September 16- A Day Of Crushing Trouble

September 16, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Isaiah 22:1-24:23; Galatians 2:17-3:9;
Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 23:15-16

Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity. 
~ Adrian Rogers

Isaiah 22:1-24:23

Does it bother you to have Isaiah telling us the future from God's perspective? Does God's judgment upon the sins of mankind disturb you?  Today we will complete the eleven judgments against man described in the Book of Isaiah.  Jerusalem and Tyre are the final cities prophesied against. 

According to J. Vernon McGee in his comprehensive commentary on the Bible, the eleven nations that surround Israel and are judged by God represent the greater sins of mankind.  Here is McGee's list of the nations and what they represent:

1. Babylon represents false religion and idolatry.
2. Palestine represents true religion that has become apostate.
3. Moab represents formal religion that has a sense of religion, but denies the power of God.
4. Damascus represents compromise.  We see this in many churches, today.
5. Ethiopia represents missions.  This is the need to get the Word of God out to others.
6. Egypt represents the world.  Love not the world.
7. Persia represents luxury.
8. Edom represents the flesh.
9. Arabia represents war.
10. Jerusalem (the valley of vision) represents politics.  Do you believe the solutions lie in politics?
11. Tyre represents commercialism.  The almighty dollar.

The judgments God brought against these nations really did occur.  Although He punished these nations for their actions and used these nations to punish Israel for her idolatry, Isaiah's prophesies lead us to God's greater judgment that will come upon the earth in the end times to punish mankind for their rebellion against their Creator.  This great judgment of the whole earth is called the Great Tribulation.

Before we go into that description in Chapter 24, let's look at the judgment of Tyre and commercialism on the earth.  Tyre was a great center of commerce in the ancient world.  You may remember that King David was good friends with King Hiram of Tyre and purchased all of the cedar and other wood for the Temple and his palaces from the regions of Tyre and Sidon.  King David also used many craftsman and workers from Tyre to build up the wealth and opulence of Israel.  Tyre is destroyed by Babylon and taken into captivity for seventy years.  This mirrors what happens to their ally and trading partner, the Southern Kingdom of Judah. In Isaiah 23:17, we see that Tyre is restored and pictured as a harlot that plies her trade with the whole world.  Commercialism is seen as a vehicle for the future unification of man under a rebellious world system that attempts to thwart God and His plans for the future.

Chapter 24 brings us to what God plans to do to that future world system that is led by the Antichrist.  While the prior judgments of the nations have been largely fulfilled, this section of Scripture is entirely in the future.  Verse 1 indicates that the whole earth will be destroyed. Verse 3 tells us that the whole earth will be emptied and looted.  The Lord has spoken. Here is a listing of some of what can be expected during the Great Tribulation period.  Please note that this is a seven year period in the future that precedes Christ's Millennial reign on  earth:

• The earth dries up and is destroyed by fire. Vs. 4-6
• All the joys of life will be gone. Vs. 7-9
• Cities will writhe in chaos. Vs. 10-13
• The remnant of those who believe in God will be protected. This is a picture of Jewish believers in Christ being protected during the Great Tribulation. Vs. 14-15 (Please note that many tribulation saints will be martyred during the Tribulation, but the 144,000 and a remnant of Jewish believers will escape Jerusalem and be preserved by God.)
• Traps and snares are on the earth, the earth shakes and everything collapses. The earth staggers like a drunkard. Vs. 16-20
• The Lord wil punish the fallen angels and the proud rulers of the earth.  They are imprisoned until the time of judgment (after Christ's 1000 year reign). Vs. 21-22
• Christ will reign in earth in Jerusalem and his glory will be so bright that it will appear that the sun and moon have faded. This is a description of Christ's 1000 year earthly reign after the Great Tribulation. Vs. 23

God's story will be complete on this earth one day.  God is showing us the end of the story.  It is a bit of a spoiler designed to gather more believers to Himself.  God's justice and holiness require judgment of sin against those who hate God and His ways.  His love, mercy, and grace provide redemption for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. The Lord has spoken and this story will unfold as written by Isaiah.

Do you believe this story?  Where do you fit into God's story?

Galatians 2:17-3:9

If you are wondering how to approach the Christian faith, the book of Galatians is a wonderful guide.  As the Apostle Paul teaches the Galatians to not be tied to trying to pleasing God by following the Law, his teaching guides all future believers to rely on the fact that the Spirit of Christ dwells in us to transform our lives (Gal. 2:20)

Paul reminds the Galatians that they did not receive the Holy Spirit by following the law, but by simple faith in the death and resurrection of Christ.  If faith has given them this power, why would they ever want to fall back into relying on rules and regulations to save themselves?  They failed in the past to transform. The Law will always fail to change a person.  The Law condemns a person.

In Galatians 3:6, Paul reminds us that Abraham was saved by his faith in the future Messiah.  He was given a position of righteousness before God because of that faith.  All who believe in Christ, in faith, are therefore, children of Abraham, who is the father of faith.  Abraham believed that all nations would be blessed through him.  This was accomplished through Jesus, and Abraham believed that in the future, a man from his seed would save the world.

All people of faith in Christ share the blessings of righteousness with Abraham.  Are you part of Abraham's family of believers?

Psalm 60:1-12

Notice that Israel is suffering at God's hand in this psalm.  God uses suffering in our lives.  It is a polishing tool to make our inner man more beautiful. Suffering polishes those who are diamonds in the rough.

Proverbs 23:15-16

We want our children and our loved ones to be wise.  This book (the Bible) makes a person wise, if they will read and obey.

What did you learn today?  Please share.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton