Skip to main content

April 23 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 113

There's a lot of politics involved in today's readings.  Consequently, it can be hard to understand everything that's happening or make all the connections to the nations that are mentioned.  Just remember that we're hearing a prophetic voice in the midst of those circumstances.

Image result for Isaiah preached naked

DAILY READINGS

Isaiah 18-22 & Psalm 113



DAILY NOTES

Isaiah 18



  • Ethiopia is going to bless Israel with gifts.
Isaiah 19
  • God has judgement for Egypt.  
  • Later, Egypt, Assyria and Israel will be a 3-fold blessing.
Isaiah 20
  • Don't worry!  You'll never have to worry about this happening at our church.
Isaiah 21
  • God denounces 3 foreign nations.
Isaiah 22
  • Instead of mourning their sins as God told them to do, the people of Israel celebrated victory.  So, God gives them a warning of destruction.
Psalm 113
  • A psalm about God's willingness to help those who are in need.


OTHER OBSERVATIONS

We're all mature adults.  So, let's not freak out too much about the naked prophet.



Ok.  I'll admit; it's a little funny.  And some commentators suggest that he wasn't completely naked; he only wore extremely torn and wore out garments.  You decide.



What would drive him to that?  Of course, God told him to.  We also understand that Isaiah strongly opposed a potential multi-national revolt against Assyria.  This was Isaiah's best (most dramatic?) way to indicate what he thought would be the result of such an action.



Sure, it's extreme.  But is there anything you feel passionately about that you would do/say something as dramatic in order to communicate the kind of danger Isaiah saw?



If so, then you probably understand where Isaiah is coming from.  If not, then you probably need to get more passionate about things that matter.



Stay blessed...john

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

March 24 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 83 The relationship between Saul and David worsens.  David is now Saul's enemy.   DAILY READINGS 1 Samuel 18-20 & Psalm 83 DAILY NOTES 1 Samuel 18 Saul's delight for David quickly turns.  Saul is jealous of David's success and the fact that everyone else seems to like David more than him. Of course, we have to think about what this evil spirit from the Lord might mean. Saul tries to kill David.  He even devises a plan to have him married into the royal family so that he can create a snare for him. What does it say about David that, even after Saul has tried to kill him, he still finds it an honor to be married to the family? David escapes Saul's traps.  So, from here on out, the text says that Saul considered David an enemy.  Think he knows what it means to love your enemies? 1 Samuel 19 Verse 5 reminds us of David's fight with Goliath.  At this point, David has fought other times.  What makes that ...
Post a Comment
Read more

May 14 + Daily readings & notes

DAY 134 We're reading another prophet today.  Here's t he Bible Project video that describes what the book is about. DAILY READINGS Jonah 1-4 & Psalm 129 DAILY NOTES Jonah 1 Notice the simple, direct message God gave Jonah.  There's no explanation for why Jonah doesn't follow through (yet).  As quickly as the word from God comes, he goes away. The mariners have their own god to cry out to for help.  They ask Jonah to cry out to his God.  Did you notice he never did?  He only told them that he worships the Lord.   The mariners feared the Lord after this.   Jonah 2 When he and the others were in trouble, Jonah didn't cry out to God.  Now that he's sitting inside a big fish, he offers a prayer to God.   And notice even the fish listens to God! Jonah 3 The word of God comes to Jonah again.  This time Jonah responds.  And the people of Nineveh respond with faith in God. Up to this p...
Post a Comment
Read more

June 19 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 170 DAILY READINGS Jeremiah 7-9 & Psalm 15 DAILY NOTES Jeremiah 7 Notice the emphasis of God's house having God's name.  It belongs to God, but the people, through their unrighteous actions, have made it theirs.  God's house has been turned into a "den of robbers" (vs. 11).  Remember when Jesus said that (Matthew 21:13)? According to Jesus, what was the Temple supposed to be called? Remember when the people tried to use the ark of the covenant as a weapon against the Philistines (1 Samuel 4)?  That was at Shiloh.  Jeremiah brings that event to our minds again as a sign (vs. 14).  God says that human sacrifice was not his command, nor did it come to his mind.  You'll have to do some wrestling with the story of Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac (Genesis 22). Jeremiah 8 Jeremiah (God) says to unearth the kings' bones and lay them before the sun and moon and all the other gods they served and worshiped.  Ouch. Even animals ...
Post a Comment
Read more