Isaiah 34. Choosing Grace over Wrath.

Posted on by richlyspeaking

Because of the importance of Israel and its people, and my personal love for The Land, I’m inviting you to join me through the key Old Testament book of Isaiah.  Each day I’m posting some simple thoughts about this complex prophet.

Isaiah 34.

This chapter is a very graphic picture of God’s wrath: “The Lord is terribly angry with the nations.” (v2, CEV).

He will start exercising His vengeance with Edom. Who? Scholars say the land south and east of the Dead Sea is typically thought of as the territory of the Edomites. —  mostly Jordan today. The family tree of the Edomites began with Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. You might recall, he sold his birthright for a bowl of soup (Genesis 25:31-34). The resulting relationships in the successive generations were complicated. One commentator notes: “Whether deserved or not, Edom is remembered in the biblical record as the sibling who doesn’t live up to family expectations.”

Isaiah spells out horrific doom and gloom on Edom in this chapter.  The Edomites reportedly were part of the army that destroyed  Jerusalem in the 6th century BC.  I wouldn’t  want to be remembered as a soldier who destroyed the City of David.

Isaiah clearly states that God is a just judge. The actions of the Edomites deserve His great wrath: “Edom will be called “Kingdom of Nothing.” Its rulers will also be nothing.” (v12, CEV).  I believe the Edomites represent any one who turns their back on God.

And yet, because of Jesus and the amazing grace we talked about yesterday, everyone on the resurrection side of the cross and empty tomb has a choice to accept that grace. I’m thankful for that! And once we accept that grace, we need not fear “God’s bad side” nor His coming wrath, which will likely begin in the lands surrounding Israel.

“Our Lord Jesus was kind to us, and we are saved by faith in Him.” (Acts 15:11, CEV).

We have the opportunity to decide every day. May we choose His grace over His wrath.

 

If you’re new to this journey through Isaiah, you can start here.

(c) 2020. Rich Ronald.

Isaiah 21

Posted on by richlyspeaking

Because of the importance of Israel and its people, and my personal love for The Land, I’m inviting you to join me through the key Old Testament book of Isaiah.  Each day I’m posting some simple thoughts about this complex prophet.

Isaiah 21.

Babylon. Edom. Arabia. More woe!

“Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!’” (v9, NIV).

I’m reminded of the very first of the Ten Commandments:

“Do not worship any god except me. Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth.” (Exodus 20:3‭-‬4 ,CEV).

Babylon has fallen. Its images of its gods lie shattered on the ground. There is a lesson for us. If we worship other gods — and I believe the definition for both “worship” and “gods” is quite broad — we too will fall. Our joy is that we can worship the One, True, Living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is our only source of life and life to the full. Isaiah will ask the reader later in Chapter 44: 10: “Why make an idol or an image that can’t do a thing?”

Instead, let us fix our eyes  on Jesus (Hebrews 12) and follow hard after God and let His powerful right arm support us (Psalms 63:8).

We make idols all the time, don’t we? They may not look like gods, but they are all around us. These are things that take our attention away from the eternal. When we do fall, when we prioritize idols over God — like a person or a job or a newly acquired thing — I’m thankful for the grace of Jesus. He offers new life time and time again as we recognize our folly.

“…and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24, NIV).

(c) 2020. Rich Ronald.