Our Church Events and Opportunities
Missions We Support
Marriage
Podcasts (Please be patient while loading...)
Christianity Today News
Creation News
Old Testament
September 04, 2007
August 26, 2007
August 10, 2007
July 24, 2007
Please Don't Tell Me The Truth! Isaiah 30:8-18
The truth hurts. So the saying goes. We don't always want to hear the truth. I've heard of people who never go to the doctor because they are afraid he will tell them that they have cancer or some incurable disease. Many times people are afraid of the truth -- the truth can have a sting to it.
Spiritually speaking we are the same way. We don't want to be confronted with our sin. No one does. That's the way the nation of Israel was in Isaiah 30. They didn't want to hear the truth. They didn't want to place their trust in God.
Background
Isaiah was a prophet of God to the nation of Israel. Since the nation was divided into two Kingdoms, his message was primarily for the Kingdom of Judah to the south. Earlier, the Kingdom of Israel to the north had been taken captive by the Assyrians. Judah, in their attempt to avoid capture themselves, decided to head down to Egypt and pay money for their protection. God had strictly forbidden them from ever going back to Egypt again. He had promised to help them if they would only listen to him. As we'll find out in our study, that wasn't going to happen; listening was not something they wanted to do.
I Told You So (Isaiah 30:8)
In verse eight Isaiah writes down the words of the Lord so that when the predictions come true people would know it. When God makes a promise or a prediction, he always keeps it. Joshua, the great leader who came after Moses in the Old Testament, said, "All [of your promises} have come to pass...not one of them has failed." (Joshua 23:14). King Solomon said this about God, "Not one word has failed of all his good promise..." (1 Kings 8:56).
Therefore in verse 8 God is telling the people of Israel, I'm going to write down what will happen to you so that when you look back on it someday, you will say, "He was right! Why didn't I listen?"
La, La, La, La, La, I'm Not Listening! (Isaiah 30: 9-11)
The reason God had to write down his prediction to Israel was because they were so rebellious. They were liars and didn't want to hear the truth.
Remember from last week's study, they were heading down to Egypt for help, but God had told them, "Don't do it. Trust in me and I will help you." They wouldn't take instruction. They thought they had it all figured out on their own. They were so intent on doing their own thing that they didn't want to listen to anyone who would bring them the true message from God: Not even their prophets.
In fact, they wanted just the opposite: They wanted someone who would speak "smooth things" to them. This word smooth in the Hebrew language carries the idea of a woman who wants to hear flattering words.
They went so far to say in verse 11, "Don't even mention God to us again!"
Two Predictions of Their Fate (Isaiah 30: 12-14)
Now God gives two word pictures of what will happen to them because of their disobedience.
First, God says they will be like a high wall. It looks strong and impenetrable, but it's not. If you look at the wall from the side it is beginning to bulge out and is ready to collapse.
Second, God compares them to a piece of pottery that is smashed into so many pieces that not even one useful piece can be found. It is smashed so finely that it is almost like dust on the ground.
I Told You The Solution To Your Problem (Isaiah 30: 15)
In this verse God reminds them again how they could have avoided all of this turmoil. "Just return to me" He said. But, he also reminds them that they were unwilling.
Our Horses Are Faster Than Yours (Isaiah 30: 16-17)
"No!" That is their first reaction in verse 16. "We're not going to listen to you, we have fast horses, we'll be able to go down to Egypt for help and the Assyrians will never take us captive." But God said, "Sorry guys, the faster you run, the more you are going to be chased. Once you are caught, all that will remain of you will be a little flagstaff reminder on the top of a hill telling others, "We should have listened to God!"
One Final Try From God (Isaiah 30:18)
God gives them one final chance. God is so gracious and merciful and just, that he tells them, Even though you are rebellious, if you just wait for me, I will bless you. Unfortunately, they didn't listen and later, they were taken away captives, not by the Assyrians, but by the Babylonians.
Truth For Today
As always, we learn valuable lessons for our own lives from Scripture since "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16).
1. God always keeps his promises: This may be a difficult concept for us to grasp because we live in a world of lies and deceit. We must always remember that God is not like us, that's why he is God. Look at what it says in the book of Numbers 23:19, "God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"
We have to start with the premise that God is total Truth. Let's look at some passage from Scripture that remind us of that fact:
Psalm 119:160: "The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever." This verse gives us one of the greatest promises in Scripture, that is, all of God's words in Scripture, if we add them all up; all of them are true.
John 17:17: "Your Word is truth." Here Jesus is speaking to God in a prayer. Jesus confirms for us what we read in the book of Psalms."
John 14:6: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." Jesus makes a bold statement that he is truth, making himself equal with God.
John 14:17: "The Spirit of truth." Jesus called the Word truth in John 17:17, now he says the Holy Spirit is truth.
When you read God's word, you can be sure that all of his words are truth. You can believe everything in God's word with the assurance that he always keeps his promises.
2. Listen to the hard words, not the smooth. We all want to hear nice things about ourselves and the Bible is clear that we should say encouraging things to each other and build each other up. Likewise, smooth words, when they are true are good. But when it comes to sin, we need to be confronted with the hard truth of God's word.
