Read the Bible in a Year (30JUL19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, July 30’s Bible reading is Isaiah 9-12.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, July 31’s Bible reading is Isaiah 13-17. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

ISAIAH MOMENT – (30JUL19) “…In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future, he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan” (Isaiah 9:1b). The northern tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali were the first to suffer at the hands of the Assyrians upon their invasion. Those days were the beginning of gloom and sorrow for the nation of Israel who was once a blessed nation. But the Great Light would shine in the darkness, for He was coming to Galilee and would open the way for not only the Jews but the Gentiles to receive salvation. God promised Abraham that he would be the Father of many nations, but to the physical Israel would be added the adopted heirs of Christ. The Bible says, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).

Jesus came to remove the yoke of slavery from Israel where they would never be oppressed again. Although they were looking for a freedom from their oppressors in the natural, the Messiah was coming to free them in the spiritual. Jesus was to bear the weight of the world upon His shoulders. He would be called a Mighty Counselor because in Him, we may get wisdom and knowledge. The Bible says, “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6). He would be called Mighty God because no one can match His great and endless wonders. The Bible says, “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle” (Psalms 24:8). Jesus would be called Everlasting Father because we are His sons and daughters, and were not left as orphans. “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6). He would be called the Prince of Peace because there would be no peace until He returns regardless of the peace treaties, handshakes, and oral agreements that would be made. “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).

Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and His kingdom will never end. He will reign with righteousness and justice. He will rule over the nations where all will be subject to Him. There will be no Democrats or Republicans, Libertarians or Independents. There will be no Marxism or monarchies – injustice or bribes. There will only be King Jesus who will sit on His throne forever more ruling in TRUTH. Something to ponder….

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (30JUL19) Have you ever had someone to take the credit for something that you put your hard work in? If so, what was your response? Did you smile as if nothing happened, or did you address the person regarding their deception? The Lord’s anger was upon Israel, for even when He allowed nations to tear down their walls, they were so defiant that they paid no mind, and decided to rebuild it with cheaper materials. When their trees were cut, they did not humble themselves, but planted different kinds. Therefore, because Israel refused to return to the Lord, He strengthened their enemies against them and allowed for them to overtake Israel. He blamed not only the people, but their leaders who were supposed to guide them. The Bible says, “So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail…the elders and dignitaries are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray” (Isaiah 9:14-16). God was in total disgust over Israel’s leaders and false prophets, so He used the king of Assyria to punish them by taking their land, plundering their possessions, and trampling over them. Yet, God was going to pass judgment on them as well because of their pride.

The King of Assyria did not give God glory for his conquests. He became prideful and wanted to conquer the world because he accredited his victories to himself and his mighty army. The Lord, however, asked this question, “Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it?” (Isaiah 10:15a). God used this analogy to say that the Assyrian army was only a tool used to accomplish a goal, and that was to teach Israel a lesson. They considered themselves as gods unto themselves, but the God of Heaven was going to teach them a humbling lesson. The remnant of Israel, who survived the invasion, would one day see their enemies be judged in return for their arrogance and prideful ways just as they had been. This was a teaching moment to both Israel and Assyria.

God does not like when we credit ourselves for the things that He has done in our lives. We are to always give Him the glory because if it had not been for Him simply waking us up in the morning, we would not be able to do anything from beyond the grave. The Bible says, “The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord, for they have gone into the silence of the grave. But we can praise the Lord both now and forever! Praise the Lord!” (Psalms 115:17-18). Let us be mindful that whenever God blesses us, does a work in our lives, and give us favor, He wants to hear us tell of HIS greatness and not our own. Pride comes before the fall, so whatever and whoever God elevates, He can also dethrone. Something to ponder….

ISAIAH MOMENT – (30JUL19) “He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth…” (Isaiah 11:3b-4a). The Prophet Isaiah gave a prophecy about the coming Messiah and how His kingdom would reign forever. Israel had a history of having corrupt leaders, priests, and prophets, but the Messiah would one day bring all of that to an end. He would not judge as man judges, but His judgment would be based on righteousness as worn like a belt and faithfulness like a sash around His waist. There would be no corruption or compromise regarding His decisions, for His mouth would speak truth and He would give the wicked their sentence for all eternity.

Jesus would have the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. When God told Moses to tell the Children of Israel that I AM sent him, God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) encompasses everything that we will ever need. If we need wisdom, we can seek the Lord just as Solomon did (2 Chronicles 1:11). When we need understanding, we can ask for Him to explain things to us just as He did with Samson’s parents concerning his birth (Judges 13). If we need counsel regarding matters in life, we can ask the Lord just as Hannah did regarding her barrenness (1 Samuel 1). Because we need the power of the Holy Spirit to walk in the Spirit and not our flesh, we can learn how to do so from the writings of the Apostle Paul as He was led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:13-26). When we walk in the Spirit, we have the fear of the Lord because it is the beginning of wisdom, which is one of the Spirits (Proverbs 9:10).

Isaiah’s prophecy gives us foresight into how Heaven will be as the wolf will live with the lamb and the leopard will lie down with the goat. Sorry to all carnivores, but there will be no Bar-be-ques in Heaven – strictly vegan. Even the animals will not eat one another, but will lie in peace together. A child will be able to play with a viper and no harm will be done to him. Some biblical scholars believe that Isaiah 11 tells of a future return to Israel by the twelve tribes that are scattered across the earth. They hold the view that there will be a literal drying up of the Euphrates River for those tribes to make their return. Rather this is literal or symbolic, the Lord is going to gather His remnant from all four corners of the earth where there will never be any more illness, pain, misery, death or war. He will raise up His banner where the enemies of the Lord will never be able to harm His children ever again. Those who are His will enjoy the rewards that He has for them if they endure to the end. The Bible says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Something to ponder….