(For some reason the spell check isn't working...I'm afraid you are just going to have to enjoy my creative spelling)
It's a new year, but seeing as we have not finished the great work of Isaiah are not moving on to a new book. We are however, skipping ahead just a tad.
Maybe it's my 27 years of wisdom or the fact that I am turning into my mother but New years is hardly ever a happy time anymore. I can't stop myself from thinking, what crap is going to hit the fan this time around.
I know this is not a good attitude, and the past week while I have been battling these thoughts the Lord has pushed me past, "In this world you will have trouble" to "take heart, for I have overcome the world". So I believe that it is perfectly fitting to skip forward to Isaiah chapter 40. Where the setement is the same, "Take heart for our God is always greater than our ciurcomstances and our fears."
Isaiah chapter 40
Step one: Think about the horrible things you fear...take an honest look at the nightmares you drum up in your mind on a daily baisis. I won't throw out any here because I don't want to make generic shalow examples that we can all relate to an therefore give us all an excuse to ignore to real deep personal ones.
Once you have noted some of these demons in your closet open up the word of God and turn to Isaiah chapter 40. Read through the chapter slowly considering all the claims that Isaiah makes about God. He is the one encthrowned above the circle of the earth, and it's people are like grasshoppers.(40:22) He does not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.(40:28)
What Judah needed was a good old reminder of how Awesome their God was. They also needed to be reminded that although he was awesome, he is also personal. He is ready to give strength to those who put their hope in Him. They did not know what tomorrow would bring but they did know that they would not be alone.
Now that you have some time for the warm fuzzies it's time to get down to buisness.
The next two chapters continue to talk about God's character and the peoples sin/chooseness/createdness. Despite the clear representation of God's people as complet failuress as far as the law is concerned Isaiah paints a picture of who they are as the redemmed. God's faithfulness is a clear theme but so is his might and ultimate power over creation. (One thing to note is all of the refences to creation and the fact that his people are a part of it.)
I don't strugle with the mightness of God as much as I used to. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom..He is not a tame Lion...I get it. :) But reading through these chapters this week and studying the pictures of God's people as a part of creation I was suprised at how I don't think about myself that way. Not that I don't understand that I was created by God...but I don't really factor that into my identity. I feel because we people all have souls and we were made in his image that we are seperate from that ultimate plan for everything that he had before he spoke the world into existance. By seperating myself and making myself more importaint than a noraml part of creation I take me out of the comfort of his soverignty.
I am not really explaining this all so well, so I am going to lead you in the direction of the scrpture give you some questions to answer and I will see you, my fellow created beings on Thursday. :)
Try to take the time to read through 40-43. I know a lot of these chapters we have read a millon times but try to read them with fresh eyes.
1.Find five verses that create pictures of who God is.
2. Is there anything that you have read that scares you more than comforts you?
3. Throughout the passage there are several references to reasons for God's mercy on his people. There is a clear understanding that the people the people were created by Him for HIS glory and because of his mercy they would be his "witnesses".
a. What refrences do you find that talk about why God created his people?
b. After so many amazing pictures of the mightness of God, what does it mean to you that you are part of His creation?
c. Does the fact that you are God's creation created for his glory make you feel differently about the worries you have about the future?
I'll close with a good one for the new year. See you Thursday.
"Forget the former things, do not dwell in the past.
See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not precieve it?>
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." 43:19
Monday, January 3, 2011
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Isaiah 11--My Heart Will Go On
I’m not going to lie. I loved Titanic. I still get a little shmoopy when I hear My Heart Will Go On. One of my favorite scenes is when Jack is dining in first-class with Rose’s entourage and the unsinkable Molly Brown. He gives this little speech:
I mean, I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's gonna happen or, who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count. Then they all raise a toast "to making it count." *sigh*
Movies, books, music—they inundate us with the idea that we need to make every moment count because this is all we get. You will never be younger, freer, more alive than you are right now, so go ride a bull! And, I admit, I’m easily seduced by this way of thinking. I get caught up in this world and I forget that God promised a new Earth, a better Earth, and that I have citizenship in that kingdom.
Isaiah 11 describes the new order that the Messiah will put in place. First, politics will change. The strong trees of leadership will be sawed down, a tender sprig will sprout up, and this little Branch will rule us all. The weak will rule over the strong. The humble will dethrone the proud.
Nature will change. We have many good mothers in our group who cringe at the thought of their sons sticking their hands in a snake’s nest, but on the new Earth, nature will be back in balance. We won’t fear shark attacks or spider bites or, gulp, birds touching our hair. We’ll live in harmony with nature the way God originally intended.
And that’s what hits me—we aren’t living as God intended. We take for granted that deer will dart in front of our cars and that politicians are not trustworthy. We only know the ways of this world and we don’t have enough of an appetite for the next one.
But God promises us a better world, one with a ruler who is infinitely loving and reliable. One who cared enough about this broken world to come down and do something about it.
I told you all last week that I love finding places in the Old Testament where God shows His plan for the Gentiles (aka, you and me). In Romans 15:12, Paul quotes Isaiah 10,
12 And again, Isaiah says,
“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”
Are we hoping in Him? Are we hoping in the One who, 700 years before Christ came to Earth, prophesied about saving us? Are we hoping in the One who, 2000 years before we came to Earth, was raised on a cross to save us? Are we living for the moment, or are we living for eternity?
Questions:
How does our American ideal of “making it count” contrast with living from an eternal perspective?
How does Jesus exemplify a person who was living for eternity? What do we see Him doing that we can apply to our lives?
What are you most excited to experience in the new Earth?
I mean, I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's gonna happen or, who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count. Then they all raise a toast "to making it count." *sigh*
Movies, books, music—they inundate us with the idea that we need to make every moment count because this is all we get. You will never be younger, freer, more alive than you are right now, so go ride a bull! And, I admit, I’m easily seduced by this way of thinking. I get caught up in this world and I forget that God promised a new Earth, a better Earth, and that I have citizenship in that kingdom.
Isaiah 11 describes the new order that the Messiah will put in place. First, politics will change. The strong trees of leadership will be sawed down, a tender sprig will sprout up, and this little Branch will rule us all. The weak will rule over the strong. The humble will dethrone the proud.
Nature will change. We have many good mothers in our group who cringe at the thought of their sons sticking their hands in a snake’s nest, but on the new Earth, nature will be back in balance. We won’t fear shark attacks or spider bites or, gulp, birds touching our hair. We’ll live in harmony with nature the way God originally intended.
And that’s what hits me—we aren’t living as God intended. We take for granted that deer will dart in front of our cars and that politicians are not trustworthy. We only know the ways of this world and we don’t have enough of an appetite for the next one.
But God promises us a better world, one with a ruler who is infinitely loving and reliable. One who cared enough about this broken world to come down and do something about it.
I told you all last week that I love finding places in the Old Testament where God shows His plan for the Gentiles (aka, you and me). In Romans 15:12, Paul quotes Isaiah 10,
12 And again, Isaiah says,
“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”
Are we hoping in Him? Are we hoping in the One who, 700 years before Christ came to Earth, prophesied about saving us? Are we hoping in the One who, 2000 years before we came to Earth, was raised on a cross to save us? Are we living for the moment, or are we living for eternity?
Questions:
How does our American ideal of “making it count” contrast with living from an eternal perspective?
How does Jesus exemplify a person who was living for eternity? What do we see Him doing that we can apply to our lives?
What are you most excited to experience in the new Earth?
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
A writer's heart
In Frederick Buechner’s sermon The Good Book as a Good Book, (from the compilation of his sermons entitled A Life in Sermons), he writes:
God is not to be seen in space because in space he is not seeable any more than in La Comédie Humaine Balzac is seeable. But he can be heard. God’s words can be heard because words move forward not through space through time, and although time cannot be inhabited by eternity, it can be impinged upon by eternity the way the horizontal can be impinged upon by the vertical. God is known in the Bible as he speaks—speaks to an thorough the prophets and patriarchs, the priests and poets, speaks through the mighty acts he works both in the history of Israel and in the small histories of men and women when their ears and lives are in some measure attuned to him, or sometimes even when they are not. The Bible is the Word of God—the word about God and God’s word about himself—and it is also the endless words of God, the unanticipatable and elusive self-disclosures of God to countless numbers of people through the medium of what in Hebrew is called dabhar, which means both word and deed—the word that is also a deed because it makes things happen, and the deed that is also a word because, through it, is revealed meaning.
This is one of many ways in this sermon Buechner brings to light the impressive, (though that is barely expressive enough), artistry of the Bible. It is good literature for it is both intriguing and ambiguous while at the same time accessible and clear. In Isaiah 18 it is possible to get lost in the vagueness—“I will remain quiet… like shimmering heat in the sunshine. (18.4)” Nonetheless, the message is clear enough: The LORD is coming and he will have all peoples at his feet.
Isaiah 18 follows a laundry list of “prophecies against” in which Isaiah makes clear the war path God is preparing to march on. Mighty nations are prophesied to blow away “like chaff” and “tumbleweed”. Cush I found, after substantial digging, is an Ehtiopian nation. They are known by their relationship to this nation of “people tall and smooth-skinned” which is universally feared and apparently unfamiliar, as their speech is “strange”. Cush, it seems, relies on these fearsome warriors and, I would imagine, takes comfort in the fact that these alien allies strike fear in their opponents. The LORD will have none of this arrogant reliance upon fearsome humans. He is, after all, more fearsome than them all. Nonetheless, He waits.
Wesley comments on verse 18.4, in which God’s presence is compared to “shimmering heat” and a “cloud of dew”. Wesley notes that both of these atmospheric qualities incite growth, so God is not inhibiting the growth of these nations, but watching as quietly as dew and as stealthily as sunshine as his creation grows… and then he cuts them down.
What fascinates me is the beauty in this passage. The poetic qualities, the metaphor and rhythm and the glorious denouement of gifts being brought to the glorified LORD, it is all so perfectly scripted to bring you to the edge of your seat with anticipation at what this lion-like God will do.
I, for one, do not appreciate the craftsmanship of the Bible often enough. I read it as a duty and as an obedient saint, but often not to get lost in its story. This passage reminds me of the artist’s heart of our LORD and helps me understand what it is about Him that is irresistible.
Follow up questions:
1. When you read the part, which in the NIV reads, “All you people of the world… (18.3),” are you roped in? Have you fully accepted that this passage is not just for Cush, but for you as well? Do you recognize your part in the unfolding plot? What is it?
2. Why does God wait until “the flower becomes a ripening grape” (18.5) to cut off the shoots, to prune them? What is the significance of His waiting? Do we dare guess what He was waiting for?
3. The people “tall and smooth skinned” are not well defined in commentaries other than having some kind of allied relationship with the Ethiopian Cushites. Why are they the ones who are used as an example of being humbled before the LORD? Why does Isaiah include them in his prophecy as those who will bring gifts to the LORD?
God is not to be seen in space because in space he is not seeable any more than in La Comédie Humaine Balzac is seeable. But he can be heard. God’s words can be heard because words move forward not through space through time, and although time cannot be inhabited by eternity, it can be impinged upon by eternity the way the horizontal can be impinged upon by the vertical. God is known in the Bible as he speaks—speaks to an thorough the prophets and patriarchs, the priests and poets, speaks through the mighty acts he works both in the history of Israel and in the small histories of men and women when their ears and lives are in some measure attuned to him, or sometimes even when they are not. The Bible is the Word of God—the word about God and God’s word about himself—and it is also the endless words of God, the unanticipatable and elusive self-disclosures of God to countless numbers of people through the medium of what in Hebrew is called dabhar, which means both word and deed—the word that is also a deed because it makes things happen, and the deed that is also a word because, through it, is revealed meaning.
This is one of many ways in this sermon Buechner brings to light the impressive, (though that is barely expressive enough), artistry of the Bible. It is good literature for it is both intriguing and ambiguous while at the same time accessible and clear. In Isaiah 18 it is possible to get lost in the vagueness—“I will remain quiet… like shimmering heat in the sunshine. (18.4)” Nonetheless, the message is clear enough: The LORD is coming and he will have all peoples at his feet.
Isaiah 18 follows a laundry list of “prophecies against” in which Isaiah makes clear the war path God is preparing to march on. Mighty nations are prophesied to blow away “like chaff” and “tumbleweed”. Cush I found, after substantial digging, is an Ehtiopian nation. They are known by their relationship to this nation of “people tall and smooth-skinned” which is universally feared and apparently unfamiliar, as their speech is “strange”. Cush, it seems, relies on these fearsome warriors and, I would imagine, takes comfort in the fact that these alien allies strike fear in their opponents. The LORD will have none of this arrogant reliance upon fearsome humans. He is, after all, more fearsome than them all. Nonetheless, He waits.
Wesley comments on verse 18.4, in which God’s presence is compared to “shimmering heat” and a “cloud of dew”. Wesley notes that both of these atmospheric qualities incite growth, so God is not inhibiting the growth of these nations, but watching as quietly as dew and as stealthily as sunshine as his creation grows… and then he cuts them down.
What fascinates me is the beauty in this passage. The poetic qualities, the metaphor and rhythm and the glorious denouement of gifts being brought to the glorified LORD, it is all so perfectly scripted to bring you to the edge of your seat with anticipation at what this lion-like God will do.
I, for one, do not appreciate the craftsmanship of the Bible often enough. I read it as a duty and as an obedient saint, but often not to get lost in its story. This passage reminds me of the artist’s heart of our LORD and helps me understand what it is about Him that is irresistible.
Follow up questions:
1. When you read the part, which in the NIV reads, “All you people of the world… (18.3),” are you roped in? Have you fully accepted that this passage is not just for Cush, but for you as well? Do you recognize your part in the unfolding plot? What is it?
2. Why does God wait until “the flower becomes a ripening grape” (18.5) to cut off the shoots, to prune them? What is the significance of His waiting? Do we dare guess what He was waiting for?
3. The people “tall and smooth skinned” are not well defined in commentaries other than having some kind of allied relationship with the Ethiopian Cushites. Why are they the ones who are used as an example of being humbled before the LORD? Why does Isaiah include them in his prophecy as those who will bring gifts to the LORD?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The only sign that maters.
When Isaiah asks is Ahaz wants a sign he acts as if he is too spiritual for that. In reality he felt he didn't need a sign because of his contract with Assyria. Perhaps he was feeling that God helps those who help themselves, but in this attitude he missed out on the hope, and grace, and freedom that comes from the only sign we need from the Lord. His Son.
Because it was obvious that the king was not going to listen, Isaiah address the rest of the next five chapters to the house of Judah. Like most of the prophecies in the Bible there was an immediate fulfillment and an impending one. Isaiah, whose first wife dies after the death of their first child was born married again. His wife had a son they names Immanuel and before he was old enough to become a man the Lord had delivered his people from the hands of Israel, Samaria and Assyria.
We see in chapter 8 that this boys other name means "quick to plunder" this is a sign for Israel that they will be destroyed but also for Judah that in the end Babylon will come and judge them as well.
Isaiah's other sons name was, "Shear-jashub" which means a remnant shall return. (see 10:20-22,11:11-12,16) It was imperative that the remnant return because God's promises still had to be fulfilled. He promised David that he would have a son that would reign on the throne forever. If God's people are completly destroyed this would be impossible. Therefore God's plan was of course to bring back a few, and through that few send one that would save the world.
This is of course the point of Chapter nine. (Note Zebulon and Naphtali= Galilee. Where Jesus focused most of his ministry and also the area most devastated in the downfall of Israel) One of the most beautiful things about 9:1-7 is that we too are waiting for it's completion. It brings us great hope not only because Jesus has come but mostly because HE IS COMING AGAIN! This is the light at the end of every dark place in your life.
Read through 9:1-7. Take it one verse at a time. First consider what the verse meant to the original audience and then think about the church today as a whole and finally yourself personally. If you need to brush up on things like "Midian's defeat" do a little digging.
Make sure when you get to verse 6 that you think about each of the child's names individually. This was not just a poetic list for the sake of literary excellence, each name is significant.
See you Thursday night. :)
Because it was obvious that the king was not going to listen, Isaiah address the rest of the next five chapters to the house of Judah. Like most of the prophecies in the Bible there was an immediate fulfillment and an impending one. Isaiah, whose first wife dies after the death of their first child was born married again. His wife had a son they names Immanuel and before he was old enough to become a man the Lord had delivered his people from the hands of Israel, Samaria and Assyria.
We see in chapter 8 that this boys other name means "quick to plunder" this is a sign for Israel that they will be destroyed but also for Judah that in the end Babylon will come and judge them as well.
Isaiah's other sons name was, "Shear-jashub" which means a remnant shall return. (see 10:20-22,11:11-12,16) It was imperative that the remnant return because God's promises still had to be fulfilled. He promised David that he would have a son that would reign on the throne forever. If God's people are completly destroyed this would be impossible. Therefore God's plan was of course to bring back a few, and through that few send one that would save the world.
This is of course the point of Chapter nine. (Note Zebulon and Naphtali= Galilee. Where Jesus focused most of his ministry and also the area most devastated in the downfall of Israel) One of the most beautiful things about 9:1-7 is that we too are waiting for it's completion. It brings us great hope not only because Jesus has come but mostly because HE IS COMING AGAIN! This is the light at the end of every dark place in your life.
Read through 9:1-7. Take it one verse at a time. First consider what the verse meant to the original audience and then think about the church today as a whole and finally yourself personally. If you need to brush up on things like "Midian's defeat" do a little digging.
Make sure when you get to verse 6 that you think about each of the child's names individually. This was not just a poetic list for the sake of literary excellence, each name is significant.
See you Thursday night. :)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Isaiah 7:1-9 Who you going to call?
Chapter seven opens during very difficult days for the kingdom of Judah. Assyria's threat was growing very strong and on top of that Judah had refused to be allies with Israel (The northern Kingdom)and Syria. Judah's king Ahaz was not looking to God for hope in this time of trial, instead he felt that if he befriended Assyria he would be safe. So he made a treaty with Assyria. (2 King 16:5-9) Ahaz was making all his decisions out of fear. He actually took a Gold offering that belonged to god and sent it to pay for security from Assyria.
Chapter seven of Isaiah is a message God gave to Isaiah to reassure Ahaz that even if what he considered was the worst (the fall of his kingdom) happened, the Lord was still in control and was working out His ultimate plan to save a remnant of His people.
In verse two God tells Ahaz to "take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted." He reminds him that the kings of Israel are but,"two smouldering stubs of fire wood" Ahaz has a choice, to trust in the Lord and find peace and rest, or follow his own path to destruction.
Isiah spoke this message to Ahaz in 734 bc. In 732 Assyria destroyed Syria, and in 722 the destroyed Israel but they NEVER destroyed Judah. In fact by 700 bc Asyria was it'self a thing of the past. They were nothing but smoldering stubs of fire wood.
David understood what it meant to trust in the Lord. How the Lord was always a stronger fortress than anything else on this earth. In psalm 33 he wrote,
"16 The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His loving kindness,
19 To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your loving kindness, O LORD, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.
What is it that you are counting on to get you through your day? Is it your bank account, or your family, or your new haircut, or that chick-fil-a milkshake? Do you think that plans that you have so carefully laid out will save you from the fray? Unless your hope is in the Lord, all your work will be in vain. Isaiah 7: 9b"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."
I am not going to go on into verse 10 this week because I feel like this is a really good place to rest. What are we resting in. We are all walking, or crawling through something right now. And I guess I just want us to look carefully at each day and ask ourselves where does our hope come from?
Chapter seven of Isaiah is a message God gave to Isaiah to reassure Ahaz that even if what he considered was the worst (the fall of his kingdom) happened, the Lord was still in control and was working out His ultimate plan to save a remnant of His people.
In verse two God tells Ahaz to "take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted." He reminds him that the kings of Israel are but,"two smouldering stubs of fire wood" Ahaz has a choice, to trust in the Lord and find peace and rest, or follow his own path to destruction.
Isiah spoke this message to Ahaz in 734 bc. In 732 Assyria destroyed Syria, and in 722 the destroyed Israel but they NEVER destroyed Judah. In fact by 700 bc Asyria was it'self a thing of the past. They were nothing but smoldering stubs of fire wood.
David understood what it meant to trust in the Lord. How the Lord was always a stronger fortress than anything else on this earth. In psalm 33 he wrote,
"16 The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His loving kindness,
19 To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your loving kindness, O LORD, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.
What is it that you are counting on to get you through your day? Is it your bank account, or your family, or your new haircut, or that chick-fil-a milkshake? Do you think that plans that you have so carefully laid out will save you from the fray? Unless your hope is in the Lord, all your work will be in vain. Isaiah 7: 9b"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."
I am not going to go on into verse 10 this week because I feel like this is a really good place to rest. What are we resting in. We are all walking, or crawling through something right now. And I guess I just want us to look carefully at each day and ask ourselves where does our hope come from?
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Week 3: Sneaky Sin
Isaiah 5 is a litany of woe oracles aimed at six different sins. Like last week’s oracle against vain women, this chapter is speaking directly to the Israelites, but the sins and consequences are strangely familiar.
Beginning with verses 8 and 9, Isaiah condemns people who exploit others. In his time, this looks like wealthy land owners buying up the houses and fields until there is not much left for anyone else. As a result, God promises a bad return on their crops and desolation of their fine homes. During Uzziah’s reign, Judah experienced great economic prosperity, but it would seem that there are many who are now abusing their wealth. Isaiah warns that the time is coming when God will shut their economy down.
Another side effect of prosperity, it could be argued, is laziness and indulgence. In verses 11 and 12, Isaiah speaks against those who spend their time and money getting drunk. They throw amazing parties, but have no interest in the Lord. As a result, these people who are reveling in their excess will soon have nothing, “…their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst.”
The people have become so confident in their strength and in their economic standing that they are no longer ashamed of their sin. In verses 18 and 19, Isaiah describes people who carry their sin around with them like oxen pulling a plow. They sarcastically provoke God to hurry up and send His judgment (essentially telling God to put His money where His mouth is). As we know, God did use Assyria and Babylon to bring about judgment on His people.
The next verses really caught my attention. Verse 20 condemns those who call what is evil good and what is good evil. They, literally, relish sin and disobedience while they mock righteous obedience. The note in my study Bible says, “When people do not carefully observe the distinction between good and evil, destruction soon follows. It is easy for people to say, ‘No one can decide for anyone else what is really right or wrong.’”
Verse 21 calls out the arrogant, while verse 23 focuses on those who deny justice to others.
What I notice about all of these sins is that they are sneaky, insidious sins. While all sin is rooted in the heart, some are more obvious than others. We usually don’t have a problem identifying and opposing obvious sins: murder, adultery, abusing the defenseless. With these six sneaky sins, though, I think what was happening to the Israelites is the same thing that happens to us--the line between wrong and right was getting smudged. Take, for instance, the drunkards mentioned in verses 11 and 12. It could be argued their behavior wasn’t hurting anyone, that they were just having a good time, so why was it wrong? Verse 12 tells us their hearts were wrong, their partying was an extension of them having no respect for God. Another reason is because they were so caught up in having fun that they stopped working, allowing famine and hunger to creep in.
For us today, the list of obvious sins is getting shorter. Like verse 5:20 says, we, too, are guilty of calling evil good and good evil. Our lines are smearing. We see Christians responding to sin in unappealing ways. There are the public embarrassments who bomb clinics, burn Korans and hurl hate speech. Then there are those who are so afraid of being offensive that they offer hugs and donuts, but sidestep the Truth.
We are called to live between the two extremes. To call evil evil, while being living testimonies to God’s mercy. It’s important that we do this, because we know what happened to Isaiah’s audience—God didn’t take their sin lightly, He judged it. God promises to judge our sin too, be it subtle or flagrant. We need to continually return to our Savior in repentance, and if we love our society, we need to be pointing others to Him as well.
Rather than answering questions at the end of this study, let me encourage you to spend some time this week comparing the Israelites of Isaiah's day with the Christians of ours. How do our responses to drunkenness, arrogance, greed, laziness, injustice and relativism stack up to Israel's response? To God's response?
As an interesting side note, I share with you an article I read this summer about why Christians our age don’t care about Proposition 8.
Beginning with verses 8 and 9, Isaiah condemns people who exploit others. In his time, this looks like wealthy land owners buying up the houses and fields until there is not much left for anyone else. As a result, God promises a bad return on their crops and desolation of their fine homes. During Uzziah’s reign, Judah experienced great economic prosperity, but it would seem that there are many who are now abusing their wealth. Isaiah warns that the time is coming when God will shut their economy down.
Another side effect of prosperity, it could be argued, is laziness and indulgence. In verses 11 and 12, Isaiah speaks against those who spend their time and money getting drunk. They throw amazing parties, but have no interest in the Lord. As a result, these people who are reveling in their excess will soon have nothing, “…their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst.”
The people have become so confident in their strength and in their economic standing that they are no longer ashamed of their sin. In verses 18 and 19, Isaiah describes people who carry their sin around with them like oxen pulling a plow. They sarcastically provoke God to hurry up and send His judgment (essentially telling God to put His money where His mouth is). As we know, God did use Assyria and Babylon to bring about judgment on His people.
The next verses really caught my attention. Verse 20 condemns those who call what is evil good and what is good evil. They, literally, relish sin and disobedience while they mock righteous obedience. The note in my study Bible says, “When people do not carefully observe the distinction between good and evil, destruction soon follows. It is easy for people to say, ‘No one can decide for anyone else what is really right or wrong.’”
Verse 21 calls out the arrogant, while verse 23 focuses on those who deny justice to others.
What I notice about all of these sins is that they are sneaky, insidious sins. While all sin is rooted in the heart, some are more obvious than others. We usually don’t have a problem identifying and opposing obvious sins: murder, adultery, abusing the defenseless. With these six sneaky sins, though, I think what was happening to the Israelites is the same thing that happens to us--the line between wrong and right was getting smudged. Take, for instance, the drunkards mentioned in verses 11 and 12. It could be argued their behavior wasn’t hurting anyone, that they were just having a good time, so why was it wrong? Verse 12 tells us their hearts were wrong, their partying was an extension of them having no respect for God. Another reason is because they were so caught up in having fun that they stopped working, allowing famine and hunger to creep in.
For us today, the list of obvious sins is getting shorter. Like verse 5:20 says, we, too, are guilty of calling evil good and good evil. Our lines are smearing. We see Christians responding to sin in unappealing ways. There are the public embarrassments who bomb clinics, burn Korans and hurl hate speech. Then there are those who are so afraid of being offensive that they offer hugs and donuts, but sidestep the Truth.
We are called to live between the two extremes. To call evil evil, while being living testimonies to God’s mercy. It’s important that we do this, because we know what happened to Isaiah’s audience—God didn’t take their sin lightly, He judged it. God promises to judge our sin too, be it subtle or flagrant. We need to continually return to our Savior in repentance, and if we love our society, we need to be pointing others to Him as well.
Rather than answering questions at the end of this study, let me encourage you to spend some time this week comparing the Israelites of Isaiah's day with the Christians of ours. How do our responses to drunkenness, arrogance, greed, laziness, injustice and relativism stack up to Israel's response? To God's response?
As an interesting side note, I share with you an article I read this summer about why Christians our age don’t care about Proposition 8.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Week 2 Putting the Woe in Wo-man
Early in the school year, I got an e-mail from my boss telling teachers to fix our websites. In an attachment was each teacher’s name and what was wrong with her website. There it was in black and white, “Walters—has link to March lunch menu.” If the e-mail had been generic, I probably would have kept my website on the backburner, but when I was told specifically what to fix, I got right on it. The fact that someone knew exactly what was wrong and put it in my face (or my inbox) lit a fire under me.
In the same way, Isaiah doesn’t do generic with the people of Judah. Return, repent, be renewed. According to my study Bible, these are the three things we hear Isaiah repeating throughout his prophecy. His words challenge the people to turn from specific sins before the judgment that is coming.
As I read through Isaiah this summer, I was always surprised when the sins of Judah were not all that different than my sins, or the sins that permeate this culture I live in and love.
For instance, Isaiah 3:16-4:1 is a specific prophecy directed at the women of Judah. Their sin, be it manifested by flirting with their eyes or by tripping along with mincing steps, was placing too great an emphasis on their outward appearances. In a time of imminent destruction and oppression, they worried about their bangles, headbands and purses. Sound familiar? They placed too much value on these possessions and wound up with nothing.
I can’t help but think of Heidi Montag and her ten plastic surgery procedures in one day. I want to point at her and say, “She’s got issues with her appearance. I’m doing just fine.” But then, there are days when I force myself to the gym because I’m convinced my pants won’t fit if I don’t (and you thought I was just super-committed!).
When Isaiah issues the call to return and to repent, he is not just talking to Judah. He is telling all of us. And when Isaiah predicts their ultimate salvation, we can pin our hopes on the same Savior.
For the women of Judah, just when things are at their most desperate (4:1), he lays out God’s plan for their ultimate renewal.
“’We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!’ In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious...”
At the time of Judah’s destruction, God was planning to protect a remnant under the shelter of His glorious Branch. They would be people marked by their righteousness, not by their physical appearance. In the same way, what marks us as godly women is our character, not our finery. Of course, we know this. We’ve heard the message more times than we can count, haven’t we? We need frequent reminders, though. I, especially, need to be reminded that the beautiful and glorious Branch of the LORD transferred His beauty to me.
As we begin studying Isaiah, as we see the specific sins of Judah laid out in black and white, it’s important to remember that we are just as likely to sin in the same ways, and to need a reminder to return and repent. There is a strong temptation to shake our heads at the foolish Israelites who kept missing the point and to distance ourselves from this text that was written so long ago. But if we overlook our sins, we overlook our Savior—the beautiful and glorious One Isaiah promised would come.
1. Draw a picture of the kind of woman Isaiah describes in chapter 3. Draw another woman who represents the appearance-obsession of our present day. How are these women similar? How are they different?
2. In your prayer life, is it your practice to repent of specific sins, or to repent in broad strokes? How can Isaiah’s judgment of Judah’s women inform our prayer lives? How will this affect our view of Jesus?
In the same way, Isaiah doesn’t do generic with the people of Judah. Return, repent, be renewed. According to my study Bible, these are the three things we hear Isaiah repeating throughout his prophecy. His words challenge the people to turn from specific sins before the judgment that is coming.
As I read through Isaiah this summer, I was always surprised when the sins of Judah were not all that different than my sins, or the sins that permeate this culture I live in and love.
For instance, Isaiah 3:16-4:1 is a specific prophecy directed at the women of Judah. Their sin, be it manifested by flirting with their eyes or by tripping along with mincing steps, was placing too great an emphasis on their outward appearances. In a time of imminent destruction and oppression, they worried about their bangles, headbands and purses. Sound familiar? They placed too much value on these possessions and wound up with nothing.
I can’t help but think of Heidi Montag and her ten plastic surgery procedures in one day. I want to point at her and say, “She’s got issues with her appearance. I’m doing just fine.” But then, there are days when I force myself to the gym because I’m convinced my pants won’t fit if I don’t (and you thought I was just super-committed!).
When Isaiah issues the call to return and to repent, he is not just talking to Judah. He is telling all of us. And when Isaiah predicts their ultimate salvation, we can pin our hopes on the same Savior.
For the women of Judah, just when things are at their most desperate (4:1), he lays out God’s plan for their ultimate renewal.
“’We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!’ In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious...”
At the time of Judah’s destruction, God was planning to protect a remnant under the shelter of His glorious Branch. They would be people marked by their righteousness, not by their physical appearance. In the same way, what marks us as godly women is our character, not our finery. Of course, we know this. We’ve heard the message more times than we can count, haven’t we? We need frequent reminders, though. I, especially, need to be reminded that the beautiful and glorious Branch of the LORD transferred His beauty to me.
As we begin studying Isaiah, as we see the specific sins of Judah laid out in black and white, it’s important to remember that we are just as likely to sin in the same ways, and to need a reminder to return and repent. There is a strong temptation to shake our heads at the foolish Israelites who kept missing the point and to distance ourselves from this text that was written so long ago. But if we overlook our sins, we overlook our Savior—the beautiful and glorious One Isaiah promised would come.
1. Draw a picture of the kind of woman Isaiah describes in chapter 3. Draw another woman who represents the appearance-obsession of our present day. How are these women similar? How are they different?
2. In your prayer life, is it your practice to repent of specific sins, or to repent in broad strokes? How can Isaiah’s judgment of Judah’s women inform our prayer lives? How will this affect our view of Jesus?
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