Sometimes the truth does hurt and we feel wounded, but look at what the Bible says about our wounds:
Proverbs 27:6: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend." A true friend will sometimes wound another with a Godly rebuke. If a brother or sister is caught up in sin a faithful rebuke is the best thing a friend can do.
Psalm 141:5: "Let a righteous man strike me -- it is kindness; let him rebuke me -- it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it." When we are struck by the truth it is like soothing medicine for our wounded soul.
Ephesians 4:15: "Speak the truth in love." We must always remember that when we speak the truth to others, it is to be done in love. That means you may need to pray before you speak. You should first examine yourself to make sure you don't have sin in your life, and then pray that God will allow you, through the Holy Spirit, to speak the truth in love.
3. Don't think that you're better than you are. One of the most destructive things in a Christian's life is pride. We act like we're so great and have it all together, when all the while we're really ready to break down. Unfortunately, pride blinds us from the truth and we are not able to see the pending disaster in our lives.
Romans 12:3: "For by the 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." We get so wrapped up in ourselves at times that we think we're better than we really are.
4. Don't trust in the things of the world to solve your problems. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to depend on someone else to solve their problems. In the past 50 years people have developed the mentality that the government can solve their problems. Rather than working, for example, some people think it's okay to collect money from the government. The Bible has some harsh words for this type of thinking: "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:10. For a Christian, it should be unconscionable to think they should get paid for not working.
Most of our problems are caused by sin. Because we don't obey God we find ourselves getting overrun by sin. We think we can keep running, but our sin keeps catching up until finally, we are so deep in sin we can see no way out. God keeps telling us, "Trust me, listen to me, and obey me."
Maybe you're running from God's truth? Perhaps it's time to stop, turn-around and allow God's blessings to overtake you instead? God told Israel, "Just wait for me and I will bless you." You have a choice. To keep running from God, or to stand and wait for him. When you do, he promises to bless you and that is a promise you can trust.
This Week: Stop and listen for God. Be assured that he always keeps his promises. Get rid of any pride that is in your life. Quit trying to solve your problems your own way and turn to God for his help. Don't trust the world to make your life better.
Study Questions:
1. Why do people want to hear "smooth" words rather than truthful words?
2. Describe a time when it was difficult for you to trust God.
3. Why do people trust the government or someone other than God to solve their problems?
July 13, 2007
Who Do You Really Trust?: Isaiah 30:1-7
Who do you really trust? It seems like a simple question, but when you think about it deeply, who do you trust? Who would you trust with your money? Who would you trust with your kids? Who would you trust to never betray you? Who would you trust with your life?
Trust is not easy to come by. It takes time to develop. Especially if trust has been betrayed, it may take months or years to be restored, if it ever can be.
Ultimately, there is only one we can trust fully, and that is God. How do we know? God said that he would never leave us or forsake us. The Bible says God's word is Truth -- therefore, when God says we can trust him, he means it.
Unfortunately, we don't always believe that. Our tendency is to look to someone else or to our own strength to solve our problems or to get us through another day.
The people of Jerusalem, to whom Isaiah was speaking, had the same problem. They were fearful of being attacked by their enemy and rather than turning to God for help, they turned to their neighbor Egypt who had no real intention of helping them.
BACKGROUND
As you will recall from previous studies, the nation of Israel was split into two kingdoms. The Kingdom of Israel was in the north and the Kingdom of Judah was in the south. In 722 B.C. the Kingdom of Israel was taken over by the powerful Assyrians. They were ruthless and had no mercy on Israel, taking them far away from their homeland. Judah to the south had not been attacked by Assyria, but they were fearful of them. Chapter 30 of Isaiah takes place after 722 B.C. when Judah was on high alert.
We can imagine what it would be like to fear an enemy like that. It would be like The San Joaquin Valley watching Southern California, from L.A. to San Diego, being attacked by an outside force. Some of us would have family members or friends living there and we would be fearful that we too might be attacked.
That is the setting where we find the Kingdom of Judah and specifically the city of Jerusalem in our passage.
Stubborn, Stubborn, Stubborn! (Isaiah 30:1)
We can read verses of Israel's stubbornness over 70 times in the Bible. How can that be? Israel is God's chosen nation and God promised to bless them. Look at what God said about Israel in the book of Genesis:
"And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing." (Gen 12:2)
Their blessing didn't last long. In fact, God said this about them:
"You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you." (Deut. 9:24)
One would think that if God chose a nation of people to bless that they would follow him completely: Especially with the promises that he gave them:
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Gen 12:3)
Nevertheless, the people of Judah chose to be stubborn and rebel against God. We're told in verse 1 that they began to "Carry out a plan that was not [God's plan]. In other words, they thought they could solve their own problems and didn't need to consult God. What a mistake. God said, in verse 1, that by doing this they were just adding sin upon sin. They weren't getting themselves out of trouble; they were just making their troubles worse.
