Monday Night Bible Study

This chapter proclaims God’s judgment on the enemies of God and His people. The descriptions of consequence are figurative but the places and people to experience the consequences are real. Let’s look at some of the descriptions of what will happen to those that ignored God and abused the nation of Israel.

Verses 1-7: God’s anger is evident as He utterly destroys armies and obliterates nations. The description of God’s actions towards these nations is ill and dark. It should convince us of God’s intolerance for sin and of His power to punish as He sees fit.

God’s fury in action

– mountains melted by blood

– dissolving universe

– God’s bloody sword

Verses 8-17: Where the previous chapter dealt with the symbol of a protected city for salvation, this next section of text describes figurative effects on actual geography:

– streams turned into pitch/tar

– eternally burning and smoking land

– dust turned into brimstone

These consequences would occur in the land where the people who abused Israel dwelt, referred to as Zion in verse 8. We know this from the wording in verse 8: “For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion.”

Zion was the name of a particular hill in Jerusalem. When we see it mentioned in the Bible, it is typically as a synonym of Jerusalem. Indeed, it is often used to refer to the nation of Israel as a whole.

Edom is the specific land thought to be referenced as the target of the consequences listed. Most of the creatures identified as new Inhabitants of the land are considered unclean according to Leviticus 11. God’s lack of tolerance for sin and mistreating those He chose to bless had no chance of escaping God’s wrath. The once prosperous land of Edom would be laid waste and given back to the natural world:

New inhabitants of the land

– pelican

– porcupine

– owl

– raven

– jackal

– ostrich

– wild beast

– wild goat

– night creature

– arrow snake

– hawk

New conditions of the land

– thorns growing in the palaces

– brambles in the fortresses

And we see the absolution of the takeover. All of the creatures would prosper as the former human citizens of Edom had. God has total control over the world and elements He created:

“. . .Not one of these shall fail; Not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them. He has cast the lot for them, And His hand has divided it among them with a measuring line. They shall possess it forever; From generation to generation they shall dwell in it.” Isaiah 34:16-17

Living in the midst of God’s grace under Jesus Christ, the saved can forget the absolute devastation that God’s wrath can bring. Let us leave tonight’s study impressed with the power and righteousness of Almighty God.

This chapter describes interactions that the Assyrians had with Israel. A reference that provides context in detail can be found in II Kings 18:13-37.

However, even though the template of the discussions is the Assyrians and Judah, the chapter is also meant to be understood as an allegory of the righteous and the wicked in general. This perspective is what we will take for this study of Isaiah 33. Also, the prophecies of salvation are unique, symbolic and memorable in the latter part of the chapter. We will discuss this chapter in three parts, starting with verses 1-9.

Verses 1-9: Isaiah begins with warnings to those that would take advantage of others. The prophet Isaiah warns that those who would plunder will in turn be plundered by those they victimize. It is reminiscent of Matthew 7:2 where Jesus said: “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

The next section until verse 6 reads like a prayer of the righteous remnant that we have encountered before in this book of prophecy. God is asked for strength for the righteous and His strength is praised.

The last three verses of this section (7-9) portray the condition of those who would not worship and honor God as described in the previous verses. The description is a dejected visage of the land, reflecting the condition of the hearts of those that were not to be part of the holy remnant through which Christ would come.

Verses 10-16: Here is a very powerful group of verses that embody the idea of prophecy as one who speaks for God. Because in these verses, God appears to be speaking directly through Isaiah to us. God makes himself known and proclaims His dominance over His creation by saying that they will be devoured (burned) by their own breath. The people that are close to God’s revelation of Jesus the Savior (those that lived when He lived) and those who are afar off (us, for example) will know of God.

The burning mentioned in verse 11 occurs to those who foolishly endeavor to live without God and seek their own desires above the commandments of the Almighty. But those who would seek to escape these consequences will seek righteousness and avoid evil. These faithful few will be blessed and confident in their life.

Verses 17-24: This final section contains beautiful descriptions of the protection and absolute confidence that God provides to the faithful. Indeed, verse 18 mocks those who would attempt to attack the stronghold of God. They would have no hope due to His incomparable power. The people that live in the protection of God’s city (prophecied here to be the saving grace through Jesus Christ) are respected, intelligent and holy. This safe place cannot be broken into or corrupted. Once God has provided us with a way to salvation, He will not remove it and will not allow for another to tear it down. This is not to say that the faithful saved cannot “leave” the city (by sinning), but it does say that God will build a condition within which the faithful will be sure of their condition: “(For the LORD is our Judge, The LORD is our Lawgiver, The LORD is our King; He will save us);” Isaiah 33:22

This last beautiful passage of the chapter describes a city that lives in peace, in harmony, in confidence. Outsiders that would work to invade or overthrow will fail. The citizens of this city will never be sick and they will never be in danger. This city is salvation through Jesus Christ.

