Seeing the Future

Isaiah 13:1-6

When we read “The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw” it was in a vision, something that had not yet happen.  In fact, what makes it so strange is Babylon is not the major power at this time in history.  We who are living in this present darkness have a false belief about many things, and one is technology.  There is a new TV series called “Intelligent” where a chip is put into a man’s head so that his mind works like a monitor or TV screen.  That is fiction, but what God showed Isaiah was the real deal, it all played out in his mind and he saw what was going to take place in the future. 

Babylon will play a major role in the judgment of God’s people but it happened much later in history.  Jerusalem falls at the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C.  He captures Judah's King Jehoiachin, who as a prisoner is taken to Babylon.  Babylon is not much different than many of the nations of our time, its people are arrogant and self-reliant, and those traits equal the darkest side of humanity. Verse three is unclear about whom God is referring to, it may be angels, but many believe Isaiah is seeing human warriors that God will raise up for this battle.  We would be wise to recall that God brings King Nebuchadnezzar to execute judgment on Judah, and this army may not be an army of the righteous.

In verse four we have the word tumult, not a word used often by my family and friends, so I looked it up, tumult: “a loud, confused noise, esp. one caused by a large mass of people.”  When you see “The Lord of Hosts” it signifies His activity in warfare, and all of the noise is coming from this mighty army God has assembled.  When we get to verse five it seems once more we have no clear understanding of “the far off land” my Holman Bible states it may be referring to the Medes whom God will use to defeat Babylon.

In these verses we see many things we are not clear on, but the first six should have clarity for all believers.  “Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!”  The day of the Lord is future; it was in the future for the people of Judah and most were surprised when it came.  But Jesus has told us about a day in the future when God will judge the nations, and you can bank on it coming to pass.  It will be a day like no other when God will wage war against all who oppose Him.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Sin is often fun - till it become Public

Isaiah 12:1-6

You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. “Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”  (Isaiah 12 ESV)

The day being referred to by Isaiah can be found in Chapter 11:11, “In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Crush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastland of the sea.”  The message is clear, it matters not where you have been taken God’s hand can bring you back. 

My mother would teach or try to teach her children to love the sinner but hate the sin, it sounds good, but what happens when the sin is found in your life, and it has caused a mess in your own home?  Let’s get personal, or as my friend Kim would say, how many bought lessons does someone need before they make corrections.  For some of us who are slow learners, we try to pass the blame to others; I call it the “if only” and yet most of us were very comfortable with our sins till we became exposed to the public. 

But it is not the public we should be concerned with, not even the Nathan in your life who put their finger in your face and said, you are the one, and your sins have been found out.  Your Nathan may be a parent, a teacher, a boss, a mate, a police officer, or the IRS; it matters not for they are instruments of God.

May we have the heart of these people who on that day, did not argue with God as to why He was angry with them, but gave thanks for Him loving them too much to allow the sin of independence to continue.  You nor I need to define sin, for God has placed in each person the knowledge of right and wrong, and it takes being around a two year old to understand one is born with a self-centered heart and a desire to be in charge of their world.

So will you agree with God that on your best day you end up acting like a two year old in some area of life, and that is what the Bible calls confession.  Then do as these folks and say in your heart and proclaim to those you come in contact with; “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Do not Add or Take away

Isaiah 11:11-16

One of the dangers in reading the prophet is adding or taking away from what has been said, and today I’m at that point.  The verses above are pointing to a time, it seems, that has not yet taken place, so I’ve looked at what others have stated, and have ask the Holy Spirit to keep me from error.  When I quote a source, it is an opinion of that person, and if you look at many sources you will find they do not all agree. 

Isaiah tells us on that day, so it is a day in the future, the Lord will extend His hand a second 

time to recover His people.  And then we have a list of the nations, where they will come, 

and the Holman Standard Bible has this footnote on page 1147; “This list of nations in this 

verse probably should not be taken as literal reference as if God’s people would return from 

all of these nations, but from all directions.”  In verse 12 the ESV refers to God who will raise 

a signal, your version may say banner.  It was a standard around which an army rallied.  If 

you go back to Isaiah 5:26, “He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them 

from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come!”           

We know from history these armies were Assyria and Babylon.  The time being addressed 

in 11:12 is a rallying point for the nations to assemble to attack God’s people.  But this is a 

rallying point for the regathering of the remnant.

Isaiah is telling the people of God to look to a day where there is no political division 

between Judah and Ephraim.   Isaiah is projecting a future to look forward to where the 

hostilities end and the people of God are united in verse 13.

In verse 14, we have the united Israel attacking Edom, Moab, and Ammon; these were 

the small nations who harassed Israel when they could.  And in verses 15-16, we have 

the return of the remnant from Assyria.  It seems God will do to the Euphrates River what 

He did to the Red Sea, but in this case it will be split into seven parts.

When reading the Scripture and especially the prophets whose prophesy is still future, it 

should draw us to new insights into the nature of our great God and our relationship with 

Him.  You and I will read Isaiah looking forward to Christ’s return, but we should not add to 

or take away, and often all we can do is pray for the Spirit to open our eyes to what He 

has said.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Going back ti the Origins

Isaiah 11:1-10

It is of utmost importance to store in your mind this truth God keeps His promises!  And 

this was the promise God made to David through His prophet Nathan, “And your house 

and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established 

forever.”  (2 Samuel 7:16 ESV)  So when we see the shoot grow from the stump of Jesse, 

we are reminded that Isaiah used the cutting down of a tree often to describe the judgment 

of God against Judah.  The Davidic line has been cut down but the tree is very much alive, 

and it will be restored and once again bring fruit.  The Holman Christian Standard Bible 

makes this statement in it’s notes on page 1146, “The association of the stump with 

Jesse rather than David indicates that there is a new beginning here, a going back to the 

origins, and a distancing from the later corrupt kings of Judah.”  

We look to this “shoot” and are reminded that our LORD’s earthly dad and His mother both came from the line of David.  Once more we see the grace of God to mankind, as we look to a kingdom that is yet to come.  Do you recall what the angel Gabriel said to Mary: “And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33 ESV)

The prophet Jeremiah gave this insight into the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.  “You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 32:18-19 ESV)  Often we misunderstand the fear of the LORD, but it is clear God is referring to the Awe of God.

Many of the kings of Judah and Israel were cruel to the poor, but Jesus will show kindness, and unlike the kings and leaders of the past, Jesus will only need to speak for judgment to take place.  When Jesus returns as King the animosity between the wolf and the lamb and the leopard and the goat, the lion and the calf, and cow and the bear will be gone.  It is hard to imagine a people who will be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the sea is filled with water.

As my mother would often state, you can put this in your pipe and smoke it, this was mother’s way of telling her children they must accept it as true, no matter if we like it or not.   And when it comes to the Scriptures, you can put it in your pipe and smoke it because it is God’s Word.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Sin no longer has Control

Isaiah 10:25-27

If you have been imprisoned, taken captive by a foreign nation, you have only one hope, 

and it is not found in the might or power of man, but only God can rescue you from this 

enemy.  You will understand the magical music of Isaiah 10:25-27. “For in a very little 

while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. And 

the LORD of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck Midian at the rock 

of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt. And in that 

day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke 

will be broken because of the fat.”  (Isaiah 10:25-27 ESV)

What a blessing when God sends word to you that the captivity is almost over, and that he 

has redirected His anger to the one who has held you as his prisoner.  I know many of you 

believe falsely that sin is no longer in your DNA, but stay with me for a moment, and let 

the Scriptures speak to your confused mind.  If “sin” were to be put on trial, would there 

be enough evidence to convict it of its destructive effect on the human race?

I’m sure you have heard the story of David and Bathsheba, she was another mans wife, but David lusted for her and in being the king he had sex with her and this brought about David having her husband killed.  After she lamented over her husband, David sent for her and she became his wife.  What happen was this good king did as Eve in the garden, he saw Bathsheba and knew that it would be good sex, and at this point he forgot the commandment of God, “Do not covet your neighbors wife” and from heaven’s view, we read in 2 Samuel 11:27b, “But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.”  So one might come away with the assumption that lust for what is not ours, may open one up to sin.

The Psalmist, who is the king referred to in the paragraph above, has this to say about God:  

“For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful 

shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; 

the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.”  (Psalm 5:4-6 ESV)  Maybe the writer 

of the Proverbs makes it clearer: “There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are 

an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a 

heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who 

breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16-19 ESV)   

And last, but of most importance, Jesus said this to some very religious guys who were 

lovers of money; “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows 

your hearts.  For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”   

(Luke 16:15b)

So how does this relate to being taken captive, and the answer comes from the Scriptures,  

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)  The all means all, 

we have all been, or are being held under the control of sin, but ponder what Scripture says 

in Galatians 3:22-25,”But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise 

by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.  Now before faith came, we 

were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So 

then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you 

are all sons of God, through faith.”  (Galatians 3:22-26 ESV)

If you want freedom it is found in Jesus Christ; I know because one night in a Motel room, 

I read Romans 10:9, and acted on it by bowing my knee to Jesus and receiving forgiveness 

and the control of sin was removed.  It now requires me to choose to sin and often to my 

shame I do so, but it breaks my fellowship with God, but not my relationship.    

Romans 10:9, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in 

your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  (Romans 10:9 ESV)  

You can be free from the control of Sin.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What a Price Unbelief Charges

Isaiah 10:20-24

I’m not sure if you or I can understand what the tenth chapter is telling us in the verses above, for it has been the worst of times.  But some of our brothers and sisters in Christ, who lived in areas of the world where some evil person decided they would invade and conquer the land, have experienced their plan to kill and destroy any and all who opposed them.  In the USA we might have a time where we lose our jobs, and then we begin to lose stuff, important stuff, like cars, houses, and maybe even friends and maybe it ends up in divorce and the loss of a family member, but that’s not close to what is happening in Isaiah chapter 10.

First, this guy Isaiah is proclaiming the LORD has said, and if you’re not a fan of what God is saying through Isaiah then you may fall into the present-day cultural Christianity who have a check list of things to do to earn God’s acceptance, but it has no lifestyle implications.  They join churches, they even give some of their hard earned money to the church, they may be part of a men/ladies group, and even do outreach to help those in need.  But they look, and smell like the world, and they do what the world does, and they do not care for a preacher or teacher telling them thus says the LORD.   If you identify with the above, you would not have liked Isaiah, for what he was proclaiming was going to happen, because he was God’s mouthpiece.

As we look at verses 20-24, you and I may need to do some self-examination, where or what am I trusting in?  For the people of Judea it was foreign powers not God, but those who are called the remnant have seen the light and they will turn their trust to the Lord.  If you are a cultural Christian, your trust will be in self, in possessions, in status, and maybe in the might of the military, but not in God.  Do you remember God promised to Abraham and his descendants would be as numerous as the sand of the sea, but now sin and rebellion has taken its toll and only a remnant will return, and that is an act of grace?  Isaiah is reminding the people of God the destruction they will see was decreed by the Lord God of Hosts.  And in verse 24, we come to understand the people will compare the Assyrian attack to the bondage in Egypt, and the remembrance of God’s deliverance.

What a price unbelief charges, it cost the lives of many, the loss of homes, land, possessions, and it brings about bondage.  And is this not happening in your city, in your nation, and in your church, and the root cause is unbelief?  We have bought into the wrong side of John 10:10; for when one follows Jesus the road will be narrow, it will have potholes and sharp turns, and some parts of the road will be washed out, but if you follow the counsel of Psalm 119:105 and let Jesus be the lamp to your feet and a light to your path, your going to do fine.  The cultural Christian will never allow Jesus to be their light, they have bought into Channel One the deceptive message of the one Jesus calls the thief.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Do you need to Defend God?

Isaiah 10:5-37

To fully understand what is taking place at this time we must go to 2 Kings 18:13-36, my Cliff notes, the short version: when the King of Assyria, his name is Sennacherib, came up against the fortified cites of Judah and took them, King Hezekiah sent this message to the King of Assyria, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me.  Whatever you impose on me I will bear.”  So the Assyrian king ask for three hundred talents of silver, now a talent is about 75 pounds, and he also required thirty talents of gold.  Now unless you have a gold & silver mine, where do you get that quantity of gold and silver?  The answer is from the house of the LORD and from the king’s house.  And he gave it to the King of Assyria, and he still sent a great army to Jerusalem.  This is what the King of Assyria commanded his spokesman to say; “In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?”

Now one thing you never want to hear from an enemy is what the spokesman for the Assyria kings said; “Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it?  The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.”  The spokesman is speaking in Hebrew and Hezekiah’s men ask him to speak in Aramaic, so the watchmen on the walls would not understand, but that backfired on them and he called out in a loud voice; “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand.”  And he goes on to tell the people do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD.  And then he tells them how good it is going to be for them in the land they will be taken to.  But like all who trust in what is seen and not in the God of Creation, the arrogant spokesman told them what he believed: “Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?”  The people on the wall were silent, for the king had ordered them not to answer him.

When the representative of King Hezekiah arrived to report they had torn their clothes as a show 

of mourning, such action was an expression of deep sorrow and heartfelt grief.  If you keep reading 

you know that the King sent for Isaiah the prophet, and King Hezekiah was hoping that God heard t

he proud words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria had sent to mock the living God.    

Isaiah being the prophet of God spoke these words: “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD: Do not 

be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have 

reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, 

and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’”  (2 Kings 19:6-7 ESV)

We, like them, need a good examination of our hearts, and we also need to remember that our great and 

mighty God does not require us to defend Him, but to trust and believe, and as we pray, to believe 

and obey.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is a lamp needed for our Feet?

Isaiah 9:19-21

“Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is scorched, and the people are like fuel for the fire; no one spares another. They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry, and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied; each devours the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.”  (Isaiah 9:19-21 ESV)

Have you wondered what is going on in the hearts of those who go by the name Christian, could it be we no longer look to God’s word to be a light to our feet and a light to our path?  Have we advanced so much in our knowledge, with our busyness of church programs, Bible studies, and good stuff, that God’s word no longer is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path?  God has not promised a spotlight to illuminate the path for a great distance, but to keep our feet from tripping over and missing the wonders of our Father in heaven.  For Jesus has told us the path is not wide, it is very narrow and it is not a free ride like salvation, for Salvation is for whosoever will receive the price Jesus paid for sin, and that is grace, and God will provide the faith if one will only ask.  But the path is for followers of Christ, and the light is for one step at a time, it is called dependence.  Jesus never promised a trouble free path, only enough light to guide you, and that is why Isaiah 9:19-21, jumped off the page today, why are we the Church so angry, so frightened and unsatisfied?

What happened in the day of Isaiah are the natural consequences of wickedness, and the devastation it brings on a nation.  But we would be foolish to not also see the hand of God, there is a divine anger being released against these chosen people of God.  And we see how sin has divided brothers and breaks up human relationships.  We see the results of greed and how it consumes any and all that gets into its way.  The people of Isaiah’s time let their hunger turn on themselves.  And two tribes who came from the same father turned against each other, and then against Judah.

I enjoy listening to a young man named Andy Stanley, he can be found on Day Star T.V. network, and what I like is that he is very different from most preachers in the way he teaches the Scripture.  My pastor Ray Still and Andy have both addressed what I believe is the problem, we Christian’s need a doctor because we all have a common disease, it is called sin, we are sick, we have been contaminated by the culture we live in and do not even know when we left the path, the narrow path, the one Jesus said few will find, for broad is the path to destruction.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Grossly unfair and Morally wrong

Isaiah 10:1-4

“Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!  What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar?  To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?  Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain.  For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.” 

It is early morning and I awoke with pains in my chest, and fear began to fill my mind, what if, could this be, and so I arose to seek the peace only found in Jesus.  My pastor/teacher had ask us to read John 4:1-43 before class today, and after praying, I looked once more into Jesus’ encounter with a woman of Samaria.  The following are key works to an upside down world: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”  (John 1:23)  My desire is to lead you and I into that kind of worship, as we look to the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth.

Chapter ten of the book of Isaiah begins with a “Woe” and to whom is the “Woe” directed?  It is directed at those who make iniquitous decrees and the writers of oppression.  When I began to feel the call to write, I asked Tommy Martin a friend of many years and a great writer and storyteller, for help, and one part of his council was to look up the meaning of words.  So lets begin with the word iniquitous: grossly unfair and morally wrong.  Isaiah may be addressing two groups, one the leaders of the people, for only someone in authority can make decrees and the second group is the writers who keep writing oppression.

The needy, the poor, the widow, and the fatherless are those the attack is directed at by the iniquitous decrees and the writers who keep writing oppressive attacks.  And then and also today those who degree iniquitous decrees and the press or writers that support such injustice can look forward to God’s judgment.  This was what God had arranged for such people of Isaiah’s time; “What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar?  To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?  Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain.  For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.” 

One would be wise to look into the Scripture to see what God has stated on any subject, 

and He has said a lot about widows and the fatherless; “You shall not mistreat any widow 

or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their 

cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become 

widows and your children fatherless.”  (Exodus 22:22-24 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Who are You angry with?

Isaiah 9:8-21

Have you read this account of a people blessed by the LORD and yet in pride and arrogance have chosen to live independently of God?  As I read these verses, I wonder are we in the Church also following this same path?  Shall we see the hand of God’s judgment on the children because we refuse to repent, and are we doing the same thing? 

