November 23-25

What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones? (Isaiah 5:4)




As we continue to survey the land with Isaiah, we continue to be dismayed at the sight before our eyes. The people have learned to trust everything and everyone BUT God. God’s promise to take away everything they trust in leaves no stone unturned. He will take away their daily necessities such as bread and water. Their military strength will fail. Judges and prophets, those who were supposed to give judgment naturally and spiritually, will prove false. Diviners who they trusted to tell their future and elders who they relied on to discern the past will have no answers. Neither the delegated authority of the captains, nor those who have earned honor for their deeds will be able to be trusted. The counselors who were once able to present plans, and the expert artisans who had the wisdom to bring plans into reality no longer have the wherewithal to formulate or initiate the plans to save the people. No longer are the skillful enchanters able to charm, manipulate and seduce the minds of men and dupe them to do their bidding. Instead, immature, impulsive, and unpredictable leaders will rule them.

Our trip through God’s vineyard is a sad sight to see. God planted choice vines, placed them in the best soil, watered, fertilized and pruned, but the finished product was not worth gathering in. The more we understand God’s love for this vineyard, the more we will identify with Jesus’ words later on when He warns Israel that God will prune away the worthless branches and graft in new ones.

Isaiah is an amazing artist who, by the power of God, is able to paint some exotic pictures. His depictions remind me of the 3-D pictures that can only be perceived by those who are able to properly focus. Many people are unable to see the hidden images because they are only able to focus on the surface of the picture. To see the mysterious representation, one must be able to focus beyond the immediate visual rendering. Although Isaiah speaks of the devastation to come and paints a picture of God’s plan to restore His people, those who are able to view it with a proper focus are able to see that the hidden truths speak of the end of time and the Messianic reign of Christ. With a proper focus, we are able to see that the prophetic word concerning the king of Babylon and his coming fall also predicts the total destruction of Satan himself. The one who once believed he held the world in the power of his hand and manipulated mankind to do his bidding will find himself dethroned and humiliated in front of the ones who had put their trust in him.

As sure as God is on His heavenly throne, there will come a day of reckoning! It’s not a pretty sight. May this picture remind us to hold fast to God’s ways in the midst of this dark world!!!

November 16-20, 2009

Sorry folks! This was scheduled to post last Friday. I'm not sure why it didn't!!! Please forgive the delay.




The people of Israel mingle with godless foreigners, making themselves as worthless as a half-baked cake. Worshiping foreign gods has sapped their strength, but they don’t even know it. Their hair is gray, but they don’t realize they’re old and weak. Hosea 7:8-9







As we continue our journey with Hosea, we look around and wonder what country we are in. The people of Israel don’t look much different than the nations that surround her. She continues to adopt the appearance of the nations she has adjoined herself to. God’s promise to leave them to their selves and let them suffer their own destruction is no idle threat!!! The only way they will ever see that they did not become a nation and obtain their land in their own strength is to remove His powerful hand and let them fall flat on their face!

On Tuesday we listen to God reminisce about His son Israel. He remembers the love He felt for him when He brought him out of Egypt. He remembers the days in the wilderness when He taught him how to walk. He remembers being a loving Father and putting food and provisions on his table. But now all He sees is an ungrateful son who has forsaken the ways of His Father to walk the ways of the wicked. Any parent who has ever had a child intentionally choose the wrong path can relate to the heartache God speaks with. God has come to the place that He will no longer run interference for Israel. They are guilty and they will bear the pain of their own sin. No more bail money!!! No more begging and pleading! God clearly lets them know that they are on their own!!!!

But on Wednesday we are reminded of how loving and forgiving YHWH, the God of Israel is. If they will return, confess and acknowledge their sins, He will heal, love and bless them again. The God of heaven and earth will continue to reign on His throne. He is not going any place. If they want Him, they know where to find Him and the path it takes to get there!

As we discover the characteristic of the leaders and people of the northern kingdom, we recognize the face of our world today. The love of partying and the pride of how much booze one can hold are their sordid marks of respect. God clearly tells them that the first time He spoke was to give them rest, but the second time He speaks will to show them justice and righteousness. He speaks of placing a Cornerstone by which all others must be measured if they desire to understand God’s standards.

