relationships (Isaiah 42:1-25) Relationship of Peace

(Isaiah 42:1-25) 

1  “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;
     My chosen one in whom My soul delights.
     I have put My Spirit upon Him;
     He will bring forth justice to the nations.
2   He will not cry out nor raise His voice,
     Nor make His voice heard in the street.
3   A bent reed He will not break off 
     And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
     He will faithfully bring forth justice.
4   He will not be disheartened or crushed 
     Until He has established justice on the earth;
     And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

5   This is what God the Lord says,

     Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
     Who spread out the earth and its offspring,
     Who gives breath to the people on it 
     And spirit to those who walk in it:
6   “I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness,
     I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
     And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
     As a light to the nations,
7   To open blind eyes,
     To bring out prisoners from the dungeon 
     And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
8   I am the Lord, that is My name;
     I will not give My glory to another,
     Nor My praise to idols.
9   Behold, the former things have come to pass,
     Now I declare new things;
     Before they sprout I proclaim them to you.”

10 Sing to the Lord a new song,
     Sing His praise from the end of the earth!
     You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it;
     You islands, and those who live on them.
11 Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices,
     The settlements which Kedar inhabits.
     Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud,
     Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord 
     And declare His praise in the coastlands.
13 The Lord will go out like a warrior,
     He will stir His zeal like a man of war.
     He will shout, indeed, He will raise a war cry.
     He will prevail against His enemies.

14 “I have kept silent for a long time,
     I have kept still and restrained Myself.
     Now like a woman in labor I will groan,
     I will both gasp and pant.
15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills 
     And wither all their vegetation;
     I will turn the rivers into coastlands 
     And dry up the ponds.
16 I will lead those who are blind by a way they have not known,
     In paths they have not known I will guide them.
     I will turn darkness into light before them
     And uneven land into plains.
     These are the things I will do,
     And I will not leave them undone.”
17 They will be turned back and be utterly put to shame,
     Who trust in idols,
     Who say to cast metal images,
     “You are our gods.”

18 Hear, you who are deaf!
     And look, you who are blind, so that you may see.
19 Who is blind but My servant,
     Or so deaf as My messenger whom I send?
     Who is so blind as one who is at peace with Me,
     Or so blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 You have seen many things, but you do not retain them;
     Your ears are open, but no one hears.
21 The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake 
     To make the Law great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered and pillaged;
     All of them are trapped in caves,
     Or are hidden away in prisons;
     They have become plunder, with no one to save them,
     And spoils with no one to say, “Give them back!”

23 Who among you will listen to this?
     Who will pay attention and listen in the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob up for spoils, and Israel to plunderers?
     Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,
     And in whose ways they were not willing to walk,
     And whose Law they did not obey?
25 So He poured out on him the heat of His anger 
     And the fierceness of battle;
     And it set him aflame all around,
     Yet he did not recognize it;
     And it burned him, but he paid no attention.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

When the Lord Jesus came to earth in flesh the first time, He came in gently, to accomplish His work on the cross, which makes spiritual peace possible... to make forgiveness of sins and salvation possible and available to all people.  Right now, amidst the unrest and injustice, we can experience this peace and joy, and a personal relationship with the Lord.  But then, after the rapture (gathering up all believers from all time), the Lord will send down His judgments upon the earth.  

Remember that a woman's birth pains exit only because of sin, and just so, because of sin, the Lord will unleash His "birth pains" across the earth during the Tribulation.  If we want to continue this analogy, during a pregnancy, there is this sweet time of anticipation and preparation of what is to come... a precious new birth!  This will be what happens here on earth after the Tribulation!  So...

At the end of those seven years of judgment, which are the signs of the times for Israel to understand that Jesus was and is their Messiah, the Lord Jesus will come again to rid the earth of all unbelievers and evil, and bring all those who became believers during the Tribulation into the Millennium to experience physical, as well as spiritual peace.  During those thousand years, those being born during this time will still have to make a decision: to accept or reject the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, Lord and King.  In their personal relationship with Jesus, they will actually be able to meet with Him face to face.  

