Psalm 73:16-28 Desiring the Strength of Our Heart
21 For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart. 22 I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you. 23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand. 24 You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth whom I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you. 28 But it is good for me to come close to God. I have made the Lord Yahweh my refuge, that I may tell of all your works."
Observations: 73:1-20 See post on 1Samuel 8 for vv 1-20, in which the psalmist laments the prosperity of the wicked, thinking the present is the future. A trip to God's sanctuary to understand His purposes restores perspective.
73:21-28 When the psalmist lost sight of God's just promises, he grieved over the prosperity of the wicked, but a restored perspective put gladness in his heart. An awareness of the benefits of a close relationship with God caused him to desire God more than anything else. God strengthens his heart and guides those who seek Him to glory, but destroys the unfaithful. Therefore he makes God his refuge and tells of all that God does for him.
Application: God guides us with his counsel so we can get glory (verse 24); so pay attention to His word every day.
Prayer: God thanks that You want me to walk closely with You so You can strengthen and guide me, and then I can tell others of how great You are. Amen.
Proverbs 19:4-9 False Witnesses and False Friends
Pr 19:4 “Wealth adds many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend. 5 A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free. 6 Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. 7 All the relatives of the poor shun him: how much more do his friends avoid him! He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone. 8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good. 9 A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish."
Observations: People usually lie for their benefit, to either avoid punishment or gain temporal good (status, power, pleasure, possessions). Eventually it will backfire. The first half of Jeremiah 9 warns of the consequences of lying, one of which is alienation from God, and consequent punishment by God. Wealth gains similar benefits as lying, but again, the gain (friends and favor) is temporary. Wisdom, on the other hand is an enduring good, the better pursuit. A false friend looks to people rather than God for favor, a breach of fidelity with God.
Application: Get and keep wisdom if you want true riches and true friends.
Prayer: Just God, You said You'd punish false witnesses and false friends; thank You for being the One who meets my needs. Amen.
Isaiah 13–16 Chapters 13-23 announce a series of ten visions of God's judgments upon Israel's prideful enemies, beginning with Babylon, the capital of the Assyrian Empire (the current threat). If God is going to destroy Israel's neighbors/enemies, it makes no sense to trust in them rather than Yahweh. Interspersed are encouragements to trust God. If the judgments come true, then so will the promised blessings. The chapters in this post are pretty depressing, presenting the judgments of the Day of the Lord, in which He pours out wrath upon sin. The fall from heaven of the power behind the Babylonian throne, Satan, is mentioned in Isaiah 14.
Isaiah 13 Bye-Bye Babylon
Observations: 13:1-16 Isaiah sees the devastating destruction of Babylon in the Day of the Lord/Yahweh, when He pours out His wrath upon sinners, without mercy. Note that this is future predictive prophecy. There are some “scholars” who deny that Isaiah wrote chapters 40-66 because they don't believe prophets can know the future, but will grant that Isaiah wrote these predictive prophesies. Silly “scholars”; everyone knows prophets are for prophecy. The Day of the Lord is the Day when God intervenes supernaturally to judge, and is used to apply to a number of events in history (e.g., Amos 5:20, Obadiah 15, Joel 1:15, 3:14, Zephaniah 1:14-18, Ezekiel 13:5, 30:3, etc.), or the Tribulation (Joel 2:28-3:2), and culminating with the destruction of the earth (2 Corinthians 1:14 and Jude 1:6, 2Peter 3:10). References to the Day of the Lord's judgment can be a short term sample of the future total destruction.
13:17-22 God would stir up the Medes (ancient Iranians), to destroy Babylon like Sodom and Gomorrah. The proud world capital will be rubbish. The Medes united with the Babylonians to destroy the Assyrian Empire in 609 BC. Then the Medes joined with the Persians to destroy Babylon in 539 BC (Daniel 5:31), under Darius.
Application: God eventually devastatingly judges proud sinners, but takes care of the humble.
Prayer: God, may I be humble and hidden in the day of Your wrath. Amen.
