I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 57-59.

Isaiah condemns those who mock both God and those who worship Him while worshiping their idols with great passion.  I see a connection with those in today’s society who have made a sacrament out of abortion while laughing at those who follow the traditional practices of Christianity.  Isaiah refers to how they keep seeking after new and different idols, yet refuse to consider God when their idols fail them.  And yet I also see a warning to those who have continued to worship God when Isaiah tells us to clear the road for their return.  We must seek out what obstacles we have placed in the way of those who may turn back to God.  Each of us must examine our lives to see if there is something we have done, or are doing, which presents an obstacle to others turning back to God.  If we find such a thing in our lives, we must immediately remove it, we must humbly seek God and change so that He can call the sinners back to Himself.

We must examine ourselves to see if we are the ones to whom Isaiah is referring when he talks of those who act pious, but are not.  When we follow the traditional practices of Christians, are we doing so in order to serve God?  Or, are we merely putting on a show for those around us?  Do we do the things which God commands in order to demonstrate God’s love? Or, are we seeking to be honored by others?  Rather than seeking honor for our piety, let us be humble and contrite about our sins.  Then, and only then, God will forgive us, welcome us, and bless us.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 52-56.

I love today’s passage.  It contains many elements which are preached and written about often, but usually as individual themes.  For me we start with verses which declare praise to God, and to God’s messenger.  How lovely are those who bring the news that God reigns!  That transitions right into what is often called the “Suffering Servant” prophecy, a prophecy which is an amazingly close portrayal of Jesus’ trial, execution, and burial.  Isaiah describes how He was unjustly condemned by everyone, including us.  Isaiah described how His guilt was assumed by those who were truly guilty of the sins of which He was accused should serve as an object lesson for us.  Isaiah is describing a phenomena known as projection, wherein someone sees someone else as being guilty of the wrongs which they themselves have committed.

I am not quite sure how the verses between Isaiah’s description of the Suffering Servant and his description of God’s bounty in Chapter 55 connects to those two sections, but its placement means that it is connected.  We start today’s passage with the messenger and then in Chapter 55 we have the message: “Come and drink, even if you have no money!”  God invites everyone to come and enjoy His bounty.  And this is where it gets complicated.  God’s thoughts are not like our thoughts, so we should not be surprised that we do not understand what He is doing.  However, we can be sure that God’s words will accomplish what He intends.  It will not fail to produce the fruit which God sent it forth to produce.  Share God’s love with those around you, even when you don’t understand why you should.  Share the words God gives you, even when you do not understand what they mean.  One of the things Isaiah says here is both a message we should heed and a message we should share: Seek the Lord while He can be found.  The time is coming when we will no longer have that opportunity.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 48-51.

Today’s passage contains a Messianic prophecy, much of it can be seen as applying to Jesus.  However, elements of it may apply to Cyrus the Persian and other elements could apply to Isaiah himself.  And in some ways this prophecy contains directions for those who choose to follow the Messiah.  The place I want to start at in this is chapter 49 verse 4:

But my work seems so useless!
I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.
Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand;
I will trust God for my reward.

My first thought on that is that it seems so accurately to sum up Jesus’ ministry on earth.  He spent three years teaching, never traveled more than 100 miles from where He grew up, and left behind a few hundred followers, at most.  Yet, 100 years later His name was spoken and His teachings followed as far away as India, Ethiopia, and Spain by large numbers of people.  In a similar way, we should not view our success or failure by how rich or influential we become in our lifetime.  Let us do as God teaches us and follow the paths to which He leads us, then leave the results to God.

Later, Isaiah tells us that God’s Law will be proclaimed and His Justice will become a light to all nations.  If we have allowed God to teach us right from wrong we need not fear the scorn of others.  If we determine to do His will we will not be disgraced.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 43-47.

