Isaiah 19
(NOTE: Why are the devotionals so long? It is because they are going to other nations that don’t have resources like we have here in America. Also, there are many attending churches where very little teaching of the Word of God takes place because others things are occupying the worship service. Many don’t have Sunday School anymore because they don’t think it is important. We are to be students of the Bible all the time. The devotional is just another resource for genuine believers who want to grow in the LORD)
LORD riding against Egypt verse 1
The burden of Egypt – Behold
the LORD rides upon a swift cloud
and shall come into Egypt
and the idols of Egypt
shall be moved at HIS presence
and the heart of Egypt shall
melt in the midst of it
LORD causing Egyptian civil war verse 2- 4
And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians
and they shall fight every one against his brother
and every one against his neighbor
City against city – and kingdom against kingdom
and the spirit of Egypt shall fall in the midst thereof
And I will destroy the counsel thereof
and they shall seek to the idols
and to the charmers
and to them that have familiar spirits
and to the wizards
And the Egyptians will I give over
into the hand of a cruel lord
and a fierce king shall rule over them
says the Lord, the LORD of hosts
LORD causing famine in Egypt verse 5- 10
And the waters shall fail from the sea
and the river shall be wasted and dried up
and they shall turn the rivers far away
and the brooks of defense shall be emptied and dried up
the reeds and flags shall wither
The paper reeds by the brooks – by the mouth of the brooks
and every thing sown by the brooks – shall wither
to be driven away – and be no more
The fishers also shall mourn
and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament
and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish
MOREOVER they that work in fine flax
and they that weave networks – shall be confounded
and they shall be broken in the purposes thereof
all that make sluices and ponds for fish
LORD causing wrong advice of consultants verse 11- 15
SURELY the princes of Zoan are fools
the counsel of the wise counselors of Pharaoh
is become brutish
How say you unto Pharaoh
I am the son of the wise – the son of ancient kings?
Where are they? Where are thy wise men?
and let them know what the LORD of hosts
has purposed upon Egypt.
The princes of Zoan are become fools
the princes of Noph are deceived
they have also seduced Egypt
even they that are
the stay of the tribes thereof
The LORD has mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof
and they have cause Egypt to err in every work thereof
as a drunken man staggers in his vomit
NEITHER shall there be any work for Egypt
which the head or tail
branch or rush may do
Egyptians afraid of Israelites verse 16- 17
IN THAT DAY shall Egypt be like unto women
and it shall be afraid and fear
because of the shaking of the hand of
the LORD of hosts
which HE shakes over it
AND the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt
every one that makes mention thereof
shall be afraid in himself
because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts,
which HE has determined against it
Some Egyptians learn Hebrew verse 18
IN THAT DAY shall five cities in the land of Egypt
speak the language of Canaan
and swear to the LORD of hosts
One shall be called
The city of destruction
LORD has altars in Egypt verse 19- 22
IN THAT DAY shall there be an altar to the LORD
in the midst of the land of Egypt
and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD
And it shall be for a sign and for a witness
to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt
for they shall cry unto the LORD
because of the oppressors
and HE shall send them a savior – and a great one
and HE shall deliver them
And the LORD shall be known to Egypt
and the Egyptians shall know the LORD
IN THAT DAY
and shall do sacrifice and oblation
YEA – they shall vow a vow unto the LORD
and perform it
AND the LORD shall smite Egypt – HE shall smite and heal it
and they shall return even to the LORD
AND HE shall be entreated of them – and heal them
LORD will be worshipped by both
Egypt and Assyria verse 23- 25
IN THAT DAY shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria
and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt
and the Egyptian into Assyria
and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians
IN THAT DAY shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria
even a blessing in the midst of the land
whom the LORD of hosts shall bless
saying
Blessed be Egypt my people – and Assyria
the work of MY hands and Israel MINE inheritance
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
:1 “The burden against Egypt. Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
DEVOTION: Sovereign Yahweh was about to visit Egypt, and when He did, her idols would prove impotent and her people fearful. He had done this at the time of the Exodus (Exod. 12:12), but Egypt was to receive a repeat lesson. How often people need to be reminded of the power and sovereignty of God. We forget that He is the same yesterday, today and forever! (Heb.13:8) He is unchanging and always will be consistent in the way He treats His creation and people.
The Egyptians had been shown His power and jealousy earlier and apparently needed that reminder in order for them to recognize the Lord.
How many times did the Lord Jesus remind his disciples of who he was and what He had been sent to accomplish? How many times has He had to remind me He is capable of meeting the needs and crisis in my life? He is the Lord, trust Him as He proves himself faithful repeatedly.
CHALLENGE: Is there something in your life the Lord is speaking to you about that has been a recurrent theme for you? Maybe it is time to settle that and recognize that the Lord is the same as when He met those needs previously! Go to Him today. (Dr. Brian Miller)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 12 Where are they? Where are your wise men? and let them tell you now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt. (3289 “purposed” [ya’ats] means counsel, determined, devised, to make or work out a plan for, deliberate, or plot)
DEVOTION: The Bible teaches that the LORD has had a plan from the beginning of time for all the nations of the world. HE is working HIS plan in the nation of Egypt because of what they have done in the past. They have depended on false gods even while the Children of Israel were in their nation. They didn’t get the point that the LORD was the only one true God
Today we find that many people are working a plan they have made for their life with no regard for the LORD. They think that they can succeed in this world and not be concerned for what happens to them after they die.
The Bible say that it is appointed unto man once to die and then judgment. Here we have a time of judgment on the nation of Egypt. God had a purpose for Egypt regarding the captivity of the Children of Israel but HE also has a plan for Egypt even today. Each nation has to answer to the LORD for their actions regarding the teachings of the Word of God.
In the end, all nations are going to stand before the LORD in judgment whether now or into eternity. We have to understand that if we as a nation don’t put the LORD first HE is going to send judgment.
The advice of Isaiah is that Egypt needs to get wise to who the LORD really is. They have had many warnings in the past but still have not learned their lesson.
CHALLENGE: Is our reading of the work of God in the Old Testament teaching us anything we need to learn today? It is trying to warn us to make sure we put the LORD first in our life and in the life of the nation. Judgment is coming!
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:14 The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. (5773 “perverse” [‘av’eh] means distorting, warping, depravities, staggering, or dizziness)
DEVOTION: We depend too much on other people in our life. The Egyptians counted on their false gods to give them good counsel regarding what to do in every situation. The list is long: idols, charmers, familiar spirits, wizards and here distorting spirit.
Our society looks everywhere but to God for answers. We presently live in a culture that a believers that everyone is right. There is no only truth. Everyone has truth. We need to accept everyone as right and never to think that there is a exclusive truth.
If one claims exclusive truth they are not tolerant. Our world wants us to be tolerant of everyone and not try to convince anyone that they are wrong. They want to make the rules for all organizations. Even on our college campuses they are trying to say that anyone can be a leader of any group. There are to be no standards for leadership.
That doesn’t work for Christian groups on campus. If there is a leader who doesn’t believe the Bible is the final authority and that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Where will he lead the group? Closer to God or further away.
One author states that PETA should have someone who wears bear skins to their meeting be their leader and see what will happen. The problem the rules are not for every group, only for Christian groups because we claim to have the exclusive truth of the Word of God.
Just like in Egypt the LORD can allow a warped evil spirit to enter into our society and cause those who think they are smart to think that they are following their own thoughts when in reality they are part of the devil’s camp.
This caused the Egyptians to follow a depraved spirit that gave them poor advice in their battle against their enemies. America and other nations can follow the same spirit. Throughout Scripture God has allowed those who reject HIM to follow counselors who were leading them into destruction instead of victory.
We need to stick to our beliefs and give wise counsel to those around us. The Bible is the final authority and Christ is the only way to heaven. Warn all those around us of these truths. Who they listen too will make a great difference in the outcome of their life and the life of the nation they live in.
CHALLENGE: Test the spirits to see if they are of God. Discernment is important in our Christian life. It is given by the Holy Spirit. Listen to HIM.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Belieers
: 17 And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it. (3289 “determined” [ya‘ats] means plan, intend, purpose, plot, resolve, [come to an informed, deliberate conclusion on a matter and take action.)
The nation of Egypt is the concern of this chapter. The first seventeen verses deal with a judgment on the nation. They were looking to idols for answers. They were looking to charmers. They were looking to those who consulted with familiar spirits. They were looking to wizards for answers.
They were looking in all the WRONG places for answers. For that reason the LORD had to judge them. In judging the LORD caused everything they tried to do, to fail.
The second part of the chapter deals with the future when even the Egyptians will worship the LORD. There is a day coming when the LORD will answer the prayers of the Egyptians. There is a day coming when they will offer sacrifices to the LORD.
All this is the plan of God for this nation. There will be people in every nation that will worship the LORD in heaven and during the millennial reign of Christ.
