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 33

1 Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee. 2 O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. 3 At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered. 4 And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

Assyria would "spoil" Judah, but God would "spoil" them.

Note the mixing of the cry for salvation of God's people in verse 2 with the ruin of Assyria. In 2Kings 18 we are told that the Assyrians came to Jerusalem, and king Hezekiah prayed. In 2Kings 19 we are told that God answered Hezekiah's prayer by sending ONE angel and 185,000 of the Assyrians were killed in the camp they had made outside Jerusalem.

God delivered His people that time because of the repentance of the king and the people.

After the destruction of 185,000 of his army, king Sennacharib returned to his home and was killed by his own two sons.

5 The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. 6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.

By delivering the people, God had once again proven that He is "exalted!" He had shown that "Zion" (the heart of His people, was under His mercy and grace.

The "wisdom and knowledge" of this gives God's people "stability" in faith. It is the "fear" (awesome reverence) of God that is the "treasure" of His people!

7 Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. 8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man. 9 The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits. 10 Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself. 11 Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you. 12 And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire. 13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.

Assyria had paid no heed to "cries of peace" from Hezekiah. They had come through Israel (the Northern kingdom) and left "waste" behind.

But God showed His power and authority over nations by delivering the Southern kingdom of Judah (verse 10). And the defeat of Assyria was a witness to the world of the "might" of God (verse 13).

14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? 15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; 16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. 17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

There ARE sinners in Zion! Even today, Christians are all sinners all the time. We must acknowledge that fact and be humble before our God, begging His forgiveness.

How indeed may we live eternally with the One Who spreads "devouring fire (verse 14)"? Only by seeking God, pleading with Him for mercy and grace, and being OBEDIENT to His will (verse 15).

It is the person who acknowledges God as SOVEREIGN, and surrenders to His will, that will "dwell on high." And the PLACE where he shall dwell eternally shall be SECURE (verse 16).

That place in this context is more likely the place of Jerusalem during the millenium when Christ shall rule upon the earth. God Himself will rule and reign with power and authority, and those who have surrendered to Him shall rule and reign WITH Him.
And the greatest of all joys is that the saved peson shall "see the KING in His beauty!" OH!! What a JOY to see the face of JESUS!

18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers? 19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand. 20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. 21 But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. 22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. 23 Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. 24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.

When Jesus comes to set up the kingdom on earth, all people of the earth will "fear" Him. Those who have counted physical joys important will no longer be concerned with them. The "scribe" (who determined the taxes), the "receiver" (who counted the money), and "he that counted the towers" (or counted upon his possessions) -- all will FEAR CHRIST!

Jerusalem (verses 18-20) will be set as the city from which the LORD (verse 21) will rule the earth.

The people of God will realize the great security of being WITH Him and knowing His full security (verses 21-22).

The ruin of the Assyrians is likened to that of a shipwreck (verse 23). Those who refuse God are headed for a great SHIPWRECK!

But the "inhabitant" of God's love will be "forgiven their iniquity." (verse 24)

CHAPTER 34

1 Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. 2 For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. 3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. 4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. 5 For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment. 6 The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea. 7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness. 8 For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

God has recorded the fact that He will Himself "judge" all nations and deliver His people. It is a prophecy for all the "world" to heed.

God is "indignant" because the sins of the world have caused His people to suffer (see verses 2 and 8). The book of Revelation also records the time when God shall send His "indignation" upon all the nations of the earth who have refused Him and persecuted His people (See Revelation 6:12-14).

Today, God is "longsuffering" toward sinners. His desire is that they turn to Him in repentance (2Peter 3:9). But one day, and I cannot help but believe it shall be soon, God will bring His "sword" of vengeance upon those who have refused Him. The present extension of God's hand of grace will be turned to a "sword bathed in heaven" (verse 5) of recompense for the sin of unbelief.

9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. 10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever. 11 But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness. 12 They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing. 13 And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls. 14 The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest. 15 There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate.

During the days of "tribulation" (See Revelation, chapters 13-19) the lands of the nations will be turned to waste! Chapter 16 of Revelation records the "bowl judgments" in which Christ will demonstrate once again His awesome power to rule over all nations, no matter how strong their weapons of war. In those days, Christ will redeem His people at the same time He is destroying unbelievers.

16 Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. 17 And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.

Here, in the Bible, you can read about God's ultimate judgment which includes destruction to unbelievers and deliverance to believers. Here, in the Bible, you can read TRUTH which has NEVER been proven wrong! Here, in the Bible, you can read what comes out of God's "mouth," because His "Spirit" has determined it.

God Himself has determined the "lot" and the "line" of all mankind. Those who do NOT believe God will be given the "lot" of eternal destruction, and be bound by the "line" of the burning pit which burns forever. Those who DO believe God will be given the "lot" of eternal joy, and be bound by the "line" of a glorious heaven.

PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.