The Folly of False Obedience
Jeremiah 41-45
“Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God…You are telling a lie! The Lord Our God has not sent you.”  41:6 and 43:2

It's easy to trust and affirm our obedience to God when His plans align with ours, but it is far more difficult when He disrupts our plans and leads us in a direction we do not desire to go. The people of Judah were experiencing a time of great uncertainty. Babylon was applying pressure on them from the north as they sought to gain control of Judah. Judah became the buffer state between the two powerhouses of the Ancient Near East, so whoever controlled Judah controlled the trade routes between Europe and Africa and would hold the upper hand in the power struggle. Due to their strategic location, Babylon desired to gain control. With the threat of Babylon rising in the north, Judah's leaders sought a prophetic promise of deliverance from Jeremiah. When they approached him, they assured him they would listen to Jeremiah and obey whatever God declared. However, their affirmation of obedience was more an attempt to secure a favorable promise than a genuine willingness to submit to God’s direction. Instead of accepting Jeremiah's warning, which was that they would face judgment and desolation if they did not submit to Babylon, they accused Jeremiah of being a false prophet and incited the people to turn against him. They continued pursuing an alliance with Egypt, which ultimately led to their defeat and destruction.

We condemn the folly of the Jews, yet we often fall into the same trap. We claim our obedience to God and join in His worship when He brings blessing into our lives and affirms our plans. We often see God as our cosmic benefactor who is here to do our bidding and support our ambitions. However, when life becomes difficult and our plans fail, we accuse God of being uncaring and unloving. We start to question Him and His plan for us. Yet, we only see life from the perspective of the present and what seems good for the moment. God guides our lives from an eternal viewpoint, considering what will have the greatest impact in eternity. We cannot see the outcome; we only observe the immediate result. Sometimes, God allows us to go through periods of hardship and adversity—not because He desires our harm, but because of the eternal benefits they produce, which are for our good and His glory. When life deviates from our plans and it feels like we are controlled by chance, we can trust that this is when God is most actively working in our lives. His plan is perfect, and although we cannot see the end, He does, and His purpose and plan are always flawless. When adversity arises, it is not because God has abandoned us; rather, it is because God is actively working in our lives to accomplish an eternal purpose.  

Listening to What We Do not Want to Hear
Jeremiah 36-40.
“Yet the King and all his servants who heard all these words were not afraid, nor did they rend their garments.” (36:24)
When writing to Timothy, Paul warns, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).  The hardest thing to do is to listen to a warning that challenges us to change.  We want affirmation so that we do not need to change.  We want to be told that God loves us and that we are exempt from judgment.  But the one thing we do not want is to be told is that we must change or face the consequences of our sin. We want heaven, but reject hell, even though Christ affirms them both in one sentence (see Matthew 25:46).
The leaders of Judah during Jeremiah's ministry were no different.  When Jeremiah confronted them with the sin and warned them of impending judgment, they refused to listen.  Instead of responding to Jeremiah’s warning, they sought out “prophets” who would only promise peace.  With the impending threat of Babylon invading from the north, instead of repenting and trusting in God for His protection, the king of Judah, Jehoiakim, attacked the messenger. As a result of his refusal to repent, he was captured by Nebuchadnezzar and taken into captivity.
When Zedekiah became king, God again spoke through Jeremiah to warn the people of their sins and to call them to repentance. While Jehoiakim rejected Jeremiah’s prophecy, Zedekiah took it a step further by throwing Jeremiah into a cistern and making an oath that he would hand Jeremiah over to those seeking to kill him. Undeterred, Jeremiah still challenged Zedekiah to listen to God's warnings, and if he did, he would be spared from death. But Zedekiah refused, and as a result, his last sight before being blinded by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was seeing his own sons put to death before his eyes.  
We marvel at the audacity of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah when, in their folly, they thought they could refuse to listen to the prophecies of God, yet we often do the same thing. We approach Scripture as if it were merely thoughts of God written by human writers rather than the Word of God. We want God to affirm us and accept us without the demand to change. We want teachers who promise eternal life but reject the warnings of judgment. In doing so, we make God into our image rather than surrender to Him for who He is. However, like the kings of Jeremiah’s day, we cannot conform God to our perspective and dismiss the scriptures we find disagreeable. Rather, all we can do is humbly accept God for who He is and then accept the salvation that He freely offers if we trust in Him. Do you conform God to what you want Him to be, or do you surrender to God for who He is? God warns us of judgment, not to torment us, but to call us to repentance and to accept the grace He offers.  He calls us to surrender to Him.  Instead of dismissing His word we need to embrace His word in its totality.

The Greatest Hope in a Time of Darkness
Jeremiah 31-25
“Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.”
The heart of Jeremiah appears dark and foreboding as he pronounces judgment upon Israel. Yet within the book that seems to focus on judgment, we find one of the greatest statements of hope in Scripture. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, gives a message that becomes the foundation for the entire New Testament. In chapter 31, we find the connecting link between the Old and New Testaments, a link we still regularly celebrate today. It is so central that it forms the basis for the title, “New Testament”.

When Jeremiah arrived on the scene, Israel was in shambles. They had completely forsaken the Law and were facing the certainty of judgment. The Mosaic Covenant was given to Israel as its foundation, enabling them to realize God's blessing. In the Mosaic covenant, God had promised to be their God, and the Law was given to set the requirements that a holy God demanded of those He blessed. It was a promise of untold blessings. The only requirement was that they obey His commands. However, before the dust had settled from God chiseling the Law into the stone tablets, the people were already breaking the Law by turning to idolatry. While Israel experienced periods of revival during the times of the Judges and Kings, by the time Jeremiah came on the scene, the nation was in spiritual and political disarray. The Mosaic Covenant was broken beyond repair because of the sin of the people.  

Even as Jeremiah pronounced judgment on Israel in chapter 31, God gives a new promise and new hope to the people. The discipline would be corrective rather than punitive. God would not completely abandon His people. In an incredible act of grace, God promises a New Covenant that will be fundamentally different from the Old Covenant. In Jeremiah 31:27-40, God outlines and contrasts the new covenant with the old covenant. In this passage, we discover seven critical elements of the new covenant. 1/ God promises that the new covenant will bring reconciliation between God and the people of Israel (32-32). Even though the people broke the Mosaic covenant with God, He will not abandon them but will restore their relationship with Him. 2/ Unlike the Old Covenant, in which the Law was written on stone, in the new covenant the Law will be written within them and on their hearts. In other words, the New Covenant will accomplish what the Old could not — the complete transformation of the people. The problem was not with the Mosaic covenant but with the people who refused to live by it. Thus, God will bring about a complete inward transformation so that they will now know Him completely. 3/ The covenant will result in the sanctification and salvation of the people. This will lead to the universal knowledge of God (vs 34), so that all will know Him and experience universal peace and prosperity. Lastly, this covenant will be eternal, for God will dwell with the people (Jeremiah 31:35-37).  

In the Old Testament, the covenant was ratified by the sacrifice of an animal to atone for the people's sins and enable them to enter into a relationship with God. But what sacrifice ratified the new covenant? How would the sins of the people be atoned so that they could enter into a permanent relationship with God? This brings us to the New Testament. When Christ died on the cross, he not only paid the penalty for our sins, but he also, through his blood, ratified the New Covenant, and it is this event that we affirm and celebrate when we take communion (1 Cor. 11:23-34; Hebrews 8-10). Christ's death not only established the new covenant for Israel but also secured our salvation, as we are grafted into it (Romans 11:17-24). The hope of Israel becomes our hope as well, and the transformation that God promised Israel, he also promises us. As Old Testament scholar Walter Kaiser points out, “The seventh century was the greatest moment of impending destruction for the nation; yet in the midst of the faithful warnings of God’s servants came one of the most spectacular series of promises of hope.” These promises are what we enjoy and celebrate every time we partake of communion.

