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 10
1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; 2 To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! 3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? 4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
Not only had Judah turned to idolatry, but they had become insensitive to righteousness and uncaring toward the poor.
When God sent His "chastening rod" of Assyria, they would not be able to stand against it (verse 3). Note again the words, "..for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." God would bring this punishment to completeness. He would not turn it away this time.
5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. 8 For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings? 9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus? 10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; 11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
When the nation of Israel was unified, it was the ruler of the world. When the nation was divided, both Israel and Judah were dominant powers. But when God sent the Assyrians against them, they were both taken out of world leadership. Their significance was reduced to nothing.
Assyrian kings and princes thought it was because of their power and ability that they destroyed Israel and Judah. Little did they know that God is the One who establishes the boundaries of kings and kingdoms.
They boasted of defeating gods (verse 10), and bragged that they could also defeat the God of Israel (verse 11).
12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. 13 For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: 14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. 15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood. 16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. 17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; 18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth. 19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.
But God would break the power of Assyria also. When God finished using them as a tool in His hand, He would destroy them by the same hand!
The Assyrians looked down their noses with pride at their enemies (verse 13), and gloried in their destruction (verse 14).
But God would send "the LIGHT of Israel" against them! The "LIGHT of Israel" is the "Holy One" Himself, the LORD God. The remainder of their leaders ("trees of his forest") would be so few that a child could number them (verse 19).
Friends, God is guiding history! He uses nations as a tool in His hands! And the GOOD NEWS IS:
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. 22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. 23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
When history is finished, and the final day comes, only a "remnant" will stand before God.
Though humanity, and even Israel, is an unnumbered multitude, only a few will be left. And those few will be the ones who have given their lives to God through faith in Messiah - Jesus Christ.
24 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. 26 And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt. 27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. 28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages: 29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled. 30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. 31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. 32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. 33 Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled. 34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.
Somebody once told me, "When God says therefore, you need to look and see what it's THERE FOR!"
The LORD, the "God of hosts," Who has authority over ALL PEOPLE, proclaims a decree of truth for those who TRUST Him.
That decree is the assurance that whatever happens in this life, those who trust God should not have FEAR of wars. Wars are truly events which are caused by the sins of man. But wars are also used by the hand of God to establish powers and to tear down powers.
Soon "the indignation shall cease" (verse 25). And God will put a stop to the sins of man against man.
God prophesied through Isaiah that Assyria would be destroyed (verses 12-23). But in these verses (24-34) we see that their power is being used against Jerusalem.
CHAPTER 11
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Even though God would desroy Israel and Judah for their sins, A "rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch" will come to rule the world! That "rod" and "branch" is Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, and a physical descendent of Abraham and David.
When Jesus came into the world physically, He was known for the power of God's Holy Spirit upon Him. He lived a perfect life and established the realness of equity, character, justice and truth.
One day, Jesus is coming again, and He will rule the world in righteousness (versr 4). He will "smite the earth with the rod of His mouth," and cause all to be subdued before Him.
The WORD of God is all He needed to create the mighty universe! The WORD of God is all He needs to establish and destroy nations! The WORD of God is all we need to receive forgiveness, salvation and eternal life!
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
When Christ comes again to rule upon the earth, there will be a GENUINE peace! He will rule in such righteousness that a child will be able to lead a young lion and a baby sheep at the same time! There will be such peace that the cow and the bear will not fight one another. The lion will no longer be a meat eater, he will be a straw eater.
The child will no longer have to fear the snake. And NO ONE will seek to "hurt or destroy."
What a GREAT MIRACLE! Why will it be so? Because of RIGHTEOUS LEADERSHIP!
Oh! Friends, pray for righteous leaders to be raised up in the world today!
10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Salvation is not limited to a nationality. Salvation is not limited to a religious affiliation. ALL mankind may come to JESUS!
But be careful to note that salvation comes ONLY to those who seek Christ!
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. 14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. 15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
The words "second time" mean that someday in the future God will establish Israel as a nation in the leadership of the world again.
The "ensign" for all nations will be shown, and Israel will be called "from the four corners of the earth" where God has scattered them (verse 12).
There will be no more animosity among believers (verse 13). Jealousy will be REMOVED!
Evil nations will be put away (verses 14-16). And a "highway" will be established for people to come and praise KING JESUS!
CHAPTER 12
12:1 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
When Christ establishes His kingdom, the people of Israel will be able to come and rejoice in Him. They will know that He was angry because of their sins, but He established SALVATION for those who fully trusted Him.
One day, all men will stand before God. And in that day, we shall all realize that He was angry because of our sins, but He established salvation to those who would fully trust Him! WHAT A GREAT GOD!
2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Salvation is offered to all those who name the LORD JEHOVAH as Messiah of mankind! He came in the Person of Jesus Christ. He laid down His life on Calvary's cross in order that He might pay the price of FORGIVENESS. He, by His own power, arose from the grave to establish the fact that He has power to raise us from the deadness of sins to perfect righteousness. And one day, He's coming back to rule the world in perfect righteousness.
3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. 5 Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
And when Christ comes to establish the milennial kingdom, then ALL OF HIS SAVED shall rejoice! They will "draw water out of the wells of salvation." The power of their lives shall be because of God's forgiveness and His ability to raise us to the level of righteousness.
What REJOICING will be going on in that day! People wil PRAISE Jesus, and they will CALL UPON Him in joy and thanksgiving (verse 4).
It is significant again to point out something about transcription of the Bible. The word "LORD" is a substitute for the Name JEHOVAH. The transcriptionists would substitute that name LORD because of their reverence for the very NAME - JEHOVAH!
Therefore my friends, let us see that JEHOVAH came in the Person of JESUS. And one day He's coming AGAIN! (See Isaiah 43:11, John 1:1-4, and Hebrews 1:1-3).
Notice verse 6 says that He is the "Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee." This is the meaning of the word EMMANUEL -- "God WITH us!"
Christ has come to be WITH us! He is coming AGAIN to be WITH us!
PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.