God has a plan and HE is working HIS plan regarding every nation under the sun. The Egyptians were a nation that gave Israel a hard time. They were a nation that didn’t worship the LORD but in the future kingdom of Christ there will be altars to the LORD in the land of Egypt.
No nation is outside the power and purpose of the LORD. HE has a plan for America. It is a devised plan. We need to realize that God wants us to have a revival in the church. That is only going to happen when HIS people understand that HE is in control.
Are we practicing HIS presence in our churches in this nation? The LORD is resolved to work HIS plan. HIS actions prove this fact. God is a God of action. HE loves us want wants us to learn from the Old Testament that HIS Son died for the whole world. HIS grace and salvation is available to all if they will but repent of their sins and follow HIM.
CHALLENGE: Remember that even the evil nations are given an opportunity to follow our God. Reach all the nations in your neighborhood for the LORD.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Egyptians praying to the LORD verse 20, 22
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Altar to the LORD verse 19
Sacrifices verse 21
Obligations verse 21
Vows verse 21
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 4, 12, 14, 16- 22, 25
LORD riding on a swift cloud verse 1
HIS presence verse 1
LORD going to destroy counsel of Egypt verse 3
Lord – Adonai (Master, Owner) verse 4
LORD of hosts verse 4, 12, 16-18, 20, 25
Purposed plan of LORD verse 12, 17
Sends a perverse spirit in their midst verse 14
Counsel of the LORD of hosts verse 17
HE shall send a Savior and Great One verse 20
LORD is going to smite Egypt verse 22
LORD is going to heal Egypt verse 22
Blesses verse 25
Israel mine inheritance verse 25
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Savior verse 20
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Egypt verse 1- 25
Heart melt
Fight everyone against his brother
Fight against neighbor
Spirit of Egypt will fail
Given over to a cruel lord
Water dried up
Confounded
Err in every work
No work
Be afraid and fear
Speak language of Canaan
City of destruction
Altar to the LORD in
Pillar to the LORD
Cry to the LORD
Shall know the LORD in that day
Perform vows to the LORD
Serve the Assyrians
LORD blesses
Cruel lord verse 4
Fierce king verse 4
Fishers verse 8
Princes of Zoan = fools verse 11, 13
Pharaoh verse 11
Counsellors become brutish
Princes of Noph = deceived verse 13
Highway out of Egypt to Assyria verse 23
Assyria verse 23- 25
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Idols verse 1, 3
Fighting with brothers verse 2
Fighting with neighbors verse 2
Charmers verse 3
Familiar spirits verse 3
Wizards verse 3
Fools verse 11, 13
Deceive verse 13
Seduce verse 13
Perverse spirit verse 14
Err verse 14
Drunk verse 14
Afraid verse 16, 17
Fearful verse 16
Oppressors verse 20
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Swear to the LORD of hosts verse 18
Perform vow verse 21
Entreat verse 22
Healing verse 22
Blessing verse 24, 25
Inheritance verse 25
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Land of Judah verse 17
Cause Egypt to be afraid verse 17
Language of Canaan verse 18
Israel verse 24, 25
Blessing verse 24
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
In that day verse 16, 18, 19, 21,
23, 24
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QUOTES regarding passage
Ver. 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof, &c.] A spirit of error, as the Targum, Septuagint, and Arabic versions; or of giddiness, as the Vulgate Latin: this he mingled in a cup for them, and poured it out, and gave them it to drink; and an intoxicating cup it was, such as men are made drunk with; to which the allusion is, as the last clause of the verse shews; so that the infatuation and want of wisdom in their counsels were from the Lord; who, because of the vain boasts of their wisdom in righteous judgment, gave them up to judicial blindness, stupidity, and folly: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof; both in religious and civil affairs, leading them into superstition and idolatry, to which they were of old inclined and addicted, and forming such schemes and projects, and putting them upon such works, as were very detrimental to the nation. Some think this refers to the twelve tyrants, who disagreeing among themselves, being actuated by a perverse spirit, greatly distracted the people; though rather it may refer to the times of Necho, and to his project in cutting a canal for the bringing of the Nile to the Red sea before mentioned, in which he lost several thousands of men without accomplishing it; and of his predecessor, in besieging Ashdod twenty-nine years ere he took it: as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit; who is so very drunk, that his head is quite giddy, and can’t walk upright, but staggers as he goes, and vomits as he staggers, and falls down, and is rolled in it, as the Targum; just like such a man were the princes and governors of the Egyptian provinces. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, pp. 110–111). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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6413 עִוְעִים (ʿiw∙ʿîm): n.masc.; ≡ Str 5773; TWOT 1577c—LN 23.142–23.184 pl. dizziness, staggering, i.e., a physical state in which one moves about in an erratic manner, with a focus on not being able to do what one normally does, implying an ill state (Isa 19:14+) (Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