While we cannot do that (yet), there is still a two way communication through prayer, His indwelling Holy Spirit, and His word.  Jesus gives all of us a fair opportunity to make a decision.  Who will we place first in our lives?  In what or whom will we trust and put our faith in?  When we choose our way, we think we are hearing and seeing everything, but it is in wanting to know God's way which is unsearchable that we need His help.  Truly trusting and putting our faith in Jesus is to realize and admit that we are deaf and blind, and we need the Lord to be our eyes and ears, allowing Him to lead us as to where we should go and what we should hear, see, say and do!

Because the Lord is just, this passage shows both a portrayal of what happens when one disobeys and denies the Lord, as well as the hope that one can have when we choose to follow Him.  Because He is faithful, part of the good news of salvation is that Jesus is our light and our covenant (promise).  Only He is able to set us free from the chains of sin and death and give us eternal life!  Only He can be our perfect guide in righteousness, and be our certain hope, peace and joy!

relationships (Isaiah 41:1-29) Friendship of Respect

(Isaiah 41:1-29)

1   “Listen to Me in silence, you coastlands,
     And let the peoples gain new strength;
     Let them come forward, then let them speak;
     Let’s come together for judgment.
2   Who has stirred one from the east 
     Whom He calls in righteousness to His feet?
     He turns nations over to him 
     And subdues kings.
     He makes them like dust with his sword,
     Like the wind-driven chaff with his bow.
3   He pursues them, passing on in safety,
     By a way he had not been traversing with his feet.
4   Who has performed and accomplished it,
     Summoning the generations from the beginning?
     ‘I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. I am He.’”

5   The coastlands have seen and are afraid;
     The ends of the earth tremble;
     They have approached and have come.
6   Each one helps his neighbor 
     And says to his brother, “Be strong!”
7   So the craftsman encourages the smelter,
     And he who smooths metal with the hammer encourages him who beats the anvil,
     Saying of the soldering, “It is good”;
     And he fastens it with nails,
     So that it will not totter.
8   “But you, Israel, My servant,
     Jacob whom I have chosen,
     Descendant of Abraham My friend,
9   You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth 
     And called from its remotest parts,
     And said to you, ‘You are My servant,
     I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
10 Do not fear, for I am with you;
     Do not be afraid, for I am your God.
     I will strengthen you, I will also help you,
     I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
11 Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;
     Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.
12 You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them,
     Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.
13 For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand,
     Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’
14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you people of Israel;
     I will help you,” declares the Lord, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15 Behold, I turned you into a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges;
     You will thresh the mountains and pulverize them,
     And make the hills like chaff.
16 You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away,
     And the storm will scatter them;
     But you will rejoice in the Lord,
     You will boast in the Holy One of Israel.

17 “The poor and needy are seeking water, but there is none,
     And their tongues are parched with thirst.
     I, the Lord, will answer them Myself;
     As the God of Israel I will not abandon them.
18 I will open rivers on the bare heights,
     And springs in the midst of the valleys;
     I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
     And the dry land fountains of water.
19 I will put the cedar in the wilderness,
     The acacia, the myrtle, and the olive tree;
     I will place the juniper in the desert,
     Together with the elm tree and the cypress,
20 So that they may see and recognize,
     And consider and gain insight as well,
     That the hand of the Lord has done this,
     And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

21 “Present your case,” the Lord says.
     “Bring forward your evidence,”
     The King of Jacob says.
22 Let them bring them forward and declare to us what is going to take place;
     As for the former events, declare what they were,
     So that we may consider them and know their outcome.
     Or announce to us what is coming;
23 Declare the things that are going to come afterward,
     So that we may know that you are gods;
     Indeed, do good or evil, that we may be afraid and fear together.
24 Behold, you are less than nothing,
     And your work is less than nothing!
     He who chooses you is an abomination.

25 “I have put one from the north into motion, and he has come;
     From the rising of the sun he will call on My name;
     And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar,
     As the potter treads on clay.”
26 Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know?
     Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”?
     There was no one at all who declared,
     There was no one at all who proclaimed,
     There was no one at all who heard your words.
27 “Previously I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’
     And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a messenger of good news.’
28 But when I look, there is no one,
     And there is no counselor among them 
     Who, if I ask, can give an answer.
29 Behold, all of them are false;
     Their works are nothing,
     Their cast metal images are wind and emptiness.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

God chose the Israelites to be the missionaries to the world, to demonstrate the glory of the Lord.  One day (in the Millennium) they will be everything that God intended, because they as a nation will have become believers.  But until then, God knew they would fail, as would everyone else, because all of us fall short of God's glory.  This is why He had planned from the very beginning to come to earth in flesh, to be 100% man while still being 100% God - to be what we cannot - to do what we cannot - and to accomplish what we cannot.

So, whether a person wants to fight God or earn their way to God, it is impossible.  Our puny efforts are laughable, really.  Yet God cares and wants us to know Him personally and have eternal life with Him.  This is why He provided the way.  Salvation through Jesus is the only way, and it is our good news!  It is only through His power and provision that we are able to bring glory to Him.  It is He who saves us, and it is He who helps us live a blessed life that glorifies Him.

As verse 7 says, we can even be friends with the Lord!  Of course, this friendship is one of respect, after all, He is our heavenly Father, the Lord God, the King of kings, and our Judge.  But in this friendship of respect, we can bow down in reverence before Him with confidence!  Without fear!  Not because of what we have done, but because of everything He has done, is doing, and will do!  Best Friend EVER!!!

relationships (Isaiah 40:1-31) The Perfect Relationship

(Isaiah 40:1-31) 

1  “Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.
2  “Speak kindly to Jerusalem;
     And call out to her, that her warfare has ended,
     That her guilt has been removed,
     That she has received of the Lord’s hand 
     Double for all her sins.”

3   The voice of one calling out,
     “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
     Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4   Let every valley be lifted up,
     And every mountain and hill be made low;
     And let the uneven ground become a plain,
     And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
5   Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
     And all flesh will see it together;
     For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6   A voice says, “Call out.”
     Then he answered, “What shall I call out?”
     All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7   The grass withers, the flower fades,
     When the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
     The people are indeed grass!
8   The grass withers, the flower fades,
     But the word of our God stands forever.

9   Go up on a high mountain,
     Zion, messenger of good news,
     Raise your voice forcefully,
     Jerusalem, messenger of good news;
     Raise it up, do not fear.
     Say to the cities of Judah,
     “Here is your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord God will come with might,
     With His arm ruling for Him.
     Behold, His compensation is with Him,
     And His reward before Him.
11 Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
     In His arm He will gather the lambs 
     And carry them in the fold of His robe;
     He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
     And measured the heavens with a span,
     And calculated the dust of the earth with a measure,
     And weighed the mountains in a balance 
     And the hills in a pair of scales?
13 Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,
     Or as His counselor has informed Him?
14 With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?
     And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge,
     And informed Him of the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
     And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales;
     Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.
16 Even Lebanon is not enough to burn,
     Nor its animals enough for a burnt offering.
17 All the nations are as nothing before Him,
     They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.

18 To whom then will you liken God?
     Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
19 As for the idol, a craftsman casts it,
     A goldsmith plates it with gold,
     And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.
20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering 
     Selects a tree that does not rot;
     He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman 
     To prepare an idol that will not totter.

21 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
     Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
     Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
     And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
     Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain 
     And spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23 It is He who reduces rulers to nothing,
     Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.
24 Scarcely have they been planted,
     Scarcely have they been sown,
     Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
     But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
     And the storm carries them away like stubble.
25 “To whom then will you compare Me 
     That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Raise your eyes on high 
     And see who has created these stars,
     The One who brings out their multitude by number,
     He calls them all by name;
     Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
     Not one of them is missing.

27 Why do you say, Jacob, and you assert, Israel,
     “My way is hidden from the Lord,
     And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
     The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth 
     Does not become weary or tired.
     His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives strength to the weary,
     And to the one who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired,
     And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who wait for the Lord 
     Will gain new strength;
     They will mount up with wings like eagles,
     They will run and not get tired,
     They will walk and not become weary.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

I want to quickly point out here, that God tells us to have a good relationship with the nation of Israel and the people!  Verse 2 very clearly says that others will hate, attack, and make war against her, more than any other nation.  We have seen that in history over the years, and we see that in the news right now.  That doesn't justify anyone to attack the Jews!  Not at all.  This just shows and confirms that God's word and His prophecies are true.

