The Word of the Lord Came to the Prophets: Jeremiah 1:9-10, Isaiah 62:2, Ezekiel 3:17-19

By Rev. Harold E. Petersen

The Bible, the Word of God, has been a part of my life. We had family devotions mornings and evenings, Sunday school, and worship services. These continued to draw me into the Word.

When I was in high school, I started to read the Bible through in a year, which I have continued down to the present times. It was when I was in the seminary that I was inspired to mark a special verse in every chapter of the Bible. Some chapters were so full of gems of truth that I chose several.

The prophets are a source of amazing truth about life and our relationship with the Lord God. The prophets have influenced my life in many ways. Isaiah is full of good news. Jeremiah speaks volumes about how I live. Ezekiel draws me into the drama of faithfulness. The other prophets have enriched me in many ways.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685178178

Book preview

Isaiah

The Miniature Bible

Messiah the Judge—condemnation groans (Is. 1–39)

Book of Immanuel (Is. 1–12)

Burdens and judgments (Is. 13–27)

Woes and restoration (Is. 28–35)

Historical interlude (Is. 36–39)

Messiah the Servant—comfort glory (Is. 40–66)

Comfort and peace (Is. 40–48)

Comfort and servant (Is. 49–57)

Peace and restoration (Is. 58–66)

God’s indictment—a nation denounced (Is. 1)

Listen to the law of our God, you people. Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Is. 1:10, 18)

Listen! Listen to the law of our God, you people! The people had been warned to listen from the time they left Egypt. Moses had warned them many times. I would think he would have tired of them, even given up on them. They had ears but could not hear, and many times, though they had eyes, they could not see what was right in front of them when God acted. God saved and enabled them to cross the sea while the Egyptians died, and they complained about the water. They were blessed by Moses before they miraculously crossed the Jordan, but they went after foreign women who were influenced by Balaam. Only David, as king, was true to the Lord. Prophet after prophet were persecuted, even killed, for trying to draw the people back to the Lord.

Jesse Manibusan wrote the hymn Open My Eyes (second verse):

Open my ears, Lord

Help me to hear your voice

Open my ears, Lord

Help me to hear.

‘Let us debate,’ said the Lord. ‘Your sins which are very red, like scarlet, can be made pure and clean by the work of the Spirit of the Lord in your life’ (Is. 1:18). Listen, you people. It is time that you change your ways and change your minds. Trust is putting your life and ministry in the hands of Jesus and not embarking on your own.

How do you make everything white when washed in red, crimson red? In Revelation, we are told in 7:14, These are they who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The only way to make a heart clean from sin is in Jesus’s blood and righteousness.

In a sense, Isaiah started his message with the warning: you are not listening to the law of the Lord. Your sin against the Lord God is very great. There is only one way to change this. Allow the Lord to cleanse you with his blood. We need this same message today.

Prayer focus: Open my ears and eyes, Lord, that I may follow you.

God’s indignation (Is. 2–3)

A house cleansed (Is. 2)

The Lord alone will be exalted in that day. (Is. 2:11)

In the last days—when the Lord has determined mankind has had enough time to repent and accept his grace, then we will be in the last days.

In the last days, Jerusalem will be the center of the world, the center of worship. People from many nations will flock to Jerusalem to hear the word of the Lord and be taught his ways. The law will become the standard of the world. The Lord will judge the nations, and peace will reign. The motto of the United Nations was taken from this chapter: They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord (Is. 2:4–5). Though the United Nations seeks peace, they are unable to bring it about.

There is only one who can bring peace to the earth—Jesus, the Prince of Peace. He told us in John 14:27, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Israel, do not be last; be first and do as you were expected to do—be the model for the nations of the world in obedience to the Lord. The Lord God promised Abraham that he would be blessed that he might be a blessing to all nations. Israel had the one gift all mankind needed, a God who was faithful.

The Lord had established a day when all things will be righted, when all peoples will deal with justice and rightness. It will be a day when those who continue to oppose the Lord and his word will cry out to the mountains to fall on them so they will not have to face the Lord God. This, the last day, the Lord will be exalted.

In the last days! When the Day of the Lord shall come, we all need to be ready. Jesus spoke of this in his kingdom parables of Matthew 13 and in his judgment parables in Matthew 25. Preparedness is the key to the parable of the virgins. The oil of the Spirit is what enables us to be ready. Being filled with God’s Spirit so that we understand his word and follow his guidance keeps us ready. The parable of the talents teaches us to use what the Lord God has given us wisely, and we will be rewarded on that last day. The parable of the sheep and goats teaches us that a relationship with the Lord is more important than all our good deeds. In the last days, those who know Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be welcomed into the banquet hall of heaven and feast on the blessings.

In the last days, we are wise if our trust is in the Lord. In the last days, all the idols of mankind will be shown clearly to be worthless, for we will stand before the Judge of all and the eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled, and the pride of men brought low; The Lord alone will be exalted in that day (Is. 2:11).

Prayer focus: Lord, keep me awake for that momentous day.

A people humbled (Is. 3)

O my people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path. (Is. 3:12)

The people of Israel were warned that they were on the wrong path. Everything was going wrong. The leaders would be taken away, and only the children would be left to lead. The people would continue to trample others to get their way. Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling; their words and deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence (Is. 3:8). O my people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path. The elders and leaders had oppressed the people. The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps (Is. 3:16). All this would be taken away. The beauty of the city would be trashed. The people would be taken as slaves.

It was the task of the leaders, the government, the priests, and Levites to uphold the law of the Lord. It was their duty to lead in the worship of the Lord God. It was their task to teach the people the ways of the Lord. And yet it was these leaders and priests who were leading the people astray. It was they who had chosen to take the wrong path.

In Glacier Park, there are many paths that one can take. The path to Avalanche Lake is one of my favorites. The path follows a stream up the mountain. There are paths that go off in different directions from the main path. Where they lead, I never tried to find out.

One needs to know where to go when walking on paths. If one does not have a good guide, one could easily get off on the wrong path. In my prayer life, I often picture myself walking with Jesus on the path he has chosen. Sometimes I am willful and go off on my own and get lost or stranded. I have chosen the wrong path, but it was not the guide who led me astray; I did that myself.

In Psalm 119:105, we read, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. When the way gets dark, and one has lost his way, if one would turn to the word of God, the Spirit of God would illuminate which path one should be on.

John H. Sammis wrote the hymn Trust and Obey.

When we walk with the Lord

In the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will

He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear,

Not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief nor a loss,

Not a frown nor a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

We need to let Jesus choose the path and allow him to lead us on it. There is only one path for us to follow. It is the one Jesus chooses.

Prayer focus: Lord, lead me on the path of everlasting life.

Judah’s brighter future (Is. 4–7)

A branch—Messiah (Is. 4)

The Lord will wash away the filth. (Is 4:4)

We continue to look to the future, in that day. The war will have decimated the male population so much that seven women will ask one man to take them in so their shame is taken away. A woman living alone perhaps is best described as vulnerable. In the society in that day, women were basically property, and when the man died, the widow was left destitute. We also had that kind of situation in Ethiopia. I once saw a Muslim man leave a market with his wives, all four of them. They had sacks of goods on their head or backs, and he rode the only donkey without any goods. And it was a hot day.

As another example, we see Naomi who went to Moab because of famine with her husband and two sons. The husband died there. The sons married Moabite women. But the boys also died there. Then Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem with one son’s widow, Ruth, and the land of Naomi’s husband needed to be redeemed by a close relative, but with the land, the buyer would get Ruth as a wife. Boaz bought the land and married Ruth, who thus became the great-grandmother of David.

On that day, the Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion as part of the renewal project. The branch of the Lord will be beautiful, the fruit of the land will be the pride and joy of the people, and those who remain in Jerusalem will be called holy. The filth of the women may refer to their insisting on worshipping the sun, moon, and stars and the queen of heaven.

Jeremiah speaks of a branch in chapters 23 and 33, ‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch.’ It is believed that this term branch refers to Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 11:1, we read, A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from his roots, a branch will bear fruit. Then Isaiah goes on to describe the task of this branch, the Messiah. This one who is called branch will be a descendant of David.

