Matthew 22:23-33 - Marriage

There were various religious and power groups in Israel. The Pharisees were very nationalistic, whereas the Herodians supported Roman rule. The Pharisees believed in miracles and the resurrection. Conversely, the Saducees did not believe in miracles or the resurrection. All these groups were united in opposition to Jesus.

The Saducees sought to expose, as they saw it, the ridiculousness of the resurrection with a question about marriage. Under the Law a if a woman's husband died without children, then his brother had to marry the woman. In their question this occurred seven times. So they asked, who would be the husband of the woman at the resurrection? 

Atheists sometimes come up with supposedly clever questions. Jesus reply is that they do not know the scriptures nor the power of God. The Saducees had a paucity of thinking, just as atheists do. 

There would be no marriage at the resurrection, for things would be so much greater than they are now. Jesus quoted from the Law to prove that God is the God of the living, for the first five books were the only ones the Saducees said had special authority.

When a loved one dies people often talk about seeing them again in heaven. Now, if they believe, this is true enough, but we need to be aware that there will not be a simple restoration of relationships. Things will be infinitely greater than they are now, relationships will be infinitely greater. 

Matthew 22:15-22 - Caesar's

Instead of responding with repentance, the Pharisees responded with further plots to try and trap Jesus. This is a futile response, but we can be little better at times. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of something we usually respond initially by trying to excuse ourselves in some way or other. It is far easier just to repent! It saves a lot of time and bother.

This time they begin with flattery. We too sometimes think that by using the right words we will "get round" God. Look, God sees right into our hearts and knows all our motives, better than we do ourselves. Then they ask Him about paying taxes to the Romans. Now the Jews hated the Roman occupation, so if He said they should pay the tax, He would anger the people. If He said they should not, the Romans would come down on Him like a ton of bricks for usurping their authority.

Jesus knew exactly what their game was. So He points them to the image on the coin, and utters the well known words, "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's". There are various ways we can look at this. First we need to have proper respect for human authority, and at the same time respect for God's ways. Secondly, maybe there is a reference to Genesis 1 where it says we are made in God's image. We belong to God, we have responsibility to Him. The Pharisees were neglecting this responsibility.

The Pharisees were dumbfounded at Jesus' reply.

Matthew 22:1-14 - Come one, come all

"Jesus told them several other stories to illustrate the Kingdom". It is not explicit who He told them to, whether they are still directed primarily at the religious leaders, or are for the people in general. The nature of the parable would seem to indicate that it the leaders are still the primary target. Whatever the case, the stories illustrate the kingdom of God, ie they illustrate how God's kingdom works, and how it is different from the world's kingdom.

A king had prepared a great feast for his son. So the parable is about the Father and the Son. Jesus is the only way to the Father. The invited guests, despite several attempts, refused to come to the banquet. Just think how different things would have been if the Jews, and the leaders in particular, had accepted Jesus!

So the king did two things. He sent his army to destroy the city. Now this actually happened in AD66-70. In Isaiah we read of Assyria being God's chosen instrument, here the Romans were His chosen instrument.This is a very sobering verse.

Secondly he sent his servants to the highways and byways to invite anyone who would come. This is illustrative of the tax collectors and sinners coming into the kingdom, and of the gospel going out to the Gentiles.

So many people came, but one person is singled out who was not wearing the right clothes. Could this be a reference to Judas?

Matthew 21:33-46 - Here to serve others

Jesus is still addressing the religious leaders here. Earlier on they had asked Him by what authority He was doing and the saying the things He said and did. The truth is that they needed to remind themselves of the authority that they had. 

The parable is well known. A landowner rents his land out to some farmers. When the time came to collect his share of the profits he sent a series of servants, but the tenants beat and killed the servants. Finally he sent his son. The tenants, instead if seeing sense, reasoned that if they killed the son they would be able to keep the land.

The religious leaders knew full well what the landowner would do. Then they realised that Jesus was talking about them. They had been given charge of the temple not to further their own ends, but to serve the Lord and the people. Even knowing the truth, the leaders, instead of repenting, plotted to arrest Jesus, thinking that this would solve the "problem".

All of us need to take heed of this parable. We are all stewards of the things that we have. They are given to us to use to serve the Lord and help others. As I have said before, the authority we have is the authority to serve. We see this clearly in politics, where politicians so often use their power just to keep power, or to feather their own nests. The same pattern happens in all spheres of life, and at all levels.

We are here to serve others.

Matthew 21:28-33 - It is how you finish that counts

There is a common saying "slow obedience is no obedience, is disobedience". Now it is absolutely right that the quicker we obey the better, and here are times when it is imperative that we obey at once without question. However, this parable shows that this is not the whole story.

