah repents, and the Lord gives him 15 more years.  We see the compassionate side of God here.  Genuine repentance brings about genuine forgiveness and genuine restoration in whatever form God sees fit.

As an aside, I went back to my blog post on 2 Kings 20 from last year.  In 2 Kings 20 we have almost the exact same retelling of this story as it appears in Isaiah 38.  I wanted to bring forth some words that I learned last year as I think they are very important to the study of this chapter:

We know that the additional 15 years that God grants to Hezekiah were extremely fruitful.  Hezekiah did set his house in order.  Had Hezekiah died when God decreed judgment, Hezekiah would have not had an heir.  All of his children were born to him after Hezekiah recovered.  Clearly Hezekiah took seriously his part of God’s promise to ensure that an heir to David would be on the throne.  Furthermore, we know from many of our copies of Hebrew manuscripts that Hezekiah spent these last 15 years of his life paying for the law to be restored, copied, and distributed where appropriate.  We know this because at the end of many of the manuscripts we find the letters HZK in Hebrew, which stands for Hezekiah. 

Hezekiah received a great gift at the hands of the Lord.  He should have died heirless.  But in those 15 years Hezekiah produces an heir so that the line of Judah could continue.  Not only that, but Hezekiah also takes the time that he had and makes it so that God’s Word was accessible.  Hezekiah was genuinely repentant.  We know this because when God gave him a second chance Hezekiah produced an heir for God to use and he gave the Jews that would follow after him a great inheritance in the accessibility of God’s Word.

Hezekiah’s Response

How does Hezekiah respond to God’s generosity in the book of Isaiah?  Hezekiah writes a song of praise.  Hezekiah notes that he should have been cut off like fabric – probably an analogy to the fact that he was heirless.  But in being allowed to live, he has reason to thank the Lord.

In fact, we see just how grateful Hezekiah was to God.  In the song, Hezekiah can see how the illness was actually for his benefit.  Had Hezekiah not gotten sick, he wouldn’t have been in a position to think about his life and how he had frivolously let it get away from him.  But through his illness, he had an opportunity to put his life in order and perhaps reprioritize things.  He had a second chance to do God’s will. 

Through Hezekiah’s song we can see just how important hindsight is and how important it is to not make up our mind about an experience until we are through it and can see it from all perspectives.  There is no doubt Hezekiah hated being sick and hated being told that he would die as it was happening.  But when things were all said and done, Hezekiah could celebrate God’s bringing him to the point of death because it was that act that restored his faith to a place that it needed to be. 

<>< 

Year 3, Day 21: Isaiah 37

Deliverance To The Humble

As we turn to Isaiah 37, we see the tide against the Hebrew people begin to turn.  The promised deliverance from the Assyrians actually now begins to happen.  Let’s take a look at this deliverance and see the steps that occur.

First, notice that upon receiving the words of the Rabshakeh, Hezekiah tears his clothes and puts on sackcloth.  Both of these events are a sign of mourning.  Hezekiah acknowledges that the news is bad and that he has no realistic ability to influence the outcome.  This is a sign of humility and surrender; both of these are qualities of which God approves.

Then, Hezekiah goes to the temple.  Hezekiah turns to the Lord.  Hezekiah desires to be in the presence of God.  Hezekiah doesn’t marshal the troops.  He doesn’t give some tremendous “battle-cry” speech like we see in Hollywood movies.  He doesn’t mount the battlements and survey the battlefield while deriving some brilliant strategy.  Hezekiah simply surrenders to God and seeks out the presence of the Lord.

However, Hezekiah also sends a few emissaries to Isaiah.  Hezekiah plans ahead.  Hezekiah knows that the Lord speaks through Isaiah.  So not only does Hezekiah surrender to God, he actively seeks out the voice of the Lord.  For good or for bad, Hezekiah desires to know what the Lord has in store for him and Jerusalem.

With the Rabshakeh and Isaiah giving opposing messages to Hezekiah, Hezekiah then turns to trust in the Lord.  He receives Isaiah’s word.  He believes it.  Hezekiah’s attitude of submission, seeking, and openness allows Hezekiah to receive God’s message for him.

Then Hezekiah does something that I believe is divinely inspired.  Hezekiah takes the letter and goes into the temple and gives it to God.  He bears his problem before the Lord.  But how he goes about asking the Lord for help is significant.  Hezekiah asks the Lord if they can be saved from the Lord so that the kingdoms of the earth might know that God is Lord.

The thrust of Hezekiah’s prayer is on bringing glory to God’s name.  Hezekiah doesn’t ask to be saved for his own benefit, although admittedly he does have much to gain.  Hezekiah asks so that God’s name may be praised.  Hezekiah asks so that through the story of the salvation of the Hebrew people the world might have a testimony to the greatness of the Lord.