In the final statement of the chapter, Isaiah ties the figurative symbol of the city to the actual reality of salvation: “The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.”

What an impressive and masterful union of the figurative prophecy and the actual event! Praise God for the excellence of His Word to us through the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 32: Generosity & Assurance

The prophet Isaiah describes the effects of the coming Savior on people and on their abilities to listen, understand and speak. Likewise, those who do not live for God and instead trust in worldly things will be left without a home.

The audience, or the people and population described can be understood on the micro and macro levels. In the microcosm, the people described are the nation of Israel. In the macro, the people are all of those souls affected by the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the entire population of the world, indeed, you and me.

Verses 1-8: Although past scholars have purported that the king mentioned here is Hezekiah or Josiah, there is also the school of thought that the king referred to here is Christ. When we take a faith-based reading of this passage, it is difficult not to see the divine themes at play in this description and to conclude that the king referred to is Christ. The comparisons on the king’s reign and his protections in verse two are protections from the elements. And just as described by comparison, Jesus Christ saves us from the dangers of sin.

Once the good news of the gospel of Jesus arrives in the world, true believers will hear, understand and live righteously. These are the blessed souls that have heard, believed, repented and been baptized into Jesus Christ. The phrase, “the ears of those who hear will listen” in verse 3 is a precursor to the phrase often spoken by Christ himself: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Mark 4:9. All of it coalesces to show us that if we are ready to hear the gospel, we will hear, understand, be enlightened and have life.

To counterpoint the righteousness theme, verses 5-8 prophesy that sin will continue despite the renewed understanding of God’s plan. The true nature of fools and misers will be revealed and the fruits of sin will not change. But those who behave responsibly towards others will reflect the behavior of the righteous king Jesus.

Verses 9-15: Complacent women of Israel are called out in these verses. They are asked to pay attention to what is to come, to the fruits of their complacency. The harvest will fail and no one will attend planned gatherings. These women are advised to tremble on fear of God, and to wear only rough sackcloth on their bodies, a practice signifying calamity, grief or penitence.

The condition of these women can also be understood as a reflection of the entire people. Verse 12 says, “People shall mourn upon their breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.” This grief is associated with the failure of life-giving things as caused by God for the complacency.

The prophet then paints a desolate picture of their city in verses 13 and 15, describing overgrown palaces, forts and towers as “A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks—” This too is the result of disobedience and not taking God’s directives seriously. This condition will persist until God’s revelation of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost in Acts 2, which is referred to in verse 15: “Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high.”

The two latter statements in verse 15 are symbolic to describe spiritual richness and abundance that follow God’s revelation in Acts 2: “. . . the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest.” Rather than the great cities made by man being counted as glorious, the glory of God’s creation is preferred.

We can take the opportunity to use this symbolism in verse 15 to compare how the Israelites planned to save themselves by going down to Egypt with how God saves us all through Christ. When put in this perspective, it is naturally easy to see the favorable option.

Verses 16-20: We arrive at a glorious description of the result of God’s plan. Peace and confidence in life are the result of following God’s plan and we are blessed to live under His care. Even if there is danger, God’s people will still live in peace. “My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, Though hail comes down on the forest, And the city is brought low in humiliation.” Isaiah 32:18-19

This is the promise of spiritual peace and freedom from sin we have in Jesus. The final verse of this chapter shows how we are now blessed to devote our lives to God through good and wholesome pursuits that glorify Him.

Tonight we take an interlude from Isaiah to think about avoiding foolishness in speech. Without maintenance, our character falls into disrepair just like a car or house. Without oversight, our minds direct our lips to speak meaningless things. We may intend humor or we may intend to entertain or provoke others to a favorable reaction, but if our speech is not meaningful and well-intentioned, it can quickly become a foul and meaningless thing.

Solomon reminds us who we are and where we are. Without a daily reminder that we live in God’s world, it is the easiest thing in the world to believe that we live in our world. In relation to God, we are small and this is easy to forget.

But we live only by the grace and uncountable blessings of God. He is ever watchful and He knows all we think and speak. Guarding our words follows guarding our thoughts.

Why does the Bible stress the importance of being hesitant and careful when we choose our words? Because they carry great import. Our word reflects our hearts and our hearts are a sacrifice to God. Am I living for Him or am I living for me?

Consider this passage from the book of Ecclesiastes that bear out the weight of the words we speak:

“Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool’s voice is known by his many words. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.” Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Tonight let us fear God and honor Him with our speech.

Even though it only has nine verses, this chapter carries a weighty description of God’s power. The themes are not new but they are introduced anew with memorable descriptions and prophecy.

Verses 1-3 describe the mistake of not trusting in God and instead putting your faith into something or someone else. Chariots, men on horses and great nations are not to be relied on. When the Israelites should have been praying and putting their faith in God to help them be victorious in battle, they were instead putting their faith in a nation with no faith. God says that because of this, both Israel and Egyptwill fail: “Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, Both he who helps will fall, And he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together.” Isaiah 31:3

Verses 4-5 indicate to us that God will save the faithful. These verses paint a picture of protection. God will protect Israel as a lion would its prey. Verse 5 has a reference to the passover, the memorable protection God provided for His people in Exodus 12, before they were allowed by Pharaoh to flee Egypt. These verses affirm that God loves His faithful and will go to great lengths to save them.

Verses 6-9 include an admonition for the Israelites to return to God and throw away their idols. Assyria has a strong warning here as well: all that which they think is strong will be defeated. And their defeat will come from the one true God. This is affirmed with no room for error or misunderstanding: “Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, And his young men shall become forced labor. He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,” Says the LORD, Whose fire is in Zion And whose furnace is in Jerusalem.” Isaiah 31:8-9

God’s power is unchangeable, irrefutable and without doubt. God’s restraint, grace and mercy prevent us from immediately experiencing the consequences of our sins.

Do you need a more pertinent reason to believe in Jesus Christ?

Isaiah 30 has a lot of content. It makes its way from condemnation to mercy and then back to condemnation again. Tonight as we study this chapter, please take note of how the themes within correlate. Also, the applications from each section are timeless truths about our relationship with God.

Let us look at the divisions of the chapter and their contents:

Part 1 – verses 1-7: Children of Israel are condemned for putting their trust in Egypt. In these verses, God makes it apparent that Egypt does not have the answers. The Israelites that go down to Egypt to seek advice and make plans from this developed civilization had not sought God’s guidance. For this, they would experience shame and humiliation. The Egyptians would “help in vain and to no purpose.”

Part 2 – verses 8-18: The people are described as rebellious, ignorant liars. The path they have chosen is foolishness. Just as these rebellious ones flee from God, they will ultimately be forced to flee at even the smallest threat. Despite this, God still will leave the door open for those who will still seek him: “Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.”

Part 3 – verses 19-26: Once the people return to God, He will receive and comfort them. They will not escape the consequences of having left God (vs. 20a), but they will hear and obey God again, forsaking their idols and receiving blessing (vs. 23-26).

Part 4 – verses 27-33: This section mentions the Assyrians specifically as receivers of God’s punishment, but they do not appear to be the sole recipients. The language is harsh and suggestive of eternal punishment. Verses 29 & 30 hint at those who would be hypocrites. Even when participating in a holy festival, they would still experience God’s wrath. God shows his dominance and absolute power to destroy and make those suffer that deserve it.

Ominous Tophet is mentioned in verse 33. This was a valley full of fire to burn waste but was also used to sacrifice Israelite children to a fake pagan god, a practice referred to as “passing through the fire to Molech” (Leviticus 18:21, 20:2-3). God uses this ill place as a reference when describing how He can carry out His judgments.

Understanding this reference in light of the final verse is chilling: “For Tophet was established of old, Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large; Its pyre is fire with much wood; The breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, Kindles it.”

Conveniently, each section of Isaiah 30 contains a tidy application for our study tonight:

Part 1: Seek guidance from the one true source: God. He will lead us through prayer, patience and faith.

Part 2: God can and will exert judgment and consequence when we trust in an unworthy source. When in doubt about the direction of our life, the answers are found through reading the Bible and prayer.

Part 3: Hearing and obeying God does not always mean escape from the consequences of our actions, but it does always mean enlightenment.

Part 4: Make no mistake, eternal punishment is your fate if you do not believe and obey God.

This chapter presents a cycle of the sort we as spiritual beings are familiar with: live right, get tempted and sin, seek forgiveness, find grace, live right, get tempted and sin….and so on.

I encourage you to meditate on the four applications above. Let us all endeavor to make our “live right” episodes longer and our “get tempted and sin” occurrences less frequent.

Let us travel back in time in our minds today, to that morning, the third after Jesus’ death, that he arose from the grave.