The women were the ones behind the instruction of the children, much like it is today. It is unfortunate that the men then, as now, leave the training of the children to the mother. The man is biblically to be the spiritual leader of the family. For the Israelites, in many cases, that would have been helpful as some of the wives were foreign born, captives of war, or from the people the Israelites failed to dispose of. Today, the feminist and lesbian tendencies among some women is the reason many have left the faith because faith is not compatible with what they believe. In the last days, "the Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire" (Is. 4:4).

Prayer focus: Lord, help me to see your hand at work in my life.

A vineyard: Israel (Is. 5)

His hand is still upraised. (Is. 5:25)

The image of a vineyard is used in the first part of this chapter. The Lord planted grapevines and expected to receive a share of the harvest. But the grapes were bad. Grapevines need to be pruned back each year so that they grow a fresh crop of tasty grapes. But Israel, by rebellion, continued to thwart the Father’s instruction and produced sour grapes.

There are several woes in this chapter. Woe to those who increase their property holdings. Woe to those who try to trick God into doing their will. Woe to those who switch good and bad, right and wrong. Woe to those who are so self-centered that they do not see others in need. Woe to those who are under the influence of alcohol and twist the truth.

The Lord’s "hand is still upraised." There is so much self-centered evil in the world then, and so there is now—greed, lust, those who make good evil and evil good, those who have redefined truth to be whatever you choose it to be. The condition of the faith of the people of Israel had deteriorated drastically, and it has also done so today. His hand is still upraised.

There was a day when a parent or teacher could raise a hand to punish a child for doing wrong. A teacher could discipline a student in class, but today, these things are all twisted. I believe the Lord’s hand of judgment is upraised and that there are signs that he is ready to strike. The grapes of faith he had planted through the apostles ebbed and waned over the centuries, but we have in our world today rebounded overboard in negative reaction to God’s truth in his word. There is little acceptance today of the Bible as God’s word, God’s truth. Truth has become a relative term. It no longer holds any significance; God himself is no longer meaningful.

Judgment is coming! It came to Israel; the northern kingdom went into exile early on. Judah, whose faith in God also waned, lasted some years more, but despite a couple of kings who were faithful, judgment by exile came to Judah also.

We have had periods of respite over the years. We hear of the growth of the church in Africa and China. We know there are those who are zealous in their proclamation. There is still some effort to do mission work overseas. The Spirit is powerfully at work in some areas of the church in America. There have been awakenings from time to time, but the church always gets comfortable and goes back to sleep, and so today we have been so deceived, so lulled into complacency that there is little faith in God, little understanding of his word, and little desire to wake up. So "His hand is still upraised." What will the owner of all souls say of his dealings with each, when the discipline is over?

Prayer focus: Lord, wake us up to see what you are doing in our midst.

A prophet: Isaiah (Is. 6)

(See 2 Kings 15:1–7; King Azariah is Uzziah)

I saw the Lord. Woe to me! I cried; I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty. And I said, Here am I, send me! (Is. 6:1, 5, 8)

This is perhaps Isaiah’s call to be a prophet. He was given a vision of the throne room of God. He saw God on the throne and the angels around him. He felt completely shaken by the vision and was unable to move until an angel brought a coal from the altar, touched Isaiah’s lips, and declared his sins forgiven. He was awestruck at seeing the Lord Almighty. When the Lord asked who would carry a message to his people, Isaiah said, I will!

Ezekiel also saw visions to clarify his message. John the apostle saw a vision of heaven in the last days giving details of what will take place in the last days. I have had visions of the Lord in worship. I have been given a vision of the servants of the Lord God receiving their prayer assignments in the morning and coming back in the evening to report. I have been given a vision of the Lord sharing with me his love.

Visions have been a way that the Lord has used to communicate with his servants. Visions are helpful but not essential to faith; they are a plus in the life of faith. A vision of the throne room is awesome! To see the Lord and his angels does affirm one’s faith.

But more importantly for Isaiah, it was his call to give a serious and harsh message to the people of Israel. It was a message that fell on deaf ears and cold hearts. In Isaiah 6:9–10, we read,

Go and tell this people: Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.

How tragic! It is difficult enough to have a message of judgment to share, but that difficulty is compounded by the people’s reluctance to hear and by their abuse of the prophet. King Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, is reported to have killed Isaiah by sawing him in two.

Mary Ann Thomson wrote the hymn O Zion, Haste.

O Zion, haste, thy mission high fulfilling,

To tell to all the world that God is light;

That He who made all nations is not willing

One soul should perish, lost in shades of night.

Proclaim to every people, tongue, and nation

That God, in whom they live and move, is love;

Tell how He stooped to save His lost creation

And died on earth that we might live above.

The message of Isaiah is a powerful warning to the church of today also. It is a call to awaken to the need to honor God, to trust in his Word.

Prayer focus: Lord, here I am. Send me! I will go where you lead.

A priest—Christ (Is. 7)

If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel. (Is. 7:9, 14) [A note I made after verse 9: Abandon human alliances, place your reliance on Yahweh.]

Isaiah spoke to King Ahaz, telling him not to fear the neighboring kings. Isaiah said to King Ahaz that there would be a sign that this would happen. These kings who were threatening would not even survive to attack. But If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.

Yet Ahaz refused to ask for a clear sign. He said he would not put the Lord to a test. Remember Gideon; he put the Lord to the test twice! Isaiah told the king, "Why do you continue to try the patience of God? Whether you want it or not, ‘Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.’"

This means before the child is old enough to make a choice of right or wrong, the kings you fear will be gone. The child’s name would be Immanuel—God is with us! On that day, things would be different. The Lord is still in charge of every detail of the affairs of men. What more comforting words could one hear than the assurance that God is with us! God is in charge, and you will see what he can do for the people of the covenant. The Lord loves to provide for his people.

Immanuel—God is with us! The Lord God alone has chosen to dwell among his people. The gods of the other peoples are nothing but wood or metal and have no life, and if they did, they would not desire to live among their people. It is as though we think God is up in heaven taking care of his business and does not see what we are doing. We think we can keep secrets from God like we can from our friends. I think that is a disturbing concept. Since God was in their midst all the time, all they did would be seen by him. (Even though we cannot see him, he knows all that goes on in our lives anyway.) Since God was in their midst, they could not cheat one another, deceive one another, or hate one another. Perhaps this was too powerful a concept for the people.

Today I wonder if this is not why so many no longer desire to worship a God who desires to be with his people. If God is with us, we are no longer able to do our own thing; we are no longer able to be in control of our life. When Adam and Eve sinned, they realized they were naked, and they hid from God when he was coming to enjoy fellowship with them. How tragic it is that we desire to keep God at a distance, up there in heaven. How sad that we think we can hide anything from God! Oh, for the day when we shall see him face-to-face and enjoy fellowship with the Father and the Son forever!

Prayer focus: Lord, help me always realize that you are Immanuel.

Exhortations—Assyrian invasion (Is. 8–9)

The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. (Is. 8:13)

Isaiah continued to warn the people that if they did not change their ways, the Lord would bring disaster upon them. The Lord had Isaiah name his children to indicate, to hold before the people, the plan of the Lord. The son referred to in this chapter carried the name that means quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil. That was what Israel could do with the Lord’s help.

The Lord who desires to be with them, to help them in their battles, who promises to defend them, the Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. He is the one they were to regard as holy. He is the God who sets himself apart from all other gods. I am reminded of the opening line of the hymn Holy, Holy, Holy by Reginald Heber, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. The Lord God is the one God who acts wisely and does justly. He is the one who has provided a safety fence for the people, a place where they can live and enjoy his fellowship.

This Lord God is the one to fear, to dread when you do wrong, if you want to live outside the safe border he has provided. He is the one to hide from, as Adam and Eve hid in the Garden when they had sinned. He is the one to fear, you people of Israel, not the king of Assyria.

Jesus, in John 17:17–19, prays that the Father would sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God, the truth, even Jesus Christ, the Living Word, to make us holy.

We are God’s holy people today. We are set apart to be his witnesses, his ambassadors in this world. And since he is with us, we need not fear. We need not be intimidated by those around us, nor dread that which will fall on sinful mankind.

William D. Longstaff wrote the hymn Take Time to Be Holy.

Take time to be holy,

Speak oft with thy Lord;

Abide in Him always

And feed on His Word.

Make friends of God’s children,

Help those who are weak,

Forgetting in nothing His blessings to seek.