I am truly humbled by this dynamic of Hezekiah’s leadership.  So often we as human beings focus on our own needs and our own problems.  We have a great tendency to forget that there is more to life than our safety, security, or health.  Our greatest calling and privilege in this life is to bring glory to God’s name.

How does God respond to Hezekiah’s genuine spirituality?  God tells Isaiah to deliver a message of deliverance.  Notice that this message comes because Hezekiah humbled himself in prayer before God.  Because Hezekiah genuinely turns to God for all the right reasons, God genuinely saves him and the Hebrew people.

I love the last verse of the poetic portion of the deliverance that God promises.  God promises to take Assyria by hook and drag them back the way that they came.  Assyria was known for its brutality in conquest; God would treat them the same in defeat.  I think there is a fairly subtle message here – a message to be gracious.  If we are vicious towards our enemies, God will treat us the same.  If we treat our enemies with grace, we can trust God to do the same to us.

God promises the Hebrew people a sign.  First, they will eat of the natural produce of the land this year.  Next year, they will eat of the land from that which was naturally sown this harvest.  The third year they will be plowing and tilling and planting out of the stores of their own seeds.  For a people trapped behind their own walls, I can imagine that this prophecy is music to their ears.  Could there be any better prophesy than this?

Judgment Upon The Proud

Of course, God lives up to His words.  God strikes down almost 200,000 soldiers in a supernatural manner.  Sennacherib returns to his homeland, his army defeated and shamed.  His own sons assassinate him.  What a horrible end for Sennacherib; but what a fitting end for a person who took what God asked them to do and corrupted it with his own greed, pride, and arrogance.

<>< 

Year 3, Day 20: Isaiah 36

Isaiah 36 begins an unusual set of four chapters in Isaiah.  Here we go from the poetry of the oracles to a historical account.  These chapters are the chapters concerning the conquest of Sennacherib, King of Assyria.  These chapters also concern themselves with Judah’s response to the Assyrian invasion.

He Gets What He Wants

I think Isaiah 36:1 is a terrible and scary verse.  In the ESV, it is translated thusly: “In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.”  Do you hear what this one single verse confesses?  Sennacherib came into Judah and took what he wanted.  Everything except for Jerusalem, of course.  Even the fortified cites were taken. 

We can add to this the fact that it is spoken of in a single verse without explanation.  In fact, it sounds as though there wasn’t really anything worth talking about.  It isn’t like Sennacherib suffered resistance.  His armies marched over the land and took possession of it.  God’s judgment came swift.  The Assyrian army fell upon the Hebrew people great and mightily.  There was no stopping the Assyrians anywhere except for God’s holy mountain: Jerusalem.  {For you history buffs, this attack occurs in 701 B.C. and it is in the 14th year of Hezekiah’s reign.}

Rabshakeh

When the Assyrian army comes upon Jerusalem, the Rabshakeh comes forth to speak.  We should note that contextually, it is proper to say the Rabshakeh rather than just Rabshakeh.  This is probably a title and not a personal name.  The word Rabshakeh means “chief commander” or the “highest among the commanders.”  Think of this man as Sennacherib’s field general.  Here is the man who is actually in charge of troop deployment, attacks, feints, parries, and the general movement of the army.  This man comes to within shouting distance of the walls of Jerusalem and begins to mock the Hebrew people.

Look at what the Rabshakeh says.  First, he tells Hezekiah that it is absolutely silly for them to think that any help can come from Egypt.  The Assyrians know that Egypt is in no position to help anyone.  Their country’s power had begun to wane.  They were in turmoil themselves.  They were like a broken reed – something just as capable of injuring the one who wielded them as injuring the opponent.  How interesting that on this point the Rabshakeh agreed with the message of God that Isaiah proclaimed!

Then the Rabshakeh accuses Hezekiah of having no faith in God.  Surely the Assyrians had heard about Hezekiah’s religious reforms.  Hezekiah did tear down many of the “high places of worship.”  But these were not places of worship of the Lord, these were false places of worship that the Hebrew had put up to foreign gods.  Hezekiah had torn them down to try and please God and bring the people back to worshiping Him.  The Rabshakeh is clearly mistaken on this point.  What the Rabshakeh sees he misinterprets as unfaithfulness when really Hezekiah has been faithful.

In verse 10 – following the Rabshakeh’s taunt and offer to supply them with horses if they could find the fighters to ride them – we see the pride of the Assyrians gone too far.  This is what I have spoken of the last few days.  The Rabshakeh is correct when he says that the Assyrians came at the request of the Lord.  But the Rabshakeh is showing his greed in assuming that Jerusalem would fall.  God did not intend for the Assyrians to take Jerusalem.  The Assyrians assumed for themselves that God wanted them to take Jerusalem.  Pride.  Arrogance.  Love for violence.  These are the qualities that we see here in this passage for which God has promised judgment even upon those who are executing His will in bringing the Hebrew people to their knees.

