Isaiah 19:1-25

God has a way of turning hurts into hopes.  The circumstances of this sin cursed world will often bring us to a point of hurting and pain but God is able to take those hurts and pains and turn them into blessings if we turn to the Lord in our times of need.  Isaiah speaks of a time of destruction and defeat for the nation of Egypt, but he follows that up with a prophecy of Egypt, Assyria and Israel all turning to the Lord and enjoying peace with one another and with God.  Sin brings painful consequences but if those consequences can be used to motivate us to turn to the Lord, the final result will be better than our original condition.

ISAIAH FORETELLS THE DESOLATION OF EGYPT: Sin will destroy a nation.  Not only does it bring pain and destruction to the individual sinner, it will bring a nation to its knees.  Isaiah prophesies of a day where the leadership of Egypt will be corrupt and ruthless, the result of which will cause a civil war in which the people will self-destruct.  If that were not bad enough, there will be a severe drought at this same time causing the Nile River, the life blood of the nation, to dry up so that the banks become useless and even the fish in the river will die.  All of the wise men and religious leaders will be confused and their advice will be worthless.  The nation will find itself in inner turmoil, poverty and without leadership.  That is a recipe for destruction and the nation will be left in desolation.  God will often work in our own lives to bring us to the point of desperation because when we are in this state we are most likely to turn to the Lord which is our only source of hope.


ISAIAH FORETELLS THE SALVATION OF EGYPT: God is at work in the nations and in the lives of men to turn them to Himself so that they can find hope and help in Him.  Egypt, Assyria and Israel are nations that have historically been at war with one another and lived in rebellion against God.  However, God’s judgment on these nations will cause them to humble themselves and turn to the Lord.  This repentance and trust in the Lord will bring these nations to the point of experiencing peace with one another and peace with God as well.  God has a way of taking sin and evil and working those things for His glory and for our eternal good.  It is God’s greatest desire to save the nations.  He will use any means necessary to gain their attention and convince them to turn to Him.  That which is true in the nations is also true in the lives of every individual.  God loves us and wants us to repent and turn to Him.  He will use judgment in our lives in order to convince us that we need Him.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more

1 Timothy 2:1-7

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and   dignified in every way.    This is good, and   it is pleasing in the sight of   God our Savior,   who desires   all people to be saved and   to come to   the knowledge of the truth.    For   there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,   who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is   the testimony given   at the proper time.    For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying),   a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.   Prayer is one of the greatest privileges believers have and it should be one of our greatest priorities.  Too often our lives are more often marked by complaining about our circumstances and our political leaders than by prayers for them.  The government in Paul’s day
Read more