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As I relax in the Lord’s presence, I find myself aware of my breathing – “Your breath is a sign of life – the life I have given you, but it is also a sign of the real life I have given you at your second birth – the breath of the Spirit, who is now present in you as a gift from Me – won on the cross at Calvary. Breathe easily and remember the huge benefits my Spirit brings to you – the difference that makes it possible for you rise up as on the wings of an eagle – with My Spirit in you anything is possible – the mundane falls away in response to My Presence. So breathe my Spirit, allow Him to take over your life and grow you to be like Me – then you will be a true and effective witness to Me and My love, but remember if you move away from My Spirit and Me, I won’t force you to come back – I will woo you – but in the meantime, if salt loses its saltiness – what use will it be – without My Spirit your life will be like salt without its saltiness.”

Isaiah 45:20 – 46:13. Throughout the bible there is one main theme – salvation. It is easy to allow the constant references to salvation to fade into the background. Here in this passage we are again reminded of this important and central aim of Yahweh. The passage is bracketed by two statements about His ability to save 45:21b and 46:13. This follows His statement in 45:20, where He contrasts this with those those who carry gods that cannot save, in a mocking way.

Now this action of God is not an intellectual description of a characteristic of His. It is grounded in the very fact of our real need to be saved. Therefore God demands a response from the hearers, not just a nod of approval. cf 45:22 “Turn to Me and be saved” and he addresses this to the whole world. We are then reminded that there will come a time when the whole earth will be faced with His reality and will be forced to respond in humility to Him. cf 45:23b-25. Remember Paul’s reminder of this to us in the passage in Phillipians ch 2.

His reference to “All the descendants of Israel being saved in 45:25” should be seen in the light of Romans 9:6 ff where Paul states “all Israel is not Israel” meaning that it is only those who have faith in God that are the true Israel. In he same way we become part of Israel when we become children of God by faith.

One or two more interesting facts from Ch 46: Nebo and Bel are two of the gods of Babylon. Throughout the whole bible, Babylon represents all that is evil in the world. Many of the kings of Babylon incorporated the names of their gods in their own names hence “Nebo(u)-chadnezzar”, indicating their absolute alignment with these imaginary deities.

What is significant in ch 46 is the description of the burden that the gods of the Babylonians were to them. They had to carry their gods 46:1,2, whereas Yahweh makes a strong statement contrasting His relationship with His people to this. He is real and does not abandon those who He has made, but carries them, Himself even into their old age 46:4.

So He is calling me today, to remember that He is the God who declares the end from the beginning and is therefore more than capable of accomplishing His central objective. That is to save and as I said last time, not like Nike, where we must do it, but through Himself. He will do it 46:11. What He has spoken, He will accomplish. What a comfort for each of us as we move into old age and this is not the end, it is just the beginning.

“It was finished upon the cross”. (Singing). Those words Jesus spoke on the cross are the most powerful and world-changing words. ‘Tetelestai’ – is is completed, it has been accomplished, the whole purpose of my mission here. The word comes from ‘teleo’ which means purpose. This was the purpose God sent Jesus to accomplish. I think of the ‘Nike’ slogan “let’s do it!” But Jesus says, “I have done it, now go out and live in that power!”

“Yes Ian that act was the ultimate act to bridge the gap between you and My Father. I have bridged that canyon and made it possible for you to have peace with Me and My Father, so that we are all on the same side. You must understand that the greatest difficulty that I needed power for on your behalf on the cross, was not so much My physical death, but facing off against all the forces of evil gathered against Me. Being prepared to take separation from My Father as punishment for your being on the side of ‘evil’. That battle has been won – it is complete, yet I have Allowed Satan room to move – because you need to be constantly faced with choices between good and evil. I put all the power of My word and My Spirit at your disposal, but you nevertheless need to continue to make the right choices so that you live for Me and My kingdom. So go out an do it, because I have already done it.”

Not wanting to rush through Isaiah my reading today is Isa 44:25 – 45:13. Once again it is as if Yahweh gathers His breath and blurts out in the full power of His word who He is. Just look at those vv 24-27. He, is the one who has created everything, allow your mind to wander through that statement again. Everything from the highest heavens to the smallest atom. That One formed you in your mother’s womb. He Chose you (Ephes1:4) to be ‘in Jesus”. To be part of His almighty plan.