Two sons are told to go to work in the vineyard. One initially refuses, but then later on does as his father requested. The second said he would go, but then failed to do so.

This is a pattern we often observe in life. When there is a call to do something, initially many will show great enthusiasm, but will actually end up doing very little. Whereas people who seem the most reluctant can end up being the best servants.

This answer is a continuation of Jesus' encounter with the temple authorities. It was a rebuke to them, that although outwardly they seemed to be the obedient ones, they were actually failing to do God's will. Conversely, the prostitutes and tax collectors, people the religious types despised, were responding to the Lord. In fact this is a parable that is analogous to the theology that Paul gives in many of his letters. Those who had the Law gave the impression of being committed to God, but were in fact disobedient. Whereas the Gentile "sinners" were the ones who by believing in Christ were actually the obedient ones.

Matthew 21:23-27 - Questions

The temple authorities were non too pleased about what Jesus was doing, so they sought to undermine His authority. First they wanted to know what authority He had, and who gave it to Him.

As was His practice, Jesus responded by asking them a question. He did this to get to the heart of the matter. So He asked where John's baptism came from, heaven or human origin. Now John had preached repentance, said he was preparing the way for someone greater, and had declared that Jesus was that person.

The temple leaders were in a bind. If they said John's authority came from heaven, then they themselves should have repented, and it meant that they should have believed in Jesus as the one John spoke about. If they said it was purely human, then the people would be against them.

The only way to avoid such dilemmas is to be devoted to God above all, and to be prepared to suffer if necessary. The temple leaders, however, were mere men-pleasers.

So they refused to answer, and Jesus refused to answer them.

Matthew 21:18-22 - Always fruitful

We see more of the supernatural aspect with the cursing of the fig tree. At first this seems a rather capricious act on Jesus' behalf. 

Should the fig tree have bore fruit at this time? The point is that God's people are always meant to produce fruit. Now we should not take this in a condemnatory way. We all go through rough patches when we just don't seem to be getting anywhere. But we should take it in a faith building way. Circumstances, experience, other people, ourselves, will tell us that in various situations it is unreasonable for us to bear fruit, or for good things to happen. We need to reject this. We are citizens of the kingdom of God and are linked in to the power of God. In any and every circumstance it is possible for us to be victorious.

In Romans 8:37 Paul tells us that we are more than conquerors. In Deuteronomy 28:13 it says we are the head and not the tail. Psalm 1:3 says a person who delights in the Lord will always bear fruit. I am not talking about some frothy triumphalism here, but the truth is that we can rise up in all situations. We should always be looking for victory in Christ.

The disciples were amazed at the trees sudden death. Jesus tells them that they should expect to receive answers to prayer. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves just now, we should pray with faith.

Matthew 21:12-17 - Clearing the temple

Jesus enters the temple and clears it. Mark and Luke also record the same incident. John records another temple cleansing incident in John 2:13-17, so Jesus probably cleared the temple twice.

The temple was full of money changers and those selling doves. They were doing this because people came from far and wide, and the traders sold doves so that the worshipers could offer these as a sacrifice. So why did Jesus object to this practice which was there to help them worship God? Well perhaps the trading had become the focus rather than the worship. We need to be very careful that we do not fall into the same trap. 

Immediately after this we see Jesus put into practice the true worship when He heals the sick. The church is to be a supernatural entity. This does not mean we ignore common sense and practicalities, but we should be marked by the presence of God. And when God is present things happen: people are healed, lives are changed.

The children shouted out praise to Jesus when they saw the healings, but the priests were indignant. Jesus quotes from Psalm 8:2. The religious authorities had lost all idea of what worship and life with God was all about.

Matthew 21:1-11 - Entering Jerusalem

We are now approaching the final fateful week that was to change everything. 

Two disciples were sent ahead to get a donkey. Everything was prepared in advance. The events of the cross were not a matter of things going out of control, but of God's plan coming to fruition. It was an event long prepared for, indeed prepared for before the beginning of time.

Matthew quotes from Zechariah 9:9. Israel's king was coming, but He was not coming as a mighty warrior, but gently. Jesus often does not come into our lives in the ways that we expect. 

Having got the donkey and the colt, the disciples placed their cloaks upon the beasts for Jesus. The crowds spread their cloaks upon the ground for Jesus. They waved palm branches and hailed Him as king. 

It is amazing that on this day they were welcoming Jesus as king, a short while later they would be crying out for Him to be crucified. 

When were they right? When they hailed Him as king, or when they went along with the rest of the crowds crying out "crucify Him"? Clearly when they declared Him king. We can have mixed feelings towards God. There can be times when we are full of praise and expectation, there can be others when we feel He has abandoned us, or is against us. It is the times when we are full of praise that are the reliable times.

Matthew 20:29-34 - Ask for the really important things

Mark and Luke's account of presumably the same incident records only one man. A possible explanation is that there were two, but one, Bartimaeus, was the vocal one who did all the talking. Matthew and Mark say the healing took place when they left Jericho, Luke when they approached. There were actually two Jericho's, and old and a new town.

However, leaving these details aside, let's get to the main point of the incident. It is significant that this is another incident where people tried to stop others coming to Jesus. The discipled rebuked the parents for bringing their children, here the crowd rebuke the blind men for shouting out to Jesus. In both cases Jesus welcomed those who wanted to come. Our God is a welcoming God.

They had obviously heard that Jesus was someone special, though they probably did not know the full extent of who He was. Jesus asked them what they wanted. Normally they would have asked for money, as presumably they spent most of the day begging. However, they sensed that Jesus could give them something more than money. So they asked for their sight. 

Jesus touched them, they were healed, and they followed Jesus. All of us have many surface wants and needs, and God does care about these things. But He is able to do so much more, He can meet the deepest needs in our lives. So we should ask for the really important things.

Matthew 20:20-28 - Authority to serve

In what is probably the same incident, Mark makes it clear that it is James and John themselves who are asking for the favour. So maybe they got their mother to ask on their behalf. Brave boys that they were!

The request was to be able to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in His kingdom. The good part of this is that at least they realised that Jesus would be the king of kings. The bad part is that they still had not grasped what the kingdom was about.

Jesus then speaks to James and John  directly (adding weight to the view that the mother was just asking on their behalf). He asks them if they can drink the cup that He would drink. In saying this He is asking if they can go through what He has to go through, namely the cross.

Without having a clue what they are talking about, James and John say yes. Interestingly Jesus agrees with them, even though they do not understand what He is talking about. Shortly, James and John would, along with the rest of the disciples, desert Jesus. However, later on they would both indeed suffer for Christ. Jesus knows full well our weaknesses and shortcomings, but He also knows what the Holy Spirit is capable of doing within us, the way that He can transforms us into what we are meant to be.

The rest of the disciples are indignant about James and John's request, but Jesus knows that their attitude is no better. So He teaches all of them about the nature of the kingdom. It is not about gaining position or prestige, but about serving. In the kingdom the only authority we have is the authority to serve others.

Matthew 20:1-16 - A kingdom built on grace

Now to the parable itself. The story is well known. A vineyard owner hires workers at various points in the day. At the end of the day those hired last were paid first, and they all received the same amount, even those who had been hired at the beginning of the day. Those who had been working all day were upset, thinking they deserved more than the latecomers.

A denarius was the normal rate for a day's work. So those hired at the outset were not being underpaid, rather those hired later were being treated generously. "are you envious" (v15) is literally "is your eye evil".

So what is the parable all about? Well it is a correction to the disciples thinking when they asked "we have left everything. What will there be for us?" (19:27). If we enter the kingdom and live in the kingdom thinking that there is a simple merit and reward system we will be disappointed. 

The kingdom works on the principle of grace , and this grace often offends us! For we see undeserving people receiving good gifts from God (forgetting of course how undeserving we ourselves are). 

There is a reward for what we do, for there are many parables which make this point, especially the parable of the talents. Indeed at the end of the last chapter Jesus assures them that their sacrifice will not be in vain. We need  a whole new mindset in the kingdom, for God's kingdom works on such different principles from the world. We need to recognise when we find all world values cropping up in our minds, as they surely will. 

Matthew 19:30-20:1 The First and the Last

Sometimes it is useful to ignore chapter and verse numbers in the Bible. They were not there originally, and were only added later as a useful way of referencing various parts. This continues to be very useful, but sometimes they put false divisions in our mind as we read the Scriptures. At the end of chapter 19 Jesus has just told them that many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. The parable of the vineyard workers starts with "For the kingdom of God ...", and finishes with "so the last will be first and the first will be last". So one of the key purposes of the parable is to explain what Jesus meant when He talks about the first being last, and the last first.

If we look at the world today we see a certain order. We see some people with authority, some who seem to be doing well for themselves. Conversely we see some who are put upon, some who seem to be downtrodden. When the Kingdom of God establishes itself and God's order is established things may look very different, for God judges by different standards than the world, and has a different value system.

