Archive for month: February, 2023

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 19:1-20:6.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 19:1-17 (NIV)
1  An oracle concerning Egypt: See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.
2  “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian– brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.
3  The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.
4  I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them,” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
5  The waters of the river will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and dry.

On verses 1-17:  Isaiah’s oracle about Egypt is not only a warning to Egypt; even more it is a warning to Isaiah’s own people of Judah not to rely on an alliance with Egypt as their hope against a larger power like Assyria.  Isaiah speaks of how Egypt will suffer from internal division (v2), fear and hopelessness (v8-10), a lack of wise leadership (v11-13) and confusion (v14).  Isaiah’s oracle is reminiscent of images in the book of Exodus many centuries before (v5-7) when the Nile stank and was no longer the water source that the Egyptians could depend on.  Rather than Judah being impressed by Egypt, Egypt will be afraid of Judah, Isaiah says in verse 17, all because of what God has in store for Egypt.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 17:1-11.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 17:1-11 (NIV)
1  An oracle concerning Damascus: “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins.
2  The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid.
3  The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,” declares the LORD Almighty.
4  “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away.

On verses 1-11:  Isaiah’s next oracle is for the nation of Aram (represented by its capital city Damascus).  But as we can see starting from verse 3, really this is a message not only for Aram but also for Israel (aka “Ephraim” (v3), “Jacob” (v4)).  That is because Aram and Israel were working together as an alliance against Assyria and were putting pressure on Judah to join their alliance.  Isaiah’s message is that the glory and power of Israel and Aram will be taken away (v3-4), just like when grain is harvested (v5).  Playing still with the image of a harvest, Isaiah says that all the hard work that Aram and Israel put into planning their strategy and defense will come to nothing, just like a farmer who works so hard to plant and grow crops but is not able to harvest them (v9-11).  That is because Israel and Aram had forgotten about God and stopped trusting in Him (v9).

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 16:1-14.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 16:1-5 (NIV)
1  Send lambs as tribute to the ruler of the land, from Sela, across the desert, to the mount of the Daughter of Zion.
2  Like fluttering birds pushed from the nest, so are the women of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.
3  “Give us counsel, render a decision. Make your shadow like night– at high noon. Hide the fugitives, do not betray the refugees.
4  Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer.” The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land.
5  In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it– one from the house of David– one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.

On verses 1-5:  Isaiah 16 continues Isaiah’s oracle concerning Moab.  In Isaiah 15, the Moabites were pictured fleeing from their own country because of an attack, possibly by Assyria.  Now in Isaiah 16, the Moabites are pictured as refugees fleeing to their neighbours in Judah for safety.  To show that they come in peace and in exchange for protection from Judah, the Moabites are urged to “send lambs as tribute…to the daughter of Zion [i.e. Judah]” (v1), much like the king of Moab did in 2 Kings 3:4.  In verses 2-3, the Moabite women are pictured looking to Judah for protection.