Around you he makes fools of all those who think they are wise, who think they can conjure up the future. Who dare to set themselves against Him. Then He declares His immediate purpose which focuses here on the restoration of the cities of Judah. But, of course, the cities only represent the people who live in them. The interesting vs 27 where He speaks of drying up the sea and rivers, probably is the reminder of the Red Sea crossing from Egypt and the crossing of the Jordan into the Promised Land.

Now comes the mind-blowing bit: He is going to use Cyrus, an evil King, to accomplish His purpose. He even calls him “My shepherd” and further says He has anointed him. (45:1). God says he is firstly going to show him who He is. That He is Yahweh, the God of Israel. That there is no other God beside Him. Then He makes this astounding statement twice in vs 4 and 5: “though you don’t know Me”. Nevertheless He wants Cyrus to know that He is God.

Let us explore that a bit. God is dealing with His people who are being totally disobedient to Him. Because they are not responding, he chooses a total pagan king to accomplish what He wants to do. Which is to restore the cities of Judah. In His endeavour, He is revealing Himself to his ‘servant’ to the extent that this man must come to know that Yahweh is the Lord 45:3ff However, He twice makes the point that Cyrus does not know Him (personally). vv 4 and 5.

Now I find this interesting indeed. God is saying He will accomplish His purposes even if He must use someone from outside of His people to do it. But this does not necessarily mean that this man will come to know God personally. Mmmm So God will accomplish His purposes. If you and I are not hearing Him and obeying Him, He will find someone else to do what He wants. In fact, how many people out there know intellectually that God exists, but don’t know Him personally, yet are doing His work for Him?

Now comes the rider. Will His people be angry about this? He pre-empts this with His statement about them daring to argue with Him about what he chooses to do and how, in vs 9. In fact He reminds them of His souvereignty and that he can use anyone for His purposes, since He has created them and therefore they belong to Him. Vss 9-11. (Shades here of Romans ch 9).

For my bucket of information, it reminds me of the fact that God does not create puppets. He wants each one of us to make the right decisions willingly, in our walk with Him. Nevertheless He will accomplish what He wants done, irrespective of any situation where His people are not doing that.

I see my life this morning like a huge container filled with my personal agendas, failures, fears and plans. So I make the firm decision to pull the plug out. I can see all these things draining away. “I am empty now Lord, fill me with your desires for me, give me your hope for my life. I am quiet and wait on you”.

The song “Because he lives I can face tomorrow”, is ringing in my ears and heart.

“There is only one Reality and that is Jesus. Go outside and breathe the fresh air, touch the trees and the flowers, look out over the bay – that is not reality – that is going to pass away – it is here and it will be gone tomorrow. The only Reality that will last into eternity is Myself. You are scurrying around to see that your plans, your agenda is carried out. Stop fretting. The great plan I have includes the plan for your life – even the so-called insignificant details. Relax and trust Me. Stop trying to influence outcomes and rather know the security of being ‘In Me’ – and because I live, you need not fear tomorrow. Be a Mary and sit at My feet.”

Reading Isaiah 44:1-23 today. Firstly a timely reminder for myself and our blog. The opening vs admonishes Israel (He calls him Jacob, the weak unregenerated Israel), with the command “And now listen”. Then he reminds the people “this is the word of the Lord”. A refreshing reminder it is exactly because what we are reading is God’s word, that we should listen. Not superficially but in our hearts. To practice meditating on it and reminding ourselves that what we have heard God saying is personal, so that it becomes part of our lives.

Now, He addresses Israel (Jacob) in the most tender way, reminding them of His care for them and their intimate status as His servant. He desires to bless them and promises His Spirit upon their descendants. But perhaps the most potent word is in vs 5, His promise that there will be a time when they will know Him in a personal and intimate way. This refrain is picked up again in vs 21 where He adds His promise of forgiveness of their sins and an invitation to return to Him so that they can rejoice abundantly. This acts as a sort of bracket to include everything in between.

I am sure you can all see that this description goes way past the nation of Israel and embraces much of God’s promise of the New Covenant.

In the next few vv He once again presents Himself, as we have seen several times in the preceding chapters. After that there are 12 vv in which He mocks and ridicules the idols that the people have been worshipping.

I want us to focus on just two things He says about Himself here. vs 7(a) “Who like Me can announce the future?” Now, in that culture prediction of the future was huge and usually associated with special spiritual powers. God’s statement reveals that He not only has the foresight of the future. It is far more than that. He holds the future in His hands. He is the future. Everything that is going to happen in this world is part of the plan he has already prepared. Now friends, let me ask you, “What about us, how much do we want to know what the future holds?”. I want to suggest that much of our sense of security lies in “knowing” the future. Yes? What about our daily weather forecasts, political predictions, sports results, outcomes of relationships, family and babies, stock markets, oil prices? The list is endless. We live in a society which is half embedded in the future. Because these are so uncertain, we can easily live in the twilight of the “What if’s”. Do our lives reflect our understanding that we don’t need to find our security in predictions? Our security lies solely in the one who holds the future.

The other point I want to show you is in vs 9. Here God starts a mocking contrast of idols to the description of Himself as “The Rock”, steadfast and unmoving, in the previous vs (8). Once again we may shake our heads and laugh at those who trust in idols. But we don’t, do we? Well I suggest you reflect on how much time of your day you spend, excluding the Lord from your thoughts and plans. Worship is reflected by the time you spend in someone’s company and the importance you attach to them. How much of your future planning and thoughts involve in a total trust in the Lord.

I find it is easy to speak on these subjects, but when I examine my own mind and heart I realize how little I trust Jesus for the everyday part of my life. I continually want to control the outcome of what is happening. Do I cut a piece of wood and have a braai with half while I fashion a figure from the rest, so that I can worship it? Of course not. The devil is far more subtle than that. “Did God really say?” That is why we must keep listening in the right way to the Lord.

I sit at the feet of Jesus, like Mary. Waiting on Him, just receiving and enjoying His presence. I am a little frustrated by the lack of joy I feel for much of the time. The words of the song “Let there be dancing in the darkness” are going through my mind.

“You have already received all I want to give you. I have given you every blessing in the heavenly realms. I have lifted your burdens, as I have promised. What you need is to see that with the eyes of faith – Yes the world is in darkness, but you are living in a blinding spiritual light. You just need to see it by faith and trust in it, then you will feel like shouting, ‘Jesus is alive’. So don’t allow your inner doubts and Satan’s voice to take away the source of joy, by filling your mind with negative thoughts. Here I am, all of Me – you have Me, appreciate Me and your joy will be complete”.

As we enter Ch 43 of Isaiah, we can pick up a pattern in these chapters with some repetition. As the prophetic voice of Yahweh continues, He presents “His people” to the listener. The way He presents His case is once again pictured as a judicial court. cf vv 9b-12. So what is He trying to prove? In v 7, after presenting the people He created to be His own, he clearly declares His purpose in doing this. Can you see it?

“Everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed an made”. Rounding off this case He once again underlines this purpose in v 21. “The people I formed for Myself that they may proclaim My praise.

Even in His argument in the “court case”, He is “proving” who He is. See what you can pick up there from v 11-13. I am the Lord, There is no other Saviour. I have revealed and saved. I am God, declares the Lord. I am the ancient of days. I not only speak, but I act and when I do ghat no-one can reverse it.

God is unashamedly presenting Himself as the center point of history. The sad thing is that the very people whom He rescued from Egypt and whom He promises He will once again rescue them from the Babylonians v14. Those people to whom He is promising that He is going to do a “new thing” v 19, to whom He is going to give “streams in the desert” v19. That very people, who have the inside lane, as it were on His love and care, are the very ones of whom He says “Yet you have not called upon Me…” v 22.

So He ends the chapter, challenging them to argue otherwise in the light of what history reveals. He goes right back to Adam, since “your first father sinned (V 27) …… They have no leg to stand on, so He declares His judgement in v 28 – final destruction on Jacob and Israel.

Food for thought. How do we see this applying to us? What does Jesus say today? I think it is pretty clear from this passage and the rest of Isaiah, that God wants us to recognize that He is the center-point of history. When he created and still creates, He does it unashamedly for His own glory and wants us to recognize that by, amongst others praising Him. Yet there is more to that. We must recognize every aspect of His nature and appreciate what He is doing, especially as Saviour. We must recognize that He does not only make promises or threats, but that He is a God who acts. Whose will and actions are irreversible.

How are things different for us? Well there is a glimmer of that in the words of the promise of doing a “new thing”. That must surely be a prediction of the coming of the new era of the New Covenant. So we have the benefit of vs 25, forgiveness of sins. We also have the Holy Spirit to help us to glorify Him. Yet, and this is where I sit up and take notice. It is not something that happens automatically. We need to constantly keep in mind what His purpose for each of us, is and make the decision to honour that. This is not a once-off decision, it is a moment by moment way of life.

I find it so encouraging to see how my reading in the scripture ties in with the word I receive when I sit at His feet. He wants us to have joy, but that will only come when we place Him central in our lives and glorify Him, not only with our lips but our whole lives.

Abide in Me and I will abide in you.

“I am already in you, a constant presence since you were born again; but the concept of ‘abiding’ is more than a presence, it is a warm participation in your life – in your thoughts – in your heart. It is a Presence which is contributing to your growth and without which you cannot produce the fruit of this relationship. Notice though – I will abide in you, IF you abide in Me. This close relationship depends on you making the choice to abide in Me – yet even in that, I am motivating and drawing you to Me – all you need to do is listen to My voice. Also, while abiding is a warm fellowship of growth, for that to happen redundant branches must be pruned, so that growth is in the right direction. The the promise holds that if you abide in Me – you may ask anything in My Name and it will be given you, because your abiding will be leading you on a path of My Kingdom’s desires.”

In Isaiah 42 the concept of “The Servant of the Lord” is introduced, and continues for several chapters. Notice though that, in typical prophetic layered fashion, although the initial quote is quite clear about who the prophet is talking about, confirmed by Jesus Himself in Mathew 12:18-21, this cannot be the same servant as mentioned in vs 19. While the initial servant brings justice, the servant from vs 18 onwards is actually under judgement.

The Servant, who is predicted in 42:1-7 will come, according to vs 4, to establish justice on earth. He will come to bring hope. Now notice an interesting thing: in Isa 42:4, the promise is that the hope will come when the islands (Nations according to Jesus) put their hope in God’s law. So, the purpose God had for His servant Jacob in the OT, was to represent Him to the islands (the rest of the nations of the world) so that they would “put their hope in the law”. Israel had failed dismally in that. Just look at the words of judgement in vv 18, ff. Instead of representing Yahweh in a way which would attract the nations, they had followed their own ways, spurning His law and becoming a source of plunder..

So we can see that this prophecy points to Jesus taking over that role, as expounds this passage in Mat 12:21. “In My name the nations will put their hope”. The Servant Jesus came, to correct that failure by being the “first fruit” of the New Covenant. Isa 42:6. But do you see what the role of the people of the New Covenant is to be? They must take up that role of being a “light to the gentiles”. “I will keep you and make you a light for the gentiles”. 42:6.

Our responsibility in the world today, as in the past is to be a priesthood who are representing Jesus to the unbelievers. When we quarrel in public. When we are unloving and selfish. When we are dishonest and self-satisfied, these attitudes all serve to drive people away from Jesus. So we all have a huge responsibility to the world, which can only be accomplished if we continually abide in Christ.

Is the church succeeding in that? Yes in many respects and places, but NO in many other. Notice the seminar that is proposed at the Kweekskool in Stellenbosch for March with the title, “Queering the prophet (Jonah)”.

Now look at the tension in 42:14. For a long time God has been holding back His judgement, because of His patience. But in His heart he has been bursting, like a woman giving birth to bring about this judgement, which will surely happen. Yet in he midst of that is still His grace for those who are blind. (vs 16). This must surely be referring to the ‘remnant’.

What do I hear from Jesus? Abiding in Him is not merely remembering that he is present with me, it is actively pursuing a warm relationship with Him. If I am doing that, I will produce the fruit which He desires so that His church can continue and grow in its task of being a light for the gentiles. I have a promise and a responsibility.

“You’ve been washed by the blood of the lamb. I have been meditating on the ‘mystery’ of Jesus’ blood.

“Everyone has a veil over them, that prevents them from seeing and hearing and understanding Me and who I am. My blood is the only thing that can wash that veil away – My blood is the symbol of My death. It is the key to My life and death. It was also necessary to verify a Covenant with blood. My blood verified the New Covenant. Now I have washed away the veil from you and you can see Me and meet with Me. Yet there are still vestiges of sin which need to be washed away by water and the Word and ultimately by My blood. My blood is most precious because it represents the gift I have given you of life – you could not have that without My blood.

Isaiah 41, opens with a challenge from Yahweh directed at the “Islands” or “The Coastlands”. These “Peoples”, are symbolic of the Nations of the world. It is almost like an accusation in a court case. He starts with two challenging questions in vv 2 and 4. Note the similarity to God’s challenge to Job in Job 38.2 ff. He also challenges them to present their case in v 21. Can you see what the challenge is? We may have felt like questioning God at times in our lives, but Have you ever felt He is questioning you?

The challenge is for them to understand the huge difference between Him and any other gods or idols they may be trusting in to act on their behalf. Can you see the case He is making? He has acted in history and will act in the future. He is the only one who can predict the future, in fact, because He controls it. cf vv 26 ff. The diviners of those days made a big thing of predicting future events and to some extent that is still happening today. cf vv 20 -29.

His most important act in history, after the creation, was to choose a people, in Abraham for Himself. V 8. Then, He proclaims that, as weak as Israel may seem, He is capable of giving them enough power to carry out His plan. cf vv 14-16.

Central to the message of this chapter (and the whole of Isaiah) is God Himself. cf vv 4b,13,16b, 17, 20b. He is this great God who acts in history for His people and there is no-one or anything that can compare to Him. The challenge to us is: “Do you really believe this?” I don’t mean in your mind only, or even your heart. Is it demonstrated in all the practical applications of your life?

He has the future in His hand, how comforting is that? Especially with the events unfolding in the Ukraine at the moment.

Lastly I was struck again by how He chooses the weak to demonstrate His strength cf v 14 ff. This so reminds us of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:5,9b and 10. It is exactly when you are feeling weak and vulnerable that God can use you most to glorify Him, because then your ego does not get in the way and His power is demonstrated.

Singing, “My love is like a mighty flood”.

“I took My people into the wilderness to make it possible for them to serve and follow Me, without the distractions of Egypt. There they would also learn to depend on Me entirely for everything, not on their own devices and plans. Many years later I came to the earth and My ministry started in the wilderness – to demonstrate to My people that I was going to rescue them from the wilderness and take them into the ‘Promised Land of milk and honey’. You are still living in the wilderness, although there are many signs of My generosity and creativity around you, it is totally marred by sin and the curse. However today, I remind you that My love is like a mighty flood in the wilderness, ‘streams in the desert’. It comes to bring you abundance and fulness of life and that flood was released the moment I died on the cross – that is where My love was and still is being poured out from. If you ever doubt My love, just look at the cross.”

Now we come to the most encouraging chapter 40 of Isaiah. After chapter 39, it forms an introduction to the next “book” of Isaiah (ch 40-56). 200 years have passed since the prediction of the Babylonian invasion. The Israelites have experienced that invasion by Babylon, when they were taken into exile. The time of the exile is almost over and the people are preparing to return to Israel.

The message is quite clear, “Comfort, comfort my people says your God“. 40:1. The key to understanding the need for comfort is found in 40:27. “Why do you say, O Jacob and complain O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? The Israelites obviously felt abandoned by God and had no word from Him for some time.

It is a universal question, asked by almost every believer over the years at some stage or another in their lives. So what is this message of comfort as set out in this chapter? Firstly there is a message that her sin has been forgiven, because it has been paid for 40:2. What sin, you ask? Well that is what the first 39 chapters details isn’t it. Mainly a lack of trust in God.

This forgiveness is linked to the one who is bringing a message in the wilderness, vs ,3. It is a message of hope. that the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind will see it vs 5 (note, not just the Israelites).

It is a message which, unlike man’s fleeting life is linked to God’s word, which “stands forever“. It is so important that it needs to be declared from the highest mountain. The Hebrew is the equivalent of the Greek “evangel” of the New Testament. The message’s central point concerns the Souvereign Lord and what he is going to do, using all His power. Yet at the same time acting like a shepherd, who knows all His sheep and cares tenderly for them.. vv 9-11.

Verses 12-26 go on describing a beautiful picture of this Souvereign Lord of ours, comparing Him to the empty idols along the way. But perhaps one of the most important emphases, completes the picture in the last 4 verses. Against the background of the question, whether God cares, the answer comes. God is everlasting, continually faithful, concerned for the weary and those who stumble and fall. The key word in these last verses is the word “hope” in vs 32. Read the word “trust” instead (those who have faith), who believe this message. It is to them that the promise of having their strength renewed comes, which enables them to soar on wings like an eagle.

That was the message to the Israelites in Babylon. What about us? The voice crying in the wilderness leads us to the one whom this verse points to in the NT. John, in the desert, once again calling out a message of repentance and faith in the One who would soon be baptized by him. This was all happening in the wilderness, where Jesus launches His ministry from. A fulfillment of the earlier predictions of the coming Messiah in Isaiah.

We look forward, with expectation, to the further predictions of the One who will bring comfort, in the next chapters of Isaiah.

In he meantime, what is Jesus’ message for me today? A clear reminder that when I feel God is not caring, I should visit scriptures like this to remind me of who God is and what He has come to do. And then to put my faith and trust and hope in Him. May God bless you all as you imbibe this most encouraging chapter.

I have been singing: “My God is for us”.

“In all the vicissitudes and uncertainties of life it is important to know that I am for you. Who then can be against you? There is one who tries everything against you – but I have already won the victory. While you may catch glimpses of him, it is I that call the shots. So remember when you feel discouraged or doubtful – I am for you – I am rooting all the time for your glory – ultimately to bring Me glory – that is My aim. So do not allow Satan to put you in bondage again – I have sat you free – free to enjoy Me and be completely satisfied in Me. Live that life as you serve Me”.

Today I am reading Isaiah ch 38 and 39, which bring to an end the first “book of Isaiah’. Just to give a broader view. The first 39 chapters have covered a period when Isaiah was prophesying to his contemporaries. King Ahaz was a bad king but his son Hezekiah was much better. They are also subtly contrasted with another expected King cf 9:7. The book ends with a prophecy of doom in ch 39:5-7. This describes a devastating invasion by Babylon. This prophecy would only be fulfilled some 100 years later, thus long after Isaiah had gone to be with the Lord. From ch 40 – 56 Isaiah brings a series of prophecies of comfort for the Israelites in their slavery. Of course, a major figure in this section is the Comforter/Suffering Servant/Messiah, which means it is actually looking forward to a time way past the Babylonian invasion.

Looking at ch 38 and 39 we come to the conclusion of book 1. Hezekiah has just faced and resisted the words spoken against Israel by the Field Commander. There is a picture of repentance and turning in trust to the Lord in prayer. He doesn’t seem to be doing too badly. However ch 38 and 39 show up the weak streak in him.

There is a description of a severe illness and the devastating effect it has on him, not only physically but also emotionally. cf 38:3d. He begs God to prolong his life, reminding God of his previous devotion. There is a glimmer of insight in to his thinking though, which leads to the events of ch 39. Cf 39:17 ff. Notice the emphasis on MY benefit in vs 17 and the gist of the prayer that follows.

His mind still appears to be focusing on himself. This is what seems to lead to the foolish mistake that he makes in showing the envoy from Babylon, the riches of Israel. The final proof lies in his last statement in 39:8, where he is only relieved for himself and doesn’t seem to care what happens to the nation as a whole.

Am I being unfair in this assessment? I don’t think so. Firstly, this is a universal problem. Adam demonstrated it in the garden. As you trace the lives of many people in the bible, that seems to be the one area which stands out as a central problem. It is the problem which lay behind Hezekiah’s running to the Egyptians for help, in the first place. Demonstrated by his forgetting to trust the Lord. He also seemed to be acting in a way to ‘save face’.

The question, as we come to the end of Ch 39, is “who will help Israel and for that matter the world, to deal with this problem?” Well that sets the scene for where the Comforter, the Suffering Servant comes in, isn’t it?

In fact he whole of the first book of Isaiah, with all his oracles, demonstrate the lostness of mankind, even God’s own people, the Israelites. It seems to me God has gone to great lengths to show how much we all need the work of the Messiah. It is a fact, that until people can perceive their need, they usually won’t be interested in Jesus. The difficult thing is that, though we may have been set free, we still carry the footprints of sin in our lives. Perhaps the most basic one being self centeredness. That acts directly against God centeredness and our ability to fully trust Him.

I have spent a lot of time considering why God included these two chapters in the story. Of course commentators tend to avoid giving their opinion. I would like to hear what you guys think.

I am deeply desiring to “know” God’s glory. I see a light upon the mountains, it is growing in intensity and brightness – till it fills the whole earth – till it fills the whole universe.

“That is My glory – My glory is the reason I created. My Glory is the reason for history – and ultimately, when the ‘The Marriage Supper of the Lamb’ is celebrated, will be when My glory will finally be revealed. I have created each person individually and uniquely different – yet with one purpose – to bring Me glory. Yet, sin causes each man (woman) to seek his (her) own glory rather than mine. Even those who serve Me and love Me are often drawn away to seeking their own glory. So I am manipulating the whole of history to demonstrate My glory. You cannot see it, yet the whole earth is covered in My glory like the waters cover the sea. Go out and allow Me to show My glory through you and enjoy it, rejoice in it, it is the highest goal”.

We follow Israel’s story in Isaiah 36:21- 37:28.

What was the reaction of Hezekiah and the people to the threats of the Assyrians? The immediate instruction was to not answer the Field Commander. Not to try and argue with him. No explanation is given. (37:21)

Secondly there is this picture of various people tearing their clothes (37:22; 38:1). Associated with that, of putting on sackcloth. What does that mean? Well it was the outward sign of the people of that era of distress (37:3) and mourning. There is also a hope expressed that God will still act (37:4c). The bible often associated mourning with a recognition of sin and a sign of repentance. How do we interpret this action here, though?

Its almost as if the people are driven there by fear and hope that their mourning will move God to rescue them. Notice where the hope of the rescue is focused – 37:4d. The remnant which we have been following throughout this story. Something of Hezekiah’s spirituality is revealed in the prayer that follows in 37:14-20. Notice where the focus of his prayer is. He reminds himself of God’s souvereignty in creation and calls on Him to show this by rescuing them, “So that all the kingdom’s on earth may know that you alone are God.

Presumably he is being reminded of the importance of this. Notice the parallel to what God said to me this morning. His glory is paramount. His name is inextricably linked to His glory. This places Hezekaiah’s prayer right alongside the will of God in defending His name, in the face of all the mocking blasphemies that have been made.

Finally then, Isaiah brings God’s reply (37:22 – 35). I suggest you study it carefully. Here are some interesting points that I have noticed. In vs 26 we have a strong reminder that God has had a souvereign plan throughout the whole of history. Nothing has happened by chance, in the past and because of God’s zeal everything He has ordained for the future, will still happen 37:32.

Secondly we are reminded here of God’s omniscience (knowing everything) concerning everyone in the world(37:28), not only of each one of us Christians, as in Psalm 139 . God has an intimate knowledge of friend and foe alike. Finally as in 37:4d, the focus for the future of Israel lies with the remnant 37:31.

Maybe you may see something more. If so please share it on the blog.

So what do I hear Jesus saying to me from this passage? The comfort I received is that God is still working out His plan, which might at some times appear unlikely in the face of disaster. That plan still focuses on “the Remnant” of which Jesus was the first fruits in the New Testament. Everyone who is “in Jesus” is therefore part of that remnant and hence, I am still part of this unfolding plan. Then there is a reminder of something in our lives, which should be reflected in our prayers. God’s name and His glory should be central. If we do that then our prayers will be right alongside God’s will.

Proverbs 16:3 says “Commit to the Lord, whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The Hebrew verb translated “commit” there, actually means “lay your plans alongside God’s”. That is the great reminder of the power in prayer. The challenge to me lies to live that out.

“Yet not I but through Christ in me.” – As I ponder these words I realize that if I want to live my life in according to Your will, it comes down to a decision I must take. I must take it with every step, every thought, every action. The onus is on me to make the decision, either to go my own way or stay in the the way of Christ and benefit from the grace that covers me there. It is not enough to know that God has infinite power. It is not enough to say that I have experienced that power in the past. That power is only available if I walk in Jesus’ will. If I choose to follow You, You will release all the power for me to do that and far more than I could dream is possible. You will convict me and remind me of the fact that I am wandering off, but You will never force me to take the right decisions. The motivation to do that is huge though, because it draws me back into the arms of Your love. Not that You ever stop loving me, but when I move away from You, I stop experiencing the joy and power of Your presence and love. Thank you Lord for reminding me of all this today.

Back to Isaiah. We come now to Chapters 36 -39, which are a narrative link between the first half of Isaiah, where Assyria features as the aggressor to the second half which looks forward to Babylon ‘s invasion and the exile. Let’s read this one step at a time and see what Jesus is saying to us.

As the Assyrian forces surround Jerusalem, the “Field Commander” addresses King Hezekaiah, who is Ahaz’s son and the present ruler in Judah, Chapter 36:1-20 deals with what this fellow says and Hezekiah’s response follows in the next chapters. I found this address interesting as an example of how Satan tries to subvert our trust in God, because that is what he is trying to do. The key word is “trust”, repeated several times. If this Field Commander can break Hezekiah’s trust in God then he is going to be able to overcome Judah. So what does he say? Read through the passage and see what he says and how what the he says can relate to what Satan may be saying to you today.

Here is what I saw:

1. Who are you depending on? vs 5, Yes, who are you depending on, that is the question for all of us?

2. Is he depending on Egypt? Well the temptation has been to do that. I suppose today, Egypt represents anyone who appears to have the ability to help us.

3. Then he casts doubt on Hezekiah’s trust in God. The incident he wrongly interprets in vs 7 refers to Hezekaiah’s removing “illegal” places of worship to force the people to worship at the temple in Jerusalem, which was God’s instruction.

4. Then he actually claims he is acting on the Lord’s instruction, v 10.

5. He then addresses the other Israelites who are listening, to try and subvert them so that they will put pressure on Hezekiah to surrender. He first threatens them personally, vs 12 Then he claims the king is deceiving them because he cannot deliver them, vs 14. He then mocks Hezekaiah’s trust in God. vs 15. He tries to offer them another land. vv 16,17. This is a huge attack on God because they were already living in the “Promised Land”, so he is attacking the very plan of God. Finally he mocks Yahweh himself by suggesting Hezekaiah is wasting his time in trusting God, because God is no better than the idols of the other nations. vv 18,19.

So what is all this about? Trust (faith) is the vital link we have with God. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith”, Ephes. 2:8. It is the means through which we are saved. It does not stop there, however. Our whole relationship with God is based on our trust in Him. The most important work He is doing in each one of our lives is to help our faith to strengthen. On the other hand if Satan can attack our faith and cause us to doubt, maybe trust God less or trust other things instead of Him, he is weakening the whole of the Church as well as each of us individually.

Now all these things that we read here represent ways that Satan uses to attack our trust in God. That is why it is so useful to read this passage because the best way to fight the enemy is to get to know his methods.

I pondered over this reading and realized how easily I trust in other things than God. When there is a medical crisis, or financial or anything else which threatens me, I find myself immediately starting to think who can help me. This seldom starts with God. Should we not consult medics, use medicines, find financial advice then? Of course not, God is the one who provides them for us. The question is, who are you trusting in? Are you lending your ears to wrong advice? Do you start doubting all sorts of things?

A very interesting passage that caused me to have lots to think about.