Don't Go Back to Egypt (Isaiah 30:2)
Judah's problem was that they didn't like asking for directions. They decided to set out on a course in which they had no idea where it would lead. They thought they could turn to the protection of the Pharaoh in Egypt. They had been there as slaves several hundred years before and God used Moses to lead them out of Egypt. God told them that once they left Egypt, "They should never [go back] again." (Deuteronomy 17:16) Therefore, they were fully warned by God but they didn't listen, they didn't obey. They put their trust in the "Shade" of Egypt, rather than the "Shadow of the Almighty God" (Psalm 91:1).
The Do-Nothing (Isaiah 30:3-7)
What Judah thought would be their protection turned out to be a mirage. You know what a mirage is: It's an illusion, something without substance, like a beautiful lake observed in the dry desert, only to find out it is only heat waves rising from hot sand.
That's what the supposed protection turned out to be, a lot of hot air, and God said Judah would be shamed and humiliated because they thought they could trust Egypt to help them.
In verse 6 Isaiah pictures a caravan heading to Egypt from Judah. The caravan is filled with riches to take to Egypt as payment for their protection. But it's all in vain because "Egypt's help is worthless and empty." In fact, God calls Egypt "Rahab who sits still." Some translations say, "Rahab the Do-nothing." Rahab was a symbolic name applied to Egypt which meant prideful, insolent or arrogant. Egypt will just sit still and not help Judah no matter how much money they present to them. Judah thought they could trust Egypt, but they would be humiliated. Egypt would just take their money and not help.
APPLICATION FOR TODAY
When we read passages like Isaiah 30, we wonder if we can gain any insight for our lives. God says we can. The New Testament book of 2nd Timothy says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." In the New Testament, whenever the writer uses the word "Scripture", he is referring to the Old Testament Scripture since the New Testament Scriptures had not been completed. Today, when we read the word "Scripture" it means the entire Bible. So, the entire Bible, both the Old and New Testaments are profitable for us and so is Isaiah 30:1-7.
1. We are chosen by God. We're not chosen as a nation like Israel, but we are chosen as individuals. If you are reading this today and have a conviction in your heart that Jesus is God, then you have been chosen by God. Here is what Jesus said:
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you." (John 15:16)
Being chosen by God comes with some responsibilities. As God's chosen people we are to be holy, compassionate, kind, humble, meek and patient (Colossians 3:12).
The Israelites in our passage forgot that God had chosen them. We're told not to do that. In Colossians 1:21-23 we read that Jesus will present us holy and blameless before God if we "continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven..."
2. like Israel, we try to carry out our own plans. How easy it is to forget God. We forget God and attempt to trust our own instincts instead. Why do we do that? We forget God because we are weak and frail people. We can barely see as far as our hand in front of our faces. We have no perception of God's perfect plan.
The prophet Habakkuk felt the same way. In his book he wrote,
"O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted." (Habakkuk 1:1-4)
But God says, no Habakkuk, that's not true. You can't see the big picture and even if you did, you wouldn't believe it; "Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." (Habakkuk 1:5)
Remember the verse in Isaiah 55 we looked at last week? "God's ways are not our ways"? We fail to trust God because we don't have the patience to wait and see what he will do. God does not always act in our timing and if he told us what his timing was, we wouldn't believe it (See also Acts 13:41).
So, we trust ourselves rather than God.
3. We sit under the wrong shade tree. The Israelites thought they could seek shelter in the shade of Egypt. Rather than trusting God, they trusted an alliance with a foreign nation. Who do you trust? Your friends? Your family? Your job? Who or what will get you out of the jam you are in? Alcohol? Drugs? Sex? Gambling? More things? God says when you trust in these things you are just piling up "sin upon sin."
When you become a believer in Jesus Christ, you are to "consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:11-12). When you let sin have control over your body it takes charge and becomes your master -- it makes you obey its passions and you sink deeper and deeper into the pit of despair.
Do you want to be free from despair? Then put all of your trust in God. Sit under the shade of his shadow. Look at what King David said in the book of Psalms:
"How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The Children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings" (Psalm 36:7).
4. We tend to trust the worthless, empty things of the world. John Oswalt, in his commentary on Isaiah, said, "It is appropriate to place a certain degree of trust in other people. We trust our spouse; we trust our employer; we trust our pastor. But if those are the ultimate places where we seek shelter from the world, to the point that we exclude God from the picture, we are in for a terrible disappointment, for even the best of humans will fail us."
I remember as a young man getting a job as a youth pastor in a large church in Southern California. Pastor John Raymond, was my boss. As he spoke to me about the job he said, "Keep your eyes on the Lord. The people and staff of this church will let you down, but the Lord will never let you down." And it was true; people did let me down from time to time. I saw their weaknesses and sins. Everyone has weaknesses and sins and if we focus on people we will be devastated. Instead, we should keep our eyes focused on Christ, the One who is high and lifted up.
Likewise, it is never good to put anyone on a pedestal. Sometimes people in churches put pastors on a pedestal. They think the pastor is perfect and can do no wrong. That is asking too much of anyone. While the Bible says the pastor should be respected (Hebrews 4:17), he is not to be revered (looked upon with awe). There are certainly several qualifications that a pastor must have (See 2 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-10). A pastor, while called by God, can never take the place of God.
God should always be the object of our trust. God is the "Hope (or trust) of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas." (Psalm 65:5).
