Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows…well, perhaps, but The Shadow was a fictional character. God knows, and He is not fictional, no matter how much some people proclaim that He is. We may think we know that wickedness lurks in the hearts of certain people and not in the hearts of others. But we are generally mistaken. We do not truly know our own wickedness, let alone that of others. However, God knows the inmost thoughts of everyone and will give us the just reward for our thoughts and behaviors. Which should scare each and everyone of us! On the other hand, if we humbly throw ourselves upon His mercy, He will extend us that mercy.
God told Jeremiah to stop praying for the people of Judah, that they were too far gone in their sin to return to God before they suffered His judgement. Yet, Jeremiah still cried out for them and prayed to God. He did so because their prophets were telling them that they were doing nothing wrong, that if they continued to follow the path which they were following God would send them peace. Today we often see the same thing, false teachers proclaiming that God will send peace and prosperity to those who are sinning. There are two types of such prophets: those who preach “prosperity gospel” and those who preach acceptance of self-destructive behavior. The former teach that God will grant us material wealth. The latter teach that we can do whatever we like as long as we are “loving”. Neither group preaches God’s actual word. Some know they are lying and some of them failed to heed what God told Jeremiah later on in this passage.
Jeremiah complains to God about the persecution he is suffering and begs God for deliverance. God promises Jeremiah that He will indeed keep him safe. God told Jeremiah to speak God’s good words rather than worthless ones of those around him. In like manner we should seek to influence those who do not worship God (yet), but not allow them to influence us. As Paul says in Romans 12, let us not copy the behaviors of this world but let us be transformed by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of God.
I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I am on vacation from July 31 through today, but I did my Bible reading in advance so that I could continue to publish these every day.
Growing up, and even into my young adult years, I viewed passages like those in today’s reading where the prophets spoke against idols made by man as something to be read figuratively. However, in recent years I have come to know more and more people who are returning to worship of gods made by human hands. Some of them even view the gods they worship as being man-made. We should not allow ourselves to be drawn into their practices. None of those other gods can compare to God. God created the universe and all that is in it. The believers in those other gods make no such claim.
God sent Jeremiah to speak His message to people who did not want to hear it. Some of those to whom Jeremiah preached wished to silence him by killing him. We see the same thing today. Perhaps not yet to the point of seeking to kill those who truly preach God’s word, but strong efforts are under way to silence such voices. Those who sought Jeremiah’s death were from Anathoth, which was one of the Levitical Cities of Refuge and Jeremiah’s birthplace. A little further on God tells Jeremiah that his own brothers had turned against him. Since Jeremiah was a priest, his brothers also would have been priests. So, some of the religious leaders of the day were taking part in the attempt to silence Jeremiah because he spoke God’s word. Similar things happen today.
I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I am going to be on vacation through August 10th. I have prepared my daily Bible Studies for each day throughout that time in advance since I will have limited access to the Internet during this time. The timing on when I publish these blogs may be erratic during this time.
Today’s passage warns those who think that they are safe and secure. Those who believe they will never suffer any negative consequences for their sins. God does not tell us not to do certain things because He desires to limit our pleasure. God tells us not to certain things because those things damage us. Sometimes that damage is physical, sometimes it is mental or emotional, and sometimes it is spiritual. If we do any of the things which God has warned us against we bring damage on ourselves, even if we cannot see how. Further, these self-destructive behaviors which we call sins are cumulative, both within the individual and in society. The more sins you commit, the more each of those sins will damage you. The more people in society sin, the greater the breakdown of society. This will continue until an entire country becomes a wasteland.
Jeremiah speaks of the fact that people refuse to turn away from their self-destructive behavior. I see it all around me. I will use the discovery of AIDS in the 1980s as an example. Initially, it was seen as a disease which occurred in those who had homosexual sex. After a short time it was discovered that anyone who had sex with multiple partners was at risk (side-note: it is still more common among men who have sex with other men, but that is not relevant to my point). However, people rejected the idea as “old-fashioned” that one should not have multiple sexual partners. Those who held such ideas were often called “prudes” (and sometimes still are). People recognized that certain behaviors were self-destructive, but refused to give them up. Even many of those who claimed to teach God’s word twisted it so as to support this self-destructive behavior. Worse, some of those who proclaimed God’s warning against such behavior twisted God’s word so as to justify failing to show God’s love to those who suffered.
The example I gave is but one such example, and not even the worst. People commit sins and when they suffer the consequences refuse to change their behavior. They lie and cheat, and, when they are cheated and lied use it to justify more lying and cheating. God tells us that when we are cheated and lied to we should stand up for the truth. Our society believes in treating the symptoms rather than the disease. Those who point to the source of our problems is condemned as intolerant and hate-filled.
I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I am going to be on vacation through August 10th. I have prepared my daily Bible Studies for each day throughout that time in advance since I will have limited access to the Internet during this time. The timing on when I publish these blogs may be erratic during this time.
