The last enemy to be destroyed

Isaiah 25

Isaiah 25 begins in this manner; “O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your 

name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.”  In the next 

six verses following verse 25 we have a reminder of what God has done, and then we get to 

verse eight.  “He will swallow up death forever;            and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears 

from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the 

LORD has spoken.”           

We live in a world full of tears, and it hits all these groups; little children, teenagers, college 

students, married couples, single people, homeless people, the sick, the rich, the poor and 

the outcast.  I hope we did not leave anyone out, but tears are the focus of disappointment, 

rejection, broken promises, misunderstanding, and often are the byproduct of sin, but not 

always.  Will you let your mind explore a world without tears, without death?

The LORD is showing Isaiah a time, in what you and I call future, where death will be no 

more and there will be no more tears.  When studying the Scripture, it is important to see if 

the subject matter is addressed more than once, and if more than twice, it’s time to pay very 

close attention and ponder on what God has spoken.  The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 

addresses the resurrection of both Christ and the dead, and yet some people were teaching 

there was no resurrection of the dead; we would refer to them today as atheist, for if there is 

no God, how could you have a life after death?  “And if Christ has not been raised, then our 

preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, 

because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that 

the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And 

if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”   

(1 Corinthians 15:14-17 ESV)

Without death being conquered, we who follow Christ are misplacing our hope, but the 

apostle Paul is not finished, he shares these truths; “For as by a man came death, by a 

man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ 

shall all be made alive.”  (1 Corinthians 15:21-22 ESV)  Note: (No death before the fall of 

man, and when sin entered into the man, spiritual death happened at that moment, and later 

came the curse of physical death.)  You recall Isaiah was referring to a time in the future, and 

now Paul is also addressing events in the future, but first comes the events in verses 24-26,  

“Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every 

rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under 

his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”  (1 Corinthians 15:24-26 ESV)

You will also want to read 1 Corinthians 15:54, and also 2 Timothy 1:10, and let me close 

this paper with what God showed the apostle John, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne 

saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will 

be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear 

from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor 

pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”  (Revelation 21:3-4 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A very Special Day

The most special day of all holidays is thanksgiving, it is a day when we the citizens of the United States of America stop, listen, and give thanks for the many blessings our great God and Father has blessed us with.  Dr. Kennedy and Dr. Wolfe have a paper on their research of how this day came about.  This is a small part of this document and it will bless you to read all of it, and for those outside of the USA you may want more information on how this day began and this article is very well done.

How Thanksgiving Really Began

Posted on November 18, 2011 by admin

D. James Kennedy, Ph.D. with *Charles Hull Wolfe, Ph.D.

“Beyond a doubt, the event Americans celebrate the fourth Thursday in November recalls the Thanksgiving the Pilgrims celebrated with the Indians at Plymouth in 1621. The custom of holding annual Thanksgivings began with individual Plymouth congregations and like-minded Christians in Connecticut. Yet, many stoutly contend that the first “real Thanksgiving” was celebrated in their particular part of the world. These claims come from Virginia, Maine, Florida, and Texas! “

Jan and I want to wish each of you a happy and thankful Thanksgiving.  We, like you have much to be thankful for. Yesterday I heard a man say they did this at the dinner table; "Just One Thing," the family has a policy of before eating each one shares one thing they are thankful for God blessing them with that day. 

What a great thing to do as the old song states, “Count your many blessings, count them one by one” so after hearing this yesterday, we want to try it at our dinnertime.

You are very special, so may God bless and keep you and yours safe this season.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving,

From the Back Porch,

Jan & Bob

Judgment on the Whole Earth

Isaiah 24

 

I hope that title awoke you, it is the title given to Isaiah 24.  Shall we begin with the first 3 verses: “Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.  The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the Lord has spoken this word.”

