God is not your Grandfather

Isaiah 34

The fool has no fear of God, and the Bible addresses this in many places, but being the first day of the month, I’m reading in Proverbs 1 and in verse 22, we see God giving us a picture of a foolish person.  “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?  How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?"  God makes clear “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7)  If you have ears and eyes and seek wisdom you cannot help but hear the tenderness in the words spoken in verse 22 to you and me and all who will be still and listen. 

In the following verses, we have a road map on how to turn from foolish living to a life and a 

walk that is pleasing to God.  You will also see God in a way that may not be taught in your 

local church.  Verse 23 gives us the wonderful news of forgiveness and the grace of God.   

“If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known 

to you.”  Many of you have sought priest and preachers who tell you what the God you want 

is like, a grandfather God who looks the other way; only one big problem, he does not exist.   

For God is Holy, He is Just, Merciful, a Warrior, and much more, but He’s not looking the other 

way while you live your sinful, self-filled life, and do it your way.  

As we read verses 24-27, we see God’s judgment on foolish people!  “Because I have 

called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, 

because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will 

laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a 

storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon 

you.”  Now for you who are looking for a grandfather god, does that sound like a grandfather?

With that information of both grace and judgment, Isaiah is telling how God is going to judge 

the nations.  Chapter 34:1-2, “Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples! 

Let the earth hear, and all that fills it; the world, and all that comes from it. For the LORD is 

enraged against all the nations,    and furious against all their host; he has devoted them 

to destruction, has given them over for slaughter.”  Isaiah is proclaiming the God of Israel 

is the God of all nations and that He uses the armies for His will, but they and their leaders 

become arrogant and fall under His judgment.  He also tells us that the actions of “doing it 

our way” has cosmic implications.  Much of what the people worshipped in Isaiah’s time 

was found in the heavens, items like the stars, and the false gods will be brought down.

The nation of Edom had a history of taking advantage of Israel whenever Israel was weak, 

and in that Israel, much like the United States of America, often turned from God and sought 

little gods, gods with no power, God allowed Edom to be a tool to bring them back to Him.  

 As you read verses eight and the rest of the chapter you will see God’s judgment on Edom.   

Could what we see happening in the USA be the beginning of God’s judgment?

From The Back Porch,

Bob Rice 

“Who can dwell with such a God?”

Isaiah 33:14-16

Have you been in a place mentally or physically where you were overcome with the likelihood 

that your chance of survival was in question?  If so, you may understand the question ask by 

this group of people in verse 14, “The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the 

godless: “Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with 

everlasting burnings?”      

When we see the hand of God there is no other source known who can part the Red Sea, or 

kill large numbers of men in battle without the other side doing anything, and so men will 

always ask; “Who can dwell with such a God?”  The answer is found in the following verses,  

“He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who 

shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and 

shuts his eyes from looking on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be 

the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.”  (Isaiah 33:15-16)   

The righteous is described in this manner; they do not exploit other people, they will avoid 

extortion, bribery, and murder, and their protector and provider will be God.

King David tells us about what God is looking for in our character in Psalms 24, and we must 

never forget “we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do.  We 

cannot save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves, God does that; but God will not give us good 

habits, He will not give us character, He will not make us walk aright.  We have to do all that 

ourselves, we have to work out the salvation God has worked in.”  Taken from “My Utmost 

for His Highest” Oswald Chambers on May 10, page 94.

Looking at Psalms 24:1-6, A Psalm of David.  “The earth is the LORD's and the fullness 

thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and 

established it upon the rivers.  Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?  And who shall stand 

in his holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul 

to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.  He will receive blessing from the LORD and 

righteousness from the God of his salvation.  Such is the generation of those who seek him,             who seek the face of the God of Jacob.” Selah  (Psalm 24:1-6 ESV)

Being in Christ does not give you good habits, in fact many in the church have the same 

patterns as the world, anger, hate, and little or no integrity, and it is clear from divorce rate in 

the church to lack of honesty in business dealings.  That is the bad news, and the good news 

is that you can change, the key is found in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, 

but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the 

will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Who is like our God?

Isaiah 33:1-13

What could be happening in this final “Woe” is the pronouncement of the destruction of a betrayer.  If this “Woe” applies to any nation that turns on Israel, then you and I should be very alert, for as in no other time in our nation’s history our government is not standing with Israel.  Isaiah is telling about how the people of Israel or Judea will no longer look to other nations but will wait for the Lord to save them.  Could we be seeing that happening in our day?  I reported on this in an earlier paper from Matt Staver, Chairman of Liberty Counsel, and Matt is not a prophet, he is just reporting the news.  “Is the idea that the people of Israel may be turning their security over to God rather than to continue relying on that provided by the United States a rejection of President Obama's international socialist ideologies?”

Verses 3-4 give us a picture of what people and armies will do when God shows up.  Israel’s treasure is not its army, not its wealth, but the fear of the Lord, as Israel moves to a relationship of dependence on God, we will see God doing battle for Israel.  I do not believe this is related to any set time, for God has promised this to Israel when they became His chosen people.

Many of the commentators believe Isaiah is referring to Sennacherib’s attack on Jerusalem in 701 B.C.  We do know from history that Sennacherib did not keep his word and even after being paid tribute his army did not leave Jerusalem. 

But listen to what God is telling Isaiah in verse 10: “Now I will arise,” says the LORD, “now I 

will lift myself up; now I will be exalted.”  When Israel looks to God if you’re foolish enough to 

be the one at war with them, watch-out!  Not many sermons are preached on God being 

a warrior, but that is our God and in the Psalms we see people asking God to rise up and 

fight on their behalf.  And when God shows up the whole world stands in fear, for who is 

like our God?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice                

Complacency the enemy of Spiritual Growth

Isaiah 32:9-20

Isaiah is addressing women; warning them of being complacent, and the results of being complacent.  Is this a message for our time, or better said is this a timeless message, for each and every one of us?  What does complacency look like? The word is defined in this way: Complacent: “showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.”

As a follower of Christ having a complacent spirit will render a person unusable, for we are told in Romans 12:1-3, to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship.  And not to let the world mold us in its mold of self-centeredness and self-reliance, but to be transformed by the renewal of your mind, and this requires testing to discern the will of God.  Verse three makes it clear that as a follower of Christ there is no place for a complacent spirit; “For by grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”

The prophet of God, Isaiah has addressed the women of Jerusalem earlier in Isaiah chapter 3:16 through 4:1.  This is what God is saying about these women; “The Lord also says:  Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, walking with heads held high and seductive eyes, going along with prancing steps, jingling their ankle bracelets, the Lord will put scabs on the heads
of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will shave their foreheads bare.”  (Isaiah 3:16-17)   

Now in chapter 32:9-20 God is addressing them as complacent and overconfident women.  These women in the community of God’s people are prideful in what they and others have done, not in what God has done.
These women are putting misplaced faith in the produce of the land, but Isaiah is proclaiming in one year the crops will fail.  Isaiah is telling them to begin mourning now for the judgment that is sure to come and the land will produce thorns and briers instead of grains and vines.  But that is not the worse judgment the city of Jerusalem will be turned into a place of wild animals.

But they, like us have a Redeemer, and God will in the future transform the land and the city, I’ve witnessed what God has done in Israel, and I’ve seen what He has done in the lives of many.  Praise His Holy Name!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Religion is a belief System

Isaiah 32:1-8

As I age, my faith has moved away from the foolishness of both the Republican and Democrat parties, and if I must ware a tag it would be that of a Constitutionalist. I do understand tags, for years I was tagged as a Southern Baptist, but today I put no faith in being a Baptist; as a follower of Christ, I place my faith in Him.  I hope you do not see me as religious, but as one who has entered into a relationship with the Son of God, for religion is what killed my Lord. Religion’s end game is trying to destroy what it deems are it’s opponents. 

Religion is a belief system, and it can be focused on anything, golf, football, family, friends, work, vacations, church, military, politics, self, and the list keeps going.  Many of these are good things, until they become our source of worship. 

What would our nation and the world look like if we had a ruler who reigned in righteousness?  Isaiah sees such a time as this: “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice.  Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land. Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention. The heart of the hasty will understand and know, and the tongue of the stammers will hasten to speak distinctly. The fool will no more be called noble, nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.  For the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity,
to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the LORD, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink. As for the scoundrel—his devices are evil; he plans wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right.  But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.”

Scholars are not sure this is talking about the Messiah, but from what I’ve read it’s a long way from any man we have seen in recent history in this world.  It had not happen in Isaiah’s time and he is pointing us to the future.  It will be a time where the poorest and the richest will be protected and treated with care.  The righteous rule will have this result people’s eyes and ears will be open with great discernment.  One only has to look at the United States government leaders to understand verses 4-5.  Isaiah tells us in verse five that, “A fool will no longer be called a noble, nor a scoundrel said to be important.”  And then he goes on to make clear the ways of a fool, and we know that the Bible teaches us that a fool rejects good and turns to evil, and the book of Proverbs states that the fool says in his heart there is no God.

Verses 6 and 7, state the following, does it remind you of our present government?  “For the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil: He practices ungodliness and spreads error concerning the LORD; the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water. 7 The scoundrel's methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Are we no smarter than horses?

Isaiah 31

When Jan and I were very young, we wanted to be in the horse business, and guess what, we grew up in a city not on a ranch, and we knew little about horses, but that they are beautiful animals.  No one told us they would kick and bite you, and get caught in barbwire, and given a chance they would buck you off.  I could share many-bought lessons about our horses, but that is not the point I hope to make.  Horses work best when they have been broken and taught the word “Woe.”  I thought it was very interesting, when I saw God using the word “Woe” when addressing you and I, are we no smarter than horses?

God is speaking through Isaiah, hear him; “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and 

rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because 

they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD!”  

(Isaiah 31:1)  Egypt portrays man’s desire to run for help, run to what looks strong, and most 

of the time they do not count the cost of running to Egypt, but Egypt also represents loss of 

freedom, loss of rights to choose, in Egypt there is slavery.  Egypt may have looked to Judea 

much like the United States looks to Israel, but “Woe” for it will cost you more than you are 

willing to pay.  

But what about you and I, followers of Jesus Christ, why do we desire to have Egypt’s in our 

life?  Now think before you speak, are you looking to God as your protector or the local police 

dept.   Are you looking to the military or God, and who are you trusting for your retirement, 

your health care, God, or some Egypt?  It is easy to think someone else foolish for not looking 

to God, that is, before you examine yourself.  We like our Egypt’s!

We the church of all people in the world should look to the Holy One of Israel, we of all people 

should consult the Lord.  We as a nation would be wise to pay close attention to Isaiah’s 

words; The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.  When 

the LORD stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and 

they will all perish together.  For thus the LORD said to me, “As a lion or a young lion growls 

over his prey, and when a band of shepherds is called out against him he is not terrified by 

their shouting or daunted at their noise, so the LORD of hosts will come down to fight on 

Mount Zion and on its hill. Like birds hovering, so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem; 

he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it.”  (Isaiah 31:3-5)

Only a foolish person would run to Egypt when God has given him His word, His guarantee.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Blessing to all who wait for Him

 

Isaiah 30:23-33

What a difference God’s blessings make, the Jewish people had lived on water and bread for 

their years in captivity and now Isaiah proclaims what God is about to do, after they repented 

and turned back to Him.  “And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, 

and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your 

livestock will graze in large pastures, and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will 

eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. And on every lofty 

mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great 

slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, 

and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the 

LORD binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.”   

(Isaiah 30:23-26 ESV)

Could it be the people of Judea came to grips with this truth: God tells the truth?  It makes one wonder what would take place if the 30% who attend church in the United States, lived life as if Jesus tells the truth?  Belief is not belief till it is tested, and the test often does not come in hardship, but in prosperity! 

You wonder if the parents of these Judeans forgot to teach their children and grandchildren 

the commands and instructions given by Moses.  Do you recall the instructions of seeking

 God’s blessing; they are found in Deuteronomy 28, and let’s just sample a few of them.   

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his 

commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all 

the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if 

you obey the voice of the LORD your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed 

shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground 

and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed 

shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and 

blessed shall you be when you go out.”  (Deuteronomy 28:1-6 ESV)  I believe verses 13-14, 

are key for them and us; “And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall 

only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I 

command you today, being careful to do them, and if you do not turn aside from any of the 

words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve 

them.”  (Deuteronomy 28:13-14 ESV)

But they, like us, turned aside from these commands and have chased after other little gods.  

 If you’re a follower of Christ, or if you’re just a little curious, you should read Deuteronomy 

28:15-68, it is all the curses for not obeying the voice of the LORD your God and being careful 

to do all His commandments and his statutes.

We should put to memory Isaiah 30:18, “Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, 

and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.  For the LORD is a God of 

justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Can you imagine God waiting?

Isaiah 30:19-22

Can you imagine God waiting?  But it is clear that God waits in verse 18 for His people to repent and come back, so He can show mercy and be gracious to His people.  Isaiah is telling about what happens when the people of God do this, the Jews saw this prophecy take place as they began to return from Babylonian exile in 539 B.C.

Listen to these verses; “For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no 

more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he 

answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, 

yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And 

your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to 

the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver 

and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to 

them, “Be gone!”  (Isaiah 30:19-22 ESV)

The cry of the people was repentance and acknowledgement of their sins, and God’s heart is 

always open to a person or a nation that repents, and then begins to receive the graciousness 

of God.  They were no longer looking to other nations, other little gods like a 401K or 

retirement accounts, land or position, they were returning to the God of their fathers.  The 

adversity and the water of affliction came from the judgment of telling God to stay out of their 

life; so God allowed the Assyrians and then Babylon, followed by the Persians, because of 

their sins.  It was not any longer about whose they were, but about whom God is and they 

began to listen to God, for He became their Teacher.  If only we the church, you and I, not 

some building referred to as a church; we are the body of Christ and His Holy Spirit lives in 

us.  So if we, like these people, will turn and repent of our sin of independent living, God’s 

Spirit will do now as He did then; And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 

“This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”  

And all of those little gods we have been trusting in will lose their hold on us.  Has the Father made His will clear?  The answer is yes, in the gospel of John 6:40, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

So while you are pondering on the above Scripture, ask yourself, is it Jesus I’m looking to, or is it a pastor, church, or denomination, or even grandmother’s faith?   For many years, I was a Baptist, went to church, gave a tithe of my income, and was open to helping a few people, but if death had come and I had to stand before the Judge, He would have said depart from me, I never knew you, for it was not Jesus I looked to but self.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Not Meeting His Time Line

Isaiah 30:18

Do you recall your childhood?  I was always active from the time the sun came up till it went down.  We lived on a dead-end street with a circle, and it had two mesquite trees, one was the big tree and the other was the little tree, and all kinds of adventure happened in those trees.  We fought wars with the yanks, the Indians, bears, and other intruders.  I hope you understand that a warrior might ignore a command from the officer in charge if it took him away from the front line where Tommy Black and I were engaged in a bloody battle.  Did I describe the officer in charge, she looked a lot like my mother, she sounded like my mother and her Sargent Major who enforced the rules sounded and looked like my dad.  Often, in the heat of the battle of the little circle, I forgot it was an order and not a request to come home.  Sargent Major would remove me from the battle and though he loved me, would enforce the orders of the officer who had requested my involvement in pulling weeds, a job way below my role as protector of the little circle.  I do understand you may find this hard to believe, but when the Sargent Major was on other assignments, I would rebel and my rebellion caused him to punish me, and every time he would say son, I wish you would obey I do not enjoy doing this.

Do you recall Jesus giving dads this message: “Or which one of you, if his son asks him for 

bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, 

who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your 

Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”  (Matthew 7:9-11 ESV)   

My dad was a man with clay feet, a man who did not always get it right, he wanted to bless me, 

but often my action of independent living, not obeying authority, caused him to punish me.  

As you read Isaiah 30:18, please ponder on this verse: “Therefore the LORD waits to be 

gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God 

of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”  (Isaiah 30:18 ESV)  My dad often did not 

seem just, what he called rebellion was, in my mind, not meeting his time line, but left to my 

own desires I would have never met his time line.  God is telling us, first and foremost, that 

His heart is to be gracious, His nature is to show mercy for He understands us fully, but He 

also is just, and justice requires repentance, a change of course, a will to obey.  

In that the people of God refused to listen to God, it brought about the hand of God in 

judgment, but God is clear in verse 18, He was waiting for His people to repent, and until 

they did so He could not turn His judgment into blessing.  We as a nation have seen the hand 

of God’s blessing, and now the question must be asked; will we who go by the name of Christ 

repent and see the face of God, or will we keep living independent lives, and see the hand of 

Judgment?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice 

 

Looking to the Eastern Sky

Isaiah 30:8-17

The gift of prophecy was often future, in Isaiah 30:8, God is telling Isaiah to write down on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever.  This is ‘God’s description of those people: “For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD; who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 30:9-11 ESV)

In the time of Isaiah they were not willing to hear the instruction of the Lord, they were not willing to listen to God’s prophets, in fact they wanted God’s influence removed from their daily life.  What happens to a nation when they tell God we want nothing to do with you?  Listen and learn, for God is not silent, this is what He said: “Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, “Because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and rely on them, therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach in a high wall, bulging out, and about to collapse, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant; and its breaking is like that of a potter's vessel that is smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a shard is found with which to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern.” (Isaiah 30:12-14 ESV)

Egypt was a weak little god, and when God sent the Assyrians they came and the people of God were not prepared.  But look at verse 15, “For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling,” (Isaiah 30:15 ESV)

What a parallel to 2014, for we as a people and nation have told God, You are not welcome, in our government, in our schools, or in our courts.  And yet, we who follow Christ know God has not changed and the words in Isaiah 30:15 are words for today.  In 2 Timothy 4:3-4, the Holy Spirit tells the apostle Paul about a time to come, and we are experiencing such a time. “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

The United States of America has stood with Israel since 1948, but today that is not true, and so my fellow Americans we are now experiencing judgment.  In Genesis 12:3-4, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you"

Today I received this note, as many others have, it is from Mat Staver, Chairman Liberty Counsel on 5/19/2014, and Mat is not a prophet, he is just reporting the news.  “Is the idea that the people of Israel may be turning their security over to God rather than to continue relying on that provided by the United States a rejection of President Obama's international socialist ideologies?”  Could it be that the chosen of God have had a heart change, are they willing to listen and trust the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob?  “For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” 

If you’re a follower of Christ, look day and night to the Eastern sky, for our Lord is coming soon.  If you are not a follower but you’re curious, begin reading the gospel of John and ask God to reveal truth to you.

(Note: the date listed will be in what we call the past, I try to stay months ahead of what is published, unless I’m lead to send it at this time.)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice