The Book of Daniel (Chapters 1-2a)

 We are now in the book of Daniel. There is a lot more to the Daniel story than"the lion's den". The timeframe is pretty much the same as the book of Ezekiel which we just finished. Daniel was one of the young men who was taken from Jerusalem when the Babylonians first attacked the city and plundered it. Three of his friends were also captured with him. We know them by their Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was a very prideful, and eccentric man. He would shower someone with praises and honor one minute, then have them and their families executed the next. It is important for us to know that he was feared not only by his enemies, but also by his friends and all the people in Babylon.

Chapter 1 begins: Nebuchadnezzar ordered his chief of staff to bring some of the young men who had been captured in Jerusalem to him. He wanted only the strongest, healthiest, good-looking, smartest, and wisest young men to be brought to the palace. "Train the young men in the language and the literature of Babylonia for three years. Give them the same food to eat that is served by the royal kitchen. Then I will select a handful of these men to serve as my royal advisors." Nebuchadnezzar ordered.

Daniel and his three friends were some of the young men selected for the king's program. Their names were changed to Babylonian names and they were stripped of their Jewish identity. When mealtime came around, all the other young men were more than happy to indulge in the amazing spread of food and wine that was laid out before them. But Daniel and his buddies knew that this kind of food was not acceptable to eat by Jewish law (which God stated way back in the book of Deuteronomy).

So rather than defile themselves, Daniel called over the chief of staff and asked for permission NOT to eat the unacceptable food. The chief of staff had gained respect for Daniel, but he responded in fear of the king. "The king has ordered that you eat this food. If you become pale and weak, he will have me beheaded!" Daniel was wise and responded with grace. "Test me and my three friends for ten days by giving us only vegetables and water. Then you can observe our condition and make your decision." So the chief of staff agreed.

It would have been so easy for Daniel and his three friends to indulge in the king's food. After all it was just food. But Daniel knew that honoring God begins with little things. He knew all too well about the story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden "food" in the garden. Doesn't the devil test us in "little things" all the time?  He knows that once we start bending away from God just a little bit, eventually we will fall completely away. We are tempted all the time. But just like Daniel, we have to already have "purposed in our hearts" not to stray. In other words, plan ahead of time not to give in, and not when temptation strikes.

After ten days, the chief of staff looked over all the young men. He was particularly interested in Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abed-Nego. They were healthier and looked better nourished than all the other young men who had been dining on the king's food. Their minds were also sharper! So for the three-year training period, Daniel and his friends ate vegetables and drank water. They didn't have to defile themselves by eating the king's food and then they were brought before Nebuchadnezzar. Out of all the young captives that were trained, none impressed the king as much as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. So they became advisors to the king. And they did a fantastic job.

One night Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream. He didn't know what it meant, so he brought in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers and demanded that they tell him what his dream was, and what it meant. "Tell us what the dream was, and we will tell you what it means." One of the enchanters spoke up nervously. But Nebuchadnezzar got angry and said that anyone could make up a story to fit his dream, but telling him what he dreamt, now that would take special knowledge.

The king got so fed up with all their stalling techniques, that he ordered all his magicians, enchanters, astrologers, sorcerers and, advisors to be killed at once. As advisors to the king, Daniel and his three friends were on the execution list. When the commander of the king's army showed up at Daniel's door to kill him, Daniel politely and respectfully asked him why. The commander explained, and Daniel asked for a meeting with the king to tell the king what his dream meant. Daniel asked the king for time to seek God. He immediately went to the home of his friends and asked them to pray that God would reveal the king's dream to him and the secret of what it meant.

Daniel knew that only God alone could reveal this to him. He also knew that God worked in the king's heart to give him some time. After all, the king was ready to kill his magicians and enchanters on the spot. Are there times when you need wisdom? or knowledge? In James 1:5 it says "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking". If you are facing a situation remember these two things, 1. God is working in hearts and behind the scenes. 2. God will give you the wisdom you need to make a Godly decision.

 Next time we will find out Nebuchadnezzar's dream and what it meant.

God Tells of His future plans for Israel, Surrounding Lands, and Us. (Ezekiel 33- 48)

 So Ezekiel spent years in captivity by the Babylonians. He spent all that time warning the remaining Israelites of God's coming judgment and the fall of Jerusalem. Then one day, a Jewish survivor came to Ezekiel from Israel. He told Ezekiel of all the horrible things that were happening there, and that the city of Jerusalem had fallen just as God said it would. We saw in the previous chapters that God had warned Israel time and time again through Ezekiel's words and, sometimes through his strange actions.

