Playing the comparison Game

 Read Isaiah 6.

The Apostle Paul warned about comparisons.  "But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding." (2 Corinthians 10:12)

Comparisons involve taking at least two things and making a decision about their similarities or differences.  Often, it is a choice between the good and the better.  The one comparing makes a personal judgment as to which has the most benefits for them.  But then there are those times, after considering the options, truly there is no comparison.

We may feel that we are better than others because of our possessions or performance.  Or, we may feel bad because we just don't measure up against someone else.  In doing so, we allow others to be our standard.

Isaiah was a prophet of the LORD who ministered in a corrupt and doomed kingdom.  God gave him direct messages through divine visions.  He was a faithful man to his death.  But, one day in a vision, God pulled back the curtain and allowed Isaiah to see something he had never seen.  It was a new comparison.

1. What he saw.
Though the nation had rejected God, nonetheless, He is sitting in His rightful place as Sovereign.  Though the nation limited their perception of God, His glory filled the earth.  In great contrast to the nation, and even himself, Isaiah saw the LORD in all His holiness.  Purity.  No sin.  Perfection. 

2. How he felt.
When standing in the presence of God, Isaiah felt sinful.  Accountability to God for his sin brought such guilt that it humbled him to the point of despair.  He admitted aloud his condition.  What could he do?  The answer was nothing.  There is nothing a person can do to cleanse their sin and stand right before God.  God Himself must intervene.  Upon his confession of sin, it was the provision of the LORD that touched and changed his life.  Only a holy God can cleanse from sin. 

3. What he did.
Having experienced God's forgiveness, he was now ready to fulfill his life purpose.  God had planned all along that Isaiah would meet a strategic need among the people.  God sent him on a mission.  Humbled and grateful, Isaiah simply replied, "Here am I!  Send me."

One will never know why they have been placed here on earth until they come to a personal encounter with the Living LORD.  Forgiveness gives us the freedom and understanding to serve others.

 

Hope--in that day and Today

 Read Isaiah 4.

God never leaves us without hope.  Even with the stinging indictment against Judah in chapter 3 into verse 1 of chapter 4, there is hope for the future.

Yes, the Babylonians would come and take most all of them away.  Everything would be lost with only a remnant remaining in the land.  The resettlement did not begin until after 70 years of captivity.  However, even a cursory reading indicates much more than a return of the people.  God is not through with His people, nor has He forsaken His unconditional promises made to Abraham.  There is a hope and a future for the Jews.  One day, as explained in Romans 11, "...all Israel will be saved" (v.26).

A key indicator is the phrase "in that day."  Most often, those words move the prophecy to that future day when Messiah will rule and reign over the world from Jerusalem.  Other passages teach that reign on earth will last for 1,000 years.  What will "that day" look like?

1. Messiah will be glorified. (v.2)
In John 15, Jesus referred to Himself as the Vine.  Here, and in Jeremiah 23:5 and Zechariah 3:8, Messiah is called the Branch.  The latter speaks to Messiah's lineage as He will be a branch of the family of King David (see Matthew 1).  This gives Him the legal right to sit on the throne as King of Kings and fulfill the promises made to David in 2 Samuel 7. 

2. The people will be holy.  (v.3)
No longer will they be known for rebellion and sin.  They will be and behave as God's people, set apart just for Him.

3. The nation will be cleansed. (v.4)
Immorality and violence characterized the sins of the past.  But "in that day", the people will live in forgiveness and the land will be washed from all "the filth" of their history.

4. God's presence will be visible. (vv.5-6)
Just as Israel experienced in the wilderness wanderings of Exodus, so "in that day" the very personal and caring presence of God will be felt and seen.  Everyone in the world will know that once more the LORD has taken up residence in Jerusalem.  This has not been evident since the Temple veil of the Holy of Holies was torn at the crucifixion (Matthew 27:51).  The flaming fire not only speaks of judgment but also will provide comforting warmth and light in the cool of night.  The canopy of a cloud will provide protection during the heat of the day, "a refuge and a shelter."

These same elements God wants to fulfill in each of us today.  When we allow Him to rule and reign as Lord of our lives, we experience His forgiveness, cleansing from our past, and each moment enjoy His wonderful presence.  "You have made known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11)

 

What happened to our Country?

 Read Isaiah 3.

God announced that Judah would lose everything as a kingdom.  Their basic needs of bread and water would be taken away.  They would not be able to find a leader.  There would be a complete breakdown of society.

Why?  What prompted this decision?
"...because their speech and their deeds are against the LORD, defying his glorious presence." (v.8b)

1. They forgot that God is the Owner of all things.
Judah reached a point where they thought life and the country belonged to them.  They thought they got here on their own and they could say and do whatever they wanted without any accountability. 

2. They forgot that God is the Sustainer of all things.  
So, when the nation openly defied Him and then chose to ignore Him, God simply withheld His support and supply.  Notice how pervasive His sustenance is to people.  It is total.

3. They forgot that God is Omnipresent.
They not only decided not to give God His rightful glory, but they disregarded even His very presence.  They lived as though God did not exist.  Like Sodom, they showed no shame for their sin.  The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8, "For God has not called us for impurity but in holiness.  Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you."

There are two separate messages to individuals within the nation.
"Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them." (v.10)
Even though the kingdom of Judah would collapse, God will take care of His own.  Under pressure?  Yes.  But He will provide and protect those who say and do what is right according to the word of God.  Namely, this became true of men such as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when the Babylonians took them from Judah in the captivity.  This is a consistent principle of God's loving care of the godly throughout the Scriptures.

"Woe to the wicked!  It shall be ill with him." (v.11)
Not everyone will experience the blessings of God, have their prayers answered, and spend forever with Him.  Those who defy God will pay an awful price both here and in eternity.

 

Beating swords into Plows

 Read Isaiah 2.

How often this phrase has been lifted from the Bible and even depicted in a famous sculpture: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares."  It is used internationally to speak of a day when there will be no more war.  It would be most helpful if the entire chapter were read instead of lifting only a part of one sentence out of its context.

Indeed, the LORD did reveal to Isaiah that such a day is coming.  He called it "in the latter days" and three more times as "that day."  But in great contrast to the thinking of unbelievers, this is not a day of negotiated peace between the nations.  Rather, it refers to the return of the Messiah who will rule and reign over all the nations from Jerusalem.

What will that day look like?
1. Jesus will teach the nations. (v.2-3)

This is not only for the Jews, but "all the nations" will make their way to Jerusalem to be taught how to live for God.  Proverbs 16:7-"When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."  The secret to world peace is not pacifism but both parties doing what is right according to God's Word.  Without that, sin and greed for power will lead to war.

2. Jesus will judge the nations. (v.4)
As Isaiah will prophesy later in this book, the "government shall be upon his shoulders" as the "Prince of Peace."  He will decide between nations and they will obey Him.  Psalm 2 tells of the Father offering this position to the Son and encouraging the nations to repent.  This will not be a happy time for those who rebel against Him.  Twice, Isaiah predicts, the haughty will be humbled.  Insanely, unbelievers will try to hide from "the terror of the LORD."

3. Jesus will be exalted among the nations. (vv.11, 17)
God's judgment is prompted by individuals and nations who refused to bow before His Sovereignty.  Humans are incurably prone to worship something or someone.  In the attempt to replace the LORD, idols and philosophies of all sorts are generated by Satan to distract people from the truth.  But in that day, all the foolishness of sinful thinking will be brought under control and "the LORD alone will be exalted."

The good news is that no one need wait to repent of sin, trying to live apart from God.  Isaiah's invitation is to respond now.  "Come, let us walk in the light of the LORD." (v.5)

 

A call to stop Worship

Read Isaiah 1.

God's chosen people were in deep trouble.  At the root was their spiritual rebellion against the LORD.  The nation had divided and formed two kingdoms.  The ten tribes in the north, as the majority, maintained Israel as their kingdom name.  The two tribes in the south that included the city of Jerusalem took the tribal majority name of Judah.

In response, God sent his spokesmen, the prophets, to deliver His word to the people.  Isaiah preached and ministered in the south throughout the reign of four different kings.  Many have compared these 66 chapters to the 66 books of the Scripture and referred to it as a mini-Bible.  All the themes of Word of God may be found in the rich writings of Isaiah.  The messages came to him through visions directly from the LORD Himself (v.1).

Immediately, we are told what the problem was.  The nation forgot that God was the Owner of all things and that they were to be good stewards of what He had given to them.  Instead, they sinfully thought they could live however they wished and ignore the Owner's expectations of them.  Incredibly, all the while, they never stopped going through the motions of worship.  They showed up at the right times, even offered their sacrifices, and prayed.  They forgot that acceptable outward obedience of worship is to be the response of a heart that is right with God.  Without it, the outward displays proved meaningless.  The blunt message was to stop!

Note God's personal responses:
"I have had enough." (v.11)
"I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly." (v.13)
"...my soul hates..." (v.14)
"I am weary of bearing them." (v.14)
"I will hide my eyes from you." (v.15)
"I will not listen." (v.15)
The LORD wants us to pray, to worship corporately, and to offer our sacrifices of praise and giving.  But first the sin must be removed.  God does not condemn people merely to make them feel guilty but with this strong message He also provides the solution.

1. "Wash yourselves."
2. "Remove the evil."
3. "Cease to do evil."
4. "Learn to do good."  Once we have repented of our sin and received His forgiveness, what are some of those good things that please God?
     -Seek justice.
     -Correct oppression.

3 characteristics of true Love

 Read Song of Solomon 8.

This chapter is a rich conclusion to the book.  It recounts how she was protected by her brothers growing up (v.8).  When she matured, she had resisted sexual temptation (v.10).  Then, she met Solomon in one of his vineyards (v.11).

The middle verses contain some of the most powerful statements of human love in the entire Bible.

1. True love is persistent. (v.6a)
The signet seal is an official stamp.  Once done, it is not to be tampered with or altered.  The traditional marriage vows state that regardless of any change in circumstances-for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health-the couple is to love and to cherish each other.  Her request was that such a seal be upon all his thoughts and his actions.  True love never gives up.

2. True love is passionate. (v.6b-7a)
There is someone for everyone.  Like death, true love is no respecter of persons, stage of life, or status.  It happens to all of us.  Love is a burning desire to give oneself and to be with that one person.  This is very different from lust, whose only goal is to get.  The phrase may be translated "the very flame of the LORD" as in the ESV and the NIV notation.  Not only is this kind of love acceptable to God, He is the Creator of such emotions.  With that literal translation, it is the only reference to God in the book.

3. True love is priceless. (v.7b)
No amount of money can buy love.  Trying to do so will only result in that one being despised.  True love is given.  It is gift that one freely offers to another.

In Ephesians 5, we learn that marriage pictures to an unbelieving world our relationship with Christ.  How a wife shows respect to her husband and the manner in which a husband demonstrates love to his wife, tells everyone around them, "This is how Jesus loves me!"

 

Giving and Receiving

 Read Song of Solomon 7.

Love involves giving and receiving; initiating and responding.

1. Giving. (vv.1-9a)
As the poem continues, the husband described in detail why he was so attracted to her.  He began at her feet and went all the way up to her head in praising her beauty.  Of course, this was not the first and only time he did this for her (chapter 4).  And, she had done the same for him (chapter 5).  It would be only a guess that not many couples intentionally and verbally praise each other's physical attributes and personal attractions.  Yet, such allurements lead to love-making.

2. Receiving. (vv.9b-10)
The flip side of giving such praise is thoughtfully and emotionally receiving it.  Insecurities and realities cause us to focus on what we perceive as our imperfections.  That makes it difficult for many to accept that someone else finds us attractive.  Often, praise can be dismissed or ignored as insincere.  For some, receiving love may be more difficult than giving it.  Here, the wife felt her husband's love and his desire for her. 

3. Initiating. (vv.11-13)
As the passions peaked, it was the wife who suggested they get away together for the purpose of sexual intimacy.  It was she who said, "I will give you my love"… "which I have laid up for you."  The husband does not always need to be the initiator. 

4. Responding.
There are three practical areas of creating romantic responses.
>Be attentive.
Throughout the day give attention to each other.  Someone once said that sex begins in the kitchen.  In other words, treating one another lovingly throughout the day builds anticipation.
>Be affectionate.
Throughout the day express love by words, touches, hugs, and kisses.  It should be a way of life, not just for specific times.  
> Be available.
Making private time a priority is crucial to the relationship.  Some are morning people.  Others are night owls.  Being spontaneous and having fun together requires one or both to be willing to give time and energy in order to receive love.