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[Today's Comments]
Passage: Isaiah 9-12

On Thursday, August 8, 2013 (Last Updated on 8/8/2015), Yujin wrote,

on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them...

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7).

This one of the greatest passages about the Messiah. But what is notable in this passage is that the prophecy concerning the Messiah says that this Messiah will shine His light from "Galilee of the Gentiles." While the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, the city of David, (cf. Micah 5:2), Isaiah says that He will begin His ministry from Galilee of the Gentiles. 

You may think, "So what?!" I take you to the occasion when the Chief Priests and the Pharisees were determined to arrest Jesus. Nicodemus tries to intercede for Jesus, so that they might at least first listen to His teaching before condemning Him, but listen to how they respond:

Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee” (John 7:50-52).

Were these Jewish leaders ignorant of what was written in Isaiah? A few verses earlier they were criticising the people that were believing in Jesus, calling them a "mob that knows nothing of the law" (John 7:49). It appears that the Jewish leaders themselves were the truly ignorant ones. 

Even among the people, those that rejected Jesus as Messiah had a similar argument:

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” (John 7:41-42).

They were right about the latter, but they could not accept that the former was true too. Both Bethlehem and Galilee would be central to the Messiah, even as one was His place of birth and the other the launching point of His ministry. Matthew's Gospel records the fulfillment of Isaiah 9:1-2 in Jesus:

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles—
the people living in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
    a light has dawned.”

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:12-17).

How could they miss this crucial Messianic passage in Isaiah? What is more, their claim was false on another count, for they claimed that no prophet ever came out of Galilee. Yet 2 Kings 14:25 tells us that the prophet Jonah was from Gath-Hepher, which was a city of the tribe of Zebulun, which was in the land of Galilee.

How ironic that the one Old Testament prophet that they forgot about was the one that ran from God because he did not want God to save the Gentiles of Nineveh. Were not the Jewish leaders exhibiting the same kind of disdain for Galilee, which admittedly was a largely Gentile-populated town, and thus it is called "Galilee of the Gentiles"?

Now, Jesus indicted the Jewish leaders because even though they studied the Scriptures, they failed to see how these very Scriptures showed them that Jesus was indeed the Messiah:

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me (John 5:39).

Friends, the Jewish leaders conveniently blinded themselves and others to certain inconvenient truths in Scripture. This is why Jesus called them "blind guides" (Matthew 15:14). They were blind guides leading the blind people. 

How aweful it would be if any of us would have such a declaration made about us! This is why I encourage everyone to diligently study the Bible for themselves. This is the one thing you cannot delegate to others. You cannot hire preachers or teachers to study for you, for you will be held accountable for what you know and believe and not what they teach. You will not get a pass by telling God, "My pastor taught me the wrong thing." As Jesus said, the blind guides and those they lead will both fall into the pit (cf. Matthew 15:14).

There are two great wrongs that I've seen in the modern church that bode ill for Christians today. First is Christians leaders that try to silence any point of view that disagrees with their own. Second is Christian leaders that refuse to clearly stand against unbiblical teaching and practices.

The two common arguments that leaders use to justify these wrongs are "unity" and "love". So, if we all perish together, it is better than only some being saved. We are at least united! Leaders have misunderstood and abused the notion of unity, teaching a unity around their point of view rather than a true unity, which sees biblical truth as the boundary (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:6). 

Just as wrong are those that embrace serious unbiblical teaching on the basis of loving others. Will we stop preaching that homosexuality is a heinous sin because there are a lot of homosexuals in the congregation? Will we go easy on divorce because so many Christians are divorced or in the midst of it? Will we give a pass to those that make prophetic claims that don't come true just because they serve as an elder of our church? The Bible says that true love rejoices in the truth (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:6), and loving Christ means obeying His commands (cf. John 15:10). Let us not for the sake of loving others, forsake loving God. 

What is more, while the command to love our neighbors is similar to the command to love God, it does not carry equal weight. The greatest command is still to love God above all else (cf. Matthew 22:37-38). How much more? Our love for God should be so great that every other love appears like hate in comparison (cf.Luke 14:25-26). Therefore, obedience to God's truth takes precedence over accepting others in their unbiblical teaching and behaviors. 

For us all, then, I pray that God might grant us discernment. 

Passage: Isaiah 9-12

On Wednesday, August 8, 2012, Yujin wrote,

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! (Isaiah 9:6, 7 NLT)

I never tire of reading the prophecies of the coming Messiah. There are a lot of them in Isaiah. He prophecies about the righteousness, power, suffering, and final triumph of the Messiah. What is so endearing about this Messiah? We adore Him not ony because He is powerful, but also because He humbles Himself for our sake. He not only executes perfect justice. He also sacrifices Himsef so that we can escape the punishment we deserve. Every other leader is flawed, coming short of our ideals and expectations, but the Messiah will fulfill and exceed all our ideals and expectations. It is this profound and wonderful hope that motivates us to give our lives in His service. 

If you are a bit down today because you are painfully aware of your weaknesses or limitations, remember the Messiah, who is your unfailing and enduring hope. If you fix your heart's gaze upon Him, you will find persevering strength to endure anything and overcome everything with the perspective of joy because of what Jesus has accomplished for you. He is our wisdom. He is our righteousness. He is our redemption. Take a deep breath (Hebrew ruach) and stand in the power of the Holy Spirit (Hebrew Ruach), forgetting what is now behind you and pressing on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of you. Fulfill in this life what remains of your mission for the LORD!

Passage: Isaiah 9-12

On Friday, March 9, 2012 (Last Updated on 5/9/2012), Unmi wrote,

 

Isaiah 10 clearly demonstrates God's sovereignty and Man's responsibility. For many, these seem like two mutually exclusive concepts, but Isaiah 10 addresses both. If we believe that the Bible is the inerrant word of God, then we must accept both concepts even when we can't seem to get a firm grasp of them.

The LORD calls the nation of Assyria His rod and staff and that He will send Assyria against a godless nation (Israel)

5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger 
And the staff in whose hands is My indignation, 
6 I send it against a godless nation 
And commission it against the people of My fury 
To capture booty and to seize plunder, 
And to trample them down like mud in the streets. (Isaiah 10:5-6)

Also, God further goes on to say that Assyria doesn't plan or intend to be an instrument of God, they are simply doing what they want to do. So it seems that God has a plan for Assyria and Assyria has its own plans out of the desire of its own heart, the end result of both plans is the same, to destroy the nation of Israel.

7 Yet it does not so intend, 
Nor does it plan so in its heart, 
But rather it is its purpose to destroy 
And to cut off many nations. (Isaiah 10:7)

But then, it further says that when God has finished what He plans to do and He will punish the king of Assyria for "the pomp of his haughtiness." So even though Assyria did exactly what God intended for them to do, He will punish the king of Assyria for his "arrogant heart". 

12 So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness.” 13 For he has said, “By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, For I have understanding; And I removed the boundaries of the peoples And plundered their treasures, 
And like a mighty man I brought down their inhabitants, 14 And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a nest, And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth; And there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped.” (Isaiah 10:12-14)

God further says:15 Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood. (Isaiah 10:15)

So this is the part that we don't understand. If man is like an axe, a saw, a club or a rod and it is God who uses it as He wishes, then why are we judged/punished?...but the next verse clearly says that God does bring judgment:

16 Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. 17 And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame, And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day. 18 And He will destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body, And it will be as when a sick man wastes away. (Isaiah 10:16-18)

In the end, God is sovereign and directs the course of human history, but at the same time, man is held accountable for his own actions. So the two concepts are not mutually exclusive and should not be rejected just because we don't understand how the two can co-exist. In rejecting this, then we would have to reject the very words of God....

For me personally, the concept of God's sovereignty is comforting.  We believe God is capable of performing all He wills to do and is in control of all things. I must admit that I don't understand those who find comfort in Man's self determining will.  I can't even trust myself to do the right thing. When Joshua instructed the nation of Israel to “choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15), I am afraid I would have been one of those who would have followed after false gods. Joshua himself tells the Israelites “Ye cannot serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:19) Those who believe they would have done better than the Israelites seem to have a high view of themselves and their ability in choosing God.  It is man’s pride that places his self determinant will over God’s sovereignty. I am thankful that my God will accomplish His will despite my weaknesses, despite my disobedience.

 

Passage: Isaiah 9-12

On Tuesday, August 9, 2011, Unmi wrote,
 
Isaiah 9 is a prophecy of the coming Messiah. It says that a great light has been seen in Galilee...Although talking about a future event, the prophecy is written is past tense as if it has already happened.  The past tense is likely used to indicated that it is a "for sure thing", it is "as good as done."
 
After being tested in the wilderness, Jesus indeed began his ministry in Galilee.
 12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, 
   the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, 
   Galilee of the Gentiles— 
16 the people living in darkness 
   have seen a great light; 
on those living in the land of the shadow of death 
   a light has dawned.”
 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:12-17)

Isaiah says that the people will rejoice because of this great light. 
You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; 
they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, 
as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. (Isaiah 9:3)

However, the book of John says:
Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:19-21)

The rejoicing people that Isaiah is referring to is the faithful remnant of Israel, not ALL people will rejoice. Those who do evil hate the light.  Those who live by the truth will welcome the light.

Jesus himself said that he is the light of the world. 
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Because of Jesus, we have the light of life in us. 
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

 We may not have seen "the great light" with our physical eyes, but we believe because of the testimony of the saints who came before us and because of the Spirit within us who testifies to the truth of what God has revealed. Let us shine our light before others! Why?...So that God will be glorified!

Passage: Isaiah 9-12

On Monday, August 8, 2011, Yujin wrote,
Friends, Isaiah can be a difficult read if you do not understand the historical framework for the various sections of the book. The first five chapters leading up to Isaiah's commissioning in chapter 6 do not seem to follow any sort of exact chronology, so it is best to read these for general themes that will be extrapolated in the larger body of the book.

Now, in the current section, the focus is on the events surrounding the reign of Ahaz, the King of Judah. He was being threatened by the neighboring countries of Samaria and Syria. It appears that they asked for an alliance against the nation of Assyria, who held them in tribute, but Ahaz refused, and so they sought to replace him with a puppet instead. But Ahaz was determined to give the entire treasury of Judah over to Assyria in tribute for protection against these neighboring nations. God sends Isaiah to tell Ahaz to trust in the LORD and not to fear Samaria and Syria. But Ahaz chooses to rely on Assyria rather than God; and while God fulfills His promise to remove the threat of Samaria and Syria, He also shows Ahaz the foolishness of holding hands with the king of Assyria, who would nearly destroy all of Judah save for the faithfulness of Ahaz's son Hezekiah, who chooses to trust the Lord.

This should make better sense of a verse like Isaiah 10:20,
And it shall come to pass in that day
That the remnant of Israel,
And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob,
Will never again depend on him who defeated them,
But will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
The "him who defeated them" would be a reference to Assyria.

Trusting the LORD is a key theme in both the OT and the NT. While we are not in the position of world leaders like Ahaz, the kinds of decision that we make within the purview of our lives are not that much different. For in the eyes of the LORD, kings and nations are as nothing, for He raises them up and brings them down by His whim. As God said to Samuel, He looks at the heart of the individual. Where is your heart? Are you trusting in the Lord with all your heart, or is He but an uncertain backup to your other plans and preparations? If you are not sure of the answer, then consider how you respond to the loss of things and the failure of your plans. If you are trusting in the Lord, neither loss nor gain, success nor failure will much move you, for your attitude will be: "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13).