God warns us through His word. He wants us to obey Him, not because He is a cosmic killjoy, but because He cares about us. He wants the best for us, and He has a plan for us. In 2 Timothy 2:21 The Bible tells us that If we keep ourselves pure (be obedient to His word), God can use us for His purposes. Don't you want to be used by God? Don't you want to be a blessing to other people? I certainly do! What a blessing it would be to us! That the God of all creation would allow us to be a part of His magnificent plan is amazing!

Well, we have now witnessed God's wrath on surrounding nations, and upon Israel. The Bible says that God is patient and slow to anger. But He is a good God. He is faithful to His word. When He warns of His impending discipline, He cannot go back on His word. But He is also the God of hope. The rest of the book of Ezekiel reveals God's grace and mercy to Israel, the other nations, and ultimately to us. Chapters 34-37 tell of hope for Israel. God promises In Chapter 34 a new David: A new King: A Messianic King! God is letting Israel know that His son, Jesus Christ, is coming. In Chapter 36, He talks about The new King and a new Israel with a new heart for God. These are reminders of what God has promised Israel in Ezekiel chapter 11 and what God said through Moses way back in the book of Deuteronomy. God never changes and His Word is consistent throughout the entire Bible.

In Chapter 37 Ezekiel sees another strange vision. He is standing in a valley filled with dry human bones. God explains to Ezekiel that this is a metaphor for Israel's spiritual state. In other words. It is a symbol of how the Israelites have turned from the true God, and are now like dry bones. But wait! Suddenly a brisk wind blows. The bones begin to assemble themselves into skeletons, and the skeletons are filled with

breath and muscles begin to form around the skeletons. Then skin begins to wrap itself over the muscles. Before too long, Ezekiel is standing among a crowd of living breathing people! Doesn't this kind of remind you of Genesis chapter 2 when God breathed into Adam and gave him life? God will breathe new life, His Spirit, into the people of Israel, and eventually all people.

Chapters 38 and 39 talk about hope for the nations. God promises that evil will be wiped out among all the nations. Ezekiel calls this evil Gog from Magog. Gog is a symbol of all the evil kings and kingdoms. And here in these chapters, Gog will be defeated. Gog is also a symbol of the evil around us every day. Anything that is not of God, is evil. We were evil until we accepted His gift of His son Jesus to live in us. The Bible says that we were actually enemies of God, because we loved the things of this world more than we loved Him. Jesus said, "But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world" John 16:33 Ezekiel uses imagery of earthquakes and fires to show the ultimate defeat of Gog (evil).

In the final 8 chapters of Ezekiel (40-48) God expresses that there is hope for all creation. Ezekiel tells of how, one day, God's presence will one day return to His people and to His temple. Ezekiel has another vision. An angel escorts him to the "new" Jerusalem and gives him a tour of it. It is more amazing, more majestic, and more beautiful than the original temple that Solomon had built with all his riches.

Now, remember that strange vision of the 4 creatures that were unlike anything he had ever seen before? These creatures each had large wings and 4 faces. The wings all touched. Each creature hovered above its own wheel. The wings of these strange creatures supported a platform. On that platform was a throne, and on that throne was a glowing being surrounded by an ember-colored ring. Ezekiel realized at that time that it was the Presence of God. Well it appears again and heads right into the "new" temple.  Then Ezekiel sees a tiny stream pouring out of the doorway of the temple and it cascaded down the front steps. It quickly turns into a raging river, and then flows through the Dead Sea Desert. As it continues to flow through the desert, trees begin to sprout. Animals appear and the river is overflowing with life. The description of this river is the same description of the Garden Of Eden during creation in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. What an amazing vision! God's plan has always been to restore creation and humanity back to the way it was before Adam and Eve sinned. This vision takes us to the future when all will be restored and then back to God's original creation. 

God is the god of restoration and redemption. He has restored us and redeemed us through the blood of His son, Jesus. God is the god of everything. The world will be restored. He is also the god of individuals. He loves each of us on a one to one basis. We can commune with Him, walk with Him, and talk with Him. We can trust Him. God is faithful and trustworthy. He never changes and He never gives up on us.

Ezekiel Warns of God's Judgement (Chapters12-32)

 We ended chapter 11 with Ezekiel seeing a vision of Jerusalem. It wasn't a vision of the future, but it was a glimpse into what was happening there. Ezekiel was still in Babylon, but God showed him that even though the Babylonians came in to Jerusalem and took many of its citizens captive, the people were still hard-hearted and turned to other gods. This is important to remember, because God is going to have Ezekiel act out a few more scenarios; not for the Jews that had been captured and brought back to Babylon, but for the Jews that were still left in Jerusalem.

Chapter 12: God told Ezekiel to start packing some of his belongings. He wasn't to pack like he was going on vacation, or moving to a new place, but pack a few things like he was in a hurry to get away. He was to place these things out in his front yard for everyone to see. God knew that people passing by would start to wonder what was going on, and they did. Then God told Ezekiel to wait till evening came and bring your belongings in from the front yard. Then dig a hole through the front wall of your house and crawl through it carrying your belongings on your back. (these houses were made of clay and straw) So Ezekiel did just as the Lord had commanded, and the people came to see and try to figure out what Ezekiel was doing.

 God said to Ezekiel, "When the people ask you what this means, tell them this is a sign that the remaining Jews in Jerusalem will be carried away in captivity, and the king will sneak out in the middle of the night by having a hole dug in in the wall and crawling through with his belongings. He will have guards and many of his men with him, but I will let the king be captured, and I will scatter his men. Many of them will die, but a few will survive so that they can come and bring to you the message that I have done exactly what I said I would do because I am the Lord."

In the next for chapters, God reminds the Jews, through Ezekiel, how they have turned their backs on Him. He mentions that they are following false prophets. These are the prophets that only tell them what they want to hear and not the truth about the coming judgement. God reminds them about how their leaders turned to false idols and led all in Judah to worship these idols as well. He reminded them of their unfaithful ness to Him and how, time and time again, they broke their promise to Him. God says that He has no choice, but to execute justice upon the Jews, and it will be soon.

Chapter 17: God told Ezekiel a riddle. It was the riddle of the 2 Eagles:  A large eagle with strong wings and beautiful feathers broke the top branch off a cedar tree, then carried it to a nearby country and left it in one of their cities. The eagle also took a seed from Israel and planted it in a fertile field with plenty of water, like a willow tree beside a stream. The seed sprouted and grew into a grapevine that spread over the ground. It had lots of leaves and strong, deep roots, and its branches grew upward toward the eagle. There was another eagle with strong wings and thick feathers. The roots and branches of the grapevine soon turned toward this eagle, hoping it would bring water for the soil. But the vine was already growing in fertile soil, where there was plenty of water to produce healthy leaves and large grapes. Now tell me, Ezekiel, do you think this grapevine will live? As Ezekiel pondered the riddle, God told him to tell the people the answer. No! The grapevine will not live. Here is what the riddle symbolized. The king of Judah was captured by the Babylonians. So the Babylonians place a new king in charge of the rest of the people that were left in Judah. This was Zedekiah. They could have put one of their own in charge, but they elected to give them a Jewish king as long as he signed a treaty, or a promise, that Judah would remain loyal to Babylonia. Well after king Zedekiah signed the treaty, he went back on his word and sent ambassadors to Egypt and asked for horses and men. He broke his promise. 

God is really big on keeping promises. Not only to Him, but to each other. Did you know that when you willfully break a promise that you made to someone, it is a sin. You either lied at the time of the promise, or you lied with your actions when you broke your promise. God says in Ecclesiastes 5:5-6  that it is better not to promise anything, than to promise and not do it. Don't let your words cause you to sin.

 In Chapter 24 God has Ezekiel perform another sign. He tells Ezekiel to fill up a pot with water and the best meat he can find. Then empty the pot and scorch the pot over an open flame. This is another sign of Judgement on Jerusalem (the pot) and the captivity of the Jews (meat) that will be removed from "the pot" which will them be destroyed. 

The next 8 chapters are God's judgement on the nations surrounding Israel. The nations mentioned by name are Edom, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Egypt and Tyre. Right in the middle of these nations being judged, God throws in 2 verses that don't seem to fit. 

Chapter 28 verses 25-26 The Lord God said: Someday I will gather the people of Israel from the nations where they are now scattered, and every nation will see that I am holy. The Israelites will once again live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob. They will be safe and will build houses and plant vineyards. They will no longer be in danger, because I will punish their hateful neighbors. Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. (Cev version) In Chapter 33 we will see God's plan for restoring Israel, and the effect it will have on the rest of the world, including us.

Faithfulness: God's desire from us (Jeremiah 38:7 -52)

 When we left Jeremiah last time, he was sitting at the bottom of a muddy well, left for dead. But God........still had more for Jeremiah to do. God touched the heart of one of the king's servants, an Ethiopian named Ebed-Melech. The servant took his own life in his hands by telling the king that allowing Jeremiah to be thrown into the well to die was wrong. Instead of killing Ebed-Melech, the king had a change of heart and told the young Ethiopian to gather some men and pull Jeremiah out of the well.

Sometimes saying the right thing, or telling the hard truth is not easy. God says to do the right thing, not the easy thing. Just as Ebed-Melech risked his life, sometimes we have to risk being made fun of or losing friends. But know this. We always have God on our side when we do right.

So Jeremiah was saved..... well sort of. The king had Jeremiah brought before him. "Tell me what you know!" He ordered. Jeremiah was concerned that if he told him the truth, the king would have him killed anyway. But the king promised that he would not have Jeremiah killed if he told him the truth. So Jeremiah told the king that Babylon would soon attack Jerusalem, but that he should surrender peacefully to them or some bad stuff would happen to the king's family as well as to the king himself. The king was not happy with what Jeremiah said, but he had promised not to kill him, so he had Jeremiah tossed into dungeon.... again.

While Jeremiah was imprisoned, Jerusalem was taken over by the Babylonians, (just as God said) and the king of Judah didn't listen to what God said through Jeremiah. And remember what God told Jeremiah to tell the king... Some bad stuff would happen? Well the king tried to flee the city during the take over. He was caught and his eyes were gouged out! Also his wife and kids were killed in the palace when it was set on fire.

Even though Jeremiah was taken to Babylon during the siege, God protected him. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon set Jeremiah free to live in Babylon. Jeremiah was even given food and some gifts to help him settle in. Since Jeremiah was a prisoner of Judah, and the king of Judah was an enemy of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar showed kindness to Jeremiah. So I guess getting thrown into prison again turned out pretty well for Jeremiah.

Sometimes things don't work out like we planned. I'm sure Jeremiah didn't want to be pulled from a well, just to get tossed into a dungeon. God sees all things. We need to trust Him. Have you ever had something go the wrong way, only to find out later that it was absolutely for the best? I have.

When Jerusalem was taken over by the Babylonians, a lot of the Jews were taken captive, however, the poorest Jews were left behind and a small governmental system was put in place. Many of the Jews saw that the fighting was over and returned to Judah. The Jews that fled to Egypt however, found life very comfortable there and decided not to return. 

Jeremiah returned to Judah with a word for the people. He said that the people in Egypt should return as well. That Egypt would soon fall to Babylon just like Judah did. He said that the Jews that have remained in Egypt are now worshipping false gods. God said that He would pass judgement upon them and anyone else who is worshipping idols. Some of the new leaders did not like Jeremiah and what he was saying. So they captured Jeremiah and took him to Egypt.

While in Egypt, Jeremiah faithfully continued to speak the words that God had put in his mouth. The final 5 chapters of the Book of Jeremiah tell of God's judgement on Egypt, Moab, Philistine and neighboring countries. Jeremiah is not mentioned again in these final chapters. Some say he was killed, others say he escaped Egypt. No one really knows for sure.

So even though Jeremiah spent his whole life trying to get his people to turn from their sin and to turn toward God, the people never listened. The outcome was not in Jeremiah's hands. He simply did what the Lord asked him to do. That is called faithfulness. God delights in our faithfulness. We don't have to "save the world". That is God's job. All we have to do is obey Him, and leave the consequences to Him. If you tell someone about Jesus and they accept Him as their savior, God did that, not you. To Him be the glory! And on the same note, if the person you shared Christ with rejects the message, it's not on you. You did what God asked. Leave the rest to Him.

The People and the King Refuse to Listen to God (Jeremiah 1-38:6)

 Today we begin a new book of the Bible. It is the 24th book and it is called the Book of Jeremiah.

 Jeremiah was born in Judah. His father was a priest named Hilkiah. So Jeremiah was taught many religious things as a boy. His father had hoped that Jeremiah would become a priest like him. But God... had different plans.

 A lot of times we make plans or our parents make plans ...  (But God). So we should hold on to our plans loosely as God may have other plans. His plans are always better. Sometimes they are harder, as we will see in the story of Jeremiah, but they are always better. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

When Jeremiah was a boy, there was a good king of Judah named Josiah. He had all the idols destroyed and led the nation in the ways of God. But as soon as Josiah died in a battle, the people of Judah went right back to idol worshipping and sinning. The people were following their king and not following God. 

When we go to church, we should be putting our hearts in the hands of God and not our trust in a minister or pastor. They are human beings just like we are. If they mess up or even die, our faith should not be shaken or crumble, because our faith is in God.

When Jeremiah was a young man, about 20 years old, God spoke to him. He said that He knew Jeremiah before he was even born... and He had a plan for him to speak for Him as a prophet. But Jeremiah was scared. He told God that he was way too young to speak for Him.

Remember last time in Isaiah we learned that God has a plan for us before we are even born? Well here it is again as God spoke to Jeremiah. God had a plan for Isaiah, and for Jesus, for Jeremiah and He has a plan for you and me!

Jeremiah took his new job as God's prophet very seriously. He knew that telling the people that they must repent of their wickedness would not go over too well. It would be difficult, and sometimes dangerous, but Jeremiah was up to the task and began to tell the people what God was saying about their evil ways. Jeremiah loved God and he loved his country. He preached for over 40 years, but the people turned their back and refused to listen. This made Jeremiah sad and he became known as the "weeping prophet".

How was Jeremiah able to do such a hard thing? God told him to do it, and God gave him the wisdom, courage and strength to carry it out. When God touches our hearts and wants us to do something for Him, don't be fearful, because God will give you all the tools you need, and He'll be right there with you. (Isaiah 41:10)

Jeremiah told the people that they were doing wrong. And he told them that God loved them and that they needed to repent or God would punish them by sending an army from the north to take them over just like He did 100 years earlier. The people laughed. Then Jeremiah went to the king and told him the same thing.

Has anyone ever laughed at you? It doesn't feel good. Especially if it is for doing the right thing. Don't let that stop you. God says that If He is for us, who can be against us. (Romans 8:31) He also says that we should do things that please him, instead of doing things that people want us to do. (Galatians 1:10) God is always on our side when we do what is right. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

God told Jeremiah to go to the temple and tell the people that they have turned away from the one true God. The High priest were infuriated that Jeremiah would come to their temple and preach such words. They called the temple guards and had Jeremiah brought before the judges. The judges had Jeremiah exiled (kicked out of the country). Even in exile Jeremiah sent messages through Baruch, his scribe ( a person who writes down on a scroll what a prophet dictates) to the palace and had a priest read the scroll to the king. After hearing what Jeremiah had written on the scroll, the king cut up the scroll in tiny pieces and burned it. Then the king then had Baruch arrested.

One of the most well-known verses in Jeremiah is Jeremiah 29:11. It says: "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." God was warning Israel against false prophets, but that is a promise that we can hold onto for ourselves.

Some time later,  Jeremiah heard a message from God to go to the palace wearing a yoke. (a collar that oxen wear to pull a plow) He wasn't supposed to enter the palace, but God wanted to send a message to the king that his kingdom would be  taken over by Nebuchadnezzar, and unless he surrendered to his yoke (his will) the king's kingdom would be destroyed. Hananiah, one of the king's false prophets pulled the yoke off Jeremiah's shoulders and broke it.  The high priests and false prophets were getting tired of Jeremiah and his hard words and so was the king. So the king told the priests to do whatever they wanted with the prophet. So guess what they did? They called the kings guards who threw him in a muddy well with no food and left him to die!

Hezekiah gets 15 More years (Isaiah 38-40)

 While all this was going on, (Judah being threatened, and God responding), Hezekiah became very ill.

The Word of the Lord came to Isaiah with a message for Hezekiah.... and it was not a very pleasant message. "King Hezekiah," Isaiah said as Hezekiah lay feverishly in his bed. "God said that you should get all your affairs in order, because you are going to die very soon."

Hezekiah was devastated! As soon as Isaiah left, Hezekiah rolled over and faced the wall. Through his tears, he began to pray. He asked God to let him live. He reminded God about all that he had done for Him. 

Meanwhile, God told Isaiah to turn around and go back to Hezekiah with a new message. Hezekiah was surprised to see Isaiah again so soon. Isaiah said, "The Lord has heard your prayer. He has decided to give you an additional 15 years to live as well as keep you and this city protected from the king of Assyria.

Once again we see that God hears our prayers. It doesn't matter if you say them out load, whisper them of even think them. God DOES hear our prayers. Many times as we are praying, we think to ourselves, is God even listening? Yes He Is. Also, God answers prayers. Hezekiah was a living example of this.

Then Isaiah continued, "God also said that he will send you a sign so that you will know that He will do this thing He has promised. God will cause the Sundial of Ahaz to move backward 10 units. Then you will know that God has done what He said He would.

One of Hezekiah's men was looking out the window. He called the king over to witness an amazing thing. The Sundial of Ahaz was moving backward! Hezekiah was overjoyed! He wrote a poem of praise about all he had been through and how God answered his prayers. It is found in verses 10-20.

The king of Babylon's son, Merodach-baladan, heard that King Hezekiah was very sick, and that he had recovered. He sent a special group of messengers with a gift and his personal best wishes. Hezekiah was very surprised that the son of such a powerful king would even acknowledge his illness and recovery. He was so thrilled when they arrived, that the king brought the envoy around the palace and showed them all the treasures that he had. He was trying to impress the special messengers with all the gold and treasures, but the men were more interested than impressed.

Isaiah showed up just as the special messengers were leaving. "What did those men want?" He asked. "They brought me a gift from Babylon. So I showed them all the treasures I had, every last piece of gold! They were very impressed." Hezekiah answered.

Isaiah could not believe his ears. He knew that Hezekiah let his pride lead him into major trouble. Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to this message from God, 'The time is coming when everything in your palace, all the treasures that you and your ancestors have stored up, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left. Even some of your very own grandsons will be carried off into exile." 

Sometimes we try to impress people with what we have. It not only doesn't impress them, it leads to problems for us. Not only may we lose what we have, but our pride and ego are fed by the compliments of others. God warns us in Proverbs 16:18, "Prides comes before a fall."

Hezekiah's response was surprising and selfish. He said, "Well I don't have to worry about that in my lifetime. God promised peace and security while I am still around." Instead of honoring God and doing what was right with his extra 15 years, Hezekiah became selfish. 

God blesses us in many ways, with a loving family, a nice home, friends, food, health etc... we can choose to be selfish, or we can honor God with what he gave us. When we honor God with what we have, that is called stewardship, and God will ask us what kind of steward were we when we stand before Him one day.

Chapter 40 begins a 26 chapter section on the comfort that God will give His people after the Babylonians carry off all the treasures and take the people of Judah away with them. The people of Israel will be very disheartened with God after the exile, but God gives them hope in the next 26 chapters. Much of it is filled with prophesies about Jesus. we will look at those next time. But for now, Chapter 40 focusses on who God is, and how powerful He is. He says that "The grass will wither, but His word (the Bible) will never die. He states that He has no equal. Who can be compared to God. No one! He continues by pointing out that He, and He alone created the stars, the sun, the earth and all things on it. God says that 'He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even the young will become weak and tired and will collapse from exhaustion....' Vs. (28-30) Then comes one of the most famous verses in the book of Isaiah....

Isaiah 13-34 Judgements, the New Kingdom and Trusting God

Chapters 13- 17 are prophesies about God's judgement of different lands. A prophesy is basically a God given prediction. But we think of a prediction as something that probably will happen, like a predicted thunderstorm. But God's predictions (prophesies) are for sure. But God in His loving grace and mercy is always giving the people of these lands one more chance. And that's why he sent the prophets.

Chapter 13 is God's judgment upon Babylon. Isaiah says the Babylon will never be inhabited, Nor will it be settled from generation to generation. But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches will dwell there, And wild goats will dance there. The hyenas will howl there. Chapter 14: Judgment to come on Assyria and the Philistines. Chapters 15 and 16: Judgement upon Moab. Chapter 17: Judgement against Syria and Israel.

Isaiah shifts gears a little in chapter 18. He warns the people of Judah not to accept any help from the Ethiopians. God knows that they will make an offer to Judah, but God tells the people of Judah that He is enough. Judah is fearful that Assyria will attack (and they will) so they are looking elsewhere for help. 

Don't we do the same thing? God is our security, but don't we put more trust in things like money, popularity and material things than we do in God? God wants us to remember all the times that He was there for us. He is unchanging. If He did it before, He will be there for us again. Try this: sit very quietly and try to remember some of the hard stuff you went through. Then think about how it all worked out even though you thought it might not. God was there!

Isaiah continues with the prophesies of God's judgements. In Chapters 19, 21, 22, and 23, the judgements are prophesied against Egypt, Babylon, Edom, Arabia, Jerusalem and Tyre.

In chapter 20 The LORD gives Isaiah a sign to act out.  God told Isaiah to remove his outer garments and his sandals (basically strip down to his underwear) for three years as a sign to all of what will happen to Egypt and Ethiopia after the Assyrian invasion. Then the LORD said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years as a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, to the shame of Egypt.”

In Chapters 24 through 34 Isaiah's prophesies jump from the present to the future great tribulation In chapter 24, 25, 26 and 27 his words point to the end times when Jesus will rule over all the world. Then for the next few chapters he reminds Judah that they talk and act like they trust God, but their actions speak louder than words.They will also be judged. But again in His mercy and grace, God will spare Judah much tribulation during that time, and The Assyrian army will be defeated (by God) as it invades Jerusalem.

When we trust in God (Jesus as our Lord and savior) we become His children. Just as a father disciplines his child, God will disciple us when we misbehave (sin). Yes it is true that Jesus died for our sins, but that doesn't mean we can go on sinning and not reap the consequences. We are slowly become more and more like Jesus every day. If we "get away" with our sins, we won't change. Just like a car won't turn if the steering wheel doesn't move. So God nudges us, or pushes us in the right directions through His loving discipline.

(Isaiah 7-12) Isaiah's Children as a Warning

As chapter 7 begins, the LORD tells Isaiah to go and meet  king Ahaz. Isaiah was told to take his son, named Shear-Jashub, which means, A Remnant Shall Return. We will see how God uses both of Isaiah's sons as object lessons in his prophesies. 

 When Isaiah arrived before king Ahaz, he told the king that God said He would give Ahaz some kind of a sign to help convince Ahaz of His word. But Ahaz said that he would not test the Lord. It sounds like Ahaz was being humble, but in fact it was the opposite. Yes it's true, the Bible says not to test God, but if He says to test Him, as in the book of Malachai when God says to test Him with offerings so that He could pour out blessings on us, then it's OK.

God told Ahaz, through Isaiah, "Very well, then I will send you a sign anyway. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." This is one of the most famous prophecies regarding the birth of Jesus the Messiah in the Bible.  We know this passage speaks of Jesus because the Holy Spirit says so through Matthew: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)

In chapter 8, God tells Isaiah to take a large board and write the words Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz which means, Plunder and Carry Away. The word plunder means to steal by force, usually during an invasion. So Isaiah did as God commanded. Isaiah had 2 witnesses. He wasn't sure what this was all about at the time, but he wanted 2 honest men, Uriah and Zechariah, to see him write it so no one could say that he wrote it after the fact.

Soon afterward Isaiah's wife became pregnant with their second son and 9 months later, after he was born, God came to Isaiah and said, "Remember those words I asked you to write on a board last year? That is what I want you to name your son, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz." (Mr. BibleHead paraphrase) God told Isaiah that before the baby is able to say "mommy" Assyria would attack Damascus and Samaria. 

Isaiah went before the people. "See my two sons? God has asked me to give them specific names as a warning to you. Before my youngest son will be able to speak, the Assyrian army will attack and plunder. But my older son is a symbol of hope. There will be an Israelite remnant." A remnant is a small part left over after the large piece of cloth has been cut, but it can be used later. Isaiah said that Judah will be tempted to ask fortune tellers and mediums what would be their fate, but Isaiah said that he is standing right in front of them with his two sons and a message from God. We too can seek guidance through wrong means. God reveals all we need to know. Read your Bible. That's how God speaks to us. In the Old Testament, the people needed a prophet. But now we have God's Word.

Chapter 9 is a beautiful chapter of God's grace and mercy. He gives hope to Judah and to all people through His words. " Nevertheless, the darkness will not last forever. There will be a time when Galilee will be filled with glory. A light will come into the darkness.(Jesus) And the people will rejoice." Have you ever watched a Charlie Brown Christmas?  Then verse 6 will sound familiar to you. It is one of the most recognized prophesies about the coming of Jesus. 