Isaiah 14 Israel Rises, Satan Falls
14:1 For Yahweh will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land. The foreigner will join himself with them, and they will unite with the house of Jacob. 2 The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in Yahweh’s land for servants and for handmaids. They will take as captives those whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. 3 It will happen in the day that Yahweh will give you rest from your sorrow, from your trouble, and from the hard service in which you were made to serve,
4 that you will take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the oppressor has ceased! The golden city has ceased!" 5 Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, 6 who struck the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained. 7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet. They break out song. 8 Yes, the fir trees rejoice with you, with the cedars of Lebanon, saying, "Since you are humbled, no lumberjack has come up against us." 12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north! 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!" 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, "Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms; 17 who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities; who didn’t release his prisoners to their home?" 18 All the kings of the nations, sleep in glory, everyone in his own house. 19 But you are cast away from your tomb like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, who are thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit; like a dead body trodden under foot. 20 You will not join them in burial, because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. The seed of evildoers will not be named forever. 21 Prepare for slaughter of his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities. 22 "I will rise up against them," says Yahweh of Hosts, "and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son’s son," says Yahweh. 23 "I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water. I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," says Yahweh of Hosts.
24 Yahweh of Hosts has sworn, saying, "Surely, as I have thought, so shall it happen; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: 25 that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and tread him under foot on my mountains. Then his yoke will leave them, and his burden leave their shoulders. 26 This is the plan that is determined for the whole earth. This is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. 27 For Yahweh of Hosts has planned, and who can stop it? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?" 28 This burden was in the year that king Ahaz died. 29 Don’t rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent’s root an adder will emerge, and his fruit will be a fiery flying serpent. 30 The firstborn of the poor will eat, and the needy will lie down in safety; and I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant will be killed. 31 Howl, gate! Cry, city! You are melted away, Philistia, all of you; for smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32 What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That Yahweh has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people will take refuge.
Observations: 14:1-3 A brief message of hope and encouragement is sandwiched between the doom and gloom. If the doom occurs as predicted, then Judah can take comfort in the hope materializing. They will rule over their oppressors. This hasn't happened yet.
14:4-24 Isaiah prophesies against the king of Babylon, and then the power behind the king, Satan. Most Ancient Near Eastern kings were considered to rule as the territorial god's agent, doing his will. The five “I will” statements emphasize the self-will of Satan seeking to be exalted like God, for which he was cast from the heights of heaven to the pit of the earth. Then Isaiah returns to the king of Babylon, who will die in disgrace, and his offspring, slain, because of his wickedness. God used him to judge His people, but that doesn't exempt him from the requirement to be righteous.
14:25-32 The Philistines are next on the list of Israel's enemies to be judged, so it would not be wise for Israel to seek refuge with them, instead of trusting Yahweh.
Application: It is better to seek to be Christlike than Godlike, to serve rather than rule (Mk 10:45).
1Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.
Prayer: God, I will do Your will, and trust You to exalt me in due time. Amen.
Isaiah 15 Mourning For Moab
6 For the waters of Nimrim will be desolate; for the grass has withered away, the tender grass fails, there is no green thing. 7 Therefore they will carry away the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have stored up, over the brook of the willows. 8 For the cry has gone around the borders of Moab; its wailing to Eglaim, and its wailing to Beer Elim. 9 For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; for I will bring yet more on Dimon, a lion on those of Moab who escape, and on the remnant of the land.
Isaiah 16 More Mourning For Moab
16:1 Send the lambs for the ruler of the land from Selah to the wilderness, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion. 2 For it will be that as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so will the daughters of Moab be at the fords of the Arnon. 3 Give counsel! Execute justice! Make your shade like the night in the midst of the noonday! Hide the outcasts! Don’t betray the fugitive! 4 Let my outcasts dwell with you! As for Moab, be a hiding place for him from the face of the destroyer. For the extortioner is brought to nothing. Destruction ceases. The oppressors are consumed out of the land. 5 A throne will be established in hesed/loyal covenantal love. One will sit on it in truth/faithfulness, in the tent of David, judging, seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness.
6 We have heard of the pride of Moab, that he is very proud; even of his arrogance, his pride, and his wrath. His boastings are nothing. 7 Therefore Moab will wail for Moab. Everyone will wail...8 For the fields of Heshbon languish with the vine of Sibmah. The lords of the nations have broken down its choice branches...9 Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah. I will water you with my tears, Heshbon, and Elealeh: for on your summer fruits and on your harvest the battle shout has fallen. 10 Gladness is taken away, and joy out of the fruitful field; and in the vineyards there will be no singing, neither joyful noise. Nobody will tread out wine in the presses. I have made the shouting stop. 12 It will happen that when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, and comes to his sanctuary to pray, that he will not prevail. 13 This is the word that Yahweh spoke concerning Moab in time past. 14 But now Yahweh has spoken, saying, "Within three years, as a worker bound by contract would count them, the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt, with all his great multitude; and the remnant will be very small and feeble."
Observations: 15:1-9 Moab will be overthrown suddenly, both people and land, and an attack lion will chase down any survivors. It's not a good place for Israel to place her trust.
16:1-5 Even in the midst of judgment, when oppressors are oppressed and consumed, God will remember His promise to David (2Sam 7). God will establish a king on David's throne, who will care for Israel (probably a reference to the Messiah), ruling in righteousness and justice, the characteristics required in chapter 1, giving a reason to trust in Yahweh.
16:6-14 For having pride like Babylon, Moab will be brought down. Praying to pagan gods won't save them either.
Application: God will bring down those who pridefully oppose Him, but He will remember His promises to those who please Him.
Prayer: God, I recognize that You totally wipe out the joy of those who oppose You, so may I find my joy in pleasing You every day. Amen.
Digging Deeper:
God in a nutshell: God raises up individuals and nations to accomplish His purposes in judging sin, and then wipes out those He uses when they are prideful. He remembers His promises to His people even in the midst of judging them. The intermediate “days of the Lord,” when He pours out His judgment on proud sinners, are devastating, but pale in comparison to The Day of the Lord that is coming at the end of the age.
Us in a nutshell: In light of God's overwhelming judgments upon all that opposes Him, it makes a lot of sense for us to humbly trust Him exclusively, so we don't suffer the consequences of the proud.
Where to Go for More:
Truthbase.net
Isaiah complete text
Isaiah 13
13:1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw: 2 Set up a banner on the bare mountain! Lift up your voice to them! Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones. 4 The noise of a multitude is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Yahweh of Hosts is mustering the army for the battle. 5 They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Yahweh, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
6 Wail; for the day of Yahweh is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore all hands will be feeble, and everyone’s heart will melt. 8 They will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labour. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame. 9 Behold, the day of Yahweh comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy its sinners out of it. 10 For the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. 11 I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make people more rare than fine gold, even a person than the pure gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place in the wrath of Yahweh of Hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. 14 It will happen that like a hunted gazelle, and like sheep that no one gathers, they will each turn to their own people, and will each flee to their own land. 15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through. Everyone who is captured will fall by the sword. 16 Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be ransacked, and their wives raped. 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it. 18 Their bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare children.
19 Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It will never be inhabited, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither will shepherds make their flocks lie down there. 21 But wild animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will frolic there. 22 Wolves will cry in their castles, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.
Isaiah 14
14:1 For Yahweh will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land. The foreigner will join himself with them, and they will unite with the house of Jacob. 2 The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in Yahweh’s land for servants and for handmaids. They will take as captives those whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. 3 It will happen in the day that Yahweh will give you rest from your sorrow, from your trouble, and from the hard service in which you were made to serve,
4 that you will take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the oppressor has ceased! The golden city has ceased!" 5 Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of the rulers, 6 who struck the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained. 7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet. They break out song. 8 Yes, the fir trees rejoice with you, with the cedars of Lebanon, saying, "Since you are humbled, no lumberjack has come up against us." 9 Sheol from beneath has moved for you to meet you at your coming. It stirs up the dead for you, even all the rulers of the earth. It has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. 10 They all will answer and ask you, "Have you also become as weak as we are? Have you become like us?" 11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, with the sound of your stringed instruments. Maggots are spread out under you, and worms cover you. 12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north! 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!" 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, "Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms; 17 who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities; who didn’t release his prisoners to their home?" 18 All the kings of the nations, sleep in glory, everyone in his own house. 19 But you are cast away from your tomb like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, who are thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit; like a dead body trodden under foot. 20 You will not join them in burial, because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. The seed of evildoers will not be named forever. 21 Prepare for slaughter of his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities. 22 "I will rise up against them," says Yahweh of Hosts, "and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son’s son," says Yahweh. 23 "I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water. I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," says Yahweh of Hosts.
24 Yahweh of Hosts has sworn, saying, "Surely, as I have thought, so shall it happen; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: 25 that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and tread him under foot on my mountains. Then his yoke will leave them, and his burden leave their shoulders. 26 This is the plan that is determined for the whole earth. This is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. 27 For Yahweh of Hosts has planned, and who can stop it? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?" 28 This burden was in the year that king Ahaz died. 29 Don’t rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent’s root an adder will emerge, and his fruit will be a fiery flying serpent. 30 The firstborn of the poor will eat, and the needy will lie down in safety; and I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant will be killed. 31 Howl, gate! Cry, city! You are melted away, Philistia, all of you; for smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32 What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That Yahweh has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people will take refuge.
Isaiah 15
15:1 The burden of Moab: for in a night, Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nothing; for in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nothing. 2 They have gone up to Bayith, and to Dibon, to the high places, to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and over Medeba. Baldness is on all of their heads. Every beard is cut off. 3 In their streets, they clothe themselves in sackcloth. In their streets and on their housetops, everyone wails, weeping abundantly. 4 Heshbon cries out with Elealeh. Their voice is heard even to Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud. Their souls tremble within them. 5 My heart cries out for Moab! Her nobles flee to Zoar, to Eglath Shelishiyah; for they go up by the ascent of Luhith with weeping; for in the way of Horonaim, they raise up a cry of destruction.
6 For the waters of Nimrim will be desolate; for the grass has withered away, the tender grass fails, there is no green thing. 7 Therefore they will carry away the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have stored up, over the brook of the willows. 8 For the cry has gone around the borders of Moab; its wailing to Eglaim, and its wailing to Beer Elim. 9 For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; for I will bring yet more on Dimon, a lion on those of Moab who escape, and on the remnant of the land.
Isaiah 16
16:1 Send the lambs for the ruler of the land from Selah to the wilderness, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion. 2 For it will be that as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so will the daughters of Moab be at the fords of the Arnon. 3 Give counsel! Execute justice! Make your shade like the night in the midst of the noonday! Hide the outcasts! Don’t betray the fugitive! 4 Let my outcasts dwell with you! As for Moab, be a hiding place for him from the face of the destroyer. For the extortioner is brought to nothing. Destruction ceases. The oppressors are consumed out of the land. 5 A throne will be established in loving kindness. One will sit on it in truth, in the tent of David, judging, seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness.
6 We have heard of the pride of Moab, that he is very proud; even of his arrogance, his pride, and his wrath. His boastings are nothing. 7 Therefore Moab will wail for Moab. Everyone will wail. You will mourn for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth, utterly stricken. 8 For the fields of Heshbon languish with the vine of Sibmah. The lords of the nations have broken down its choice branches, which reached even to Jazer, which wandered into the wilderness. Its shoots were spread abroad. They passed over the sea. 9 Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah. I will water you with my tears, Heshbon, and Elealeh: for on your summer fruits and on your harvest the battle shout has fallen. 10 Gladness is taken away, and joy out of the fruitful field; and in the vineyards there will be no singing, neither joyful noise. Nobody will tread out wine in the presses. I have made the shouting stop. 11 Therefore my heart sounds like a harp for Moab, and my inward parts for Kir Heres. 12 It will happen that when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, and comes to his sanctuary to pray, that he will not prevail. 13 This is the word that Yahweh spoke concerning Moab in time past. 14 But now Yahweh has spoken, saying, "Within three years, as a worker bound by contract would count them, the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt, with all his great multitude; and the remnant will be very small and feeble."
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