This week: Identify who or what you trust. Do you trust this person or thing over God? If so, repent and ask God to give you the confidence to trust in him. Make an effort this week to stop sinning. Remember, a good definition of sin is this: Knowing what is right, but doing what is wrong.
Study Questions:
1. What does it mean to be chosen by God?
2. Do you think God has a plan for your life, or does everything happen by chance? Explain.
3. Tell of a time when you put your trust in God.
July 06, 2007
God's Message Never Fails: Isaiah 6:8-13
I have always had the desire to win. Although it has subsided some as I have become older I’ve always wanted to be first. When I was younger, whenever I went on a hike with some friends, I had to be the first one to the top of the mountain. Even as a little kid playing miniature golf I would hit the ball then run ahead to see if my ball went into the hole -- before anyone else had taken their turn. I must have been very annoying!
We all have the desire to succeed in what we do. No one wants to be a failure. That's ultimately why we get out of bed in the morning: We have an inner (most likely sub-conscious) sense that today might be better than yesterday. While some people handle failure better than others, the bottom line is, no one wants to fail.
In our passage today we are going to see that God was about to call Isaiah into a ministry that, from a worldly viewpoint, would be a complete failure.
BACKGROUND
In our last study we learned about Isaiah's vision. It was a future glimpse of heaven for Isaiah. Jesus, the Son, was sitting on the throne next to God, the Father. God's Spirit filled the temple and fiery angels were present glorifying each Person of the Trinity as one angel called to another "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts". It was a wonderful picture of the majesty and glory of God.
The picture of Jesus that Isaiah saw was awe-inspiring. He was "High and lifted up" indicating his Sovereignty over the entire universe. There is no other name above the name of Jesus. The apostle Paul wrote in the book of Philippians,
"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11).
Isaiah was confronted with the Living Christ and as he viewed his majesty and perfection he was immediately aware of his own sin. That's what happens when we truly "see" God. We come to the end of ourselves and we become his servant. We recognize our sin and we confess it before him so that we might be cleansed and become free from guilt (Isaiah 6:7).
And that is where we find Isaiah in our passage today. The blood of Jesus Christ has atoned for his sin and his guilt has been removed (Atone means to compensate for a wrong.) Now, Isaiah is eager to serve God fully. God, the Holy Spirit, (See Acts 28:26-27) announces that he is looking for someone to take a message to the people of Israel and Isaiah immediately steps up to tell God that he is ready, "Here I am! Send me."
THE POINT OF NO RETURN (Isaiah 6:9,10)
Surprisingly, these two verses are quoted more often in the New Testament than any other passage in Isaiah (Matthew 13:14-15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Acts 28:26-27). And who quotes these verses in the New Testament? In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John it is none other than Jesus. In the book of Acts, Paul quotes the passage giving credit to the Holy Spirit for speaking the words to Isaiah [another indication that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were present in Isaiah 6.]
These two verses seem like a strange command from God. God is essentially saying:
"Isaiah, your message is going to fall on deaf ears." Your message is going to fail.
What an interesting passage! Sometimes God's message seems to be a mystery. Isaiah 55:8 says,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
It appears that there is a point in a person's life where God draws the line and pronounces judgment on that person. The people of Jerusalem, as a nation, had obviously reached that point. They had chosen to be arrogant and indifferent to the message of the Lord even after they were given clear instructions on how to turn back to God (Remember their false worship back in chapter one? See God's solution in 1:16-18).
HOW LONG? (Isaiah 6:11-13)
The question Isaiah asked is "How long until the people repent?" The Lord gives a rather startling answer; until the cities become ghost towns and the people are taken far away into captivity (This would happen in 586 B.C. by the Babylonians).
There is a hint of hope. God compares the people to a tree that is cut down and only the stump remains in the ground. He tells Isaiah that some of the people (10%) will return (and they did, 70 years after the Babylonian captivity) but again they would be subject to God's judgment, but not complete eradication. Finally, there will be a small "righteous" group that will survive, "the holy seed" and the promise of the Messiah is guaranteed.
APPLICATION FOR TODAY
1. God wants us to "Go" and leave the message to him. We tend to get caught up in how we are going to share the good news with a family member or a co-worker. We analyze the situation and determine the gentlest human way of sharing Christ with that person. The last thing we want to do is fail or be rejected or made fun of. We should be gentle and humble when we share the message of Christ, but if we truly believe that God is as real today as he was in Isaiah's day, we should leave the message and the results to him.
When Moses questioned his ability to speak properly God gave him a harsh answer in Exodus 4:11, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."
The God of the universe who is "high and lifted up" is certainly able to put the proper words in our mouths so that we might speak for him.
Jesus told us what would happen when persecution comes to us because of our belief in him. He said, "And you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake...do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."
Not only does God help us to speak his message to others, he even helps us in times when we are so emotionally and spiritually weak that we don't even know how to pray. In Romans 8:26 we read,
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."
It is God who puts his message in our mouths. Stop trying to outthink God and allow him to work through you.
