Isaiah 33-35

Dear RTB’ers,

The STS introductory note is helpful for today’s reading – Isaiah 33 tells of Israel’s fear of the coming Assyrian invasion, then joy when the Assyrians are defeated, followed by another End Times prophecy in the second half of the chapter. Isaiah 34 gives us a picture of God’s judgment on Israel’s enemies, using Edom as an example. Finally, Isaiah 35 offers another future prophecy. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. (vv. 35:5-6a)

Some 700 years later Jesus is surely citing Isaiah when John the Baptist’s disciples ask Him if He is the Messiah: Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are you the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.” (Matthew 11:2-5) Note that Jesus offered even more than Isaiah had predicted! Seven centuries – that’s a long wait for that Messianic prophecy to be fulfilled. And now we’ve been waiting some twenty centuries for Jesus to return. Another long wait! Can we hold out a little longer…??

Blessings!

Isaiah 30:18-32:20

Dear RTB’ers,

A couple of happy chapters today… (Please forgive my informality!) But yes, the happiness begins early and continues through all three chapters: For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as He hears it, He answers you. (v. 30:19) During Isaiah’s day we saw Assyria massacred and turned back from their siege of Jerusalem. That is, much of what we read today could be then-current prophecies playing out: The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the voice of the LORD when He strikes with His rod. And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labor. (vv. 30:31, 31:8) But the glory of it all sounds to be too much for complete prophetic realization back then: Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the LORD binds up the brokenness of His people, and heals the wounds inflicted by His blow. (v. 30:26)

So read on today with joy in Israel back then and in our own future when Jesus, our King, returns! Enjoy today’s reading during this Advent season!

Blessings!

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See also: June 21 (2023) / Isaiah 22:15-25; Isaiah 30-32.

Isaiah 29:1-30:17

Dear RTB’ers,

God continues His warnings to Judah/Jerusalem in today’s first four verses, but then He seems to deliver them from their enemies in the rest of the chapter. See especially Isaiah 29:5-8. Two following verses are particularly confusing: Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, while their hearts are far from Me, and their fear of Me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people… (vv. 13-14a). The people are acting like they are worshiping, but their heart is not in it. Still, God says that He will do wonderful things with them. Confusing. God will do wonderful things even though the people are not genuine? Jesus quotes verse 13a in speaking of the Pharisees as hypocrites (and that makes sense), but He does not follow that up with the second verse above. So this pair of verses leaves me confused.

In chapter 30 God is warning His people not to go down to Egypt. This was a major item in Jeremiah’s life; he was warning the Jews with the same message, then he was himself taken to Egypt against his will. God’s word to Judah is clear: Egypt’s help is worthless and empty… (v. 30:7a) But the people refuse to listen: For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD… (v. 30:9) Still, He continues to offer them His help: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength… (v. 30:15b) Quietness and trust. A good word for us!

Blessings!

Dear RTB’ers,

Today we have God turning His judgment away from the “nations” and toward Ephraim/Israel (the first thirteen verses) and Judah (the next nine verses). God’s word to Ephraim is the harsher of the two; today’s “that day” (v. 5) seems to be the very near current times – they will be taken captive (Isaiah 28:13). Judah is only being warned.

Isaiah rails against drunkards in Israel, even the priest and the prophet (v. 7), and scoffers in Judah (Isaiah 28:14,22) who have made a “covenant with death/Sheol”. Is this covenant truly an expectation of their death, or is Isaiah referring to Judah’s attempts to raise neighboring allies against the Assyrian invasion? It’s interesting that, in spite of the peoples’ wrongdoings, God is still in the midst of both nations (Isaiah 28:5-6, 16-18). And that’s as true today as it was back then. I am troubled by sin and wickedness in the world today, especially in our own USA (and in my own heart!), but I know that our God is a loving, forgiving, merciful God. And as I’ve mentioned a number of times in the past few days, He will do what He will do.

Blessings!

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See also: June 16 (2023) / Isaiah 28-29; II Kings 17:5-41.

Isaiah 26-27

Dear RTB’ers,

More “in that day” references today – Isaiah 27:1; 26:1,2,12,13. To me the reference continues to be End Times; I don’t see that Isaiah’s prophecies have been fulfilled any time in Israel’s history to date. There have been periodic enemy defeats and exiles and returns, but nothing like all of Israel’s enemies being defeated. The closest these prophesies come to fulfillment (to me) is when the Israeli state was created in 1948 and many Jews returned to Palestine. But that was also the beginning of Arab uprisings against Israel.

Most of the content in today’s readings is uplifting for Israel – a lot of praise and thanksgiving. One verse in particular is often quoted (whole or just the first half): You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. (v. 26:3) Isaiah closes these four End Times chapters (24-27) with a solid prediction of what will happen “in that day”: And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain at Jerusalem. (v. 27:13) As the Lord wills, it will be done.