In yesterday’s passage, Isaiah declared that God, and God alone, was able to tell us what would happen in the distant future.  In today’s passage Isaiah predicts the return of the descendants of Jacob to Jerusalem and the surrounding lands.  They would be brought back to the land which God promised their ancestors from the ends of the earth.  Certainly, this prophecy was fulfilled when the Exiles returned under Cyrus and his successors.  Yet, my impression is that only a small percentage of the Jews living throughout the world returned during that time.  The Book of Esther recounts large communities living in many cities throughout the Persian Empire.  But today we see what appears to be a different story.  There are only a few nations outside of modern Israel with large Jewish populations.  Who would have predicted that 200 years ago on any basis other than a belief that this prophecy would come true once again?

Isaiah tells us that Cyrus was God’s chosen one even though Cyrus did not know who God was. God used Cyrus despite the fact that Cyrus did not worship Him, or even acknowledge His existence.  God used Cyrus for His own purposes.  Isaiah tells us that God acted despite the failure of the people of Israel to ask for His help.  Further Isaiah tells us that God will bring this same salvation to all of the people of the world.  God will do all of these things so that we may know that He is God, and there is none other like Him.  God declared these things before the entire world for all to see.  God does not issue His commands and prophecies in secret to a select few.  He declares them for all to see and know.  The Lord wants everyone to know that He is God and there is none other like Him.

I want to add on that this passage can be hard to read, but it is worth the effort.  There are many other points made here than I can cover in this short blog.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 39-42.

The verse where Isaiah refers to a voice crying to make a straight path through the wilderness for the Lord is a prophecy which John the Baptist applied to himself.  However, it is part of a command for us.  We too should be shouting for all the world to hear that God is coming, both as Savior and as Judge.  He will provide water to the needy in a parched land.  He will also confuse and humiliate those who oppose and oppress His people.  Let us not be afraid to tell people that God is coming, both as an invitation and as a warning: a warning to the wicked, an invitation to the weak and lonely.  And remember that for most people our announcement should be both a warning and an invitation.

Further, our announcement should server to show people that God is different from the gods made by humans.  God is not just an idea which people created to ease their fear of the dark and unknown.  God revealed long ago many things which have since happened, and has revealed things which are still to come.  He shows His power so that we can know that He is real.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 36-38.

This is the third account of the Assyrian invasion of Judah which we read in the Bible.  All three accounts contain the same elements. I love reading this story again despite having written about it twice already this year.  Ultimately, the story boils down to the Assyrians telling the people of Jerusalem that nothing can save them from the Assyrians; King Hezekiah could not even find enough men to mount the King of Assyria’s spare warhorses.  As for God saving them, don’t be ridiculous, had any other nation’s gods been able to save them?  There was nothing the people of Jerusalem and Judah could do, they might as well surrender!

How often have we found ourselves in such a situation?  There is nothing within our power that can get us out of a terrible situation and no one to whom we can turn.  But that is exactly the situation in which God shows His power.  There existed no power on earth which could stop the King of Assyria from conquering Jerusalem.  Yet, Isaiah told King Hezekiah that not only would the King of Assyria not conquer Jerusalem, he would not even lay siege to it.  So, what happened?  Something went through the Assyrian camp and killed a large part of the Assyrian army in a single night and the King of Assyria marched home without laying siege to Jerusalem.  King Hezekiah turned to God in his time of trouble, when he had no earthly hope of avoiding defeat.  When you know that you cannot do it on your own, turn to God and He will rescue you.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 32-35.

Today’s passage describes how to build the ideal society and promises that God will one day implement such a society.  To get there we must stop calling the ungodly heroes and stop giving respect to scoundrels.  Speak the truth in public so that everyone with ears can hear it and act in the open so everyone with eyes can see what you do.  Then we will see that righteousness brings peace.

Isaiah tells us that before God brings about the above kingdom, or perhaps, as He brings it about, He will send judgement and punishment upon those who do evil against His people.  In some ways this reads as a prophecy regarding the End Times, but I think it is more a prophecy about troubled times which come again and again throughout history when Mankind rebels against God.  I see it fulfilled in the world today.  Looking around it is easy to echo the question asked here: “Who can survive this all-consuming fire?”  The answer given in this passage is always timely when such a question becomes common.  Those who are honest and fair, and who refuse to profit from fraud, will have nothing to fear when such times come.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 29-31.

