Isaiah Chapter 34 - Search the Book

No doubt that after reading through Isaiah chapter 34, someone was about to have a bad day! The Lord lays out his indignation on the nations that have rejected Him, and come against His people. And as Isaiah closes out this writing, he issues a challenge:

“Search from the book of the LORD, and read: 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)

Basically Isaiah is saying “after all of these things come to pass, look up these prophecies and note that they all came to pass." A bold statement to be sure!

See, when Isaiah made his declarations, there were many in Israel that mocked his words. So, Isaiah challenged his doubters to “look it up” once the prophecy was fulfilled.

But this is not the only time that the bible declares that God’s word, once given, will come to pass.

Isaiah 55 declares:

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Ezekiel 12 promises:

"For I am the LORD; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed.” (Ezekiel 12:25)

Jesus stated in Matthew 5:

"For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18)

In other words, when God says something, we should pay attention to it! But we also want to be careful not to only pay attention to the warnings - God’s word is also full of promises - promises we can count on!

Promises like...

• God's presence -- "I will never leave you" (Heb. 13:5)
• God's protection -- "I am your shield" (Gen. 15:1)
• God's power -- "I will strengthen you" (Isa. 41:10)
• God's provision -- But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". (Phil 4:19)
• God's purposes -- "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil" (Jer. 20:11)
• God’s equipping for ministry — Now may the God of peace, ...equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him (Heb 13:20-21)
• God's rest -- "Come to Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28)
• God's goodness -- "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11)
• God's faithfulness -- "The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake" (1 Sam. 12:22)
• God's forgiveness -- "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)
• God's sovereignty -- "All things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom. 8:28)
• Everlasting life -- whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:15)

Want to have a great day? Then start your day off with reading, meditating, and praying the promises of God. 

Pastor Clay

Isaiah Chapter 33 - God is a consuming fire

Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: “Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?” (Isaiah 33:13-14)

I remember before I became a Christian, my perspective of God was that He was up in heaven, observing all of the bad things I was doing. He was keeping a list, and one day when I was least expecting it, God’s judgment was going to  rain down on me. BAM! Hellfire and brimstone! 

I believe many people live in one of two places: They keep all thoughts of God boxed up in the “denial” part of their consciousness, or they live in fear of God’s judgment.

I vacillated between the two. Denial was definitely easier - but every now and then those pesky thoughts of God would creep in, and I would become aware of my guilt. 

But how does God really want to be acknowledged? Verses 5-6 give us a clue:

The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, and He will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.(Isaiah 33:5-6)

See friend, it’s not an either-or situation. God is both a consuming fire, and He is righteousness, stability, wisdom, knowledge - and most of all - abundance of salvation. 

Pastor Clay

Isaiah Chapter 32 - Clarity in the Kingdom

The other day I was talking with a friend, and we commented about how it seems as if we’re living in Bizarro World these days. 

Some of you may remember back in the day of Superman comics, Stan Lee created a world called "Bizarro World" where everything was the polar opposite of earth. In Bizarro world, good was bad, and bad was good. Truth was a lie, and a lie was truth. Criminals were rewarded, and good people were punished. 

And it seems that our world is approaching this norm. Somehow it’s now acceptable, even normal, for politicians and government leaders to say things that are not true. Our government treats our allies like enemies, and treats our enemies like allies. Leaders break the law, and their spokesman go on the news and say they followed the law. 

Will there ever be a time when truth and righteousness are the norm? The answer is found in Isaiah chapter 32, where Isaiah speaks of the righteous reign of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Millennial kingdom:

Behold, a King will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. (Isaiah 32:1)

Finally, a righteous kingdom! Isaiah goes on to describe the norms of this kingdom:

Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention (vs 3).

It will truly be a “what you see is what you get” reality. No more hiding the facts, no more obfuscation of truth. Only truth will be spoken, and we’ll know it when we hear it.

The heart of the hasty will understand and know, and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly (vs 4)

There will no more ‘hasty decisions,’ as people will be wise and prudent in all they do. No more scrambling to fix things, not need for bailouts. There will be no more talking from the side of the mouth!

The fool will no more be called noble, nor the scoundrel said to be honorable (vs 5)

People will not be lifted up because they released a sex tape. Foolishness will no longer be celebrated. People who get ahead on the backs of others will no longer be called successful.

In other words, there will be clarity in the kingdom. I, for one, cannot wait to see Jesus kingdom come!

Pastor Clay

Isaiah Chapter 29: Spiritual Blindness: The Cause and the Cure

Years ago a young man that I had reached out to was walking around downtown Wilmington after drinking heavily in a bar. While wander around, he stepped off of a ledge and fell into a construction pit. For hours he laid there in pain before someone finally found him. When they got him to the hospital, he had broken his back in the fall, requiring surgery and nearly a year of rehab. It was a stiff price for one night of revelry. This kind of thing happens every day - people get drunk and stumble into all types of terrible situations.

In Isaiah chapter 29, God describes the nation of Israel as a drunk person, but not from alcohol - they’re stumbling around like a drunk because they are spiritually blind.

Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. (Isaiah 29:9)

Because Israel had fallen away from following the Lord, they started to go blind - not physically blind, spiritually blind. The spiritual leaders of Israel had become proud, resting in its spiritual heritage instead of God, seeking pleasure rather than God.

“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)

Because of this, they lost sight of what was really important, they became spiritually blind. Being spiritually blind is akin to walking around drunk:

• In both instances the person staggers around having no clear purpose or direction.
• In both instances the person is susceptible to making really bad decisions in the moment.
• In both instances the person is vulnerable to being taken advantage of.
• In both instances the person is likely to fall into a ditch!

And the worst part is, like the drunk, they did it to themselves! Because of this, the Lord closed their eyes:

For the LORD has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; and He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.” (Isaiah 29:10-12)

In other words, God gave them what they wanted.

The prophets no longer heard from God. Why not? They weren’t interested in what He had to say anyway!
The Word of God no longer affected them. Why not? They weren’t interested in obeying it anyway!

The prophet Amos describes it:

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD, “That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, but shall not find it.” (Amos 8:11-12)

OK let’s get down to brass tacks here - It’s easy to look at this situation in Isaiah’s day and think “yea, those Israelites sure were messed up.” But are we willing to apply this same truth to our own lives? In other words...

When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, or prompts us to do something, are we willing to listen and obey?
When the Word of God shows us what we should be doing, or not doing, are we willing to hear and obey?

Saints, those folks in Judah weren’t the only people susceptible to becoming spiritually blind. If we disregard the leading of the Holy Spirit and the word of God, we can become just as spiritually blind as those folks in Judah. It’s such a sad thing to see Christians walking around like spiritual drunks...

• Not having any clear direction or purpose...
• Making poor decisions in the moment...
• Being taken advantage of by the devil...
• And eventually - falling into a ditch!

What’s the cure? The sure now is the same as it was back in Isaiah’s day.

Walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit:

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:15-18)

Read and obey the Word of God:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Just as Israel will once again see, so will the saint who returns to the way of the Lord:

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)

Pastor Clay

Isaiah Chapter 28 - Drunk Priests vs A Sure Foundation

Isaiah Chapter 28 - Drunk Priests vs A Sure Foundation

Isaiah chapter 28 directs the word of the Lord to the Northern Kingdom, Ephraim being the prominent tribe. The Lord calls them out for their excessive use of alcohol - Isreal had a drinking problem!

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valleys, to those who are overcome with wine! Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who will bring them down to the earth with His hand. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, will be trampled underfoot; and the glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valley, like the first fruit before the summer, which an observer sees; he eats it up while it is still in his hand. (Isaiah 28:1-4)

Some people think the bible prohibits the use of alcohol - it doesn’t. Jesus made wine (John 2:1-10), drank wine (Mark 14:22-26), and was even unjustly accused of being a drunkard (Matthew 11:19). Paul recommended Timothy take a little wine to help his ailing stomach (1 Timothy 5:23). The Bible regards drink, moderately used, as a gift from God (Psalm 104:15).

However, while the Bible allows the moderate use of alcohol, it strictly condemns drunkenness.

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. (1 Corinthians 5:11)

Proverbs 31 teaches:

Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart. (Prov 31:6)

One of my favorite commentators, Jon Courson, notes that this isn’t just talking about people who are sick or dying, but people who don’t have the Lord, as they truly have no hope!

Alcohol is one of many things that, in moderation, can be a gift, but abused, will bring huge problems. Food is a blessing, and needed to live, but overeating brings a whole slew of problems (by some estimates, 60% of our healthcare costs are caused by people being overweight).  Indeed, alcohol abuse has especially destructive results.

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)

Alcohol abuse, and substance abuse in general, are symptoms of a “I want to feel good now” attitude. Isaiah writes "like the first fruit before the summer, which an observer sees; he eats it up while it is still in his hand.” He’s describing the person that eats the fruit before it’s ready. Addict mentality wants instant gratification, regardless of the consequences.

Alcohol is also a depressant, which is why the drunk makes poor decisions - their judgment is clouded, every area of life is eventually affected.

Extended abuse brings a person far down, leading to a general degradation of every area of life. “Skid Row” in downtown Los Angeles is a perfect example of this degradation. Its the end of the line where chronic alcoholics and addicts end up. The sidewalks are lined with cardboard boxes, tents, and shopping carts. It is a filthy place that represents the final outcome of substance abuse.

"the priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink” - Surprisingly the priests and the prophets, the men who were responsible for leading Israel spiritually, were part of the problem!

The bible calls not only priests, but all of His people to be sharp and Holy Spirit led, not alcohol inhibited. (1 Peter 1:13, Ephesians 5:18). When we are led by His Spirit, our way is sure, our path is clear.

“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? 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,”  (Isaiah 28:9-13)

Isaiah is noting how the drunk, ungodly prophets and priests mock Isaiah’s teaching; "precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little." But in their mocking of Isaiah’s message, they actually pay him a great compliment!

It is a beautiful thing for God’s truth to be presented precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. When the word of God is presented in this way, there is something for for everyone - the new believer, and the mature saint!

Isaiah 28 also contains a Messianic prophecy:

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.  (Isaiah 28:16)

Jesus confirmed this in Matthew 21:

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?  “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” (Matthew 21:42-44)

Paul wrote to the church in Rome...

...but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 9:31-33)

In ancient times the cornerstone was the stone at the corner of two walls that united them. It was the first stone laid. It was the visible corner of the foundation of the building and the starting point of all future building above the foundation. It was the most costly stone because of its beauty and strength. It was also the largest, most solid and carefully constructed stone.

Saint, Jesus is our Rock, our Cornerstone, our sure Foundation! When we make Jesus the cornerstone of our life, everything that is built upon Him will stand. From the moment Christ becomes the center of our life, our future is secure, we are on a sure foundation!

Pastor Clay