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14–15. The poem began with the Lord approaching Egypt; now he is at work within the leaders. Dizziness: the word ‘iw‘îm occurs only here and means bewilderment or dithering. Stagger (√‘āwâ): to deviate, i.e. now go this way, now that. All this is one aspect of the holy judgment of the Lord (1 Kgs 22:21–23; 2 Thess. 2:11). Head … or tail, palm branch or reed: see 9:14–15. (Motyer, J. A. (1999). Isaiah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 20, p. 158). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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11–15 Constructive, progressive, and stable rule necessitates the marriage of power and wisdom. These are the characteristics of God’s great King (11:1–5), and they are the qualities of God himself. In vv.1–4 he overcame the power of Egypt, and in v.3 we saw him bringing Egypt’s wisdom to nought. This theme is now further expounded (cf. 1 Cor 1:20). Every great monarch feels the need of advice from wise counselors, but what if the wisest in the land have nothing but lunacy to offer (v.11)? No matter how ancient nor how exalted as to its source was their lore, it made no difference to their ineptness (cf. Gen 41). The rhetorical question with its taunt at the ineffectual wisdom of paganism is reminiscent of the reiterated mocking questions in other passages (e.g., 41:26; 44:7; 45:20–21). Zoan and Memphis (vv.11, 13) were the two most important cities in Lower Egypt. They are mentioned together because of their administrative importance.
The quaint architectural analogy implicit in the language of v.13b is not peculiar to this verse but is found in a number of OT passages (e.g., Ps 118:22; Zech 10:4). Its use in Isaiah 28:16 is particularly interesting in the light of its use here, for in this passage the leaders who should have given stability to Egypt led her astray, while in the later passage the God of Israel promises a leader who will give true stability to his people. The unifying and stabilizing effect of good leadership may also be in view in the different analogy used in Ephesians 4:16 (cf. v.11). It is instructive too to notice that in Isaiah 28 the folly of the leaders is due to drink and that their confusion here is pictured as if it were the result of drunkenness.
When the prophet says, “The Lord has poured into them a spirit of dizziness,” he is of course thinking of a personal spirit (v.14: cf. 1 Sam 16:14; 18:10; 19:9; 1 Kings 22:19–23). It is clear that this spirit comes for moral reasons and as a judgment from God. If we accept that God may use an evil human power in judgment (cf. 10:5), then there is really no difference in principle if he uses an evil spiritual being, as here. Foolish confidence in one’s own wisdom may lead not only to failure to produce appropriate counsel but also to walking and causing others to walk along a pathway that leads to disaster. For v.15, see the comment at 9:14–15. (Grogan, G. W. (1986). Isaiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 127). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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14. err in every work thereof—referring to the anarchy arising from their internal feuds. Horsley translates, “with respect to all His (God’s) work”; they misinterpreted God’s dealings at every step. “Mingled” contains the same image as “drunken”; as one mixes spices with wine to make it intoxicating (Is 5:22; Pr 9:2, 5), so Jehovah has poured among them a spirit of giddiness, so that they are as helpless as a “drunken man.” (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 451). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
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19:11–15. Egypt was well known in the ancient world for its wisdom writings and its wise men. But Isaiah warned Egypt not to count on her wise men to save the nation from the coming destruction. The officials of Zoan (vv. 11, 13; cf. Zoan, a city in Egypt’s Delta, in Num. 13:22; Ps. 78:12, 43; Isa. 30:4; Ezek. 30:14), the wise counselors of Pharaoh (Isa. 19:11), and the leaders of Memphis (v. 13; cf. Jer. 2:16; 44:1; 46:14, 19; Ezek. 30:13, 16; Hosea 9:6) thought their wisdom might save them from their coming judgment. But their wisdom was foolishness compared with the wisdom of the Lord Almighty who was planning the onslaught. No one in Egypt could do anything to avert the destruction; they were like staggering drunkards before the Lord. Neither the leaders (the head and the palm branch) nor the populace (the tail and the reed; cf. Isa. 9:15) could hold back God’s judgment. At one time Zoan was Egypt’s capital city (ca. 2050–1800). Memphis, on the Nile about 20 miles north of Cairo, was the first capital of united Egypt (ca. 3200 b.c.) and one of the major cities during much of its long history. (Martin, J. A. (1985). Isaiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1066). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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God will judge Egypt (Isa. 19:1–15; 20:1–6). This prophecy was probably fulfilled in 670 B.C. when Egypt was conquered by Esar-haddon, king of Assyria. The Assyrian conquest proved that the many gods of Egypt were powerless to help (19:1), and that the mediums and wizards were unable to give counsel (v. 3). In the days of Moses, God had triumphed over the gods of Egypt (Ex. 12:12; Num. 33:4) and the wisdom of the Egyptian leaders; and He would do it again.
