Jeremiah 15:1,10,18-21

Jeremiah is pleading with the LORD on behalf of his people, attempting to intercede for them. But it does no good, for the people do not repent (see chapter 14). Thus the LORD says

‘Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favourable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.’ (Jeremiah 15:1)

God then outlines the judgments that He is soon to bring upon them for their wickedness and because they have not repented of it. And all this Jeremiah is to say to the people. Imagine how unpopular he would have been! Thus we find in verse 10:

‘Woe is me, my mother,
That you have borne me,
A man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth!
I have neither lent for interest,
Nor have men lent to me for interest.
Every one of them curses me.’ (Jeremiah 15:10)

Jeremiah felt wronged. He had never done anything against men – he had never sought gain from them or dealt greedily with them, and yet they all cursed him. On God’s part, he had never mixed with his fellow people who laughed and mocked God and had a ‘good time’, but instead stayed on himself, filled with anger and indignation (vs. 17). He ‘ate’ the words of God, and they were the joy and rejoicing of his heart, and he was called by God’s name (he belonged totally to God) (vs. 16), and yet here all his doubts and fears and troubles come to a head and he says

‘Why is my pain perpetual
And my wound incurable,
Which refuses to be healed?
Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream,
As waters that fail?’ (Jeremiah 15:18)

Jeremiah was afraid that the faith he had in God had led him to the abyss of pain he suffered, and that now that he was there, God might leave him there. He was afraid that his reputation of being a prophet of ill words to the people might be for nought, as God would destroy his people, and leave Jeremiah to their enemies.

It is such a big step of faith. To put yourself out there for God. To trust that He will be there to catch you, to defend you, and ultimately to have faith that to live this way is of greater benefit to both you and God, whereas the short forecast is merely pain and patience. What if after all the waiting and pain, there is no prize? What if God leads you out to the desert only to leave you there? These are all human fears, based on human relationships. But we all struggle with them, just like Jeremiah. But we see what God has to say back to Jeremiah:

‘If you return,
Then I will bring you back;
You shall stand before Me;
If you take out the precious from the vile,
You shall be as My mouth.
Let them [the Jews] return to you,
But you must not return to them.
And I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall;
And they will fight against you,
But they shall not prevail against you;
For I am with you to save you
And deliver you.
I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked,
And I will redeem you form the grip of the terrible.’ (Jeremiah 15:19-21)

God reassures Jeremiah. He does not merely say ‘I will protect you’. He tells him to come back. Come back in faith and say only what God has put in his mouth, rather than mixing it with his own thoughts and desires. In doing this, God will make him impenetrable, although so many problems may arise against him, God will be there to save him. What joy! The promise is reminiscent of chapter one, verse 18-19, in fact it is almost exactly the same. God isn’t promising some new level of protection. He is merely reinforcing His same old promise that Jeremiah seems to have forgotten or mistrusted. Let us trust God! Let us be bold in our faith in Him, and remember that He is good towards us, and will be there to save us, though troubles arise. Without this sure knowledge, emblazoned on our hearts, our devotion and ministry to and for God is limited.

Jeremiah 14:7,10

In Jeremiah 14, Jeremiah attempts to intercede for Judah. We can feel his pain, as he is torn between defending his people at all costs, and acknowledging the truth of their utter wickedness.

‘O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us,
Do it for Your name’s sake;
For our backslidings are many,
We have sinned against You.’ (Jeremiah 14:7)

He acknowledged the sin of his people. It wasn’t hard for him to acknowledge, because it had been made perfectly clear to him by God previously. He says ‘our wickedness speaks out against us!’. Do you ever feel like this? There are so many things we do wrong. So many thoughts, actions, words. And after they have been committed, it feels as though they ‘testify’ against us to God. It feels like they provide evidence that we aren’t Christian. They accuse and condemn us.

So, does God relent at this point, after the intercession of Jeremiah? In fact, He does not.

‘Thus they have loved to wander;
They have not restrained their feet.
Therefore the LORD does not accept them;
He will remember their iniquity now,
And punish their sins.’ (Jeremiah 14:10)

Why does the God of infinite mercy not give mercy to His people here? They have not repented! Jeremiah acknowledges their sin. But to acknowledge your own sin to God does not mean that God will forgive it. There must be repentance. A turning away. But although Judah acknowledged her sins (through Jeremiah at least), not for a moment did they turn from their ways (‘they have not restrained their feet’).

Jeremiah calls upon God’s glory in view of forgiveness. In verse seven (above), he says ‘do it for Your name’s sake’. In other words: ‘forgive us so that You can have the glory!’ And it is true indeed that it is for His own glory that God redeems us. But would it truly give God glory for Him to unsparingly bestow grace upon those who do not repent? I believe, rather, that it would discredit Him and show Him to be powerless.

And what can we take from this? Well, I think sometimes we can feel like Jeremiah, calling for mercy from God on a heart that we know causes us to do evil over and over again. And yet we know that because of the infinite love of God, and the sending of His Son Jesus Christ, and the shedding of His precious blood, our repentant hearts are covered, washed, made anew and bestowed with righteousness from God. But we should all take seriously this word repentance. It is not merely acknowledging. It is turning away. It means action. Not words.

Jeremiah 13:9-10

The symbol of the linen sash. The first half of chapter 13 tells the story of Jeremiah obeying God’s instructions to wear a linen sash, then after a while to go and hide it in the ground, then a while after that to go dig it up again. Jeremiah found the sash absolutely useless and ruined when he dug it up.

‘ “Thus says the Lord: ‘In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing.”’ (Jeremiah 13:9-10)

Another reminder to us as Christians to step back and heed God’s word. To humble ourselves and realize that our own thoughts and ideas are bound to be wrong! To accept the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit, rather than follow our own desires. To cast down all our loves in this world, and to sacrifice our lives to the only One worthy of our lives. The consequences are dire. If we do not do this, we will become profitable for nothing. Useless. We need to completely submit to Him.

Jeremiah 10:2-3a,23

‘Thus says the LORD:
“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
For the customs of the people are futile;”’ (Jeremiah 10:2-3a)

These words are strong for us. The Gentiles are a picture of the world for us. We are not to learn the ways of the world. We are not to love the world. Neither the thinking, ideologies, objects, customs, beliefs, entertainment nor values of the world. There is no exception. To love the world is to hate God. Why? Because the customs of the people are futile. They amount to nothing. They mean nothing. They all pass away like grass.

One thing the world values highly is money. But where is money when the end comes? It is futile. Thus money, when valued highly, becomes a source of evil, for it leads away from God, and towards futility.

Similarly for TV shows. Even seemingly harmless shows like Getaway promote only the self, the self above all else, which is a belief of the world system. Thus entertaining yourself with this does not lead towards God at all – but only towards futility.

Music. Unless music is glorifying to God, then it also is futile. To constantly entertain oneself with these, even if they are not explicitly ‘anti-God’, is to lead yourself away from God’s glory, and into futility. It is to ‘learn the way of the Gentiles’.

And all these things, God calls idolatry, which the rest of the first half of chapter 10 makes clear. Separate yourselves from instant-fun futility, and dedicate yourself to true, lasting Joy found in God’s glory. Be ‘set apart’ for the Gospel, as Paul calls himself. There is no advantage to worldliness. Rather, let us heed Jeremiah’s words:

‘O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.’ (Jeremiah 10:23)

As Christians, we belong wholly to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and our complete love belongs to Him, and thus our complete life is led by Him. It is not ours to direct. It is not ours to walk where we will, love what we will, entertain ourselves how we will. It is Christ that directs us, and surely He directs us away from the poisoning influence of the world.

Jeremiah 12:1,2b-3a,5

Jeremiah 12 centres around a question asked by Jeremiah to God, which God then answers.

‘Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead with You;
Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?...
…You are near in their mouth
But far from their mind.’ (Jeremiah 12:1,2b)

Have you ever felt like this? I know I have. Note first however, that Jeremiah recognizes God’s righteousness first up. He takes this as a given. He knows whatever God does is right. He is merely trying to understand it.

It is sometimes baffling to us how wicked people can be so successful, happy, prosperous and all the rest of it. Why does God allow it? It is often our desire for the LORD to do to them what they deserve. It is our ‘desire for justice’.

Even worse, so many people have God close in their mouth, but far from their mind. They talk about God, talk about religious things, sing Christian songs, go to a Christian school perhaps. But their mind, and their heart, is so far away from God. And yet, as Christians, we say with Jeremiah

‘But You, O LORD, know me;
You have seen me,
And You have tested my heart toward You.’ (Jeremiah 12:3a)

Our heart is true towards God, we have been tested and tried, and remain faithful. And where is our reward? Is our reward more trials? For sometimes it seems that there is no reward, and all the prosperity, success and happiness goes to those who the LORD doesn’t know.