Psychological Warfare

As we conclude this chapter, note the psychological aspect of warfare.  Hezekiah’s emissaries desire to speak in Aramaic, which was the common political language of the region.  Aramaic and Hebrew were similar, but different enough that the common Hebrew people and soldiers would not likely understand all that was being said.  They were trying to stop panic from spreading.

The Rabshakeh, on the other hand, intentionally spoke in Hebrew in order to spread panic.  This point makes me set back and remember the brilliance of these people.  How smart would you have to be to be fluent not only in your own language but also all the languages of the countries you are conquering!  These people may not have been as advanced technologically, but they were far more advanced linguistically than any of us today!

Psychological warfare abounds.  But Hezekiah’s people are faithful.  They trust that their king and their God can deliver them.  Whereas Israel and Judah have fallen, they believe God can protect them.  He can.  He will.  We’ll see that part of the story over the next few days.

<>< 

Year 3, Day 19: Isaiah 35

Reversal In Themes

Yesterday we had a very grim perspective on life.  There wasn’t much joy in Isaiah 34.  There wasn’t much to celebrate.  There was an honest look at humanity and a challenge to seek the solution to humanity’s faults in God’s Word.

In Isaiah 35 we have a complete reversal.  Here we have plenty of things to celebrate.  Here we have an incredible picture of the restoration that comes after the time of trouble.  When viewed together, Isaiah 34-35 makes true the saying, “The night is always darkest before the dawn.”  {Which, of course, it isn’t.  But truisms don’t actually follow reality.  It is the symbolic meaning that makes a truism true.}

Isaiah tells us that this very land that yesterday was left for dead will now re-bloom.  What was once left for the habitation of wild animals shall be majestic once more.  That which had turned to pitch will once again have the refreshing streams that sustain life.  The glory and the majesty of the Lord will once more be able to be seen.

First: The Difference Is God

We should be careful not to miss the major point of change in the tone of these chapters.  Isaiah 34 focused on God’s wrath against humanity – especially against our brutality towards one another.  Isaiah 35 speaks of the peace and life that comes with the presence of the Lord.  The difference isn’t us, it is God.  It isn’t like human beings are going to get better on our own; the world changes because the Lord will come and be involved in it.  It is He who will come and save us.

Look at the beauty of verses 5-8, which directly follow the declaration of the salvation of the Lord.  Dry places will have sustaining water.  We who were once blind will see.  We who were once deaf will hear.  The lame will walk and the mute will speak.  Hopefully you are reminded of Jesus words in Matthew 11:1-6.  This points me to not just a physical and literal understanding of this passage but also a spiritual understanding of this passage that was made ultimately true when Jesus came.

Yesterday we heard that water would be turned to pitch.  What once had the capacity to sustain life would now inflame it and destroy it.  Today we hear that water will be restored to the land and that even the people within the land will be healed.  The difference is God.  When left to our own devices, human beings inflame and destroy.  But when God comes among us human beings can be changed.  We can be healed.  We can become a part of God’s healing process in others.  It is God – it is Christ! – that makes the difference.

Second: God Is The Doer

I love the imagery of verses 8-10.  When the Lord comes back to reveal His majesty and glory, a highway will be present.  God will make a way for His people to come to Him.  God will make a way for people to be righteous and to live out righteousness.  The ransomed ones shall return to the Lord and they shall know the way because God will have made that way possible!

Of course, there is a literal understanding here.  The Hebrew people will know captivity.  After their captivity, the way will be paved for the Hebrew people to return to Jerusalem and stay.  There is a literal remnant that will return.  In fact, they return in three stages.  Zerubbabel brings the first wave of remnant to rebuild the temple.  Several decades later Ezra brings a second wave to remind the Hebrew people in Jerusalem to stay faithful.  A few years after Ezra, Nehemiah brings a third wave to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem.  Literally a path back to Jerusalem is created for God’s righteous remnant.  God makes that path possible.

However, I believe there is a far greater spiritual understanding about this whole chapter.  When Jesus came, a path was made not just to Jerusalem but to the heavenly throne of God.  Through Jesus’ death on the cross we can know truth and peace.  Through Jesus, God has brought His glory and His righteousness to literally dwell within us.  God has made a way for His people to be truly His people.

And the unclean shall not walk upon it.  The way to the Father is through Christ.  The way through Christ is a way of cleanliness and forgiveness.  Those who truly walk the path that Christ has opened know righteousness, forgiveness, and cleanliness before God.  Thanks be to God!

<><