I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
Isaiah prophesied that destruction and tribulation would come upon Egypt. Those who advise the rulers of Egypt would give advice that was wrong and foolish. Isaiah further prophesied that five cities in Egypt (at that time cities exerted control over the region surrounding them, so this would mean five regions of Egypt) would follow the Lord and ally with Israel (almost to the point of becoming one nation with Israel). Isaiah told us that God would strike Egypt, which would cause the people of that land to turn to the Lord and follow Him. When they turned to follow Him, God would heal them. In that day, Isaiah told us, there would be a road from Egypt to Assyria and the people would move back and forth on it freely. He wrote that Assyria and Egypt would be allied with Israel. This reads to me that these three would be formed into a confederation, or possibly a single nation. Reading this passage, Isaiah seems to be saying that the day will come when the Middle East will be united in worship of God.
This prophecy may have been fulfilled in the time period of the Early Church, before the rise of Islam. But as I read it, I cannot help but think that God is telling us that there will be a day like this in the future. There is one thing that this prophecy makes clear to me, the only path to peace in the Middle East is through Divine intervention and by God’s grace drawing the people of the region to unite in worship of Him.
Isaiah next prophesied concerning the fall of Babylon. His prophecy bears a great resemblance to what we are told actually happened in the Book of Daniel and in other historical records. This passage has often been seen as a warning to those nations which become complacent in their might and power. The Babylonian elites became arrogant and confident that no one could penetrate their city walls. However, God had other plans and Cyrus devised a plan that let him take advantage of their complacency.
Paul wrote that when he went to Jerusalem after completing his first missionary journey he spoke with the leaders of the Church there. He explained to them in detail what he had been preaching to the Gentiles. Paul was concerned that the message he had been preaching might be deficient in some manner. He was not impressed by the reputations of the leaders, but he recognized the value of comparing his understanding of God’s word with his fellow believers. Paul claimed that the whole incident only occurred because some false believers had joined the Church in order to take away the freedom of belief in Christ and replace it with slavery to the Law. Paul went on to write that the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem added nothing to the message he was preaching. This means that Paul had arrived at the same Gospel through direct revelation and studying Scripture that they had been taught by Jesus.
Paul then told of a time when Peter came to Antioch. When Peter first arrived, he ate with the Gentiles, just as Paul did. However, when some Jewish believers arrived from Jerusalem Peter started taking his meals separate from the Gentiles according to traditional Jewish practice. Paul confronted Peter over his hypocrisy for pretending to follow Jewish custom in front of other Jews, when he lived otherwise in their absence. Paul pointed out to Peter that both men knew that they were made right with God by faith in Jesus, not by obeying the Law. No one is ever justified before God by their own works.
The psalmist calls on God to rescue him from his enemies. However, he asks that God not kill them because people too quickly forget such lessons. Instead, he asks that God allow them to be destroyed by the words they speak (which they think no one who will hold them accountable has heard). The psalmist tells us that his enemies come out at night and scavenge like wild dogs. However, he rises in the morning with a song of praise for the Lord on his lips. Yes, I will strive for this:
But as for me, I will sing about your power.
Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
The proverb writer advises us that parents who truly love their children will discipline them. He points out that it may sometimes be necessary to impose physical discipline to teach a child to avoid behavior that might lead to their death.