SOAP 01/29/2016; Isaiah 47:10-11

Today's reading: Exodus 23, 24; Psalm 14; Acts 5*

S) "¹⁰ You felt secure in your wickedness and said,
'No one sees me,'
Your wisdom and your knowledge, they have deluded you;
For you have said in your heart,
'I am, and there is no one besides me.' 
¹¹ "But evil will come on you
Which you will not know how to charm away;
And disaster will fall on you
For which you cannot atone;
And destruction about which you do not know
Will come on you suddenly."

Isaiah 47:10-11 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Isaiah 47

     

O) This is prophecy against Babylon (or, perhaps more accurately, against the remnant of Babylon, per v.1). In it, we see God's judgment because of the arrogance and pride of this kingdom. The phrase at the end of v.10, "I am, and there is no one besides me," is a direct comparison te the LORD'S description of Himself in Isaiah 45:22. Although the previous verse can be seen as plain mockery, it is interesting that God calls their sorceries and spells powerful (v.9). So reading v.11, and seeing that they had become impotent, paints a different picture. It would seem, then, that there were evils they were able to charm away, disasters for which they could atone, and destructions that they did see coming. But once again, God proves His omnipotence and sovereignty.

A) The modern application of this is all around me. While they are not given supernatural origin, the authority and application is the same. Evils are charmed with drugs. Money is throne at disasters. The world uses every kind of political, financial, and scientific method it can to predict the future. The needs of humanity are the same. My human needs are the same. The only difference is that modern idolatry has a different calling card. The world bombards me with its "solutions" to my needs. If I believe their claims, then I have all the answers I need in my humanism. But I know the truth. The truth is that the warning above is written to me. If I am not submitted to Christ Jesus as my Lord, then I am inviting the judgment of God. On the other hand, if I truly want to be humble, then I will invite the discipline of God. I want Him to give me more than I can handle. I want the fiery trials that humanism cannot soothe, solve, or see coming. If that discipline brings me closer to God, then it is all worth it.

P) Father, seeing this breakdown of the proud concerns me. I am alarmed, suddenly very aware of just how idolatrous the world wants me to be. I am convicted, seeing how idolatrous I have been. Please forgive me, Father God. Break down my pride however You want. I trust Your discipline to be perfect, intentional, and good. Thank You for loving me. You will be my only hope in the day of evil. You will be my only hope against disaster. You will be my only hope in the face of destruction. Help me to guard my heart, Lord, against all idolatry. You are my God, there is only You, there is no other. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 01/28/2016; Isaiah 45:22

Today's reading: Exodus 21, 22; Psalm 12; Acts 4*

S) "²² Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God and there is no other."

Isaiah 45:22 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Isaiah 45

 

O) This chapter is written to Cyrus, the king of Persia, after the rise and fall of Assyria and Babylon. In the very first verse, he is called anointed by God. Then, there is a discourse explaining that all of the successes that Cyrus has had were because of the LORD. Throughout the chapter, the single most highlighted theme is probably the holiness of the LORD as the only God. This concept is presented at least seven times (and could be inferred a from a handful of other phrases). This makes sense, when we consider the audience. While God had declared Himself as the only true God to the Israelites, it wasn't always repeated the same way, because on some level, they already knew that. Even if their actions showed that they had no faith in the LORD, on some level, maybe they still knew that their idols were dead creations of their own hands. King Cyrus, on the other hand, wouldn't know that inherently. The other remarkable thing about this chapter (which is also captured by this verse), is that God's salvation was not always limited to just His chosen people, but it was always through His chosen people (involving them, somehow), even before the birth of the Messiah. Cyrus was anointed by God. There were scores of kings sitting on thrones for Judah and Israel, who were never said to be anointed. Yet, here we see an example of a gentile king, anointed by God, instructed that the LORD is the only God and there is no other.

A) This example has direct correlation to my own life. Except the part about Cyrus being a king over a nation. Still, I must remember that my salvation is contingent on turning to Jesus Christ. If I am turning to Him in obedient love, in submissive faith, then my salvation is secured. Jesus Christ is my God. Everything else that I would try to erect as god in my life will, not only fail me, but eventually kill me. I need to remember that He is God and there is no other. I need to turn to Him alone for my salvation, both eternal and temporal. He is my salvation, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He alone is my Lord and God.

P) Father, thank You for the grace and mercy You have shown me. Every time I let myself dwell on Your hand in my life, even before I knew who You are, I am humbled and amazed. Let me spend more time dwelling on Your providence, Lord. Let me think on it regularly, because it produces genuine, powerful worship in my life. Remind me of Your sovereignty, omnipotence, grace and love. Let me turn to You alone for my every need, for my salvation. You are God and there is no other. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 01/27/2016; Isaiah 42:8

Today's reading: Exodus 17, 18, 19, 20; Acts 3*

S) "⁸ I am the Lord, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to graven images."

Isaiah 42:8 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Isaiah 42

 

O) The first thing to clarify, is that God the Father did not give His glory to Jesus Christ (or the Holy Spirit, for that matter). One of the inherent principles of the Trinitarian doctrine, is that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are the LORD. The furthest we could take a statement would be to say that they share in glory with the Father. The Gospel of John captures this well in a few places (perhaps best in John 17:5). But, at its heart, this verse is about the holiness of God. In the Old Testament, the only name for God that was ever given was "I Am" or perhaps "I Am That I Am" and in Hebrew it would be expressed YHWH, or Yahweh. In most modern English Bibles, they use the capitalized name, "Lord" to represent it, because of a Hebrew tradition of not writing or saying this name. With the way that God presents this statement, it is almost a logical argument about His name. The Lord is holy. He is completely set apart. He is the only preexistent being. He was never created, but He simply was. But then, it is not very accurate to use past-tense to describe Him that way, since He is also eternal and prescient and omnipresent... so rather than saying "He simply was," perhaps it is more accurate to say "He is." Which, from His perspective would be, "I Am." So, what's in a name? Wrapped up in the way He describes Himself, names Himself, is a peculiarity. Only God, this One, True, Living God, could ever claim to be "I Am" in such a present infinitive. This is reminder about His name, that He gave to Isaiah here, I think it is important because it immediately brings to mind some of the basis for His holiness, and then that sheds light on the reason why He would never give His glory to another. Who else could ever be deserving? God is so unlike any other so called gods, even down to His name, who else could bear His glory? When we remember His holiness, and His name should remind us of that, then we can understand how utterly unjustified it is for us to try and give the glory that is rightly His, to anything or anyone else. How utterly grotesque it is, that the praises which rightly belong to Him, should ever be given to anything or anyone else. He could never abide that, because it would be inherently against His holiness.

A) Now, in the New Covenant, these principles have different form, but they still stand. In Jesus Christ, we have the revelation of God's glory. In Jesus Christ, God gave the name above all names. Jesus is God. Still, the principles of my faithfulness to God, and the reasons to see Him as holy and the only praiseworthy One, and the only one to be glorified, all of these principles are just as true now as they were then. They are just as true about Jesus Christ as they were about YHWH. I need to remember that in the name of Jesus Christ, there is just as much holiness implied as there ever was in the name YHWH. In Jesus Christ, there is just as much reason for me to be faithful and devoted and exclusively His, as there ever was for the people of God to be for the LORD. While it's true that the covenant is (thankfully) different, God is still God. He is holy and worthy and jealous.

P) Father, everything should be to Your glory. I confess that I fail that. I fail it often. When I look at how I spend money, how I spend time, what I seek for pleasure, what I seek for fulfillment... I am convicted, Lord. The more time I spend with You, in the Bible, in prayer, and in worship, the more I remember just how holy You are. Just as there is none more righteous than You, none more powerful, none more wise, none more compassionate, patient, or loving; there is also none more worthy than You. You are worth my time. You are worthy my devotion. You are worth my sacrifices of whatever fleeting interested has a hold of my heart. You are worth it all. But, I am prone to forgetfulness and unbelief. Please forgive me, Lord. Help me to remember Your character. Help me to believe Your worthiness. Let me remember Your holiness and all it entails, that I would remember that Your glory and praise are exclusively Yours. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 01/26/2016; Isaiah 39:3-4

Today's reading: Exodus 14, 15, 16; Acts 2*

S) "³ Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, 'What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?' And Hezekiah said, 'They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.' ⁴ He said, 'What have they seen in your house?' So Hezekiah answered, 'They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I have not shown them.'"

Isaiah 39:3-4 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Isaiah 39
 

O) It's hard to know what might have happened, if Hezekiah had been more discrete with his kingdom, but it's hard not to see correlation and speculate about causation. The one detail that is worth noting is that neither in this passage or its parallel in 2 Kings 20 use the word "therefore" or anything like it (v.5 in this chapter). In either case, there are some strong warnings that come through this event. First, "discretion is the better part of valor" and that discretion starts before the fighting begins. Hezekiah may very well have invited invasion because he flaunted what God had given him. The Bible warns (and Hezekiah would have had access to this wisdom, since in preceded him) that pride goes before destruction. But this discretion he lacked, in fact, may go back a little further than that. When the delegation was first sent to him from Babylon (see v.1-2), Hezekiah probably should have used more discretion in how he viewed their letters and gift. So lesson one, discretion. Lesson two, humility. The third lesson is gained from this story, albeit a little further (v.8): Don't be selfish and/or shortsighted. When Hezekiah heard the prophecy from Isaiah, he seemed to just about shrug his shoulders. When this same prophet had given him dire news that the end of his life was near, he pled his case before the prophet and the LORD. Through that, God granted him fifteen more years of life! How much different might the history have been, if Hezekiah had pled for mercy on his whole nation, and his offspring, instead of only considering that the next fifteen years of his own life would be a cake walk? Discretion. Humility. Compassion.

A) For myself, everything starts with that humility. In every aspect of my life, I must keep God in His proper place in my heart, as King of my life and the only Lord. Every time someone compliments me is an opportunity for me to glorify God. If I don't take that opportunity, I must see it as a failure. The topic of discretion certainly plays its role in my life, too. Really, I should see this as a refrain from oversharing. There is a definite need for things like confession and vulnerability, but here is wisdom in using discernment when I consider who my audience will be. Just because someone seems unthreatening or unassuming (like Babylon, who was not yet a global threat and was "far away") doesn't mean that I should trust them with intimate parts of my life. My wife deserves to know every tender part of my life; she knows me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But, it would be foolish for me to give everyone the same kind of intimacy with me. Lastly, my life is not about me alone. Starting as simply as remembering that I am not even my own, I belong to Christ. Even setting that aside as a given, there are all the people in my life. My body is not my own, it belongs to my wife. What affects me affects her, directly. Then there are my kids, my life group, the kids at church where I serve. It even goes beyond that. How can I know what kind of impact God has called me to make? No, this life is not my own. My life is God's, to use however He wants. I am not sovereign, and I am not qualified to determine what is good enough.

P) Father, You are so good to me, and I cannot thank You enough for the grace You have shown Your bondslave. I need to look at my life that way, Lord. I need to remember that every good thing I have came down from the Father of lights. I need to remember that You have designed purpose in relationships, and there is a time and place for intimacy, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I can also see that my life is bigger than just my own peace and satisfaction. If my aim is to spend the rest of my days in rest, then my aim is way too low and it will cost others in ways I may never see. I don't want to be a liability to others, God. Help me to see the bigger picture. Help me to see that my obedience reaches further than my own life, even my own lifespan. I know that I'm not going to live in perfect obedience (that ship has sailed), but I want to strive to that, God. I don't want to lose any more than I already have. It's hard, though. I know I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, but it seems half of the battle is bending my own will to Yours. I want to want Your ways, God. Change my heart within me, to become more and more Your willing servant. Let Your will be done in my life, but also through my life. Accomplish what You want in me and through me. Never let me settle for what seems good enough to me. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 01/25/2016; Isaiah 38:19

Today's reading: Exodus 12, 13, Psalm 21; Acts 1*

S) "¹⁹ It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today;
A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness."

Isaiah 38:19 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Isaiah 38

O) Hezekiah became mortally ill, and the LORD told Isaiah to go warn the king that his days were going to end, and get his house in order. He desperately pled for more time, and God heard him and gave him fifteen more years. This event is also recorded in 2 Kings 20, but surprisingly, it is more abbreviated there. Particularly, it is Isaiah who recorded the response of the king, which is where the verse above is taken. Hezekiah's brush with death made him realize the value of the time he had left. He was in a peculiar circumstance, knowing exactly how much time he had left. Based on his initial response, he realized his life needed to be prioritized (although, how well he did with that leaves something to be desired, I think).

A) There is a recurring theme with the kings of the Old Testament (particularly the kings of Judah). There would be a rise and fall of the faithfulness to God, from generation to generation. That was largely because of a failure by the kings to properly raise and teach their sons. When I was reading Hezekiah's response, this verse jumped out at me because of that recurring theme. I often think about the shortness of time left to us, and how we use that time. A long time ago, the song "Living Years" plucked at my heart strings. In this case, though, it's taken a step further. I need to realize that it's not just the value of the time I have left, but the value of what I am doing with that time. Just before becoming a youth pastor, I was asked what I wanted to do if money was no object. I had always said I wanted to be a math teacher, because I liked teaching and I thought more kids would like math if they were properly taught. When I was asked that, though, I realized that I knew there was a much more important thing to teach kids, so I replied with being a youth pastor. When I think about all the things I can do with my kids, all of the things I can teach them, there is nothing more important than them knowing God for who He is. Knowing His faithfulness is one of the most important things about Him, and so I need to use the valuable time I have left to glorify God. Teaching my kids about who Jesus is, and about His faithfulness, has to be high on my list of priorities.

P) Father, Your faithfulness cannot be overstated. You are so good, so faithful, that I cannot fully comprehend it. Even as limited as my awareness is, I know that my children still have more to learn. I want to teach them, but I confess that my priorities are woefully wrong at times. Open my eyes, Lord. Convict me by the Holy Spirit, when I am using my time foolishly. Help me to prioritize, as if I knew the date of my death. Help me prioritize as if I had 15 years left, or 5 years, or 15 weeks. You are worthy of all praise and honor. You are worthy of my time and teaching. Open the eyes and ears of my children. Soften their hearts. Help them to see Your faithfulness, and know Your ways. Teach them in grace, where I fail as a father. Be their Father in heaven, and show Your faithfulness to them, even when I fail to be faithful. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 01/24/2016; Isaiah 37:26-27

Today's reading: Exodus 9, 10, 11; Luke, 24*

S) "^26 'Have you not heard?
Long ago I did it,
From ancient times I planned it.
Now I have brought it to pass,
That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.
²⁷ 'Therefore their inhabitants were short of strength,
They were dismayed and put to shame;
They were as the vegetation of the field and as the green herb,
As grass on the housetops is scorched before it is grown up.'"

Isaiah 37:26-27 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Isaiah 37
 

O) This chapter is almost a verbatim copy of 2 Kings 19, which details the involvement of Isaiah, when Hezekiah, king of Jerusalem, was coming under siege from Assyria. The general of Assyria, Rabshakeh, was breathing vile threats against Jerusalem, recounting the victories of Sennacherib, his king. In particular, he pointed out that none of the gods of the other nations were able to do anything against Assyria, and that the people of Jerusalem should not expect the LORD to do anything, either. The LORD encouraged Hezekiah, telling him that deliverance was coming, but God also had choice words for the Assyrians. In the verses above, God declares His sovereignty and clarifies that the successes that Assyria had to that point were only because He willed them to be successful. This is not the first time (or the last), that God used one nation to execute judgment and punish other nations. The nations conquered by Assyria (see 2 Kings 18:33-35) were guilty of their own sins, and God used Assyria to destroy them. We see the same thing happen again, almost identically, with Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. God's sovereignty is complete. Whether or not He exercises His right and power with every circumstance can be debated, but it is clear biblically, that He has intervened with the outcomes of such world wars, even if the details are not always micromanaged. God intervenes when He wills to, and no one can resist His will when He decides to intervene.

A) Leaving aside particular beliefs about how closely God ordains events in the universe, it is enough for me to remember that He determines the winner in the end, and He is that winner. In my own life, when things are going well, I need to concede to give Him credit. When things are not going well, when I am feeling distraught or afflicted, I need to remember that He may be using circumstances to discipline me. At the same time, I need to remember that He is still sovereign, and in the end, He will win.

P) Father, You are strong and mighty to save. You are righteous and Your justice is good. You are a loving and merciful God. All of this, Your holiness, it humbles me. Lord, open my eyes to see the truth of every circumstance in my life. Help me to see You, Jesus, through all of the joys and sorrows that come up for me. I confess that I am still prone to arrogance and pride, and I still fail to keep You as the only One I worship in my heart. Please forgive me for this sin of idolatry, putting myself or other things ahead of You. I invite Your discipline, Lord, to teach me to keep my priorities straight. Let me keep my focus on You, and not only what You do for me. You are my portion and my reward. You are the very inheritance I should seek. Let me find You, and find my joy, peace, and satisfaction in You. Above all else, be glorified in my Life, God. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 01/23/2016; Isaiah 35:3-4

Today's reading: Exodus 6, 7, 8; Luke, 23*

S) "³ Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.
⁴ Say to those with anxious heart,
'Take courage, fear not.
Behold, your God will come with vengeance;
The recompense of God will come,
But He will save you.'"

Isaiah 35:3-4 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Isaiah 35

 

O) The heart of this chapter is the character God and His love for His people. In this, we see an instruction here that cannot be taken for granted. Even among God's own people, there are those who still need to hear testimony about the goodness of their God. Even with the amazing history of God's grace, redemption, provision, and healing, we see over and over that there were people of Israel who struggled to believe. This is different that those who were simply rebellious against God. For rebels against God, there were still plenty of warnings. But here, these verses are not a warning that the exhausted, feeble, and anxious should turn away from disbelief, as if they were obstinate. This encouragement is for those who want to believe, who have been fighting, who have been struggling, who have been holding on to whatever shreds of hope they can.

