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
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COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
Isaiah
CHAPTER 13
1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
From Isaiah 13 through Isaiah 21 and then again in chapter 23, the Scripture speaks of the nations of the world. God outlines their sins and their judgment.
One cannot help but notice that as they sinned, so were their judgments. Yet God always promises grace to Israel.
I will not spend a lot of time on these chapters. Suffice it to say that nations are going to be judged. Their sins will not escape the Lord God of heaven and earth.
This particular indictment is against the Babylonians who will be used of God to take Judah captive for 70 years.
2 Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. 5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. 6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
God calls the Babylonians his "sanctified ones" (Verse 3). They come to pour out the "anger" of God against a hypocritical nation who have corrupted the worship of Almighty God. They will be used to chastise Israel severely.
They will come with all intent to "destroy the whole land" (verse 5).
It is the "day" of Israel's physical judgment for her sins of idolatry (verse 6).
Friends, when a nation claims to be OF GOD, and acts in irresponsible mannerisms, God will chastise it MORE SEVERELY! Take HEED America!
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt: 8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. 9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
When the people of Judah and Jerusalem heard that the Babylonians were coming, they were very afraid. It was not the fear of the Babylonians that bothered them as much as the realization that God's truth was coming to pass. They had sinned, and God was sending punishment. Their consciences were stricken!
I believe that the fear of America during 9-11-01 was the fear of God, not the fear of terrorists. It was the sudden realization that the HEART of America (Christianity) had been stricken by the hand of God in judgment for laxness and idolatry.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. 11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
The dust clouds of the armies of Babylon were so large they shut out the light of the stars, and the sun was dim during the day because of the haze.
During 9-11-01, the sun was darkened through the smoke from the awful fire of those twin towers. And that night such a thick darkness lay over New York that the stars were hard to see.
Men were counted very "precious" (verse 12). The lives of men lost in the towers and in the rescue attempts placed a greater value on life itself.
One day, it will be WORSE!! God will shake the very earth itself! And part of the fear that America had on 9-11-01 was knowing that it is possible for "that day" to be TOday!!
14 And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land. 15 Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword. 16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished. 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. 18 Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.
When the Babylonians invaded Judah, they held no regard for life at all. It was only a miracle of God that a "remnant" was saved! They "dashed" little babies against walls, and they killed young children. They ripped up pregnant women and they murdered the aged.
As they had done, so God would punish them (verse 17). The Medes would do the same to their nation.
Sins unconfessed are sins unforgiven. And sins unforgiven are sins that bring punishment.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. 21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. 22 And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.
Babylon, the once great city and capitol of the world, was DESTROYED just like God said it would be right here (verse 19). In 539BC Babylon suffered its first great loss when the people surrendered to the Medes. While the king and his people were having a drunken party, the enemy diverted the river and slipped in under a bridge.
Friends, when the world is plummeting in the ruins of sin, the devil comes in and takes control!
Babylon is a name derived from the word "Babel." The tower of "Babel" is mentioned in the book of Genesis (10:10). It was there that man became so proud and vain that he believed he could build a tower to reach and overtake God Himself!
The result was that God confounded their language. When the world seeks to usurp the authority of God Almighty, then God shows His omnipotence!
Later in the Bible (Revelation 18:1-3), Babylon becomes symbolic of world corruption. The world corruption will be destroyed by Almighty God, and replaced with the "reign of righteousness" by Christ Himself.
CHAPTER 14
1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. 2 And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. 3 And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, 4 That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! 5 The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. 6 He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. 7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. 8 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.
But God will show mercy to those who LOVE Him ("Jacob"). Israel will again possess her land, and the nation which took them captive will become servants.
When King Jesus comes to reign on earth for one thousand years there will be "rest from sorrow" (verse 3).
He will break down the corrupt government leaders and the corrupt church leaders! (verse 5)
The whole earth will have peace and sing praises to King Jesus in that day (verse 7).
9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. 10 All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? 11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
The "king of corruption," the devil, or Lucifer will be put in bondage! Everyone will look at him and wonder how he, who is so weak then, ever had power to tempt man to sin! He will be no better than anyone else, and no stronger than anyone else (verse 11). The same "worms" that eat the flesh of normal men will eat at him also!
It does NO GOOD to try and usurp God's Divine Authority (verse 13)! At least Lucifer tries to usurp God by OVERT action. He SAYS he will defeat God and take over.
Man tries to usurp God through intelligence and definition. People today try and explain God away by using intelligence. Others try and define God in their own terms (idolatry). This is COVERT action. But it nevertheless is the SAME SIN!
Friends, a person cannot say God is NOT! The heavens declare His glory (Psalm 19:1). And a person cannot put God in a little "box" and define the INfinite by finite measures!
God can only be realized as He reveals Himself - through His WORD! He is ALMIGHTY, HOLY, RIGHTEOUS, PERFECT, OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT, OMNIPRESENT, CREATOR, SUSTAINER, SAVIOUR and JUDGE! These are the characteristics revealed by the Lord Himself through His Word. Anyone who says OTHERWISE is trying to DEFINE God.
It is GOD Who makes man in HIS image, and man cannot make God in his image!
16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? 18 All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. 19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. 20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. 21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. 22 For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD. 23 I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts. 24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
The ruler of a nation is only a man. He is subject to death and eternal judgment. He puts his pants on one leg at a time. He should never consider himself to be greater than a mere human in the hands of and Eternal God.
When it comes to facing the Almighty God, even the ole devil himself is a weak, trembling thing. He, after all, was CREATED by God! He may have more power today than a man. But when he faces God he has NO POWER!
Notice the progressiveness of a nation without God (verse 22). When leaders refuse to proclaim God, then the children grow up without believing in God.
Friends, WITNESSING is IMPORTANT!!
25 That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. 26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. 27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
When God says something is going to be done, then consider it done. You can "take it to the bank," so to speak! There is NO POWER than can take away God's determined purpose!
One day, the nations of the world which have dominated in unrighteousness and with corrupt power will be under the rule and reign of Him Who was born in Nazareth. It will be in HIS land that HE HIMSELF will "break the Assyrian" and all nations.
28 In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. 29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. 30 And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. 31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times. 32 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.
WARNING! God has PROPHESIED the END of the corrupt rulers and nations. But it has not YET come to pass. The nation of Israel (Judah) was not to "glory" or "rejoice" in this for the moment. For the nations to BE broken, were not yet broken. And soon they WOULD DESCEND upon Judah with a terrible vengence (verse 31).
Friends, God has not YET taken control of the world and begun the milennial reign of Christ. Even though it WILL happen, it has not YET happened. We are not to "glory" or "rejoice" in the fact of the prophecy. We are instead to TELL THE GOOD NEWS! And we are to "trust in it!" (verse 32).
The GOOD NEWS of salvation is to be told with meek hearts and disciplined mouths. It is to be told in pleading for reconciliation of lost sinners with a Holy God. It is NOT to be told in pride and arrogance!
The GOOD NEWS of a milennial kingdom with Christ at the helm is also to be told with meekness. And the GOOD NEWS of eternal glory with Christ in holy righteousness is to be told in meekness.
Christians are not to be PROUD people, but HUMBLE people!
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ." (1Peter 3:15-16)
PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.