Podcast Introduction

Our reading today is Isaiah 29-33, and I’m calling the episode “Tell Us Nice Things.”

Thoughts on Isaiah 30 

Sometimes prophecy reads like today’s news, doesn’t it?

8Now go and write down these words. Write them in a book. They will stand until the end of time as a witness 9 that these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the lord’s instructions. 10They tell the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. 11 Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your ‘Holy One of Israel.’”

Isaiah 30:8-11 NLT

Is this not what much of the world is saying today to those of us who believe in God’s Word? When we speak about God’s teaching on, oh…shall we say…homosexuality or abortion or the fact that God created just two sexes…they come down on us like a ton of bricks. They spew hate and call us homophobes. They tell us we are bigots, misogynistic, intolerant…you know the list. They call teaching God’s Word on the subject “hate speech”. Even when we deliver the message in even and compassionate tones. 

But wait a minute. If we truly believe God’s Word, if we believe that the Bible calls these things sin, and that God hates sin, as is clearly stated in Scripture, and if we believe that sin separates a person from God, wouldn’t it be a terribly hateful thing NOT to tell people about that? Isn’t the loving thing to tell them, so that they CAN repent and find peace with God?

I think so. 

No, they want us to tell them only about God’s love. If we just talk about the blessings of God, then they will tolerate us. If we tell them that God loves everybody, they’re happy. If we tell them that as long as they have good intensions they will get to Heaven, they leave us alone. They don’t want to hear the “s” word: sin. They deny that Hell is a real place, and they sure don’t want to hear that unless they know Jesus, Hell will be their eternal destination. Don’t, under any circumstances tell them that Jesus is the only way! 

And now, listen to verses 12 and 13: 12This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, 13calamity will come upon you suddenly—like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down.

God is waiting. Because He does love them, God is waiting for them to see their need for Him. But He will not wait forever, and then destruction will come. It will be a sad and terrible day, and it will come quickly, catching them completely by surprise. Oh how sad they will be, and how sad for us if we let them silence us. We will know that we might have made a difference in the lives of some of them if we had been faithful to our calling to warn them.

You say, “But Steve, I wasn’t called to be a prophet!” Really? Didn’t Jesus tell us to go into all the nations, making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? What do you think that makes you? A prophet is not just one who foretells the future. A prophet is also one who tells the message God has given him. Our message is to tell a lost, sinful and dying world that they must repent and believe that Jesus Christ came to the Earth, lived a sinless, perfect life, and then gave Himself as the sacrifice for their sins, was raised on the third day, and now sits at the Father’s right hand so that He can intervene for them to the Holy and Righteous and Just Father. 

That is every believer’s job. There is no higher calling. The most loving thing any of us can do is tell the world that they are headed for destruction if they stay on their present course. It’s not hate speech. It’s sounding the alarm to a world bent on self destruction.

Your thoughts?

Thoughts on Isaiah 32 

Amidst the prophecies of judgment in much of the book of Isaiah, chapter 32 brings a ray of hope.

The prophet tells us that a righteous king is coming. And as we have seen in many previous books in the Bible, when a righteous king is on the throne, God not only blesses the land with peace and prosperity, but the people also act with righteousness. 

I like verses 4 and 5. “Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly. In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes. Scoundrels will not be respected.”

As I record this on October 7, 2021, the world is in chaos. The pandemic, unstable money supplies, distrust of governments and media, shortages caused by disruption of shipping and ports. Again, it’s a long list and I can’t even think of everything. 

If you watch the news, which I do NOT recommend you do (but that’s another discussion), you might just find yourself saying, “Is there any hope? Has it gone too far? Will we ever have peace again?”

The answer is a resounding “YES!” God has not forgotten us, beloved. I believe He is allowing the chaos, the ugliness and depravity because the world has turned its back on Him. 

But hear me. I believe the Word of God which tells us that God never changes. So I believe that there will come a day when the people will cry out to God for forgiveness. They will confess their sins, and He will forgive them. 

Yes, I am praying for a worldwide revival. It has happened before and it can happen again. 

But if that does not happen, if people refuse to turn to God, we know that a time of ultimate judgment is on the way. Jesus will return and bring an end to this age. The enemy will be bound, and Jesus will reign with righteousness. There will be peace. There will be no wars, there will be none of the ugliness we see today. “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”

I for one am longing for that day.

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 29-33 NLT

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