Reading Jeremiah frightens me, but it also gives me hope. The fear comes because Jeremiah’s prophecies started when Josiah was king and things seemed to be getting better. The hope comes from things like the start of today’s passage. The people of Judah could have returned to God and avoided the coming disaster. Even now, if the people would plow up the hard ground of their hearts and turn to God, He would forgive them and welcome them home..
Still, my fear persists. I see the signs of the coming storm which God will unleash on this land if its people continue to ignore His warnings. I read what Jeremiah says about the lack of honest people and see similar things in our society. People condemn their opponents for lying, then lie themselves when they perceive it as being to their advantage. The poor do it, the rich do it. Those without any power do it, those with great power do it. And everyone in between. God tells us to walk in the old, godly way, but no one today wants that road. They call that way “intolerant”, refusing to see where they path they choose instead actually leads. They want a “new” way and will not listen to anyone who tells them that the “new” way is not new.
I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I am going to be on vacation through August 10th. I have prepared my daily Bible Studies for each day throughout that time in advance since I will have limited access to the Internet during this time. The timing on when I publish these blogs may be erratic during this time.
Jeremiah’s prophecy today reminds me of the history of the United States. I want to be clear that I do not view the United States as God’s new “Chosen People”. I think that similar comparisons can be made of other people and nations. Jeremiah begins by speaking about how the Israelites loved and worshiped God as He led them through the wilderness. Yet soon began to stray to the worship of other gods. In the United States, before there was a United States, there was a great revival. However, it is not entirely accurate to call it a revival because few of the early settlers were particularly religious (there were some notable exceptions: the Puritans in Massachusetts, the Quakers and others in Pennsylvania, and a few other similar groups elsewhere, but before the “Great Awakening” most of those who lived in the Colonies had no use for God). That all changed with the Great Awakening. The Holy Spirit swept over the thirteen Colonies like a wild fire. Then came the conflict between the British and French colonists and the war which followed. Than, just as Jeremiah said of the Israelites, the settles did not ask, “Where is God?”, they asked, “Where is the government?” (in this case the British government).. There were similar revivals where the people of the United States turned to God in large numbers, only to a few years later look elsewhere for solutions to their problems.
I want to point out that Jeremiah began to prophecy while Josiah was king. Josiah was one of the kings of Judah who “did what was pleasing in God’s sight.” So, just because you attend Church regularly and worship God, does not mean that you are not one of those whom Jeremiah would accuse of idolatry. Where do YOU turn for solutions to the problems you see around you? Are you lobbying the government? Or, are you seeking to do God’s will?
I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I am going to be on vacation through August 10th. I have prepared my daily Bible Studies for each day throughout that time in advance since I will have limited access to the Internet during this time. The timing on when I publish these blogs may be erratic during this time.
When I read today’s passage I was struck by comparisons to society today. We are all sinners who continually sin (I want to note that there is an important distinction between “continually” and “continuously”). We try to cover our sins with righteous actions which do less to cover our sins than a dirty loincloth. Yet we spend our time calling out others for their sins. As a result, we suffer and our land heads toward desolation. For all of that, we rarely call out to God and plead for His mercy. Why not? Because we know what He will demand of us and we are unwilling to do it.
For all of that, God will save a small number, a remnant who will be called by His name. God will create a new heaven and a new earth where His servants will live in peace. Isaiah even tells us how to know who will be saved. Only those with a humble and contrite heart will be saved. Not long ago I came across a quote from Augustine of Hippo which carries much the same message.
“Let us never assume that if we live good lives we will be without sin; our lives should be praised only when we continue to beg for pardon. But men are hopeless creatures, and the less they concentrate on their own sins, the more interested they become in the sins of others. They seek to criticize, not to correct. Unable to excuse themselves, they are ready to accuse others.”
We need to focus on correcting the sin in our own lives more than the sins committed by others. Of course, one needs to remember that Isaiah tells us this as part of his prophecy calling people out for their sins. So it does not mean that we never confront others about the sins which they commit. It just means that we must do so while humbly admitting that we also are sinners.
I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I am going to be on vacation through August 10th. I have prepared my daily Bible Studies for each day throughout that time in advance since I will have limited access to the Internet during this time. The timing on when I publish these blogs may be erratic during this time. As I feared might happen, I was unable to get this published as soon as I would have liked. My apologies to anyone whose Bible study schedule was disrupted.
When I was growing up, from time to time my Dad would say that many of the Old Testament prophecies referred to more than one future event. That has always stuck with me and influenced my understanding of these prophecies because I believe that he was correct. For example the description in today’s passage about the ways in which the people of Israel will return to Jerusalem reminds me of modern Israel. The way in which Isaiah describes the Jewish people returning from all over the world, followed by his description of the economic success of the restored nation, strikes me as being fulfilled by the establishment of the modern state of Israel. But then Isaiah goes on to speak of them living in the land in peace and the parallels fall apart.
