relocation...

I've moved this blog to http://markguinn.wordpress.com/
Also available at http://www.markguinn.com/

We're going through Genesis now. You should join us.

Isaiah 59-61

Chapter 59: The reality of this life / of who I know myself to be / of the really tragic, disappointing consequences of sin.

• Broken relationship to God (1-4)
  
• Inability to affect change - we look for light but always find darkness (5-14)
  
• Need for God - both for justice and for salvation - He had to do it himself and that's our only hope. (15-20)

Chapter 60: The reality of hope / of who God says I am and will be / of the faithful, sure promises and glory of God.

• Glorified by God - his glory upon us - He will make us whole.
• Repaid for wrongs - materially and morally - He will make things right.
• Union with God - he will be their light - We will know Him fully and openly.

Chapter 61: The call to the priesthood.

• To own God's agenda in the world - not just as our holy chores, but as our real desires and mission in life
• Then you will be an agent of God's restoration - a kingdom of priests
• Then you will enjoy the "double portion" - the blessing of the firstborn son - and JOY.

In the OT, there were these concentric circles of closeness to God: the high priest, then the priests and Levites, then the rest of the Israelites, then the rest of the world. All the tribes were part of God's covenant. All were in relationship with Him but that mostly consisted of receiving His blessings and coming to the temple a few times a year to kill an animal and receive the work of God. I think God is calling us to step up and become priests. Become part of the work of God. To look outward at how we can actually, physically (and spiritually) bring God's redemption into the lives of those around. To make sacrifices to see those things happen.

I think this is the Biblical answer to living in this crazy tension between chapters 59 and 60. To look past ourselves, our fulfillment, hurts, and whatever and begin meeting the needs of those around us. I don't know how to do that all the time, but I want to learn.

Mark

Isaiah 26-28: Now and Then

Overall, we are still in the context of Isaiah trying to convince Judah and her kings to trust God and not foreign alliances to keep them safe. We are also still in the context of ch 24-25, the end of the present age, after the “day of the Lord”. These chapters are posed as a series of “now...but then...” statements (sometimes the “now...” is implied), to make us consider how we live and what we value.

I. Now you have war and unrest (ch7); then you will have total knowledge of peace. (ch26)

• confidence in the right place (1-6)
• desire in the right place (7-11)
• salvation from the right place (12-21)
  

II. Now you are an unruly vineyard (ch5); then you will be fruitful again. (ch27)

• has to do with their destiny and role in God's great story
• has to do with the impact that they have
• has to do with their discipline being purposeful and the nation being regathered
  
• We are wild branches, grafted in (see Rom 11), and so have some part in the fruitfulness (see John 15), the discipline (see Heb 12), and the regathering (se
  

III.Now you value kings and cities (28:1-4); then you will value Me and My people. (28:5-6)

• what do we think of as “cool”?
• who do we think of as having it together?
  

IV.Now you are led by crooked, worldly, immature priests who teach only rules (28:7-15); then you will be led by the Jesus, the Cornerstone. (28:16-29)

• they act like jerks and are offended when Isaiah calls them out
• they have rejected God's rest and so God's Word sounds like childish rules
• God will send the True Cornerstone.
• See: Psalm 118:19-24; Acts 4:11; Rom. 9:30-33, 10:11; 1 Pet. 2:4-11 (so powerful)
  
• Also interesting: Isa. 8:14-15, Dan 2:34-35, Zech. 12:1-5
• God will do a new thing in saving the gentiles (v21-29)
  

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusts Thee.” (26:3)

This verse, especially the King Jimmy, is the key to the whole passage for me. God can give us peace inside when the whole of our inside is “stayed on Him” - when it “stops with Him and rests on Him.” Charles Spurgeon gives the illustration of the body being at rest on a bed when every part of the body is resting on it. So the same with our souls (Heb. “yetser” meaning mind, thoughts, plans, imagination, our internal “form” or how God has made us tick). Every part must be at rest in God: our security, our desires, our salvation, our destiny, our fruitfulness, our ideas of what is “cool”, our righteousness - everything. That is God's challenge to me today.

Links:

• Spurgeon on perfect peace - this is a long read, but insightful
• Interesting insight into Jewish views of the sea and Leviathan - from Ray Van der Laan
  

Isaiah 15-25: God's heart for all nations

Sorry for the long silence. I've had a lot on my plate and this blog has suffered. We went through ten chapters last night and it was pretty intense.

Ch. 15-23: Judgment on the nations

• Assyria - will be destroyed and their yoke lifted
• Philistia - God will destroy them by famine and Assyria will also attack them (fulfilled under Sargon II)
• Moab - will be destroyed quickly in a night raid because of their pride; this will happen within three years.
• Damascus (Aram) - cities will be destroy and only a remnant left
• Cush (included modern Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia) - will be captured by the Egyptians and led away bare-bottomed.
• Egypt - civil war and a tyranical king (happened in the late 8th century), at some future point the Nile will be dried up; they will be given bad leadership and advisors and will also be captured by Assyria (happened in 721BC).
• Babylon - will be destroyed by Elam and Media (was fulfilled by Cyrus the Persian who was from Elam and ruled over Media). This will be a hopeful prophecy to Israel someday.
• Edom - temporary relief from oppression, but more coming.
• Arabia - Kedar (most significant Bedouin tribe) will be destroyed within a year (they were captured by Sargon II in 715BC)
• Jerusalem (how offensive would it have been to be lumped in with all these pagan nations?) - though delivered from Assyria, they will still be destroyed because of their callousness and lack of faith. Shebna and Eliakim are personal examples.
• Tyre (Phoenicia) - will be overthrown (happened in 701BC) and forbidden commerce for 70 years (happened from 700-630BC); prostitute theme prefigures whore of Babylon in Rev. 17

Ch. 24: Judgment on the whole earth

• Brings equality (1-3)
• Universally doled out - the curse is on everyone (4-13) - see Gen 3, Rom 5
• Division - some destroyed, some sing praise (14-16)
• God's judment is like water in a dam - the earth gets the overflow now, but someday it will all be released.
• Even spiritual powers will be punished and the King will reign in Zion (see Rev 20)

Ch. 15-23: Mercy to the nations

• God actually hates destroying people and nations - read 15:5, 16:7b-12 (that is definitely God speaking), 21:3, 22:4, Luke 13:34-35
• God desires to bring everyone into the blessings of his people - 14:32, 16:1-7, 17:3,7-8, 18:7, 19:18-22, 21:12 (maybe) - see Exodus 12:38 - coming out of your own kingdom and becoming part of God's - a change in nationality
• Even the bitter enemies of God and his people will turn to him and be accepted - 19:23-25
  

Ch. 25: Mercy to all peoples

• Brings equality (1-5) - God brings down the high things and protects the poor
• Universally available (6-9)
• feast for all peoples - all who will have Him
• will destroy the shroud of death and spiritual blindness
• will swallow up death and remove the curse
• Brings division (10-12) - Those who cling to their own kingdom will still be destroyed, but those who embrace Jesus and become part of God's people will avoid the judgment to be poured out (because Jesus already bore it for us).

I love the picture these chapters paint about God's love for all people and how much he hates destroying and punishing and mourns for the loss. I love that about our God.

Maps:

• The world as known to the Hebrews - from Blueletterbible.org - kind of confusing, but lots of info
• Nations mentioned in this passage: Assyria, Damascus (Aram), Cush, Babylon, Arabia, Tyre (Phoenicia), Philistia, Moab, Egypt, Edom, etc. (note: I don't necessarily agree with the theology posted on some of these sites, but they have a lot of maps)
  
• Modern Egypt/Cush , Modern Palestine (Google maps)
  

Isaiah 5-6: When God Calls

Luke 13:34-35 - on the way to be crucified, Jesus shows his feelings
God desire is ALWAYS that his people would turn to him so that he can cleanse them and use them to call others

Chapter 5: God’s Call to Israel – name means “He struggles with God”

1. He has revealed himself but they did not respond (1-7)
   
2. He speaks a word of rebuke (8-24)
   
3. He has sent and will send his discipline (25-30)
   

Chapter 6: God’s Call to Isaiah – name means “Yahweh is salvation”

1. He reveals himself to Isaiah (revelation of holiness – "God is great, God is good...")
   
2. He speaks a word of cleansing (revelation of atonement)
   
3. He sends Isaiah on His mission (revelation of love for the world)

Two paths:

• Conviction > Rebuke > Discipline
  
• Conviction > Cleansing > Commission
  

God is always wanting to reveal more of himself to us. If we respond to him, we grow as he reveals himself in stronger and better ways and we get to go with him on His mission. If we reject him, he must reveal himself in stronger and stronger discipline.

Gen. 3 - Adam sees God in the garden
Luke 5:1-11 - Peter sees Jesus in a new way (naturally)
Rev. 1 - John sees Jesus in a new way (supernaturally)
Ex. 34:29-35 - Moses sees God and his face glows

Some of us are really stuck at conviction because we, like Adam, are scared to look at the holiness of God. So let’s go there. Let’s think about, pray about, meditate on the glory of God, the holiness, the majesty, the fearful awesome wonder of the king on His throne. Let’s ask him to reveal himself – it could be like John or like Peter – so that our faces can reflect his glory like Moses. See 2 Cor. 3:7-18. That’s how I want to live.

Food for thought:
Read Hebrews 9:23-28, 10:12-14, and 12:18-29 and think about how these passages temper and enrich this passage. Isaiah was witness to this heavenly temple and benefited by the one sacrifice for all. That is crazy.

Other Resources:

• A.W. Tozer - Knowledge of the Holy - this is an amazing book
• A.W. Tozer - The Attributes of God - similar theme, but different book, also very good
• John Piper on Isaiah 6 - This is amazing stuff. I was tempted to just read this sermon instead of trying to say anything of my own. Please read this.
  

Isaiah 2-6: God and His People

God’s judgment and redemption are always tied up together. Even our four chapters tonight go back and forth. It’s like he can’t talk too long about punishing them without his Love bursting out in a glorious “but…”

Chapter 2: The Coming Kingdom brings perspective – thinking about what it will be like “in that day” – when God’s purposes are finally and fully realized – should change the way we live and what we value.

• The Kingdom comes in blessing – image of Jewish feasts
  
• People will know and recognize the Truth (2)
  
• People will be hungry for righteousness and knowledge of God (3)
  
• People will be happy for justice and not fight or oppress one another (4)
  
• The Kingdom comes in judgment (universal)
  
• We will see idols for what they are (6,8,18,20)
  
• anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God
  
• We will see money, possessions, etc. for what they are (7,12-16)
  
• fashion, success, comfort?
  
• things that might not be idols still need to be seen correctly
  
• We will be humbled and hide in fear (9-11,17,19,21)
  
• The Kingdom should touch our lives
  
• Live in the light of that day--live as if it’s real (5)
  
• Don’t put hope or fear in men, including churches and leaders (22)

Chapter 3: The Coming Judgment brings discipline – this judgment is not some far off thing, but is coming specifically and immanently to you (7th century Israel), not for your destruction but your discipline. Key verses: 8-9

• Remove supply and support (1-3)
  
• Food and water
  
• “pillars of the community”
  
• Weaken government (4-7)
  
• Anyone with even an outward symbol of nobility is made king (6)
  
• Give oppressive leadership (12-26 and 4:1)
  
• God never wants to see people oppressed, however he will sometimes give them leaders with the same character as the people. These leaders are corrupted by their power and end up oppressing the people, which is still a sin and God still holds them accountable for it.
  
• The “women of Zion” are obviously upper class and probably are representative of the nobility as a whole who are flaunting their wealth and greed (as in 5:8)
  
• Both a rebuke and an explanation
  
• God still takes care of individuals (10,11)
  
• Ruth in the midst of Judges
  
• Esther in the midst of Babylonian/Persian exile
  
• His promises to individuals are not negated
  

Chapter 4: The Coming Redemption brings hope

• The Branch (2,4)
  
• Will come “in that day” – like a shoot from the stump of an olive tree (to be expanded in ch. 11), see links below
  
• Will restore dignity, wash filth, and cleanse bloodstains
  
• Will partially fulfilled physically with the return from exile in Ezra/Nehemiah (branch/fruit would be botanical terms)
  
• Will be absolutely fulfilled in the Messiah
  
• The Remnant (3)
  
• Will be called “holy”
  
• All those “recorded among the living” – ref Rev 20:11-15?
  
• The Glory (5-6)
  
• The Lord will be with you as He was after the Exodus (pillar of smoke & fire)
  
• The glory (manifestation of his holiness) will be a canopy – wedding terminology
  
• Shelter and a hiding place
  

Chapter 5: The Complaints of the Coming King

• Against the nation (1-7)
  
• The Lord’s care in planting
  
• The Lord’s deep disappointment in harvesting
  
• The Lord’s method of discipline – remove protection
  
• Jesus' references: Matthew 20:1-16 and John 15
  
• Against individuals (8-23)
  
• Finances – God owned the land (Lev 25:23b), but they were coveting other’s plots and oppressing the poor
  
• a bad investment – will be destroyed
  
• a bad return - crops are cursed – 90% loss (see Hag. 1)
  
• Recreation – making an idol out of fun and pleasure
  
• bondage–drinking early and all day; “strong drink” implies drunkenness— leads to destruction
  
• flippancy—don’t regard the works of the Lord—leads to humbling, loss
  
• Religion – relating to God, either open defiance or taking his name “in vain” (Heb. Shav = ‘deceit’)
  
• burdened by sin (as in 1:4)
  
• some in this state are defiant (“Bring it on!”)
  
• some are hypocrites (“We want to see God…” in vain)
  
• Morality – we are to accept God’s definitions of things
  
• renaming – calling bad things names that sound good (aka marketing and political correctness)
  
• explaining away
  
• Intellect – trusting what they “know”; thinking they don’t need Isaiah’s message; can’t see our own sin
  
• Justice – apparently aimed at judges and officials
  
• should be real heroes and champions of the poor
  
• instead they oppress others to pay for their own pleasures
  
• The Consequences (24-30)
  
• Complete destruction (root and blossom) – for individuals (24)
  
• Calls to mind earthquake during Uzziah’s reign, roughly 750BC, see Amos 1:1, Zech. 14:5 (25)
  
• Predicts the coming of the Assyrians (26-30)
  

What “woes” would God have for me? What would I throw to the “rodents and bats” if I saw the truth about God and my future? How would I live differently if I understood God’s present-yet-coming kingdom operating in my life and if I let God alone be exalted in me? These are the questions this text asks of me.

Links:

• Significance of Olive Trees - from Ray Vander Laan, a well known expert on Jewish history and one of Rob Bell's mentors
  
• Olive Trees - info and pictures from the same site

Isaiah 1-2

These first two chapters talk about our attitude towards God. He is not fooled by our shinanigans.

Chapter 1: When God is not exalted

I. A Rebellious Nation

• In spite of knowing better (2-3)
• In spite of guilt (4)
• In spite of punishment (5-9)
  

II. A Useless Religion – shocking after Hezekiah’s reforms

• Offerings (10-13a) see Psalm 51
• Meetings (13b-14) see 1 Cor 11:17
• Prayers (15) see James 1
• All meaningless without REPENTANCE
• washing (16,18) – first requires cleansing from God by faith
• doing (17,19-20) – also requires submission to God by obedience

III. A Gross Deterioration

• The quality of kings (21-22) 2. The crimes of kings (23)
• The cleanup of kings (24-26) – both removal and cleansing

IV. A Regret and Restoration

• Restoration will come, both temporarily and eternally (26-28)
• Idols will be exposed. What will we regret? (29-31) see 1 Cor 3:11-15
  

Chapter 2. When God alone is exalted

I. The Kingdom comes in blessing – “in the last days” – when God’s purpose’s find ultimate fulfillment

• People will know and recognize the Truth (2)
• People will be hungry for righteousness and knowledge of God (3)
• People will be happy with justice and not fight or oppress one another (4)
  

II. The Kingdom comes in judgment

• We will see idols for what they are (6,8,18,20)
• Anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God
• We will see money, possessions, and “every lofty thing” for what they are (7,12-16)
• Fashion, success, comfort?
• Things that might not be idols still need to be seen correctly
• We will be humbled and hide in fear (9-11,17,19,21) see Rev 16-18
  

III. The Kingdom touches our lives

• Live in the light of that day; live as if it's real (5)
• Don’t put hope or fear in men, including churches and leaders (22)
  

I pray that God would reveal Himself to us in such a way that we see our rebellion, religion, and idolatry for what it is; that we could learn a repentant heart and a right attitude toward Him. If we only saw the Truth instead of living in a bored, self-righteous sleep.