THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
We have a great friend in Gary Godard. He has set up an archive page. To view ALL the prior devotions by Scripture, just clik
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for
the books of Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for
COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
Isaiah
CHAPTER 29
1 Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices. 2 Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.
Now, Isaiah addresses Jerusalem, the capitol of Judah with a prophecy from the Lord.
First, he calls Jersusalem "Ariel," which means burning furnace. Jerusalem was the place where David set up the kingdom for the twelve tribes. It was the place to which he moved the altar of God and began the plans to build the temple.
As such, Jerusalem (Ariel) was the ALTAR place of God. It represented God's presence with His people. It represented God's power and the place where people came for holy worship of the Almighty.
God says He will cause "distress" in Ariel, yet it shall still be called "burning furnace." God may have caused "heaviness and sorrow" to Jerusalem time after time; but it is STILL (even today) the place which represents the power of God and the prayers of His people.
3 And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee. 4 And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. 5 Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly. 6 Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
Jerusalem would be put under seige and trampled under foot. The people's voices would be quietened. They would STILL be HEARD though!
God would certainly visit them for chastisement because of their sins of idolatry. But God promised also (verse 6) to visit in a DIFFERENT way. He would visit by "...thunder, ...earthquake, .. great noise,... storm and tempest, ...flame of devouring fire."
Friends, when Christ died on the cross ALL these things happened! Yes, God visited them in chastisement; but He also visited them in GRACE!
7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision. 8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.
Those who fight against God's "burning furnace" will find that they are doing so to NO AVAIL! It would be like a "dream" to ruin Jerusalem. Because when people awaken, it will be BUILT AGAIN!
Even though Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD, it was raised again. And even today is still a major world city.
9 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. 10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. 11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: 12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
Even though Jerusalem and a remnant of the Hebrew people were kept by God's grace, they were blind to the truth of Messiah when He came.
The true vision of Messiah is revealed in the Old Testament. The Hebrew people had that Old Testament when Jesus came in the flesh. The Old Testament revealed that Messiah would come to SAVE the people. But they did not understand that salvation would come first by offering the only satisfactory atonement to God - Jesus on the cross! They did not understand the meaning of Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, or Daniel 9:25-26.
When Jesus came, the people were looking for a Messiah Who would descend in clouds of glory, take over the earth, and make them to be rulers. And one day He WILL COME in that manner. (Psalm 2:7-9, Zechariah 3:8-10, Daniel 7:13-14, Malachi 4)
Listen really close now. The people did not receive Jesus as Messiah when He came the first time because that was not their VISION of Messiah. He was not what they WANTED!
Friends, the Jesus of the Bible may not be what our soul's desire is, but He is the ONLY Saviour and the Eternal Judge of all mankind. We cannot create God in our own image! We must SURRENDER to Him as He IS!
13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: 14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
When Jesus came the first time, He put the wise things and people of the world to confusion! He was God in the flesh, but He willingly gave His life on a cross for the atonement of man's sins.
Then, when His life was gone from His body, and He was placed in a tomb, HE AROSE!!!!
Read the following from 1Corinthians 1:20-25.
"20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? 16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
Notice that God says trying to make Him be what we WANT is like the potter's clay trying to take over the potter!
We human beings are made by the Lord God. All that we are we owe to Him.
We must learn to receive God AS HE IS, and be obedient. He is not only our Creator, He is our Saviour and our Eternal Judge!
17 Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest? 18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. 19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off: 21 That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
The forests of Lebanon were famous for great and durable cedar trees. They were located on snow-capped mountains and were beautiful. As a symbol, the reference here probably is to man's sinful pride and arrogance.
The arrogant would be "cut down" as trees, and brought to blindness and deafness. This would be the manner in which "scorners" (those that take delight in pointing out other men's faults) would be "consumed (verse 20)." Those who "watch for iniquity" would be "cut off."
Also, the legalists would be consumed and cut off. They delighted in using the law to condemn someone rather than try and bring them to repentance (verse 21).
But the "meek," (verse 19) or self-disciplined would readily receive God's admonishment and repent. Their repentance would be turned into joyful singing of the praises of God!
22 Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. 23 But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. 24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
Notice the use of the words in verse 22. It is the "LORD" (Jehovah God) Who "redeemed Abraham" and saves the "children" of Jacob (verse 23).
Again, the Bible points out that the Messiah, though the "Son of God" is God Himself!
Those who receive Christ as Who He IS will "come to understanding (verse 24)." They will know the joy of forgiveness and eternal glory!
They will "sanctify the Holy One of Jacob" as the Messiah and therefore reverence the God of Israel (verse 23).
Friends, it is when we receive Christ as God, Creator, Redeemer, Saviour, Master and Lord that we receive eternal life! When we SURRENDER to Him, then we are given His QUICKENED Spirit instead of our DEAD spirit!
PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.