14th December
Read Psalm 139
If you don’t have a bible at home you can find the readings on a website such as www.biblegateway.com or an app such as YouVersion
This Psalm is all about the knowledge of God about us beginning with “You have searched me, O Lord, and you know me” (v1 ) and the Psalmist also says that he cannot get away from God – “Where can I go from your Spirit?” (v7). We probably know these things when we think about them but how often do we forget when we go about our daily things. Stop sometime when you are in the middle of something and remember this Psalm. “How precious to me are your thoughts, God, How vast is the sum of them!” (v17)
As you read the Bible Stop; Read; Ponder; and Pray.
Monday Isaiah 20:1-6
Judah had changed political allegiances from time to time to protect itself from threatening enemies and it had looked South to Egypt at this time for protective alliance against the Assyrians from the North however when the Assyrians came down the coast and over threw the Philistines, capturing Ashdod, their capital, God gave Isaiah another sign and prophecy to his people about that situation.
Isaiah was tasked with making a physical demonstration of God’s message to the people of Judah not to put their trust on Egypt because the Assyrians will continue to push South and overthrow the Egyptians. He was to strip himself of his clothing and sandals and be an acted sign that this would happen to the Egyptians, the people they had trusted would defend them, who would be led away as slaves by the Assyrian army.
It is a spiritual reminder to remember who is our protector and not to put our trust anywhere else.
Tuesday Isaiah 21:1-10
This chapter is about the future fall of the great empire of Babylon (the empire that followed the Assyrians). Cyrus of Persia overthrew Babylon by diverting the river Euphrates which ran through Babylon thereby allowing his troops to enter via the dried up bed of the river The verses tell of the panic and fear .and also of the great news that comes out “Babylon has fallen, has fallen” (v9). Prophecy of the future destruction of enemies is always good for God’s people to hear even though their present situation might not be good. Our New Testament equivalent of “Babylon has fallen…” might be “Christ is risen, He is risen indeed”
Wednesday Isaiah 21:11-17
The chapter then turns Southwards to the kingdom of Edom or Dumah which was South East of the Dead Sea. Its inhabitants cry to the watchman (in this sense the prophet) asking about how long the time of darkness will last and his word is that there will come a respite in a time of morning but more trouble is yet to come.
Arabia is next and we know that Sennacherib of Assyria conquered the Arabian tribes around 688 BC so this prophecy like the previous one is telling of destruction from a superpower of all the smaller powers of the middle east. When we look out at the world scene of our contemporary world we ought to remember the prophet’s words which basically point us to the sovereignty of God over all the powers in the world both small and great.
Thursday Isaiah 22:1-25
All of this chapter is about Jerusalem which though seen as a city set on a hill is referred to as a valley of vision which means it sits in darkness. It speaks of commotion with leaders fleeing although some trying to arrange their burial places (Shebna, the palace steward v15). Their defences were striped away and the armoury from Solomon’s time (the Palace of the Forest v8) was empty, their water reservoirs useless (v11).
Shebna is removed as palace steward and his place is taken by Eliakim as steward under King Hezekiah. His name means “God will raise up” and certainly hints at the coming of Jesus whose rule will not be one of selfish aggrandisement like Shebna but he will rule faithfully. Two phrases from the chapter stand out- “Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die” (v13) characterising the attitude of the people at the time and the one who was coming who would have “the key to the House of David” (v22) whose rule would be entirely different.
Let’s remember all these things and the One who is our Coming Lord.
Friday Isaiah 23:1-18
Tyre was a city stuck out in the Mediterranean which had a long and prosperous history and one which managed to escape a great deal of subjugation by foreign powers due to its semi-island status however Isaiah prophecies that it will not escape the Assyrians because God planned it’s downfall (v9) and many of its inhabitants would flee.
However the prophecy is for seventy years (v15) for God will allow its recovery though not in an orderly godly way but she will again recover her lucrative ways. This prophecy doesn’t say but we know that long past both the Assyrian and Babylonian period, Alexander the Great in 332 BC devastated the island such that its trading city became more of a fishing port afterwards.
Sometimes God judges and then backs off but in all times He is Lord, a thing to remember when we wlook over the world’s history and its rising and falling powers.
Saturday Isaiah 24:1-23
In chapter 24 we are no longer dealing with things that might point to historical events in the ancient world but because that is so it leaves a good deal of difficulty in commenting on it. What the chapter tells is of a time of earth-wide devastation and ruin and it will affect everyone, no matter who they are. The reason is the sin of the earth’s people (v5). Some wish to link this with the period spoken of in the Bible called the Great Tribulation. Daniel refers to it (Ch12), Jesus in Matthew 24 does, and so also the Book of Revelation (Ch 7). Although there are periods in history that terrible periods of devastation can be seen this is about a universal period of judgement moral, physical and ecological.
There are three verses in the middle, 14-16, which are quite different. These verses shout for joy and give glory to God and speak of the ends of the Earth singing, “Glory to the Righteous one” and make us ask, “What is this about?” It’s here we might remind ourselves that in the midst of judgement God speaks always speaks of a remnant of people whom He saves and who rejoice in his victory. God’s people rejoice in the judgement not jut because they are saved but because all the enemies of God finally get their comeuppance. In v21 we find God punishing the “powers of heaven” as well as the Kings or powers on the Earth indicating that the spiritual powers of the Devil and his angels are going to be destroyed. These verses need to be read in conjunction with the passages in Daniel and Revelation.