Often someone will state, I looked for the loopholes and this did not leave out anyone, people or nation, so as we go forward ponder on these truths.  Isaiah uses the word “languish,” it’s a time of suffering, weakness, and deterioration; it’s not enjoyable and you may ask, why is this going to happen?  God speaking through Isaiah will tell us why: “The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.” (Isaiah 24:5)

I

Isaiah tells us about a world with no hope, no joy, few men, and the music will cease.  Those who drink strong drink have no escape for it has become bitter and the cities are broken down and the houses are shut up so no one can enter.  Isaiah is picturing a world where there is no trust and no fellowship with others.  It’s going to be a time of little, and the harvest will not meet the needs of the people.

In verses 16-18b, Isaiah tells about those who sing out but he does not identify them, it may be the remnant of Israel in that they are scattered over all the earth.  Whoever it is, they are celebrating the downfall of the wicked.  Isaiah uses the metaphor of a drunkard to describe the earth, and a hut swaying in the wind.  Both of these will fall down at some point, and the judgment is connected to the people of the earth rebelling against God.

In verse 21 Isaiah sees a time to come, “On that day” points to the future, and God’s judgment will be all-encompassing, because it will not only cover the earth but the heavens.  Verse 22 gives insight and those who God is bringing judgment on will be put into a pit, or a dungeon, and after many days they will be punished.  We who live on the earth have clear examples of the magnitude of God’s creation we have seen and enjoyed, and my mind does not want to visit the fullness of God’s anger and wrath on a people who turned their back on His grace gift of Jesus Christ, His Son.  But after many days they will be punished.

Isaiah gets to see Jesus in this vision from the Father, in verse 23 we have the King of Kings and the Lord of Lord’s filling the temple with His sovereign rule, and the moon and the sun will be pale in comparison to His light.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice 

A Nation that forgot to give Thanks

Isaiah 23

Before engaging “The oracle concerning Tyre” it may be helpful to know more about this famous seaport.  “Tyre is the most famous seaport of ancient Bible lands, was located twenty miles south of Sidon, on an island three quarters of a mile from the mainland.  It had two harbors, one on the north and one on the south, and its walls were exceedingly high, especially on the landward side.  Here artisans made bronze, silver, and other artistic wares, and here was manufactured the purple dye that made Tyre famous.   Its merchants trafficked with the many lands of the Mediterranean and even with the far away British Isle.  Tyre became a “city of renown, peopled by men of the sea” (Eze 26:17).  Kings and military men from many countries laid siege to Tyre, but were unable to take the city until, in 333 B.C., Alexander the Great besieged and took it after seven months.”  (The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible page 1697) 

The Lord spoke these words through His prophet Ezekiel over 100 years later, as Ezekiel’s prophecy against Tyre, in Ezekiel chapters 26, 27, and 28.  It will give you a much better picture of the leaders and people of Tyre. 

This island nation was so strong and its population grew to the point that it overflowed to the mainland.  One of the impressive things was the ships they made and their ability to travel so far between ports.  History tells us that the Assyrians tried to take Tyre many times, in both the latter part of the eighth and seventh century B.C.  History tells us Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on Tyre lasted thirteen years in the sixth century and some time even till the finial destruction of Tyre by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.

Can you imagine how the world we know would react if God removed a great trading partner, one who they exported food to in exchange for their merchandize that only came from that area.   Then you grasp verses 3 and 5, for Egypt was a trading partner with Tyre, Egypt had grain and Tyre had goodies others could not make; it would be like losing your best supplier.  It seems the overflow from Tyre established Tarshish and after Tyre is destroyed its people flee to Tarshish.  Verse nine is a question, Isaiah does not tell us it’s source, maybe it was the people of Tyre, or it may have been one or many of its trading partners.  The question: “Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are renowned in the earth?”  Isaiah the prophet is quick with the answer; “The LORD Almighty planned it, to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth.”

