Isaiah 24

It's amazing how the scriptures open up like a flowing spring of water, the deeper and deeper you get into an inductive Bible study.

That is how I feel studying the book of Isaiah. We are now in chapters 24-27, a section which is called
"Isaiah's Little Book of Revelation" because of the prophecies concerning the Second Coming of Christ and impending Judgement. It reveals the heart of God and His character in the frightening way - the way that no one wants to think about. But the most disturbing discovery, I have figured out, happens when you look into your own heart and compare your attitude to God's attitude of disgust and hate for sin.

It is very sad to read about the coming Judgement. It is sad to think how serious God takes sin and pride, and the lengths He is willing to go to purge His creation of sin and it's affects. But what makes it most heartbreaking, is that all the Judgement and punishment necessary to appease God's wrath was already laid on His Son - when He died on the Cross. Believers, by faith, know that they are spared the wrath of God because of His death and resurrection. But not so for everyone. And sadly, the believers will not be the majority. They will be the remnant. A little bit left over when all the Judgement is finished. That is why is to so very, very important to spread the Gospel. The Bible tells us that the remnant will come out of every nation and island on earth. But who will they be?

At the root of God's justice and judgment however, is His motive behind everyone of His acts. His great Love. The notes on the Bible study showed me how God has "an intense interest in our lives. He calls His people to believe in Him, but when they preferred the security by association with people in the world, He sometimes removed their false security so that, undistracted, they would trust them again."  

God likes the knock out the props sometimes and remind us Who is really our Strength, Refuge and Shadow. (Isaiah 25:4) It is easy to fall into the easy, comfortable routines of the broad path and walk in tune with the world. To feel comfortable in our association with them, their acceptance of us and our activities - perhaps not sins in themselves, but self-focused and forgetful of God.

"Most men, women and children move through their daily routines assuming that everything will keep on as it always has, and that God is really quite tolerant of their indifference to Him. Nothing could be farther from reality...Many people seem to live successfully without honoring God...but apart from Him, fears are unrelieved; happiness is superficial and brittle; relationships hang suspended on the fragility of individual will...immorality becomes the basis for entertainment; families are shattered; institutions become bloated with competition and self-interest, and the creativity of human civilization shrivel and die."

Isaiah 24:14-16a, shows the song of praise that the remnant will lift up to God, "They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea. From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even the glory to the righteous."

The Bible study asked us to read those verses and then asked, "What do these verses describe and what are your thoughts about them?" I thought a long time about that and then wrote:

"When I see the state of the world as it is today, it is so very difficult to imagine the entire human race so focused on praising God, and on the pursuit of True Love and Peace. But I know it will happen and it reveals the frightening intensity of judgement God will "unleash" on earth first..."

The lady giving us our lecture last night made a point that hit me in the heart, "God does not want us to be in love with our life on earth. He has a much better plan in store for us."

And how true that is.

It is so very easy to be swayed be ease and comfort. To get caught up in what the world deems as important...money, comfort, relationship, things. To forget that this world is fragile and will not last. But God will. He is our Rock, and all those planted upon the Rock will stand sure. We, I, am called to serve God, love God, be set apart - holy and separated - from the world and spread the Gospel of Peace in everything I say and everything I do.

I thank God for the privilege of serving Him, and of loving Him. I thank Him for rescuing me. I thank Him for the work He has done and the work He will do.

"And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." Isaiah 2:4

"He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of the people shall he take away from off all the earth; for the LORD hath spoken it." Isaiah 25:8