Yes, this anguish was good for me,

for you have rescued me from death

and forgiven all my sins.

Isaiah 38:17

This is a strange account here. Coming on the heals of God delivering Hezekiah and all of Israel from the hand of the Assyrians, God sends word to Hezekiah that his days on earth have come to an end. Hezekiah takes this news hard… he isn’t ready for his life to be over. You get the sense as you hear his anguish that the looming reality of his death caused him to realize how much he hadn’t yet done as king and as a servant of the Lord.

If you read the entire chapter, then you know how it ends: God moves, promising that 15 years will be added to Hezekiah’s days… in fact, He even gives Hezekiah an amazing sign… the sundial moves BACKWARDS!

This verse helps to shed some light on what was happening… we read here, in Hezekiah’s own words, that this anguish was necessary, for it helped him to realize his own need to for forgiveness. Was Hezekiah not “saved” before this event? There is no way to really know, but it does seem that at the very least, this event helped Hezekiah to fully realize his own frailty before the Holy God of the universe. In other words, this event helped Hezekiah to see the need he had to really and truly FEAR the Lord.

This passage should help us remember that we aren’t guaranteed a long life. The Lord Himself holds our days, and it is up to Him when we are called home.

The tragic thing is that the last 15 years of Hezekiah don’t really go so well. He ends up making some tragic choices that lead to some serious problems for him and his people. It seems that some of the clarity that he got when he was faced with his own death dissipated over time… Its impact waned, slowly winding down and ultimately leaving Hezekiah as a man who was depending on His own devices rather than the Lord.

Let it be a lesson to you friends. We need to number our days, and take EVERY MOMENT we have seriously. We are all in very real danger of slowly sliding away from a firm reliance upon the Lord, even if we have seen Him do mighty things in the past. The key is constantly remembering that without Him, we are left without a single hope in the world. We need to be aware of our own weakness lest we begin to trust ourselves.

Remember, the FEAR OF THE LORD is the BEGINNING OF WISDOM. ezekiah not “saved” before this event

After King Hezekiah’s officials delivered the king’s message to Isaiah,the prophet replied, “Say to your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king’s messengers.Listen! I myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.’ “

Isaiah 37:5-7

Yesterday we looked at the threats of Rabshekah, as he spoke on behalf of the king of Assyria. If you remember, the threat was that they would be utterly and completely destroyed if they did not submit to the authority of Assyria. Along with the threat, Rabshekah had mocked the Lord, and insinuated that He was no different than the other “god’s” of the nations around them.

We looked at the way that similar difficulties and testing come our way, and the very real temptation we face to cave and accept this idea that God won’t come through this time.

Listen to the words of Isaiah here and take heart. “Do not be disturbed… I, Myself will move”.

Are you facing trials or difficulties that seem too great for you? Are you tempted to lean on an “arm of flesh” and trust in the resources and devices of men? Are you in over your head and can’t imagine a way out? PUT YOUR TRUST IN GOD! Listen to what He says:

1. DO NOT BE DISTURBED - First of all, don’t let this throw you off course. Stay on the path of life, keep walking and continue fixing your eyes on Jesus.
2. I, MYSELF WILL MOVE - This is the reason we don’t have to be disturbed by adverse circumstances or threatening enemies. The Lord Himself will move. It may not look like we want it to. It might not turn out like we want it to either. But, we can no without a doubt that the Lord is in control, and He will move on our behalf. Because of this, we do not need to be disturbed.

Don’t let him fool you into trusting in the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!’

“Don’t listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me-open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well. Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one-a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards.

“Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria?What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power?What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me?”

Isaiah 36:15-20

The Rabsheka, a representative of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, is sent with a threatening, frightening and disheartening message for the children of Israel.

He says this: Don’t listen to your king, the Lord will not save you. We are to powerful, and you have not worshipped Him like He would want you to. No other nations God’s have ever saved them from us… you will be no different, you will fall prey to our attacks. Then he goes on to claim that the Lord sent him, and was behind Assyria’s war against Israel. He tells them there is an answer: make peace with us. Let us take you away from here and lead you to a new land. You will be our slaves, but we will treat you well… in fact your life will actually be BETTER!

