You Turn Things Upside Down!
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Isaiah
28.
An Expository Study of Isaiah, Chapter 29
Let me summarize five general characteristics that we
have come to recognize in studying the book of Isaiah:
1. It is a book of repetition. God knows who He is
dealing with… that is, forgetful human beings… and therefore, He goes over the
same principles of truth again and again.
2. It is a poetical book, full of symbols, analogies,
axioms and even song, appealing to the inner man, as well as the intellect, in
order that the truth should penetrate deeper.
3. As in all Scripture, it is a book that reveals the
person and character of God. This book has a central theme, which concentrates
on the holiness of God. Therefore it promises judgment and retribution to the
nations for their sin, and punishment to Israel for its rebellion against Him.
4, It is a book about God’s salvation. In it, God
clearly demonstrates his unwavering and undying care for His people. He will defend
them against their enemies and bring about their deliverance. Again and again,
we also see Him reaching out to His enemies and offering them the opportunity
of a future with Him and His people. Ultimately, He promises eternal salvation.
5. It is a book of prophecy. Some of the prophecy will
shortly come to pass, especially that regarding Assyria. Others reach forward
to the rise and fall of Babylon. There is a wealth of Messianic prophecy
pointing to the advent, the birth, the ministry, the purpose, the death and the
reign of the Messiah. It prophecies of the mercy of God to the Gentile nations.
It points to the Tribulation and often to the Millennium, which follows.
And then it takes us on into eternity, telling of the total destruction of the
present world and the new heaven and earth.
Falsehood and Farming
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Isaiah
27. An expository study of Isaiah, chapter 28
We study together the inspired word of Isaiah,
trusting that the Holy Spirit will open our understanding to be able to see the
revelation of God Himself. That is our main purpose, as we contemplate these
chapters and verses. In the last chapter, I personally rejoiced to read of his
double invitation to His enemies to make peace with Him. What does it tell us
about His character? He is a God, who passionately loves and reaches out to
those who are farthest from Him.
I also was enchanted by a statement that showed His
individual attention to each one of His people. It tells me that He is the God
of the individual and not simply One, who has a mass project in mind. We also
must recognize and accept the truth about this one God being a God of warfare,
who brings every enemy into subjection through the sword of His word. There is
only one true and living God, He is revealed in His word, and we must
completely form our concept of Him by that word. Not only should we accept this
revelation, but we ought to rejoice in it, knowing that there is nothing in Him
that is not righteous and good.
God’s
accurate assessment of man’s condition
Now we turn our attention to the northern kingdom of
Israel and its capital city of Samaria. A “woe”,
that is, a curse, has been pronounced against it. The fall of the kingdom was
an actual event within the period of Isaiah’s ministry, so this prophecy is
very near completion. Ephraim is the dominant tribe of the north and we are to
understand that it represents the ten tribes that make up this nation. “The proud crown” in verse 1 is the capital city of Samaria. By now
we should be familiar with the fact that a city is a representation of the
pride of its people.
That Great Harvest Day
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Isaiah
26. An expository study of Isaiah, chapter 27
We gather close around the prophet, when he speaks of
the people of the Lord. We learn of the relationship with those that He has
chosen to be a light to the entire world. Here He comes out of hiding and best
reveals Himself. That is what we consider in this chapter.
The time is always important to observe, so that we
can have understanding as to the application of the Scripture that we are
studying. It is especially evident in this chapter, where “in that day” is mentioned from the first verse, repeated in verse
2, then “in days to come” in verse
6, and again “in that day” in verses
12 and 13.
We have to look back to see what is meant by that day. It was expressed in a song
from the beginning of chapter 26, a future song reserved for that day. This chapter is a continuation
of 24, 25 and 26. It describes a time when Jerusalem is at peace and a
righteous nation inhabits it. It is a day of growth for that nation, its
borders stretching out to embark more territory, and the Lord will be glorified
in it. It is a time of national resurrection and it can certainly be concluded
that this day takes place in the end of time.
Who Planned This?
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personal testimonies
Nothing has to go as planned... Camp director, Ionut Lerca, at Teen Ranch in Lepsa, Romania, has been trying to put a camp together for families who meet annually. He started with plans to get families together in July, then saw that more people would be free in August. Again, it seemed that July would be best after all.
A Last-day Song
Labels:
Isaiah
25.
An expository study of Isaiah, chapter 26
Remember that the original document of Isaiah, true of
all Scripture, had no chapter or verse divisions. They have been added to
facilitate reading, but often there are thoughts in a particular chapter that
are joined to the ones before and after. At the beginning of chapter 25, we
were reading of cities as the highest work of men’s pride and ambition. We took
the classic example of Nebuchadnezzar, boasting from the rooftop of his palace,
overlooking Babylon. The last verse of the chapter spoke of the walls of Moab,
symbol of its pride and skill.
The
Millennial City
There is a future song to be sung in the land of
Judah, concerning its capital city, which is, in fact, the capital of the
millennial world. “That day”, often
refers to the millennial Day of the Lord. What follows are the lyrics of the
song and it is about a very special city. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob could not settle down in
their earthly inheritance of Canaan, because, as Isaiah, God had given Abraham
a vision of a finer city. He taught his offspring the superiority of the coming
world, to the degree that they lived in their promised land in tents, as
strangers and pilgrims (Heb.11:13). They set the example for us of the proper
mindset of God’s people.
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