A) Sometimes life gets very tough. For myself, I think a lot of that came in my youth and young adulthood. There were times when all the world seemed stacked against me. But through it all, God consistently had His hand over me. If I wasn't sheltered in some way, He also seemed to have messengers for me throughout my life, in my most difficult times. It's hard to describe, but in a string of events that are nothing less than pure grace and divine intervention, I have always had the faith to believe that God is still for me and hope is still in front of me. There were certainly times that were harder than others, but I don't think I ever lost sight of hope. However, I have also seen people lose hope in God by droves. I have seen people whose lives are in shambles, who know God and have seen His goodness, who somehow forget who He is and what He has done. In these dire circumstances, this is where I should step in and be a mouthpiece of God's love, truth, and hope. Marriages on the brink of divorce, kids who are running amuck, unemployment, lost loved ones... these are very real struggles that people face, including Christians. In such dark times, the thing that differentiates a Christian from a non-Christian, is that the Christian can cling to a hope, that is secured by promises, that are given by a faithful One, who is sovereign over all creation. But, sometimes it's hard to remember to hope when the promises are forgotten. It's hard to remember the promises when we aren't in communion with the faithful One. It's hard to commune with Him when creation itself seems to be against us. That's where other Christians must enter, where I must enter. I need to be willing, available, and discerning. I must be prepared by keeping hope firmly in focus in my own life. I must be in the Word daily, reading and remembering the faithful promises of God, and being in communion with God, to remember the One who promised and what He promised. So often, I think of a verse like 1 Peter 3:15, and I think of the atheist who is facing a hard time. I need to remember that, sometimes, Christians need to hear the gospel, too.

P) Father, the grace that has been in my life, even from my youth until now, it humbles me. I am especially humbled, when I think of others who have real crises of faith in the face of their own hardships. When I remember how faithfully You have always been with me, and how many people have spoken hope into my life in the midst of my own struggles, I am eager to play the same role in the lives of others. God, let me be prepared to share hope, peace, and love with others. Let me be especially aware of my brothers and sisters in Christ, who are struggling to believe. Let me see those who are holding on with their last strength, clinging to hope however they can. Let me be an encouragement to them and strengthen them, not based on my own wisdom or skills, but with my testimony of Your goodness. Let me be a hopeful reminder to them of Your promises, Your faithfulness, and Your sovereignty. Please bless those who have played this part in my life, Lord. Let me be obedient to Your instruction to lift up my brothers and sisters, starting within my own home, and certainly within my life group and local church. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 01/22/2016; Isaiah 34:16

Today's reading: Exodus 3, 4, 5; Luke, 22*

S) "¹⁶ Seek from the book of the LORD, and read:
Not one of these will be missing;
None will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded,
And His Spirit has gathered them."

Isaiah 34:16 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Isaiah 34

     

O) After giving Isaiah prophecy about God's judgment on all the nations, He invites a sort of accountability with the people. He wants them to keep record, to test, to remember, to reflect. God knows that He is reliable, trustworthy, and sure. God also wants His people to know His character this way, so He tells them write it down, verify it, and remember that He told them beforehand.

A) There are two elemental things for me to do with this. I need to remember a danger, in that experiences can be explained away. God can move miraculously in my own life, and after time, my memory of it can fade, I can become cynical, it can seem to be more and more coincidental and less and less significant. This is the importance of frequent reflection on His goodness in my life. This is the importance of testifying to His grace and mercy, talking about it with my wife and kids, sharing my testimony to brothers and sisters, and bearing witness to unbelievers. Secondly, I need to give more credence to the words of God, than any experiential encounter with Him. The Bible is infallible, but I am not. As people, we have a remarkable ability to rationalize. My experiences can, unfortunately, be influenced greatly by preconceived notions, expectations, or understandings. But if I take my experiences back to the Word, and test them against what I know He has said, then I can see what is good and what is bad, what is a lie or what is me, and what is God. When I think God is telling me something, or prompting me in some way, I can seek from the book of the LORD and know what He has said.

P) Father, thank You for the Bible. I would be lost and hopeless without it. Open my eyes and ears, speak to me and lead my by the Holy Spirit. In everything, though, let me fully rely on the infallibility of Scripture, as I test every experience I have with You against what I know You have already said. Give me discipline and let me seek You diligently in Your book, God. Let me find truth and certainty in it, and by it recognize truth in my prayers. Develop in me a spiritual discernment that has holy Scripture as the baseline of spiritual truth. In everything, be glorified above all else. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.