Blessings!

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See also: June 26 (2023) / Isaiah 25-27.

Isaiah 24-25

Dear RTB’ers,

The STS introduction tells us that in today’s and tomorrow’s readings we are looking at End Times prophecies by Isaiah. And what we read is scary in chapter 24, judgment on the whole earth (as the ESV header tells us), so scary that I don’t want to be around, even if I am one of those “redeemed” people who offers praise in Isaiah 24:14-16a and in Isaiah 25.

God will do what He will do: The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the LORD has spoken this word. The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken.…The wasted city is broken down; every house is shut up so that none can enter. …for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. (vv. 24:3, 19, 10, 5b) Yes, “judgment on the whole Earth.”

But chapter 25 offers a major shift – praise replaces the judgments of the preceding chapter. O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt You; I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. (v. 25:1) Isaiah gives a glorious picture of those End Times days: On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast… He will swallow up death forever; and the LORD God will wipe away tears from all faces… It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” (vv. 25:6a, 8a, 9)

So, I don’t want to be around for chapter 24, but I would love to be part of chapter 25! Thankfully, it’s not my call. God will do what He will do! Glory!!

Isaiah 22:15-23:18

Dear RTB’ers,

Footnotes and a commentary helped me to understand a bit more about the second half of chapter 22. The first half of the chapter was about Jerusalem and its people; the second half is about two leaders, Shebna and Eliakim. Surprisingly, we have met these two before, when Assyria was bent on taking Jerusalem: And the king of Assyria sent … the Rabshakeh with a great army … to Jerusalem. … And … there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder. (II Kings 18:17-18) Footnotes tell me that Shebna is a foreigner, not a Jew, but that he has a high position under King Hezekiah. In spite of him being a foreigner, he is planning for his own tomb on some hillside near Jerusalem. But the Lord has other plans for him; he will be cast aside, not even buried, and Eliakim will take his place. I am reminded of a proverb, “Man proposes, but God disposes.” This is actually the New Living Translation of Proverbs 19:21. Here is the ESV: Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. So Eliakim replaces Shebna and brings some measure of security to Jerusalem (Isaiah 22:20-23). Sadly, however, even that security will be undone (Isaiah 22:25). Man proposes, but God disposes.

More of the same in the next chapter, but in this case, Tyre proposes and God disposes. A better alternative for us: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

Blessings!

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See also: June 25 (2023) / Isaiah 22:1-14; Isaiah 23-24.

Isaiah 20:1-22:14

Dear RTB’ers,

Today’s chapter 20 is a follow-up, the climax to yesterday’s oracles against Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia) as they go off as captives, naked and shorn, to Assyria. Then in chapter 21 Isaiah speaks against Babylon, Edom, and Arabia before finishing with Jerusalem in chapter 22.

One verse stands out in chapter 21, the watchman speaking: Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground. (v. 21:9b) Although defeated for a time, Babylon will rise again as the instrument the Lord uses against Israel when they go into exile.

Finally, Isaiah focuses on Jerusalem and its people, chastising them for their futility in trying to defend themselves instead of relying on the Lord: In that day you looked to the weapons … You collected the waters … and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. You made a reservoir … But you did not look to Him who did it, or see Him who planned it long ago. (Isaiah 22:8b-11) Yet with all that, with defeat all but certain, the Jerusalem citizens partied instead of mourning their destruction: Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. (v. 22:13b) Does this verse sound familiar? It should. The apostle Paul quoted it, If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (I Corinthians 15:32b) If there is no afterlife, just enjoy the present life, live it up, folks!! … choose this day whom you will serve … But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15)

Blessings!

Isaiah 17-19

Dear RTB’ers,

Today, oracles against Damascus (Aram/Syria), Cush (Ethiopia), and Egypt. There’s a lot of history involved here, mainly aggression by Assyria that helps to explain the judgments against these nations. If you’ve been reading the “See also…” links from 2023, you see that The Chronological Bible has much of Isaiah interspersed with readings (and links) from history (especially II Kings) and from other prophets (especially Jeremiah, but also Ezekiel, Daniel, Amos, and Micah).

Another six “in that day” references in chapter 19, this one a day when Egypt, Israel, and Assyria all come together: In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth… (vv. 19:23-24a) Has that day come or are we still waiting for the End Times? I recall the Camp David Accords in 1978 when Jimmy Carter brought Egypt and Israel to the peace table, a treaty that still holds today in spite of the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. But the rest of the Arab world still seems to be united against Israel. So, still to come…?

One other verse struck me: And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and He will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them. (v. 19:22) I think it is often the case that the Lord tests us and then “heals” us so that we can return more faithfully to Him. He is a good God and we often simply don’t know what we don’t know.

Blessings!

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See also: June 20 (2023) / Isaiah 18-20; 15-16.