Hope in a Dark Period
Jeremiah 26-31
“’For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”
Jeremiah was not called the weeping prophet without reason. As we journey through the book, the central theme repeated is the certainty of God's judgment for their rebellion against Him. While false prophets were proclaiming peace and victory over Babylon, Jeremiah consistently emphasizes the certainty of judgment. Because Israel had abandoned their covenant with God, God was using Nebuchadnezzar as His instrument to discipline Israel for their sin. Their only hope for survival was to capitulate to Nebuchadnezzar's demands and accept their fate of being taken into captivity and transported back to Babylon. This required them to admit their sin and accept God's discipline. Yet, just like today, some denied God's justice and only proclaimed peace and prosperity. But they would be judged severely by God for they “have spoken words in My name falsely, which I did not command them” (29:13).
However, even as God pronounces judgment upon the people for their sin, He also offers the hope of salvation. While God will discipline Israel, He will not fully abandon them. For 70 years, they will be in exile in Babylon, but God remains faithful to His promises to Abraham. Throughout the judgment, the promise of deliverance is woven in. In 29:10, God reminds Israel that He is still faithful to His promises and will bring them back to the land He promised to Abraham. In verse 11, we see the heart of God’s compassion as He affirms that His desire is for their well-being and for their future and hope. Despite their sin and rebellion, when they call upon God and seek Him, God will reveal Himself and be with them. He will restore them completely to the land.
This is the same message that God gives us today. When we reject Him, when we abandon the truth of His word and reject His moral law, when we embrace the moral mantra of our culture, we will face the certainty of judgment. God is righteous and does not tolerate sin or any distortion of His word. If God judged Israel for their sin, He certainly will judge us for our sins. However, the offer of salvation and restoration that God gave Israel is also available to us today. If we confess our sins and acknowledge our guilt, God will forgive us our sins and restore us to a favorable relationship with Him (1 John 1:9). He not only forgives us of our past, but He complete changes our future. The promise that He gave Israel in verses 11-14 of forgiveness and restoration of their relationship with Him is the same promise He gives us as well. 1 2 Corinthains 5:17, he assures us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; and behold, new things have come.”  When we seek Christ, He completely restores us to a favorable relationship with Him, no matter what our sins might have been. When we surrender our lives to him, He erases the guilt of the past and gives us a whole new future, a future that is one of hope and blessing.  

Following the Right Leaders
Jeremiah 21-25
“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.  They are leading you into futility; they speak a vision of their imagination, not from the mouth of the Lord.” (23:16).
We live in the age of noise. Not physical noise, but spiritual and moral noise. The radio and TV fill the airwaves with talk shows where celebrities and news commentators give us their opinions on every moral, cultural, and political issue we can think of. We turn to the internet, and “social influencers” clamor for our clicks to push their profits. Surveys indicate that 51% of Americans follow macro-influencers (those with 100,000 to 1 million followers). 25% of people listen to mega influencers (1 million+ followers). They influence people in many ways, from the food we eat to the political and social views we embrace. The tragedy is that even those who claim to be Christians are more influenced by the world we live in than by the teachings of scripture itself. Barna research reveals that only 17% of those who consider their faith important and attend church regularly actually have a biblical worldview, one that is grounded in scripture.
Yet, the misguided deception of false teachers is not new. From the very beginning of time, when Eve listened to the whispering of Satan in the form of a serpent, we have turned to false teachers for our instruction. This was also true during the time of Jeremiah. In chapter 23, Jeremiah again confronts the people with the danger of false prophets who would proclaim what the people wanted to hear rather than the biblical truth they needed to hear. In this chapter, we again find characteristics of false teachers. False teachers are more concerned about their own success than they are about communicating the truth (vs 1-2). What drives the social influencer is not the desire to share the truth, but the desire for clicks on their site, so they say what we want to hear. This was also true of the false teachers during the time of Jeremiah. While they claim to speak a prophecy from God, in reality, they were only proclaiming visions of their own imagination. Instead of warning of sin and calling people to repentance, they promised peace and prosperity (23:16-17). Instead of confronting sexual immorality, they promoted it (vs 10). Tragically, we see this in many churches today. Instead of teaching the truth of God’s Word, their message focuses on why we should not believe it. They conform the message to their own opinions.
However, we are not without hope. In chapter 23, we find Jeremiah not only warning of false shepherds but also providing the assurance that God remains vigilant in protecting His people. When we trust God and listen to His word, He will shield us from the deception of our world. He takes personal responsibility for us. Furthermore, He promises that a time will come when He will raise up a new shepherd, one who will “reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land” (5-6). This points us forward to the coming of Christ, who will come proclaiming God’s message and leading us in righteousness.
So, how do we have discernment in the age of misinformation? In this passage, we find a two-fold answer. First, a genuine shepherd will be grounded in the teachings of scripture and will call us to a life of purity and holiness. Instead of justifying sin, he will challenge us to turn from sin by warning of its consequences and calling us to repentance (vs 22). Second, a genuine shepherd will point us back to the true shepherd of Israel (vs 4). Their message will be centered on Christ, grounded in his teachings, and will direct us to the salvation he brings. In our age of information, political pundits, and social commentators, we need to ensure we are listening to the right voice: Are they calling us to a life of holiness? Are they pointing us to Christ? If not, there is only one thing left to do: hit the off button.

The Challenge of Self-Assessment
Jeremiah 16-20
“The heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according tohis ways, According to the results of his deeds.”
The threat to our spiritual life is not the world we live in or the evil that seems to grip society. The greatest threat to us is ourselves. It is much easier to spot the sin in others than to be honest about the sins in our own lives. We are masters of self-deception. John Calvin writes, “The human heart has so many crannies where vanity hides, so many holes where falsehood lurks, is so decked out with deceiving hypocrisy, that it often dupes itself.” Stephen Charnock points out that “self is the great anti-Christ and anti-god in the world, that sets up itself above all else.” There are several ways our heart deceives us. First, it deceives us into denying the presence of sin. We easily see the faults in others and condemn them for their weaknesses, but remain blind to our own failures and struggles. While we easily see the faults in others, we turn a blind eye to our own self-examination. Second, it deceives us by denying the severity of sin. We condemn others for their sin but minimize the severity of sin in our own lives. Lastly, it deceives us by denying the judgment of sin. Whenever we minimize sin, we also minimize God's judgment. We make sin palatable and acceptable before God, reaffirming in our self-righteousness that we are free from its corrupting presence. Others may sin, but we remain righteous. Sin is the ultimate huckster promising us pleasure without consequences and sin without punishment.    
However, as we turn to the pages of Jeremiah, we discover a different perspective. After pronouncing judgment upon Judah for their sin, God reminds the people that in our sin, we are self-deluded. Being deceived means believing a lie and following a myth. The lie is that we are untouched by sin, and the myth is that there are no consequences for sin. We easily see (and condemn) the wrongs of others but remain ignorant and in denial about the sins that control and dominate our own lives. We are desperately sick. The word refers to a disease, pain, or illness that is incurable. Sin hides behind the veil of self-righteousness and self-delusion. However, we are not completely without hope. Our hope does not come from ourselves, for we are deceived. Our hope comes from God, for He knows the heart and can penetrate every nook and cranny and reveal the sins our heart desperately wants to control and govern. He is the only one who can pull back the screen behind which we hide our sin. He brings us hope by revealing sin’s presence so that we might obtain His forgiveness. He is able to search and investigate our entire being to discover the areas where we are steeped in sin. Not only can He search our heart, but He can do the one thing we cannot—change our heart so that we rediscover the joy of righteousness and obedience to Him. To trust in Him is not only to trust and obey His laws, but also to trust Him to reveal our hearts so that He might change us to conform to Him. The paradox of our self-deception is that the more we believe we are righteous before God, the more self-deceived we become. The starting point of transformation is self-surrender and allowing God to inventory our lives and change us. The first step in salvation is to allow God to examine our spiritual health and reveal our sin. Then we can turn to the only one who can not only avert its consequences but also change our hearts, so that we might seek the righteousness of Christ. Today, ask God to do a self-examination of our lives to reveal the areas that we are blind to. The greatest prayer in the Bible is not the pray of Jabez to receive God’s blessing, but the prayer of David to receive God’s transformation. “Search me, O God, and know my heart…and lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24). This is the prayer God delights in answering.

Listening to the Right Message
Jeremiah 11-15
“The Lord said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name.  I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility, and deception of their own minds.” (14:14).

In our age of information, we are flooded with people telling us right from wrong. Thus, we can easily find a preacher who tells us what we want to hear rather than what we need to hear. The age of information has become the age of misinformation, and the age of misinformation has become the age of self-deception. Today, we are not just faced with false teaching; we are faced with the greatest deceiver of all—ourselves. We no longer seek the truth; we only seek what agrees with what we want to believe. We now live in an age of confirmation bias, where we search for information that confirms what we want to believe rather than challenging us to change our beliefs and actions.

The problem with confirmation bias is not new; it exists among the people of Israel. Jeremiah delivered an unpopular message, warning of imminent judgment because of Judah's sins. Like the northern tribes of Israel, Judah had turned away from God. Instead of remaining faithful and obedient to His word, they relied on false prophets. As we read the description of these false prophets we discover they still exist today. The first trait of a false teacher is promising only peace and prosperity while ignoring the need to warn about judgment. Although the Bible highlights God's grace and salvation, it also warns that those who reject this message and continue in sin will face judgment. Judgment and grace go together. Without the reality of judgment, grace loses its meaning. Grace and mercy are central to salvation, but if there is no sin or judgment, salvation becomes unnecessary, and grace seems meaningless. Conversely, judgment without grace leaves us hopeless because we are still trapped by sin and its consequences. A true messenger from God condemns sin and warns of judgment, but also offers hope through salvation. While confronting sin, they direct us to the cross.

