... you town so full of commotion, you city of tumult and revelry? Your slain were not killed by the sword, nor did they die in battle. – Isaiah 22:2

Today's Scripture Reading (March 31, 2023): Isaiah 22

It is strange to find a prophecy about Jerusalem and Judea amid a section where Isaiah concentrates on prophecies against the foreign powers surrounding the Kingdom of Israel. But Judah had adopted the practices of its neighbors, and so Judah is included here. And, as the center of Jewish spirituality, Jerusalem was a destination for what we would call "religious tourism." This tourism dominated Jerusalem, and visitors would regularly outnumber the city's residents. And this was true even in times of apostasy in the nation.

Isaiah describes the "Valley of Vision" as a place of high activity, but he also sees the day Jerusalem would be defeated. It was a day when those living or visiting the city would not die in battle as heroes defending the city of David. They would die in some other, less respectable way.

That day wouldn't come until 586 B.C.E. Then, Jerusalem would be surrounded by the Babylonians and placed under a state of siege. The Babylonian Army just sat outside the city's walls and waited for Jerusalem to surrender. Inside Jerusalem, the inhabitants waited, hoping that God would move again, as he had during the Assyrian siege of the city over a century earlier. Unfortunately, this time God didn't move.

Babylon's siege of the city lasted two years. It was a waiting game. King Hezekiah had built an aqueduct that brought a source of fresh water into the city. But there was no food for the inhabitants of the city. During the siege, the Babylonians even built a siege wall around the city, a barrier that was intended to hem the occupants into the area because it made escape even harder.

As a result of the siege, the men of Jerusalem didn't die in battle. They died because they were starved to death. They died of the diseases that were likely rampant in the closed-up city and they were killed in a cowardly and futile attempt to escape the city. They died with a whimper instead of a war cry.

The fall of Jerusalem happened just as Isaiah had prophesied.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 23

Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: 'Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!' – Isaiah 21:9

Today's Scripture Reading (March 30, 2023): Isaiah 21

It happened in 539 B.C.E. Babylon was celebrating a national holiday when Cyrus the Great put into practice a plan designed to defeat the city and, by extension, the Empire. Babylon's walls were believed to be impenetrable, but Cyrus thought the place where the Euphrates River entered the city was the key to the fall of Babylon. The Babylonian government also understood that and used iron bars to secure the city from anyone trying to gain entrance to the city by way of the Euphrates.

But Cyrus had an ambitious plan. He had decided that the only way into the city was by using the Euphrates River. However, Cyrus's strategy involved diverting the river upstream so that his army could enter the city on dry ground. In 539 B.C.E., while the city was celebrating, Cyrus had some of his men divert the river while others took advantage of the lack of water to enter the city. They started in the outskirts of the city and worked inward. The reality was that as the city fell, most of the city's population didn't even realize the danger that had arrived inside the city's walls.

Isaiah talks about the moment that the city falls. At the time of the prophecy, Babylon was still decades away from its peak under Nebuchadnezzar. It would be over a hundred years before the Babylonian exile would become the reality of the Judean people. But Isaiah knew that Nebuchadnezzar's Empire would also fall even before Babylon rose.

John in Revelation takes up the same theme.

With a mighty voice he shouted:

"'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!'
    She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
    a haunt for every unclean bird,
    a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal (Revelation 18:2)

The connection between the two passages is found in the double mention of the fall of Babylon. In Isaiah, it is "Babylon has fallen, has fallen!" In Revelation, it is "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!" One speaks of the literal Babylon and the other of a Babylon that symbolizes the powers of this world. The literal Babylon fell in the sixth century B.C.E,  but the symbol of Babylon will also fall as a sign of all that is wrong with this world. Both Babylons will fail. Babylon fell, and it will fall, spiritually and commercially.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 22

I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. – Isaiah 19:2

Today's Scripture Reading (March 29, 2023): Isaiah 19 & 20

In 671 B.C.E., Esarhaddon of Assyria invaded Egypt, but the focus of the invasion seems to have been an attempt to decapitate the Egyptian Government. During this era, the Kushite Kings of the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty were in control of Egypt. Esarhaddon's purpose for his invasion seems to have been to remove the power of the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty Pharaohs and restore the nation to the native Egyptians. It is possible that the Assyrians hoped an independent Egypt would provide a buffer zone between Assyria and the mighty Kingdom of Kush.

The Egyptians were partially successful. While it would be another fifteen years before the reign of the Kushite Pharaohs ended in Egypt, the control of the land was divided between twelve kinglets. And these kinglets often came into conflict and broke into skirmishes against each other.

Isaiah's prophecy against the nations dates to around 725 B.C.E. In the fifty-four years between the prophecy of Isaiah and the fulfillment of the promise, the known world would change significantly. In Isaiah's world, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was still a nation; they wouldn't fall to Assyria until 721 B.C.E. The Twenty-Fifth Dynasty in Egypt is in its infancy; these foreign Pharaohs have not yet gained solid control of Egypt. And in Assyria, Shalmaneser the brother of Sargon II, the man who would be the grandfather of Esarhaddon, was in control of the Assyrian Empire.

Sometimes, I wonder what the people who first heard the biblical prophecies thought about what the prophets were saying. The truth is that many of them disregarded the words of these godly people. After all, it just didn't seem to make sense. And yet, in the space of a little more than fifty years, the words of Isaiah would be fulfilled. In Egypt, a brother would fight against a brother, and city would fight against city as the twelve kinglets vied for control of the nation.

In the end, it would be Psamtik I in 664 B.C.E., who would finally unify the waring Egyptian Kingdoms and once more be able to allow a unified Egypt to enter the world stage, becoming a power among the nations.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 21

Woe to the land of whirring wings along the rivers of Cush. – Isaiah 18:1

Today's Scripture Reading (March 28, 2023): Isaiah 18

I am not a fan of bugs. As a child, my daughter used to find them in the house and gently move them outside. Maybe that was because if her dad saw them, he killed them, usually without any discussion. If I found a lot of them, I reached for a pesticide that would do the job of killing for me. And it really didn't matter what the bugs were. Some find specific bugs, like "ladybugs," cute, but I never had that affliction. My rule had always been that bugs in the house, regardless of the species, are bad.

As a result of my hatred for bugs, years when bugs were abundant are burned into my memory. They are also the substance of my nightmares. I remember living in an area when a plague of grasshoppers hit the area. If you drove down the street, you couldn't help but travel over them. I remember opening up the refrigerator of a friend who lived in the country and having a couple of these awful insects fly out at me. I am not sure how they got in there, but this was not the time to stand in front of the open refrigerator door, wondering what it might be that you felt like eating. At the time, I was an avid golfer, but this was a horrible time to go for an outing on the course.

Isaiah continues his declaration of woe as he talks about the land along the rivers of Cush. Cush was a fertile land along the Nile River and its tributaries in what is now the extreme southeast of Egypt, North Sudan, and extending down into Ethiopia. Ethiopia was the other power and the counterpoint nation of Assyria during Isaiah's life. And so, Ethiopia is likely at the center of Isaiah's mind.

In Egypt, the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty features the Ethiopian or Kushite Pharaohs. Shebitku appears to have taken control of the Egyptian area in 712 B.C.E., while that control was consolidated and strengthened by Shabaka in the years that followed. Originally, the Pharaohs of the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty tried to exist in peace with Assyria, but as the years went on, they found themselves increasingly in competition with the Northern Empire. These Kings are often called "The Black Pharaohs" of Egypt.

Isaiah calls the area of origin for these Kings the "Land of Whirring Wings." It is a nod toward the many flying insects, including an abundance of locusts or grasshoppers, that inhabit the land. It is not a place I would find comfortable, but it is probably the place to go if you are a fan of bugs.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 19 & 20

In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us. – Isaiah 17:14

Today's Scripture Reading (March 27, 2023): Isaiah 17

Sargon II was the King of Assyria from 722-705 B.C.E. Sargon was a brutal King toward his enemies, but no atrocities were recorded against his own people. Sargon was a warrior king, but he was also a father. But maybe even more importantly, he was a grieving father. Sargon had many sons, but his oldest son died during childhood. And evidence of Sargon's grief at the loss of his son could be seen in the name that he chose to give his next son, Sennacherib. The meaning of Sennacherib is "Sin (the moon god) has replaced the brothers." It is evidence that Sargon saw Sennacherib as a replacement for his lost son.

Functionally, since his older brother had died before his birth, Sennacherib was raised as the heir apparent of Assyria. He was an able military commander and led the armies of Assyria to victory during his father's reign, Sargon. And Sennacherib was given the king's power in his father's absence. Whether these circumstances arose while he was on the battlefield or back in the Assyrian capital while his father was away, if Sargon wasn't present, then what Sennacherib said was the law.

Sargon died in 705 B.C.E., and Sennacherib became the King of Assyria. But Sennacherib was shaken by the demise of his father, and as a result of Dad's death, he made a few significant moves. First, Sennacherib sought to distance himself from his father because his father's defeat in battle was viewed as evidence of Sargon's sin. Second, he moved the capital of the Assyrian Empire from Sargon's new capital city, Dur-Sharrukin, to Nineveh. Third, he rebuilt a temple dedicated to the god Nergal, a god associated with death, disaster, and war.

But Sennacherib also continued his campaign against the countries in the Levant, including Judah. Israel had already fallen in 721 B.C.E. to Sennacherib's father, Sargon. Sennacherib's continued Levant campaign was largely successful, but his campaign in Judah, and specifically against Jerusalem, was not a success. And while the Bible seems to indicate that Sennacherib was present at Jerusalem, that does not seem certain.

The Bible says that the Assyrian campaign against Jerusalem ended in failure.

That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there (2 Kings 19:35-36).

It was an eerie fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah that a sudden terror would befall the enemies of Israel, and by morning, those that threatened the city would be gone.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 18

A prophecy against Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! – Isaiah 15:1

Today's Scripture Reading (March 26, 2023): Isaiah 15 & 16

I recently had a good discussion with a friend about moving. We were helping to move some mutual friends, and my friend admitted that he wasn't well acquainted with the concept of a daylight move. It was an admission that most of the moves he had experienced as a child were done at midnight and had something to do with the non-payment of rent. One night, his family would just disappear.

It reminded me of another friend that I knew in college. She, too, just disappeared from the apartment building one night, never to be seen again. But her disappearance had nothing to do with a problem with paying rent. She was being hunted by an ex-boyfriend, who was threatening her life and later threatened me, and she decided that the safest thing to do was disappear one night. She didn't tell me where she was going, which was probably wise because I couldn't even unintentionally betray her whereabouts to the man threatening her. She just disappeared in the night.

Ar and Kir of Moab were two strongholds in the country of Moab, a nation that descended from the incestuous relationship between Lot and one of his daughters (Genesis 19). Moab had been a thorn in the side of Israel throughout its existence. Border skirmishes were commonplace events, and Moab had taken land that had initially belonged to Israel and incorporated it into its national boundaries.

But Isaiah looks at Moab and its two strongholds and sees something different. Isaiah sees a nation that will be destroyed in a night. It is an interesting phrase that often connects with the idea of a disappearance during uncertain circumstances, like moves to avoid rent or escape the presence of a threat. They are moves that happen; one moment, people are there, and the next, they are gone, which seems to be the story of Moab.

We don't know precisely what happened to Moab. But sometime during the Persian era of the late sixth century or fifth century B.C.E., Moab disappeared from history. In their place, waves of tribes that had emerged from Northern Arabia began to occupy the area. Moab and her strongholds were gone, disappearing in the night, never to be seen again.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 17

… you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended! – Isaiah 14:4

Today's Scripture Reading (March 25, 2023): Isaiah 14

His name was Nabopolassar. His origins are uncertain. Nabopolassar called himself "The son of nobody," although that seems highly improbable. It would seem impossible for someone from a completely obscure family to rise to control a nation. Power often was passed down from father to son, or they grabbed power by leading the military against the king in control of the country. We aren't even sure what nationality Nabopolassar might have been. He has been called n Chaldean, an Assyrian, and a Babylonian.