What was the mood of those that were close to Jesus, that knew Jesus, or that knew who he was? Was there a fearful expectation of his return? Was there a vigil outside His tomb, waiting for Him to rise again? No. As far as we can tell, Jesus’ death was seen as finality. The soldiers casting lots, Jesus’ family grieving, the Jewish leadership seemingly justified, the apostles scattered. At the time, it must have seemed like the end of a great prophet rather than the beginning of a new kingdom.

In John 19:39-40, we see Nicodemus, a man known to Jesus, having spoken with Him intimately, had very much given Christ up as dead forever. Nicodemus brought the items custom for burial, in abundant supply, :” ³⁹ And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. ⁴⁰ Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.” The public, it seems, had given him up for dead.

In Luke 23:50-56, we also have the account of Joseph of Arimathea, a man “who was waiting on the kingdom of God.” Joseph’s action was to place Jesus in his tomb, hewn out of the rock. Now we know that after Jesus’ death, the apostles scattered. The number of them that were faithfully waiting for Jesus to raise from the dead, if any, is not given, but is most likely very low. And the women mentioned here are not preparing for his resurrection, rather they are preparing to reduce the decay of Jesus’ earthly body.  Luke 23:50-56 ”⁵⁵ And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. ⁵⁶ Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.” All of this paints a sad picture for us, a picture of our Savior passed, with all in mourning, grieving for the One that brought such Light into the world. It brings sorrow to think of our Jesus, crucified and buried in a rich man’s tomb, with all of those he so passionately taught acting as if He was now gone forever.

But we know the outcome. WE KNOW OF THE GLORY OF HIS RESURRECTION. The heavenly power that rolled the stone away from the mouth of that tomb. We know that Jesus rose from the grave. As a source for focused meditation, John 20:1-9:” Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. ² Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” ³ Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. ⁴ So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. ⁵ And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, ⁷ and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. ⁹ For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.

What glory! What power! How can we imagine? Our savior rose from the dead. Despite all of the evidence otherwise, Jesus words came true. He came back, came back to lie to rest any remaining doubts, came back to validate prophecy, came back to initiate the establishment of the kingdom. He opened up for us an avenue to the Father. Christ still intercedes for us with a love that is truly “out of this world.”

Where did Christ go when he ascended? To heaven, to sit at God’s right hand. But where is heaven? We don’t know, not really. What are the things waiting for us after we lead a life of faith at the feet of God and Jesus Christ? We know, but only vaguely. Our faith must be great. Our faith must transcend our lives, the sights we know with familiarity, our routines, even the people closest.

John 14:1-6: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many mansions;^[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.^{[b] 3} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And where I go you know, and the way you know.” ⁵ Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Consider Christ’s rising from that tomb. The truth of it. How that, during his life, death and resurrection, our souls are given the chance for reconciliation with our Creator, with God. Let your faith increase. Let us meditate on the truth and finality of the great stone rolled away from the tomb.

 

 

 

This week we find another rich study in the book of Isaiah, chapter 29.

In verses 1-8, Ariel is mentioned again and again, this is a city where David lived. The word “Ariel” most likely means “altar hearth,” or the place where offerings were burnt (Ezekiel 43:15,16). The city of Ariel is actually referring to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is being referred to as “Ariel,” or “altar hearth” over and over in these verses to stress that Jerusalem would be burnt and destroyed as the result of its disobedience, just as a sacrifice is on the altar hearth.

Ariel’s (Jerusalem’s) once mighty voice will be a whisper, its’ sphere of influence and importance having shrunk greatly. There is a futility in fighting against and resisting God. See verse 8, which compares “actions” in dreams with reality:

“It shall even be as when a hungry man dreams, And look—he eats; But he awakes, and his soul is still empty; Or as when a thirsty man dreams, And look—he drinks; But he awakes, and indeed he is faint, And his soul still craves: So the multitude of all the nations shall be, Who fight against Mount Zion.”” Isaiah 29:8

This description shows how a nation might believe it can prosper without attending to the statutes of God, but that this is ultimately futile. Prosperity, success and wealth can vanish just as quickly as the tattered remnants of a dream.

Verses 9-16 tell the story of the people’s blindness to their plight. They think they know God and they suppose they are following Him, yet they are led by men rather than by God. The people put more value into the words of “wise” men rather than into the holy commandments of God:

“Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,” Isaiah 29:13

Also in this section is a very plain but striking illustration that lets us know exactly who we are as creations:

“Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?” Isaiah 29:16

Man often forgets that he is a creation of the Almighty God and that it is useless and a waste of time and energy to resist Him:

“that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11

To conclude, verses 17-24 leave us with a positive end, a prophecy of Jesus. People will understand God’s plan and rejoice. Those that wait falsely will be punished, but those who are honest enough to truly seek and understand God and His plan will be rewarded.

“But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel. These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, And those who complained will learn doctrine.”” Isaiah 29:23-24

The “Holy One of Jacob” is a reference to Jesus.

Tonight I would ask you to recognize the uselessness of avoiding/resisting God. Balanced with the rich blessings of His grace through Jesus Christ, following Him appears to be an easy choice. Of course, we are tempted by Satan and drawn away from God by our own desires, but if we can resist all these and cling to Him, we shall have blessings eternal.

Isaiah chapter 28 is similar to other chapters in Isaiah in that it indicts the sinful and disobedient people of God. But it is different in the sense that it provides some compelling analogies for faith and our relationship with God. There is also a prophecy in the second part of the chapter.

Verses 1-15: These verses describe the folly of Jerusalem and Ephraim, and specifically the part that alcohol played, as it was their main vice. Understandable that alcohol be the primary cause because so many sins as well as their accompanying consequences originate from the use and abuse of alcohol:

“But they also have erred through wine, And through intoxicating drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, They are swallowed up by wine, They are out of the way through intoxicating drink; They err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filth; No place is clean.” Isaiah 28:7-8

All of the blessings that the people received were to be taken away due to their consumption of alcohol. Priests and prophets lost their ability to judge rightly, indeed the leadership of these people also came to a loss through using alcohol for there appears to be no capable adults leftover to lead as Isaiah asks: ““Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?” Isaiah 28:9

If the capable are no longer around to teach the young, the entire heritage of faith, righteousness and trust in God is lost.

The verses that follow go on to do an interesting thing. They mock hypocritical teachers. Take these verses:

“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little,” That they might go and fall backward, and be broken And snared and caught. Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,” Isaiah 28:10-14

When we learn, we often learn by repitition. And we slowly understand how concepts build upon each other to form principles. This method of teaching was used in the culture, but was not done so effectively. Thus are the teachers mocked for teaching hypocritically to learn important concepts but they were not following these concepts themselves. Further, since the teachers were ineffective, the students did not receive the benefit and were destined for lives of hypocrisy and folly as they followed the example of living around them: hypocrisy, sin and disingenuous worship.

These sad descriptions bring us to verses 16-22 and the plan that God has to redeem His people to Him. Christ is the cornerstone and justice and righteousness are used in building this great structure, the building of which is a symbol for God’s plan.

Also in this section, when God brings judgment upon sinners, when trials threaten our lives, we must make sure that our faith is in Almighty God. If not, we will find ourselves in distress, having put confidence in the wrong things. When we place value and confidence in earthly things and concepts, we are believing a lie. For instance, take verses 19-20:

“As often as it goes out it will take you; For morning by morning it will pass over, And by day and by night; It will be a terror just to understand the report.” For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.”

If our bed is our trust, and we trust in the wrong things, we will be left cold and wanting. Therefore it is absolutely imperative that we put our whole trust only in God.

The last portion of this chapter in verses 23-29 deals in the concept of retribution being necessary to temper righteousness. Without correction, discipline and some form of punishment, children (as well as adults) will not typically change their behavior. Such chastening is often neede to engender true change.

As a conclusive statement for this chapter, verse 29 affirms the source of these words and the wisdom in following them: “This also comes from the LORD of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.”

So I encourage you to seek righteousness. Avoiding sinful activities, being true to ourselves and our faith and learning from our punishments are all needed pieces to stand firm and righteous before God.

The first verse of Isaiah 27 mentions Leviathan the fleeing serpent:

“In that day the LORD with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.”

This is a prophecy of how Satan was defeated when Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion. When we die in our sins without having been saved, Satan wins. But when Christ rose from the dead, Satan lost. In the cross was God’s greatest triumph. Jesus’s resurrection (in addition to the miracles and prophecies come true) proves His divinity and allows us to live as redeemed children of God.

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” I John 2:1

Before Christ, this was not the case. Satan, or in these verses, Leviathan, had claim on men and women who died in their sins. But now, through Christ and God’s new covenant, we can be saved.

Verses 2-13 are a description of the high place that Israel holds with God as His chosen people. But there are also warnings of suffering and punishment that come into play as well.

As we read these verses we get the understanding that God loves and cares for the nation of Israel very much, but also that it is a disappointment to Him because of their disobedience and idol worship. However, Israel will ultimately return to God after He has removed that sinful and woeful element.

Indeed, “Israel” is perfected in all Christians today that hear, believe and obey Jesus. God has perfected redemption through Jesus, and this prophecy is told so many years before; irrefutable proof of the omniscience of God!