Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 62-66 GNT

Executive Producer

Scott Snider

Podcast Introduction

This is Prophecy Friday. We’ll be finishing up the book of Isaiah with the reading of chapters 62-66. I’m calling this episode, “New and Improved!” 

And it’s December 23rd, so we’re down to the last 2 Christmas questions. We’ll do another one of my questions for James.

Comments on Isaiah 65

You know how sometimes your computer or your phone or your tablet just starts acting funny? The operating system slows down or apps just don’t act like they’re supposed to. It’s frustrating, right? What do you do? Sure, you reboot the device. Often, that’s enough to set things right. Sometimes though, the problems don’t go away because somewhere along the line, some of the pieces of the operating system have gotten corrupted in some manner. Yeah, corrupted is the term commonly used by tech folks. When the OS is broken like this, the best course of action is to save your data and then wipe the hard drive, reformat and reinstall the OS to get a fresh start. When you do this, you get back to a pristine, just like new, out of the box experience. Everything runs quick and smooth, and it’s a joy to use the device again. 

Well, guess what. There is coming a day when God is going to reformat and reinstall His creation’s OS! 

In chapter 21 of the book of Revelation, the apostle John tells us that he saw a new Heaven and and new Earth. In reading Isaiah 65:17, God says, “Look! I’m creating a new heaven and a new earth…”

But before He does it, just like we do with our computers, He is going to save His important data…those who have responded to His offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.

And when the new Heaven and new Earth have been created, and the saved data, or the saved people are brought into the new creation, all the corrupted stuff from the old creation will be made to operate like God originally intended. 

Listen again to verses 17-25: “…past events won’t be remembered; they won’t come to mind. Be glad and rejoice forever in what I’m creating, because I’m creating Jerusalem as a joy and her people as a source of gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad about my people. No one will ever hear the sound of weeping or crying in it again. No more will babies live only a few days, or the old fail to live out their days. The one who dies at a hundred will be like a young person, and the one falling short of a hundred will seem cursed. They will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They won’t build for others to live in, nor plant for others to eat. Like the days of a tree will be the days of my people; my chosen will make full use of their handiwork. They won’t labor in vain, nor bear children to a world of horrors, because they will be people blessed by the LORD, they along with their descendants. Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear. Wolf and lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the snake—its food will be dust.

They won’t hurt or destroy at any place on my holy mountain, says the LORD.

What a joy it will be to live in this new place! Think of it. No more tears, no more sorrow, no more wars, no more disease, no more strife. Harmony between God and man. Harmony among people. Serenity in the animal kingdom. Just as God intended from the beginning, before the virus of sin corrupted creation’s operating system. 

I for one can’t wait until God hits the reset button.

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Isaiah 62-66: New and Improved (LSFAB S13E083)

[TEASER – 0:00]
What a joy it will be to live in this new place.

[INTRO S13E083 – 0:10]
This is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, and podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. And I’m glad you’re here with me. The website is lifespringmedia.com. And this is Prophecy Friday. We’ll be finishing up the book of Isaiah with a reading of chapters 62 through 66. And I’m calling the episode “New and Improved.”

And it’s December 23rd, so we’re down to the last two Christmas questions. What’s your favorite Christmas movie?

Before we read, let’s pray.

[OPENING PRAYER – 0:46]
Our gracious heavenly Father, we love you. We thank you, Lord, for who you are and for making it possible for us to know you. As we read today, open our eyes and open our hearts. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Okay, here we go.

[ISAIAH 62 (GNT) – 1:03]
Isaiah, chapter 62.

(1) I will speak out to encourage Jerusalem;
I will not be silent until she is saved,
And her victory shines like a torch in the night.
(2) Jerusalem, the nations will see you victorious!
All their kings will see your glory.
You will be called by a new name,
A name given by the Lord himself.
(3) You will be like a beautiful crown for the Lord.
(4) No longer will you be called “Forsaken,”
Or your land be called “The Deserted Wife.”
Your new name will be “God Is Pleased with Her.”
Your land will be called “Happily Married,”
Because the Lord is pleased with you
And will be like a husband to your land.
(5) Like a young man taking a virgin as his bride,
He who formed you will marry you.
As a groom is delighted with his bride,
So your God will delight in you.