We should note also that at the end of chapter 19 Jesus "many" not "all". Not everyone who is rich or powerful is in for it when God's kingdom comes. There are some who have earned their wealth or power by righteous means and who use it well. Equally not everyone who is poor will be rewarded. There are some who are poor who are just as evil as the arrogant rich. The point is that we do not judge by wealth or power, but by obedience to and trust in God.

Matthew 19:13-30 - Salvation and the Kingdom

After divorce we come to gentler ground. People brought their little children to Jesus for Him to pray for them and bless them. This annoyed the disciples. Maybe they felt somewhat chastened by Jesus response to them on their views on marriage and were trying to reassert themselves. When someone is acting officiously there is usually some issue behind it.

If they were trying to reassert themselves, it didn't work! Rather it just led to them getting another lesson from Jesus on how they needed to radically change their attitudes. For the kingdom of heaven belonged to the children.

Next we get the incident with the rich young man. He wanted to know how to inherit eternal life. Now we need to note that "eternal life" does not simply mean "going to heaven when I die". It is about a whole new way of life, which will indeed not end at death, but it is much more than just avoiding the unpleasant consequences of death. So when Jesus say "if you want to enter life ..." He is talking about living now, as well as in the future.

So Jesus tells the man to keep the commandments. The man then asks "which ones". Jesus quotes the ones that apply to human relationships, rather than the immediately God directed ones. We were created to be a blessing to other people, and this is what the man needed to deal with.

The man claims he had done these things, and there is no reason to doubt that he had fulfilled the letter of the law on these matters. So Jesus then told him to sell his possessions and give them to the poor. This would make him truly rich. The young man went away sad. It seemed that he was being asked to give things up. In reality he would have gained so much more (not necessarily financial).

Not for the first time the disciples were shocked. They thought that wealth meant God approved of you, and this man was a good man. So who then could be saved? Jesus' answer reminds us that salvation is the work of God, not the work of man. We cannot save ourselves by our own good deeds, it depends entirely upon the work of God.

The disciples are then concerned about the fact that they had left everything: homes, livelihoods etc. Maybe they had done this thinking it would earn them salvation. Was it now all for nothing? Jesus assures them that it will be all worthwhile. Jesus calls us to follow Him, and He is leading us to a much greater life. At the "renewal of all things" the transformation will be amazing. All the silly things we think and worry about just now will be seen for what they are. 

The kingdom of God works on different principles than the world, and we need to readjust our lives to those principles.

Matthew 19:1-12 - Divorce

We will take a short break from Isaiah for a while, and go back to Matthew. We start with a nice easy subject, divorce!

As was their habit, the Pharisees tried to trip Jesus up with a question about divorce. There is nothing new about people asking questions not in order to learn the truth, but to find an excuse to criticise the respondent. This happened many times to Jesus, and He always managed to turn the tables back on His questioners. So we should take heart from this and ask the Spirit to give us wisdom.

Now some people use Jesus' words here and elsewhere as grounds for saying that there should be no divorce except for adultery, and that it is wrong to remarry in any circumstances. However, I believe we need to look at the background to the question.

Behind the question was the fact that there were two schools of teaching on divorce. One was ultra strict, saying that there should be virtually no divorce at all, the other was ultra lax, allowing a man to divorce his wife for burning the toast.

So I believe Jesus is addressing this ultra lax school of thought and attacking their hypocrisy. For what they did if they fancied another woman was to find some excuse to divorce their current wife, marry the new one, and claim they were acting in accordance with the Law and were a very good Jew, thank you very much. Jesus is saying that this is nonsense, they were not being a good Jew at all, but an adulterer, no matter how they sought to dress up the matter.

Jesus points them right back to Genesis. Divorce should never happen. However, because we are evil there are times when it is the least worst option. That is why the Law allowed divorce. Not because divorce was a good lifestyle choice, but because sometimes, sadly, it is necessary. We should view divorce like having an arm or a leg amputated. Amputation is never a good thing in itself, but sometimes it is the only thing to do. Having said that, the high divorce rate is a clear symptom that something is wrong with society.

We need to beware of legalistic interpretations here as they so easily lead to unrighteousness, hurt for people, and downright nonsense. The "get a new wife" scheme is an example of unrighteousness. I do not think we should treat Jesus' words as saying adultery is the only legitimate grounds for divorce. If a husband or wife is being abused by the other partner, then divorce may be the only action. To say otherwise may cause great harm (emotional and physical) and is not fulfilling the will of God. At the same time, if a partner does commit adultery it does not mean that divorce has to happen. There can be cases where grace and mercy can lead to a reestablishment of the relationship, but it is entirely up to the individual to choose this path, no one has the right to impose it upon them. 