So what is God’s answer to this? Surely at this moment you have started forming your own answer based on previous experience (as have I), but I think you’ll find God’s answer a little different than you might expect:

‘If you have run with the footmen and they have wearied you,
Then how can you contend with horses?
And if in the land of peace,
In which you trusted, they wearied you,
Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?’ (Jeremiah 12:5)

I think what God is saying is: ‘if you are having trouble with this little problem, then how are you to contend with those who are really against you?’ This is not meant to be a problem for us! And I daresay we set our sights too low when we are having trouble with this question. For prosperity and success on this earth to us is meaningless. Mere trash. To be troubled by the fact that those who disobey God obtain trash should be a silly idea to us. If we are troubled by this small thing, then how are we to contend with life’s real challenges, which God sets before us in love? Let’s set our sights much higher than the petty things of this world.

Jeremiah 11:20

Jeremiah 11 contains two passages, the first being in line with the previous chapters, but perhaps a little more specific: it is about the covenant which God set up with Israel in the days when they were emancipated from Egypt, and which they had broken. The second passage is a summarized recount of the first recorded threat on Jeremiah’s life, by the men of Anathoth.

Jeremiah thus far has spoken almost solely about the coming judgment of God on Israel due to their disobedience and rejection of His covenant. Primarily through idolatry, or expressed through idolatry, and most distastefully in hypocrisy, the Israelites have been utterly judged and found guilty. Now God reminds the Israelites of the specific covenant that He gave them,

‘ “Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant which I commanded your fathers…‘Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God,’ that I may establish the oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is this day”.’ (Jeremiah 11:3b-5a)

It was an impossible covenant. To do all that God commands, as you would all agree, is just an impossibility with our feeble wills and feeble bodies. And so why did God make that covenant? First of all, God could not have made a different covenant. God could not compromise. He couldn’t say to them – ‘as long as you keep My commandments most of the time, and do a whole lot of good things to make up for the times where you go wrong, I will be your God.’ God is a God of truth, and compromise is not an option. Only perfection can satisfy God. Secondly, God made the covenant out of love. Although the covenant was impossible for the Israelites to keep their end of, it was this very thing that God intended – so that they would be led to His doorstep in humility and brokenness, realising that they could not keep it. It would teach them to rely on God for their strength, rather than trust in their own ‘moral strength’. Note that this was the conditional covenant, whereas the unconditional covenant, given to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, stated Israel to be God’s people regardless of their sin.

Thus, when God first summarises the sin of the Israelites in Jeremiah, He does not give a list of all their specific wrongdoings, and where they had disobeyed His voice. Rather, the two sins were ‘They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns – broken cisterns that can hold no water.’ (Jeremiah 2:13) Their sins, on God’s account, were not those directly against the covenant, but that they had completely rejected Him. This, of course, resulted in many wrongdoings, which are developed throughout the chapters between chapter 2 and 11.

Similarly, through chapter 11, the sins that God accuses them of, in betraying the covenant, are sins of turning against God. And this is what we must see sin as. It is a complete revolt against God, and His glory. This is what sin is, and sin is also a symptom of this attitude. As Christians, God has made with us, an unconditional covenant, whereby we are called His children regardless of the sin we have previously committed, or will commit in the future. However, with this covenant comes the conditional covenant which I wrote about a few days ago. This is the covenant where we live in the ‘land of milk and honey’. This is the covenant by which we own what we are. The covenant by which we enjoy the riches of God’s goodness towards us. This is thwarted by our inclination towards evil. And so these words to Jerusalem and Judah are the words we ourselves need to hear. We need to destroy our idols, set our hearts and minds on God, obey His word, study His word so that we can obey it and avoid evil with the greatest of intensity. The words that the prophets spoke to Judah are a beacon to us. Humanity hasn’t changed. Not much. Let them cut to your heart.

The second passage reveals the first attempt on Jeremiah’s life. Again we remind ourselves of the weakness of mortality, but the strength of God, who will keep us. Jeremiah pleads with God:

‘But, O LORD of hosts,
You who judge righteously,
Testing the mind and the heart,
Let me see Your vengeance on them,
For to You I have revealed my cause.’ (Jeremiah 11:20)

God has already promised to defend Jeremiah in the first chapter. But Jeremiah prays this, calling on God’s righteousness to judge those who wrongly accuse him, and seek to kill him. But of course, for Jeremiah, it is not himself that they set themselves against, but God. For it is God who will judge them, righteously, testing their minds and their hearts. What they think, and what they feel. Thus, Jeremiah wants to see God’s vengeance on them, not because he hates them and would love to see them punished, but because he loves justice, and loves God’s righteousness. Do we today take this same view? Or are we too ‘tolerant’ of evil to desire justice for it? Let us ever be aware of God and His holiness, His glory, so that we have the right view of all things, including evil.

Jeremiah 9:23-24

Jeremiah 9 is a chapter of mourning and sorrow. It begins with Jeremiah’s own mourning at his people’s wickedness. God responds by saying that He will ‘refine’ them through judgment. Then God tells Jeremiah to ‘call for the mourning women’ (vs. 17) because the people will be very sorrowful for the judgment that is called upon them.

The main line of accusation is the people’s hypocrisy. Verse 8 says ‘One speaks peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart he lies in wait.’ There are a few references to ‘lying tongues’. We conclude again that hypocrisy is abominable to God. What you speak, you must mean with your heart.

The verses that struck me particularly, mostly due to their complete clarity and forthrightness, were:

‘ Thus says the LORD:
“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the LORD.’ (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

The greatest glory that man can achieve is to know God. For God is the only One that is glorious. Every task undertaken by God on earth has His glory as its purpose. Therefore, as Christians, our goal should be similar, that is, our goal should be to give God as much glory as possible. This can only happen by living the life that He has set forth for us to live. This can only happen by us consciously living for His glory. What more can we glory in? Shall we glory in our own petty wisdom or strength? Or shall we glory in God’s immense awesomeness?

Jeremiah 8:8-9,11,20

Jeremiah 8 continues Jeremiah’s prophecy at the temple gates to those who are passing in and out of God’s house. He tells them that all those buried in Judah will be brought up and placed under the sun and moon and stars ‘which they have loved’ (vs. 2), referring to their idolatrous nature worship. In fact, when the nation was invaded by the Babylonians, the invading nation would ransack the tombs of Judah in search for buried riches, leaving the bones scattered over the land.

Jeremiah continues, proclaiming that Judah was guilty of not knowing when to turn back to God – when even birds knew when to turn around and migrate, to turn back. All the animals knew their seasons, and yet the Jews did not know the time of God’s judgment, which had been made abundantly clear to them. And thus we reach the reasons for their deception, namely, those who lead them and teach them had been deceiving them!

‘How can you say, ‘We are wise,
And the law of the LORD is with us’?
Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.
The wise men are ashamed,
They are dismayed and taken.
Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD;
So what wisdom do they have?’ (Jeremiah 8:8-9)

What dire words. Those who lead and teach God’s people are teaching falsely. They are leading their own people astray with what they teach. And they do it so well that the people don’t even notice. The people still say ‘We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us’. They think they are wise! No doubt the scribes used human wisdom in their writings and teachings. So why were they deceitful?

‘Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; so what wisdom do they have?’

If we do not trust the very words of God, what wisdom can we even think we have? If we don’t listen to the word God has given us directly, then how can we call ourselves wise? It doesn’t matter that we might be well versed in all the classic philosophers, know the entire works of Spurgeon, pastor a church of a thousand people, and have written books that have ‘helped’ people in every walk of life. It doesn’t matter that our techniques for worship or evangelism are the most well-researched and most ‘effective’ known. It doesn’t matter that we might have a doctorate and be able to write essays and books arguing certain theological points. It only depends on whether we accept forthright the word of God. For He is of infinite knowledge and wisdom. To accept His knowledge and study His word, led by the Holy Spirit is wisdom.

What do you do when faced with a tricky situation? Who do you turn to? Do you accept the human wisdom of a friend? Do you read a self-help book? Do you tackle the problem in your own mind, using previous circumstances as a guide? Or do you turn to the word of God?

Now I am not trying to say that your friends, books, and even you, don’t give advice based on the word of God in the first place. But to be sure, in most cases, they don’t.

Why do we not accept the word of the LORD? Why do we so often use our own flawed wisdom? For two reasons that I can think of right now:

1) The word of the LORD is hard to accept. It is often scathing and shocking. It is abrasive. It is challenging, and sometimes goes against our basic intuition.

2) Using our own wisdom satiates our desire for power and intellectual supremacy. In other words, using our own wisdom makes us feel good about ourselves. Human wisdom is often the source of a warm fuzzy feeling inside. It makes us feel good, but as verse 11 says:

‘For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly,
Saying ‘Peace, peace!’
When there is no peace.’ (Jeremiah 8:11)

Now, if we are Christians, a habit of maintaining human wisdom and neglecting God’s word is unhealthy at best. In dealing with situations in life, it can only be harmful, and lead away from God’s will for us. But with respect to non-Christians, it is much, much more dangerous. For if we, as Christians, make a habit of using human wisdom, then we deceive non-Christians. We cannot save them with our own wisdom! It is impossible! God’s word is hard hitting, sharp as a double-edged sword, and His Spirit convicts. Taking that out of the equation, it is like throwing pillows at people and expecting them to be bowled over! And the dire result is recorded in Jeremiah:

‘ “The harvest is past,
The summer is ended,
And we are not saved!”’ (Jeremiah 8:20).