If you are wondering why would God do this to a people, a nation, go over to Ezekiel the 28th chapter and you will find the answer.  These are the words God spoke to Ezekiel: “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God:  “Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,’ yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god—you are indeed wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you; by your wisdom and your understanding you have made wealth for yourself, and have gathered gold and silver into your treasuries; by your great wisdom in your trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud in your wealth—therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you make your heart like the heart of a god, therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you, the most ruthless of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor.” 

How many people have taken credit for the success God has blessed them with?  My hope is that those who read this will give God credit for all the blessings and all that the world calls success, for this teaching is clear that only God is sovereign over all the nations.  (Note many of the points of history were taken from the Holman Study Bible).

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Politicians cannot be trusted to solve the problems that only God can solve.

Isaiah 22

“The oracle concerning the valley of vision.  What do you mean that you have gone up, all of you, to the housetops, you who are full of shouting’s, tumultuous city, exultant town?  Your slain are not slain with the sword or dead in battle.  All your leaders have fled together; without the bow they were captured.  All of you who were found were captured, though they had fled far away.  Therefore I said: “Look away from me; let me weep bitter tears; do not labor to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”

There are two points that we should be concerned with; the valley of vision is referring to Jerusalem and the mention of the housetops is a place to watch a besieging army leaving. Isaiah sees a people who are boisterous and victorious, though many have been slain but not in battle, maybe from sickness brought on from the long siege.  It is not clear about the leaders fleeing before the battle and being captured without putting up a fight. These leaders will be captured, even those who have fled far away.  Isaiah cannot join the party, for many people died in the long siege from the Assyrians.

As the siege became stronger the people of Jerusalem began to look to their weapons, yes they, like us began to put false trust in weapons and not in God.  When the people began to see the many breaches in the walls of Jerusalem, they began to build a reservoir within the city and they also began to demolish homes to fortify the city walls.  They were depending on self and never looked to the Lord as their protector.  We know from history that God found pleasure when His people looked to Him and repented by acknowledging God as their provider and protector and would put on sackcloth, shaving their heads and weeping for the sinful life of looking to little gods, gods with no power to save.  But they, like many in our time, were full of self, and did not look to God, did not give God the glory for the siege ending, but foolishly believed they had won a victory, and they threw a party. 

If we take this into our day, the “talking heads” the ungodly politician, and businesses that 

profit from war, are proclaiming victory, but listen to Isaiah.  “The LORD of hosts has 

revealed himself in my ears: “Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die, 

says the Lord GOD of hosts.”  (Isaiah 22:14 ESV)

We have seen such abuse of the office of President in the USA, just like Shebna, whose 

life has much in common with our President. They were more concerned about themselves 

and they’re own glory than the well being of the country.  Now we have not seen the results 

of the current President, but we do know God removed Shebna, and replaced him with 

Eliakim but the burdens of this high office also took him down.  The message is clear 

politicians cannot be trusted to solve the problems that only God can solve.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Test

Isaiah 21

The prophet Isaiah takes nine verses before we understand the Babylonia Empire is where the judgment is directed.  The time line is not clear in that Babylon is defeated three times by the Assyrian army, in 710, 700, 689 B.C. and by the Persians in 539 B.C.   Judea seems to look for an ally in strong nations and not in God; first, it was Egypt and Cush, then Babylon, and God keeps reminding them He is the only real protector.

The metaphor of a “woman in labor” is often used in Scripture as it was in Micah 4:9-10 and in Isaiah 21:3, to show Judea the pain and suffering which falls on the object of God’s wrath.  From what I’ve read, the oil of the shields came before battle, but it seems the Babylonians were having a feast and may not have prepared for the coming battle.  Isaiah is told by the Lord to set a watchman and his job is to report what happens, and must be at the city of the one attacking, for he is looking to see if they come back in victory or defeat.  The watchman report that Babylon has fallen, but the battle is about those little gods the Babylonians have put their trust in, gods like military power, their weapons, the size of their army; it is those gods that anger our God.  You and I should always watch our heart to see in whom and where we put our faith.

