Isaiah 23
COMMENTARY:
: 1 “The burden against Tyre. Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no harbor; From the land of Cyprus it is revealed to them.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). שָׁדַד [shadad /shaw·dad/] – to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin, destroy, spoil.)
DEVOTION: Recently the entire world has been on edge as China adjusts its currency and lowers some economic projections. Every stock market and economic indicator has been jittery and nervous!
When the Phoenicians ruled the Mediterranean Sea every country profited from the merchandise they plied. Isaiah warns that this was coming to an end and that the countries would mourn and lament over the collapse of this trading empire.
Like the countries around the Mediterranean Sea at that time, today we depend and our economy is influenced by other countries and outside factors. Who are we depending upon? Difficult times will occur as governments and societal changes transpire. Christ warned that difficult times would happen and to be prepared. As changes develop we need to be reminded that Christ remains the same. He is our hope and comfort, our ever present source of strength and wisdom. He is the same today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow!
CHALLENGE: The world’s systems will fail and be re-designed but the Lord is constant and sure! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
: 9 The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth. (3289 “purposed” [ya‘ats] means to advise, to deliberate, give counsel, plan, determine, devise, or guide.)
DEVOTION: Here is a nation that is going to go out of existence for seventy years and then return to power. The LORD has a plan and is working HIS plan with every nation on the earth. No nation is free from HIS direction. HE allows things to happen but they are happening in a direction that HE has planned before the creation of the world. HE is never surprised by what happens.
This word is so important to our proper thinking concerning our God. This word is used of God throughout the Bible. HE has a plan that HE is working for the nation of Tyre. They are committing the sin of pride. The LORD hates pride. HE will judge pride. HE judged Satan when he thought that he could take the place of God in heaven. He took with him one third of the angels. They followed him because they thought he was a great leader. They were wrong and will pay for their decision for the rest of eternity. Angels thought they could fight against God. Nations think that they can fight against God. Nations think that they cause their own glory. The LORD shows them that HE is in control.
HE has a plan and is working HIS plan in our lives, our nation and the world. HE has a timetable. HE is never taken by surprise. HE is an omniscience or all- knowing God concerning past, present and future event.
Remember the God that we serve is awesome. We need to reverence HIM. We need to trust in HIM alone. Each time Isaiah mentions a nation trusting in themselves or Israel trusting in other nations, he tries to direct them back to the LORD.
It is our responsibility to direct those we talk to back to the LORD. Some of our family or friends are trying to do things on their own and failing. Our prayers and counsel is important to get them back on the right track of depending on the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Pride is dangerous. There is a good type of pride in our work or ministry. There is a bad type of pride where we think we are doing it on our own. Give God the glory for everything in your life.
: 11 HE stretched out HIS hand over the sea, HE shook the kingdoms: the LORD has given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof. (5186 “stretched out” [natah] means to thrust or extend out, spread out, to turn aside, turn aside, incline, bend , or to hold out.)
DEVOTION: The pride of Tyre was a sin that the LORD could not ignore. Pride is a sin that the LORD wants us to avoid in our life and in the life of a nation.
We are supposed to be dependent on the LORD and if we have pride we are depending our ourselves instead of the LORD.
There is a difference between having pride in our work and having pride in our abilities and not give credit to the LORD for HIM allowing us to have the ability. Too often we do a good work and then we think that we have done it in our own power without the help of the LORD.
Nations were guilty of this sin and even the children of Israel at times were guilty of this sin and today even those in local churches are guilty of this sin.
We tend to think if something is good and we can then have pride in ourselves rather than in the ability the LORD has blessed us with. We need to always give glory to the LORD for the things that we do because of the gifts HE has given us.
Pride is something that brings us all down at one time or another. We see our work and think that we have done it in our own power instead of giving the LORD praise for allowing us to have the gifts that we have to bring glory to HIS Name instead of ours.
God wants us to have a humble attitude toward ourselves and our work. If this is true than people will see our true worship of the LORD and the thankfulness we have toward HIM an want to become a follower of HIM like us.
CHALLENGE: This passage is talking about a heathen nation but the lesson is for us that are believers to give glory to the LORD for all our works and then HE can bless us more.
: 18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing. (5506 “merchandise” [cachorah] means profit, gain, business profit, or market.)
DEVOTION: We find that with God HE does what we could never figure out on our own. HE is going to cause a nation to stop making money because of pride. HE uses the nation of Assyrian to stop Tyre from doing any business for seventy years. They thought they had the world at their feet. They were wrong. The LORD corrected their thinking.
Now we have a verse that many commentators believe refer to the millennial period. It will be a time when Tyre will make money but it will be used for the benefit of those who serve the LORD.
Their money will be used to buy food and clothing for the servants of the LORD in Jerusalem. Why Jerusalem? It is because that is where the LORD Jesus Christ is going to reign during the millennial time period.
The LORD promises to take care of our every need. This promise will not end during the millennial time period. When HE makes a promise HE never stops keeping it.
Tyre counted on their wealth to keep them in good standing with the other nations. Their pride was in their wealth. We have to be warned that it is a trap that we can fall into as well. I know that most of those receiving these devotionals don’t have a lot of money but even a little money in this country is more that most of the world has. We have more possessions than most individuals even in this country. There are still children who don’t receive a meal every day.
We need to use our blessings to help those who have less. We are not to be enablers to those who don’t want to work but we need to help those who are trying to provide for their families.
CHALLENGE: Don’t depend on wealth to keep you in good standing with the LORD. Use your wealth to help someone this week that has a need.
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