Jeremiah 7:5-10

God tells Jeremiah to stand at the temple gate this time, and speak to all those who enter. So we know that the audience of the following passage is those ‘God-believers’ in Judah. The ones who at least profess to serve the true God, and come to the temple to offer their sacrifices and pray (vs. 1-2). This is interesting, because the message that God gives Jeremiah to speak to them is one of the most scathing thus far in the book. God gives clear instructions:

‘For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour, if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.’ (Jeremiah 7:5-7)

This is some set of rules. Thoroughly is used twice. For God expects no less than complete obedience, thorough in every respect. He is a holy God, and we cannot lose sight of that as He speaks to Judah, and as He speaks to us through the Bible. He is a holy God. All words spoken to us by Him are spoken with that fact in view. But also, it is a reasonable argument, or agreement. Judah could not expect God to keep His end of the bargain if they did not keep theirs, and so this statement is a warning, out of love, telling them to ‘amend their ways’ so that God could in fact bless them.

Notice however, the fact that God does not say that the nation will be removed as God’s people, or that they will be ultimately cut off from the land forever. Indeed, God states categorically that the land was given to the nation’s fathers ‘forever and ever’. Rather, the consequence of sinful actions is that they won’t ‘dwell in this place’. Here I take ‘dwell’ to be of much more significance than mere physical presence (which of course it alludes to as well). Where you ‘dwell’ is where you call home. It is where you find peace and comfort. It indicated familiarity. On Getaway the other night, they interviewed Jerry Seinfeld on some ‘holiday tips’. He said that wherever you go has to feel like home. ‘It isn’t a real holiday unless you know how to make the shower just the right temperature’. There’s a sense of familiarity associated with home.

Thus, God’s promise is of belonging to the land that they own categorically, if they should amend their ways thoroughly. The next few verses reiterate this and provide a message for our day:

‘Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations?’ (Jeremiah 7:8-10)

This showed the true hypocrisy of the temple-goers of the time. They walked into the house called by God’s name after committing atrocities and abominations, with the excuse ‘we are delivered to do these abominations’.

Let me rephrase the verses:

‘Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you cheat on tests, hate others, lust, make empty promises, swear, worship nature, give more time to other interests than me, and then come before Me at church and say ‘We are saved, so it’s okay to do all these abominations?’

And yet how many of us are thoroughly guilty of this? Let us amend our ways. God does not threaten to cut us off from Him. For He gave us our salvation ‘forever and ever’. That is categorical. But He promises us that if we amend our ways, we will belong to our salvation. There will be familiarity, strength and comfortability in it. There will be satisfaction in it.

There is much more in the chapter, but not enough space here to describe it. Please, study it for yourselves.

Jeremiah 6:16

As humans, we are always looking for the new. We have a creative streak in us that generates, searches for, and appreciates the new. We are convinced that old things can be done in a better way. Horses and wagons are upgraded to cars, we have email instead of letters, and philosophies change from pre-modernism to modernism to post-modernism. The world is shaped and moulded by new ideas, new inventions and new people. But the Bible takes a slightly different view:

‘Thus says the LORD:
“Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it;
Then you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’’ (Jeremiah 6:16)

God’s way has been known from the first times. And it hasn’t changed. His dealings with man have changed – from the epoch of Law to the epoch of Grace to the future time when He will reign on earth. But His plan for us have never changed, and neither has the way in which we should walk.

Too often we find ourselves looking for ‘new ideas’ or ‘fresh ideas’ in Christianity, to boost our appeal, or to make it more interesting, or just to satisfy our own thirst for change. But God isn’t interested in what’s ‘interesting’, ‘cool’, ‘exciting’, ‘politically correct’ or ‘modern’. He is interested in what is right and good. And what is right and good has been known in the past, in fact it has been known from the very first times when God revealed it to us. So, rather than following new and interesting ways, let us ‘ask for the old paths, where the good way is’.

Jeremiah 5:3a,31

Two phrases stood out to me in Jeremiah chapter 5. The chapter continues Jeremiah’s ‘pessimistic’ speech to Judah, relaying God’s intended judgments and accusations towards the Jews. The very fact that it is continued so far (and shall be for at least a few more chapters I suspect) at the very least shows how important a topic it is to God. It shows the depth of His love for Israel, given that He is trying to warn them and turn them from their evil ways in order to save them.

In verse 3, Jeremiah says this:

‘O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth?...’ (Jeremiah 5:3a)

This is a stark reminder that God is all about truth. It doesn’t matter whether that truth is hard to accept, easy to accept, obvious or well hidden, controversial, dangerous, life-giving, or mundane. God is about the truth. Therefore we should be studying the Word to find the truth. About as many things as possible. Things like the Gospel are extremely important to know the truth about – that is a life and death (in the spiritual sense) issue. But there are other side-issues everywhere through the Bible, and just because they’re not absolutely critical to our salvation doesn’t mean we should just believe whatever. God is a God of truth, and therefore following His example we should be always trying to sift out truth.

The last verse says:

‘The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule by their own power;
And My people love to have it so.
But what will you do in the end?’ (Jeremiah 5:31)

A heavy question. When the prophets are prophesying good times ahead, contrary to God’s plan, and the priests rule and judge by their own power (ie. Basically their lineage as priests and their own wisdom), then something is amiss. But one thing is for sure – Israel likes having it that way. Why? Well when you have supposed prophets telling you that everything is okay, and ‘church leaders’ using their own human wisdom to teach people about ‘God’, everything seems fine and everything seems to be getting better, and people feel good about themselves, because human wisdom lifts people up. Of course they loved it. Incidentally, much the same thing is happening in our day. Those who preach the Word are generally saying everything’s getting better, and that we’re all good, and the ‘priests’ are using human wisdom and theories to ‘understand’ the Bible, which gives mankind such a sense of thrill that he can be intelligent enough to understand God. But what will we do in the end? If we base all these things on false prophecy and our own effort, what can we do in the last day? Our own effort won’t hold up. False teaching won’t save us. The truth marches on, and all falseness is cast aside. So it is much better today to believe the true things, although they may be hard, and rely on God rather than ourselves. For in the last day, God will hold us up.

Jeremiah 4:30

‘And when you are plundered,
What will you do?
Though you clothe yourself with crimson,
Though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold,
Though you enlarge your eyes with paint,
In vain you will make yourself fair;
Your lovers will despise you;
They will seek your life.’ (Jeremiah 4:30)

Though perhaps morbid and heavy, this verse shows the emptiness of our own efforts. All the ornaments, jewelry, fine clothes, make-up, perfume and whatever else we may like to use is not going to change who we are. Not by a whit. Likewise, our own efforts, our own display of ‘righteousness’ in this life do not change who we are: sinners. We can paint ourselves up as much as we like, but we will remain the same. Only God can change who we are. Only Jesus could pay the penalty for sin. Only death to ourselves can mean replacement with Jesus.

When you see make-up or outward appearances today, remind yourself how hollow life is. Remind yourself of the frailty of human beings, the shells we really are. And remind yourself of the gift we have through Jesus Christ, that He fills us and gives us true, filled life.

Jeremiah 3:1,12-13

' "Return, backsliding Israel," says the LORD;
"I will not cause My anger to fall on you.
For I am merciful," says the LORD;
"I will not remain angry forever.
Only acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have transgressed against the LORD your God,
And have scattered your charms
To alien deities under ever green tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice," says the LORD.' (Jeremiah 3:12-13)

How merciful is our God! This is a plea for Israel to return to God. It is as if God loves them so much that it doesn't matter what they do, however bad they are, there is always room for forgiveness. Sound familiar? This is proclaimed just after God through Jeremiah says:

' "They say, 'If a man divorces his wife,
And she goes from him
And becomes another man's
May he return to her again?'
Would not that land be greatly polluted?
But you have played the harlot with many lovers;
Yet return to Me," says the LORD' (Jeremiah 3:1)

God sees the perversion of such an attitude. An attitude which says 'I am going to do whatever I want and then when I need to, I'll turn back to God'. And yet, graciously, He allows us to do this very thing. To have this attitude is surely wrong, but we must all know that even if our attitude is not like this, our actions often are. God is not supporting this attitude here, not at all! But He is saying that He is gracious enough to forgive any sin, any idolatry we partake in, as long as we recognize our iniquity and turn away from it. If we return to Him. What a wonderful God! Praise Him!