Babylonian gods were under judgment, and so are any gods we run to like our family, our portfolio, our jobs or career, our nation and its military, and the list keeps going, for many, it’s the god of self.  God’s people were trusting in those little gods of the Babylonians and when they were removed it was crushing.  Isaiah made it clear to the chosen people of God that the destruction of Babylon came from none other than God Himself.

In 2 Corinthians 13:5, we are given this council; “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”  I’ve always been a poor test taker, in fact to this day the word “test” brings fear; what is the subject matter, do I understand the material, and can I take the pressure?  This important “test” is not about faith in faith, but the object of your faith, it is a simple one question test, who or what is the object of your faith?  It is easy to con yourself when taking the test, so take your time, look at what you are investing in, whom your counting on, and what you find gratification in doing, and this will give you some clue to the correct answer to the question asked above.   

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Learning how to tune out Channel One

Isaiah 20

As one who follows Christ, it is important to understand the challenge of tuning out Channel One, the deceptive channels message is your personal worth.  It has two subjects, both are about you or others, one is you deserve better, it reminds you of your status, your wealth, you mental ability, and it’s all about self.  The other is also about worth, your lack of, you’re a failure, you have always been a failure, and the world would be a better place without you.  Channel One has this going for it, the voice you hear in your mind sounds like your voice, and it seems to always be broadcasting.  Channel Two is a quiet voice, it never attacks your person, put it does put thoughts in your mind about areas of life, it reminds us to replace hate with kindness, to replace fear with faith, to trust God to supply all our needs, to forgive others, and to forgive yourself.

Rees Howell learned to tune out Channel One and listen intently to Channel Two, Rees was born on October 10, 1879, the sixth of a family of eleven, and he died on February 13, 1950.  If you have not read about this man of God please do so, he was known as the “Intercessor” and was used greatly to affect the lives of many.  You may be asking how does this tie into Isaiah chapter 20?  The two men had trained themselves to listen to Channel Two, and tune out the worldly control; what the Scripture refers to as walking in the flesh.

Norman Grubb gives this account in Rees Howell’s book, Intercessor, of how God will often ask a person do go or do something way out of their comfort zone.  It was an unheard-of thing not to wear a head covering when outdoors, but Rees when alone in the presence of God always bared his head.  It was always done when others were not around.  God began to show Rees he needed to die to the influence of the public, and not wear a hat in order to obey what God was telling him.  God showed Rees the hat had to go in order to keep in the attitude of prayer all day long.   For the first time he could not take his hat with him, but to walk through town without his hat was more than he would do, and he reported the glory he was experiencing was gone an a darkness came over him.  Never had anyone seen a man outdoors without a hat!  It was a battle and Channel One reminded him of how highly respected in the town his parents were, and the disgrace his action would bring, but the Holy Spirit told him to do as he was told.  It is recorded that he said the following; “Often in a test it seems that there is no God in the world.” 

Going hatless in a culture that requires hats is insignificant compared to what He asked of Isaiah.  We have the Assyrian king sending his commander in chief to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it.  The Lord spoke to Isaiah saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.”  He did what God required, and it was not a streak through town, but his job for three years, “Then the Lord said, “as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old; naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt.”

Some background may be of help; Assyria attacked the Philistine city of Ashdod after its king revolted and the Assyrians replaced the king with his brother.  His brother’s name was Ahimeti and Yamani deposed him so the king of Assyria sent his army back and Yamani fled to Egypt but Egypt turned the rebel over to Assyria.  The message was loud and clear from the Lord to Judea, do not look to Egypt for help, and look only to the Lord.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

"In That Day"

Isaiah 19:16-25

“In that day” is used five times in the above verses it’s what we call future, something to look forward to.  As a follower of Christ, we also have a day to look forward to, it will be a wonderful day, the day of all days for those who by faith have entered into a personal relationship with the living God, our Father and His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The apostle John speaks of that day in John 14:1-4,  "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going."

Some who are reading this may be like Thomas, who said to Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going.  How can we know the way?”  Do you know Jesus did not get upset at this very honest question, in fact I believe Jesus loved His followers to ask Him questions?  The way Jesus answered Thomas is a big problem for non-believers, but most of us who are followers, and all of us who by faith have entered into a personal relationship with Jesus find great joy and hope in Jesus’ reply to Thomas.  “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Isaiah is I believe talking about a day in what we call the future, where the mighty Egypt will no longer be mighty, but be like a women, and it will be the Lord’s doing.  The powerful Egypt will be in submission to Judah and many will also be converted to Yahweh.  The City of Destruction is also referred to as the City of the Sun where the sun god was worshipped.  If it were the City of the Sun, it would be a radical transformation.  We also see “In that Day” verse 19, where an altar to the true God will be set in the center of the nation, and memorial pillars at the borders.  It seems as if all of this will happen after God’s judgment of Egypt, and then the healing will come.  Verse 21 tells of two enemies becoming friends, here Egypt and Assyria will travel freely and they will be united in worship of the Lord.  And in verse 25 we see the blessing of Israel and these two nations that for so long were its enemy. 

I am not sure when all of this will take place, but this I know, Jesus is coming again, and as the angel told those who watched Jesus leave planet earth to return to His Father, here Jesus will return in the same manner as He left.  If you’re not a follow of Jesus, who are you following, what have they done, what can they give you, Jesus made a claim to be the way, the truth, and the life, can the person you’re following come close to that?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Is the God you worship - Worthy of Worship

Isaiah 19:5-15

Is the God you worship able to see into what we human critters call the future, and to be in total control of all that happens?  If not, why are you worshiping such a small god?  Worship is a strange word that is often attached to a Supreme Being that most refer to as God.  I have often stated that everyone is religious, and the reply is always the same, I’m not religious, I never darken the door of a church.  But going to church is not the measure for being religious.  Many are more committed to golf, football, exercise, or travel, than many in the church are to the church.   My computer dictionary uses this as one of many definitions of religion: a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance: consumerism is the new religion.  The little god, who fits this role for Christian and non-Christian alike is “Self" and often it has a pursuit of interest to which it ascribes supreme importance.

So with that backdrop, it is important to remember the Nile River is the lifeblood of Egypt, if it dries up the people of Egypt are in big trouble.  And this is what Isaiah is seeing in his vision from God.  First, the farm land is not able to produce, then the people who earn a living by fishing are gone, and last those who work with flax, a product to make clothing, are out of business, and the princes and Pharaoh’s wisest advisers give stupid advice.  What a picture of our time, when a nation’s leaders and advisers chase the little gods of power and wealth, and have no knowledge of God’s desires or His plan, such nations are in big trouble, just like Egypt.

Egypt was known for its wise men in fact, Egypt was the center of wisdom in the ancient Near East.  In verse 12 Isaiah is told by God to ask this question: “Where then are your wise men?  Let them tell you and reveal what the Lord of Hosts has planned against Egypt.”  What these so call wise men did not have understanding about is found in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 

Luck was not involved in the affairs of Egypt, nor is luck involved in our life; it is the Sovereign will 

of God.   In verse 14, we have this insight: “The LORD has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, 

and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.”  That is a 

great word picture, it is obnoxious to see a drunk rolling around in their vomit, and that is what 

leadership void of God looks like.  It matters not what plan they come up with, nothing is going to 

stand against God’s devastating judgment.

If only the Pharaoh had the mind and heart of the king of Nineveh  who heard the word of God spoken 

by the reluctant prophet Jonah, “And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put 

on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.  The word reached the king of Nineveh, and 

he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.”   

(Jonah 3:5-6)

And we do know that God withheld his judgment, for His plan in sending Jonah was the repentance of t

he people of Nineveh.  But Egypt was too full of so called wise men to hear from God, and one must ask, 

is the United States the same as Egypt with its so called Czars.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Has your Nation looked to the gods of Egypt

Isaiah 19:1-4

An Oracle against Egypt

“Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.  And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom; and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers; and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord God of hosts.”

