Reading
- Isa. 5:24-30; 1:27-31; 2:19-3:7; 1:18-20; 4:2-6; 2:1-5
- 2 Kings 15:19-28
- 2 Chron. 26:22-23a
- 2 Kings 15:7b, 32-33
- 2 Chron. 27:2
- Isa. 6:1-13
- 2 Chron. 27:3-6
Devotional
GOD's message against His people and their coming punishment continues through the prophet Isaiah:
24 Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 Therefore the LORD’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.
(Isa. 5:24-25 NIV)
Nothing but repentance can save Israel and Judah; neither idols, nor men. Even though He will discipline His rebellious children, GOD is still love and He reveals the cleansing which will come for those who repent.
18 “ Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; 20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
(Isa. 1:18-20 NKJV)
3 And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war. 5 Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
(Isa. 2:3-5 NASB)
King Menahem of Israel died and Pekahiah reigned in his place. He, too, did evil. He was assassinated by Pekah who succeeded him. Pekah reigned 20 years. He did evil. Meanwhile in Judah, Uzziah died and was buried near his fathers in a field belonging to the kids, because he had leprosy. His son Jotham reigned. Jotham did what was right. The nation of Judah, however, continued their sinful ways.
Isaiah saw a vision around this time, and he says:
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
9 He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ 10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” 11 Then I said, “For how long, Lord?” And he answered: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, 12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. 13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”
(Isa. 6:1-13 NIV)
Isaiah heard GOD looking for someone to go preach to the people. He saw the need and he signed up for the opportunity. This is a great attitude of service that we need to imitate. When we see a need for someone to do good, we should be right there willing and volunteering to help out in every possible way.