Jeremiah 2:19,30

Jeremiah 2 reads like a sad story or tragedy. God tells Jeremiah to cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying what God tells him to. The story he recites is definitely tragic. It tells of how God brought Israel from slavery in Egypt through the wilderness and into the promised land, taking great care of them. And then it tells the story of their rejection of him in favour of all manner of idols. It asks serious questions, like: why? They had the true God, looking after them at every single step, providing for them and caring for them. And yet they are bored with this, and turn to idols made with their own hands. God asks them: where will your gods be when you call on My name to be saved? When the enemy rolls in and you are overwhelmed, who will you call on? Your Baals and Ashteroths? Or Me? In the end it is an almost despairing tone in which God says

‘In vain I have chastened your children;
They received no correction.
Your sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion’. (Jeremiah 2:30)

The Israelites had come to the point where they didn’t even want to be corrected in their ways: when God sent prophets to warn them and convict them, they killed them. It was a complete rebellion against God. But let us not think too lowly of these sinful Israelites, for where they sinned, we sin also.

Although we don’t have Baals and Ashteroths, we have television and music. We have no wooden gods sitting on our window sills, but we have sport. We might not mold golden images or golden calves, but we have vain celebrities, selfish ambition, computer games, and academia. We have worldliness. And God has given us many prophets, speaking by His word, warning us against these very things. And though we may not kill them, we silence them. Killing them in principle. They are the unwanted preachers, the unpopular pastors, the annoying (and convicting) voice that you find it hard to listen to. Those we defend ourselves against with arguments from ‘Christian liberty’ or ‘seeker-sensitive Gospel’. And, so we continue, God chastening us in vain because we are stubborn in our desire to please ourselves, to have fun, to be recognized by the world. But to this, God says:

‘ “Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your backslidings will rebuke you.
Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing
That you have forsaken the LORD your God,
And the fear of Me is not in you”
Says the Lord GOD of hosts.’ (Jeremiah 2:19)

The LORD doesn’t even have to stretch his hand to rebuke us: the way we choose to live our lives will do that for us. Because the rules and laws that God has set us are not arbitrary – they are for our benefit and well-being. When we contravene these laws, the only thing that can happen to us is harm. Maybe not immediately, but definitely in the long term. And so our own misguided lives will be our rebuke, our wickedness will show us the correct way.

Indeed, it is an evil and bitter thing when we forsake our God. When we have no fear of Him. Because it is the lack of the fear of God that leads us to idolatry. We know God to be true – as did the Israelites – but we become bored of this, since God is not to be seen, and so, lacking holy fear for Him, we turn to any other thing that can bring us pleasure in the immediate sense. As Jars of Clay say:

‘We are bored of all the things we know
Do you know what you are
'Cause we are, we are so in love with ourselves
And we are forms of all the things we love.’ (Good Monsters, 2006)

Let us turn back to God in all things. Let us not be bored by what we know, but let ‘deep call to deep’, in that the more we know, the more we yearn to know about God. The more we love Him, the more we want to love Him. Only then will we be able to forego our temporary idols and focus on the only One deserving of our praise and worship. This is what sacrifice is – giving up the right to control your life. Giving up what you love lots, for what you love best.

Jeremiah 1:5,18-19

Jeremiah is set roughly a hundred or so years after Isaiah. In his day, destruction from Babylon was absolutely imminent (in fact, Babylon takes Judah captive during Jeremiah’s life). Chapter one tells of how Jeremiah is called by the LORD to be a prophet, and what that will entail. God tells him that

‘Before you were formed in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’ (Jeremiah 1:5)

That is, whatever path Jeremiah thought he was taking in life, all the things he was good at and thought in his own wisdom that God was definitely wanting him to do – all this was nothing, because God had ordained him before he was even born to be this one thing: a prophet. Of course, Jeremiah kicks against this, thinking he is too youthful to do something so great for the LORD (vs. 6), but God commands him to go, saying that He will be with him.

Isn’t this a beautiful picture of all of our lives? Most of you are youths. I am. And I know I often think of doing something great for God ‘down the track’. However true this is, it is also true that God can use us however old we are. I think of the Davids, the Jeremiahs, the boy with loaves and fishes. It doesn’t matter what age you are – since it is God that is working, not you. So often we think of building our lives up to a certain level of maturity, knowledge and wisdom so that we can finally do some great thing for God. And that I guess is a right attitude – we should be trying to grow in maturity, knowledge, love, wisdom and everything else, but we must know that God can use us in whatever state we’re in. It depends only on if we ourselves are willing. If we are attentive.

Jeremiah just about had to be willing. God didn’t even ask him really – just said ‘you shall go to all to whom I send you’ (vs. 7). However, God did give him a small test. Jeremiah saw two small visions, and God interpreted them for him – telling him what lay ahead in all his prophecy. And though the prophecy was all about judgment and calamity, and Jeremiah must have been awfully scared, knowing he would have to say this to all Israel. But God doesn’t leave him high and dry after putting him into this situation:

‘For behold, I have made you this day
A fortified city and an iron pillar,
And bronze walls against the whole land –
Against the kings of Judah,
Against its princes,
Against its priests,
And against the people of the land.
They will fight against you,
But they shall not prevail against you.
For I am with you to deliver you’ (Jeremiah 1:18-19)

Yes, Jeremiah was in for a hard time. Yes, he was only a youth. But that all didn’t matter, for God would be with him to deliver him. That is to be our service: yes it will be hard, we may be young and inexperienced, we may not know the way, but God does, and He will be with us if we chose to follow His way.

Isaiah 66:24

The last chapter of Isaiah! And what a chapter. Not the most ‘uplifting’ or ‘encouraging’ chapter in the Bible, or even in Isaiah. But definitely very applicable to us. It is really a summary of the main themes of the whole book: it starts with the reasons for God’s imminent judgment of Israel (hypocrisy and idolatry), and then goes on to promise future restoration and glorification.

Much of the book has been about hypocrisy. That is, Israelites who worshipped God in their words but not with their thoughts or deeds. They offered sacrifices with being obedient. They said ‘Let the LORD be glorified’ but they didn’t mean it. The first four verse of this chapter are an excellent summary: God does not need a temple to live in on Earth – because He made everything on Earth anyway. What He wants is a heart, broken and contrite, poor in spirit. And that is what He is not getting in Israel. He goes on to list ways they are sacrificing which make Him angry rather than pleasing Him.

The question is asked of us: what is our worship of God like? Is it dry and dead, with no meaning, with no life? Is it based on a proud heart that takes pleasure in the ‘blessing’ that it can offer God? For both of these do not please the LORD – the act of worship He requires is merely a broken and contrite heart, ready to be obedient to Him at all times. Someone who ‘trembles at His Word’ (vs. 2). This implies a deep and genuine respect and fear for who God is – that we should tremble at His very words.

But for those whose worship is from the heart, true and obedient, they are the faithful, and to them God promises that they shall be restored, in much more glory than they can imagine. And they will rejoice when God comes with fire to destroy evil (vs. 14 and 15), because it will mean justice and a new start for them. And they will be set up as the dominant nation, and their name will remain forever (vs. 22). You might think that the book would close on this triumphant, joyous note. But the last verse is:

‘And they shall go forth and look
Upon the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm does not die,
And their fire is not quenched.
They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.’ (Isaiah 66:24)

Whoever said the Bible was a soft feel-good book?! Isaiah finishes the book with a final reminder of the utter seriousness and graveness of his message. This is not a joke or a game. This is not some political manoeuvring or motivational speech. This goes beyond even life and death. This is absolutely serious, and completely true: those who are not cleansed by the blood of Jesus when they die are an abhorrence to all flesh. There is a penalty for sin, a grave one. We all take sin too lightly. Much too lightly. But it’s sin that started this whole mess, it’s sin that Jesus died to pay for, it’s sin that separates us from God, it’s sin that separates us from people, it’s sin that causes wars and the manifold problems we have in our world. No, sin is not to be taken lightly. No sin. We can only thank the Lord that He came to cleanse us from the sin we commit, and from the sinful nature that burdens us.

Isaiah 65:17-18a

During exams, which many of us are in the middle of at the moment, sometimes things look pretty bleak. There’s no time to do anything but study, no time for socializing, no time for fun. Sometimes you can be so much thinking of examy type thoughts that you neglect thinking about other people. Overall it’s just a pretty bleak time. And at these times it pays to have something to look forward to – the end of exams, Christmas holidays, going to the beach, whatever. A time when you won’t ever have to think about the exam-period you just went through. But this is not limited to exam periods. There are many times in life of diverse nature that are just not the best. And those times we all have to have something to look forward to. Indeed, life itself is one giant period where we need something to look forward to, and if we are Christian, we have that!

‘For behold, I create a new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create…’ (Isaiah 65:17-18a)

As we live this life, let’s look ahead to a time when the pains of this life will be no more, but all we will need is the light of Jesus’ face, and that we will have in abundance!

Isaiah 64:1,6,7,8,12

Isaiah is pleading for Israel. When you think about it, this is slightly unexpected. Because Israel is the nation that is sinning, the nation that doesn’t hear or believe Isaiah’s words, and yet here is Isaiah, pleading wholeheartedly for that very nation. Indeed, the very first verse shows us his heart (by the way, the first verse of the chapter is not the first verse of the prayer):

‘Oh, that You would rend the heavens!
That You would come down!
That the mountains might shake at Your presence’ (Isaiah 64:1)

Isaiah is firstly pleading for God to come down and make Himself known to Israel’s enemies. To come down and relieve them of their oppression. To do a mighty work. Isaiah’s reasoning is simple: since the beginning of the world there has been no other god that could ever do such works, there is none who blesses righteousness. Therefore God is the only One able to do such things. But Isaiah concludes that God is indeed angry (vs. 5), for Israel has sinned, and in these ways continue, and they need to be saved. So his second plea is for salvation of a moral or inward kind (as opposed to relief from physical oppression).

Then we have the famous verse:

‘But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.’ (Isaiah 64:6)

Notice the word ‘all’ in here – referring to all Israelites (and indeed all humanity). ‘All’ of us are like an unclean thing, and ‘all’ the right things we do are merely filthy rags in God’s eyes. This statement shows God’s incredible standard of righteousness, and our own incredible poverty. This is one reason to never get proud about all the good things you do! But still, Isaiah pleads for salvation, He calls for mercy for Israel. The next verse carries on with some reasons:

‘And there is no one who calls on Your name,
Who stirs himself up to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us,
And have consumed us because of our iniquities’ (Isaiah 64:7)

In all of Israel, there was no one who stirred himself up to take hold of Him. No one was filled with passion so much for God, that he defied the situation around him and took hold of God and God only. No one would wrestle with God (like Jacob in Genesis), no one would take hold of the prize. No one grasped with all their might on the Truth. A sad sad state for a nation, but look at our own. How many people can you truly say have taken hold of God, grasped the Truth? Who can be stirred up from the deep slumber that is over the West and rely on God?

‘But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of our hand’ (Isaiah 64:8)

This is the contra positive of the verse before. Instead of us taking hold of God, God takes hold of us, shapes us and molds us, like we are clay and He is the potter. As clay, we do not have any say over what the Potter shapes us as – but surely the Potter knows the clay, what consistency it is and what it best will form. We do not have to worry about figuring out the best thing for us, the best career path, the best ministry, what we are best at. We don’t have to tell God what we want to do with our lives. Let Him form you. Let Him do with you as He pleases. But surely He will not waste His clay. And surely He is a good potter, one who knows the best way to form the clay He is working with.

So on the one hand we have the exhortation to ‘hold on to God!’, and on the other we have the knowledge that it is God that holds us, and forms us, and that we are merely bits of clay in His hands. Both are equally and simultaneously true. One seems to deal with our direct relation to God – that indeed we merely let Him shape us, and we don’t presume to tell Him what to do. The other seems to refer to the relationship with God we have in society – that we hold fast to God, and let nothing else shape us, that we stir ourselves up from the dead sleep we have in the world and hold fast with all our might to the Truth of God.

And so Isaiah continues his prayer of penitence, pleading for the sake of Israel, until the final verse, after mentioning the tragedies that had occurred to special things in Israel (such as the temple):

‘Will You restrain Yourself because of these things, O LORD?
Will You hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely?’ (Isaiah 64:12)

Isaiah’s final plea is for God to intervene because His special things are being destroyed and laid waste. Isaiah asks how God can restrain Himself. He implies that if God does not intervene, it would be a severe affliction for Israel. That God would hold His peace (which we often think of as a good thing), would be a severe affliction for the Israelites.

Thus Isaiah finishes his pleading, and God answers in the next chapter!

Isaiah 63:3,5b,7

Who is our God? That is an impossible question to answer, but there are many attributes that we can at least start to understand or appreciate. However, usually we find ourselves focusing on one or two attributes or characteristics, which gives a poor description of God. However Isaiah 63 looks at two very different sides of God, and meshes them into one.

The first six verses are almost scary in how angry and punishing God is. For instance verse 3:

‘I have trodden the winepress alone,
And from the peoples no one was with Me.
For I have trodden them in My fury;
Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,
And I have stained all My robes’ (Isaiah 63:3)

He is talking here about Edom and Bozrah (vs. 1), the enemies of Israel who are His redeemed (vs. 4). But why is God so angry?

‘…Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me;
And My own fury, it sustained Me.’ (Isaiah 63:5b)

This is salvation for His redeemed that He is bringing about, by the destruction of the evil that surrounds them. So although this is an angry scene, it is for the salvation of His redeemed. Verse 7 is a complete (and surprising) change of tone:

‘I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD
And the praises of the LORD,
According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,
According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.’ (Isaiah 63:7)

This is straight after the mention of God treading down the peoples in His anger, spilling their blood and making them drunk in His fury (vs. 6).

You see, God is a merciful God all the time. That is who He is. But God is also a God that hates sin, and is completely just. Losing either one of those attributes loses the other. For in effect, the first 6 verses of this chapter are a complete act of mercy towards Israel, as expressed so lovingly in verse 7. And thus, without justice, there is no mercy.

There is no point in focusing only on the ‘lovingkindnesses’ of our LORD. Because without the severe punishment and application of justice, these lovingkindnesses have no meaning. Neither is there point in dwelling upon the judgment of the LORD, for we have been saved from it! No, it is best that both are remembered and praised, for God is glorious as a whole, in all His attributes, not just those that we find comfortable.

Isaiah 62:1

‘For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
And her salvation as a lamp that burns.’ (Isaiah 62:1)

Let’s have righteousness that goes forth as brightness! That is, not just a passive righteousness, as such. Not just, ‘I do what’s right when it comes around’. It’s an active choice of getting out there and doing righteousness – caring for the sick, poor, needy, hungry, lost, homeless. Turning away from evil, doing justice, working hard at everything. All these things that we hear a lot of from different sectors of the community, we need to do them all, so that we can shine forth our righteousness as brightness! But what’s more, this is proof of our salvation – ‘her salvation as a lamp that burns’. The world needs to know that we are saved. That we are different, because we practice righteousness. We need to shine! But who is it that shines? Certainly not us, but Jesus through us!

Isaiah 61:3

‘To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.’ (Isaiah 61:3)

These are beautiful words in and of themselves. But it reminds me of what I have to offer to God, and what He has given me through Jesus Christ. All I have to offer is ashes, sadness and a spirit of heaviness. I have nothing, nothing that I can do myself. Nothing that I can call my own. And yet Jesus has given me beauty, garments of praise, the oil of joy! It is His gift to us, so that we can be steadfast (like trees) in righteousness, so that He can be glorified. So that He can be glorified! What a gift! This is why the Gospel is the Good News. Or at least part of the reason.

Let us not take this gift for granted. Because He has given it to us so that we may be called trees of righteousness, so that we may be pillars of goodness in the world.

Isaiah 60:22

Isaiah 60 is a chapter of great hope for Israel. It is undoubtedly about their final restoration in the land promised to them millennia ago. This has been alluded to a few times in Isaiah so far, but not so directly and comprehensively as this chapter. It tells of how the gentiles, in that time, shall come from all over the world to Jerusalem because of its beauty and the fact that Jesus rules there (the ‘glory of the LORD’). They shall bring all manner of gifts and wealth with them. They will help build the city up. The gates will always be open, because there will be no fear of attack, because everyone will love the city of Jerusalem. They will be politically very important (‘…and milk the breast of kings…’ (Isaiah 60:16). They will be rich, with gold, silver, bronze and iron. And above all this, they will be peaceful and righteous (vs. 17).

This must have been great, great hope for the Israelites, who were at the time in captivity in Babylon (I think). To think! Despised and hated by all the nations around them, so much so that people traveling wouldn’t even pass through their land (vs. 15), and yet with the hope of future glory beyond comparison! I guess that it is almost the same with us. Hated by this world, passed off as weirdos, well-meaning but misled, or people who have viruses in their minds (thanks Dawkins!), and yet we have the hope (and by hope I mean assurance!) of eternal glory, eternal life, the promise of living with our God for ever. Just remember that the next time someone demeans you for being Christian.

However, the verse that stuck out to me is verse 22:

‘A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.
I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.’ (Isaiah 60:22)

God is here referring to Israel of course. Such a small nation, but in the end the most powerful nation on earth. All because of the LORD. It is the LORD’s choice to strengthen it, ‘in its time’.

And it is the same for us. Though we can’t be a thousand, God can make us strong. Sometimes we feel like the smallest person, the least likely to make any real difference. In fact, on our own, we are. How can we make any real impact on the world? Who are we to stand up to the world and change it? How can we be strong? Well, God has us marked. If we follow Him, and trust Him, then ‘in our time’, God will make us strong. He will make us as strong as we need to be for any situation. If we trust Him.

Isaiah 59:1-2

‘Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.’ (Isaiah 59:1-2)

As Christians, God has saved us. And nothing we can do will shorten His hand or render Him unable to hear our plea. But our continuance in sin separates us from Him as regards our ‘walk with the Lord’. It is not that He cannot hear us, or help us, it is that He will not while we are turned away from Him. Let us seek the Lord in all we do, and turn to Him, repent, when we know we are sinning.

Isaiah 58:2-4a,7-9a,11a

Over 2500 years ago, Isaiah spoke and wrote important, vital messages to the nation of Israel. Over 2500 years later (a.k.a. today), we read them, and the Holy Spirit can apply to the messages to our hearts with just as much vitality as ever. Isn’t that amazing?!

One of the major issues within Christianity today, and all down through the centuries is that of ‘false religion’. That is, people making a show of ‘obeying’ God, or doing ‘good things’, without any internal change of heart. Initially it was the Pharisees, whom Jesus rebuked sharply. In Paul’s letters, he refers to the Judaizer’s, who claimed that all Christians must be circumcised.

The strange thing is, most of the time when God rebukes such behaviour, He tells the accused that they should be doing something else. For instance, in Isaiah 58. I don’t want to write the whole chapter down here, so if you want to know exactly what it says, I suggest you read it.

The chapter reads in four parts:

1) What the Israelites are physically doing (vs. 1-3a)

2) What their spiritual intent or backing is. (vs 3b-5)

3) What God wants them to be doing and their attitudes in this regard (vs 6-7)

4) The result of this (the blessing of the LORD) (vs 8-14)

Although the last two parts are sort of intermingled a bit.

Now there is a line of thought which possibly makes us think that God would say to the Israelites: ‘this is what you are doing, but your spiritual intent behind it is wrong, so I will make it clear to you that it doesn’t matter what you do, it’s all dependant upon your spiritual belief, which is why you’re wrong.’

Now, this would be correct. And God does say this to the Israelites in a way, but He also makes it very clear that it does matter what they do, because this represents what the heart believes.

So let us expand on the four points:

1) ‘Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways’ ‘…Did not forsake the ordinances of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God.’ ‘Why have we fasted…and You have not seen?’ (Isaiah 58:2,3a)

2) ‘In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exploit all your laborers. Indeed you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness.’ (Isaiah 58:3b-4a)

3) ‘Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him’ (Isaiah 58: 6-7)

4) ‘Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rearguard. Then you shall call and the LORD will answer…The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones’ (Isaiah 58:8-9a, 11a)

So, primarily, God’s anger was directed towards the attitudes of the Israelites, not their actions. But He uses their actions as evidence of their heart. They were fasting, but they were fasting for others to see, and they were exploiting their laborers in doing so. They were causing strife and debates with their fasting and ‘approaching’ the LORD. And that wasn’t what God instructed them to do. That wasn’t the primary reason for fasting in the first place! God wants them to fast in order to bring freedom to the oppressed, and hope to the down-trodden. To forego food in order to feed those who are hungry. To forego sleep to help those who are weary. Not just as a show! And so, we have the situation where God is saying to them ‘It’s not about what you do, it’s about the internal change!’ but also is saying simultaneously ‘You shouldn’t be doing that, but you should be doing this’. This is not a contradiction. It merely expresses that an internal change will re-order the inner workings of the heart, and therefore bring about changes in the external dealings as well!

Likewise, today for us, we need to be focused on doing these things that God has instructed. Doing them with a right attitude and from a genuine heart for the LORD, rather than from tradition or a want for attention. This is what God wants from us. And there are so many blessings associated with doing these things! This is the way to satisfaction in the LORD, and the way that we will shine in the darkness so that all may see God’s glory. So let us always be ready to help those that are poor, hungry, homeless and lost. Of course, the best way is to lead those that are spiritually poor, spiritually hungry, without a spiritual home, and spiritually lost, to our Lord Jesus Christ!

Isaiah 57:11

Isaiah 57 seems very heartfelt from God. It is primarily about Israel’s idolatry once more. However, whereas usually it focuses on humiliating Israel for their ways, and pronouncing judgment because of it, this chapter is more like God saying ‘I’m so sorry that you do this. Why do you do this? Return to me!’ At least, that’s the impression I got.

‘And of whom have you been afraid, or feared,
That you have lied
And not remembered Me,
Nor taken it to your heart?
Is it not because I have held My peace from of old
That you do not fear Me?’ (Isaiah 57:11)

God is ‘reasoning’ with the Israelites as to their present condition. He asks them why they no longer fear Him, and rather fear gods that have no life. He asks them why they no longer remember Him, the God who brought them out of Egypt and has loved them throughout their troubled history. Of course, He knows the answer, and the answer lays more guilt on the Israelites than the question. It is because God has held His peace, Has dealt with Israel mercifully, that they do not fear Him. Because God is ‘nice’ to them, they don’t fear Him and therefore forget Him! Now, you would think they would be the other way – the ‘nicer’ God is, the more you would want to remember Him, given that He gives you a better life!

This passage makes clear the necessity of God’s judgment. Of God’s righteousness. For if He were always merciful, then no-one would fear Him, and collectively, we would forget Him. But we know His grace so well because of the knowledge of His righteous judgment. However, He always deal mercifully with us (as Christians). So let us not make the same mistake as Israel, and take Him for granted. Neglect His demands and commandments because of His grace. Let us remember our God of infinite mercy, in the light of His infinite judgment!

Isaiah 56:1-2

We often think that the Gospel gets rid of the need of doing good things. And in a way it makes good works ‘unnecessary’. However, of course, we all know God’s will is that we follow after Him in the way of righteousness. And we see the necessity of this in verse 1 of chapter 56:

‘Thus says the LORD:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
For My salvation is about to come,
And My righteousness to be revealed.”’ (Isaiah 56:1)

God instructs the Israelites (and indeed anyone who would listen – as is made clear in the rest of the chapter) to ‘Keep justice, and do righteousness’ even though His own salvation was about to come (in Jesus). In fact, He specifically says to keep justice and do righteousness because His salvation is about to come. Why? There is a strain of logic that says that it should be the other way around. That since we have the gift of the LORD’s righteousness, then it has become unnecessary to have our ‘own righteousness’ so to speak. But this rightly rejected by this passage. Why?

‘Blessed is the man who does this,
And the son of man who lays hold on it;
Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.’ (Isaiah 56:2)

Blessed…I think that is the message. Yes, God’s righteousness and salvation is a gift, one that we cannot work for. But if we want to experience the goodness of that gift in this life, then much depends on how we live out our lives (which is done through God’s strength as well!). So the exhortation, or command, is to ‘Keep justice, and do righteousness’! This is most imperative because we have already received God’s righteousness! When God speaks here, he speaks in terms of the future, and His words are emphatic. How much more so now! Let us live in God’s righteousness, striving to become more and more like Him as we grow in Him.

Isaiah 55:8-9

‘“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways,” says the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts’. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

A gentle reminder that we will never know what God is thinking. We will never fully understand His plans, and to think we can work them out or know them is arrogant and silly on our part. Let’s leave the planning to Him, and just be obedient to what we know He has told us to do.

Isaiah 54:9-10

Life is a hierarchy. Some things are more important or fundamental than others, and this affects how we treat things further down the hierarchical ‘list’. For instance, we might brush our teeth every morning. That is a rule we keep. But if a day comes when you need to be somewhere else and you don’t get time, then if whatever you need to get to is more important or fundamental than brushing your teeth, you will do it. Another example would be that we obey the law set down by the Government (as the Bible instructs), but if that comes to disobeying God’s law, then we obviously follow God’s way and disobey the national law (since God’s way is more important and fundamental). Most of these hierarchical things in our life are chosen logically or by necessity. But some are rather arbitrary. We will come back to that later. I was surprised (I don’t really know why!) to read this in Isaiah 54:9

‘For this is like the waters of Noah to Me;
For as I have sworn
That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth,
So I have sworn
That I would never again be angry with you, nor rebuke you.’ (Isaiah 54:9)

This is an unconditional promise! God is saying that His promise of peace with Israel is more fundamental than whatever evils they could contrive. Now, this won’t fully come into effect until the Millennial kingdom, when Israel will be the spiritual and social centre of the world, and the world will enjoy peace.

But I just love the way God is saying ‘It’s not about what you do, because this is not about that. This is like the waters of Noah. It’s an unconditional promise that I made. This is more important than trivial evils and goods that you can come up with.’

‘For the mountains shall depart
And the hills be removed,
But My kindness shall not depart from you,
Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,
Says the LORD, who has mercy on you.’ (Isaiah 54:10)

This is fundamental! It doesn’t matter if mountains move or deteriorate away – God won’t change His promise, He won’t change His mind about Israel. They are His people, and that is that.

Now that applies to us twofold. Initially, we see almost instantaneously that it is this type of promise, this type of unconditional grace that God has bestowed on us through the Lord Jesus. And this mesmerizes us. God looks at us and says ‘It doesn’t matter what you’ve done! This is like the waters of Noah to me, for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no longer cover the earth, so I have sworn that I will never be angry with you, nor rebuke you!’ He looks at us and doesn’t see our sin and filth. He only sees His promise, He only knows that which is more important. What an encouragement!

Secondly however, this type of unconditional love must be seen in our own lives! If Jesus is our example, who is the very essence of God’s love for us, which is this promise, this fundamental choice of grace, then we ought to show this type of love in our own lives. This is the type of love where the person is more important than the deeds. Forgiveness is more important than revenge or regret. Where appreciation is more important than social implications. Where encouragement is more important than safety. Where kind words are more important than the time spent. Where grace is more important than justice. Where their life is more important than your reputation. Where they are more important than you.

This is an arbitrary choice. This is a choice, a designation of the will, to say ‘I am for that person, no matter what they do or what they have done.’ Parents do it all the time. Husbands and wives should always be doing it all the time. We will never be at Jesus’ standard, nevertheless, shall we not try, in His strength?

Isaiah 53:10a

As Christians, there are some things that make perfect sense. There are some things, like the Gospel, which make perfect sense (especially through Romans!). There are some things which are hard to understand, but make sense (even if we can’t fully understand it), like Jesus being both fully man and fully God. Then there are things which we can’t comprehend, and for all our knowing they are true and good, seem to be even counter-reasonable. We can’t grasp them because they defy our logic. Such is the mystery of Isaiah 53:10.

‘Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.’ (Isaiah 53:10a)

Why? We can ask ourselves this question a million times and never come up with an adequate answer. That should have been us there upon that cross. No questions asked. It should have been us. And yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him? Instead of us? Instead of us, who, far from loving Him and being semi-faithful servants, had on the whole rejected, slandered, mocked, ridiculed, made war against, hated, ignored or cursed Him? And yet it pleased the LORD to bruise His one and only Son, whom He knew before the foundations of the world.

This type of love is not only beyond our understanding, but it defies our understanding. It is counter-intuitive. It is the love of God. Let us never despise it!

Isaiah 52:7,8a,10,12,14

I think Isaiah 52 is probably the most poetic chapter I have read so far in Isaiah. If you’re in the right mood and read it in the right way (like I must have been), it just takes your breath away. Verses such as

‘How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion
“Your God reigns!”’ (Isaiah 52:7)

Are truly beautiful of themselves. Again, the theme of the chapter is Israel’s redemption. The comfort of Israel. The restoration of Israel. It is a big theme in Isaiah currently. But this chapter is more about rejoicing because the LORD will bring them back! In previous chapters there has been a lot of argument on God’s behalf as to the certainty of their redemption, and its imminence. He was trying to make sure they believed it, trying to make them confident in it. Now the obvious outflow of that is joy! Strike up your voices! The LORD has saved us! Indeed:

‘Your watchmen shall lift up their voices,
With their voices they shall sing together…’ (Isaiah 52:8a)

Now this of course refers primarily to the imminent restoration of Israel under Cyrus (as has been made clear in previous chapters), but as is usual in Isaiah, it makes some secondary claims (of much greater importance). The chapter ends with another of the Servant passages – about the coming Messiah. And thus it hints at the future restoration of Israel, indeed, the future restoration of the entire world (vs. 15), which is a much greater restoration (and much more important for us!).

But what struck me was the ease with which God can do this restoration. In two senses, as we will see. Now, think about it. In one sense He is restoring a whole massive nation from captivity in another land, from a nation much stronger than themselves. In the second sense, He is saving us from our sin. Which one sounds harder? Which sounds like it takes more exertion, or pain or strength of will on God’s part? To save a sinner like me (I’m not that bad am I?), or to physically bring a whole nation from one land to another? Let’s see:

‘The LORD has made bare His holy arm
In the eyes of all the nations;
And all the ends of the earth shall see
The salvation of our God.’ (Isaiah 52:10)

When I read this, I get the picture of God just flexing His muscles (yes I know He doesn’t have any…) in front of all the nations…challenging them to even dare to take Him on. It’s a one sided battle don’t you think? God has made bare His holy arm. His arm of power and infinite strength. And all the ends of the earth shall see. That’s one big arm!

‘For you shall not go out with haste,
Nor go by flight;
For the LORD will go before you,
And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.’ (Isaiah 52:12)

Well it really does sound like a ‘walk in the park’ for God! Such a mighty task, moving a nation. But God accomplishes it with ease. And I guess that applies to us in many senses. What are you captive to? What fears hem you in? What sins tie you down? God can, and will, lead you out from them. But only if you rely on Him. The Israelites couldn’t remove themselves and restore themselves to their own land. Neither can you restore yourself, or save yourself from anything. Only God can do that. And oh how easily! Not only will He bring us out - but we shall not go out ‘with haste’ or ‘by flight’. He will bring us out comfortably, triumphantly, walking before and behind us. We will walk out stronger than when we went in. What more reason to give joy for current persecutions or trials?

And now let us see what we have been saved from. For God not only saves us from the power of sin and trials in our lives, but of course He has saved us from our sin, once and for all. He has redeemed us without money (vs. 3) from the clutches of Satan and this world.

‘Just as many were astonished at you,
So His visage was marred more than any man,
And His form more than the sons of men;’ (Isaiah 52:14)

This is what Jesus went through to save us form our sins. In no way was it an easy task. It cost Him His life, which He gave freely as a ransom for many. His form was marred more than any man. That is what it cost Him to save us. For we have been saved from a much greater captivity than physical captivity in another land, or even a psychological or emotional captivity in our own lives. We have been saved from the ancient serpent, the ruler of this world. And yet, even so, Jesus rose triumphantly from the grave, and sits at the right hand of God now, interceding for us. Just like when God leads Israel out of captivity, and walks in front of and behind them, our LORD leads us and guards us from behind.

Let us never be unconfident in our God. For He both loves us deeply, and is powerful enough to move nations. Indeed, He is powerful enough to defeat death. If we trust in Him He has already delivered us from sin, and He will lead us out of every trial this world will set for us. Trust. It’s all about trust.

Isaiah 51:1,4:6b,7a,8

Isaiah 51 is a big chapter, and I felt heavy as I read it. It’s just full of really heavy themes, that have meaning in many aspects of Christianity. They affect a lot. The overall theme is God comforting Zion, or Israel, and ends with a beautiful image of Israel drinking the cup of God’s fury, but God taking it away in His mercy.

However, the LORD addresses Israel in two (main) ways:

1. As those who are righteous (eg. Vs 1 – “Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD…”)
2. In terms of the actual nation (eg. Vs 4 – “Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation…”)

And I think the intimation is that they are one and the same. I don’t think God switches between talking to two different groups. I think the inference is that those truly of God’s nation, Israel, are those who practice righteousness, or ‘follow after’ righteousness, as it says. This reminds me of the distinction in Romans 9 (which Alan preached on Sunday) which says

‘For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham…That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.’ (Romans 9:6b, 7a,8)

Thus, God is talking to the Israelites, but such that it is those that are ‘of the promise’ who are receiving this blessing. This comfort. It is a literal comfort of the literal Israel, made obvious by reference to ‘waste places’, and the reference to the ‘nation’. It is a promise to the nation that the wilderness will grow like Eden, that the desert would become like the garden of the LORD. But who of the nation receives these benefits? Certainly not those who are not children of the promise. Certainly not those who do not follow righteousness. This comfort is both external and internal. The external blessing of the nation is only felt and appreciated by those who are in a true sense ‘children of Israel’.

And so verse 7 and 8 have special significance for us, for although not a physical part of Israel, of whom the passage speaks, we are indeed children of Abraham (like the song!), and we ‘know righteousness’.

“Listen to Me, you who know righteousness,
You people in whose heart is My law:
Do not fear the reproach of men,
Nor be afraid of their insults.
For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
And the worm will eat them like wool;
But My righteousness will be forever,
And My salvation from generation to generation.” (Isaiah 51:7-8)

Strong words! That apply to us as much as to any of the Israelites. Do you fear the reproach of men (or women – who can be much more scornful!)? Are you afraid of their insults? Has there ever been a time when you were too afraid to share the gospel at school or work or with anyone at any time because you were afraid of what they might say? Are you scared to put your hand up in evolution classes because you might be ridiculed? Do people make fun of you for being a ‘dumb Christian’?

I am sure that for every one of us there would be a ‘yes’ answer to at least one of those questions. And the next question we must ask is why? It doesn’t make any sense!

Have you ever embarrassed yourself in front of people by doing one thing or another and then realized its not so bad since you will never see them again? Or similarly, have you ever felt really really bad about something, or really scared of doing something, for instance bungy jumping, but known that once done it would be alright? Because it doesn’t last forever.

That is the point God makes here: people who insult you are going to fade away! Those who reproach you are going to die. They have no power. They don’t last forever.

But God does last forever. God’s righteousness lasts forever. And is that not what we are being reproached for? So then, what is more important? To be bold in the truth of something eternal, or to cower before temporary lies? You see, it just doesn’t make sense to fear criticism from the unsaved.

What’s more, God’s salvation is eternal as well. So it matters not whether in this life we are criticized and reproached, because our salvation is sure, and so the majority (indeed, mathematically the entirety) of our lives will be spent with God, away from all criticism and condemnation! Fear not then these mortal insults. Be bold!

Isaiah 50:4a,11

Isaiah 50 is another ‘Servant Song’ about the Messiah. It focuses on the relationship between the Servant and God, how the Servant is ever-reliant on God for help and wisdom. It tells of how the Servant’s obedience to God led Him to forgive those who hurt Him, but also how His trust in God ensured that He would not be disgraced (vs. 7), and that His adversaries could do nothing to Him. He also tells of His redeeming power, for those who rely on God like He does (vs. 10), and verse 11:

‘Look, all you who kindle a fire,
Who encircle yourselves with sparks:
Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled –
This you shall have from My hand:
You shall lie down in torment.’ (Isaiah 50:11)

He makes it clear that man’s own efforts are never going to get him there. The Servant doesn’t redeem those who think they can ‘light their own fire’ as it were.

But the words that struck me most (and these weren’t the main message of the passage, just one example of the overall message – that the Servant was fully reliant on God) were in verse 4:

‘The Lord GOD has given Me
The tongue of the learned,
That I should know how to speak
A word in season to him who is weary.’ (Isaiah 50:4a)

I don’t know how many of you have experienced the warmth a ‘word in season’ brings when from a friend. Probably all of you. There are always times in life when we are down and out. Even the happiest people have these times. They are an inherent part of life, an essential flavour if you like. Often the difference between an extremely bad time and a passable time is how others treat us during that time. I am fortunate to have many awesome, caring friends and family. And it shows in times like that.

A ‘word in season’. The right thing said at the right time. Notice that it doesn’t say ‘That I should know how to speak a word to him who is weary’. It says ‘a word in season’. That word needn’t be overly kind on face value. It could be harsh, to the point, blunt, or kind, encouraging, gentle and sympathetic. But in either case it is loving. It is the right word. At the right time. To the right person.

I think we should all be people who seek to be able to give ‘a word in season’ to our friends and loved ones, to help them out when they are weary. Likewise, we should seek friends who are able to give that to us.

But notice the source of the Servant’s gift of ‘the tongue of the learned.’ He says unequivocally that the Lord GOD gave it to Him. And so let us seek it from the Lord, that we also should have the tongue of the learned that we may speak a word in season to those who are weary. But let us also praise God for the beauty of Jesus’ words to us in the Bible, and the encouragement we gain when we ourselves are weary.

Isaiah 49:6

‘Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’’ (Isaiah 49:6)

This made me very happy. We are the gentiles, of course. Here it is saying that Jesus, the Messiah, the Servant, was considered too great to just be salvation to the Jews. It was too small a thing just to save the Jews. It wouldn’t befit the glory of the Son to only save one nation. His glory demanded that He be a light to the Gentiles, that is us, as well. How wonderfully we have benefited from the glory of God!

Isaiah 48:6

‘You have heard;
See all this.
And will you not declare it?
I have made you hear new things from this time,
Even hidden things, and you did not know them.’ (Isaiah 48:6)

God is here talking about the end of times, where He is now revealing to the Israelites what should happen right at the end, when they will be ultimately restored, and the millennial kingdom set up. Just previous to this God has reminded them of ‘the former things’ which He declared ‘from the beginning’ so that when they happened the Israelites would know it was Him that caused them, and not attribute the events to their idols. In effect He is saying, ‘since I told you the former things would happen, and they did, then what I tell you now is equally true’.

But reading this verse as a Christian applies in a slightly different way. Or it can. We have heard, we have read, we know! We know about Jesus’ love, His death, His resurrection, God’s saving grace, His plan for us. And will we not declare it? Will we not give God the glory by telling everyone we know about these marvelous things?

We are God’s witnesses, as the Israelites were in those days. How will the nations know if not by us?

Isaiah 47:8a,9a

Isaiah 47 is a proclamation against Babylon, who captured Israel according to God’s will, but had no mercy upon them. God remarks on their arrogance and self-assurance, thinking there was ‘no one else besides’ themselves. Again it was a nation who was used of God for a specific purpose but thought themselves worthy of the praise for their actions. Plus they used magicians and sorcerers and astrologers and stargazers and everything in between.

‘Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures,
Who dwell securely,
Who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me;
…
But these things shall come to you
In a moment, in one day…’ (Isaiah 47:8a,9a)

Does this remind you of anyone today? Maybe we’re not all into sorcery (though a fair few people are still into astrology somehow), but I think all of us at least in some way can relate to this. We dwell securely, given to pleasures, and so many of us (humans in general) say in our heart that there is no one else besides ourselves. We are proud, arrogant, self-centred. But don’t be fooled by the comforts of this life, especially in such a place like Australia where we do have such great comfort and security. Life was never meant for comfort. It merely has the potential of dimming our passion for God. Or blinding us to God altogether. So don’t be fooled, comfort in this life, or security in and of yourself only will not save you on that last day. Only a relationship with Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, will save you on that last day.

Isaiah 46:9

‘Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me.’ (Isaiah 46:9)

Isaiah 46 again addresses the issue of idolatry (which has been a common theme for the last few chapters). God talks about the idols being dead, not being able to save anyone because they can’t even talk or move! In fact, when Cyrus came to capture Babylon, the idols were laid across cattle to carry them back to Persia. They couldn’t get themselves off the cattle, or relieve the burden!

But again God says, ‘For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me’. How true these words are! There is none like God. Nothing like God. Who else can create a universe with a word? Who else can know the name of each star in the universe (that’s a trillion trillion – if you could count five of them a second, you’d be counting for about 10 billion years!)? Who else can hold the oceans in his hands? Who else knows how many hairs are on your head? Who else loves you enough to die for you? Who else could live a perfect life to make that possible?

No, there is none like Him. None even close to being marginally like Him. And yet daily we trade Him for worthless things in a failed attempt at immediate satisfaction. It doesn’t make any sense at all, but we all do it. But as long as we see that there is nothing else like God, then it is hard to turn to other things!

So today, try to meditate on the glory of God. That which sets Him apart. His holiness, majesty, love, grace, righteousness, power, sovereignty, wisdom, and everything else!

Isaiah 45:19

‘I have not spoken in secret,
In a dark place of the Earth;
I did not say to the seed of Jacob,
‘Seek me in vain’;
I, the LORD, speak righteousness,
I declare things that are right.’ (Isaiah 45:19)

Chapter 45 is primarily God revealing His plan for Cyrus, the future king of Persia, who would invade Babylon, and then let the Israelites return to their own land. It makes it absolutely clear that Cyrus was merely a tool of God. God used Him for His purposes, and apparently Daniel made Cyrus aware of this fact. It is a very precise prophecy, quite detailed and accurate, and we see God saying the above verse in the light of this chapter.

He is declaring the truth, what is going to happen, in order that all may know that He is God and there is no other. In chapter 43 He says that Israel is His witness. Israel are His witness that what He says is right. That they do not seek Him in vain.

Today, along with Israel, we are His witnesses. We must declare the things that are right. When people look at our lives, they should declare the wonder of God! For we do not seek God in vain. When we seek Him, He shows Himself to us. He shows us the truth. God is not a God of great secrets and hidden knowledge. The truth is plain for all to see. It is merely because so many of us are blind that we miss it. But as Christians, we see and know the truth, and it is up to us to herald this brilliant message to the world.

Isaiah 44:28

Isaiah 44 contains a very scathing attack on idolatry, which is almost funny to read to us, until we realize that idolatry, of course, is not merely worship of handmade bits of material. Then we realize what a sad state this world is in. However, today I’m not going to focus on this ‘negative’ as it were, but the magnificent positives in the last five verses.

God is again convincing Israel that He is faithful to them. That He is their only hope. He is the only One that can restore them, and that He will definitely do that (remembering at this time they are captives in Babylon). It seems every time He does this He starts by saying something very similar to ‘Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb’ (Isaiah 44:24a). That is, He always starts with saying something about Him being there before they were created, watching over their creation and development with the greatest care. I think He is trying to hit home with them that He cares infinitely much about them. He is like an infinitely good father watching over his children. If He was there before they even began, and watched them closely as they developed, and has cared for them greatly up until now, then why should He lose interest in them now?

On this occasion, He repeats the phrase ‘Who *insert present tense verb* something for you’ many times over. For instance, in verse 26 He says ‘Who confirms the word of His servants…’. He says many things that only He could do – spreads abroad the Earth, stretches out the heavens (all alone!). And then He says

‘Who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd,
And he shall perform all My pleasure,
Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,”
And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”’ (Isaiah 44:28)

Of course, it was Cyrus, 100 or so years later, that let the Israelites go back to their homeland and build the temple and the walls again. You see, God already knows how He is going to deal with the problem! He wants them to trust Him. He wants the Israelites to realize that only He can do it! He wants them to return to Him. That is the reason they were taken captive in the first place.

Are we captive in any part of our lives at the moment? Are we burdened by any sin that seems to dominate us? Are problems taking over us? Perhaps exams are weighing us down? In any of these cases, we must realize that it is only God that can fix our problems, or lead us out of them! It is only God who has been there from our birth, who can move the stars, who looks after the earth, who confounds the wise, who gives sight to the blind, heals the broken. And it is only God who will restore us. I think often He is just waiting for us to realize that before He does so.