Ezekiel: 1-11: The message and his bizarre behavior Part 1

 The book of Ezekiel is a book, pretty much like other prophetic books of the Bible. God is warning His people about His judgement. However, Some of the very unusual things that Ezekiel sees and does, makes this book stand out among some of the others. Remember when we talked in Lamentations about how Babylon came in, gutted Jerusalem, and took many of the Jews into captivity? Well, Ezekiel was one of those taken.

Five years later, on his birthday, Ezekiel goes and sits down by a river and begins to ponder all that had happened. Suddenly, one large storm cloud rolls in. He is watching this cloud and 4 creatures begin to appear. They 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! It took a few minutes, but suddenly Ezekiel realizes that he is in the presence of God! And he fell on his face in reverence. Ezekiel was a bit perplexed however. He knew that the glory of God was always above the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem. What was He/God doing in Babylon. Ezekiel learned that God cannot be put in our mind-conceived boxes. He is God, and not limited to our human notions. 

                                                                                                                                                                        We do this all the time. Have you ever thought something was too small for God to care about, or too big for Him to do? How about our prayers? Does God hear so many prayers that He cannot possibly answer them all? Am I too bad that God can't save me? These are all ways that we put God in a box. Nothing is too bog or too small for God. He is all powerful, and He loves each and every single person so much that, no matter how bad we are, He sent his son Jesus to die for us.  

                                                                                                                                                                 Ezekiel was told by God to stand up and listen to what He was going to say. Ezekiel had trouble standing and the Holy Spirit placed Ezekiel on his feet. "I want you to go back and speak to the Israelites. Many of them will not listen to my message to them. They are a rebellious and stubborn people. They will insult you and maybe even try to harm you. But don't worry about that." God said to Ezekiel. Then He continued. "Whether they listen or not, continue with the message that I am giving you."  

                                                                                                                                                                      God wants us to share the good news with others. He knows that some will ignore us or even worse, but we are called to be faithful and not be concerned about the results. Ultimately it is the Holy Spirit that changes hearts, not us. Just like Ezekiel, we are called to share God's message.  

                                                                                                                                                                     Now begins some of Ezekiel's strange behavior. God gives Ezekiel a scroll with His message to the Israelites, and He tell Ezekiel to eat it! So he ate it. He said it was delicious! It was very sweet like honey! 

  That is how we should be with the Bible. No not literally eat it! LOL! But God's word is nourishment. We should savor it, and put it in us. The Bible tells us to keep God's word in our hearts. And one day, when we really need a certain scripture, the Holy Spirit will bring it to our minds for comfort or direction.  

  Ezekiel is now headed to Israel to confront the people left there, and those that have been scattered by the invasion of Babylon. He is going to tell them that because of their rebellion and the worshipping of other gods, there will be another invasion, and this time, Jerusalem will be completely destroyed and the temple will be in complete ruins, and the wall surrounding the city will be left in shambles. Ezekiel tell the people everything that God had asked him to, but then God asks His prophet, Ezekiel, to do some more bizarre things. First, Ezekiel was to go into his house and tie himself up.

God said that He would make it so that Ezekiel could not speak as a symbol of doom and helplessness that would fall upon the city. Then finally God allowed Ezekiel to speak these words. "He who has ears, let him hear." (the same words that Jesus used when talking in parables) Next, God wants Ezekiel to build a small replica of the city, then stage an attack on them, just like a child playing war with his or her toys. This was like a visual parable to the people of what was coming. Next God had Ezekiel cut off all his hair with a sword and shave his beard. Then divide all the hair into 3 piles. I'm sure this strange behavior drew quite a crowd as Ezekiel was out in the street in front of his house. Then Ezekiel burned one pile, struck another pile with a sword and finally the last pile, he threw up into the air and a brisk wind carried it off. God told Ezekiel that the few remaining hairs that fell to the ground, he was to tie them to his robe, then pull them off and toss them into the fire as well. This was a picture of how the people would be scattered after one third were killed by soldiers and another third would die of plagues and famine. And the few that survived would suffer.

 God is so merciful! he warned the people over and over again what would happen if they refused to turn back to Him. We should continually thank God for His mercy, grace and patience with us.