2. There comes a time when God allows hearts to be hardened. It is true that God is not willing for any to perish and for all to repent (1 Peter 3:9), but it is also true that God disciplines those he loves. Look at the repeated warnings that are given in the book of Hebrews:
"How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" Hebrews 2:3
"Today, if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 3:8
"Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God." Hebrews 3:12
"Don't be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:13
"Do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 4:7
"The Lord disciplines the one he loves." Hebrews 12:6
The point is that God does not deliberately harden a person's heart. When anyone chooses to reject right, he will be hardened in the wrong. Here is another way to look at the concept of a hardened heart: The hearts of people are not hardened so that they can be lost. Rather, they are hardened because they are lost. That is why the apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:2, "Now is the day of salvation." Those who wait to completely turn their lives over to Jesus might wait too long, causing their hearts to become even more hardened -- But ultimately that is their choice. When we share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others we never fail. God always uses it for his glory.
This Week: Ask God to give you the words to share his message of salvation with someone you love. Examine yourself to make sure you are not being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Study Questions:
1. Do you think it is fair that God allows the hearts of some people to become hardened? Why or why not?
2. Is it okay to question God? Explain.
3. If God loves us, why does he discipline us?
June 27, 2007
HEARING GOD'S CALL: Isaiah 6:1-8
I first remember having a desire to serve the Lord when I was in fourth grade. Several years earlier I recall memorizing various Scripture passages and getting a nickel from my mom for each verse I could quote. One of the first verses I remember is Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." That verse has stuck with me for over 45 years. It was worth a nickel.
Later, in junior high, I wanted to study the Bible more and more. I begged my mom and dad for a set of audiocassette tapes covering every book in the Bible by well-known Bible teachers. My parents gave in and I proudly displayed my twelve volume cases of Bible cassettes on a shelf in my bedroom. At night I would insert one into my Hitachi tape recorder and listen to great teaching on God's word.
At a young age I knew that I wanted to be a pastor when I grew up. Likewise, I wanted to attend a Christian college. My mom called Biola college and a representative came to our house to talk to me about my future -- I look back on that visit a bit amazed that they would come to my house to talk about college when I was still in elementary school, but I felt God was calling me to serve him and he was confirming my desire.
As the years went by, I still knew that God wanted me to serve him, but I lost the passion of my earlier days. At times I would wander away from the Lord, then come back and repent. After Carol and I were married, I began attending Biola College and struggled with understanding how God could possibly use me. I felt like such a weak, inconsistent Christian at times.
Maybe you have felt the same way? Maybe you have felt or are feeling the call of God? Do you feel inadequate to serve him because of your past or perhaps even your present sins? You and I are not alone. In our passage we are going to find out that Isaiah felt the same way we do. He couldn't understand how God could use him -- But God did use him, in a very surprising way.
BACKGROUND
As we have noted in previous studies, Isaiah is known as one of the great writing prophets. He wrote his book nearly 2,800 years ago and it still speaks to us today! God's word never gets old. It is always fresh and alive (Hebrews 4:12).
You may ask, "Who cares about a book that was written 2,800 years ago?" "Why would it even matter if I read it?" "What is important to me is my life right now: The problems I am facing now!" John Oswalt, in his commentary on Isaiah helps answer these questions for us:
We need "A strong dose of the truth of Isaiah, that there is a God who is at work in the corporate history and in our individual histories. We can know him in the daily experiences of life, as the Israelites did. Knowing him in that way, we can then recover for ourselves, and maybe for our culture, the reality that human choices matter, that we are headed somewhere, and that the transcendent (supreme, incomparable) God is calling us to go with him."
In other words, by reading and studying the book of Isaiah we get a glimpse into God's character. We can better understand that God works in and through the lives of people and, like the Israelites of old, he wants to work in your life too.
THE MAJESTY OF THE LORD (Isaiah 6:1)
One of the noteworthy things about the book of Isaiah is its historicity. In other words, like all of Scripture, it is historically accurate. Isaiah writes about real people, like King Uzziah, who lived and died. The Bible is not a fictional book made up of a lot of fanciful stories to make us feel good. No, it is an accurate book of the history of the world, both good and bad.
Isaiah states clearly in verse 1 that he "Saw the Lord sitting upon a throne..." The first thing that may come to mind upon reading this passage are John's words in John 1:18, "No one has ever seen God..." "Aha!" One might say. "I have found a contradiction in the Bible!" John says no one has ever seen God, but Isaiah wrote that he saw the Lord. Which is it? A closer look reveals, not a contradiction, but something awesome instead.
It is true that "No one has ever seen God" the Father. Then who or what did Isaiah see? He saw the "Lord" Christ sitting on upon a throne. How do we know he saw Christ? The verse we looked at in John 1:18 goes on to clear up this supposed contradiction by saying, "No one has ever seen God; [BUT] the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." John writes that while we cannot see God (because God is Spirit, John 4:24), he has been made known to us through his Son. The book of Hebrews 1:1-3 elaborates:
"Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, who he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."
The apostle John identifies who it was Isaiah actually saw, "Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory [the glory of Jesus] and spoke of him [spoke of Jesus] (John 12:41). In Isaiah's vision he saw a future glimpse of Jesus Christ sitting on the throne next to God the Father. Why is Jesus sitting on the throne? Because his work is finished! He died on the cross for our sins, he was buried, and three days later he rose again. After our sins were forgiven through his death on the cross, he sat down. All that is required now is that we believe in Jesus, that he is God. At that moment, when we have a true conviction of our belief, we receive the free gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). Then, daily, we confess our sins and they are immediately forgiven. It is only because Jesus Christ is seated on the throne that we have forgiveness of sins. He has shed his blood for us and has conquered death so that we might be saved.
