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 29:17-21,
"In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field
and the fertile field seem like a forest?
In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,
and out of gloom and darkness
the eyes of the blind will see.
Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord;
the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
The ruthless will vanish,
the mockers will disappear,
and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—
those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,
who ensnare the defender in court
and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice."
In this oracle of woe against Jerusalem, she is told the Lord would bring enemies against her in verses 3-4. We then read in verses 5-7 there will be a time following that when the Lord will destroy her enemies. The last portion of the chapter speaks of another day, a day when evil people willl be vanquished and the humble will rejoice in the Lord.
The chapter ends with the following, verses 22-24, "Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob:
'No longer will Jacob be ashamed;
no longer will their faces grow pale.
When they see among them their children,
the work of my hands,
they will keep my name holy;
they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob,
and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding;
those who complain will accept instruction.'"
Were we to have an Isaiah amongst us today, I wonder might he not point us to those passages of Scripture that speak of a better day, a day of the Lord's blessing when evil people will be vanquished and the humble rejoice in the Lord. We do live in times that can vex us as we see evil people flourishing and, often at the expense of others.
Here is a famous passage he might point us to: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21: 6-8.
"In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field
and the fertile field seem like a forest?
In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,
and out of gloom and darkness
the eyes of the blind will see.
Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord;
the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
The ruthless will vanish,
the mockers will disappear,
and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—
those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,
who ensnare the defender in court
and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice."
In this oracle of woe against Jerusalem, she is told the Lord would bring enemies against her in verses 3-4. We then read in verses 5-7 there will be a time following that when the Lord will destroy her enemies. The last portion of the chapter speaks of another day, a day when evil people willl be vanquished and the humble will rejoice in the Lord.
The chapter ends with the following, verses 22-24, "Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob:
'No longer will Jacob be ashamed;
no longer will their faces grow pale.
When they see among them their children,
the work of my hands,
they will keep my name holy;
they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob,
and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding;
those who complain will accept instruction.'"
Were we to have an Isaiah amongst us today, I wonder might he not point us to those passages of Scripture that speak of a better day, a day of the Lord's blessing when evil people will be vanquished and the humble rejoice in the Lord. We do live in times that can vex us as we see evil people flourishing and, often at the expense of others.
Here is a famous passage he might point us to: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21: 6-8.
If you were a modern day Isaiah in these seemingly dark days, what passage of hope to look forward to would you point us to?
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.
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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