Then I get to the end of today’s passage where Isaiah refers to God bemoaning how the people of Israel betrayed Him time and again. This made me think of something one of my brothers says about Israel: since they returned from the Babylonian Exile the descendants of Jacob have never been sovereign over the Land of Israel for more than 100 consecutive years at a time. This leads me to believe that these prophecies of their return have been fulfilled more than once. Each time, the final fulfillment has been delayed because they have, like every other people, turned away from God to sin. However, the day will come when God’s people will not turn away from Him and He will finally bring them peace.
Today’s passage also contains the passage which Jesus used to announce the beginning of His ministry. Jesus declared that the Spirit of God was on Him to declare good news that the time of the Lord’s favor had come. Jesus stopped reading there, but the passage continued one more key line: the time of God’s favor was also the time of His vengeance. The Good News which Jesus gave us includes both God’s favor on the faithful and His vengeance against the wicked.
And speaking of God’s vengeance, Isaiah 63 verses 3 and following inspired the song “Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory”. That writer of that song saw fulfillment of God trampling His foes in the horrors of the Civil War. I believe that there use of those themes was more apt than the writer realized. Certainly, the Civil war can be aptly viewed as God trampling His foes and avenging the oppressed. The writer in my view inaccurately believed the Union Army to be doing the trampling for God, when in fact the Union Army was as much the subject of God’s trampling as the Confederate Army. The blood, death, and suffering of the Civil War was God’s punishment upon the people of the Untied States for allowing the injustice and oppression of the institution of slavery to go on as long as it did. This passage and that song remind us that while there is great joy when God takes His vengeance, it is also a time of great suffering. Let us pray that the day of God’s vengeance is delayed and that those whose actions bring it ever closer will repent and turn to God before that day arrives.
I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I am going to be on vacation through August 10th. I have prepared my daily Bible Studies for each day throughout that time in advance since I will have limited access to the Internet during this time. The timing on when I publish these blogs may be erratic during this time.
The prophet tells us, almost as an aside, that when the good die before what we would consider “their time”, God is protecting them from coming evil. Those of us who survive them should be more concerned about what God is leaving us to face than about grieving over those who will face no more suffering.
The rest of the passage contains messages about our sin and what true worship of God looks like. Attending Church every Sunday, singing the good songs, listening to sermons about the Bible do not compose true worship of God. No, true worship involves feeding the hungry, freeing the oppressed, and providing shelter for the homeless. There is nothing wrong with that first set of actions, but they will not bring us into a relationship with God unless we are doing the second set. Our sins cut us off from God.
OK, changing direction here a bit. Isaiah was explaining to the people of Jerusalem why bad things were happening to them, even during King Hezekiah’s reign. When people are more concerned with what is in it for them than in what is fair and honest, bad things will happen. As I read Isaiah’s condemnation of the people to whom I speaks, I see parallels to our society today. They worship idols, constantly seeking out new and different idols to satisfy their cravings. They sacrifice their children and demand the right to call on others to sacrifice theirs. They redefine “good” and call those who call people to righteous behavior evil. People pay lip service to God while refusing to listen to His commands. Yet, for all of our sin and rejection of God, He still offers us healing and salvation.
I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I am going to be on vacation through August 10th. I have prepared my daily Bible Studies for each day throughout that time in advance since I will have limited access to the Internet during this time. The timing on when I publish these blogs may be erratic during this time.
I have always seen the portion of this passage about the messenger who brings good news (chapter 52 verses 7-12) separated from the portion about the suffering servant (starting with verse 13 and continuing through the next chapter). However, as I read today I saw that the suffering servant was also the messenger who brings good news (chapter 53, verse 1). His suffering made it possible for us to be healed. He bore our sins so that we could be counted as righteous.
I love reading this whole passage. It is incredibly powerful. We separate it into parts because the prophet includes so much that we cannot possibly cover it all at once. Chapter 54 tells us the results of the actions of God’s suffering servant, the Messiah. Then chapter 55 explains the message which God’s servant brought and why He brought it. Jesus has invited all to come and drink of the Water of Life. God’s thoughts are not like our thoughts. Stop trying to put Him in a box. Stop trying to take God’s words and use them for our ends. Isaiah tells us that God’s words accomplish God’s purpose, every time, all of the time. I just wrote that we should stop trying to use God’s words for our selfish ends. I meant that, but for our own sake, not for the sake of those who hear us. We are the ones who suffer for misusing God’s words. When we speak God’s words ,even if we have distorted them, they accomplish God’s purpose.
Isaiah tells us to be accepting of everyone who commits themselves to God, because God has already done so. God calls us to be just and fair to everyone, to always do what is right and good. If we reject any one who has committed themselves to God, we reject God. There was so much more I wanted to say about this passage, but it just is not coming out. Well, I wrote of how God’s words accomplish His purpose. So, read the words He gave the prophet Isaiah and see the power they possess.