(6) On your walls, Jerusalem, I have placed sentries;
They must never be silent day or night.
They must remind the Lord of his promises
And never let him forget them.
(7) They must give him no rest until he restores Jerusalem
And makes it a city the whole world praises.

(8) The Lord has made a solemn promise,
And by his power he will carry it out:
“Your grain will no longer be food for your enemies,
And foreigners will no longer drink your wine.
(9) But you that planted and harvested the grain
Will eat the bread and praise the Lord.
You that tended and gathered the grapes
Will drink the wine in the courts of my Temple.”

(10) People of Jerusalem, go out of the city
And build a road for your returning people!
Prepare a highway; clear it of stones!
Put up a signal so that the nations can know
(11) That the Lord is announcing to all the earth:
“Tell the people of Jerusalem
That the Lord is coming to save you,
Bringing with him the people he has rescued.”
(12) You will be called “God’s Holy People,”
“The People the Lord Has Saved.”
Jerusalem will be called “The City That God Loves,”
“The City That God Did Not Forsake.”

[ISAIAH 63 (GNT) – 3:02]
Isaiah, chapter 63.

(1) “Who is this coming from the city of Bozrah in Edom? Who is this so splendidly dressed in red, marching along in power and strength?”

It is the Lord, powerful to save, coming to announce his victory.

(2) “Why is his clothing so red, like that of someone who tramples grapes to make wine?”

(3) The Lord answers, “I have trampled the nations like grapes, and no one came to help me. I trampled them in my anger, and their blood has stained all my clothing. (4) I decided that the time to save my people had come; it was time to punish their enemies. (5) I was amazed when I looked and saw that there was no one to help me. But my anger made me strong, and I won the victory myself. (6) In my anger I trampled whole nations and shattered them. I poured out their lifeblood on the ground.”

(7) I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love;
I will praise him for all he has done for us.
He has richly blessed the people of Israel
because of his mercy and constant love.

(8) The Lord said, “They are my people; they will not deceive me.” And so he saved them (9) from all their suffering. It was not an angel, but the Lord himself who saved them. In his love and compassion he rescued them. He had always taken care of them in the past, (10) but they rebelled against him and made his holy spirit sad. So the Lord became their enemy and fought against them.

(11) But then they remembered the past, the days of Moses, the servant of the Lord, and they asked, “Where now is the Lord, who saved the leaders of his people from the sea? Where is the Lord, who gave his spirit to Moses? (12-13) Where is the Lord, who by his power did great things through Moses, dividing the waters of the sea and leading his people through the deep water, to win everlasting fame for himself?”

Led by the Lord, they were as sure-footed as wild horses, and never stumbled. (14) As cattle are led into a fertile valley, so the Lord gave his people rest. He led his people and brought honor to his name.

(15) Lord, look upon us from heaven, where you live in your holiness and glory. Where is your great concern for us? Where is your power? Where are your love and compassion? Do not ignore us. (16) You are our father. Our ancestors Abraham and Jacob do not acknowledge us, but you, Lord, are our father, the one who has always rescued us. (17) Why do you let us stray from your ways? Why do you make us so stubborn that we turn away from you? Come back, for the sake of those who serve you, for the sake of the people who have always been yours.

(18) We, your holy people, were driven out by our enemies for a little while; they trampled down your sanctuary. (19) You treat us as though you had never been our ruler, as though we had never been your people.

[ISAIAH 64 (GNT) – 5:47]
Isaiah, chapter 64.

(1) Why don’t you tear the sky open and come down? The mountains would see you and shake with fear. (2) They would tremble like boiling water over a hot fire. Come and reveal your power to your enemies, and make the nations tremble at your presence! (3) There was a time when you came and did terrifying things that we did not expect; the mountains saw you and shook with fear. (4) No one has ever seen or heard of a God like you, who does such deeds for those who put their hope in him. (5) You welcome those who find joy in doing what is right, those who remember how you want them to live. You were angry with us, but we went on sinning; in spite of your great anger we have continued to do wrong since ancient times. (6) All of us have been sinful; even our best actions are filthy through and through. Because of our sins we are like leaves that wither and are blown away by the wind. (7) No one turns to you in prayer; no one goes to you for help. You have hidden yourself from us and have abandoned us because of our sins.

(8) But you are our father, Lord. We are like clay, and you are like the potter. You created us, (9) so do not be too angry with us or hold our sins against us forever. We are your people; be merciful to us. (10) Your sacred cities are like a desert; Jerusalem is a deserted ruin, (11) and our Temple, the sacred and beautiful place where our ancestors praised you, has been destroyed by fire. All the places we loved are in ruins. (12) Lord, are you unmoved by all this? Are you going to do nothing and make us suffer more than we can endure?

[ISAIAH 65 (GNT) – 7:26]
Isaiah, chapter 65.

(1) The Lord said, “I was ready to answer my people’s prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find me, but they did not even try. The nation did not pray to me, even though I was always ready to answer, ‘Here I am; I will help you.’ (2) I have always been ready to welcome my people, who stubbornly do what is wrong and go their own way. (3) They shamelessly keep on making me angry. They offer pagan sacrifices at sacred gardens and burn incense on pagan altars. (4) At night they go to caves and tombs to consult the spirits of the dead. They eat pork and drink broth made from meat offered in pagan sacrifices. (5) And then they say to others, ‘Keep away from us; we are too holy for you to touch!’ I cannot stand people like that—my anger against them is like a fire that never goes out.

(6) “I have already decided on their punishment, and their sentence is written down. I will not overlook what they have done, but will repay them (7) for their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They have burned incense at pagan hill shrines and spoken evil of me. So I will punish them as their past deeds deserve.”

(8) The Lord says, “No one destroys good grapes; instead, they make wine with them. Neither will I destroy all my people—I will save those who serve me. (9) I will bless the Israelites who belong to the tribe of Judah, and their descendants will possess my land of mountains. My chosen people, who serve me, will live there. (10) They will worship me and will lead their sheep and cattle to pasture in the Plain of Sharon in the west and in Trouble Valley in the east.

(11) “But it will be different for you that forsake me, who ignore Zion, my sacred hill, and worship Gad and Meni, the gods of luck and fate. (12) It will be your fate to die a violent death, because you did not answer when I called you or listen when I spoke. You chose to disobey me and do evil. (13) And so I tell you that those who worship and obey me will have plenty to eat and drink, but you will be hungry and thirsty. They will be happy, but you will be disgraced. (14) They will sing for joy, but you will cry with a broken heart. (15) My chosen people will use your name as a curse. I, the Sovereign Lord, will put you to death. But I will give a new name to those who obey me. (16) Anyone in the land who asks for a blessing will ask to be blessed by the faithful God. Whoever takes an oath will swear by the name of the faithful God. The troubles of the past will be gone and forgotten.”

(17) The Lord says, “I am making a new earth and new heavens. The events of the past will be completely forgotten. (18) Be glad and rejoice forever in what I create. The new Jerusalem I make will be full of joy, and her people will be happy. (19) I myself will be filled with joy because of Jerusalem and her people. There will be no weeping there, no calling for help. (20) Babies will no longer die in infancy, and all people will live out their life span. Those who live to be a hundred will be considered young. To die before that would be a sign that I had punished them. (21-22) People will build houses and get to live in them—they will not be used by someone else. They will plant vineyards and enjoy the wine—it will not be drunk by others. Like trees, my people will live long lives. They will fully enjoy the things that they have worked for. (23) The work they do will be successful, and their children will not meet with disaster. I will bless them and their descendants for all time to come. (24) Even before they finish praying to me, I will answer their prayers. (25) Wolves and lambs will eat together; lions will eat straw, as cattle do, and snakes will no longer be dangerous. On Zion, my sacred hill, there will be nothing harmful or evil.”

[ISAIAH 66 (GNT) – 11:16]
Isaiah, chapter 66.

(1) The Lord says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house, then, could you build for me, what kind of place for me to live in? (2) I myself created the whole universe! I am pleased with those who are humble and repentant, who fear me and obey me.

(3) “The people do as they please. It’s all the same to them whether they kill a bull as a sacrifice or sacrifice a human being; whether they sacrifice a lamb or break a dog’s neck; whether they present a grain offering or offer pigs’ blood; whether they offer incense or pray to an idol. They take pleasure in disgusting ways of worship. (4) So I will bring disaster upon them—the very things they are afraid of—because no one answered when I called or listened when I spoke. They chose to disobey me and do evil.”

(5) Listen to what the Lord says, you that fear him and obey him: “Because you are faithful to me, some of your own people hate you and will have nothing to do with you. They mock you and say, ‘Let the Lord show his greatness and save you, so that we may see you rejoice.’ But they themselves will be disgraced! (6) Listen! That loud noise in the city, that sound in the Temple, is the sound of the Lord punishing his enemies!

(7) “My holy city is like a woman who suddenly gives birth to a child without ever going into labor. (8) Has anyone ever seen or heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a day? Zion will not have to suffer long, before the nation is born. (9) Do not think that I will bring my people to the point of birth and not let them be born.” The Lord has spoken.

(10) Rejoice with Jerusalem; be glad for her,
all you that love this city!
Rejoice with her now,
all you that have mourned for her!
(11) For you will enjoy her prosperity,
like a child at its mother’s breast.

(12) The Lord says, “I will bring you lasting prosperity; the wealth of the nations will flow to you like a river that never goes dry. You will be like a child that is nursed by its mother, carried in her arms, and treated with love. (13) I will comfort you in Jerusalem, as a mother comforts her child. (14) When you see this happen, you will be glad; it will make you strong and healthy. Then you will know that I, the Lord, help those who obey me, and I show my anger against my enemies.”

(15) The Lord will come with fire. He will ride on the wings of a storm to punish those he is angry with. (16) By fire and sword he will punish all the people of the world whom he finds guilty—and many will be put to death.

(17) The Lord says, “The end is near for those who purify themselves for pagan worship, who go in procession to sacred gardens, and who eat pork and mice and other disgusting foods. (18) I know their thoughts and their deeds. I am coming to gather the people of all the nations. When they come together, they will see what my power can do (19) and will know that I am the one who punishes them.

“But I will spare some of them and send them to the nations and the distant lands that have not heard of my fame or seen my greatness and power: to Spain, Libya, and Lydia, with its skilled archers, and to Tubal and Greece. Among these nations they will proclaim my greatness. (20) They will bring back all your people from the nations as a gift to me. They will bring them to my sacred hill in Jerusalem on horses, mules, and camels, and in chariots and wagons, just as Israelites bring grain offerings to the Temple in ritually clean containers. (21) I will make some of them priests and Levites.

(22) “Just as the new earth and the new heavens will endure by my power, so your descendants and your name will endure. (23) On every New Moon Festival and every Sabbath people of every nation will come to worship me here in Jerusalem,” says the Lord. (24) “As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never be put out. The sight of them will be disgusting to all people.”.

[COMMENTARY – 15:22]
You know how sometimes your computer or your phone or your tablet just starts acting funny? The operating system slows down or apps just don’t act like they’re supposed to. It’s frustrating, right? So what do you do? Yeah, you reboot the device. A lot of times, that’s enough to make things right. Sometimes though, the problems don’t go away. Because somewhere along the line, some of the bits of the operating system have gotten corrupted in some way. Yeah, “corrupted” is the term commonly used by tech folks. Well, when the operating system is broken like this, the best course of action is to save your data, and then wipe the hard drive, reformat, and reinstall the operating system to get a fresh start. A lot of times when you do this, you get back to a pristine, just like new out-of-the-box experience. Everything runs quick and smooth, and it’s a joy to use that device again.

Well, guess what? There’s coming a day when God is going to reformat and reinstall his creation’s operating system.

In chapter 21 of the book of Revelation, the apostle John tells us that he saw a new heaven and a new earth. Today in Isaiah 65, verse 17, God said, “Look! I’m creating a new heaven and a new earth…”

But before he does that, just like we do with our computers, he’s going to save his important data. What data is that? Well, it’s those who have responded to his offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.

And when the new heaven and the new earth have been created and the saved data – or the saved people – are brought into the new creation, all the corrupted stuff from the old creation will be made to operate like God originally intended.

Listen again to verses 17 through 25: “…past events won’t be remembered; they won’t come to mind. Be glad and rejoice forever in what I’m creating, because I’m creating Jerusalem as a joy and her people as a source of gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad about my people. No one will ever hear the sound of weeping or crying in it again. No more will babies live only a few days, or the old fail to live out their days. The one who dies at a hundred will be like a young person, and the one falling short of a hundred will seem cursed. They will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They won’t build for others to live in, nor plant for others to eat. Like the days of a tree will be the days of my people; my chosen will make full use of their handiwork. They won’t labor in vain, nor bear children to a world of horrors, because they will be people blessed by the LORD, they along with their descendants. Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear. Wolf and lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the snake—its food will be dust. They won’t hurt or destroy at any place on my holy mountain, says the LORD.”

Beloved, what a joy it will be to live in this new place. Think of it. No more tears, no more sorrow, no more wars, no more disease, no more pandemics, no more strife. There will be harmony between God and man, harmony among people, serenity in the animal kingdom, just as God intended from the beginning before the virus of sin corrupted creation’s operating system. I tell you what, Beloved, I for one cannot wait until God hits the reset button.

[LIFESPRING FAMILY HOTLINE – 18:46]
I usually really enjoy operating system upgrades. I’m pretty sure the one God has planned for us will be way better than anything we’ve ever experienced.

What do you think? Call the Lifespring Family Hotline at +1-951-732-8511 and let me know what you think. Or go to comment.lifespringmedia.com, or send me an email at st***@*************ia.com. However you comment, I look forward to getting it.

Tomorrow is Gospel Saturday and our reading will be Mark 3 and 4.

[SUPPORTER SHOUT-OUTS – 19:23]
We have an Executive Producer today in the person of Scott Snider who came in with $365.33. Attached was a note that said, “From Scott Snider, Sir Snide. ITM.” ITM to you, Sir Snide. He said, “$1 for every episode this season and the 33 cents to also celebrate your upcoming anniversary, PL&L.”

Now I had to look up the “PL&L.” And you know what it is? It’s “productive learning and leisure.” So, Scott, thank you for that. Today actually, Scott came in with a trifecta. Along with his treasure, he also sent in some time and talent in the form of episode artwork. Time, talent, and treasure. Well, Scott, I do treasure you as a member of the Lifespring family. Thank you so much, Brother. God bless you. I appreciate you.

[BOOSTAGRAMS – 20:12]
Viva le boost. Boostagram.

Someone sent in yesterday (or was it this morning, I forget. Today’s been one of those days) 3333 sats from user1080017 et cetera et cetera et cetera. This person sent it in while listening to the “Psalms 33-35: Never Stop Praising” episode. And it just says, “ITM, and thank you for your courage.” Boy, we certainly do have a lot of “No Agenda” producers around here, don’t we? It’s fun. Thanks so much for the boostagram, whoever you are. I do appreciate you as well.

[CHRISTMAS QUESTION – 20:50]
The Lovely Lady LeeAnn and I have a drawer full of Christmas DVDs. We don’t watch all of them every year, of course, but we do have our favorites. I’ve mentioned one or two on the show this month. But I got to thinking. I wonder which Christmas movie is the top-grossing of all time? What movie do you think it is? “White Christmas?” “The Santa Clause?” “Christmas with the Kranks?” I don’t like that one. What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Do you think it’s the top-grossing? Let’s get the lowdown from James Cooper of whychristmas.com. James?

[JAMES COOPER ANSWERS – 21:23]
Well, that would be “The Grinch” from 2018. so a relatively recent one. And it’s taken over $512 million, which is a lot of money. The second is “Home Alone” from 1990. And the third, believe it or not, is “Home Alone 2.” And rather incredibly the best Christmas film of all, which is of course the “Muppet Christmas Carol,” isn’t even in the top 30. And I think that is appalling.

[CHRISTMAS QUESTION (CONT’D) – 21:48
Wow, I am shocked. “The Grinch.” Really? I would have never guessed that. That one is way not my favorite. Not even in my top ten. What about you? What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Let me know. And thank you, James. This has been fun. We have one more day left. Yeah, that’s right. Tomorrow is your last day to send in your Christmas questions and be included in the drawings we’ll have on Christmas Day. I’m going to be giving away two pairs of tickets to the movie “Jesus Revolution” and a signed copy of my book “Webb’s Easy Bible Names Pronunciation Guide.” Send your questions to st***@*************ia.com and put “Christmas question” in the subject line.

[JINGLE SINGERS – 22:33]
lifespringmedia.com/support.

[THE TEAM – 22:36]
My thanks to the team: Kirsty, who does a fantastic job of the newsletters, Denise, who corrects the transcripts, and I gotta say that is not a fun job, Michael Haner, who does the chapters and Scott Snider, who helps out with the episode art. And we can always use more artists for the episode art, so if you do have some experience with Photoshop, or Illustrator, or any other graphics program and you’d like to donate time and talent, let me know at st***@*************ia.com

[OUTRO S13E083 – 23:09]
One of the things I love about Christmas is laughter. There should be laughter, right? Christmas is a time to be joyous about the birth of the Messiah, of course, but when we gather with family and friends, there should be laughter and good fellowship, right? So I have a fun little ditty here that always makes me laugh. It’s a guy who’s in a completely different life situation than I am because as you know I’m happily married to the perfect wife, and I’m not just saying that because we’re coming up on our 33rd anniversary. But the guy in the song is, well, let me just tell you the title of the song. It’s sung by Dr. Elmo and the song’s title is, “Send Me a Wife for Christmas.” And I’ll bet you’ll laugh at least once as you listen.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, my middle son’s birthday. Do you have any last-minute shopping to do? You’d better hurry.

Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. Thank you for inviting me into your day. I’m Steve Webb. Bye.

[DR. ELMO SINGS “SEND ME A WIFE FOR CHRISTMAS” – 24:15]
Oh, dear Santa, I’m writing this letter to you.
You’re the one who can make Christmas wishes come true.
As a guy, you’ll know why it’s the right thing to do.
Santa send me a wife for Christmas.

Make her look like a model from Vanity Fair
with a figure that makes a man kneel down in prayer.
She’ll be wild for my wide body and thinning hair.
Santa send me a wife for Christmas.

She’ll be sweet and adoring and she will not care
if I spend all the fortune to which she is heir.
She will trim up the tree, fix the house up so neat.
Then she’d come up and beg, could she please rub my feet?

While my buddies and me would be watching football
A delicious aroma would drift down the hall.
She’d appear in her apron with cookies for all.
Santa send me a wife for Christmas.

She’ll pick all the right presents for me and my folks.
And she’ll laugh herself silly at all of my jokes.
She’ll address Christmas cards by the fire’s warm glow.
And I’ll stand by her side while she shovels the snow.

Oh, dear Santa, this is a tall order, I know.
Make her meek and soft-spoken to flatter me so.
And she’ll just be aggressive beneath mistletoe.
Can you get me this wife by Christmas?

Will she light up my life this Christmas?

Santa send me a wife for Christmas.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Transcript corrected by Denise