It has been a good season in Isaiah. Today we conclude with the final two chapters. God helps us reckon with the fact that, despite his many mercies, his covenant people largely continue to be faithless in upholding their side. It is only a righteous remnant that he vows to protect and uphold, rather than the entire chosen people. If Christians do not meditate on their own covenant faithfulness in light of their elect status, then they aren’t reading it right. We also stand warned, as those ancient Jews were warned, that we should not assume we are pleasing to the Lord just because we are pleased with ourselves. He warns that, when we are being disobedient in our hearts, our prayers and sacrifices are an insult to him.
The psalms of comfort and trust in the Lord are needed medicine. The proverbs covered give an appreciated change of pace. Nothing like ancient Hebrew wisdom to engage the mind. In particular, some of these proverbs have things to say about worldly rulers and worldly wealth. This wisdom holds up. Why? Because it is of the Lord, and he doesn’t change. So let these things take deep root in you!
Isaiah 65
“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me;
I was found by those who did not seek Me.
To a nation that did not call My name,
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’
All day long I have held out My hands
to an obstinate people
who walk in the wrong path,
who follow their own imaginations,
to a people who continually provoke Me to My face,
sacrificing in the gardens
and burning incense on altars of brick,
sitting among the graves,
spending nights in secret places,
eating the meat of pigs
and polluted broth from their bowls.
They say, ‘Keep to yourself;
do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’
Such people are smoke in My nostrils,
a fire that burns all day long.
Behold, it is written before Me:
I will not keep silent, but I will repay;
I will pay it back into their laps,
both for your iniquities
and for those of your fathers,”
says the LORD.
“Because they burned incense on the mountains
and scorned Me on the hills,
I will measure into their laps
full payment for their former deeds.”
This is what the LORD says:
“As the new wine is found in a cluster of grapes,
and men say, ‘Do not destroy it, for it contains a blessing,’
so I will act on behalf of My servants;
I will not destroy them all.
And I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and heirs from Judah;
My elect will possess My mountains,
and My servants will dwell there.
Sharon will become a pasture for flocks,
and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds,
for My people who seek Me.
But you who forsake the LORD,
who forget My holy mountain,
who set a table for Fortune
and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,
I will destine you for the sword,
and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered,
because I called and you did not answer,
I spoke and you did not listen;
you did evil in My sight
and chose that in which I did not delight.”
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says:
“My servants will eat,
but you will go hungry;
My servants will drink,
but you will go thirsty;
My servants will rejoice,
but you will be put to shame.
My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart,
but you will cry out with a heavy heart
and wail with a broken spirit.
You will leave behind your name
as a curse for My chosen ones,
and the Lord GOD will slay you;
but to His servants He will give another name.
Whoever invokes a blessing in the land
will do so by the God of truth,
and whoever takes an oath in the land
will swear by the God of truth.
For the former troubles will be forgotten
and hidden from My sight.
For behold, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I create;
for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and take delight in My people.
The sounds of weeping and crying
will no longer be heard in her.
No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days,
or an old man fail to live out his years.
For the youth will die at a hundred years,
and he who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.
They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
No longer will they build houses for others to inhabit,
nor plant for others to eat.
For as is the lifetime of a tree,
so will be the days of My people,
and My chosen ones will fully enjoy
the work of their hands.
They will not labor in vain
or bear children doomed to disaster;
for they will be a people blessed by the LORD—
they and their descendants with them.
Even before they call, I will answer,
and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
but the food of the serpent will be dust.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all My holy mountain,”
says the LORD.
Isaiah 66
This is what the LORD says:
“Heaven is My throne,
and earth is My footstool.
What kind of house will you build for Me?
Or where will My place of repose be?
Has not My hand made all these things?
And so they came into being,”
declares the LORD.
“This is the one I will esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
who trembles at My word.
Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man;
whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood;
whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol.
Indeed, they have chosen their own ways
and delighted in their abominations.
So I will choose their punishment
and I will bring terror upon them,
because I called and no one answered,
I spoke and no one listened.
But they did evil in My sight
and chose that in which I did not delight.”
You who tremble at His word,
hear the word of the LORD:
“Your brothers who hate you
and exclude you because of My name
have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified
that we may see your joy!’
But they will be put to shame.”
Hear the uproar from the city;
listen to the voice from the temple!
It is the voice of the LORD,
repaying His enemies what they deserve!
“Before she was in labor, she gave birth;
before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.
Who has heard of such as this?
Who has seen such things?
Can a country be born in a day
or a nation be delivered in an instant?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor,
she gave birth to her children.
Shall I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?”
says the LORD.
“Or will I who deliver close the womb?”
says your God.
Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her,
all who love her.
Rejoice greatly with her,
all who mourn over her,
so that you may nurse and be satisfied
at her comforting breasts;
you may drink deeply and delight yourselves
in her glorious abundance.
For this is what the LORD says:
“I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a flowing stream;
you will nurse and be carried on her arm,
and bounced upon her knees.
As a mother comforts her son,
so will I comfort you,
and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”
When you see, you will rejoice,
and you will flourish like grass;
then the hand of the LORD will be revealed to His servants,
but His wrath will be shown to His enemies.
For behold, the LORD will come with fire—
His chariots are like a whirlwind—
to execute His anger with fury
and His rebuke with flames of fire.
For by fire and by His sword,
the LORD will execute judgment on all flesh,
and many will be slain by the LORD.
“Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves—to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats—will perish together,” declares the LORD.
“And I, knowing their deeds and thoughts, am coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory.
I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory.
So they will proclaim My glory among the nations.
And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”
“And I will select some of them as priests and Levites,” says the LORD.
“For just as the new heavens and the new earth,
which I will make, will endure before Me,”
declares the LORD,
“so your descendants and your name will endure.
From one New Moon to another
and from one Sabbath to another,
all mankind will come to worship before Me,”
says the LORD.
“As they go forth, they will see the corpses
of the men who have rebelled against Me;
for their worm will never die,
their fire will never be quenched,
and they will be a horror
to all mankind.”
Psalm 141
I call upon You, O LORD; come quickly to me.
Hear my voice when I call to You.
May my prayer be set before You like incense,
my uplifted hands like the evening offering.
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.
Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing
or take part in works of wickedness
with men who do iniquity;
let me not feast on their delicacies.
Let the righteous man strike me;
let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion.
It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it.
For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.
When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs,
the people will listen to my words,
for they are pleasant.
As when one plows and breaks up the soil,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
But my eyes are fixed on You,
O GOD the Lord.
In You I seek refuge;
do not leave my soul defenseless.
Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,
and from the lures of evildoers.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.
Psalm 142
I cry aloud to the LORD;
I lift my voice to the LORD for mercy.
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I reveal my trouble to Him.
Although my spirit grows faint within me,
You know my way.
Along the path I travel
they have hidden a snare for me.
Look to my right and see;
no one attends to me.
There is no refuge for me;
no one cares for my soul.
I cry to You, O LORD: “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
Listen to my cry,
for I am brought quite low.
Rescue me from my pursuers,
for they are too strong for me.
Free my soul from prison,
that I may praise Your name.
The righteous will gather around me
because of Your goodness to me.
Proverbs 28
The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
A land in rebellion has many rulers,
but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.
A destitute leader who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no food.
Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law resist them.
Evil men do not understand justice,
but those who seek the LORD comprehend fully.
Better a poor man who walks with integrity
than a rich man whose ways are perverse.
A discerning son keeps the law,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
He who increases his wealth by interest and usury
lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.
Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law,
even his prayer is detestable.
He who leads the upright along the path of evil will fall into his own pit,
but the blameless will inherit what is good.
A rich man is wise in his own eyes,
but a poor man with discernment sees through him.
When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
He who conceals his sins will not prosper,
but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
Blessed is the man who is always reverent,
but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
A leader who lacks judgment is also a great oppressor,
but he who hates dishonest profit will prolong his days.
A man burdened by bloodguilt will flee into the Pit;
let no one support him.
He who walks with integrity will be kept safe,
but whoever is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.
The one who works his land will have plenty of food,
but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
A faithful man will abound with blessings,
but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.
To show partiality is not good,
yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
A stingy man hastens after wealth
and does not know that poverty awaits him.
He who rebukes a man will later find more favor
than one who flatters with his tongue.
He who robs his father or mother, saying, “It is not wrong,”
is a companion to the man who destroys.
A greedy man stirs up strife,
but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.
He who trusts in himself is a fool,
but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.
Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need,
but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.
When the wicked come to power, people hide themselves;
but when they perish, the righteous flourish.
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