(Lamentations 1-5) Crying out to God

 We are now in the book of Lamentations. It is a unique book, as it consists of 5 poems. These poems are acrostics, which means that each line begins with a new letter of the Greek alphabet (which has 22 letters). The third poem goes through the Greek alphabet 3 times, so it is the longest of the five. The last poem uses the letters, but not in a sequential order as the first 4 poems do. We will see why this may be intentional when we discuss poem 5. The word Lament means to cry out in grief or sorrow with passion. So the 5 poems are a crying out to God.                                                                                                                     Do you think God minds if we cry out to him when we are sad or angry, or hurt? No, and just the fact that this book is in the Bible proves that. Crying out to God is a prayer. It is a prayer of despair. The book of Psalms is filled with David's many laments. God wants us to come to him in good times and in bad. James 5:13 Sad-pray, glad-pray, and everything in between-pray. 

CHAPTER1                                                                                                                                                     In the first poem of lament, Jerusalem is depicted as a lonely old widow. Now we have to realize that these 5 poems were written about 580 B.C. after Jerusalem was taken over by Babylon and most of the Jews were captured and/or scattered. So the lonely old widow has lost her husband, and she has no one to turn to. She finally calls out to Lord to notice what she is going through; She is grieving and all alone. Through her, the writer of Lamentations who is anonymous by the way, although most Biblical scholars agree that it was probably Jeremiah (the weeping prophet), cries out to God, and the only way to tell Him how she feels, is that it feels like when someone you love dies.

CHAPTER 2                                                                                                                                               This chapter focuses on the fact that the sin of the Jews brought on God's wrath and led to their fall. Sometimes we think about God's wrath as Him exploding in anger and tossing fireballs onto the earth. God's wrath in biblical terms is actually His justice. When sin requires discipline, God's wrath is the justice that follows. Psalm 103 says that God is kind and merciful, slow to anger. His wrath is not spontaneous. So the author agrees with God. The Jews broke their covenant by worshipping other gods. But he asks God to show compassion on them once more.

CHAPTER 3                                                                                                                                               This chapter is the longest. It basically tells of an old man crying out on behalf of all of Israel. He is grief-stricken. He uses some of the same language that Job used when he cried out to God after he lost everything, including his children. So this is a very passionate plea to God Himself. Just like in chapter 2, he realizes that God had carried out the justice that Israel deserved because they broke their covenant. The writer focuses on the covenant and uses the covenant and God's faithfulness to write these words of hope: Because of the Lord's covenant faithfulness, we do not perish. His mercies never fail: they are new every morning. How great is your faithfulness o God. You are my inheritance, so I will put my hope in you. He was standing on the promises of God! He knew that God promised justice, but He also promised to show mercy and kindness.                                                                                                                                      We can stand on the promises of God too! The Bible is filled with thousands of God's promises. He is faithful. We can trust Him. The more we know what God's word says, the more we can hold His promises near. We can pray to God and remind Him of His promises. Not because He forgot, but so that we can be encouraged through Him and His word.

CHAPTER 4                                                                                                                                               This chapter is a vivid comparison of how Jerusalem used to be before the siege, and how it is now. He goes through several examples like: The children used to laugh and play in the streets. Now they walk the streets begging for food. The rich people used to enjoy extravagant meals, now the look through the dirt and in the dump just for a bite to eat. The king used to rule, now he is a prisoner in Babylon. The writer is pretty much crying out to God, "We want things back to the way they used to be!"                                    We do that sometimes, but we can't live in the past. Isaiah 43:18 says leave it behind and do not dwell on the past. The more we live in the past, the less time we have for the present. How can we give God our best, if we are living in the past?

CHAPTER 5                                                                                                                                                  As we said earlier, this poem is a little different, It still uses each letter of the alphabet, but the order and structure has been tossed out the window. It's like "OK God, I can't take it any more". The poet shows the chaos of grief and pain by jumbling up the alphabet. This chapter is another cry for God's mercy. It comes from the people as a whole, and not from an individual who portrays a group of people. The people cry out on behalf of all their fellow Jews who have been suffering in silence. God encourages them to come to Him in their pain, suffering, confusion, anger, and grief. He does the same for us. This book ends in kind of a statement and a desperate question: God is the king of the universe, but it feels like He is nowhere to be found. The last line in the book leaves us hanging. It questions, Unless you've totally rejected us?

One of God's promises in the Bible is that He will will never leave or forsake us. Hebrews 13:5. That is a wonderful promise to keep close to our hearts. Sometimes it feels like He has, but we must stand on the truth of His word and promises and not our fickle feelings.

(Isaiah 57-66) God's promises

 Chapter 57 begins with God telling His people that they are treating good people badly. He says that the righteous man is teased and ridiculed. God tells the righteous man not to worry. He will give them peace. Have you ever been teased for doing the right thing? (that is what righteousness is) Well, God promises you His peace, which according to Philippians, surpasses all human understanding. So continue to do the right thing. God has your back.

God says that his patience with the ungodly is running out. And He says that there is no peace for the wicked,  but then by the end of the chapter, He tells them  four ways to find His peace. 1. Know that He is holy and He alone is to be worshipped 2. Humble yourselves before Him. 3. Know that God loves

you and wants the best for you. 4. And by accepting the gift of peace. (which we know is Jesus) When we receive God's gift of peace, it doesn't mean that everyone will love everyone around us.... It is an inner peace; a rest for our souls; a peace with God; a contentment even in difficult circumstances. Have you accepted God's gift of peace, grace and love through His son, Jesus?

Chapter 58 is a beautiful chapter that addresses the question. God why don't you answer my prayers? First He tell about how the people were fasting and praying with the wrong motives. God always sees our heart. He knows why we do things. Even if it looks good, like praying or sacrificing something, God knows if our heart is in the right place. It may look good to others but "Man looks at the outward, God looks at the heart" (1Samuel 16:7) God continues the chapter by telling the people that if the pray and fast along with love and doing the right thing; And if they extend love with help to the poor and needy, then their lives will be filled with light and they will hear from God. Wouldn't it be great to hear from God and to have our lives filled with His light. Well, this is straight from God. Do right unto others and help the needy. But do both with love in your heart. Ask God to help you to do things out of love. He will be glad to help you.

In chapter 59 God tells his people that He not only knows their heart, (Chapter 58) but He sees all we do, good or bad. God told them that the reason that they don't feel Him shining His face upon them is because they are sinning in secret, trying to hide from God. While speaking to Job in Job 34:22 God says, "There is no darkness or deep shadow where the one who sins may hide themselves from me." Ever since Adam and Eve felt shame and tried to hide from God because of their guilt, man has been doing the same thing. Have you ever felt guilty for doing something wrong. Don't try to hide it. Confess it. God is a God of light. He wants all things brought into the light. He wanted His people to confess their sins to Him and He wants us to do the same thing."The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the
light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed." (John 3:19-20) At the end of the chapter, God says that He will send a Redeemer. That Redeemer is Jesus Christ! 

Chapter 60 tell of how wonderful it will be when Jesus comes for all men who believe. Then It talks about the second coming of Jesus, (which we are still waiting for) when Jesus rules over all the world and He will be our everlasting light!

Chapter 61-66 tell of the Millennial Kingdom which is not yet here. The book of Isaiah is so amazing! It has prophesies about the first coming of Jesus which has already taken place, and all of the prophesies concerning Jesus' first coming have come true. But Isaiah also prophesies about the second coming. For example; Those who persecuted Israel will now realize that Jerusalem is the City of the Lord. God will make all things new. Violence will be no more. There will be no need for the sun. Jesus will be our light of day. Jesus will rule over all the earth. Here are a few more straight from Isaiah 65:20-25

“No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, 

Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; 

For the child shall die one hundred years old, 

They shall build houses and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.


For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,
And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain,
Nor bring forth children for trouble;
For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD,

“It shall come to pass
That before they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I will hear.

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Isaiah 49-56 Gods Plan for You and for All People (Merry Christmas!)

 Chapter 49 is amazing. God is telling Isaiah to speak to the people in the words of Jesus. (who wasn't even born for another 700 years) I know that sounds a bit confusing. So, let's just think of it as Jesus telling us what will happen. He said that before He was even born, God already had a plan in place for Him. In Psalm 139:13, God says the same thing about us. He says, "I knit you together in your mother's womb." God knew us even before we were in our mother's womb! He created us.... and get this.... He created us with a purpose! God has a plan for you, just as He had a plan for Jesus. God's ways are so unimaginable. He can have a plan for each individual person and, as he states in verse 3, He also has a plan for nations! Wow! I can't even wrap my brain around that! I'm glad that I cannot completely understand the ways of God. It tells me that His thoughts are way above mine. Since He is good, I must trust that His plan is not only good, but the best plan ever! We all have dreams and try to think about what our lives will be like. Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? God knows, and He has created you with special gifts and special desires to do that special something.

One of the plans that God has for Jesus, it to bring the message and hope of salvation to the whole world. During Isaiah's time, only the Jews were thought of as God's people, but with the coming of Jesus, the whole world will have an opportunity to live with God forever. Verse 6 says I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” In John 3:16 it says that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son. That whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." As Christmas time approaches, it is good to reflect on the purpose of Jesus coming to earth. It was a fulfillment of the plan that God had ordained from the beginning of time. Genesis, the first book of the Bible says that Satan will bite, but Jesus will crush him.

The rest of chapter 49 tell of God's amazing promises to Israel and to us. One of the coolest promises is in verse 15b-16. I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; The God of the universe has your name engraved on his hand! First of all, He must have some really, really big hands. Second of all, He must think an awful lot of us to have our names permanently "tattooed" on His hands.

Chapter 50 begins with the Jews thinking that God has forsaken them because He has now reached out to the Gentiles. But God tells the Jews that He has not given up on them. This was all part of is plan. Then Jesus continues to tell the plan about how He, God's servant, will come and suffer. Luke 22 also talks about this. Then at the end of the chapter, Jesus pleads with us to trust in Him.

In Chapter 51 The Lord pleads with all people to listen to Him. Verse 1 begins with "listen" Verse 4 begins with "listen" and verse 7 begins with "listen." He says that He has been faithful in the past and promises the same for the future, and that His salvation is forever, and that they should fear Him, (God) and not man. Matthew 10:28 says the same thing. Verse 9 and verse 17 both begin with "Awake awake!" Awake to  how awesome God is, and awake to the fact that he is powerful and just. 

Chapter 52 also begins with "Awake, awake!" It is a call to Zion (Jerusalem). Listen to what He (God) is saying and listen to the good news (Gospel) that will be relayed through men. Verse 7 says How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” In other words, God loves when we share the good news of Jesus with others. Have you ever thought if God cares about whether or not I tell others about how Jesus changed my life? Well He does. He ends chapter 52 telling about how Jesus will suffer, but He will have the ultimate victory. Isn't it amazing how much Jesus is talked about in this book and it was written 700 years before He was even born. And many of the prophesies are so detailed that it would be a one in a gadzillion chance that it could ever happen by accident! 

Chapter 53 continues with Jesus' suffering and how His death atoned (paid a debt) for our sins. We are all sinners. The text says the we are like sheep and have all gone astray. But Jesus took our sins upon Himself and God accepted that payment for all our sins, past, present and future.  It is truly an amazing gift that God has offered to us. But we must accept it. In Romans 9:10 It says that  If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior? God is offering this wonderful gift to you. If you want to spend eternity with God and allow Jesus to be Lord of your life, God makes it available to everyone, from the rich to poor, the healthy to sick, the tall to short. Just do the ABCs. Admit that you are a sinner and you need Jesus. Believe in your heart that He died for your sins and rose from the dead. And Confess with your mouth that from now on, Jesus is in control of your life. If you did that just now, the angels are throwing a huge party in heaven!

Chapter 54 discusses how God will restore Israel, and His promise to them of peace, prosperity and protection. Then in Chapter 55 God call to all who can hear His voice, that they to can be restored just as Israel will be. God's invitation includes blessing, leadership and forgiveness. But we need to accept His invitation. He is all powerful and keeps His promises. Chapter 56 continues in asserting that His promises are for all the world, and restoration is possible for all nations and all people as individuals.