The second characteristic of a false teacher is that they adapt the message of God to fit our thoughts and perspectives. When we read something in the Bible that we do not agree with, instead of adjusting our beliefs to align with its message, we change the Bible to match what we want to believe. We become like these false teachers in that we follow "the deception of our own minds (vs 14)." They did not denounce sin nor warn of its consequences. A genuine spokesperson for God is one who communicates the entirety of God’s word. They challenge us to likewise conform our beliefs and conduct to scripture.

The third characteristic of a false teacher is that they claim there are no consequences for sin. Their mantra becomes, “There is no judgment, and all people will go to heaven.” However, this denies the holiness and righteousness of God. To leave sin unpunished is to accept sin. The mark of a false teacher is that they deny the justice and holiness of God. They justify and redefine sin rather than call people to repentance, and in so doing, they reject the message of Christ. A true spokesperson from God is one who confronts sin to point us to the necessity of salvation. Who then should we listen to? Do we gather teachers and preachers who say what we want to hear, or do we listen to those who challenge us to change in conformity to God’s word?

Where do we turn for truth?
Jeremiah 6-10
“Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.”
Where do we turn to discover truth in a confused culture? The age of information has become the age of deception, in which the greatest deceiver is ourselves, as we find the information that supports and affirms what we want to believe. But this is not a new phenomenon. In the time of Jeremiah, the people were still giving lip service to God, but they were redefining God and his law to fit their own sinful desires. When we read through the prophets in general and Jeremiah in particular, we are struck by the depressing nature of their prophecies. Jeremiah is often referred to as the “weeping prophet” for his message is one of impending judgment. The people of Judah continued their descent into sin while giving lip service to God. They would go to the temple to make sacrifices while continuing to worship Baal. In 7:23-24, God confronts Israel with their hypocrisy. Throughout the Mosaic law, God called Israel to worship him exclusively and to obey his commandments. If they were faithful to the covenant, God promised blessings, security, and prosperity. However, instead of listening to God and seeking his counsel, they turned inward to themselves and lived according to their own wisdom (7:24). When God sent prophets to warn them and call them back to obedience, they refused. Instead of turning back to God, they continued headlong in the pursuit of their own wisdom (8:6).
While we look back and condemn the folly of Judah and Israel for embracing the empty worship of idols (chapter 10), we follow the same practice. We read the Bible but pick and choose what we want to obey and what fits our “modern morality,” while rejecting the instructions we find “offensive.”  We affirm the love of God, but deny his justice and righteousness. Idolatry is not the complete abandonment of God, but the recreation of God in our image. While we condemn Israel for the folly of their worship of idols of wood and stone, we embrace the worship of the gods of our imagination and reason. Idolatry is not just the abandonment of the God of the Bible to worship another religion; it is the distortion of God to recreate him into the God of our reason. When the Bible confronts us with our sin, we attribute it to the cultural biases of the past. In our modern morality, we are more enlightened, and in so doing, we boast of our wisdom and might. The greatest threat to us is not the deception of false religions, but the deception of our own hearts and the deception of our own pride.  
In response, Jeremiah challenges us to abandon our own wisdom and counsel of our own heart, but instead focus on the wisdom and counsel of God. Instead of conforming God to our perspective, we are to conform our understanding of God to his law, in which he has revealed himself. The measure of success is not in our wisdom, accomplishments, or wealth; the measure of success is our understand of God and living according to his law (9:23-24). How do we avoid the deception of today as well as the deception of the past? We do so humbly and completely obeying the voice of God and living according to his commands and moral law (7:23). Which voice are we going to listen to: the voice of our own reason, or the voice of God?

An Accident or Divine Design
Jeremiah 1-5
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Are we the product of chance or the work of a divine designer? This is the question our culture wrestles with. For many, we are the product of change, the result of a chance evolutionary process, and so an unborn baby is nothing more than a blob of tissue that forms by chance. Because we are the product of evolution, there is no guarantee that we will be formed correctly in the womb. If we are nothing more than the product of chance, then our physical bodies may not align with our true identity. Mother Nature is fickle and arbitrary, and the development of our bodies may not be in line with our internal identity. In a natural world governed by chance, mistakes happen. As a result, the unborn are devalued, and life itself is meaningless. In the opening words of Jeremiah, we not only discover Jeremiah’s call to ministry, but we also find the nature and value of life.  

While we do not know the exact age of Jeremiah, scholars universally agree that Jeremiah was in his late teens to early 20s when he was confronted with the call of God. In these words, we not only see the purpose God had for Jeremiah, but also gain insight into the purpose and work of God in our lives. In verse 5, we discover two important truths that serve as the foundation for our understanding of God’s design for us. First, we discover that we are not the product of chance and the mechanics of nature. Each one of us is purposefully designed and formed by God himself. From the moment of conception, God is actively engaged in our lives, forming our physical, emotional, and spiritual identity so that we might be the person God designed us to be. The language is important: God does not say, “before you were formed,” but rather, “before I formed you!” This theme is repeated in the Bible. Psalm  71:6, “Upon you I have learned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13, “For You formed my inward parts; you wove me in my mother’s womb.” Isaiah 44:2, “Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you. (see also verse 44). The reason people struggle with their identity today is not because of a mistake of nature, but because they are not living aligned with God’s purpose and design.
 
Not only did God design our physical, emotional, and spiritual identity, but he also created us for a purpose. Not only did God purposely form Jeremiah’s identity, personality, and attributes, but he also designed Jeremiah for a purpose to serve him. “Before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”  Paul affirms this in Galatians 1:15 when he states, “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace.” When we recognize that God designed us for a purpose, to live in a relationship with him and serve him, then we discover the joy and meaning of life. The reason people struggle to understand their identity and are inwardly dissatisfied with life is not that they were a mistake of nature,  but because they are not living according to God’s purpose and design. If we are dissatisfied with life, if there is something deep within us that seems disjointed and broken, if life seems to be the product of chance rather than design, the solution is to surrender to God and ask Him to set the course of our lives. We are not the product of chance; we are not a mistake that must be corrected, our lives are not without purpose. A personal God created you perfectly in all aspects for the purpose of serving him, so that your identity is found in him and his eternal design for you.

When God is Afflicted
Isaiah 61-66
“In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and His mercy He redeemed them, and He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.”
The statement seems unbelievable. We see God as an infinitely powerful being who is so far exalted above the earth that He is beyond our understanding. He is the mighty God who controls the universe and encompasses the totality of infinity. There is no limit to His being, His presence, and His power. It is both shocking and wonderful that He would look upon the affairs of man and notice what happens on this tiny speck in the vastness of the heavens. As we reach the end of the book of Isaiah, in 61:1-9, we find Isaiah empowered to proclaim good news to the afflicted and to bring healing to those with broken hearts. In verse 1, we see that the Holy Spirit has come upon Isaiah. Throughout scripture, the anointing of the Holy Spirit is given with a purpose to accomplish. In verses 1-3, Isaiah is tasked with six responsibilities: 1/ To bring good news to the afflicted; 2/ to bind up the brokenhearted; 3/ to proclaim liberty to captives; 4/ to declare the day of salvation and God’s judgment; 5/ to comfort those who mourn; and 6/ to bring gladness to the mourners. These verses not only describe Isaiah’s ministry but also point us toward the future ministry of Christ. The word “anointed” in verse 1 is the verb form of “Messiah,” signaling that we are to look beyond Isaiah to the coming Messiah. Christ read these words in the synagogue on the Sabbath and then announced that His mission was to bring them to fulfillment (Luke 4:4-21). While Israel had experienced God's judgment, God was now proclaiming a new message: that He would bring salvation and restoration to Israel and all sinners through the New Covenant. This New Covenant was inaugurated at the death of Christ and is currently being fulfilled in the present expansion of Christ’s kingdom.  The full reality of its fulfillment will be realized when Christ returns to create a new heaven and a new earth and establish His kingdom forever (65:17-66:24).

This brings us to the great mystery of Scripture: Why would an infinitely powerful God care about us? Why would he stoop from heaven to pay attention to this small speck in space and bring salvation to the very people who have rejected Him? The answer to that question is found in Isaiah 63:9, and it is in this verse that we find a statement that seems mysterious to us. In verse 9, we read, “In all their afflictions He was afflicted.” How could a God who is infinite in power and unsurpassed in authority be affected because of our circumstances? The word “affliction” refers to a strong emotional response that one experiences when facing adversity and suffering. In Jer 48:41, it is used to describe the pain of a woman in labor. God so deeply cares about us that He feels the pain of suffering when we suffer because of our sin. He so deeply cares for us that He feels our pain and sorrow deeply within Him. This stems from His infinite love for us, and it moves Him to bring salvation to us, “In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them” (vs 9b). That the God of the universe would experience the same hurt that we feel internally because of the affliction we face is beyond our ability to grasp.  All we can do is read the words on the page and find comfort in the fact that, in all circumstances in which life seems to be crushing our souls, God also experiences our pain and is moved to bring salvation to us. In the struggles we face, especially in the face of the devastation of sin, God is not silent, and He is not indifferent.  He cares enough to send His son to die for us that we might have salvation.  This is our hope and our confidence in the struggles and pain of a fallen world.  

The Audacity of Man and the Supremacy of God
Isaiah 46-50
“I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established and I will accomplish all My good pleasure; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly, I have spoken; truly, I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.” (46:9-11).
The audacity of man is to think that we can conform God to our perspective and that we can be the masters of our own destiny. Israel, like us, had turned their back on God to pursue the gods of their own making. Rather than conform to the character and standard of God, they created their own idols. When we look at all the religions today, they focus upon the teachings of a man and worship one who lived and died. We find them appealing because they help us feel in control and align with our desires. Our country has now embraced the god of human reason. Rather than conform to the God of the Bible and his standard, we reject what we do not like and confirm only what we desire. We reject his holiness while affirming his love. Our idols are not made of gold and wood, like the idols of the pagan religions in Babylon. Today, we no longer worship idols; we now worship ourselves. Isaiah points to this self-worship in 47:10 when he states, “you have said in your heart, IAm, and there is no one besides me.”

Yet, even as we worship ourselves, we fail to recognize the love and holiness of God and the supremacy of his reign. Isaiah now turns from condemnation to an appeal for people to turn back to the living God. He alone is unique and unequaled (46:9). He controls history from the beginning to the end. We are not the masters of our own destiny; he is. Before the beginning of time itself, God declared what would transpire, when creation and the history of man would begin, and when he would bring the end to this world (46:10-11). The events of the world are not arbitrary; they are not determined by our choosing, nor are they under our control.

Instead, history is the outworking of God’s sovereign plan that he established long ago (48:3).   Because he does not change his word and his purpose is unchanging (46:4), this is both a warning and a comfort. It is a warning that God will bring judgment upon all who reject him. Even when we claim to be followers of God, if we walk in disobedience and disregard for his truth, we will face the certainty of judgment (48:1-5). Yet in the words of Isaiah, we also find the most significant promise of God’s comfort and salvation. Even though we embraced sin and rebelled against God, God provided hope by promising a servant who would come to bring salvation and delieverance of sin. In Isaiah 49:1-3 and 50:4-11, we find the first two of four servant songs that point us forward to the Messiah who would come to bring us salvation.

Even though people will reject him, he will bring restoration to those who seek him (49:7; 50:4-9). When we realize and embrace the salvation the Servant will bring, instead of judgment, we will experience the unquenchable love and compassion of God (49:13-16).  
Thus, we are left with a decision: will we continue to pursue man’s wisdom as our god, which leads to judgment, or will we accept and embrace the salvation that God offers us through his Servant, the Messiah, who is Christ, and experience his grace and compassion? The Audacity of man is to think we can control our own destiny and dictate our own morality. The folly of man is to believe that God will not see and will not judge (47:10). The supremacy of God is that he controls the universe and he determines the destiny of humanity. God wonders that he offers us the hope of salvation and the promise of eternal life if we just see him.  

What is Your Attitude Towards Church
Isaiah 56-60
“If because of the Sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy Day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor it, desisting form your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word, then you will take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (58:13-14).
It is not about the day; it is about the attitude and priority we give to the day. We affirm the importance of all ten commandments—except one: the command to keep the Sabbath day holy. It is true that the Sabbath day, as a legalistic requirement, was removed at the cross. No place in the New Testament do we find the early church maintaining the legal requirement to observe the Sabbath on Saturday. However, before we dismiss the third commandment, we need to ask what the purpose of the Sabbath is. The Sabbath was meant to symbolize the importance of remembering that our eternal hope is found in God. It was a day set aside from the daily affairs of life to worship God and to remind the people that he is the creator, that we are to worship him, and that he is to be our priority in life. It also pointed forward, reminding the people that the final Sabbath rest was yet to come. This would be accomplished through Christ’s death and resurrection, which achieved this final rest (Hebrews 4). Therefore, the early church now set aside the first day of the week to be a time to worship and celebrate the redemptive work of Christ and the sabbath rest he brings.   In Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, and Revelation 1:10, we find that the church was to gather on the first day of the week. However, in Colossians 2:16, we are reminded that it is no longer about the specific day of the week. Instead, the focus is on our attitude and the priority we give to gathering with the saints to worship Christ (see Hebrews 10:25).
In Isaiah 58:13-14, we see the reason for gathering and the importance of gathering with the saints to worship God. In verse 13, we see three requirements for keeping the Sabbath, then three actions necessary to fulfill them. The first requirement is that we turn from pursuing our own agenda. In other words, celebrating the Sabbath is not a convenience; it is a priority. Too often, we attend church only when it fits our schedule rather than making it a priority. It is to be our highest priority. Second, it is a day that we are to regard as a delight and holy to the Lord. Worship should not be a duty but a joy as we set aside time to reflect upon and exalt the holiness of God. It is a time to remember the greatness of our God. It is a priority in life. To regard it holy is to acknowledge that this day belongs to God to worship him. It is not a day off from work to do our own agenda. The third requirement is that we honor the day by treating it as our delight rather than a drudgery. In our modern day, we often regard church a duty rather than a delight. Of all the activities we do, the worship of God should be the one thing that brings us the most pleasure and joy.  
So, how do we properly worship God? Isaiah gives us three qualifying statements we must guard against and stop doing to make the worship of God the priority. First, cease from “doing our own ways.” Sunday is not a day for us to catch up on the tasks we didn't get done or the home chores we pushed aside during the week. It is prioritizing God above all else. Second, we are to cease from seeking our own pleasure. It is not a day to rest; it is a day to reaffirm and realign our focus upon God so that he becomes our highest pleasure. Third, we need to stop speaking our own words. It is a day to listen to God. Too often in our Christian life, we tell God what we want him to do, but we do not stop to ask him what he wants us to do.  
When we make the worship of God the priority, then we discover the delight and blessing of God (vs 14). We discover the security that we have in him, for he will fulfill his promises to us. The first step in growing in our faith is to set Sunday and the fellowship with God’s people as our highest priority. Does the worship of God get pushed aside because of other priorities? Does the church become a convenience rather than an essential part of our lives? God desires us to enjoy him, and this starts by making him and the fellowship with his people our highest priority in life.

The Divine Invitation
Isaiah 51-55
“Isaiah 55:8-9
The pride of humanity is the belief that God conforms to our image and our thinking. We pick and choose which parts of the Bible and attributes of God we find acceptable, but we deny and reject those we find uncomfortable and threatening. We readily confess the love of God but deny the justice and righteousness of God. We set ourselves above God by conforming Him to us, as if He were accountable to us.
In this section of Isaiah, we find God's message of salvation and the coming of the suffering servant who will bring salvation through His redemptive sacrifice. Isaiah 53, one of the more familiar passages, foretells the suffering servant who will come. In these words, we see the wonder of Christ's redemptive work as He takes upon Himself the depth of our sin so that we might obtain forgiveness. In vivid detail, Isaiah foretells the death and resurrection of Christ, in which Christ suffers vicariously for our sins so that we might have forgiveness of sin. What we do not want to hear is the promise of judgment for those who reject Christ.   When we reach chapter 55, we are faced with an invitation and a choice. The chapter begins with an appeal to accept the salvation God offers. Our merit does not earn this salvation but is freely offered to us at no cost. Our culture seeks satisfaction, joy, and security. For security, we turn to political leaders to provide answers to our society's problems. We look to wealth for prosperity and happiness, believing that if we just have more money to buy the things our hearts desire, then we will be happy. However, in the end, we discover that we have been chasing a myth—prosperity, success, and human wisdom cannot answer life's basic needs. Despite all our pursuits, we still find ourselves unsatisfied and without absolute joy.
However, God promises something different. When we walk in obedience to Him and surrender our lives to Him, He provides us with life to the fullest. In 55:3, we find the invitation to come and listen to Him; that is, we are to seek God to obey His word. When we do so, we discover the meaning and joy of life itself. In 55:3, God invites us to come “that you may live.” Literally, it reads, “That your soul may live.” In other words, His promise is life in the fullest sense: eternal life and the enjoyment of God forever. However, this invitation requires a response from us. We do not enjoy the benefits of salvation by passively listening to the message and merely affirming its truthfulness. We need to respond in surrender by forsaking sin and walking in obedience to Him (55:6-7). This requires us to stop looking to ourselves and our wisdom and instead humbly accept God’s law and recognize that He is exalted above us. Instead of conforming God’s moral law to our perspective, we must humbly accept that God’s knowledge is infinitely higher than ours, and all we can do is surrender to His truth. Instead of conforming God to our image, we must allow God to conform us to His. This begins by humbly acknowledging His supremacy and the truthfulness of His word. All His words are truth, and they will accomplish His purpose.   When we surrender to his word and strive to obey it without compromise, then we discover peace and joy in life. (55:12). Are you living in the pursuit of your own desires or humbly seeking to obey God in all things? The first leads to death, the second leads to life.