Remarriage is not mentioned directly here. However, I side with those who say that in Jewish culture divorce automatically included the possibility of remarriage. So if divorce is permitted, then remarriage cannot be ruled out.

We need to remember that in all this Jesus is pointing back to the basic principle that marriage is for life. Divorce and remarriage are a product of the fall. If we read this and see it as an excuse to get remarried we have missed the point entirely. 

The disciples were taken aback by Jesus teaching, seeming to think that lifelong marriage is a very dodgy business. Jesus then speaks about not getting married at all. Sometimes in churches we place too much emphasis on marriage, giving the impression that to live a fulfilled life you have to get married. This is nonsense. The most fulfilled and successful human being in history (Jesus) was not married. The most effective apostle (Paul) was not married. To freely chose to remain single for the sake of the kingdom is a good and noble thing to do. At the same time there are those who will not get married, not through a direct choice, but through circumstances it just never happened, or could not happen. If this is you, you can still live a fulfilled life. 

Isaiah 35 - The way of salvation

This first part of Isaiah closes with further description of the effects of God's salvation. Again it opens with what will happen to wider creation. God created everything on the premise that mankind would have dominion over it (Genesis 1). When we sinned against God we lost the authority we were meant to have. When we are saved we start to regain that authority, and when Christ returns and the work is brought to completion all of creation will be as it should be.

So what are we to do in the meantime? Sit around waiting for the return of the Lord? No way. We have work to do. Whenever the Bible talks of the return of the Lord  it is seen as an impetus for action today. So we are to strengthen the feeble hand. The prospect of the return of the Lord is an encouragement to work all the harder today. It is an assurance that we will overcome all obstacles and opposition. It is worth going on!

When he returns there will be miracles. The blind will see and the deaf will hear. Streams will flow in the desert. God's streams of refreshing will flow into all sorts of unlikely places. Note that these things happened when Jesus came the first time, and continue to happen through the work of the Spirit in the church.

There will be a highway. Remember Jesus said "I am the Way". It is a way of holiness. We need to walk along this way, then there will be great joy  and we will see the victory of the Lord. When this happens all sorrow and pain will pass away.

Isaiah 34 - Judgement for All

God is Lord of all the nations, and all people will have to give an account to Him. Everyone needs to hear. We need to appreciate what a radical message this was in Isaiah's day. For most nation they had "local" gods. the "gods" had power in certain areas. However, Israel's God claims to have dominion over all creation. Salvation is offered to all nations, and all nations are accountable to Him.

In today's world the dominant philosophy is one of pluralism, with all religions being the same, or being seen as mere cultural features. The God of the Bible is not like this. He is Lord of All, and all are called to worship Him.

All nations have sinned against God, and so all are subject to judgement. Whether they like it or not, every single person on the planet has to give an account to God. Richard Dawkins has to, every Muslim and Hindu has to, every atheist, secularist, and every Christian.

Edom is single out here. Why is that? And again there is talk that is similar to our concept of hell? Why is that? It is to make the judgement concrete and real. It is something that will happen, and the consequences will be very real. If someone is truly wise then they will do something about this judgement now.

At the end of the chapter there is reference to various animals. God is God of all creation. When mankind takes his proper role, all creation will benefit.

Isaiah 33:7-24 - We need to turn to God

Neither fighting nor diplomacy would do any good. The war with Assyria meant that no trade could take place. Hezekiah had paid tribute to Assyria, but this proved equally worthless. War laid waste to the land.

At the point when it looked completely hopeless the Lord would arise. Why does God wait so long? Because the heart of the peoples needs to change. They do not need just to be rescued from the current situation, for they would only fall again. They needed to realise the reality of their sin, and to realise who God really is. 

The people needed to learn to fear the Lord, to know that righteousness was more important than anything else. They needed to know that all injustice and exploitation had to be rejected. Trusting and obeying the Lord is the only way to true success.

When they do this all the proud and arrogant people who taunted them will be no more. When we trust God our enemies melt away.

Zion would become a place of peace and security, because it would be a place where the Lord dwells. Whatever our circumstances, we need to turn to God.

Isaiah 33:1-6 - The key to a secure future.

"Woe to you destroyer ..." This is a reference to Assyria. Assyria was God's chosen instrument in executing judgement against Israel, but this did not mean she did not have responsibilities. 

Isaiah then utters a prayer for help. He longs for a day when the Lord will be gracious to Israel. When we live under the grace of God everything is different. We experience His strength and His salvation. Everything we do is successful. Note that grace is a very active thing, it produces results and effectiveness.