Isaiah goes on to describe the Lord. He tells us that he is "high and lifted up." Jesus is above all! The apostle Paul wrote that Jesus is "Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come." (Ephesians 1:21).
The majesty of Christ that Isaiah described was so magnificent that we're told, "The train of his robe filled the temple."
LIGHT MY FIRE! (Isaiah 6:2-7)
Do you believe in angels? You should. The Bible speaks often of them. In Hebrews 1:14, angels are called "ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation."
Isaiah saw a vision of angels. In verse 2 they are called "Seraphim." In verse 3 these seraphim are calling out "Holy, holy, holy" and by doing so are perhaps indicating their worship of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. The word seraphim means burning, or maybe more appropriately, fiery. The apostle Peter wrote, our faith is "tested by fire" (1 Peter 1:7). As these burning, fiery creatures move about in Isaiah's presence he is suddenly convicted of his sin.
He calls out "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips..." Here is Isaiah, standing the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, surrounded by angelic beings, and suddenly he recognizes his sinfulness. He sees that his sin separates him from enjoying the majesty and wonder that is surrounding him.
That is what sin does to us. It separates us from God. When a believer sins there is guilt. When guilt is not dealt with it causes us to move farther away from God.
But Isaiah didn't let his guilt take hold of him. He immediately recognized his guilt and he expressed it before the "King, the Lord of hosts!" Isaiah confessed his sin. At that moment one of the seraphim swooped down with a piece of coal that had been taken from the altar that was before the Lord. As the seraphim touched the lips of Isaiah with the coal the angel pronounced that his "guilt is taken away, and [his] sin atoned for." Sin can only be atoned for by the sacrifice Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross -- the coal taken from the altar symbolized the work that Jesus did as our final sacrifice. Our guilt is removed and only Jesus Christ atones for our sin. This is a perfect passage that shows how Old Testament people were saved. They were saved the same way we are today, through belief in Jesus Christ.
Please Use Me (Isaiah 6:8)
Verse 8 presents another wonderful picture of the Trinity. The Lord is speaking, "Who will go for us?" Who is the “us” that the Lord is speaking to in this verse? Throughout the entire Bible we read of the concept of the Trinity, consisting of the Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit. The first hint of this Trinitarian theology is found in Genesis 1:26 where God says, "Let us make man in our own image." Who was God talking to? He was speaking to the Son and the Holy Spirit. Likewise, in this verse, the Holy Spirit is speaking to the Father and the Son (See Acts 28:25-27).
Isaiah, who is now rid of his guilt, is ready for the challenge of serving the Lord. He quickly responded to God's call. "Here I am! Send me." What Isaiah is saying is, "Please use me! I am clear from all my guilt and sin! I'm ready to be used in your service for whatever you want me to do." But Isaiah probably never dreamed what God was about to make him do.
THREE "HOLY" LESSONS
1. God is enthroned in heaven. We live in a world of chaos today. Enemies threaten us wherever we turn. It is nearly impossible to not get depressed or discouraged after watching or reading the news. Trouble surrounds us, yet the message for us today from Isaiah is that God still rules. God is fully aware of our circumstances. He knows what we are going through and he knows how to handle our problems. Our sin is thinking we have a human solution for our problems. When we continue to worry and rely on human solutions we fall deeper into discouragement and/or depression. When we think WE can handle our own problems, God then becomes our servant rather than our sovereign (Oswalt.) God is sovereign, which means he is Lord over all. When we become the servant and say, "Here I am Lord, send me" then God begins to work in our lives. Do you have problems? Then look up to the throne at the one seated in majesty and power.
2. Recognize that you are a sinner and accept Christ's forgiveness. In the 1970's there was a bestselling book entitled I'm Okay, You're Okay. The idea behind the book was that you could lead a happier and more productive life by performing some self-help techniques. The book sold millions of copies, but our world today is no better off. People are not happier than they were in the 1970's. Arguably, we might say that people throughout the world are less happy. Isaiah presents us with another option; I'm Not Okay, But God Is, therefore confess your guilt and sin to God. Stand up and boldly proclaim to God that you are lost without him.
Many people recognize that they are sinners, but they live in misery because they fail to accept Christ's forgiveness. They cannot possibly imagine how God could forgive them. Some people and perhaps even you are so laden with unconfessed sin that they are afraid to even look to the Lord because of their guilt. But the Bible tells us to look to the One who is "high and lifted up!" for the forgiveness of our sins.