Nabopolassar was born in 658 B.C.E in the Assyrian Empire town of Uruk, in modern-day Iraq. At that time, Uruk had been part of the geographical region of Babylonia. And Babylonia had been defeated and was under the direct control of the Assyrians. But during the early days of Nabopolassar's life, Assyria found itself fighting several internal conflicts. As a result, the Empire was ripe for someone to rebel against their rule. That someone was Nabopolassar. Somehow, this "son of nobody" raised an army and began to fight for the freedom of Babylonia from their Assyrian overlords. It was just Babylon's freedom for which Nabopolassar intended to fight. But as Nabopolassar continued his battle against Assyria, Assyria continued their internal decline until suddenly it seemed that not only was Babylon free from the Empire but that they had become the Empire. For the rest of Nabopolassar's life, he would fight against Egypt, which wanted to place Assyria back in control of the area.

Nabopolassar spent his reign at war, but in 605 B.C.E., with his enemies defeated, Nabopolassar hoped that he could finally turn his attention back to the restoration of Babylon, which had been destroyed and neglected during the Assyrian era. But with this task in front of him, Nabopolassar died, and his son Nebuchadnezzar II ascended to the throne.

Nebuchadnezzar II would reign over the Babylonian Empire for the next forty-three years. But the problem was that there was no one who could follow Nebuchadnezzar. Four different kings tried to reign over the Babylonian Empire in the twenty-three years after Nebuchadnezzar's death. Still, none of them rose to the leadership ability of Nabopolassar and Nebuchadnezzar. And Babylon would end in the same chaos that ended the Assyrian Empire before it.

Scholars seem split about whether Isaiah is speaking of the literal Babylonian Empire or a spiritual version run by Satan. But it appears from the passage's context that the literal one makes the most sense. Babylon would rise in a fury, replacing those who had once been the oppressors of the area. But that era would also come swiftly to an end, and the captives would lead a taunt over Babylon, just as Babylon had taunted the Assyrians when their Empire came to an end.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 15 & 16

 

Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. – Isaiah 13:6

Today's Scripture Reading (March 24, 2023): Isaiah 12 & 13

In the early 1980s, Michael Card and John Thompson wrote a song that Amy Grant would make a hit. The song, El Shaddai, was notable because it contained a significant amount of Hebrew in the chorus, which is unusual for contemporary Christian music. The song is a song of praise to a God who never changes. The song talks about the salvation of Isaac from being sacrificed by Abraham, which was done by God's love and combined with his providential action of providing a Ram. The song also talks about Israel's exodus through the Red Sea, God's provision for Hagar, Sarah’s handmaiden, the path to freedom for Israel coming out of Egypt, and the coming of the Messiah.

The chorus of the song is where we find the Hebrew.

            El Shaddai, El Shaddai (God Almighty, God Almighty)

            El-elyon na Adonai (God Most High, we come to you Lord)

            Age to age you’re still the same

            By the power of the name

El Shaddai, El Shaddai (God Almighty, God Almighty)

Erkamka na Adonai (I love you, my Lord)

I will praise and lift you high

El Shaddai (God Almighty).

The song focuses on the positive side of God's power over the earth; as Hagar said, "Surely, you are the God who sees us" (a paraphrase of Genesis 16:13).

But there is also a negative side. Isaiah sees a day when the people will wail because of the power of the Almighty (the Hebrew word used in this verse is El Shaddai). Yes, he is the God who saved Israel and Hagar, but he is also the God who will destroy those who refuse to follow his ways. Or maybe more appropriately, El Shaddai will one day refuse to use his power to save us. On that day, he will leave us to the natural consequences of our actions, and we will suffer as we receive what we deserve. However, that is not the result that God wants. Everyone would be saved if it were up to him (2 Peter 3:9).

But God, who in the beginning gave us the ability to choose good or evil, will ultimately give us what we want. It seems to be the curse of the human race that we can't hate what is wrong and causes all of us harm and, instead, love what is good.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 14

The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. – Isaiah 11:7

Today's Scripture Reading (March 23, 2023): Isaiah 11

A good friend of mine is a vegetarian. The reason for her choice of food is really based on contemporary farming issues and the idea that she doesn't want any animal to suffer just because she wants a double cheeseburger. It is a choice that many Christians are making. Another friend phrases it as eating as low on the food chain as possible, which he has chosen to do.

I have several food sensitivities that have kept me from making a similar decision. I agree that I don't want animals to suffer and fully support humane farming practices. There is even some literature that argues that animals who live under stressful conditions don't taste as good as animals who have lived their lives in a situation that is abundant in care. Apparently, the presence of stress hormones and chemicals like epinephrine degrade the taste of the meat. This means caring for animals makes sense even if you are a meat eater like me.

Isaiah argues that a time is coming that will not only be a time of peace but that there will also be a fundamental change in creation. All of us meat eaters will be extinct, although not because we have died, but because we have been fundamentally changed. Those of us who enjoy a good steak will be left unable to digest our meal. But we will be able to eat straw with the herbivores. The result is that a bear will feed with a cow, not make the cow its meal. There will no longer be fear between the animals because those that used to be predators will no longer be hunters.

But the change will go even deeper than that. It means that people will be able to enjoy God's nature without fear. There will no longer be any warnings about predators living in the area because there will no longer be any danger for the animal or us, which is good news for those who enjoy wandering through the mountains. After all, the bears and wolves that live there will no longer be a cause for fear.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 12 & 13

Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath! – Isaiah 10:5

Today's Scripture Reading (March 22, 2023): Isaiah 10

Stuff happens. It is one of the realities of life. And the Bible is clear that not everything is a judgment against us. This idea that "stuff happens" is the main theme of the story of Job, a righteous man who suffers a series of disasters. The preacher in Ecclesiastes phrases the idea this way; "If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth" (Ecclesiastes 11:3). It doesn't matter whether you deserve the rain or not or even whether you have had too much or not, when the clouds are full, the rain falls.

Many years ago, I was living in a small rural town when the area went through an extensive period of drought. To be completely upfront, the town was located in what was essentially a converted desert. As a result, many farmers and ranchers had invested in irrigation technology. But during this year, the drought was so bad that even with irrigation, those who worked the land just didn't have enough moisture to keep everything running. As a result, one Sunday evening, the town gathered in a park at the center of the town to hold a prayer meeting. We were going to ask God for rain. I remember talking to an older lady who had attended the meeting with an umbrella in her hand. If God were going to answer our prayers, she would be ready for the rain to fall as she made her way back home.

While some might believe it is a coincidence, the result of the prayer meeting was that rain returned to the area. But the rain didn't just fall on the people who attended the prayer meeting in the park. Everyone received the rain, whether or not they believed in the power of prayer. A good friend suggested we have a second prayer meeting thanking God for the rain, but unfortunately, no one was interested in that prayer service. I guess they felt that we had received what we wanted, and there was no need for a meeting to say thanks. A year later, I sat with my friend, watching the rain still fall, when he remarked, "I told them that we needed to say thank you." The rain, a good thing a year earlier, had become a source of suffering as the creeks overflowed their banks and the land flooded.

Isaiah preached against Syria, Israel, and Judah, stating that God would use Assyria as a weapon against them because of their sin. But the comment begs a second question; Isn't Assyria also sinful, maybe even worse than the smaller nations? And God, speaking through Isaiah, doesn't argue against that idea. Assyria was evil. As a result, the Assyrians would simultaneously be the weapon in the hand of God to chastise the nations, as well as a nation that would eventually be disciplined herself. And they would be given their own chance to repent, but if they refused, someone else would take their place; in the case of Assyria, Babylon would become the weapon in the hands of God. But in this moment, Assyria was a storm that was about to rain down on the nations. And the only question that Isaiah was asking was "Is there any reason for God to stop the rain."

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 11

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. – Isaiah 9:7

Today's Scripture Reading (March 21, 2023): Isaiah 9

It is hard to explain away the miracles of the Bible, but that has never stopped us from trying. Either that or we decide that the miracles were an impossibility and, therefore, they are fictional additions to the story contained within our Holy Book. I also must admit that sometimes I have theories on what might have happened. Having said that, I also am comfortable not knowing how or why things happened. I am very okay with letting the miracles be miracles.

One of my explanations on the “what really happened” side involves the falling walls of Jericho during the time of Joshua and Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land. And part of what I think happened was that the Exodus was not just an event but a steady process. It makes sense that Egypt had been leaking slaves long before Moses brought the enslaved Israelites out of Egypt. These slaves just disappeared, much like Moses did after he killed the Egyptian. These people walked away from Egypt, sometimes leaving the African nation alone and sometimes with their families. And these escaped slaves became the forerunners of Israel in Canaan. They told the story of these people who had been promised the land. They told tales of their God and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Canaan had already been expecting Israel for many years before they arrived.

When the Israelites finally arrived, there was great interest in what Israel would do next. So, God instructed Israel to make a spectacle of themselves. God leads Israel to go and march around Jericho’s city walls. Every day Israel came for their march and then left for the place where the nation was camped. And in my imagination, I see the people of Jericho coming out to see the nation they had heard about parade around their city walls. In my mind, it was likely a bit of a circus attitude, with lots of smiles and joking.

Of course, on the last day, Israel marched around the city seven times. With every lap, I can see more and more people gathering on the walls watching the free entertainment. And then, on the seventh time around the walls, Israel did something they had never done before. They let loose with a war cry. And I can see the people on the walls jumping with surprise. As a result of the shock, the combined weight of the people, combined with the audience’s automatic startle response, was simply too much for the wall. Then the walls came tumbling down.

Why bother with such a story? Sometimes my imagination needs to be taken out for a stroll. I have no idea if that is the way it happened, but I think it is a possibility. And if it did take place as I imagined, there were two moments. The first was when the people of Jericho were entertained by the people marching outside the wall. They probably looked forward to the entertainment of the day, watching the nation they had heard about, these former slaves that had escaped Egypt, parade around the city walls. The people were safe behind their walls, so Israel was no threat. But all that changed on the day that the walls came down. Then, the nation that had been entertainment became the city's rulers. And that is a meaningful distinction. What was at first nothing more than theater became a real disaster for the people.   

Speaking of the Messiah, Isaiah argues, “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.” We live in a time when the Messiah might be a curiosity, maybe followed by the intrigued, but many people in our culture are just watching the show from the top of the wall. They think they are safe and insulated by their lives, and Jesus is someone we take from sometimes, but also someone who can be ignored when we don’t feel like taking him seriously. But Isaiah sees a time when the wall is going to fall. At that time, we will all be the subjects of the King who reigns forever on the throne of David, whether we want to be or not. On that day, everything changes.

Isaiah then speaks to those who doubt that this day will ever come when he says, “The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” Of this, we can be confident. God will do what he has said that he will do.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 10

So I called in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah, as reliable witnesses for me. – Isaiah 8:2

Today's Scripture Reading (March 20, 2023): Isaiah 8

Have you ever seen something and said, "I want that!" I have friends who like to watch home improvement shows, trying to gather ideas about things they want to renovate in their homes. And these shows are a great place to gather ideas, even if some improvements are widely impractical. Many years ago, my family rented a house, colloquially referred to now as "the big house," for our vacation. The house was big enough to accommodate my wife and me, my parents, our kids and their spouses, as well as the grandkids, all in one spot for a week and a half of our vacation. We had a great time and still have great memories of the time spent in "the big house."

The house also had several great features, which included a theater room, a pool, and great living spaces where we could gather to play games or even just talk with each other, and areas where we could go to grab some alone time so that we didn't feel that we were always in each other's way. But one of the features that I enjoyed was the en suite bathroom in the Primary Bedroom. It was spacious and had a dressing room attached, a great shower area, and a separate bathtub. And years later, if I ever had a chance to build a house to my specification, it would include an en suite that would approximate the one we had in "the big house."

Ahaz was an apostate king. He wanted nothing to do with the religion of his father and the rest of Judah. But that didn't mean that he wasn't spiritual. He just seemed to believe the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. And so he becomes a consumer of the spirituality of other nations. And on a trip to Damascus, Ahaz was impressed with an altar he had found there. As a result, he wrote down a description of the altar and sent it back to Jerusalem to the priesthood at the Temple. One priest, likely well positioned in Jerusalem, took it upon himself to build a copy of the Damascus altar. The priest's name was Uriah, and he finished the replica of the altar before Ahaz returned to Jerusalem. 

It seems likely that the Uriah that built the Damascene altar in Jerusalem is the same Uriah that Isaiah called to be a witness in Isaiah 8. If that is true, then Uriah and Zechariah mentioned here are both part of the establishment in Jerusalem. Therefore, they would have also been in opposition to Isaiah. So, we need to note that Isaiah was not calling those on his side as witnesses, but rather, his opponents. He wanted those who opposed him to have to stand up and admit that Isaiah's prophecy was true. And really, there are no more convincing witnesses than those who stand against us.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. – Micah 7:18

Today's Scripture Reading (March 19, 2023): Micah 7

Name meanings can be fun to examine so that we can see how close our names match our character. The subject came up at a family dinner when we discussed the advantages of being a hard worker, which happens to be the meaning behind my granddaughter's name, Emilina. And with that, the discussion turned to other family names and origins.

My name, Garry, is an old English name that means "spear." Maybe I can apply the meaning of my name to my speaking and writing duties. My last name, Mullen, has a couple of meanings. Mullen is primarily a German name, that actually surprised me, and means "lives in or near a mill." So I am a "spear living near a mill" (which, incidentally, is not actually true). However, I am Irish and not German. So maybe the name meaning of my last name is better drawn from the English or Gaelic meaning. In that case, Mullen means "son of the bald one." Having said that, my Dad has a full head of hair in his eighties, so baldness is not arriving soon. My grandfather and great-grandfather also had hair all their lives. As a result, I am unsure how many generations I would have to go back through to find the "bald one" of whom I am a son. Apparently, I struggle to live up to any of my names.

As Micah closes his prophecy, he includes a section of Praise. He thanks God for being a God who is willing to pardon sin, actively forgiving the transgressions of those who go against his demands, and preserving a remnant that can receive all that God has promised to Israel. But in the process, Micah says something that we often miss. He reflects on the meaning of his name. The name "Micah" means "Who is like Yahweh." So, Micah, in his closing, paraphrases the meaning of his own name by asking, "Who is a God like you?"

Maybe it was Micah's way of putting his final stamp on the prophecy. But it would also serve as a pointer toward a time yet to come. Micah looked forward to a moment when the Lamb of God would be sacrificed for the world's sins so that forgiveness would not be just the expectation of the righteous remnant, but of all who repented of their sin and turned to walk toward God.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 8

Listen to what the LORD says: "Stand up, plead my case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say." – Micah 6:1

Today's Scripture Reading (March 18, 2023): Micah 6

Mountains are amazing features of nature. And while we now know where the passages are through most of the mountain ranges on the earth, I sometimes wonder what it was like to be the first explorer to confront these giants. How did you decide on how to proceed and where to go to get through the ranges? I love to read the stories of those early adventurers. How they sometimes found a natural hot spring and spent time in that area because of the warmth that was offered. If it were me, during a cold winter, it would take a lot to get me to want to leave the area of the spring and venture back out into the winter to finish the journey and search for a pass to take me to the other side of the range.

Mountains are the silent witnesses of history. They saw both the successes that took place on their magnificent slopes and all the tragedies. If only we had a way of seeing the things that the mountains have seen since their creation millennia ago.

Micah imagines God taking up his case against Israel in a court-like setting. In this setting, God would be the plaintiff, Israel the defendant, and mountains would take their positions as the witnesses to all that has happened. The mountains would know the truth because they had seen it all. No one could trick or persuade them of the lies Israel might want to sell. They had stood on the land from a time before Israel, and they would stand on it long after Israel had been ejected from the area. The mountains were unmoved by tragedy and celebration. They could not be bribed or blackmailed; they had watched the events happening around them and knew the truth of all that had happened around them.

In this court, God would state his case against Israel, and the mountains would speak the truth about what had happened. And Micah knew that the only response to God's accusations and the mountains' testimony was that Israel would stand condemned. As a result, wouldn't it be better to make the change now before they were dragged into this natural court?

It is a good question but one that we too often ignore. We hear the warnings but continue to allow our behavior to carry us further toward that court date, all because we don't want to make the change. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 7

Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. – Micah 5:3

Today's Scripture Reading (March 17, 2023): Micah 5

Life seldom turns out just as we planned it. We could never have predicted the twists and turns that our lives have taken, yet we have to find our way through anyway. I believe that what we do today sets up what we will have to do tomorrow, but not all of the conditions are under our control. We can save for tomorrow, but when we invest, we have no way of knowing what the markets will do or how much we will need when retirement finally arrives. I have had several friends who never planned on retirement; they stressed that they were planning to keep working until the day they died. But then health changes made working in their sixties impossible, let alone staying employed into their seventies and eighties. It is the one piece of advice that I try to give to anyone who asks. Start saving for your retirement in your twenties. If you can keep working and that is what you want to do, great. You can use the money for other things in your senior years, but if health issues force you to retire, you will have the ability to do just that because none of us know where the twists and turns of life will carry us.

I am not sure that Israel ever believed that they would be abandoned by their God, even though the prophets repeatedly came to them with precisely that message. The nation would return to God before God would ever decide to leave them. That moment of repentance might not be today, but soon. But Micah and the other prophets understood the truth; repentance was not coming, and God would have to do the unthinkable.

The first kingdom to fall would be Israel, barely fifteen years in the future from the time of Micah's prophecy. And then Judah would fall. It was a message that seemed to be carried by all of the prophets of this era. But the Prophets also bore a message of hope. God would seem to turn his back on the nations, but he would also bring them back. Micah said that that time would arrive "when she who is in labor bears a son." It is a fairly generic statement; after all, every day, women in labor give birth to sons.

Prophecy is often like that. It is easier to see the answer to the prophecy in reverse after it has been fulfilled. From our vantage point, we understand that the woman was Mary, and the son was Jesus of Nazareth. He would call the remnant and bring God's presence back to the nation. However, this Messiah would not come as a conquering hero but as a child born to a woman in labor. Micah said so. But that was also an unexpected plot twist that the people just couldn't understand.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 6

He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. – Micah 4:3

Today's Scripture Reading (March 16, 2023): Micah 4

Two-hundred-and-eighty-six. The number is actually an important one. Since the beginning of recorded history, which we can set at somewhere around 1600 B.C.E., there have been 286 years that the world has been at peace. That's it, 286 years out of over 3600 years. In fact, while death due to international conflicts have gone down since the end of World War II, people have died in state-sponsored conflict every year since the end of that war. Peace on earth is actually a very rare event. Over the past 3600 years, more than 8000 peace treaties have been made and have been broken. The truth is that our reality more readily compares to the words of the Prophet Joel.

Proclaim this among the nations:
   Prepare for war!
Rouse the warriors!
    Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
Beat your plowshares into swords
    and your pruning hooks into spears.
Let the weakling say,
    "I am strong!"
Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
    and assemble there (Joel 3:10).

Joel reminds me of interviews I watched at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In those early days, when weapons were rare, the citizens of Ukraine were trying to make weapons and bombs out of whatever it was they had at hand. Boxes were filled with "Molotov Cocktails" ready to be thrown at the next passing Russian soldier. One man commented that his hunting rifle might not look like much, but he was good with it, and it would kill as many Russians as he could find bullets for it.

Micah has a different message. While war might be the natural state for those of us who make our lives on this planet, the day is coming when that will not be true. A time is coming when God will settle the disputes between the nations, and we will live in peace. There will no longer be a use for weapons, so we will change them into things that might be useful in our daily lives. What was once rare will become the natural state of our world. And I can't think of anything that could be more welcome to those who believe in peace and pray for its presence in our shared world.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 5