Isaiah 13
COMMENTARY:
: 2 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ”The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).(Salvation – יְשׁוּעָה [yâshuwʿah /yesh·oo·aw/] n f. Passive participle of 3467; TWOT 929b; GK 3802; 78 occurrences; AV translates as “salvation” 65 times, “help” four times, “deliverance” three times, “health” three times, “save” once, “saving” once, and “welfare” once. 1 salvation, deliverance. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995).
DEVOTION: Jah, Jehovah. The repetition of the name denotes emphasis, and the unchangeableness of God’s character. The refrain in Isaiah 12:2—“The Lord, even Jehovah, is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation”—was sung at the Exodus (Ex. 15:2) and at the rededication of the temple in Ezra’s day (Ps. 118:14). It was sung by the Red Sea after the Jews had been delivered from Egypt by Moses, a prophet. It was sung in Jerusalem when the second temple was dedicated under the leadership of Ezra, a priest. It will be sung again when the Jewish nation accepts Jesus Christ as its King. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Comforted, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 41.)
As the nation of Israel rejoices that their God is present with them, so the believer today is assured of the continual presence of the Lord in their lives as well. Jesus made the claim and promise that the Holy Spirit would come and abide with the believers (Jn. 14-16). Paul states that the Holy Spirit has sealed us and this guarantee is our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. (Eph. 1:13-14). While the Israelites could look at specific historical points to rejoice in we as believers can look to the inward work of the Holy Spirit daily to enable us to rejoice! He is our continual source of strength and joy, may we sing a song of gladness and worship to Him!
APPLICATION: Take a moment to reflect upon what the Lord has given you strength to accomplish today! Each day is a challenge and He is there to assist and strengthen the weak and feeble handed! Rejoice! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
: 3 I have commanded MY sanctified ones, I have also called MY mighty ones for MINE anger, even them that rejoice in MY HIGNESS. (6942 “sanctified ones” [qadash] means a person consecrated to God for a particular purpose, be set apart, removed from common use, be dedicated, or soldiers whom I myself have inaugurated for war.)
DEVOTION: The LORD can set apart anyone or any group for HIS use to accomplish HIS purpose in this world. Here we find that the LORD selected a nation that were not HIS followers to judge the children of Israel because of their sins.
The children of Israel were not listening to the LORD. HE had sent HIS prophets to warn them but they didn’t care and did what they wanted. It took the LORD a long time to give HIS people, Israel, a chance to repent but they would not. HE sent HIS judgment to cause them to realize that HE wanted a holy people who would listen to HIM.
Today we find that many people who claim to be believers are saying things that are not found in the Bible. They are misusing the Bible to teach what they want the people to believe rather than what it genuinely teaches.
This happened in Israel when the religious leaders were more concerned for themselves than they were to speak for the LORD and warn the people of judgement. There were only a few that were willing to stand before the people and warn them of coming judgment.
Isaiah was one of these men. He gave the people the message of the LORD and didn’t care what the leaders would do to HIM. HE wanted the children of Israel to repent and return to following the LORD.
Again, today we need pastors and leaders who will stand up for the LORD and not just entertain those who come int the church building but those who would genuinely repent of their sins and go out and reach people with the message of salvation.
Here God is using an unsaved nation to judge the children of Israel. In our time we are not sure who the LORD will use to judge but we know that the message in many churches is not the message of the LORD.
Today’s believers are not challenged to reach their neighbor and friends for the LORD. They are not being challenged to change their lifestyle to one that is pleasing to the LORD. Many pastors are like the false prophets of old that just tickled the ears of those attending their church, so that, they could spread false teachings and not challenge them to genuinely follow the LORD.
God is still using unsaved people to challenge those who claim to be HIS follower but they are NOT! God used unsaved nations to judge Israel and HE is still using the unsaved individuals to challenge false churches and false bible teachers in many nations to get the attention of those who genuinely want to hear the truth of the Word of God.
We need pastors and teachers who are willing to challenge those they teach to dig into the Word of God and accept the challenge of reaching our world for Jesus Christ no matter the cost.
CHALLENGE: Stop tickling the ears of those attending church and give them the truth of their responsibility to witness to those in their world with the true message of salvation presented by Jesus Christ.
: 6 Howl you; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. (7706 “Almighty” [shadday] means Shaddai, most powerful, a title for the true God, often with the focus on the power to complete promises of blessings and prosperity.)
DEVOTION: The LORD used Babylon to judge the children of Israel because of their lack of repentance. HE communicated with king Nebuchadnezzar regarding who was in control of the world. Nebuchadnezzar learned the hard way that the LORD was in control. The LORD is long-suffering. The LORD is not willing that any should perish. HE wants to let the world understand that they are not in control HE is. HE judged Babylon for their actions.
However, when HIS long-suffering comes to an end – there is judgment. Babylon will be judged for the treatment of the children of Israel. The LORD’S wrath will cause this judgment to come. The LORD calls those who execute HIS judgment – HIS sanctified ones.
HE chose the Medes to be the ones who would destroy the kingdom of Babylon. The Medes were a cruel people who didn’t care about getting paid off to not invade the land. When the invasion was complete, wild animals would only inhabit the land of Babylon. The beautiful houses would be the dwelling place of owls.
Why would the LORD allow this to happen? The reason is found in verse eleven. The people of Babylon were sinners. They were arrogant in their sin. They thought they would never be conquered. The LORD showed them who was in control of the world.
Too often nations think that they can look up to heaven and tell God HE is not in control. They think that everything they have done has been under their own power. They think that they don’t need to answer to the Creator of the world. They are wrong.
Nations rise and fall by the power of the LORD. Leaders are set up by the LORD and taken down by the LORD. Judgment is coming on any nation that does not honor the LORD.
God’s people need to pray for revival. God’s people need to be excited about witnessing for the LORD. HIS plan is the only plan that is going to work. Is the church reaching her world for the LORD? Time is short!!!
CHALLENGE: Each generation has to honor the LORD with their actions. Are you honoring the LORD with your attitude and actions? Remember judgment begins at the house of the LORD.
: 11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. (1346 “haughtiness” [ga’avah] means majesty, pride, loftiness, or conceit.)
DEVOTION: In the first Psalm in the book of Psalms we find that there is a regression with those who are not followers of the LORD. They start out walking with those who are not followers of the LORD. Then they stand around with those who don’t love the LORD. Finally, they sit down with them.
Our world is evil. It has been evil since the fall. It seems that it is getting worse but Solomon says that there is nothing new under the sun. There might be different ways to sin but the root of each sin is the same.
Those who love sin seem to get arrogant about their ability to sin. They also seem to feel proud that they are bad sinners. I have tried to witness to individuals who think that they don’t have to answer to God and can do as they please. They think that I am foolish.
Throughout the Word of God there is a warning that sin is going to be punished because God is HOLY. The Bible also teaches that God is LOVE. Which attribute wins? BOTH!!! Yes, God is a loving God and showed it by sending HIS Son to die on the cross for the sins of the world. There was enough blood shed on the cross for everyone to be allowed into heaven. The problem is that God requires repentance. If a sinner chooses not to repent he will spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. That shows the LOVE of God. The HOLINESS is shown by a time of final judgment for those outside of Christ. Those without Christ in their life don’t have the blood to stand between them and judgment, so they are judging themselves by rejection. LOVE only WINS through the blood of Christ accepted through repentance.
Get the message straight because there are false teachers in some churches that think they can teach falsehood and if it is taught long enough it will be believed. The problem is that it is true. People would rather believe a lie that makes them feel good then the truth that they have to act on.
CHALLENGE: Understand the message of the LORD and teach it to others. If you don’t understand ask someone who genuinely teaches the truth of the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will guide you in all truth.
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