In the book of Numbers there is an interesting story about the Israelites who had left Egypt and were now wandering in the desert. You remember the story of Moses going to Pharaoh and saying, "Let my people go!" God was leading them through the desert, but they did not want to follow him and continually disobeyed him. They grumbled and complained to Moses about God. Because of their grumbling and disobedience we read in in Numbers 21:6, "The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died." Fiery serpents? Sound familiar? Remember the seraphim? They were burning, fiery angels and God used them to convict Isaiah of his sinfulness. In the desert God did the same thing with the Israelites and they were convicted of their sin. In Numbers 21:7, "The people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord..." They recognized that they had sinned and they asked for forgiveness. Then in verse 8, God told Moses to do a wonderful thing. God said, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live"
That story in Numbers was told for a reason. The serpent on the pole represented the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus said, in John 3:14 & 15, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." Recognize that you are a sinner and look to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sin!
3. God calls but it is up to you to answer. Just the fact that you are reading this Bible study may be indication that God is calling you. Do you take time to listen for God's call? Isaiah 6:8 says, "[Isaiah] heard the voice of the Lord." The word "heard" means to "hear and obey" but sometimes we have so much noise around us that we can't even hear what the Lord is saying to us. The noise in our lives comes in all forms:
Emotional noise: We worry about everything, never giving God a chance to help us through our emotional stresses.
Spiritual noise: We fail to hold up to the Bible every belief we encounter and we believe whatever sounds good. We watch a movie about Jesus being married and because it sounds plausible we tend to believe it without ever finding out what Scripture has to say. We hold on to ancient religious practices of our ancestors because it is what we have always done, but we fail to see what God has to say about following other gods beside him.
Physical noise: We listen to music on our iPods, watch DVD's, play X-box, text message, talk on our cell phones, chat on our computers, send e-mail and we're always surrounded by noise. We never have an opportunity to quietly "wait" on the Lord and "hear" his message.
It's no wonder we are weak, and troubled, and hurting. We never get our strength renewed because of the noise. Isaiah addressed this in chapter 40, "But they that wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
Be like Isaiah and listen for God's call, then obey him and ask him to "send you."
This week: Examine your sin daily and confess it before God. Be assured that God offers you forgiveness of sins. Push the noise out of your life this week and read and meditate on God's word, listening for his call. Tell God that you are ready to obey him and ask him to send you!
Study Questions:
1. How have you pictured God in heaven? Does the Isaiah 6 passage change the way you thought about God? Explain.
2. Do you think it is hard to ask for forgiveness? Why or why not.
3. The Bible says God is "Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion" in the world. Does that give you any comfort when you see our world disintegrating around us? Explain.
June 20, 2007
Step Over The Line: Isaiah 1:10-20
A few years ago I visited Germany. It was wonderful to be in that country and experience all of its history, both good and bad. One of the things about the trip that still stands out in my mind is the infamous Berlin Wall. The wall stood for 28 years as a dividing point between the Communist controlled East Berlin (and East Germany) and the free city of West Berlin (and West Germany). Today, the wall only stands in a few places for tourists to look at and photograph as a reminder of a country divided. In places where the wall is completely gone, a painted line designates where it once loomed. As I stood in the street I noticed that I was straddling the line. I had one foot in the former East Germany and another foot in former West Germany.
In our passage in Isaiah we are going to discover that the people of Jerusalem where straddling the line of faith. They were worshiping God on one side, yet living in sin on the other. God shows his complete disdain for their actions. We'll find in our study that we too, like the people of Jerusalem, have a tendency to want to straddle the line between obeying God and satisfying our own pleasures.
BACKGROUND
Isaiah was one of the great "writing prophets" of the Bible. Written nearly 2,800 years ago, primarily to the people of Jerusalem, his message is just as relevant today as it was then.
Previously, we looked at the first 9 verses of chapter one. We learned that because of our sinfulness we have rebelled against God, but we concluded "Because of God's great mercy we are not consumed" (Lamentations 3:22). Even though we sin and continually rebel against God, his steadfast love never ceases!
OKAY PEOPLE, LISTEN UP! (Isaiah 1:10)
Our passage begins with Isaiah telling his readers to "Hear" the word of the Lord. The word "hear" means to "hear and obey. You see hearing is more than just listening. If you are to really "hear" Godly instruction, you must obey it too. The book of James tells us to "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (James 1:22). You might say, "Okay I read the Bible everyday, I must be a pretty good person." James says, you are deceiving yourself -- you're not really good, because you are not obeying what you have heard. Here's what else James says about a person who only "hears" God's word, "He is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like" (James 1:23,24). No, when God tells you to "hear" he wants your obedience too.
In verse 10 Isaiah mentions Sodom and Gomorrah again. He is equating the people of Jerusalem with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. The people of Sodom were "Wicked, great sinners against the Lord" (Genesis 13:13). The sin of Gomorrah was "very grave" (Genesis 18:20).
Isaiah is essentially saying, "You better listen and obey what God has to say, you wicked and sinful people."
YOUR RELIGION SMELLS (Isaiah 1:11-15)
Do you know that you cannot please God by being religious? People have tried it for years and have failed. In verse 11 God makes an interesting statement. He says, "I could care less about all of your religious talk. I could care less about how many times you read the Bible. I could care less about how many theological words you might know. All of your sacrifices mean nothing to me!" Why? Because you are doing them in "vain" (Isaiah 1:13). Vain means "emptiness" or "false."