Thursday is a day of great sadness. The northern kingdom of Israel meets her fate. Those who survive the siege by Assyria live on, only to be carried off into exile. The land would have become completely overrun had it not been for Tiglath-pileser’s civilian replacement policy. But we quickly learn that these foreign substitutes are made aware that, although God’s people are no longer in the land, the God of Israel still remains. The priest who was sent back to teach the new inhabitants the ways of YHWH, the God of Israel, is unable to eradicate the mixture in the land. It is obvious that he held on to the teachings of Jeroboam and the sacred cows! All he could do was to teach what he knew. Tradition is a powerful stronghold!!!

The Samaritans of Jesus time were a direct result of this mixture. Not only did they mingle their religions, they mingled their blood. If all were going well in Israel these half-breeds would claim their Jewish roots, if not, they held their Assyrian roots up as a banner. Later on, when the Jews returned from captivity, the returning Jews despised these Samaritans.

On Friday we meet up again with our friend Isaiah. Isaiah is a man who doesn’t hold back. He is one of those preachers who knows how to paint a vivid picture using words that cut to the quick. “A dumb ox or a stupid ass is smarter than you people of Judah and Jerusalem!” In spite of the unwillingness of the people to hear the message, Isaiah continues to outline the road to repentance. God refuses to listen to their empty prayers! If they want to find Him, they are going to have to do more than lip service! Repentance is shown by the willingness to learn to do good and to seek justice. In other words, true repentance is proven by our actions!

Isaiah gives us a glimpse of the last days. He speaks of the time when Messiah will sit in the Temple in Jerusalem and the nations of the world will desire to come and learn His ways. This passing glance not only continues to give hope to the nation of Israel today, it is a hope we Christians can fix our gaze upon. We have yet to see this promise fulfilled and in the midst of this world of sin and turmoil, we too can hold on to the promise of the coming Messiah who will establish His kingdom in righteousness and truth. As Paul once said, “If the cutting off of the Jews brought glory, how much more glory will there be when they are grafted back in?” God has promised them and us that the day of Messiah’s reign will come. As we look at the news and the events that are happening around us, all we can say is, “Even so, Lord Jesus COME!!!”

November 9-13, 2009

Moreover, when Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God, he cut the utensils of the house of God in pieces; and he closed the doors of the house of the Lord and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. (II Chronicles28:24)




We begin our week with great promise. In spite of all the devastation Israel faces, God makes a declaration of hope. The people of Zebulun and Naphtali will be the first to see the great Light, the Messiah who will rule His eternal government in great peace. A Child will be born; a Son will be given! Joy, fairness and justice will mark His rule forever. But before they see this great One, death and destruction resulting from God’s anger looms on the horizon.

Like a single golden thread in a garment, the hope of Messiah is periodically woven into the fabric of Isaiah’s prophecies. Israel will be totally cut down to the nub, but the Branch from Jesse’s stump will shoot up and grow.

In spite of the constant warning, Israel continues on its destructive path, with Judah following not far behind. Just when you think it can’t get any worse, along comes King Ahaz of Judah. Not only does he encourage people to sin, he replaces God’s altar with a replica of the pagan altar he saw in Assyria. One would wonder how a nation could be so blind, or a king so ignorant. But we watch the steady dimming of light right here in my nation. A nation who once understood that the God of Israel was the foundation on which we were built, now argues over taking “one nation under God” out of its pledge of allegiance, and “in God we trust” off her currency. Nations who shut YHWH out, soon find that the doors of the Temple become closed! Churches that are unwilling to compromise the gospel are forced to go underground. For far too many, comfort and conformity are more desirable than walking God’s narrow path.

On Thursday we meet a most unusual man whose desire to get people to hear God’s word and understand His heart goes beyond natural logic. Hosea is willing to endure heartbreak and rejection at the command of the Lord if it will bring people to repentance. Through the vivid picture painted by Hosea’s harlot wife, God portrays His love for His people and their unfaithfulness. More amazing than the story of Hosea’s unfaithful wife, is the declaration of God’s unfailing love! As guilty as Israel is, God will not give up until He has worked repentance into His people.

On Friday we will stop by the courthouse where Israel’s deeds will be judged. The indictments against her are numerous: unfaithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God her husband, covenant breaker, murder, stealing, adultery, and violence. Her guilt can no longer be covered up! And the root of her guilt is exposed – the priests have led the way! The priests, leaders and royal family must bear the responsibility for what they have done. It was their duty to lead the people into an understanding of God’s ways, but their desire for money and fame was stronger than their desire for righteousness.

We end our week hearing Hosea’s mournful cry to come and return to the Lord. If only the people would listen, they would find a merciful God, ready to open His arms of forgiveness and welcome them into His house. But man has shut the door and only man can open it again.

November 2-6, 2009

What sorrow awaits you who say,
“If only the day of the LORD were here!”
You have no idea what you are wishing for.
That day will bring darkness, not light.
(Amos 5:18)

Before we continue our journey, sit down with me a moment and let me tell you a story of my life. When I was five years old, I was in a tornado. My aunt who was just sixteen at the time, was babysitting that evening, while my parents were at a church function. As the darkness gathered and the hail began to fall, my aunt huddled us together in our living room. We did not have a basement and there was no place to hide. As the tornado ripped down the street, falling huge trees, tearing apart houses and buildings and blowing windows out of storefronts and homes, my aunt did the only thing she knew to keep us safe; she had us pray. When the storm lifted, you could no longer see the street because of the number of trees that filled the pavement. While there was damage all around us, the only thing our house endured was blown leaves in the yard.

For many years afterward, the sound of strong wind rustling through the trees gave me a very unsettled feeling. As an adult, dark storm clouds brought great fear. One day as the sirens went off, notifying us that a tornado had been sighted, and I sat huddled with my children, I stopped to ask myself, “Who holds your life and orders your steps? Do you trust Him or don’t you?” And from that moment on, the fear of storms literally vanished!

As we continue our journey, we will watch the storm clouds darken the skies. The devastation of God’s judgment is coming and there is no holding it back! As we continue our steps with Amos, we hear his concern for the household of Jacob. Each time he sees the judgment hand of God on the horizon, he intercedes and God relents. Finally, God takes Amos to the wall and holds the plumb line up to it. The wall is faulty and leaning and must be dealt with. This is when God tells Amos to stop interceding; His judgment will come.

I can only wonder how well Amos’ message would go over in the church today. He preaches that the people piously sit in their pews on Sunday and go back to the sinful, cheating ways on Monday. There was not a famine of the Word of God, but a famine for HEARING the Word of the Lord. Amos’ prophecy is clear - God is about to shake things up and there will be no place to hide!

In spite of all of Israel’s sin and rebellion, there is still a ray of hope in the dark, foreboding clouds. God promises to rebuild what He tears down. God’s word through this fig farmer promises abundant fruitfulness and assures them they will never again be uprooted.

On Wednesday we meet Tiglath-pileser III. His name was actually Pul or Pula, but he took on the title of the mighty Assyrian ruler, Tiglath-pileser I who ruled about three hundred years earlier. Very little is said of Tiglath-pileser II. Pul enthroned himself after a bloody coup in which he had all the royal family killed. His quest for power caused him to become one of the greatest conquerors of all time. Nation by nation, he swallowed them up and forced Assyrian rule upon the region. To keep rebellion at bay, he transplanted citizens into the conquered lands and kept them dependant on Assyrian provision and protection. He was also the one who brought Babylon under Assyrian dominance. We will learn more about him as we continue our journey in the days ahead.

Also on Wednesday, we bid farewell to King Uzziah, the king God struck with leprosy because of his arrogance. In the year King Uzziah dies, we are confronted with one of the most prominent prophets of God to ever come on the scene. Isaiah’s message of despair speaks clearly of the Assyrian invasion that lies on the horizon. Isaiah is so filled with the Word of the Lord that he even weaves God’s warnings in the names of his children. When Isaiah tells them that he and his children serve as a warning, he meant it. The names of his children spelled out their impending doom!

It is sad to hear Isaiah’s word and know that they fell on deaf ears. What makes it so heartbreaking is that his words could easily be said to this generation and, for the most part, would have the same response. God will only tolerate sin for so long before He calls for a day of reckoning. The darkness that is gathering today warns of a greater gloom than in Isaiah’s day. Our only hope is to hide under the shadow of God’s wing. Only there will we be safe until the storm passes by!