The Bible Recap - Day 204 (Isaiah 31-34) - Year 6

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible Recap. Yesterday we covered woes number one, two, and three, and today we wrap up the final three of six. Today's reading ended on a dark note, but hopefully you'll be encouraged to know that tomorrow things brighten up a bit. And we're not far off from the parts of Isaiah that deal with the new heavens and the new earth, which are pretty amazing to read about. We open today with a reinforced woe to Judah. Woe to those who go down to Egypt. We've heard this one before. We know Judah is working on an alliance with Egypt because Judah is afraid of Assyria,

Starting point is 00:00:43 so this is clearly directed at Judah. God says they will seek help from Egypt, but Egypt will be rendered helpless themselves. They may have horses and chariots, but God has weapons Judah can't even imagine. He can provide in ways that are supernatural. And he foretells a day when they'll finally turn to him and destroy their idols.

Starting point is 00:01:04 And in that day, a righteous king will reign. Hopefully you've picked up on this by now, but any time we see the future righteous king reigning after the day of the Lord, that points to Jesus. Of course, the people in Isaiah's day didn't know this. They naturally assumed it would be an earthly king, but a good one to contrast all the bad ones they've experienced. In that day, fools and scoundrels won't be exalted anymore, but for now they're still running rampant. The fool and the scoundrel are two distinct people here. 32.6 describes the fool

Starting point is 00:01:36 like this, the fool speaks folly and his heart is busy with iniquity to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the Lord, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink." And here's what verse 7 says about the scoundrel. As for the scoundrel, his devices are evil. He plans wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right. One of the first things that came to mind when the plea of the needy is right. One of the first things that came to mind when I read this was the people who work as sex traffickers,

Starting point is 00:02:10 luring unwitting poor people into lives of rape after promising them good jobs or college degrees. When I read about the fool and the scoundrel, all I know is I never want to be either of those people. And one thing they both have in common, besides their hatred of God and His Word, is a disregard for the poor and needy. In fact, a lot of people in Isaiah's day have this problem.

Starting point is 00:02:33 Their wealth has made them complacent. He specifically addresses the complacent women and calls them to repent. They are the focus of the fifth woe. He warns them that they're living in a false sense of security, when in fact things are about to get really bad within the year. But then, as he always does, he reminds them of the message of hope beyond the desolation. He says God's Spirit will be poured out all over the land,

Starting point is 00:02:57 which will cause people's hearts to turn back to him, and they'll begin to flourish again. The sixth and final woe is pronounced to the destroyer and the traitor, which ultimately points to those who have wounded God's people in Judah. They will serve God's purposes in bringing Judah to repentance, but then they will be judged themselves. Isaiah declares God's trustworthiness to the people of Judah, who will be inclined to doubt it as all of this is unfolding.

Starting point is 00:03:25 He wants to remind them who Yahweh is. In the midst of everything they know being turned on its head, and everything they've found their identity and hope in being shaken, Isaiah reminds them in 33-6, he will be the stability of your times. Nothing else is worth building your life on. He says, the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure. In other words, the most valuable thing you have is your trust in God.

Starting point is 00:03:55 After we wrapped up the six woes, we moved on to the judgment of the nations in chapter 34. Much lighter reading, right? Nope, God promises to bring judgment on all the nations of the earth. Honestly, this should come as no surprise. We know what humanity is like. We've seen the news. Isaiah begins to paint images of Edom being turned into an abandoned wasteland

Starting point is 00:04:18 full of tar and fire and terrible animals like porcupines and owls. I just had to point that out because owls terrify me. See, it's biblical. While Isaiah is describing what will happen to Edom after God brings vengeance on it, some people believe this is also alluding to hell. Either way, owls are there, so I'm not going. And near the end of today's reading,

Starting point is 00:04:40 we have another reminder of why we don't take verses out of context and claim them for ourselves. A well-meaning single woman once told me she was claiming Isaiah 34 16 as her promise that God has a husband for her. It says, none shall be without her mate. I wasn't sure if I should tell her that verse actually refers to the wild animals who are populating the desolate tar-covered sulfur-smelling wasteland God has cursed. Uh, pretty sure I'd rather stay single.

Starting point is 00:05:09 Okay, then. What was your God shot? The owl bit? No? Me neither. Mine was in God's warning to the complacent women. In 32, 15-16, Isaiah says God's Spirit will be poured out over the land, which will cause people's hearts to turn back to God and they'll begin to flourish, because the active presence of

Starting point is 00:05:29 God's Spirit brings justice and righteousness. In the next verse, he says the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness will be quietness and trust forever. So follow me here for a second. The thread we see running through these verses is that righteousness is what brings quietness and trust, and that God is the one who brings righteousness. You don't have to manufacture your own righteousness. You couldn't if you had to. How freeing is that? Titus 3, 5 through 6 puts it this way. He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but

Starting point is 00:06:06 according to His own mercy, by the washing and regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of Christ's death and His blood covering our sins, the Holy Spirit is poured out on us, making us righteous, something we could never achieve on our own. And that is something that will set our heart at peace and help us trust God forever. What a great relief. He's where the joy is. This is typically the time of year when churches decide what Bible studies they'll offer in the fall and spring. And if your church is one of them, I would love for you to consider our Knowing Jesus

Starting point is 00:06:49 series, either Knowing Jesus as King, our study on the Gospel of Matthew, or Knowing Jesus as Servant, our study on the Gospel of Mark, or both. They're both 10-session studies where each week has five days of study and questions, plus daily Bible reading, scripture memorization, and a practical response to what we've learned. So many of you have asked for a chance to slow down and do a deep dive into the Gospels, and now you can. Your first two opportunities are here, and we think they'd be a great fit for your small group or your church. To pick up a copy or to find out more information on bulk discounts,

Starting point is 00:07:29 visit BakerBookHouse.com or click the link in the show notes.

The Bible Recap - Day 204 (Isaiah 31-34) - Year 6

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