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

God is not only telling them about what will happen 700 years later, He is giving them a chance to turn from their wicked ways and turn toward Him. He is truly a faithful and merciful God! It doesn't matter how much we have screwed up. God wants us to come to Him. We don't have to get "right" before we come to Him. He is the one who makes us "right". If we accept what Jesus has done for us. (taking our sins and giving His life as a sacrifice, and if we choose to make him Lord (everything we do is for Him) of our life, God promises that the Holy Spirit will come and live inside us and that we will live with Him forever.

Chapter 10 tell about how God used Assyria as a judgement tool (vs.7) against Israel and Judah, but now it is time to judge prideful, godless Assyria. God says that Assyria will waste away like sick people during a plague. (vs.18) Then God reminds His people again at the end of Chapter 10 and into Chapter 11 about the coming Messiah. It is a beautiful description of a savior coming through the line of David.

Chapter 12 is a beautiful song of praise for salvation that comes through Jesus, and only because of the unimaginable grace and mercy of the living God. Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Remember to thank Him always. Because it was nothing that you or I did. It is was Jesus did!

 

Intro to Isaiah and chapters 1-6

The book of Isaiah was written by the prophet Isaiah. He ministered in Israel and Judah. After Israel was taken over by the Assyrians, he continued to minister only in Judah. He was the prophet during the reign of 4 different kings. 

The name Isaiah means Salvation of the Lord. It is a perfect name for him, because as you will see, He speaks a lot about Jesus, even though Jesus wouldn't even be born for another 700 years. 

The book of Isaiah and the book of Jeremiah are the two longest books in the bible. He has a lot to say about the poor and the people who are being controlled by evil judges and the government. He also talks a lot about the holiness of God. Do you know what the word holy means? It means set apart. So God is set apart from any other idol that the people worshipped. He is the only true God. When He asks us to be holy, just as He is holy, (1 Peter 1:16) He wants us to be set apart for Him. To obey Him and trust Him and not act like everyone else.

Isaiah was a faithful and bold prophet of God. He spoke very specifically about Jesus, the coming Messiah and about His justice, His promises to Israel, His life and death, and His majesty. Isaiah also told of God’s judgment on The Israelites as they continued to turn from Him. However, Isaiah understood not only God’s judgment but also His salvation, mercy, grace, and compassion. He told of these things and confirmed God’s promise that His people would not be completely destroyed.

In Chapter 2, Isaiah tells the Israelites how He chose them and had a perfect plan for them, but that they turned from Him and worshipped idols. God mentions how prideful the Israelites were 10 times in this chapter, so pride is one of their main sins. God says that he "Opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5) He warned the people through Isaiah that judgement for their acts of prideful disobedience was coming. 

Chapter 3 is more about judgement, specifically Jerusalem. And how God himself will make sure that they have no food and water. This may seem a bit harsh, but when we turn from God, He will "take away" anything that will keep us from Him. The Israelites were so self reliant, that they thought they didn't need God anymore. We can get that way sometimes. When we get comfortable because we live in a house, we have clothes to wear and food everyday, we can think to ourselves. "I'm doing pretty good on my own." 

In Chapter 4 God, speaking through Isaiah, Gives hope to the Israelite survivors. He mentions the "Branch of the Lord", which means Jesus. Jesus is the Great Hope. He ends chapter four saying that He will be a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain. "He is our refuge and our shelter" (Psalm 92:1)

Chapter 5 begins with a story about a vineyard. The vineyard is Israel, and Isaiah tells how God cleared a way for the Israelites. Then they turned from Him. God is reminding the people that He chose them and He worked everything together for their sake. But now He tells of more judgement because they turned from Him. 

Chapter 6 takes a turn and Isaiah tells about a day when he saw the Lord sitting on a throne. H was surrounded by angels who kept praising God saying "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of hosts. The earth is full of your glory!" The earth shook and Isaiah trembled. "I am not worthy to even be here here! I am a sinner! How can I, a man of unclean lips be here before the King of Kings?" Then one of the angels took a hot coal and touched it to Isaiah's lips and declared him cleansed of his sins. Then God asked Isaiah, "who shall I send to the kings with my message?" Isaiah responded. "Send me Lord!". God wants to use us.  Timothy 2:21 says if we are cleansed from our sins and keep ourselves pure, then we can be useful tools in His hands. Wouldn't that be amazing to be used by God! 

Next Time, Isaiah goes before the kings.