Bible Reading Reflection from Isaiah 24-39

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (FG), a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟚𝟜:𝟙𝟝

"Therefore glorify the LORD in the east, The name of the LORD, the God of Israel, In the coastlands of the sea."

Another chapter of Judgement against the wicked. And there's a call to glorify God. No matter what the circumstances are, man must live for the glory of God who created him!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟚𝟝:𝟙

"O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness."

Chapter 25 is the good news of God's favor upon those who worship God. Notice the last line of v1. It's a plan formed long ago. God is in complete control of every event of history. He is in detail as well!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟚𝟞:𝟙𝟟

"As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth, She writhes and cries out in her labor pains, Thus were we before You, O LORD."

A great insightful chapter! Found many verses to reflect upon, but this verse stands out among all!

Most of us do not know the pain of birth and will never know, but it's clear that the metaphor used here is to express the pain before God. And their cries were in vain. Have we ever wept before God in pain? Have we panted for God as the deer panted for water? Have our prayers, cries, tears reached heaven's door?

Perhaps, if we were God, we would never answer or like the prayers we normally say. Improve your prayer life! Learn to lay forth your pain, desires, and suffering before God!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟚𝟟

“In that day . . .” v1, 2, 8, 12, 13, (the first 2 verses and the last 2 verses and then in the middle). It will come. God's people always live in anticipation of the future days to come.

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟚𝟠:𝟙𝟛

"And the word of the Lord will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

The word of God to the scornful sounds so simple like a nursery rhyme. It is insulting and offensive to them as if they are taught to repeat the song "A-B-C-D..." Paul called them "professing to be wise they became fools." Sinners are arrogant ignorant fools, no exception, all sinners!

Good News Translation has this for v9-10:

"They complain about me. They say, ‘Who does that man think he's teaching? Who needs his message? It's only good for babies that have just stopped nursing! He is trying to teach us letter by letter, line by line, lesson by lesson.’"

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟚𝟡:𝟚𝟜

"Those who err in mind will know the truth, And those who criticize will accept instruction."

Weeping for Jerusalem is recorded often in the Bible even by Lord Jesus Christ. Here's prophet Isaiah with great sorrow and compassion.

But then it ended with the hope of promise. And how wonderful is that!? That people will be spiritual, to know good and evil. Not only to know but to be able to discern between them and to follow the truth.

Now, Blessed is a man who discerns and listens to the truth!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟘:𝟟

"Egypt's help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her ‘Rahab who sits still.’"

The people of God had the habit of relying on Egypt again and again in times of adversity, be it famine, war, or threat! God commanded them to trust Him with promises of protection, preservation, and prosperity. But their sins made them doubt the promise of God and they often came up with their own strategy—to go to Egypt.

Whenever you put your trust in anything other than God, remember to use the metaphor of Egypt.

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟙:𝟙

"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!"

Trouble comes that people may acknowledge that there is a God in heaven. The sooner the better it is!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟚:𝟡

"Rise up, you women who are at ease, And hear my voice; Give ear to my word, You complacent daughters."

This chapter has an exhortation for women. Three times it is addressed to daughters (v9-11). And it is said that they are complacent. Complacency is a vice; Diligence is a virtue!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟛:𝟚

"O LORD, be gracious to us; we 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕐𝕠𝕦. Be their strength every morning, Our salvation also in the time of distress."

In this world suffering, poverty, evil, and pain will always be there. But the real people of God learn to wait on God. Sinners grumble and bark like dogs in trouble. Saints humble themselves and mourn like doves [Matthew Henry]. They look for the grace of God.

It's God who sent the Chaldean. It's God who sends the Taliban. It's God who sends coronavirus. It's God who can deliver, and deliverance is not from allies or weapons or wit. Deliverance is through calling upon the grace of God.

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟜:𝟙𝟞

"Seek from the book of the LORD, and read: Not one of these will be missing; None will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, And His Spirit has gathered them."

As it was told to them, so it is to us. God's word shall come to pass!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟝:𝟟

"The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes."

A wonderful list of what will happen on that day, a future reign of Messiah. v7 looks refreshing, especially this summer! It's really cool! 😎

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟞:𝟞, 𝟙𝟚

"Behold, you rely on the staff of this crushed reed, even on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him."

Look at the taunting of Rabshakeh. A master-level insult, huh! If you want to insult people, learn from this guy! It also confirmed what God had been telling them. Not to rely on Egypt but on God.

Or look at this verse 12:  "But Rabshakeh said, "Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?"

Aram mei guai rui sachui hian kum the mei tun tho: "Ka ba se raotu khang mak mei" tuna sabam meita... 😂

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟟:𝟚𝟠

"But I know your sitting down And your going out and your coming in And your raging against Me."

God knows and prepares the wicked for the day of their destruction. There's no running away from God. Indeed, the Assyrians, though they have successfully invaded Samaria and the northern kingdom (Israel), couldn't invade the southern kingdom, Judah. It was the Babylonians. And the Babylonians wiped out the Assyrians as well!

And under Nebuchadnezzar, some citizens of Judah were allowed to live in Jerusalem, the remnants. And God preserved them. Even after the cessation of kings in the promised land, and though they were taken to captivity, God preserved them, and eventually, Messiah was born, the descendant of David and Abraham in Judah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟠:𝟙𝟜

"Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter; I moan like a dove; My eyes look wistfully to the heights; O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security."

Wow! So, who is the founder of Twitter? Who was the first human to ever tweet? It's not Jack Dorsey, it's Hezekiah! 😂

Hezekiah's prayer was sincere, and God had mercy upon Him!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟡:𝟚

"Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and his whole armory and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them."

Hezekiah was proud. He wanted to show off! And as the Scriptures say, "Pride goes before destruction" Proverbs 16:18.

Well, this verse doesn't mean we should never let others see our property or glory. But it just summarizes Hezekiah wasn't really a great king. Even when he was indicted, he was happy that it won't happen in his lifetime. Very irresponsible and selfish in a sense!