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

HERE

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 15

1 The burden of Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; 2 He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off. 3 In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly. 4 And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him. 5 My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction. 6 For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing. 7 Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away to the brook of the willows. 8 For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beer-elim. 9 For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood: for I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him that escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land.

The Moabites were descendents of Lot through an incestuous relationship (Genesis 19:37). They enticed Israel into adultery (Numbers 25). Ruth was a Moabite. And even though they were, by the law, not to come into the congregatin of God (Deuteronomy 23:3), Ruth married Boaz. She became the ancestress of David, and thus is in the lineage of Christ Jesus.

God has compassion on people. His desire is to save. And He will save any who truthfull and genuinely come to Him.

But the Moabites were a corrupt nation and worshipped idols. God's judgment would not escape them. And the judgment would be swift. The towns of Ar and Kir (verse 1) are 25 miles apart, but they would be destroyed in the SAME NIGHT!

Notice that even though destruction is sent upon them for their sins, God's compassion is toward them (verse 5).

Friends, God does not desire to send judgment upon any people. His desire is that all men repent and be saved (2Peter 3:9).

But judgment shall not escape those who refuse God. Their own rebellion leads them to destruction which is pre-planned by God for any who refuse Him.

The only ones who will share glory with God for eternity are those who commit their lives TO Him.

CHAPTER 16

1 Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. 2 For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon. 3 Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth. 4 Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. 5 And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

The Moabites were a PROUD people, yet they were invited to "send ye the lamb" to God's people. They were being invited to share in giving glory to God and requesting His forgiveness.

After their land was vanquished, it would seem that their pride was broken. Some of them had escaped to the land of Edom, and were hiding there. And God sent this message for them to plead with the king of Judah (verse 5) for mercy.

God does want people to be saved! Sometimes physical judgment is used to bring people to spiritual repentance.

6 We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so. 7 Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kir-hareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken. 8 For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea. 9 Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen. 10 And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease. 11 Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir-haresh. 12 And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail. 13 This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning Moab since that time. 14 But now the LORD hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble.

But, alas, the people of Moab were a PROUD people! They would not relent or repent. And they would not beg for mercy at the hands of the Almighty God.

Therefore, God would allow them to be TOTALLY destroyed. Within "three years" (verse 14) the prophecy of their destruction would come to pass.

God's "tears" would be shed for the refusal of proud people to repent (verse 9).

God is compassionate toward those who refuse Him; but God is also JUST. He will not allow any who refuse Him to receive the joys of eternal life. Instead they shall receive their own desires - eternal death! And eternal death is separation from God and all of the benefits of His presence.

CHAPTER 17

1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

Damascus had belonged to the Syrians. But in David's kingdom it was conquered and made a part of Israel. It became the possession of Syria again after Solomon's death. When the nation of Israel was split, the northern kingdom lost Damascus to the Syrians.

2 The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid. 3 The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts. 4 And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean. 5 And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim. 6 Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel. 7 At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. 8 And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images. 9 In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation. 10 Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips: 11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.

Though it had once been considered a possession of the holy nation, it was to be destroyed because of the sins of idolatry (verse 10).

Just like Israel (the northern kingdom) was destroyed for idolatry, so would the Syrian nation be destroyed (verse 3).

However, some would be left (verse 6), and they would begin to worship God (verse 7).

12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! 13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. 14 And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

But the "multitude" of the Syrians would be destroyed because of their refusal to receive God.

My friends, hell is getting LARGER everyday (see Isaiah 5:14). It does not NEED to be so! For God is compassionate. He sends physical judgment to turn men to spiritual repentance.

God sends prophets to tell men that sin separates them from God; to tell them that God offers forgiveness and salvation; to tell them that genuine repentance and surrender is sweet and the only way to eternal glory.

God has compassionately provided men with revelation and realization. There is only ONE reason for all men not to come to God: PRIDE!

PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.