Isaiah 21
COMMENTARY:
: 4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. (2837 “pleasure” [chesheq] means desire, set one’s affections, be attached to, or love. Isaiah l liked to think about pleasant things.)
DEVOTION: This vision caused him to have a nightmare. There are two interpretations regarding the time period of this fall of Babylon.
Some think that it was pre- Belshazzar Babylon. It was a time before the fall of Assyria when the children of Israel were looking to the area of Babylon to make a deal them. However, the Assyria’s defeated this group. Again, Israel was hoping in another nation to save them instead of the LORD.
Others think this is the time period of Belshazzar when he was sitting at his banquet table and the Media-Persians came in to conquer the city of Babylon in Daniel’s time.
It seems to be the time period before Babylon became a world power. Assyria was the power that was able to defeat this Babylonian rebellion.
Whichever time period the people of God need to look to the LORD alone for help. Too often they continue to look in the wrong direction for deliverance.
The people around him were living as if nothing was going on. Isaiah knew differently. The enjoyable nighttime had turned on him. Judgment didn’t come easy to those to whom it was revealed. They were more interested in saving people, not condemning them.
Isaiah would like to say that other nations would be there to save them but he knew that it was not true. The people of God were not looking to the LORD and HE had to send judgment because of their sin.
When we look at our loved ones who haven’t followed Christ – what is our thoughts? Are they sad thoughts? Are there thoughts that we should try to witness to them? They should be.
Isaiah was a prophet who was warning Israel of coming judgment. We should be like Isaiah and warn those we love concerning the coming judgment that will last for eternity.
As we look at our world situation can we see the judgment of the LORD coming? Is HE sending us warnings that the time is short? Can we see how the prophecies in the book of Revelation can come true?
CHALLENGE: Are we setting our affections on the things of the LORD? If so, we have a message to share with everyone we love. Most are doing what is right in their own eyes. We need to enlighten them to what is in the eyes of the LORD.
: 6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees. (6822 “watchman” [tsaphah] means spy, keep watch, look out, observe attentively, keep guard, or to peer.)
DEVOTION: Some people are observant and others are not. My wife looks for how well places are remodeled. She has a good eye for detail. If the border is not level she will see it. If a painter hits places that are not to be painted, she notices.
Now when it comes to be and those details, I am not very observant. It is non-essential information. I observe things like details when I enter a church to see if it is user friendly. I listen to the messages of the pastors to see if they are Biblical. Those areas are important to me.
Isaiah was informing the people of Israel of visions he was having regarding the nations that were around them. He knew that some of the Israelites would rather trust in other nations rather than God. God knew these facts as well and gave Isaiah a message to give to the people.
He was a watchman while the people were eating and drinking and making merry as if nothing bad was going to happen to them. The LORD instructed Isaiah to set a look out person to inform the people what was coming toward them.
The observer was to look for chariots coming toward the city. He was to signal a warning if the enemy was approaching. The children of Israel thought they were protected from harm because of their alliances with other nations. They were wrong.
Are we being observant of what is happening around us? Are we taking life seriously? There our enemies in our world. They would like to see the church disappear from our world. They think that God is not real. They think we are foolish for believing in a God who has not showed up for over two thousand years.
The problem is that we have had individuals predict dates for the return of the LORD and it has not happened. Many cults have predicted things that have not happened. That makes those outside of Christ think that we don’t know what we are talking about.
Our responsibility is to look to the Word of God for the truth regarding the coming of the LORD and then look at society to see how close me might be to HIS coming.
It seems to many Biblical scholars that nothing has to really happen before HE can return. Our responsibility is to be prepared and warn those around us to be ready. Those who are observers of our times should be warning us regarding the truth of HIS return.
There also needs to be a warning regarding the teachings that are going on in many churches. There needs to be warning regarding what books are good for those who believe the Bible to read. There needs to be warnings regarding who believers should listen to on the radio and television. Does this mean that we are to be negative people? NO!! We need to be truthful and teach what is written in the Word of God and let individuals observe who they are listening, reading or talking too as to the reliability of their statements.
CHALLENGE: We are to be a guard over the hearts of those we minister to on a regular basis. If we present the truth regarding an issue we can trust the Holy Spirit to show the people we talk to that it is the truth that we are sharing.
: 6 “For thus has the LORD said to me: “Go, set a watchman, Let him declare what he sees.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). nagad /naw·gad/- to publish, declare, proclaim)
DEVOTION: Many people today place their hope and all their dreams in one basket. It may be the stock market or the assumption that an individual can secure for them the necessary elements to make their life successful or easier. Israel had done that with the nation of Babylon and they were so confident that this nation could stop the advance of the Assyrians. They anticipated the victory and even established a watch to announce if anyone came with news. Day after day the watchman waited and constantly kept watch until one day news arrived! Only, it was the wrong news and instead of rejoicing and celebration there was turmoil and confusion.
When we anticipate an unknown conclusion we must be prepared for either result, whether it be in our favor or against. Often though we convince ourselves that the Lord will give us an affirmative answer and so we expectantly wait.
The watchman is responsible for reporting what he sees not the anticipated result! He is faithful to the commission he is issued and reports only the facts. Faith removed, expectations detatched, emotionless the watchman must report the facts. Is the people of the city prepared? Are you prepared?
CHALLENGE: The watchman reports the facts, are you prepared for the unexpected? God’s word will inform us of the truth and will not swerve from the truth. It stills reminds us of sin and judgment; holiness and purity; eternal heaven and hell. The watchman will declare what he sees! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
: 10 O my threshing and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared to you. (5046 “declared” [nagad] means tell, show, utter, expound, report, to let something be known, inform, or to give evidence.)
DEVOTION: The LORD is declaring judgment on the nation of Israel because of their attitude toward HIM. HE wants the attitude to change and because of this HE is sending judgment for their own good.
How can judgment be for our own good? It is because sometimes that is the only way that the LORD gains our attention. We can just live day to day and really not realize that we are moving further away from the LORD in our daily activities.
The church today can have their programs and not realize that they are going through the motions but not really worshiping the LORD. Too often we can talk about the LORD without really talking to the LORD.
HE wants us to realize that we need to be not just talking about HIM but talking to HIM and listening when HE speaks back through HIS WORD the Bible. Many people who are believers can read the Bible each day and still not be truly worshiping the LORD.
Once we hear from the LORD we have to tell others what HE is saying to us and to fellow believers. We are prone to wander from faithful service to HIM because of the blessings HE gives us and sometimes we don’t realize that the blessings have stopped because we are not really hearing HIM anymore.
If we receive a message of the LORD we need to declare it to other believers to get their attention focused on HIM instead of ourselves and what we think we need instead of on HIM and what HE wants to be happening in our lives.
CHALLENGE: What are we focusing on today? Are we studying the Bible and still not listening to its message to us? Listen and move closer to the LORD instead of moving in our own direction.
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