Isaiah is convinced that this will happen at some point. For the Lord is exalted, He is Lord of all. A time will come when Zion (Jerusalem) is filled with justice and righteousness.  In that time He will be a sure foundation for the nation. The key to this treasure is the fear of the Lord. The blessings of God always depend upon a response from us.

Isaiah 32:8-20 - From judgement to blessing

Now it is time for the women to become the target of God's judgement. They had a false sense of security, but this security would not last. The women, as much as the men, needed to turn to God and trust in Him. No matter who we are or what we are, we need to trust in the Lord.

They were living in a time of opulence, but this would change in a moment. We have seen in our own time how quickly economic fortunes can changes. A few years ago everything looked rosy, but now there is nothing but unremitting economic gloom.

Everything would become a ruin, "until the Spirit is poured out".  Then fruitfulness will return, then justice will abound. And this justice will begin in the desert, in the wasteland. Then a true confidence and security will come about.

So this section has seen a complete turnaround from judgement and disaster to blessings and peace. The key to the change is turning to God and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. In our times it is natural to want to see an end to the economic woes, but what we should be praying for most is that people will turn to God and that God will pour out His Spirit on mankind.

Isaiah 32:1-7 - Godly Rule

Jesus Christ is the King, and He rules in righteousness. At the end of Matthew Jesus says that all power and authority has been given to Him, so this rule has already started. As Paul says in Ephesians, Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, and we are seated with Him in the heavenly places. So we rule with Him.

Now we need to be careful here, for Jesus' rule and earthly rulers are completely different. When we see human authorities we see corrupted and distorted pictures of authority. Moreover, while Jesus already has the highest place, His rule has not yet been consummated upon the earth. It takes time for decisions made in the eternal realm to become reality in the temporal realm.

However, these verse show us what we should be like. We are to be people who bring shelter and relief to others. As God said to Abraham, all nations will be blessed through you. And we can do this because of the authority that Jesus has.

When God called Isaiah He told him people would be ever hearing but never understanding. Now we read of an end to that time. The people will see when they see the kingdom in us. We are to let the kingdom of God flow through our lives. 

This rule will also expose the folly of the world, and the wickedness of society.

Isaiah 31 - Return to the Lord for safety

It was essential for Israel to realise the reality of her sin. Going to Egypt would be of no help. Logic might say that Egypt's horses and chariots would help her, but this would not be the case. Israel needed to look to the Lord for help.

Note that it says "but do not look ...". It is not wrong to consider the practicalities of situations, indeed it is foolish not to. but we need to look to the Lord first. Supposedly trusting God and acting like a wally is not supported by the Bible, but being wise and ignoring God is equally stupid. 

Verses 2 and 3 give us the reason for this. God is God, men are mere mortals. We need to have the right perspective on things.

The Lord was going to rescue Jerusalem. It did not matter how many attacked, He would not be deterred. When the Lord is on our side we need fear nothing, for whatever is arrayed against us is as nothing compared to the Lord. So God calls on Israel to return to Him, for Assyria is a defeated enemey.

Isaiah 30:23-33 - Salvation and Hell

Prosperity comes when a people live in harmony with God. It will be a day when the land yields its harvest and all is well, and the Lord heals the wounds of His people. 

But this is also a day of judgement. Verse 25 talks of a day of great slaughter, and verses 27 onwards of God's wrath. There is a need to overturn the rebellion. The image of Torpeth is used at the end, which is like an image of  the traditional view of hell. 

At the same time there is great rejoicing on the part of God's people (verse 29). So what are we to make of these seemingly conflicting themes, for they do not sit easily with our normal view of things.

Well we need to understand that judgement is necessary. This is part of the reason why Jesus had to go to the cross. At the end we will see the judgement of God, and we will understand the judgement of God.

There is a lot of debate about whether the fire images of hell are real or just pictorial. Ie will there be a real hell or not? The short answer is yes. People sometimes talk of hell as being eternal separation from God, and this may well be true. But suppose you tell an atheist that he is going to be separated from God forever. Is  this going to worry him or cause him to reconsider his life? Will it give him any idea of the likely consequences of his present choices? No, for he will have no conception of what complete separation from God would be like. The fire images of hell used here and by Jesus are far more useful, for everyone gets the message that hell is to be avoided at all costs. Whether they choose to take any action or not is up to them, but at least they have the opportunity to appreciate the seriousness of the matter.

Isaiah 30:15-22 - Quietness and Trust

Yesterday we read about the futility of Judah's attempt to save herself. Now we learn what she should do. Repentance and rest, quietness and trust. We need to admit the error of our ways and turn to God. We need to still our hearts, and put our trust in Him. Human striving achieves nothing. But Israel would have none of it, instead she would continue to rely on her own efforts, and so would have to work and strive all the harder, and all for nothing.

The tragedy is that the Lord longed to be gracious to her. If only she would have responded to His word things would have been so different. We need to apply this to ourselves as well. When we sense anxiety and frantic action in ourselves it is almost certain that we are going down the wrong path. We need to turn to the Lord. Rest and quietness are the most unnatural things to do in a time of crisis, but we need to still our hearts before the Lord. Then we can learn from Him, and put into action the things that He tells us to do.


This is a lesson I had to learn myself many years ago. It was nearly the end of my time at Oxford, I did not know what I was going to do next and jobs were scarce. A Christian friend gave me these verses on quietness and trust. Over time I learnt to put them into practice, and things worked out in a way I could never have imagined, and which affected the rest of my life for good.

And there will come a time when men will trust the Lord. We will receive rapid answers to prayer, tears will be wiped away. We will know the Spirit's leading in our lives. Note that it is not a matter of never getting anything wrong, but of hearing and responding to the Spirit when He corrects us.

In that time we will get rid of all idols, of all false sources of security.

Isaiah 30 :1-14 - Be careful what you rely on

Israel is the obstinate nation here. She sought to get out of the troubles she was in by making alliances with other nations, notably Egypt and Assyria at various times. This prophecy is directed particularly against Judah's plans to seek protection from Egypt. This would do nothing to help her and would heap sin upon sin. She was not living by the Spirit. In the current economic times we need to be careful that we listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His ways.

Egypt had apparently sent envoys to Judah. It would have all the appearance that something was being done, but in the end it would be prove to be futile.

To make matters worse Judah would send riches to Egypt, sending it through dangerous territory, and all for nothing. All this was to be written down as a testament against Judah so that at some future time she might learn from her mistakes. The nation had no interest in listening to men of God. Instead she wanted nice pleasant prophecies and visions about how everything would turn out OK.

This did not stop at wishful thinking, but also involved oppression and deceit, but all her efforts would come crumbling down. Tomorrow we will get the solution.

Isaiah 29 - Judgement and Salvation

Ariel is another name for Jerusalem. They just carried on as if nothing had really changed or was about to happen. They just continued going through the same cycle of festivals. This is a very human reaction. We assume things will always be as they have always been. This works both positively and negatively. We assume that good times will last forever, we assume that bad times will last forever. Neither is true. We are not in a constant loop of life, for there was a beginning and there is an end, and there are events that happen in-between. A time of judgement was coming upon Judah and she needed to respond to this. At the moment there are great economic changes happening in the West, but leaders seem oblivious to it all, or at least unwilling to face up to the reality of it.

Judah would be brought low, and it would be the Lord who was besieging the city of Jerusalem. However, this time her enemies would not triumph, but would be blown away like dust. This is a prophecy of what would happen when Assyria attacked. It would be like wakening from a bad dream.

Yet the real tragedy was that the people were blind to the word of God. They could not see or understand it. They had the form of religion, but not the reality, not the power. It was a mere set of human rules. They had religion without God.

God would reveal Himself to them in a way they could not deny. There human wisdom would come to nothing. "Shall what is formed say of the one who formed it..." This is the ultimate folly of all proud human thought. We forget that we did not form ourselves.

In the end it is God's will that will be done. A time will come when the humble will rejoice and the oppressed set free. The ruthless and the mockers will come to nothing. 

A time of salvation will come, and this will involve a people who truly know, trust and obey the Lord.

Isaiah 28:16-29 - Preparation for Harvest

In the midst of the judgement and the disintegrating human society we get another prophecy of the Messiah. When we see chaos and disintegration all around us we should also be looking to see how God will reveal Himself in the midst of it, and part of this is almost certainly to be through us living as His faithful people. In all circumstances our first priority should be to ask ourselves how we can live as God's people in this situation.

The stone is Christ. He is completely reliable and we can trust in Him completely. He is a sure foundation in times of trouble. He will rule with justice and righteousness, and no one will be able to hide from this.

The attempts of Israel to seek safety through her "covenant with death" (ie seeking to avoid calamity by making an deal with Assyria) would come to nothing.

When the people finally understood the message they would be filled with terror for they would realise that God was fighting against them. This is His "strange work". 

The chapter finished with a poem proclaiming the wisdom of the Lord, it is similar in sentiment to Paul's words at the end of Roman 11:33-36. Somehow through all this the will of the Lord is established. When seeing the judgement ones natural reaction is that this is it forever, there will never be any change. But one does not sow seeds forever, nor break up ground for ever. One plants for a purpose, breaks up ground for a purpose. The planting and breaking comes to an end, and then there is a time of harvest.