Oh, to be so comfortable that we could always enjoy walking and talking with our God. Oh, for the day when life in the garden will be restored. God is holy. And he desires us to be holy also.

How can we know this holy God? The only way is through Jesus Christ, his Son, who came to this earth to open the way for us to be able to come home to the Father. He is the waiting father of the parable that Jesus told in Luke 15. He is the king who showers us with forgiveness as in the parables. And he desires that we forgive one another.

Prayer focus: Lord, cause me to walk in the way of holiness always.

*****

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders; and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Is. 9:6–7)

All hail the power of Jesus’s name! Let angels prostrate fall,

Bring forth the Royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all!

(From a hymn by Edward Perronet)

Paul tells us in Philippians 2:9–11 that God gave Jesus the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. There are many names in the Bible to use to describe the Lord God for the people in the Bible.

But for him to be a meaningful part of our life, we need to give him a name which has meaning for us. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself describes the power that his name can have for us. Some of the names in this passage of Isaiah:

Wonderful Counselor signifies that this King will give us exceptional advice, that his plans will attain their goals because God guides his thoughts. The power of that name comes home to us as we trust our plans to him.

Mighty God signifies the fullness of the power of this one. He is the true representative of God on earth. The power of this name means we can witness miracles happening in our lives as our Lord transforms us and our weaknesses into strengths.

Everlasting Father signifies the constancy, enduring dependable quality of this one. That he is good and righteous in his rule. The power for us here comes from knowing he is always around.

Prince of Peace signifies a condition in which all things follow their destiny undisturbed. Thus, this peace can only exist when all creatures recognize God in his deity, majesty, and splendor and live and act accordingly. Peace is shalom—wholeness, health, harmony. The power comes to us here when we recognize him as our Peace.

Immanuel means God is with us. The marvel of that idea: God dwelling with man. He walks with us; he talks with us; he stands by when we grovel in the mire, waiting for us to let him take our hand and lift us out. God with us means he will pick us up and carry us when the road is rough, when our strength fails. God with us means laughing at the babbling brooks, standing in awe at the majestic peaks, enjoying the delicate beauty of an alpine flower.

Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. What a wonderful passage this is! God promised one who will be the Lord of all. God promised that the Messiah will bring order to the world and peace. What more could we ask for?

Prayer focus: Lord, thank you for your names which express all you are.

*****

Continuing the names, this one who is described in Isaiah 9 has another name that evokes deep emotions in my soul.

In Matthew 1:21, it says, "You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Here is another name that is precious, the name Jesus—he shall save his people from their sins. He is not only a rescuer from drowning in the sea of self, not only a Band-Aid on the wounds of life but the one who makes us whole, renews us, regenerates us, restores us. I marvel at those who can restore a damaged piece of furniture to its original beauty. Jesus restores us—far more damaged by sin than any piece of furniture one would ever undertake to restore. The name of Jesus calms our fears, quiets our tremors, dispels the darkness, turns our eyes and thoughts outward, lifts us to new levels of ecstasy, transforms us into a new person.

Jesus has come to me several times. He spoke of my call to the ministry the night before I was ordained. He called me to come with him at a prayer meeting in Edina. He led me to a mountainside where we conversed about those he had given me to care for. He spoke through me literally at times when I was preaching. He heard my prayer in Spokane and healed a baby I know. He came to me in Spokane another time and brought me to the Father to experience the Father’s love. He has been with me through all the years of ministry. He is my Lord. Saint Paul says it best for me in Philippians 3:10–11: I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

That name of Jesus is unmatched in all of history. There is no other name that has achieved the level of acclaim as the name Jesus. He came to dwell on earth. He comes to dwell in you and me. He comes to empower us with his body and blood. He comes to restore us to our original beauty. He comes to take us to live with him forever in the mansion over the hilltop.

There is a song that we used at Teens Encounter Christ retreats. It was created by Naida Hearn.

Jesus, name above every name, Beautiful Savior, Glorious

Lord Immanuel, God is with us, Blessed Redeemer, Living Word.

Lydia O. Baxter wrote a hymn about the name of Jesus.

Take the Name of Jesus with you,

Child of sorrow and of woe,

It will joy and comfort give you;

Take it then, where’er you go.

Take the Name of Jesus ever,

As a shield from every snare;

If temptations ’round you gather,

Breathe that holy Name in prayer.

Oh, the precious Name of Jesus!

How it thrills our souls with joy,

When His loving arms receive us,

And His songs our tongues employ!

You shall call his name Jesus for he shall save you from your sins. All hail the power of Jesus’s name. Hallelujah!

Prayer focus: Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul, for making me whole.

Explanations (Is. 10–11)

God’s invasion (Is. 10)

What will you do on the day of reckoning? Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. (Is. 10:3–4)

Three times in chapter 9 (vv. 12, 17, 21) and here in 10:4, we have these words: Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. In chapter 9 of Isaiah, it is stated in a prophecy against Israel; in 10:4, it is against Assyria. Judgment is coming. The Lord is waiting for the people to repent.

The people of Israel continued to resist the word of the Lord. They were set in their ways. The Lord God had punished them. Perhaps seeing that the gods of the conquering people seem to favor them or at least did not punish them, the people of Israel took up worshipping these other gods. The more they went after false gods, especially worshipping the sun, moon, and stars, the greater the punishment seems to be. It is like an old story I heard about a carpenter. As he nailed the boards in place, he kept hitting his thumb; time after time this happened. His friend asked him why he kept hitting his thumb. If he would just move it, it would not happen again and again. But the carpenter said, It feels so good when it stops, and so I hit it again.

The Lord God sent the prophets, and now Isaiah, to tell the people that the way this would work out for their good would be when they stop worshipping false gods and return to the Lord God. The Lord God would bring blessings instead of punishment. It was up to them which way they went. He warned them that more was coming and what will you do on the day of reckoning?

Yet Isaiah told them that the Lord God had been patient with them. He had allowed some punishment, but yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. It would come when the Lord would say enough is enough, when his hand would come down. There was more to come. At one point, there was an unholy alliance between Ahab and Jehoshaphat. The Lord brought the hand down on Ahab (see 2 Chron. 17–18).

How tragic! The people stubbornly refused to listen. The Lord told Isaiah this would happen (Is. 6:9–10). The people told Jeremiah in 44:15–23, We had better days when we worshiped the queen of heaven than when we stopped and returned to the Lord God. The women added, Our husbands knew what we were doing.

How tragic! Today I do not think things have changed. Though we know how the Lord God punished the people of Israel, we too continue to not only resist the word of God, but we have also rejected him and his word. We need to hear the prophet’s warning and return as a nation to the Lord.

Prayer focus: Lord, cause me to listen to you and your word always.

Messiah’s administration (Is. 11)

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears, but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. (Is. 11:2–5)

There is hope! There is a promised one. He is called a shoot from the stump of Jesse; from his root, a Branch will grow that will bear fruit. I used these verses from Isaiah 11 in our confirmation service. This is called the sevenfold Spirit of God. The seven are as follows:

The Spirit of wisdom is the ability to apply knowledge. This is a gift given to us by God (Prov. 2:6 and James 1:5).

The Spirit of understanding is the gift of God to grasp the meaning of the wisdom of God so that others may come to faith (Prov. 9:10).

The Spirit of counsel is the gift of God to use the insights God gives his people to help others reach the healing of deep hurts (Rom. 12:1–2).

The Spirit of power is the gift of God to by faith perform miracles in the work of ministry (John 14:12–14).

The Spirit of knowledge is the gift of God to accumulate the deep things of God through study of His Word (1 Cor. 2:9–13).

The Spirit of reverence of the Lord is the gift of God to come into the Father’s presence and begin to know his will (Heb. 4:14–16).

The Spirit which delights in the Lord is the gift of faith to cling to the Lord so that nothing can weaken that relationship (Ps. 37:3–6).

Outward appearance will not influence the Lord as much as the condition of the heart. The Lord spoke to Samuel when he went to anoint David as the future king. He said, The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). This anointed one is not swayed by what he hears or sees. Nor will the status of man influence his decisions. This promised one will deal justly, and he will judge by righteousness. "Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist" (Is. 11:5). Those who are in rebellion will be judged severely.

This one who comes will bring with him the Spirit of God in all his fullness and will speak to the hearts of men rather than impose regulations from the outside. Jesus speaks of the work of the Spirit in John 16:8–15, When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment… When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth… He will glorify me.

Prayer focus: Lord, fill me with your Spirit that I might serve you.

Appreciation—a hymn of adoration (Is. 12)

Surely God is my salvation. (Is. 12:2)

Isaiah is giving the people of Israel his personal testimony in verses 2–3, Surely God is my salvation.

Daniel W. Whittle wrote the hymn I Know Whom I Have Believed.

I know not why God’s wondrous grace

To me He hath made known,

Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love

Redeemed me for His own.

I know not how this saving faith

To me He did impart,

Nor how believing in His Word

Wrought peace within my heart.

But I know whom I have believed,

And am persuaded that He is able

To keep that which I’ve committed

Unto Him against that day.

From Genesis 3:15 on, the Lord God has been preparing his people for his plan of salvation. Noah was chosen to be the carrier of the promise, as was Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham was promised a land, a people, and a blessing. Moses was chosen to lead the people out of Egypt. The Lord God demonstrated the details of his plan in choosing the firstborn as His. The Lord confirmed his plan by opening the sea, so the people passed through, an act of salvation. The Lord God put into writing the covenant and its requirements at Mount Sinai. He allowed the people of Israel to have a king who was to keep the people within the covenant.

David was perhaps the king who was most faithful. The Lord sent prophet after prophet to chastise the people for their desire to worship other gods. Isaiah was one of these, and he boldly proclaimed the Lord God as his only God.

The plan of salvation was complete when Jesus was born of Mary. Jesus lived to proclaim that the kingdom of God has indeed come. And he sealed it with his death and resurrection. Now he is in heaven interceding for his people whom the Holy Spirit has led to him.

I am one of those the Spirit has convinced that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. He is my salvation! I learned about God the Father and Jesus, my Lord, at home and in Sunday school. I grew in my faith though heavily tainted by legalism until I was at Waldorf. I was shown my freedom by the Spirit through spiritual emphasis weeks and studying under Dr. Tanner. I grew some more at Concordia under Dr. Larsen and Reverend Grimstad. I could express my faith as I worked at White Earth Mission and by helping a Native American. I was freed a lot from my fears at the seminary and in Ethiopia. But it was in Erskine, at the Teens Encounter Christ retreat, that my Lord finally broke down my wall of protection. I experienced such a great weight lifted off that I was floating for days, and the Spirit was actively ministering through me. I accepted the complete plan of God’s salvation at a conference in Spokane when Jesus, my Lord, took me to the Father to experience His Love. Surely, the Lord God is my salvation!

Prayer focus: Thank you, Lord, for all you have given me in the Spirit.

Judging Israel’s Gentile neighbors (Is. 13–20)

Babylon’s downfall (Is. 13–14)

I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath—those who rejoice in my triumph. (Is. 13:3)

The Lord God not only judged the people of Israel for their sins, but he judged the nations around Israel and those who oppressed the people of Israel. This chapter deals with the punishment of Babylon. That day, he would execute justice against them. That day would be a cruel day, a day with wrath and fierce anger, for the Lord said, I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath.

Babylon had been a cruel taskmaster. They had been very vicious in their attack on Israel. Isaiah prophesied that this would take place. Now the destruction would be complete. Babylon would be deserted, and only wild animals would live there. Babylon has remained a haunt of desert creatures and jackals until these days. Saddam Hussein of Iraq had thoughts of rebuilding Babylon, restoring it as his capital. He wanted to be thought of as Nebuchadnezzar II. Babylon, in prophetic circles, is often spoken of as a doorway for Satanic spirits to come into the world. I see this in C. S. Lewis’s Narnia sagas and in Joel Rosenberg’s books about these times. Great evil has surfaced in the region, some of it is ISIS and other terrorist groups whose aim is the destruction of all societies.

The Lord God said, I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath—those who rejoice in my triumph. How nations treat Israel is a key to their being blessed or cursed according to the promise given to Abraham (see Gen. 12:1–3). Babylon, as a power, was destroyed by the Medes and the Persians who were replaced by the Greeks and then the Romans. Efforts in each of these powers were