But that is not all. The forty-two provinces of Egypt, called “nomes,” would be thrown into disarray and start fighting each other (Isa. 19:2). The Nile River, the source of Egypt’s economy, and the streams and canals of the land, would all dry up; and this would put farmers, fishermen, and cloth manufacturers out of business (vv. 5–10). For centuries, the Egyptians were respected for their wisdom; but now the princes and counselors would not know what to do (vv. 11–13). Instead of walking a straight path, the nation was led astray by leaders who were as dizzy as a drunken man staggering around in his vomit (vv. 14–15). Not a very pretty picture!
In these days of almost instant communication and of rapid transportation, when in a matter of minutes nations can come to the brink of war, we forget that God is still sovereign and can do whatever He pleases in the affairs of men. God destroyed everything that the Egyptians trusted—their political unity, their economy, religion, and wisdom—and made them an easy target for the Assyrians. When the international news is frightening and you wonder where God is, read Psalm 2 and Acts 4:23–31; and take hope. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Comforted (pp. 50–51). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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19:14, 15 The Lord has mixed. The Lord had caused dizziness that resulted in a complete loss of productivity, when the invaders came. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Is 19:14). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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The prophecy definitely depicts a time of great business depression and political perplexity when Pharaoh’s counselors proved themselves unable to handle the situation aright. Their advice offered no real solution of the problems that the nation was facing. The princes of Zoan (the Egyptian Tanis), and of Noph (known to us as Memphis), sought in vain for a way out of the conditions that confronted them. The reason for their failure comes out clearly in the closing verses of this section. They refused to turn to the only One who could have helped them, that is the God of Israel, whom they had despised. Therefore, they were like drunken men, unable to control themselves or their country, a spirit of perversity having taken hold upon them. In all that we have seen thus far, we are again reminded of that which comes out so plainly in other parts of Scripture, that Egypt is a type of this present evil world—that godless system which once held the people of God in bondage when they were made to serve with rigor under the lashing of the lusts of the flesh. This world has grown no better throughout all the centuries during which the gospel has been preached and the Lord has been taking out a people for His name. Rather has it become hardened in its attitude toward God and His Word; “Evil men and seducers,” we are told, “shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13). Nor will this state of things be changed until the now-rejected Christ returns from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who know not God. Then will His kingdom of righteousness supersede all the kingdoms that man has set up and “the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.”
Starting with verse 16, we have five distinct sections each beginning with the words “In that day,” all therefore looking forward to the Day of the Lord, the day of Jehovah’s triumph. (Ironside, H. A. (1952). Expository notes on the prophet Isaiah. (pp. 112–113). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Making End-of -Life Decisions: The Problems with Advance Directives
We’re all going to die one day. Are you prepared? Yes, for heaven, but also, have you made decisions about how to handle your medical care?
So what did your family discuss this past Christmas Eve? The beautiful lights? Maybe some childhood holiday memories? Hopefully, the immeasurable gift of the Incarnation and the love of God?
Well, according to the online medical journal STAT, you should have talked about the importance of advance medical directives. As Dave Barry likes to say, I’m not making this up.
In an article published on, of all days, Christmas Eve, STAT told readers that advance directives are a “perfect holiday conversation.” Yep, break out the eggnog…
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, an “advance directive” is “a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves because of illness or incapacity.” The most basic example of an advance directive is a “do not resuscitate” order. There are also more complex ones, like “living wills,” that specify what kind of treatment the person will or will not receive.
While I disagree that Christmas is the best moment for this discussion, STAT is absolutely right to say that people should be thinking about their medical care and should be discussing it with their loved ones. As bioethicist Wesley J. Smith notes, preparing an advance directive is “an important task given the evolving economics of medicine.”
But as Smith and others have pointed out, there are far more than merely economic considerations to be discussed. Our plans for the end of our lives ought to carefully reflect our deepest convictions about the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.
Done badly, an advance directive can be like a prenuptial agreement. Just as a “prenup” assumes the impermanence of marriage, many advance directives create a presumption in favor of death and efficiency (and an all-out avoidance of suffering) over the sanctity of human life.
Watch the language, and beware whenever the term “quality of life” as defined by medical professionals is elevated over the “sanctity of life” inherent to all image bearers. And especially look out for economic undertones in advance directives. Economically-driven decisions about the end of life will only reflect and advance the culture of death. This is especially true when directives use broad and imprecise language, which many do—language that opens the door to a purely utilitarian approach to end-of-life care.
And here’s another problem: Many advance directives operate as if our lives belong only to ourselves, as if all that matters is what we want when it comes to pain, suffering, or treatment. This ignores what they think. And by “they,” I mean the husbands who belong to their wives, and vice-versa, the parents who belong to their kids and vice-versa, and all of us who belong to extended families, communities, and churches.
Then there’s this: Years can pass between the writing of an advance directive and death. So you might be subjecting your loved ones to a decision you made long ago, when they have more information about the options than you ever knew about. Just as a life lived in pure autonomy never ends well, neither does a death.
Fortunately, there are alternatives to advance directives and living wills. One of these is what’s called a “durable power of attorney,” which designates a trusted person—a friend or a family member—to handle your affairs if you become mentally or physically incapacitated. The key word here is “trusted,” someone with whom you share convictions about the sanctity of human life and who is prepared to act on them even in the face of pressure.
This keeps decisions about care out of the sole hands of hospitals or doctors who might embrace an agenda or belief system diametrically opposed to yours.
I understand … this isn’t the most pleasant of subjects. But “it is appointed to men to die once and after that comes judgment.” This knowledge should prompt us to want to not only live, but to die as well as we can, bearing witness to our convictions about Whose we are and Whom we serve.
And be sure to check out today’s BreakPoint podcast. Warren Cole Smith speaks with Ben Mitchell about end-of-life decisions, advance directives, and the growing threat (and popularity) of doctor-assisted suicide. Tune in at BreakPoint.org or wherever you listen to podcasts.(BreakPoint is a Christian worldview ministry that seeks to build and resource a movement of Christians committed to living and defending Christian worldview in all areas of life. Begun by Chuck Colson in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today’s news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print. Today BreakPoint commentaries, co-hosted by Eric Metaxas and John Stonestreet, air daily on more than 1,200 outlets with an estimated weekly listening audience of eight million people. Feel free to contact us at BreakPoint.org where you can read and search answers to common questions.)
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God establishes a unilateral covenant with Abraham.
INSIGHT
The opposite of obedience is unbelief; the essence of obedience is belief. If you truly believe God is totally good and all powerful, if you truly believe He always acts for His children’s benefit, you will obey whatever He asks of you. It is when you doubt these truths that obedience to the Lord becomes difficult.
The New Testament tells us: “Abraham believed God” (James 2:23). Therefore, he obeyed when God said, “Get out of your country” (Genesis 12:1).
Are you struggling with obedience in an area of your life? Perhaps there is something in the Scriptures you do not truly believe. Search your life, and in the tradition of the disciples, ask the Lord to increase your faith (Luke 17:5). (Quiet Time)
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The Power of Faith
“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11)
When God grants the gift of faith to enable us at the point of salvation (Ephesians 2:8), it isn’t a static power that merely resides in our minds but is rather an empowerment that is expected to grow into a dynamic and demonstrable “divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).
Faith preserves and protects us.
Jesus insists, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). These words are precise. Once faith is exercised, an eternal transaction takes place wherein a person is passed from spiritual death to eternal life. This is an absolute change and eliminates the possibility of hell (John 10:28-29).
Faith is power for effective prayer.
The “mustard seed” promise in Matthew 17:20 does not refer to size or amount but to quality. The Greek comparative hoce translated “as” in that passage refers to the same kind of faith as the mustard seed. Just so, the promise of Matthew 7:7 (if you ask and seek, you will find) depends on our confidence (faith) in the heavenly Father.
Faith is the shield against the Enemy.
God’s armor in Ephesians 6:10-18 lists “the shield of faith” that provides an ability “to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” That shield is defensive in the sense that it only provides protection when we use it to block the darts. The active use comes when we “resist the devil” (James 4:7) as we remain “stedfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Barbara writes (IL): No matter how hard life can get, go to bed grateful you still have one.
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We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.