Isaiah 28:7-15 - Disintegration

Drunkenness is a sign of a decadent and disintegrating society. We need to be in control of ourselves, not out of control. 

Verses 9-10 record the response of Isaiah's hearers. They thought they had nothing to learn, and they objected to being "told what to do". Today there is a very similar attitude. 

So God takes them at their word and will speak to them in a foreign language. He would do this by sending the Assyrian army.

God offered peace and security, but the people would have none of it. And the word of God would become nonsense to them. The people thought they had made a pact that would keep them safe from attack, safe from death. This refuge would prove to be false. The Lord is the only place of security.

Isaiah 28:1-6 - A source of strength in times of trouble

We get more judgement now for the current state of the nation. We see in Isaiah constant flipping from material of immediate relevance, to prophecies looking ahead to future times, sometimes right to the end of time. There is an important lesson here. The best way to prepare for the future is to obey God today. And whatever God may or may not tell us about the future, He is looking for a response from us, a response of faith and obedience.

The people of Ephraim were very pleased with themselves, but they had no reason to be so, for God's judgement was about to come upon them, and Ephraim would not be able to do anything about it.

There were some who trusted in the Lord, and in the day of trouble He would be a beautiful wreath for them. In days of trouble the strength of the Lord will be a garland upon our lives. The righteous will act in justice and will turn back the enemy. Note that the promise of God is not that there will be no trouble, but that He will be a source of strength to us in the midst of the trouble.

Isaiah 27 - Judgement and salvation

We are back to judgement. We need always to remember that the coming of the Lord involves judgement, we find this in all of Jesus' teaching and the New Testament teaching.

Leviathan is a monster drawn from Canaanite mythology, and it represents wicked nations such as Egypt.

Then there is a second vineyard song, reflecting the first one in chapter 5. Verse 4 has echoes of the words in the seventh letter in Revelation, "if only you were hot or cold ...". Judah was neither completely rebellious at this point, nor was she trusting properly in the Lord.

Next we get another prophecy of fruitfulness for all the world through Israel and Judah. Israel will bear the fruit she is meant to bear only when she trusts fully in the Lord. Until she does that everything else is hot air.

Until that time Israel will suffer much judgement from the Lord. This happened through Assyria and then Babylon, and she has continued to suffer throughout history. However, the end result will be Israel's restoration. All her sin will be atoned for, she will be cleansed of all idolatry. 

New Year Message 2012 - Purpose and Knowing

Have you noticed that whenever God met someone He gave them a purpose? When He met Abraham He told him to leave his land and that all nations would be blessed through him. When He met Moses He told Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. When He met Gideon He gave him the task of toppling the idol and defeating the Midianites. When Jesus met the disciples He told them to follow Him. When Jesus met Peter after the resurrection He told him to feed His sheep. When He met Paul (or Saul as he then was) He gave him the task of taking the gospel to the Gentiles.

In His last words in Matthew Jesus gave us all the task of making disciples of all peoples, and promised He would be with us to the end of the age.

Knowing God is intimately linked with knowing and fulfilling His purpose for us.

May this be a year when we know God and His purpose for our lives.

No matter what your circumstances or situation you are one of the most important people on the planet.

Knowing God is the way to discover your purpose, and in fulfilling your purpose you can get to know God better.

Happy New Year

Isaiah 26:12-21 - Salvation will come

It is the Lord who establishes peace for us. He does this be defeating our enemies, forgiving our sins, and bringing changes within the heart of our being. Things that we accomplish are accomplished because of the goodness of God.

Other "lords" ruled over Israel, but they honoured only God. This is how to react in difficult circumstances. We go through times when ungodly forces (whether difficult circumstance, eg sickness, or human powers) seem to hold the upper hand, but in those times we must honour only God. Indeed in doing this we gain victory over the enemy, and we will stand victorious over them.

The Lord brings increase to His people. This is the only plan He ever has for His people: increase.

Verses16 and 17 are an amazing statement of the failure of Israel, and the purpose it was meant to fulfil. Instead of giving birth to salvation for the world, they give birth to wind. They were meant to bring salvation to the earth, as fulfilment of the promise given to Abraham. A key element of Paul's theology is the fulfilment of this promise in Christ.

Yet all was not lost. Although there seemed no way the promise could be fulfilled, fulfilled it would be. God would give life to the dead, but spiritually and physically. There are times of difficulty, and sometimes we just have to accept that we have to go through them, but they will last only for a moment.


Let's take this message to heart for the New Year.