February 3, 2022
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Isaiah? Here’s today’s reading:
Isaiah 8 (NIV)
Isaiah and His Children as Signs
1 The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.” 2 So I called in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me. 3Then I made love to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.........Continue Reading
13 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.
This verse hit me very hard today as I read it. We spend so much time in fear and worry in our lives. We are afraid and worry about financial issues, safety issues, relationship issues, political issues and yet we take God’s power and judgement for granted.
Yes God is a God of love, mercy, and forgiveness but He is also a God of wrath. We need to spend more time worrying about what He wants and what is right in His eyes knowing that ultimately He is in control and He has the final word beyond this short time on earth.
As our Father, we should worry about His approval and consequences because they are based in love and care for us and not concern ourselves with what others think because that will likely always lead to destruction and separation from Him.
Isaiah, a prophet to Judah, has a prophecy here for both kingdoms in Israel. Assyria will come as a tool of destruction and exile to the Northern kingdom and a tool of discipline for the Southern kingdom. And as this mighty power, who is still under God’s control and is a tool for Him, sweeps through this area of the world, the people will have to decide who they trust and who they will turn to. See it is tempting to fear Assyria and all the trouble and destruction they can cause. But God’s point here is they are nothing compared to the power of God, so it is fitting to fear and trust in God more than Assyria and come under the umbrella of protection and provision that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob affords. There is a temptation for us to turn to all kinds of things to get our needs met…but how wrong we are when those needs lead us to sin and disobedience. They are intended to lead us to God and reinforce the dependence that we should and can have on Him. Israel and Judah will find themselves wanting, discouraged and destroyed as they turn to other things than God. God has so much more for them…and us. Will we believe and follow?
Isaiah 8
God affirms his prophesy to Ahaz in the birth and naming of Isaiah own son.
These scriptures demonstrate clearly God’s control of the nations. He removes kings and raises them up.
Isaiah 8