“The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel; and all the people will know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart: “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” (Isaiah 9:8-10 ESV)  Many of us who claim to be followers of Christ know the bricks have fallen, but we have not humbled ourselves before the LORD, but with pride and arrogant hearts have set out to turn the tide with our giving to the causes that want to build back with dressed stones, and put cedars in the place of the sycamores.  Would we not be wise to revisit the account of Abraham’s plea for Sodom, when he began the plea, if it was the will of God to spare the city for 50 righteous people, and the plea went down to 10, and the Lord answered, “I will not destroy it on the account of ten.”  (Genesis 18:32b)  We know that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed and yet Abraham engaged God for a wicked people to save the few who were righteous.  For the people of Abraham and Isaiah’s time were just like the people of today, because their city and nation were collapsing politically, morally, and spiritually and they refused, because of pride and arrogance, to confess their sins and beg God to forgive their foolishness and to forgive their sins first and do as Abraham; pled for the righteous.

So the hand of God was against Israel, “But the LORD raises the adversaries of Rezin against him, and stirs up his enemies. The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. The people did not turn to him who struck them, nor inquire of the LORD of hosts. So the LORD cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day— the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.” (Isaiah 9:11-16 ESV) 

As you read the last few verses of Isaiah 9: 17-21, ponder on this, could Isaiah be talking about our nation, has the hand of God been removed from our Nation?   Are we a people of contempt for the ones who are on the other side, do we despise those who live off the dole, are we not angry, and yet whom are you angry with?   The enemy is not the other party no matter how wrong they are, the enemy is that old serpent, the devil, the one God addressed as the thief who came to kill, steal and destroy.  So as one who has missed the mark many times, look to Jesus no matter what is happening in the culture, or the nation; Jesus came to give us life to the full, and to give peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Only Jesus can do that in you, if you are willing.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Alert! - You are Heading for the Dirt

Psalm 49

This morning in my time of waking up and hearing from God the Father, I was reading 
in Psalm 49 looking for direction and insight on the new day the Father had given me.   
Over the last few years I’ve come to understand it is not what I do not know that keeps 
me awake at nights, but what I do know and understand.  For me, it is one verse in 
the Old Testament that keeps me awake because I fully understand who is speaking 
and that He requires this of all men.  It is found in Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O 
man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, 
and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”  It would be easier 
on my sleeping if the LORD had used another word other than “require” and in that 
I’m not very well educated I checked the meaning in my dictionary; require: “(of 
someone in authority) instruct or expect (someone) to do something.”  God requires 
me to be just in all aspects of life, to not just show kindness, but to love kindness, 
and to walk humbly with Him and that is why Psalm 49 grabbed me this morning.

In 2014, the culture in and out of the church is a fixation with self, those with much 
and those with little have many things in common, and greed and self are at the top 
of the list.  Many in and out of the church have little fear of God, they look to their 
wealth and it has taken the place of God, and many of the under resourced look to government and programs and have no need of God.  But if your looking to fill that 
longing, that hole in you that stuff, trips and all the other things that are passing away, 
as you soon will be.  For I’ve watched and had over 70 years of observations    
I’ve realized no one gets out alive and no one takes their stuff with them.  Then take 
a moment and hear what God is saying to each of us.

“Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich 

and poor together!” (Psalm 49:1-2 ESV)  That seems to be all-inclusive!  Let’s keep 

reading, “Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat 

me surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their 

riches? Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the 

ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and 

never see the pit.”  (Psalm 49:5-9)   No need for a commentary, we are all heading for 

the dirt, and God who has no needs cannot be bought off.  It is sad but many are 

trusting in their wealth, and we are all going to experience a time where life cannot 

be bought.  And it is so important to understand the Father sent the Son to pay what 

wealth and title could not pay for, and Jesus became our only hope for life, now and 

forever.

Have you observed how the hard work and sacrifices of one person to leave an 

inheritance was foolishly wasted by the one who had no skin in the game, this verse 

deals with that:  “For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must 

perish and leave their wealth to others.”  (Psalm 49:10)  The Sons of Korah tell us in 

this Psalm that this will not be so for the ones who look to the Lord, the 15 verses gives 

this insight; “But God will ransom my soul from the power Sheol, for he will receive me.”    

The Bible talks about a place called Hell, a place of darkness and suffering, much more 

than it address heaven.  Please read these last five verses: “Be not afraid when a man 

becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry 

nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. For though, while he lives, he counts 

himself blessed—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—his soul will 

go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light.  Man in his pomp yet 

without understanding is like the beasts that perish.”  (Psalm 49:16-20)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice