September 9- The Great Prosecuting Attorney

September 9, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Isaiah 3:1-5:30; 2 Corinthians 11:1-15;
Psalm 53:1-6; Proverbs 22:28-29

Isaiah 3:1-5:30

Whenever a crime has been committed in a community it is up to the prosecuting attorney to work with the local police force to assess the gathered evidence and decide whether or not to prosecute the suspect. If prosecution is implemented, the prosecuting attorney presents the evidence to the court on why the suspect is guilty.  Today, God presents His case against the nation of Israel.  The evidence will show that they have broken their conditional covenant with God to stay in the Promised Land.  Their guilt will bring about a justified judgment of exile from the land.  This condemnation also serves as a platform for Isaiah to receive a prophecy of the coming Great Tribulation, which will serve as God's judgment upon mankind in the end times.

Chapter 3 - Judgment on the rulers of Israel and the morality of the people

In this chapter, God presents the facts that the rulers of Israel have led the people to destruction.  Verse 14 states that the leaders and princes will be the first to feel the Lord's judgment.   The rulers are described as fools who lead the people down a pretty garden path to destruction (Vs. 12).  They are also described as children.  This implies spiritual immaturity.

Next, the Lord judges the women of Israel.  They are described as snooty, materialistic, vain, and looking to flirt with men.  A society's spirituality can be measured by the behavior of their women.  Women are wired for spirituality and when the women have abandoned God in order to seek worldly pleasure and vanities, one can be sure that the priorities of home and family are cast aside.  Seeking God and His will take last place.  This is the picture of what has happened in Israel prior to the Babylonian captivity.  Do you see similarities in our modern culture?

As a prediction of the judgment that Israel will experience, Verse 25 states, "The men of the city will die in battle. The gates of Jerusalem will weep and mourn.  The city will be like a ravaged woman, huddled on the ground."

Chapter 4 - Conditions during Captivity and Predictions of Millennial Kingdom

Verse 1 of this chapter describes the decimation of the male population after war.  This is the condition that the Southern Kingdom will experience at the Babylonian captivity.  Women will fight over the men who are left to marry.

Verse 2 brings us to the future.  Israel, who is the branch of the Lord (please note that Jesus is described as the branch of the Lord throughout Scripture), will be lush and beautiful.  This passage describes those who have been chosen to survive the Great Tribulation with their faith intact as a holy people. The Lord will cleanse the moral filth from the land.  The Lord is described as providing shade for Jerusalem after this burning judgment (the Great Tribulation).  The description of a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night are reminiscent of the Lord leading the nation of Israel as they camped in the wilderness with the Tabernacle (a symbol of Christ) in their midst.  The earthly kingdom of Christ on earth will be a fulfillment of this picture.  Christ will be in our midst and provide a place of shelter and protection from storms and trials. This will be a physical reality.

Chapter 5 - The song of the vineyard and six woes

Here is a beautiful song about Jesus and the nation of Israel.  Remember from the Song of Songs that Jesus is described as "my beloved."  He is the groom and in this case, he is the owner of the vineyard.  Israel is God's vineyard.

In this song, God's beloved (this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased) has a vineyard on good soil. He is waiting for a harvest of sweet grapes, but instead gets a harvest of wild sour grapes.  This is a picture of the rebelliousness of the nation of Israel.  They are a prodigal child.

Next, God describes tearing down the fences that protect the vineyard and allowing the vineyard to be trampled and destroyed.  This is a picture of the Babylonian Captivity. 

Next, we have the six woes which seal Israel's fate:

1.  Woe to those who lust with their eyes and are greedy.
2. Woe to those who get up early for long drinking bouts.  This is the sin of national drunkenness and seeking after pleasure.
3. Woe to those who drag their sins behind them tied to cords of falsehood. This is the sin of forgetting God and being prideful that God will not do anything about sin.
4. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.  Remember, they loved the darkness more than the light.
5. Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes.  This is pride.
6. Woe to those who are so drunk that they have forgotten the concept of justice.  Injustice reigns through bribery and false imprisonments.

Judgment comes upon those who despise the words of God. He will use the nations of the earth to punish Israel according to Verses 26-30.

What do you think of the warnings that God gives to Israel through Isaiah?  Is our modern society guilty of any of the charges that God is laying upon Israel?

2 Corinthians 11:1-15

Today, the Apostle Paul describes the false apostles, who are attempting to mislead the Corinthians, as wicked men who will get punished by God for their wicked deeds. 

Paul continues to remind the Corinthians that he spent time teaching and preaching without requiring monetary compensation from the Corinthians.  This is one proof of his sincerity and integrity.

Do you think there is greed and corruption in our churches today?  Are false apostles still part of our experience in the modern Church today?  How can we identify these sorts?  Constant calls for money on their part is one way.

Psalm 53:1-6

It is foolish to say that there is no God.  God looks down from heaven to see if anyone has real understanding.  Do you?

Proverbs 22:28-29

It is stealing to move a boundary on a property.  Don't do it.  Be honest.

What did you see while you read today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton