The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 8:11-13,
"This is what the Lord says to me [Isaiah] with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people: 'Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 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.'"
King Ahaz and the people of Judah fell into fear over an alliance Pekah, the king of the northern ten tribes of Israel, made with Rezin, king of Aram, to destroy Jerusalem. "Now the house of David was told, 'Aram has allied itself with Ephraim'; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind." Isaiah 7:2.
According to Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible, this warning from the Lord to Isaiah in 8:11-13 was against joining with Ahaz and Judah looking to Assyria for help to defend themselves. "I regard this, however, as a caution to the prophet not to join in the prevailing demand for an alliance with the king of Assyria. Ahaz trembled before the united armies of Syria and Samaria. He sought, therefore, foreign assistance - the assistance of the king of Assyria. It is probable that in this he was encouraged by the leaders of the people, and that this would be a popular measure with the mass of the nation."
There is a lesson here for us all. Don't look for help from others when help should be sought from the Lord. And, importantly, don't fear the circumstances we face in this life: fear the Lord! At a time when epidemics threaten, when we are threatened by those who attempt to seize control over our freedoms and our way of life, don't fear them, fear the Lord.
In another passage of Scripture, when we see the wicked on the ascendency, we are told not to fret.
"Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity." Psalm 37:1-11.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"This is what the Lord says to me [Isaiah] with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people: 'Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 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.'"
King Ahaz and the people of Judah fell into fear over an alliance Pekah, the king of the northern ten tribes of Israel, made with Rezin, king of Aram, to destroy Jerusalem. "Now the house of David was told, 'Aram has allied itself with Ephraim'; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind." Isaiah 7:2.
According to Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible, this warning from the Lord to Isaiah in 8:11-13 was against joining with Ahaz and Judah looking to Assyria for help to defend themselves. "I regard this, however, as a caution to the prophet not to join in the prevailing demand for an alliance with the king of Assyria. Ahaz trembled before the united armies of Syria and Samaria. He sought, therefore, foreign assistance - the assistance of the king of Assyria. It is probable that in this he was encouraged by the leaders of the people, and that this would be a popular measure with the mass of the nation."
There is a lesson here for us all. Don't look for help from others when help should be sought from the Lord. And, importantly, don't fear the circumstances we face in this life: fear the Lord! At a time when epidemics threaten, when we are threatened by those who attempt to seize control over our freedoms and our way of life, don't fear them, fear the Lord.
In another passage of Scripture, when we see the wicked on the ascendency, we are told not to fret.
"Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity." Psalm 37:1-11.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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