As one who loves to explore the truth and instruction found only in the Scriptures, Egypt is a place with two meanings, or two roles, it was often a place of refuge such as the famine that came when Joseph’s family came for food, but it is also a place of oppression, where they became slaves.  During much of the eighth century Egypt was at war with itself.  Verse 2 gives clarity to where the conflict was coming from; “And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom; and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers; and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord God of hosts.” 

The footnotes on page 1156 of HCSB states: “Even though conditions through much of the eighth century are described by this verse, (referring to verse 2) the picture is so general that it could apply to a different, future time as well.”  So as of 2014 where is Egypt as a nation?  This is a report from Fox News in January 2014, “TERRORISM AND DISSENT WILL CONTINUE TO TORTURE EGYPT. Despite this latest triumph of the majority’s will, the same destructive forces that have plagued the nation following the euphoria at Mubarak's fall will likely keep eating away at Egypt's social, political and economic fabric for the foreseeable future.”

So whom do the Egyptians turn to for guides, first to idols, like the banks, the religious leaders, and the military, then to wizards and magicians and last to   necromancers, a person who predicts, using spirits, such as witchcraft?  Let me warn you this oracle could depict the United States of America, for we as a nation have gone to our Egypt looking for refuge, it’s called the god of printed money, the false hope of government supplying our needs, and the seeking of stuff and going away from the God of our fathers.  All false gods lead to oppression!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

God's command to "GO"

Isaiah Chapter 18

The land of Cush is south of Egypt on the upper part of the Nile River, it is where modern Ethiopia is located.  It seems to be a land noted for it bugs, and if you’re not into bugs it should not be on your bucket list.  I am not a bug person, so Ethiopia is not my next vacation spot.  The reed vessels were common in both Egypt and Cush as they went down the Nile to Judah.  The people of Cush are described as a nation of tall people with smooth-skin and they were to be feared far and near, as a powerful nation.  If they learned to live with bugs they should be feared, and so the nation of Judah sent envoys, not because of the bugs, but in obedience to the command to go swiftly to the nation of Cush.

In verse 3, it seemed that no matter how hard the diplomats worked, war was going to happen.  When you see a banner it is often talking about a rallying point for the armies and the trumpet sounding is the start of war.  As you look into the content of verse 4 it becomes clear that they as well as you and I often look to diplomacy and not to God, but verse four is very clear about who is in charge.

The United States Marines have a policy of no man left behind, but as you look into verses 5-6, it is clear that like a vineyard with new clusters of grapes which are not ready to be harvested, so will be the fate of those in battle, they fall in battle and are left for the wild animals.  The HCSB on page 1156 has this to say about verse 7; “The Ethiopians (Cushites), described as a tall and smooth-skinned people (v. 2), are pictured as bringing tribute.  This is a sign of their submission to God’s temple on Zion after the judgment.”

What I took away from chapter 18 is God’s command to “Go” and a detailed description of who is to go to a nation of tall and smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide, speak a strange language, and whose land is divided by rivers.  How often we forget the important, and look to what we can do, instead of the truth that God is totally in control.  And after the battle, after the destruction, a wise person will be humbled, and give praise and worship to our Creator this is what the people of Cush did.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Look to His Handbook on Life

Isaiah 17

Are you apprehensive about what our Creator might do to a people who seem to have 

forgotten He is God and we are not?  If so, you and I are on the same page, for it seems 

we are living in such a time as this, I often refer to it as our present darkness.  God spoke 

about such a time to Isaiah in bringing judgment on Damascus, and He has spoken to us 

in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 of such a time.  “But understand this, that in the last days there will 

come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, 

abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, 

slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen 

with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of 

godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”  (2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV)

Before you freak out over the last three words of 2 Timothy 3:5, it does not mean to not 

talk with them, it’s telling us what our mothers said, bad friends will lead you away from 

God and the good He has planned for your life.  If we were to avoid such people we could 

not go to work, live in a neighborhood, or go to church.  The people of Damascus are like 

the people of the USA, this is why judgment is coming: “For you have forgotten the God 

of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though 

you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger, though you make them 

grow on the day that you plant them, and make them blossom in the morning that you sow, 

yet the harvest will flee away in a day of grief and incurable pain.”

In verse 3 where God is speaking about the remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the 

Israelites, is not a good thing for both of these nations will be destroyed.  In verses 4, 7 and 

11 the term “On that day” is used and points to a time beyond the present.  God is not telling 

them to stop going to Temple, but that their worship is not from the heart, it’s a mental activity, 

it is not based on obeying His commands, it is not a desire to walk worthy of fellowship 

with God.  

In verse 13, HCSB footnote on page 1155 states; “Mighty waters is often and image of 

social and religious chaos (Ps 18:16; 29:3; 32:6).   And in verse 14, we see the judgment 

of God coming quickly, in a single day it began in the evening and was gone by the morning. 

We should not be looking to a prophet to proclaim such an oracle against the United States, 

for we have the complete Scripture, and God has spoken in His handbook on life, we call it 

the Bible, it’s a good read, you will need the Spirit of Truth, the one Jesus refers to as our 

Helper to give you insight into what is to come.  And this writer, on the authority of th

e Scriptures, must tell you that “On that day” and no man knows the time, Jesus is coming 

back, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, mighty God, it is a day I’m looking forward to, 

what about you?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A word to the wise is sufficient

Isaiah 16:1-5

A word to the wise is sufficient, and the trouble with such statements is the arrogant and the prideful will not receive such words.  Moab was not a good neighbor to Judea in fact it was a source of conflict.  So when the judgment came from God on Moab this prideful people began to court Judea.  They began to send gifts of lambs to Jerusalem, and Isaiah uses the metaphor “like a bird fleeing, forced from the nest.  Moab is fleeing for its life; it is no longer a source of conflict, now Moab is in a subordinate state to Judea. 

Verse five directs us to a reminder of a covenant God entered into with King David, and 

Isaiah 9:6-7, gives great insight to what God will do for David’s descendant, pointing us to 

the Messiah, the Christ.  “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government 

shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, 

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there 

will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it 

with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the 

LORD of hosts will do this.”

 C.S. Lewis defined pride in this way; “As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A 

proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you 

are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.”   Isaiah describes Moab’s 

sin as pride, and God makes His case clear about this sin of Moab in Jeremiah 48:29-30,  

“We have heard of the pride of Moab— he is very proud—of his loftiness, his pride, and 

his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart.  I know his insolence, declares the Lord;  

his boasts are false, his deeds are false.”  Moab and its people have not hidden their sin 

of pride from the all-seeing God, nor have you or I.  

Any nation, and any people whose sin is pride, God will not put up with them forever.   

The prophet Jeremiah tells us what God is going to do, but it will be many years from 75 

to 100 after Isaiah’s warning.  Isaiah’s account refers to the devastation of Moab by the 

Assyrian king Shalmaneser, where as Jeremiah refers to that by Nebuchadnezzar. This is 

Jeremiah’s account: “For thus says the Lord: “Behold, one shall fly swiftly like an eagle  

and spread his wings against Moab; the cities shall be taken and the strongholds seized.   

The heart of the warriors of Moab shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth 

pains; Moab shall be destroyed and be no longer a people, because he magnified himself 

against the Lord.”  (Jeremiah 48:40-42)  A question you should ask; am I that kind of person, 

is the nation I live in such a nation?  And the follow-up question; if I am found guilty and 

the nation I’m in is guilty, what should my action be before a holy God?  Moab did not 

repent, it did not seek forgiveness, for as Lewis states; “ as long as you are looking down 

you cannot see something that is above you.”  

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice