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 9
1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. 2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. 3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. 5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
God wanted Isaiah to know, and wanted Isaiah to tell the people that there would still be more of the trouble, but there would be an END!
The people had sinned and gone after idols. God had "lightly afflicted" them, and they repented. Time and time again this happened. Finally the whole nation turned to idolatry. And God brought a more "grevious" affliction upon them.
They were "cut off." This He had promised (see Deuteronomy 28). God had called! He had sent prophet after prophet, miracle after miracle. Oh! How God had called to them! But they would not listen! And finally God fulfilled His promise to destroy their nation if they did not repent.
But there would come a day (verse 2) when a LIGHT would shine. It would be a GREAT LIGHT! It would be the Light of God Himself. And so Isaiah prophecies in verse 6.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Now, I want you all to understand that I could preach on these two verse for DAYS! So, it is a major sacrifice for me to try and reduce what I'd like to say, to what should be said in a short Bible study.
The prophecy Isaiah gives is of a "child." He is the LIGHT which will light the darkness of sinful people. This "Son" is the MIGHTY GOD, the EVERLASTING FATHER, yet He will be a CHILD!
He is THE ONE AND ONLY "Wonderful Counseller." It is HIS truth by which all men must be born again and abide. It is His truth alone which will get a person saved. It is His truth alone which guarantees eternal life through His shed blood and forgiveness. There is NO OTHER!! This "child" is Jesus Christ, Jehovah in the flesh!
Notice verse 7. His "government" has NO END!! It is ETERNAL! He will sit upon the throne as a descendent of David, yet He will be the ALMIGHTY GOD!
He will establish once and for all the truth of perfect judgment and equitable justice.
This task will be completed by "The zeal of the LORD of hosts."
My friends, salvation is accomplished by the "zeal of the LORD of hosts." It comes no other way. All a man may do to receive it is to surrender to the eternal Lordship of Jesus Christ. You cannot work to attain it. You cannot buy it. You can only beg and plead for Christ to forgive and to save. And HE, HE ALONE, will accomplish it!!
8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. 9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, 10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. 11 Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together; 12 The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 13 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.
The people had grown cold. Their hearts were as stone. They believed that as it had been in the past, it would be now. They could turn to God and He would "heal." But God had made a determination to NOT heal! No matter how they might plead, the nation would be destroyed! They had gone TOO FAR!
My friend, let me say this: You can go TOO FAR in rebellion against God! Life is brief and uncertain. You cannot say that you will turn to God in a LATER day. TODAY is all you have!
God was going to make SURE that Israel was destroyed totally. He would break down all the bricks they tried to use in rebuilding. He would send the Syrians to tear down, then the Philistines to KEEP it down!
And the REASON for this? "...the people turneth not unto Him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts."
Repentance and surrender are the only way to receive salvation. And TODAY a person can repent. But TOMORROW may be TOO LATE! Life is BRIEF and UNCERTAIN.
How about you today my friend? Do you know for CERTAIN that if you died tonight you would go directly to be with Jesus? If you DON'T know that, then go to the home page and clik on the link: "LINK TO JESUS FOR REAL LIFE." DO IT NOW!
14 Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. 15 The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. 16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.
"Head and tail" would be cut off! The "head" were the elders and rulers. The "tail" were the idolatrous prophets who preached whatever men wanted to hear as long as they got their pay.
Friend, you may be a leader in the church; you might even be a pastor. But if you have never surrendered your life to Christ and asked Him to make you NEW, then you are lost and headed in the WRONG direction!
Jesus drew a line in the sand when He said, "He that is not WITH me is AGAINST me; and he that GATHERETH not with me SCATTERETH abroad" (Matthew 12:30).
These people were playing church but had no real conversion in their souls. They were still selfish, pride-filled, and egotistical. They had no genuine love for their neighbor, and were only looking for what they could GET out of life. They were BORN in church, and LIVED in church; but they were LOST!
And God took NO JOY in them!
17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 18 For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke. 19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.
Sometimes people leave God NO CHOICE but to let His hand of extreme discipline fall upon them.
Now, you can say what you want about me, but I sincerely believe that is why September 11, 2001, the twin towers of the trade market were torn down. I believe God was trying to get the attention of those who call themselves CHRISTIANS!
Friend, God did not call people to be Christians, He called them to be DISCIPLES!
Even the devil would make a good Christian! He believes God died on the cross and rose again on the third day. He believes that the Word of God is inerrant and perfect. He believes all the miracles of the Bible. And he is one of the most faithful attenders in church service. BUT HE AIN'T SAVED!! Why? Because he never surrendered his life to Christ and became a DISCIPLE!
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"(James 2:19-20)
And THAT is precisely why God destroyed Israel from being a nation!
20 And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm: 21 Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
This is the way it is in America for most people today: Snatching and grabbing for a little bit of everything and never being SATISFIED! Why? Because everyone is out for SELF and therefore AGAINST his neighbor! If a man has no regard for his neighbor, he has no regard for GOD!
Jesus said there were TWO very important laws that every person needed to learn and live by. The FIRST law shows a person MUST give himself to God completely in order to be saved. The SECOND law shows that it is love for the neighbor that expresses love for God!
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)
We are sin-sick souls, captured in darkness. Our greatest NEED is Jesus Christ, Who is the LIGHT that will show our way!
And once we allow His light to shine UPON us, then it will be begin to shine IN us!
PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.