Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

Today’s passage is Isaiah 34:1-17. Let’s go!

Isaiah 34:1-17 (NIV)
1 Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it!
2 The LORD is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter.
3 Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood.
4 All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.
5 My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have totally destroyed.

On verses 1-17:  Isaiah 34 is the wrath of God speaking.  Because God is a just and holy God who cannot tolerate sin and wickedness, and because people in all the nations around the world are guilty of sin and wickedness, Isaiah 34 describes the wrath of God toward all nations around the world because of their sin.   That is why Romans 3:23 says that “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” while Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death”.  In Isaiah 34 we see God’s justice and wrath being expressed.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 33:1-16.  Let’s go!   As usual, I recommend that you read the whole passage by yourself a couple times and see what you can extract from the passage before reading the message below.

Isaiah 33:1 (NIV)
1  Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.

On verse 1:  Remember that chapters 28-33 contain 5 messages of both woe and hope, all in connection with Judah, Judah’s alliance with Egypt and the threat of Assyria.  Here in this third of five messages of woe, Isaiah is likely addressing Assyria and predicting that after Assyria has destroyed other nations, Assyria itself will be destroyed.  The reason Isaiah calls Assyria a “traitor” is possibly because Assyria and Judah seemed to make peace in 2 Kings 18:13-16, only for Assyria to break that peace shortly after and invade Judah (as described in 2 Chronicles 32:1).

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 31:1-9.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 31:1-3 (NIV)
1  Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.
2  Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster; he does not take back his words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked, against those who help evildoers.
3  But the Egyptians are men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, he who helps will stumble, he who is helped will fall; both will perish together.

On verses 1-3:  To those who looked to Egypt for help but not to the LORD (v1), Isaiah warns that Egypt is a bunch of mere human being and not God (v3a), whereas the LORD is all powerful.  Isaiah promises that because they did not look to the LORD, both Egypt the helper and Judah the helped will fall together (v3b). 

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 29:15-24.  Let’s go!
 
Remember that Isaiah chapters 28-33 represent a new section in the book of Isaiah.  Scholars believe that this section relates to the time when Judah was considering forming an alliance with Egypt in order to help defend against the threat of Assyria.  The ongoing message from Isaiah is that this alliance will only hurt Judah, not help them, and that Judah’s only true hope is trusting in the LORD.

Isaiah 29:15-16 (NIV)
15  Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?”
16  You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”?

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 28:1-29.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah chapters 28-33 represent a new section in the book of Isaiah.  Scholars believe that this section relates to the time when Judah was considering forming an alliance with Egypt in order to help defend against the threat of Assyria.  The ongoing message from Isaiah is that this alliance will only hurt Judah, not help them, and that Judah’s only true hope is trusting in the LORD.

Isaiah 28:1-8 (NIV)
1  Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley– to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!
2  See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
3  That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, will be trampled underfoot.
4  That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like a fig ripe before harvest– as soon as someone sees it and takes it in his hand, he swallows it.

On verses 1-8:  In the first 6 verses Isaiah paints the picture of two wreaths.  The first wreath is the political leaders of Israel, who like a “fading flower” (v1, 4), will be plucked and trampled on (v3).  Their “glorious beauty” (v1, 4) will be taken away.  The second wreath is the LORD Himself (v5).  He is described as “a glorious crown” and “a spirit of justice” for the willing leader, “a source of strength” to Israel’s soldiers (v5-6).