Monthly Archives: November 2012

Nahum — A certain judgment

Posted on November 30, 2012 by

I sometimes wonder when I’m ever going to finish II Kings and II Chronicles.  I seriously have just a handful of chapters to finish with these two books, but these prophets keep getting in the way.  🙂  I suppose the … Continue reading →

Posted in Minor Prophets, Nahum, Old Testament | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 66 — Humble before God. Humbled before God.

Posted on November 29, 2012 by

And so we end the longest book of the Old Testament, save for the Psalms. In this final chapter of Isaiah, we see the distinction God makes between the righteous and the unrighteous.  Who is the righteous person?  God puts … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 65:17-25 — All things made new

Posted on November 28, 2012 by

I recently got a new computer.  My last one was bought way back in 2001, and while it was pretty good at the time, by the end, it was old, slow, and just about dead. It’s pretty amazing how fast … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Leave a comment

Isaiah 65:1-16 — Ignoring the call of God

Posted on November 27, 2012 by

I wonder sometimes how frustrated God gets with us.  I think we see some of his frustration here in this passage.  He’s talking specifically about Israel, but it could easily apply to us.  He said, I revealed myself to those … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 63-64 — God of compassion, God of power

Posted on November 26, 2012 by

It amazes me that the God who created this world could care about me.  That the God who just spoke things into existence could even spare a moment’s thought about me. But that’s what we see here.  Isaiah talks about … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 63:1-6 — God of Salvation; God of Judgment

Posted on November 25, 2012 by

The gospel has, from the beginning, been a double-edged sword.  Salvation for those who will receive Jesus, and judgment for those who reject him.  You see both in this passage. First you see the judgment of Christ on the nations, … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 62 — New names

Posted on November 24, 2012 by

Have you ever wished you had another name?  When I was a kid, I did.  The biggest problem with the name Bruce is that there are too many words that rhyme with it.  Goose, moose, juice, loose.  It’s almost endless.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged | Leave a comment

Isaiah 61 — Good news

Posted on November 23, 2012 by

We live in a world where it seems that most of the news is bad.  Earthquakes, crime, political corruption, the list goes on and on and on.  It’s pretty easy to get depressed. But when Jesus came, he spoke the … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 60 — Reflecting the light of God

Posted on November 22, 2012 by

I love the first 3 verses of this chapter. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 59 — A God far away?

Posted on November 21, 2012 by

Sometimes people complain, “Where is God in this world?  I sure can’t see him.  All I see is all the evil that’s here.” Actually, God is here.  But the evil that dwells within us makes it difficult for us to … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 58 — Empty religion

Posted on November 20, 2012 by

One thing that God is not impressed with is empty religion.  We saw that in Micah 6, and we also see it here. Here the Israelites complained to God, ‘Why have we fasted, and you have not seen it?  Why … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 57:14-21 — The road to peace

Posted on November 19, 2012 by

After a serious tongue-lashing on those who persisted in their rebellion against him, God here shows his mercy to those who humbled themselves before him. He said, “Build up, build up, prepare the road!  Remove the obstacles out of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 57:3-13 — Clinging to what is hopeless

Posted on November 18, 2012 by

A friend recently asked me, “Why does Satan keep on fighting?  He knows he’s lost.  Why doesn’t he give up?”  Other people have put the question another way, “Why doesn’t Satan repent?  Can he repent?” They are interesting questions, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 57:1-2 — Why the righteous perish

Posted on November 17, 2012 by

A year ago at this time, I was standing vigil over my dad in his final days and hours here on earth.  It was a day I had been prepared for, for the previous ten years, actually.  My dad’s heart … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Isaiah 56:9-12 — Leaders?

Posted on November 16, 2012 by

All of us have known people that were bad leaders.  People who should never have been put in that position.  And unfortunately, Israel had their share of bad leaders as well. In this passage, God calls these leaders out, saying, … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 56:1-8 — Salvation without discrimination

Posted on November 15, 2012 by

One thing about the temple worship in the Old Testament was that it was very exclusive.  You notice this a lot in the books of Moses.  The most obvious example of this is that only the priests could enter the … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 55 — A life that really satisfies

Posted on November 14, 2012 by

There’s an old rock song that goes, “I can’t get no satisfaction.”  And for many people, that’s their complaint as they go through life.  They “try and try and try,” but nothing satisfies them.  Everything they pursue in life ultimately … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged | Leave a comment

Isaiah 54 — Reconciliation

Posted on November 13, 2012 by

Many times in scripture, God pictures himself as a husband pursuing his wayward wife. That’s pretty amazing to me.  I can’t imagine what I’d do if my wife were unfaithful to me.  If she were always pursuing other men in … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 52-53 — Why Jesus came

Posted on November 12, 2012 by

As I write this, Christmas is about 6 or 7 weeks away.  It’s so amazing how the time just flies by.  It doesn’t seem so long ago that I took our Christmas tree down. But as Christmas draws near and … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 51:17-52:12 — Salvation

Posted on November 11, 2012 by

As we look at this passage where God calls his people out of exile, we also see a picture of salvation.  Isaiah tells the people, Awake, awake!  Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged | Leave a comment

Isaiah 51 — The legacy we’ve inherited

Posted on November 10, 2012 by

Some Christians don’t like going through the Old Testament.  Sometimes, they wonder why it’s even worth reading.  I have to admit, this is the longest period of time I’ve spent in the Old Testament for my quiet times.  I believe … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 50 — Walking in God’s light, walking in your own

Posted on November 9, 2012 by

“I know what I’m doing.  Don’t tell me what to do.” So often, we take that attitude and it gets us into trouble.  And then we blame God, and accuse him of abandoning us. That’s what the Israelites did.  By … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged | Leave a comment

Isaiah 49:14-26 — Never forgotten. Never without hope.

Posted on November 8, 2012 by

Has God forgotten me?  Is there any hope for me? That’s what the Jewish exiles would feel, far from home, captives in a foreign land. They cried out, The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me. (14) And … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged | Leave a comment

Isaiah 49:1-13 — The mission of Messiah, and us

Posted on November 7, 2012 by

Here in this passage we see the mission of Messiah.   (Don’t you love the alliteration?)  What is it? First, to display the splendor of God (verse 3).  To show Israel who God really was.  And that’s what Jesus did, … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 48 — The way to peace

Posted on November 6, 2012 by

So many times, we struggle to find peace in our lives, and we wonder why.  The people of Israel were no different.  But here in verses 17-18, God gives them the answer. This is what the Lord says – your … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged | Leave a comment

Isaiah 47 — Making ourselves God

Posted on November 5, 2012 by

The lie that Satan said in the garden of Eden thousands of years ago is the same lie he tells us today.  “You will be like God.” And thoughout history, men (and women) have tried to make themselves god in … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 46:5-13 — The God whose purposes stand

Posted on November 4, 2012 by

As God has done for much for much of the past few chapters, he continues to clearly define the differences between the gods of the nations and himself.  In verse 5, he said, To whom will you compare me or … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Leave a comment

Isaiah 46:1-4 — He who sustains you

Posted on November 3, 2012 by

After all the words of judgment we’ve seen throughout the prophets, I must say that it’s refreshing…and encouraging to see the words of Isaiah in the past few chapters.  Here Isaiah addresses the people who would be exiled to Babylon … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 45 — That they may know Me and be saved

Posted on November 2, 2012 by

The ways of God are hard to grasp sometimes.  Why would he use the Assryians, Babylonians, and Persians to punish his people, when these people were just as bad, if not worse than the Israelites? I don’t know, but perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Isaiah 44:24-28 — The God who knows the futu…our name

Posted on November 1, 2012 by

There are a number of non-Christian and “Christian” Biblical scholars that have serious doubts about whether Isaiah wrote chapters 40-66.  There are numerous reasons for this.  One is that Isaiah wrote about the future as if it had already happened.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah, Major Prophets, Old Testament | Tagged , , | Leave a comment