Isaiah 41-48 God's Amazing Plan is Filled With Hope

 In Chapter 40 we see God beginning to reveal his plan for everyone and the hope that we have in Him.   Now God continues to speak in chapter 41. He is speaking to people in distant lands, the idol worshippers. He tells them to step into His holy courtroom and present their evidence. Then God begins to explain that He alone is in control of everything. The things that happen in an individuals life, along with worldwide events on a colossal scale are all in His power. People who believe and trust in Him, as well as people who don't, are all subject to God's ultimate plan. 

So when we see things on the news about events happening around the world, don't think that they are out of God's control. He is still on the throne and is in control of all things. Remember that it is all a part of His loving plan. (even though to us, it doesn't seem loving)

In verse 8 God addresses Israel through Isaiah and tells them not to worry. He's got this. He will protect them and He will be their ever present help in times of need. (psalm46) God continually reminds them not to be afraid. Then He tells the Israelites that he will not only protect them and help them, but He will also provide for them. God is reassuring them that He is always there for them. Fear is a crippling emotion. Have you ever been so afraid that you could't move or think straight? I certainly have! God wants us to live our best lives for Him. He wants our best. How can we give Him our best if we are paralyzed by fear or can't even think straight? We cant. That is why God reminds us over 350 times in the Bible "Do not fear".

Then God readdresses the idol worshippers from the beginning of the chapter after they have laid out their case for worshipping idols. God asks them a simple question. "Can your idols tell you what will happen in the future?" He answers for them. "Of course not! Your idols don't even exist. They have no power." Then God proceeds to tell them some events that will happen in their future.

Chapter 41 of Isaiah is considered the great I WILL chapter. 14 times God reinforces His promises by saying "I will". Here are some of them: I will strengthen you. (Isaiah 41:1) I will help you. (Isaiah 41:10, 13, and 14) I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10) I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth. (Isaiah 41:15) I will open rivers in desolate heights. (Isaiah 41:18) I will make the wilderness a pool of water. (Isaiah 41:18) I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree. (Isaiah 41:19) I will set in the desert the cypress tree. (Isaiah 41:19) I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings. (Isaiah 41:27)

Did you know that God's promises are also for us today? 2Peter 1:4-5 says just that! And Galatians 3:29 states that if we are followers of Jesus, we are children of Abraham and heirs to God's promises.

In Chapter 42, He starts off with Behold! My Servant .... which is definitely Jesus. How do we know that? Because when God refers to other servants of His, like Moses, He uses a small letter s at the beginning of the word servant. But here we see a capital S. Isaiah follows up with a beautiful "song" straight from the lips of God about how Jesus will be a light to the world. He will bring justice. He will open the eyes of the blind man and set the captives free. The book of Isaiah is filled with references and prophesies about Jesus. Jesus is the hope of Israel and the whole world. The rest of Chapter 42 is about God's provision for Israel and their rebellion.

Chapter 43. God will allow Israel to be captured by Babylon, But He reassures them that they are still his people. He reminds them how He rescued them from Egypt, and He will do it again from Babylon. Has God ever been there when you needed Him most. He has for me. God wants us to remember those times, because if He did it before... He will certainly do it again.   Chapter 43 ends just like 42.... the Israelites neglect to obey God.  

Chapter 44 reminds the people of Israel that He alone is the one true God. Idols are mere artifacts made by human hands. They have no power... But he, God, Has ultimate power over everything.

Chapter 45 speaks of how God will use a non-Jew, Cyrus, to bring about His plan. They Israelite didn't think that God could, or would use anyone outside of Israel to bring about His plans.... But God can use whomever He pleases.

Chapters 46 and 47 are about Babylon. How they worship false gods. Those false gods are powerless when the one true God moves in to defeat them.

Chapter 48: God reminds Israel that He made promises to Abraham that ALL came true. So all these things that He is revealing now about being captured by Babylon, the hard hearts of God's own people and the ultimate defeat and fall of Babylon will certainly come to pass.  

So to wrap it all up. God wants the Israelites to know that He is in control of all things present and all things in the future. God wants us to know the same thing. Sure, we'd like to know exactly what will happen, but that is where trusting God comes in. After all aren't our hearts and trust really the only things that we can give a God who owns everything? So during some of these dark days, hold tightly to God and trust Him for the days to come.       

(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!