We are reminded that God is eternal, unchangeable, all-knowing and all-powerful.  Everything else is temporary, and everyone is nothing and life is meaningless without God!  Now, from this passage, we can see how most Israelites took this passage out of context while waiting for their Messiah who will one day fulfill all of their covenants.  That is still to come, in the Millennium, after the 7 year Tribulation.

Israel had the prophecy of Daniel, which speaks of the cut-off point.  That has already happened, when Israel rejected their Messiah, Jesus Christ, the first time.  That was because they were wanting their Messiah to come, get rid of all their enemies, sit on the throne, and usher in worldwide peace.  Again, that will happen, in the Millennium, the thousand year reign.  What they didn't want to understand, was that Jesus came the first time to bring spiritual peace... for the entire world!!!

That part was and is very necessary for Israel to have their covenants fulfilled.  The Lord made it very clear (throughout the Old Testament) that the more they were obedient to the Lord's will, the more they would have of their promised land, seed and blessings.  The more righteous their king was, the more peace they would experience.  But it wouldn't take long for them to rebel against the Lord, and things would fall apart, and they would find themselves in captivity...  

This is just one of the reasons why the Lord Jesus' involvement is critical.  When one makes Him their Lord and Savior, and personal King of their heart, one is sealed by His Holy Spirit and is changed from the inside-out, while clothing one in the Lord's righteousness!  So then, when they as a nation believe and accept Him into their hearts, they will then also make Jesus their physical King!  It is then that they will have the perfect King who will guide them in His righteousness, and THEN they will have their promised land, seed and blessings in its entirety!

It's human nature to want the shortcuts, and to have things done their own way.  But for things to work properly, things have to be done God's way.  You know, since He created the universe, and is all-knowing and all-powerful, and everything!!!  As well, God is love, as well as just and righteous!

"Hate" wants to silence and do away with everything that one disagrees with.  God's hate is towards the sinful acts of people.  This is why He came to pay the price for all sins, so He could extend His free gift of forgiveness and salvation to all people, so that He can have a personal relationship with us.  Therefore, true (agape) love is a sacrificial, unconditional love towards all people, with a desire that all come to know the good news!  And love gives everyone a fair opportunity - to either accept or reject Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

Jesus Christ did come the first time in might and glory, but as our perfect example of obedience.  He humbly submitted Himself to God's will, to become fully man (while still being fully God), to serve and minister to the people, and then willingly gave up His life to take on all the punishment meant for us, and rose again to conquer death, making eternal life possible - through Him.  

It is only in and through Him that a person can have new and eternal life.  It is only in and through Him that we can have a close, personal relationship with God, Himself!  As believers, we have a loving, heavenly Father who really cares.  And once we are His child, He wants to gather us up and carry us!  Guide us!  Help us!  Protect us!  Provide for us!  And reward us!  There isn't any other relationship that is able to top that!!!

relationships (Isaiah 39:1-8) Being a Good Influencer

(Isaiah 39:1-8) 

1 At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. 2 Hezekiah was pleased, and let them see all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the balsam oil, the excellent olive oil, his entire armory, and everything that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his realm that Hezekiah did not let them see. 3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They came to me from a far country, from Babylon.” 4 Then he said, “What have they seen in your house?” So Hezekiah answered, “They have seen everything that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I have not let them see.”

5 Isaiah then said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of armies, 6 ‘Behold, the days are coming when everything that is in your house, and what your fathers have stored up to this day, will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. 7 ‘And some of your sons who will come from you, whom you will father, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” 8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “For there will be peace and truth in my days.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

In and for every circumstance, we are to be praying for God's help and guidance.  Then with God's wisdom, we can effectively apply and live in His will.  As believers, while we are told in 1 Corinthians 13:7 that love "believes all things" (or, to "believe the best" of others), it is important to understand that that means we are not to assume the worst of others, particularly of those we are closest to.  Therefore, if and when we hear gossip or a rumor, if it is safe, go to them and ask them about it.

As well, while we are told to be loving, kind and respectful to all people, it is also clear that we are not to trust everyone.  For instance, we are told in Matthew 7:15, “beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves".  

And we are told in Matthew 18:7, “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes!"  Therefore, why would one flaunt what they have, even to close friends and family members?  We know that it is wrong to be jealous and covet, so why would we do or say something that would entice someone to sin?

Under the guise of kindness and friendship, Hezekiah decided to show off, which made the entire nation vulnerable to attack.  Just because we are a believer and a child of God, does not exempt us from consequences. Our actions can also bring about consequences for generations to come.  

So with everything, by continually putting God first in our lives, our humility should keep us from showing off.  And by diligently seeking out God's will in every circumstance, our prudence and reliance on God's strength and wisdom will keep us from getting ourselves into trouble, as well as help us foster better relationships with those around us!

(Jeremiah 9:23-24)  This is what the Lord says: “Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

relationships (Isaiah 38:1-22) Undeserved Love and Help

(Isaiah 38:1-22) 

1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are going to die and not live.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Please, Lord, just remember how I have walked before You wholeheartedly and in truth, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept profusely.

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David says: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will save you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will protect this city.”’

7 “And this shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will perform this word that He has spoken: 8 Behold, I will make the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, go back ten steps.” So the sun’s shadow went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down.

9 This is a writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

10 I said, “In the middle of my life 
     I am to enter the gates of Sheol;
     I have been deprived of the rest of my years.”
11 I said, “I will not see the Lord,
     The Lord in the land of the living;
     I will no longer look on mankind among the inhabitants of the world.
12 Like a shepherd’s tent my dwelling is pulled up and removed from me;
     As a weaver I rolled up my life.
     He cuts me off from the loom;
     From day until night You make an end of me.
13 I composed my soul until morning.
     Like a lion—so He breaks all my bones,
     From day until night You make an end of me.
14 Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter;
     I moan like a dove;
     My eyes look wistfully to the heights;
     Lord, I am oppressed, be my security.

15 “What shall I say?
     For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it;
     I will walk quietly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
16 Lord, by these things people live,
     And in all these is the life of my spirit;
     Restore me to health and let me live!
17 Behold, for my own welfare I had great bitterness;
     But You have kept my soul from the pit of nothingness,
     For You have hurled all my sins behind Your back.
18 For Sheol cannot thank You,
     Death cannot praise You;
     Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.
19 It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today;
     A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.
20 The Lord is certain to save me;
     So we will play my songs on stringed instruments 
     All the days of our life at the house of the Lord.”

21 Now Isaiah had said, “Have them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, so that he may recover.” 22 Then Hezekiah had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the house of the Lord?”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verse 3 demonstrates an unbeliever's classic prayer of self-serving arrogance and self-centeredness.  Even believers can fall into this trap... thinking that we have done so much for God, that we deserve to get exactly what we want.  In fact, within this air of entitlement, one will become extra angry and bitter towards God if and when we don't get our way.  And if one should get their way, the classic response is continued self-serving arrogance and self-centeredness in taking all the credit, with very little or no thanks at all to the Lord!

After Hezekiah's wrongfully self-centered and self-serving prayer, God still decided to answer it and allowed him to live 15 more years.  The Lord even gave Hezekiah a very sure sign that He would do this thing... BUT the Lord still allowed Hezekiah to suffer with his illness - A LOT - to the point that he finally turned to the Lord with true humility and repentance, which we see in verse 14.  

It is only after Hezekiah went to the Lord for spiritual healing that God healed him physically.  From verse 17, we can see that Hezekiah understood why.  In order to find eternal life, God allowed him to come close to death.  God is love, and is also all-knowing, righteous and just.  God knew that Hezekiah would become a believer!  But He also knew what it would take to get Hezekiah's attention, and His heart!

When Hezekiah became a believer, immediately at that point in time, he understood that he was now able to stand before the Lord, clean and righteous.  This is because we receive the Lord's righteousness.  And because the Lord forgives all our sins (no matter how bad):  past, present and future.  In salvation, the Lord changes us from the inside out, and then continues to work in our hearts as we walk with Him.  

In the last verses, the attitude changes are very obvious, and we see how Hezekiah and his family had embraced a personal relationship with the Lord.  And a personal relationship with the Lord includes a heart of thanksgiving, because a believer knows that all the credit, all the glory, belongs to the Lord!  And it includes a heart of agape love that desires to share this good news with others!

relationships (Isaiah 37:1-38) What Should We Take Personally?

(Isaiah 37:1-38) 

1 Now when King Hezekiah heard the report, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of the Lord. 2 Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the household, with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 And they said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and humiliation; for children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them. 4 Perhaps the Lord your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to taunt the living God, and will avenge the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that is left.’”

5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6 And Isaiah said to them, “This is what you shall say to your master: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 Behold, I am going to put a spirit in him so that he will hear news and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”

8 Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. 9 Now he heard them say regarding Tirhakah king of Cush, “He has come out to fight against you,” and when he heard it he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “This is what you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” 11 Behold, you yourself have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be saved? 12 Did the gods of the nations which my fathers destroyed save them: Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

14 Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15 Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying, 16 “Lord of armies, God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made heaven and earth. 17 Incline Your ear, Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, Lord, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to taunt the living God. 18 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries and their lands, 19 and have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but only the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. 20 But now Lord, our God, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, Lord, are God.”

21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah, saying, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word that the Lord has spoken against him:

     “She has shown contempt for you and derided you,
     The virgin daughter of Zion;
     The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head behind you!
23 Whom have you taunted and blasphemed?
     And against whom have you raised your voice 
     And haughtily raised your eyes?
     Against the Holy One of Israel!
24 Through your servants you have taunted the Lord,
     And you have said, ‘With my many chariots I came up to the heights of the mountains,
     To the remotest parts of Lebanon;
     And I cut down its tall cedars and its choice junipers.
     And I will come to its highest peak, its thickest forest.
25 I dug wells and drank waters,
     And with the sole of my feet I dried up
     All the canals of Egypt.’
26 Have you not heard?
     Long ago I did it,
     From ancient times I planned it.
     Now I have brought it about 
     That you would turn fortified cities into ruined heaps.
27 Therefore their inhabitants were powerless,
     They were shattered and put to shame;
     They were like the vegetation of the field and the green grass,
     Like grass on the housetops that is scorched before it has grown.
28 But I know your sitting down,
     Your going out, your coming in,
     And your raging against Me.
29 Because of your raging against Me 
     And because your complacency has come up to My ears,
     I will put My hook in your nose 
     And My bridle in your lips,
     And I will turn you back by the way that you came.

30 “Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what grows from the same, and in the third year sow, harvest, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 31 The survivors that are left of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 32 For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go, and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the Lord of armies will perform this.”’

33 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not come to this city nor shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield, nor heap up an assault ramp against it. 34 By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he will not come to this city,’ declares the Lord. 35 ‘For I will protect this city to save it for My own sake, and for My servant David’s sake.’”

36 Then the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when the rest got up early in the morning, behold, all of the 185,000 were dead. 37 So Sennacherib the king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived in Nineveh. 38 Then it came about, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esarhaddon became king in his place.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The king of Assyria made the mistake of assuming that he was high and mighty and that the Lord God was like all manmade gods.  He also made the mistake of assuming God was on his side, and that he could attack God's chosen people since it was obvious that Israel had abandoned Him.  King Hezekiah made the mistake of assuming that just because God had chosen Israel, he didn't have to personally follow the Lord.  Both kings were missing the critical part about humility, repentance and giving God one's whole heart.  

Sadly, it is possible for one to say, "I can ignore, deny, taunt and test the Lord my God all I want, but don't you dare talk badly about Him!!!"  How easily we can take things very personally that other people say, whether true or not, but we don't take the truths that God says and make that "personal".

God is sovereign and has a plan!  So either one is working with the Lord, or one is working against the Lord.  Now, one can work alongside those who are working with the Lord, but that doesn't mean one is protected from consequences.  Being part of a group or family of believers does not make one a believer.  It is a personal decision.  And being a believer and part of a group or family of committed, obedient believers, does not make one committed or obedient.  It is a personal decision, followed by actions.  

Understand that it is all about having a personal relationship with the Lord.  Evidence of this fact is seen in the Bible, even in the verses above.  Just go back and reread what God, Himself says!  Not only is it personal, but He cares, wants to help us, and desires for us to be close to Him!  So, it's never too late to humble oneself and to turn or return to the Lord God!