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 2

1 the word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

God's WORD to Isaiah now begins to look at the future and the glory of the millenial kingdom.

"The mountain of the Lord's house" is Jerusalem. It will become the capitol of the world when King Jesus comes to reign on earth for one thousand years.

In the millenial kingdom, people will come to Jerusalem to worship "the God of Jacob (verse 3)." His law will become the law of the world.

The Lord Jesus Himself will be King over all the world, and there will be NO WAR during the millenial kingdom. The world has never seen a time of peace and prosperity when there was NO WAR! This will be the miracle of God physically reigning on the earth.

5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. 6 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. 7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots: 8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: 9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.

Now, the "word of God" carries Isaiah from the glory of the millenial kingdom to the atrocities of the present day.

In that particular time in Judah's history, Manasseh had begun to reign. He instituted idol-worship and corrupted the worship of Jehovah God.
First there is a call for repentance (verse 5). And then, there is a brief outline of the sins of the nation.

The good grace of God which is conditional grace, has been withdrawn from the nation. Rememeber, conditional grace is that grace which provides and protects God's chosen people. See the commentary on Isaiah 1:16-20.

The positional grace of God is still offered. Salvation will still come to any person who seeks Him in true repentance. But Isaiah sees that God has "forsaken" Judah in conditional grace.

The reason God has withdrawn His hand of provision and protection is because of their SINS. They have been "replenished from the east (verse 6)." They have allowed the ideas of heathen worship to infiltrate their monogamus relationship with Jehovah God. They have also allowed the "soothsayers," or psychics to take precedence in their lives.

The people have become preoccupied with riches and possessions (verse 7). They have begun worshipping idols (verse 8).

Even the "mean man," or disciplined man is corrupted by idol worship (verse 9).

10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. 11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

The call for repentance is repeated. When people become engrossed in worldliness, God sends a call through His prophets for them to once again place HIM at the center of their lives.

It seems history repeats itself too often. If we do not LEARN from history, we cause it to be repeated in our own lives. Mankind becomes haughty and proud when there is provision of plenty. When a nation becomes rich and powerful, they also become PROUD and VAIN.
There is going to be a "judgment day" (verse 11). God will cause man to realize the fullness of His glory and majesty, and man will be "bowed down" before Him.

12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: 13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, 14 And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, 15 And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, 16 And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish. 19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. 20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; 21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. 22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?

"The day of the LORD of hosts" is the judgment day (verse 12).

Isaiah, of course, is speaking of an immediate judgment which will take place in Judah. It will be the day when Nebuchadnezzar comes and destroys Judah. He will be an instrument of God's judgment.

But futuristically, and prophetically, Isaiah is also speaking of the appearance of God upon the earth for judgment. All mankind will be humbled when King Jesus comes (verses 13-17).

The "idols" which man has invented to please himself shall be destroyed in that day (verse 17). God will show that there is only ONE HOLY GOD!

When Christ appears the second time in glory and splendor, mankind will fear and run to hide (verses 19-21).

Therefore (verse 22), Isaiah calls for people to stop looking toward man's inventions for salvation and begin to worship God alone.

God will call all men to "account" for their lives. See also Ecclesiastes 12:14.

CHAPTER 3

1 For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, 2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, 3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counseller, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. 4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

When Nebuchadnezzar came, the city of Jerusalem was surrounded by his forces and began to starve. ((See 2Kings 25, and 2Chronicles 36))

Prior to this the kings of Judah were very young in age (see verse 4). Manasseh was only 12 when he began to be king. Following him was Amon, only 22; Josiah, only 8; Jehoahaz, 23; Jehoiakim, 25; Jehoachin, 8; and Zedekiah, 21.

Nebuchadnezzar subdued the land, took away their prosperity and either killed or took into captivity all the able men of war.

5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable. 6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand: 7 In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people. 8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

The Bible tells us that "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child..." (Proverbs 22:15). It is the nature of youth to be brash and disrespectful. When children begin to exhibit disrespect for their elders, it is natural for the child, but it is a shame for the parents. Because the Bible also says, completing that verse in Proverbs 22:15, "...but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."

Because of Judah's continued sin of idolatry and self-pleasing, God allowed children to become kings and rulers. Then they acted "brashly" against the elders of the land.

No one wanted to take responsibility (verse 6). This is another result of prosperity. Human beings are much like children. When they have all their immediate desires met, they just want to PLAY! No one wants to take responsibility for leadership (verse 7).

But God has a way of "correcting" the children. It is through destruction of prosperity (verse 8). When people, even God's people, become obsessed with money, things, and pleasure - God sends corrective measures. The intention of the Lord is to draw the people back to Him.

9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. 10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

It seems that at the pinnacle of every historic society there has come the corruption of "Sodom," homosexualism. They begin to "come out of the closet" when the truth of God's Word is not proclaimed. They become unashamed when God's Word is not respected.

Isaiah is told to say to the "righteous," those who love God in truth, that it will be WELL with them. Even though the nation may be destroyed, God will take care of them.

But to the "wicked," those who do not love God in truth, it will be ILL with them. God's corrective action shall be in the same manner in which they have despised others.

12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

When men of God refuse to take the responsibility of leadership, they are left to the guidance of children and women. Now, I could get in big trouble here. But listen closely.

God called some women to be leaders, there's no doubt about that (see Judges 4). But when God calls women to be leaders, it is a SHAME upon men because they would not take the leadership! When God called Deborah, she used SHAME to manipulate Barak into taking a position for war. See 1Corinthians 6:5.

13 The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. 14 The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. 15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the LORD GOD of hosts.

When "haughty" people take leadership and the poor are oppressed, God STANDS UP TO DELIVER! Friends, there are only TWO times when God STANDS from His throne. One is to RECEIVE people who come to Him by grace through faith (Acts 7:55). The other is when God stands to REBUKE people who are oppressing the poor and needy.

When Judah was so engrossed with possessionalism that they refused to help the poor, God destroyed their nation. When Rome began to persecute Christians, God destroyed their prominent position in the world.

16 Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: 17 Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts. 18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, 19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, 21 The rings, and nose jewels, 22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, 23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.

All of the things mentioned here reflect an obsession with possessionalism. To HAVE things is not a sin. To be OBSESSED with them is a sin.

24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty. 25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war. 26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

The END RESULT of possessionalism is a STINK! All beauty gives way to the corruption of the grave. All money gives way to the rust and corruption of oxidization. All possessions give way to age and decay.

God is all that really matters in our lives. When we forget to put God FIRST in our lives, then we are only looking for a STINK!

PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.