Skip to main content

April 30 + Daily readings & notes

DAY 120

DAILY READINGS

Isaiah 45-48 & Psalm 119:33-64

DAILY NOTES

Isaiah 45

  • Cyrus does not know it, but he will be an instrument of the Lord.  He is the founder/leader of the Persian Empire.  "Cyrus is the only non-Israelite designated in the OT as God's anointed (messiah), a term usually reserved for Israel's kings or high priests."
  • What a message!  God says that it was never his intention for his people to live in chaos.  Did God ever say, "Seek me in chaos" (vs19)?  No!  
    • Another way it's thought God asks the question is: I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, "Seek me in vain."
Isaiah 46
  • Idols are made need to be carried.  God does not.  God says, "I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save."
Isaiah 47
  • Babylon is illustrated as a princess who has been stripped of all things.  She was once a princess, but now she stands in disgrace.
  • The reason Babylon is punished by God is because they showed Israel "no mercy" (vs. 6).
    • Did God expect them to be nice to Israel?
Isaiah 48
  • God has told the people what to expect so that they would be ready and so that they would not give credit to their idols when it all happens.
  • God will save the people from Babylon.  It will be for his name's sake and for the sake of his praise (vs. 9).  

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

God has us figured out!

Why do we turn against God?  Why do we continually seek our own glory?  Put our trust in other things?  Forget God?  We're stubborn.  Specifically, we're stubborn of heart (Isaiah 46:12).

Everything has been spelled out for us.  But we still turn.  If there's one thing we're good at it's being stubborn minded.  It could be the one thing we could do in order to be more faithful to God is loosen our stiff necks.  Don't be so stubborn about our own way.  In doing so, we might find there's a whole other life God has for us.

Stay blessed...john
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

March 31 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 90 David's family situation continues to spiral.  In today's reading, David's family is torn apart by rape.  As a consequence, David's son sets his eyes on his father's throne. DAILY READINGS 2 Samuel 13-15 & Psalm 90 DAILY NOTES 1 Samuel 13:1-14 Amnon was David's first born son (3:2).  That may shed light as to why David seems to deal with him so easily (Verse 21).  Although he does kind of the same thing later with Absalom. Tamar is Absalom's full sister, half sister to Amnon.  Amnon is lovesick with her.  He devises a plan, with the help of a friend, to have her enter his chamber (bedroom).   Since she was a virgin, she didn't go out and about.  She remained in her house, perhaps protected.   Tamar knows what will become of her if Amnon goes through with his wishes; she will be left aside, unable to marry (see Verse 20).  She seems willing to have become married to Amnon, but his lust clouds h...
Post a Comment
Read more

June 18 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 169 DAILY READINGS Jeremiah 4-6 & Psalm 14 DAILY NOTES Jeremiah 4 Perhaps the people swore "As the Lord lives," but they did not do so in truth, justice or uprightness.  That's a sobering reminder that our words about God must match the way we live. Jeremiah (God) wants the people to move from an empty adherence to a covenant behavior (circumcision) to an attitude of praise before God.  In other words, empty religion is not appealing to God. God will ask the people to "wash" their heart "clean of wickedness" (Verse 14). Jeremiah feels as if God has deceived the people (Verse 10).  Maybe God didn't predict the peace Jeremiah was thinking of.  False prophets? Jeremiah 5 The same theme.  There were people who said, "As the Lord lives," because that was the religious thing to say.  But God says there is not one person who acts justly or seeks truth.  The people used the right words, but lived the wrong way.  #Pr...
Post a Comment
Read more

January 27 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 27 We'll be reading about atonement today.  T oday's video helps make sense of that biblical theme. DAILY READINGS Exodus 30-31 & Psalm 27 DAILY NOTES Exodus 30:6 Everything has its place.   Exodus 30:10 Once a year would be Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Exodus 12-15 The Lord's offering is required of everyone equally (of the appropriate age).  Strangely enough, there is a designation of rich and poor.  Everyone has just come from Egypt.  How has that distinction arisen?   Exodus 31:13 It's interesting to compare how the idea of sabbath here relates to previous mentions of it.   Exodus 31:18 Moses had written the words down.  Now, with merely his finger, God has provided the tablets for all to remember the covenant that has been made.   Psalm 27 Have you ever prayed and prayed and prayed for something?  The psalmist seems to know the feeling.  His final adm...
Post a Comment
Read more