Isaiah warns that sorrow will soon befall those who think that they can hide their evil plans from God,. They foolishly think that they can ignore God’s commands, but God is their Creator and can see what they think is hidden.  Further, Isaiah tells us that when God’s judgement comes on those people the deaf will hear and the blind will see.  It really seems to me that Isaiah is telling those in positions of power that the evil deeds which they think they have hidden away from the common people will soon be revealed.  The elites believe that they have hidden their crimes and evil actions from the common man so that they will never be exposed, but Isaiah tells us that such belief is foolish.  Their evil behavior is known to God, and He will reveal it for all of the world to see.

I am not sure what the connection is between this next section and the one I discussed in the previous paragraph.  Isaiah warns the people that sorrow awaits those who make plans contrary to God’s plans.  He refers to the alliance against Assyria which Judah entered into with Egypt, but such plans happen time and again through history.  Judah entered into that alliance without consulting God before doing so.  Isaiah tells them on behalf of God that they will get nothing in return for the gold they sent to Egypt.  I am reminded of the political alliance which politically active conservative Christians attempted to enter into with the Muslim community in the late 1990s.  Their logic was impeccable, but had two fatal flaws.  God does not call Christians to stop others from sinning.  He calls on them to be transformed by the Holy Spirit to stop sinning themselves, and then to witness to others how that transformation has made their lives better.  God does not desire for us to change people’s actions by changing the laws.  He calls on us to change people’s actions by transforming their hearts (or, more precisely, He calls on us to act as agents of His Holy Spirit, and He will transform their hearts).  Even today, too many Christians seek to change this country by changing its government instead of by transforming the hearts of its people.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 26-28.

As I read today’s passage I found myself thinking that I would have trouble writing today’s blog because it seemed so focused on the Israel and Judah of Isaiah’s time.  Then I came to this:

“Who does the Lord think we are?” they ask. “Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned? He tells us everything over and over— one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!”

The prophet followed that up by saying that as a result God had to speak to them through foreign oppressors.  God had given us a message of peace and rest, but we would not listen, so he had to spell it out for us again, as one does for young children.  This makes me think of those who dismiss the Bible because they claim its moral code is too simplistic, that things are not as “black and white” as the Bible portrays.  Those that come after them discover that the more “complex” moral code they sought to implement relied on God’s “simplistic” one.

Isaiah goes on to address the elites who think that they have a way to avoid the destruction which they themselves are fomenting.  They think that they can fool people and events with their lies and deception.  The elites have made a deal which they think will protect them from the chaos.  They think they can harness that chaos and destruction for their own benefit.  God has canceled their deal, or, more precisely, He will reveal that a deal based on lies and deception is not really a deal in the first place.  The elites will discover that when you reject the foundation of law and justice there is no justice, or even safety, to be found anywhere.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 22-25.

I was struck by how the passage seems appropriate for now when I came to where Isaiah wrote

You say, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

That is so close to what I have heard many people say.  They often think they are quoting the Bible to support their actions, when in fact every time the Bible says something which can be paraphrased that way it is condemning those who say it.  Here, Isaiah tells us that God had called those to whom he was speaking to weep and mourn, to show remorse for their sins.  With that thought I went back over what came before.  Isaiah wrote that the leaders had fled, or surrendered without resistance.  How close this seems to reflect the cities where rioters and looters are allowed to run wild with no interference from those who sought out the job of maintaining order in those cities.  However, it is worth noting that Isaiah also condemns those who “stood in the breach”, who attempted to restore order with weapons and fortifications.  Isaiah condemns them because they do not consult the One who planned all of this long ago and set it in motion now.

In the face of what is happening let us ask the One who rules all for help.  Instead of feasting and drinking, let us fast and pray to God, repenting of our sins.  Our lives have been turned upside down, but instead of turning to God, we seek to return to our lives as they were.