This is such a classic example of the way that the enemy tries to get us to stop trusting the Lord. Today, we may never meet the Rabsheka, but our enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil, will try to do the same thing to us. Threats, accusations and offers of peace, all for the sake of instilling fear and doubt in our hearts. Think about it. We often face challenges and we begin to think, “not this time… the Lord can’t help me this time. I need to do this, or try that…” Friends, don’t be fooled! At times like these we need to go back to the Lord and see what He has to say… tomorrow, we will see how Israel responded to these threats!

Strengthen the weak hands,

and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to those who have an anxious heart,

“Be strong; fear not!

Behold, your God

will come with vengeance,

with the recompense of God.

He will come and save you.”

Isaiah 35:3-4

Chapter 35 is a great description of what life will be like after the coming of Messiah. Though the bulk of what this passage deals with has to do with the future that will come after the lord returns, some of it has impact and import for us today.

The passage describes some of what we have already looked at in our study of Isaiah… The dessert blooms, the wilderness blossoms, lame walk, blind see, people are healed; we see restoration in an unprecedented way, all that God has made being returned to the state that God created it in.

In this passage we see the ransomed of the Lord (those bought by the precious blood of Christ) singing a song of celebration as they return to Zion, the city of God. They walk on the “Highway of Holiness” and have God’s everlasting joy resting upon them. Sorrow and sadness have fled forever, and they have been replaced by eternal joy and gladness.

This return to “Zion” by the ransomed of the Lord, and the “goodies” that accompany it are yet another example of the “already but not yet” aspect of God’s kingdom. We have ALREADY been ransomed, and in many ways we walk that “Highway of Holiness” even now. Jesus referred to it as “The Narrow Road”. Yet, we still experience sorrow and sadness, because our salvation has not yet been completed. We still live in a fallen world, and we still carry with us a very real sin-nature. For us, we will see the FULL fulfillment of this passage one of two ways:

1. We die, journeying onward to heaven. One day, we will return from heaven to earth with Christ to establish His reign and rule. Then we will see this passage walked out LITERALLY rather than FIGURATIVELY.
2. Jesus will appear to take His bride, we will be caught up into the air with Him, the events of  the book of Revelation will unfold (all a part of God’s process of replacing the “kingdoms of this world” with “the kingdom of our God”) and we will return with Him to see this marvelous kingdom established.

Either way, it will be pretty exciting!

Now, what does all this have to do with the passage I quoted above? Simply put, the passage above has MASSIVE RELEVANCE to our lives today. In the epistle to the Hebrews these verses are quoted in a passage that ultimately culminates in our arrival, In Christ, to the spiritual mount Zion.  The message is clear: Take heart! Don’t lose the focus you have on what God has given you in Jesus, His MESSIAH! Keep your eyes on Him! Encourage those among you that a day is coming when Jesus Christ will set ALL THINGS RIGHT!!!

So friends, take heart. Though the days grow dark, the world wax cold, and the love of many dissipate… The future is BRIGHT! God has radical plans to redeem and restore; radical plans to establish a kingdom WITHOUT END! We sit right in between His first and second coming, and we feel that tension. Look forward in hope, and as you strengthen weak hands and feeble knees, remember the message of hope we have been given, and invite others to join you on the “Highway of Holiness”, Where sorrow and sadness become joy and gladness.

For the Lord has a day of vengeance,

a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.

Isaiah 34:8

This chapter is intense. Some of the most graphically violent metaphors in the bible are found here. We see dead corpses with rising stench, mountains flowing with blood, even a sword said to be made fat with the sacrifices of the nations.

Why all of this violence? Why so much destruction? Why such widespread judgment? We are told here that it is a “day of vengeance” for the “cause of Zion”.

Let’s examine that: Vengeance is all about God AVENGING His people and His character, glory and honor; not about God exacting REVENGE on others. This is not a wickedly inspired vengeance, but God finally making right the centuries of abuse that His people have suffered, and the restoration of His name and proper place as the ruler of this world.

The cause of Zion is an amazing concept. Zion is the city of God, His collective people and the place they dwell. Throughout history God’s people have suffered wrongs of every kind, and God Himself has been mocked and scorned.

Because God is righteous, He must judge. Think about the cross… It was equally bloody… if it is rejected; this is the kind of judgment that remains.

Friends, press into the Lord. Trust in Him. Realize that God is one day going to vindicate us, and to exact vengeance. We don’t rejoice in the “death of the wicked”, but we do rejoice in God taking back what is rightfully His. Praise Him for His plan to save and redeem.

Though the Lord is very great and lives in heaven,

He will make Jerusalem his home of justice and righteousness.

In that day he will be your sure foundation,

providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.

The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.

Isaiah 33:5-6

This is another passage that looks forward to the coming of the messiah, and like so many other passages, its fulfillment involves both the first and second coming of Jesus.

With passages like these, we often see promises that we ALREADY experience some of the blessings of, but have NOT YET partaken of them in their entirety.

Let’s take this passage and run it through the grid of already/not yet:

1. Jerusalem becomes the home of justice and righteousness. In one sense this is ALREADY true, because it was in Jerusalem that Jesus was tried, crucified, buried and rose again; and through that event we have justice and righteousness. God meted out His justice at the cross, and by believing in Jesus, specifically that He came from heaven to Jerusalem to die and rise again, we are able to partake in His righteousness. In another sense this is NOT YET fully true because Jerusalem is far from being the current home of God’s justice and righteousness. Instead, there is much strife and turmoil in that city, and in the world for that matter, as we look forward to the return of Christ.
2. The Lord becomes our sure foundation - providing salvation, wisdom and knowledge. In one sense this ALREADY true. Jesus is the foundation of all who belief, a group of people we refer to as “The Church”. As our foundation He does provide us with salvation, wisdom and knowledge… but none of those things are yet complete. In this sense the promise is NOT YET fulfilled. Jesus is not yet the foundation of all things, many are still building on faulty foundations. Even for those who do have Jesus as their foundation, their salvation, wisdom and knowledge are incomplete. Though these things have been inaugurated, they have not yet found their full realization in Christ.
3. The FEAR of the lord is our treasure. This one follows the same pattern. It can be said to ALREADY be true because as believers, the Lord is the greatest treasure we have, and that treasure can only be experienced by properly relating to Him. However, it can also be said to be NOT YET, because much of our interaction with the lord and His treasure is anticipatory in nature. What I mean by this is that today we often make choices that aren’t based on what we will get instantly, but on what the results will be in the future, when Jesus the righteous one judges all we have done. Though we can “fear the Lord” in our choices today, the reality of what a treasure that relationship is will not be fully realized until He returns.

This “already but not yet” reality of God’s promises should impact us in a significant way. It should cause all of us to anticipate the soon return of Jesus, and to live in light of that fact. Hopefully, each one of us will look forward with eager anticipation to the day when what we now know in part will become fully known!

Look, a righteous king is coming!

And honest princes will rule under him.

Each one will be like a shelter from the wind

and a refuge from the storm,

like streams of water in the desert

and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.

Isaiah 32:1-2

This passage makes reference on one level to Hezekiah and those who were to rule under him. His reign, in a unique way, was to be a BLESSING to the people of Israel like no other king had been before. Look at this passage from 2 Kings:

Hezekiah son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan.

Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses.

2 Kings 18:1-6

If we look closely at this passage, we see that the unique blessings of his reign sprung from two things: 1) His destruction of anything that could serve as an idol to his people (even the “good” things like Moses’ bronze serpent) and 2) his faithful commitment to the Lord in ALL THINGS.

Note the metaphors used to describe how this type of leadership affected and influenced the life of the people:

1. A shelter from the wind
2. A refuge from the storm
3. Streams of water in the dessert
4. The shadow of a great rock in a parched land

All of these metaphors describe RELIEF. They detail and describe a ruler that provides both PROVISION and PROTECTION for his people.

In the short view, the ruler described is Hezekiah, but in the long view, when we talk about ultimate fulfillment, this passage describes the reign and rule of Jesus Christ.

When we come into relationship with Jesus, He is all of these things to us: A shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm… a shadow to hide in, a refreshing stream to drink deeply from. He provides for us what we can find nowhere else. This world is a hostile environment, and in Him, we find refuge and relief from the daily assault that it brings our way.

What about the princes? Who are they? I believe the “princes” are supposed to be descriptive of me and you… descriptive in a small way today, but in a larger way in the future, when Jesus comes back to establish the reign. One day, Jesus will come back, and we are told that we will “reign and rule” together with Him. In that day, His leadership will provide all these things for the world, and some of it will be provided through me and you.

In the meantime, how do they apply to us today? Let me tell you what I think… We are not only RECIPIENTS of God’s grace, but we are also called to be CONDUITS of that same grace. So, just as Jesus has become that refuge and relief for us, we have an opportunity to take Him to others by offering refuge and relief to them.

Sometimes we talk about reaching the lost with the Gospel. One of the most practical ways we can do this is by going and meeting people’s tangible needs in the name of Jesus. Some people are looking for literal “streams in the dessert”, and we have the blessed privilege of providing for that need, AND pointing them to Jesus as the LIVING WATER. Pray today that Jesus would help you see some tangible ways you can walk out the fulfillment of this prophecy, while simultaneously pointing those people to the KING of KINGS!

What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help,

trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers

and depending on the strength of human armies

instead of looking to the Lord,

the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 31:1

Egypt, horses, chariots and charioteers… what does any of this have to do with us today? To answer that question, we first need to see what it meant for Israel in their day.

God had made promises to Israel, and all Israel needed to do was trust Him. He would protect them, fight their battles for them and see to it that they remained safe and cared for. They simply had to keep themselves in a place of humble dependence upon Him. Sadly, they didn’t do this. Instead, they turned to Egypt, the super power of their day. Egypt had HORSES and CHARIOTS - These things were the marks of a good strong army… Not only did Egypt have the man power Israel thought they needed they had the weaponry and the skills as well. Chariots and men to drive them… like an ancient version of a battalion of tanks.

For us today, most of us aren’t facing a direct military crisis. Instead, we face smaller day to day problems. But don’t be deceived, we are just as much in danger of turning to Egypt as the children of Israel were. God has promised to provide for us, to protect us and to care for us. When we face a trial or temptation, do we trust Him? Or, do we run for what the world has to offer as the best defense against a perceived enemy. Friends, when Egypt offers you chariots, trust the Lord instead!

This is what the Sovereign Lord,

the Holy One of Israel, says:

“Only in returning to me

and resting in me will you be saved.

In quietness and confidence is your strength.

But you would have none of it.

You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt.

They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’

But the only swiftness you are going to see

is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!

Isaiah 30:15-16

Israel had a choice. They could wait patiently for the Lord’s salvation, or they could run off and try and find help elsewhere. Sadly, according to this passage, they turned away from the Lord and sought help were it couldn’t really be found.

The Lord had spoken to them clearly: If they would only return to the Lord and rest in Him they would be saved. From that place of salvation and rest in the Lord they could find real strength through quiet restfulness and confident trust in Him.

Instead of heading this counsel, they decided to seek help from Egypt. They went back to the worldly system they had been delivered from looking for help, only to find it would lead to their destruction.

Everyday we have choices. Circumstances come our way and we have to decide, “will I do it the Lord’s way and trust in Him, or will I do it the world’s way?” “Egypt” calls to us; it offers all sorts of things that we think the Lord can’t provide us with… but sadly its all a lie. Egypt can’t deliver on its promises, and going back to what the lord rescued you from will never be as satisfying as it may seem. Learn a lesson from Israel: Trust the Lord, rest in Him, place your confidence in Him and watch Him strengthen and sustain you. Don’t take the “easy” out, keeping looking to the Lord!

You have everything backward!

You treat the potter as a lump of clay.

Does a book say to its author,

“He didn’t write a word of me”?

Does a meal say to the woman who cooked it,

“She had nothing to do with this”?

Isaiah 29:16

In this chapter the Lord speaks directly to Jerusalem, the capitol city of His people, Israel. In the first part of the chapter he warns them of their coming humiliation, He specifically tells them they will be “brought low”. In the second half of the chapter, God tells Israel of their future hope… and as He transitions, He tells them that they have everything upside down and backwards!

Why does He say they have it backwards? They have been trying to shape God into their image rather than allowing God to shape them. Now, obviously, they weren’t trying to change God directly… Instead they were seeking to go around Him and subvert and change their God ordained circumstances. Through this backdoor kind of manipulation they were in essence trying to say to God, “Don’t be like that; instead be like this”. The problem with this is clear: We are the ones who are supposed to be shaped by God. Like clay in the hands of the potter we need to allow Him to mold and shape us.

The question for us today is simple - How are we trying to shape God and the circumstances He sends our way rather than letting Him shape us? Think this one through… ask Him where the areas are that you are trying to shape Him in your image rather than being made in His image…

I came across this quote today and I think it is applicable to this passage. Paul Miller said, “At the center of self-will is me, carving a world in my image. At the center of prayer is God, carving me in his Son’s image.” So what will it be for you? Self-will, or turning to the Lord in prayer to let Him shape and mold you?