The Folly of Fear
Isaiah 41-45
“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

It is easy to fall into the trap of fear. As we look into the future, it appears uncertain and unknowable, and what we cannot perceive or control becomes a source of fear and anxiety. When we observe world events and the turmoil in our own country, it’s natural to feel apprehensive and fearful. But our fear isn’t only about the direction of our country; we also worry about what the future holds for ourselves and our families. Every day, we are reminded that we do not control the events of life or the circumstances we face. Each year, Chapman University conducts a survey of what Americans fear most. The top ten fears of 2025 are: 1. Corrupt government officials, 2. People I love becoming seriously ill, 3. Economic or financial collapse, 4. Cyberterrorism, 5. People I love dying, 6. U.S. involvement in another world war, 7. Pollution of drinking water, 8. Russia using nuclear weapons, 9. Pollution of oceans, rivers, and lakes, 10. Government tracking of personal data. These fears are not minor but threaten our very existence. When people become fearful, they often become angry, which explains why many are taking to the streets in violence.

Yet these fears are not new. In the time of Isaiah, the people were just as overwhelmed by fear. They feared the outbreak of war and invasions by the Assyrians or the Egyptians. They worried about the future safety of their families. Just as fear is spreading across our country, so too was it gripping the hearts of the people of Israel. However, fear does not come from circumstances themselves; it comes from our sense of powerlessness to change those circumstances. We are not afraid of the dark itself; we are afraid of the unknown threats that might be hidden within it. We don't fear what we can control; we fear what is beyond our control. So how can we find security and peace in a world filled with so much uncertainty and so many threats lurking in the darkness ahead?

In these chapters, Isaiah gives us the answer. We do not need to fear the unknown or the future because we know that there is one who controls these events. Life is not dictated by uncontrollable events that happen in the geopolitical world. Our future is not determined by chance. Instead, we are reminded that there is one who controls all events that happen in the world and in our personal lives. In 41:10, God reminds us that when we live under the umbrella of His sovereign care, we do not need to be gripped by fear because He is watching over us and controls all the events in the world and in our lives. When God is with us, threats become as “nothing and non-existent” (Isaiah 41:12). God never abandons His people. He is always watching over us. While God does not promise complete freedom from adversity and trials in life, He does promise that even when we face difficulties, He will be present and protect us so that they are not threats to our security or life in Him (43:2). In 43:4, He affirms that we are precious in His sight. He deeply cares for us. The reason we become gripped by fear is not because of the size of our problems but because of the size of our view of God. When we realize that the infinitely powerful God, the one who created the universe, is watching over us and walking hand in hand with us, then we can live without fear, for God is by our side. No matter what we face today or how uncertain the future may seem, we can have security and confidence because the creator of the universe, the one who possesses absolute authority and unlimited power, is walking alongside us.

The Greatness of Our God
Isaiah 36-40
“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in a pair of scales?

How does the finite grasp the infinite? How can we who are nothing more than a speck on a plant that is a speck in the Milky Way, which is nothing more than a speck in the vastness of the cosmos? One of the audacities of humanity is that we elevate our importance, power, and influence to the point that we believe we can control our own destiny, determine our own morality, and even save the planet from any impending disaster. In the arrogance of our thinking, we believe that God should conform to what we think, and we create God in our image. So, how does the finite grasp the infinite? By making the infinite finite. We conform God to our image and our likeness and believe that he should act and do according to our own perspective. However, a God that we can control and conform to us, is a god who is ultimately smaller than us. We desire a God that answers us rather than a God to whom we must answer. So when the Bible says something that disagrees with our modern, “enlightened” morality, we attribute it to unenlightened and biased writers. We affirm the Bible is true, but only the parts that we find agreeable and acceptable to us.

Isaiah 40 breaks upon the scene in a time of darkness and fear in the land of Israel. The Assyrians are a growing threat to national security, and the nation is descending into moral chaos as the people embrace the sexual and religious perversion of the nations around them. For the righteous, it seems as if God has abandoned them, and evil is winning the day. They were facing the same internal moral and political collapse we are seeing in our own country. What the nation needed most was not a stronger military; they needed a fresh view of God. This we find in Isaiah 40. Through the prophetic voice of Isaiah, God reminds the people of his supremacy and greatness by contrasting the frailty of humanity with the unrelenting, undiminished power of God. In verse 12, we gain a glimpse of God's infinite nature when Isaiah states that God measures the expanse of heaven by the expanse of his hand. When I want to measure something without a ruler, I often use the span of my hand (from the tip of the little finger to the tip of the thumb). For me, that is 9 inches. It is estimated that the observable universe is approximately 93-billion-light years across the universe. Thus, it would be 93 billion light years way. The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second. We would arrive at the moon faster (1.2 seconds) than I can type this sentence. Our minds cannot even begin to fathom the vastness of space, yet compared to the infinite nature and power of God, it is less than the span of his hand. If God is powerful enough to create the universe, is he not powerful enough to ensure that the prophets recorded His words and His moral law without error?

The audacity of man is that we think we can not only understand God in his infinitude, but that he is somehow accountable to us. We conform God to our image and our perspective. Isaiah reminds us that not only is God unfathomable, but also that he cares for and watches over us. Therefore, we do not need to be afraid. Fear arises, not because of the overwhelming magnitude of our problems, but because of our failure grasp the unchallenged and unfathomable power of God. The size of our God is revealed by the fears that we have. If God, who measures the expanse of space with nothing more than his hand, watches over us and protects us, then we never need to fear, for there is nothing beyond his control and power. Instead of looking at the problems you are facing, look to the infinite God and rest in him.

When a Nation Descends into Turmoil
Isaiah 26-40.
“But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord?”
When we read of the prophetic announcements that will come upon Israel, Judah, and the surrounding nations, it often seems as if God is describing our country today. Daily, we pick up the news and see reports of conflict in the streets of Minnesota and across our county. People are looking to politicians (both Democrat and Republican) to solve our nation's problems and provide a moral foundation for society. The same was true of Israel during Isaiah's time. Israel was caught between two superpowers vying for control. The Assyrians to the north and Egypt to the south. Israel was not only between these two nations but also controlled the territory separating them. The nation that controlled Israel held the key territory between these superpowers. Like today, there were two factions within Israel. Some wanted to form an alliance with Assyria to protect themselves from Egypt, while others sought an alliance with Egypt. We see the same dynamic in our country as it continues to face political turmoil. Depending on their political views, some support the Democratic Party, and others support the Republican Party.  
However, the problem goes deeper than just political or military alliances. Into the scene walks Isaiah who, and confronts both factions in the nation by pointing out that they were seeking the wrong solution. They were seeking political solutions rather than looking to God and His Word for answers. The reason for the turmoil in the land was not political or military, but spiritual. Human solutions are temporary at best, for eventually both the Assyrians and the Egyptians will lose power and influence, for they too will be judged by God for their rebellion. The same is true for us.  When we turn to a political party, we may find temporary respite, but in a few short years, the conflicts will arise again in a new form. Therefore, the answer lies in seeking God and His appointed leader. It is only when Israel turns back to God that justice will prevail in the land (32:25-40). In 33:6, Isaiah provides the answer. The stability and security that the people desired would only come from the hand of God. Therefore, instead of seeking help from the Egyptians or Assyrians, the people are to see the unfailing truth of the law of God (34:16).
The same is true for our nation and our personal lives today. The peace and security that people long for can only come from God. Just as Israel needed to seek God’s word for wisdom in a divided world, so we also need to seek the unchanging message of the Bible for answers to the complex and divisive problems of the world. As we see our culture descend into chaos, where do we turn for solutions? Do we turn to people or to God’s word for moral clarity?

The Tale of Two Lives
Isaiah 26-30
“Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O Lord, We have waited for You eagerly; your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls” (26:8-9).
In Isaiah 26-30, the prophet sets forth the indictment of Israel and Judah for their rebellion against God. In a series of pronouncements, God warns the nations that if they continue to reject him, they will face the certainty and severity of judgment. In 30:9-11, we see the reason for their judgment. In their rebellion, they refuse to listen to the instruction of the Lord. Yet the words of warning that God gives to Israel could easily be applied to our world today. They did not want prophets who confronted their sin and pointed them towards repentance. Instead, they wanted teachers and prophets who would only give promises of blessing. They wanted prophets who speak “pleasant words,” who promise blessing and happiness rather than call them to repentance and forsaking sin. When confronted with sin, they refused to listen. Because of their sin and rebellion, they would become overwhelmed by fear (30:16-17).

We see the same attitude and response today in our culture. We gather around us preachers who only affirm us rather than confront us, who promise God’s blessing without requiring repentance. We want our cake, and we want to eat it too. As a result, like Israel during Isaiah’s time, we also have also become gripped by a culture of fear.
We are plagued with the deep feeling that something is dreadfully wrong and disaster is around the corner. We fear the future but are unwilling to turn from sin in the present. When we live for the present, the unknown of the future becomes terrifying.

However, we are not without hope. In Isaiah 30:18, Isaiah affirms that God is gracious and compassionate, and He is willing to forgive and restore those who turn to Him. The answers to today's fears are not found in human wisdom but in the wisdom of God (26:3-4). We find security by focusing our attention upon God. When we trust in God, submit to His Word, and walk in obedience to Him, we are no longer overwhelmed by fear; instead, we discover peace and tranquility within our souls. Those who find peace place their trust solely in God. Instead of looking to humanity for guidance, we turn exclusively to God. Because we trust in God, we seek to obey all His laws. The world rejects God’s law in the pursuit of its own wisdom and experiences fear and anxiety. When we trust in God’s word and obey Him, we find perfect peace because we have a place of unfailing security—a truly “everlasting Rock” (26:4). The person who trusts in God is the one who desires nothing more than to follow God’s judgments. He desires nothing else in life but the knowledge and presence of God in his life (26:9). This challenges us to examine our hearts and ask the difficult question, “What do we long for?”  Do we long to live our lives as we please, following the wisdom and morality of men, or do we long to know God and obey His commands? Do we listen to preachers who tell us what we want to hear, or do we listen to those who challenge us on how we live? Do we follow our own desires, or do we make it our only purpose in life to know God (26:9)? Do we pursuit our agenda in life, or is our sole agenda in life the desire for fellowship with God? How we answer these questions determines whether we discover joy or live in fear. Those who live by the wisdom of our culture discover a life of fear. Those who live by pursuing God discover security and peace. Which do we choose?

The Justice and Mercy of God.
Isaiah 21-25
“O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.”

Chapters 13-24 recorded a series of devastating judgments of God against the sins of the nations surrounding Israel. The message was clear:  If a nation abandons God and embraces sin, it will face the consequence of God’s judgment. However, in chapters 24-25, we see the movement's climax in the prophecies. Instead of the judgment of God leading to anger towards God, it is to lead to the praise of God. We often praise God for his love, grace, and mercy, but how many times do we sing the praise of his judgment and his justice? We embrace a God of grace but deny God’s justice and holiness that brings severe judgment upon sin. Yet the anthem of praise recorded in chapter 24 begins with the praise of God for his judgment upon the nations that reject him. In 24:15, people are called upon to glorify God and praise him because he has brought judgment upon the enemies of God’s people. We can rejoice, for God is all-powerful and will have victory over evil in the end. In a world of injustice, when evil seems to be winning the day, and sin is promoted, we can have joy that there will come a time when God will establish righteousness.

In chapter 25, the focus shifts from the judgment of the nations that abandon God to the salvation and blessing God gives to those who embrace him. Not only will God judge sin, but he will also prepare a lavish banquet for all his people. Verse 8 provides us with hope in a broken world. The struggles and sorrows we face in the present will give way to a time of joy and blessing. When God returns, he will bring a final defeat of sin and its consequences. Death will be removed. Death was never God’s intent. Instead, it was a consequence of our rejection of his offer of life. We see in these verses the hint that sin and its judgment will be removed. The depth of his compassion is further evident in his willingness to remove all tears. This includes the tears we shed when people die, but it also includes all tears that come when we face the troubles of life in a broken world. No matter what causes us distress, sickness, loneliness, rejection, adversity, or any other crisis, God will lovingly wipe our tears away and remove all our sorrow and replace it with a banquet of Joy. This is the hope that we have longed for and desired in a broken world. Therefore, we can rejoice and be glad in his salvation in the present (vs 9). Our future promise gives us present hope and joy amid our present struggles. Isaiah does not say, “We will rejoice and be glad.” Instead, in light of our future salvation, he exhorts us to rejoice and be glad in the present because we have the promise and assurance of our salvation. The victory is already guaranteed; therefore, we can have joy in the present, even in the midst of life's struggles. It is our awareness of the future that gives us perspective in the present. Our hope is not found in the present, in the political arena, in the efforts of man. Our hope is found in God and his future redemption. No matter what we face in life, no matter how overwhelming the turmoil in the world, we can rejoice because God remains sovereign and his plan is being achieved. He will come again to the world to restore his righteousness. Spend time today reflecting on what we have in the future, and then give thanks to God for the assurance that he will one day come and personally, lovingly wipe our tears away and restore his kingdom on earth.
 

Certainty in a World of Uncertainty
Isaiah 16-20
“In that day man will have regard for his Maker and his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel.”
Where do we find purpose, meaning, and security in a geopolitical world that is in the throes of confusion? When we look at the world, it seems as though chaos is ruling the day, and the world’s geopolitical world continues to be in turmoil. When the world was torn apart in WWI, it was touted as the war to end all wars, as world leaders believed that the devastation would lead to a new geopolitical environment where international cooperation would bring an end to such a devastating global conflict. However, before the ink was dry on the peace treaty to end the war, the seeds of international tension were already being sown that would lead to the outbreak of World War II. The idealism of global peace was destroyed by the creation of a bomb that would threat not only global peace, but even global existence. Thus, the United Nations was formed to foster greater international cooperation and peace. However, it, too, proved to be only an illusion, as nations continue to seek economic and political power. With so much turmoil, where do we find security?

The answer lies in Isaiah 16-20. In this section of scripture, we see God proclaiming judgment against the nations surrounding Israel. These were the nations that were threatening Israel and seeking to gain dominance in the Ancient Near East. They were nations that were characterized by idolatry. As we read through these prophetic announcements, we see God warning of impending judgment upon these nations because they had rejected God and turned to their idols. When we read the Bible, the focus is primarily on the nations of Israel and Judah. When they walked in obedience to God, he blessed them with peace and prosperity, but when they rebelled against Him and turned to idolatry, God used the surrounding nations to bring judgment upon Israel. Because of His focus on Israel, we can easily assume that God was only interested in the nations of Israel and Judah. However, in these prophecies, we find that God also exercises His sovereign control over all nations, blessing and judging them according to their obedience to His law. Even though the law was given to Israel, it was the moral mandate for all nations, and so God holds all nations to the same moral and spiritual standard. Just as Israel had forgotten and abandoned God and faced the judgment of God for their sin, so also the nations that surrounded Israel faced the same condemnation. Like Israel, they had “forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the rock of your refuge” (17:10).  

In these prophecies, we are reminded of two important truths. First, it reminds us that God is in control of all nations. God controls the geopolitical world, and he governs all nations and leaders. God is not passive in His involvement in the movement of nations today, including the United States. He determines their leaders and the extent of their boundaries (Romans 13:1). Second, He will judge all nations by their obedience to His word. At His first advent, He came as our Savior. However, in His second advent, when He comes in all His glory, He will bring judgment upon all nations (Matthew 25:31-34; Revelation 11:18). This brings both hope and warning. There is hope and security in our world of insecurity because God remains in control. He is still at work in the world, guiding and directing the nations to His predetermined outcome. There is a warning that if our nation continues to reject God and reject His moral law, He will bring judgment upon the nation in the future. If God judges nations in the past, He will do so in the present. However, we influence our nation not through the political process but through the means God has ordained: sharing the gospel with people. How do we change a nation—one person at a time. It starts with us sharing our faith and the hope that we have in Christ. As you pray for our nation, pray for opportunities to share the gospel with one person. Then we will change the nation.

The Messiah who Delights in the Fear of God
Isaiah 11-15
“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. And he will delight in the Fear of the Lord…”
When we read the prophets, we often see their message as one of doom and judgment. Indeed, a key part of the prophets' message is the reality of God’s judgment upon sin. We observe the seriousness and inevitability of judgment in Isaiah 13-15, where God declares the coming Day of the Lord. This will be a time when God will bring judgment upon sin and those who have rejected His grace. In verses 13:9-11, Isaiah provides a vivid depiction of God’s certainty judgment.
However, as we read through the prophets and their denunciation of sin and the warning of the coming judgment, there is also woven throughout their oracles another message. This message is the promise of one who would come and bring salvation from sin and judgment. In Isaiah 11:1-10, we find another prophecy of the coming Messiah who will arise from the line of David. However, He will not be just a normal king, for His kingdom will not only be universal, but He will bring global peace and restoration from the devastation of sin. Sin brought destruction and death not only to humanity, but to the whole world, so that even the animals existed in conflict and hostility. In the kingdom of the Messiah, there will be peace in the truest and fullest sense. Animals that were formerly adversaries will now exist in tranquility side by side.  

In Chapter 11:1-3, we see a description of the nature of this King. Not only will He be a descendant of David, but He will also have a special empowerment of the Spirit of the Lord to bring salvation and hope for His people. As the King, He possesses three transforming and empowering qualities. First, because of the presence of the Spirit upon Him, He will govern with wisdom and understanding. The terms wisdom and understanding refer to His ability to act in a way that is consistent with the character and nature of God. The two terms together describe someone who can understand all the factors and consequences, enabling Him to make the perfect decision with the ideal outcome. The second characteristic of this King is that He will possess counsel and strength. This speaks of the ability to carry out the tasks before Him to achieve the best results. Lastly, He will possess a spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord is more than just having a healthy respect for God. It is more than just some innate feeling of awe before God. It is the central response to God that recognizes the supremacy of God and thus response in faith, belief, obedience, and worship of God. It is the recognition of God’s exalted position and authority and living in humble subjection to that authority.   The Fear of the Lord is what we have lost in our modern, feel-good culture that desires a God who is loving but not holy. We want a God who is forgiving but not judging. The Fear of the Lord is central to keeping God in perspective. It is to acknowledge His holiness and His judgment upon all sin so that we live in obedience to God. Not only does the Messianic King possess a fear of the Lord, but it is His delight. What we have lost in the church is the delight of the Fear of the Lord. To fear the Lord is to keep in perfect balance the realization of the depth of His grace towards us and His unyielding intolerance and hatred of sin. To be like Christ, and to live in His kingdom, is to recognize that God is both loving and holy. He brings salvation and protection to His people (12;1-2), but the severity of His judgment is poured out upon those who reject Him (13:9-11). Do we keep these in balance in our own lives? Do we recognize His justice so that we turn to Him to accept His grace?

Tragedy and Hope
Isaiah 6-10
“The People who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.”
The circumstances that surrounded Isaiah as he started his public ministry were a time of turbulence. The Assyrians were beginning to put military pressure in the region as they sought to exert and expand their power. The Northern tribes of Israel and their capital, Samaria, were under threat. As they sought to obtain security and protection from the threat, they revealed their true rebellion against God. Instead of turning to God, they turned to spiritual charlatans who said what they wanted to hear but did not call them back to God (8:19-20). Even though God sent Isaiah to call the people back to obedience, the people would continue in their rebellion and refuse to listen (6:9-13). Instead of finding peace, they became gripped with fear. Yet here was the irony. The one fear they should have was the fear of the Lord, which was the one fear they rejected. They feared the Assyrians more than they feared God.  

As we look at our culture, we see the same response. People ignore God and His Word, instead we only listen to spiritual leaders who tell us what we want to hear. We seek affirmation rather than transformation. As a result, we also become consumed by fear, seeing a conspiracy behind every event and every political party. We have become a culture of fear, in which we become fearful of the present and the future. We fear those in power, and we fear those who might rise to power. We become driven by fear. However, in our anxiety about the events in the world and in our country, instead of turning back to God, we continue to reject God. Instead of protecting the ones that need justice and protection the most (the unborn), we turn our backs on them under the guise of “my body, my choice.” We take advantage of the most vulnerable in our society, and turn our eyes from the needs of the poor and the widows.  

Even though Isaiah begins his ministry under the foreboding cloud of rebellion and judgment, he offers the light of hope. Even though it seems as if the future is hopeless, we find the prophecies of one who would come to bring hope and salvation not only to the nation of Israel but to all humanity. In 7:10-16, the promise is given of a child being born. It is implied that this child will be in the line of David (vs 13) and that he will not just be a human king, but he will be Immanuel—“God with us.”  In 9:1-7, another prophecy is proclaimed, one that is far more clear. The child will not only come from the line of David, but he will reign forever on David's throne. These two prophecies were the first hint in Isaiah of a final messianic king who would establish His kingdom forever. Throughout the rest of the book, more prophecies about the king will be woven in, all of which find their fulfillment in Christ. In a time of turmoil and judgment, God will not completely abandon His people but will provide one who will bring salvation and an eternal kingdom. These prophecies became the hope of Israel. They also become our hope as well. As we see the turmoil in our world, as we fear the present and the future, there is hope and security found in Christ. When we realize that Christ is in control and He is establishing His kingdom in the present through His spiritual presence in the church and as in the future when He returns to establish His physical kingdom on earth, then we no longer need to fear. We no longer need to follow the wisdom of the world. Jesus was the hope for Israel, and He is the hope for us today. When life becomes dark and foreboding and seems insecure and uncertain, we need to remember that Christ will return. The question is not whether His word is certain; the question is whether we are ready for His return by surrendering our lives to Him in the present. If we do that, then we can live without fear, no matter what the circumstances are.

What is the World is Going On!
Read Isaiah 1-5
“The expression of their Faces bears witness against them, and they display their sin like Sodom; they do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.” (3:9).
We look at our nation and the world, and it is rapidly disintegrating in front of our eyes. We see our country being torn apart by the political division that is paralyzing our government and bringing us to the brink of disaster. The left condemns and blames the right, and the right condemns and blames the left. Both cry that if our country is to be saved, we need to get the right political leaders in place. However, both are mistaken. The problems confronting our nation are not political and cannot be solved by politicians or political parties. The problem is not with the politician or the political party in power. The problem is much deeper; it's us. As the popular saying states, “We have met the enemy and the enemy is us.” The problem is spiritual, and it starts with our hearts.
   
The book of Isaiah opens with a denunciation of the spiritual degeneration affecting the nation of Israel. Israel was being plagued by military defeats from without and internal conflict within. As Israel begins his ministry, he confronts a nation in turmoil. But the issue was a heart problem. The nation abandoned 'God' and turned away from being obedient to his word. They did not have a weak military; they had a sickness of the soul (1:5). They had abandoned God and turned away from him. As a result, God brought his judgment upon the nation. However, even as he brought judgment, he offered hope. In 1:18, God promises complete forgiveness if they repent and seek him.  

God reminds the people that He is the one in control of the universe and the nation. He has blessed them with wealth and treasures, but instead of worshiping Him, they used their gold and riches to worship idols. As a result, they faced God's judgment. In 2:19-21, we are reminded that His glory and splendor are shown not only in His mighty acts and redemption of His people but also in His judgment. Indeed, it is a fearful thing to face an angry God. God's holiness and justice mean He will not let sin go unpunished. In 5:16, we read that “the Lord of hosts will be exalted in judgment, and the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.” When we, as individuals and as a nation, turn away from God, when we distort His moral law, and when we despise His word to follow our desires (5:24), God will bring His hand against us (vs 25).  

As we watch the news and see the political division, when people “call evil good, and good evil, when they substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, and become wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight (5:20-21), then we know that God’s judgment is near. We are facing a crisis in our nation today, but not a crisis of the economy or politics; we are facing a spiritual crisis. However, there is hope. God always responds when we seek Him. Instead of turning to political parties, we need to turn back to God and see Him. Instead of more protests, we need more confession. Instead of seeking a change in Washington, we need a change in our hearts. Healing for our nation does not start with the government; it begins with each person, confessing their sins and turning back to God. It starts with you and me repenting, surrendering to God, and focusing on Him. Then healing can come to our nation.  

Keeping the Flame Burning
Song of Solomon 7-8
“Many water cannot quench love, nor will rivers overflow it; if a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would be utterly despised.”

Too many marriages end up as roommates sharing the same house rather than as friends and lovers sharing the same life. In chapters 7-8, we see both their passionate love for each other and their dedication to keeping the marriage exciting, wonderful, and joyful. Chapter 7 describes the physical joys of marriage in such vivid detail that it would cause the prudish to blush and try to make the description of the bride's physical virtues figurative rather than literal. But in doing so, we miss the point that the writer is making. God has created the physical relationship between husband and wife to be the expression of something far deeper. The joining of husband and wife in sexual intimacy is meant to reflect a deeper spiritual oneness that is central to marriage. Marriage is more than just two people sharing a house and a bed; it’s about developing emotional and spiritual oneness that mirrors the unity within the triune God. This oneness is both celebrated and symbolized by the couple's physical union. In chapter 7, the focus is not just on the bride’s physical beauty but also on the joy the husband finds in his wife. Our culture has reduced sexual expression to mere acts of pleasure and selfish fulfillment rather than acts of love and unity that are only truly expressed within marriage. In the biblical view, the sexual relationship is not about the pleasure we receive but about giving ourselves at the most personal level to the other (see also 1 Cor. 7). This intimacy and self-sacrifice form the foundation for marriage's exclusivity. In verse 13, the bride affirms that her love is for him and him alone.  

However, the beauty of love is not just found in the physical relationship; it is also rooted in the unquenchable love that supports the marriage. In 8:6-7, we see that marriage is based on a timeless bond that neither time nor circumstances can destroy. Genuine love involves surrender. The seal was either a stamp or a cylinder pressed into clay to leave an impression, serving to mark ownership and personal identification. The deepest aspect of marriage is found in self-sacrifice rather than self-service. It means recognizing that we no longer belong solely to ourselves but to our spouse. Love is the act of surrendering ourselves, our rights, and ownership of our lives to our spouse, so that we are no longer primarily concerned with our own desires and well-being but with the well-being of our partner.

Marriage is an exclusive relationship that must be guarded and protected. Usually, the concept of jealousy is used negatively to describe selfish possession. However, it can also be viewed positively as an attitude of caring and devotion. Protection and commitment involve guarding against rivals or threats. This is the kind of jealousy referred to in 8:6. The strength and dedication of marriage are compared to death because death never abandons what belongs to it. Death is seen as an irresistible force that, once it captures someone, never lets go and tolerates no rivals. This is the essence of biblical love. It leaves no room for divided loyalties. Once we commit our love to our spouse, we do not let go. True love is like a flame so powerful that it cannot be extinguished even by a river of water. Its value is beyond compare. The point of the last part of verse 7 is that love has no price tag. All the wealth in the world cannot buy love.

The song ends with a warning, one that is needed in our over sexualized culture. The writer closes with the exhortation that the physical relationship is only appropriate in the context of marriage. Just as one is not to commit adultery in marriage, so one is not to betray the commitment we have in marriage by committing adultery before marriage. Marriage and sex are sacred and to be protected, and so we are to wait until the right time in the context of marriage before giving ourselves to another (8-12).
The challenge the writer gives us throughout this book is the challenge to see the sacredness of marriage and the importance of maintaining the joy and wonder of the relationship. Marriage takes time, commitment, and work to keep the marriage vibrant. This book reminds us that God designed marriage to be a source of joy, not drudgery, but it takes work, commitment, and effort. If your marriage is struggling and become dull and has lost its luster, start to rebuild the marriage by again discovering the joy of marriage. Spend time together and recapture the joy of being friends.

The Honeymoon is Over
Song of Solomon 5-6
“I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and had gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke. I searched for him, but I did not find him; I called him, but he did not answer me.”
During the joys of the honeymoon, the relationship of the newly married couple is at its zenith. Each moment spent together is joyous, and the couple affirms that their marriage will be different and that every day will be a honeymoon. However, when they get home, and life returns to daily struggles, reality hits: the joys of the honeymoon are forgotten, and couples begin to grow distant as the demands of life pull them apart.  

Such was the case of the couple in the Song of Solomon. Chapter 5 begins with the husband returning home after time in the field, while the wife is tired and already in bed. In contrast to the previous chapter, where she could not wait to be with him, she now becomes indifferent to his appeal (vs 3). As a result, the husband withdraws. Once she realizes that her husband has left, she immediately regrets her failure to respond to him and goes out to search for him. However, he has gone (vs 6). In her search, she enlists the help of others to assist her (8-9, 6:1-2). As she searches, she is reminded of what attracted her to her husband in the first place (10-16).   When she finds her husband and their relationship is restored, they rediscover the joy of their marriage (6:3-12).

In the tension of their struggle, we are reminded that marriage is not always a bed of roses. It is not always marked by passion, love, and joy. Marriage is a dance with times of closeness and times of distance. There are times when we cannot adequately express the depths of our love for one another, and there are times when we wonder why we got married in the first place. When we see this dance in the relationship between the bride and groom in this book, we are reminded that marriage is not always about being rapturously in love. It is about responding to the struggles and challenges we face in life and in our relationships. The difference between couples who struggle and those who develop a strong, unyielding bond lies not in the presence or absence of disagreements, distance, or frustration. The difference lies in their responses to the struggles. Chapters 5 and 6 provide us with an example of a proper response. When our relationship struggles, we need to act rather than respond with indifference. When the wife realized the husband had left, she searched for him. When we struggle in a marriage, we can either ignore the issues or take steps to address them. Like the bride who enlisted the help of the daughters of Jerusalem, there are times we need to enlist the help of others, counselors, and pastors who can help us resolve the issues. Marriages that struggle are those where pride prevents them from acknowledging they need help.  

We also see in chapter 6:3-12 the importance of taking time to remember the joys of the past and celebrating the marriage. Just as the couple rediscovered the joy of their relationship, we remember and rediscover why we were drawn to one another in the first place. Marriage takes work, requiring us to focus on the qualities that attracted us to one another rather than the frustrations that cause indifference and conflict. We are all flawed individuals; we each have quirks, attitudes, and actions that can frustrate our spouse. The question is what we are going to focus on. Are we going to focus on what causes frustration or what brings joy? Are we going to respond with indifference and neglect, or take steps to maintain the joy of our marriage?

A Celebration of Marriage
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
“I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, that you will not arouse or awaken my love until she pleases.”
                  We live in a culture that is sexualized to the point that it has become people’s identity. We define our whole identity by our sexual desires. However, throughout this book, we find the writer carefully and wonderfully navigating through the beauty of physical oneness in marriage and the distortion of sex that is so prevalent in our culture.
                  In 3:5, we find again the warning not to arouse the physical passion of marriage before its time. Throughout the book, we see the wonder of marriage and the oneness that God designed for marriage. Yet the writer continually reminds us that passion and pleasure are essential to the oneness of marriage, but only appropriate within it. In 2:7, 3:5, and 8:4, we find the exhortation that sexual pleasure is only appropriate within the context of marriage and that one is to keep passion in check until the proper time. Sex is not meant to be just an act of pleasure. It was a gift from God to be an expression of the spiritual and emotional oneness that is shared in marriage. In Genesis 2:24, we discover that the unity of marriage reflects the unity found in the Trinity. One of the great mysteries of God is that there are three distinct persons, but they are joined together as one essence. We cannot fully understand the intrinsic unity and nature of the Trinity. However, we see a glimpse of this in marriage. When two individuals join in holy matrimony, they become one. There is a spiritual bond that unites them so that they are no longer two individuals merely sharing the same house. This unity is expressed through the physical relationship.  
                  However, in these verses, we also see more than the joys of physical pleasure. We also discover the joy and wonder of the marriage relationship. Chapter 3 describes the wedding procession in which the groom travels from his father's house to his bride's home to receive her in the bonds of marriage. Before the passion of love in chapter 4, it is essential to recognize that the couple is joined together in marriage. In 3:6-11, we see the marriage procession as the group travels from his house to receive his bride. In this wedding processional, we see that the marriage is to be both honored and protected. The honor of the marriage is reflected in the regal attire that the groom adorns himself as he travels to the home of his bride. Just as the arrival of the king is not to be treated lightly or trivial, so the arrival of the groom is to be a time of honor and joyous celebration. As he travels, he is protected by 60 strong warriors who are to guard him. Throughout the song, there are implied threats to the marriage. Therefore, the bride and groom, and the marriage itself, are to be guarded and protected.
                  As he arrives at the house of his bride, he then expresses his love for his bride (4:1-7). While the imagery in these verses seems somewhat strange to us, we need to understand that the groom is expressing his deep love for his wife. He uses vivid language not only to extol her physical beauty but also her inner beauty. The whole point of these verses is to publicly and continually express her worth and his commitment to her. Developing a healthy marriage involves placing our highest value upon our spouse and seeing their inner qualities that reveal their true beauty. In the daily grind of life, we can easily lose sight of the virtues that attracted us to our spouse. Instead of seeing their beauty, we start to focus on their flaws. Thus, the Song of Solomon reminds us that a healthy marriage keeps love and praise at its center.
                  Instead of looking at the flaws and frustrations of your spouse, start to look at the beauty and qualities of your spouse that attracted you to your spouse in the first place. When we keep that as our focus, our marriage becomes a joy rather than a frustration.