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 46

1 Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast. 2 They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.

The idols of the Babylonians and all other nations would not be able to carry the load of delivering the people who believed in them. Idols are carried into captivity when people are defeated.

But God CAN carry the burden of people and deliver them safely.

3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: 4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

It is God Who is the Creator of life through the manner of procreation (Genesis 1:28, Genesis 3:16).

God would protect and DELIVER "Jacob." Jacob represents God's CHOSEN people. Those who have trusted Him and served Him would be DELIVERED from the captivity of Babylon.

And God is the Only One Who gives us "old age" and saves us from the sickness of death because of our sins (verse 4). God will deliver us from this body of sinsickness which brings death if we will "Hearken" to Him.

5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? 6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.

How can a man make an IMAGE of that which he has never seen? How can people make an idol and call it a god, when they have never SEEN God? But the Babylonians did, and people do today. And they "fall down, yea, they worship" that idol.

7 They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.

Not only do they bow down to worship the idol, but they "bow down" to CARRY that idol! It is an inanimate object, yet people call it god.

But those idols cannot answer right from wrong. They cannot give real truth of themselves. Someone must TELL them what they think.

Their idols would not save them from the onslaught of Cyrus who would come upon them.

Neither can an idol save from the "trouble" of sinsickness. At the end of physical life a man faces eternal judgment from the Almighty Creator. And an idol which man has made in his own image and thinks according to carnal man's imagination cannot deliver from eternal death!

8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. 9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

"REMEMBER THIS!!" There is only ONE GOD! He is the One Who declares "the end form the beginning." He is the One Who says, "..it is appointed to man once to die, and after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)

Just as God called a beginning of the captivity of Israel, He also called an END!

It is this One and ONLY God Who has the power to call the "ravenous bird" (Cyrus) from the East to ravage the Babylonians and take them into captivity.

Isaiah prophesied by God's leadership that it WOULD HAPPEN! And it DID!

12 Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: 13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

The people who were "stouthearted" would not listen to what God said through His prophet Isaiah. And the "ravenous bird" would come and take them captive.

But even now, God prophesied that He would bring "righteousness" to His people. He would "place salvation in Zion" for His people. That salvation would, in the immediate future, be through Cyrus who would decree that the people could move back to Jerusalem.

But that salvation, in the further future, would be through Jesus Christ Who died on Calvary's cross in Jerusalem.

CHAPTER 47

1 Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate. 2 Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. 3 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man. 4 As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.

When Cyrus came and conquered Babylon, and the empire of the Babylonians, young virgins were put to work and wore servants clothing. They were SHAMED publicly.

God did not meet them as a "man," but He met them as a JUDGE, executing sentence for the sin of idolatry.

The very reason Israel was taken into captivity was the same reason that the Babylonian empire would fall!

BUT -- BUT the "Redeemer" of Israel is the "LORD of hosts!" He is the "Holy One of Israel," the Lord God, Jehovah.

5 Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms. 6 I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke. 7 And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it. 8 Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: 9 But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

God had been angry with His people, Israel, because of idolatry, and he used the Babylonians to chastise them (verse 6).

But He is STILL the SOVEREIGN GOD! And He will also bring about the downfall of those who thought themselves great because they overcame Israel. No other nation had ever been able to do that. They were pround and lived carelessly (verse 8).

But God would cause them loss of husbands and children in the SAME DAY. They would suffer that loss when the Persians, under Cyrus, came and conquered them.

So we find here that God not only told Israel of her downfall, but he also told the Babylonians of their downfall. And God also told them WHY -- it was because of idolatry.

10 For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me. 11 Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.

In their pride because of defeating Israel, they thought their idols would protect them. And they thought that the God of Israel could not really SEE their sin, nor would He be able to JUDGE them.

But they would KNOW, when God's prophecy came upon them (verse 11).

A man may declare that he trusts in some other god beside Jesus. A man may even declare that he is an atheist and believes there is no god. But, when the end comes to his life, he will KNOW that God IS!

12 Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. 13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. 14 Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it. 15 Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.

When Cyrus came, they could try all the idol chants and dances they wanted, but it would not save them from the defeat!

When man stands at the end of time before Almighty God, he can declare all he wants about his own personal god whom he created in his own imagination. BUT -- it will "not save thee!" (verse 15)

The astrologers, the palm readers, and the intellectuals WILL STAND before God for judgment. And none of their silly idols shall ENDURE!

Friends, there is only ONE GOD! He is Jesus Christ. He declares the "end from the beginning." He has said that all mankind will face Him for judgment one day. And He has said, that unless we confess Him and surrender to Him, there is NO SALVATION from the judgment of the eternal burning pit.

The Bible tells us that our God is a "consuming fire" (Deuteronomy 4:24, Hebrews 12:29). All human works without Christ will be burned away as stubble or hay when people face Him for eternal judgment.

There is only ONE way of salvation: SURRENDER TO JESUS CHRIST!

PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.