The people of Jerusalem where practicing their religion in vain. Their religion was evil, worthless, deceptive, and fraudulent. Years earlier King Solomon warned against this type of religion and prayed that he would not fall into the trap of worshiping God in vain when he said, "Remove far from me falsehood and lying" (Proverbs 30:8). But the people of Jerusalem forgot Solomon's words and continued to practice their religion falsely.
It didn't matter what outward appearance the people put on. It didn't matter how much incense they burned! God said, even your smelly "incense is an abomination to me" (Isaiah 1:13). God uses the same word, "abomination" when he speaks against child sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12:31) and homosexual behavior (Leviticus 18:22).
Today, our world sacrifices humans through abortion. Life begins at conception. When the sperm and the egg meet, a new life is created. Psalm 139:13 says, God "formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb." Abortion is a terrible tragedy -- it is child sacrifice that God forbids throughout his word. He calls it an abomination.
Isn't it interesting how God calls homosexual behavior an abomination? Many people are working hard to gain approval of homosexual behavior, yet God is clear that it is offensive. Additionally, homosexual groups stand up and shout "Gay pride, gay pride" but what they are forgetting is that not only does God hates homosexual behavior; he hates pride.
"Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate" (Proverbs 8:13).
Don't buy into the world's "tolerance" of homosexual behavior. The Lord hates it; it goes against the natural relations of a man and a woman and it destroys families.
WHERE GOD DRAWS THE LINE (Isaiah 1:13-15)
We always think of God in terms of what he "can" do, but seldom do we consider what God "can't" or "won't" do.
God does not always delight:
God is not pleased when we worship him out of duty, or because we think we are being spiritual. The apostle Paul, in the book of Romans tells us what type of sacrifice God does delight in. "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" (Romans 12:1). God only wants you to sacrifice yourself through obedience to him. He delights in us when we are "not conformed to the world" rather we are "transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:2).
God does not always endure:
God "cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly" (vs. 13). The word "iniquity" means nothingness -- God cannot endure religion that is made up of nothingness. God says he can't stand it when people get together for a church service and nothing takes place. In other words, he can't handle fake church services.
God hates certain things and gets weary:
In our passage God says he hates "Your new moons and your appointed feasts. In fact, he says they make him "weary." All of the festivals that the people celebrated, God had become weary of. The celebrations would come and go every year and the people would celebrate them with no thought of worshiping God or serving him. They had become like a carnival or a county fair. God wants all of our celebrations to be centered around him -- in worship and praise of him.
God stops looking and listening:
The people of Jerusalem pretended to pray. They would stretch out their hands as if they were worshiping God, but God knew it was all fake. He said that he would not even look at them -- he would not even listen to their prayers -- it was all nothingness!
EIGHT WAYS TO GET CLOSER TO GOD (Isaiah 1:16-17)
God always has a simple solution to sin -- Just stop doing it! Here he gives eight ways for the people of Jerusalem to draw closer to him. This solution applies to us today too. They all require action:
Wash yourselves (vs. 16):
God says to "Wash...and make yourselves clean." In other words, repent. For us, this is not talking about how you receive salvation, for salvation requires coming to God just as you are. Salvation is a gift to those who believe in Jesus Christ (John 6:47). Salvation is never given to us by doing anything. It is always a gift. But, once you have the conviction that you believe in Jesus Christ you must confess your sins and repent. At that point, God forgives all of your sins and you become clean. Then you continue to turn from your sins and follow him.
Remove evil (vs. 16):
God commands us to remove the evil that is in our lives. Remember, sin is knowing what is right, but doing what is wrong. Whatever is causing us to sin we are to remove it from our lives. What tempts you to sin? Recognize what it is, then get rid of it. It might be the music you listen to, or the T.V. shows you watch. It could be the Internet, or alcohol, or drugs. Remove the things that cause you to be tempted and give in to sin.
Cease to do evil (vs. 16):
This falls in line with removing things in our lives that cause us to sin, but it takes the idea a step further: Stop doing it. When you know you are sinning, stop.
Learn to do good (vs. 17):
Sometimes we need to learn how to do good things in life. We're born sinners; we don't have to be taught to sin, but we do need to be taught how to do good. We learn how to do good by reading God's word (2 Timothy 3:16) and listening to the encouragement and instruction of other believers.
Seek justice (vs. 17):
We are to seek justice. We seek justice by being submissive to rulers and authorities (Titus 3:1; Romans 13:1-7).
Correct oppression (vs. 17):
We are to correct oppression. When we see people who are oppressed, we are not only to help them, but also correct the situation so that it won't continue to happen.
Bring justice to the fatherless (vs. 17):
God continues his theme of justice by telling us to bring justice to the fatherless -- those who have been orphaned. We think of orphans as a bunch of little kids living in an orphanage, but this is far from the truth. Today, in our society, there are millions of orphaned children. They are orphaned by deserting fathers through illegitimate births caused by sex outside of marriage and no commitment; they are orphaned by weak fathers who lack self-control and end up in prison time and time again; they are orphaned by lazy fathers who only think of themselves and would rather focus on the pleasures of their own life rather than sacrificing for their children.
Plead the widow's cause:
It is always the duty of the Christian to make sure a widow in their family is taken care of. It is never to fall on the government -- the burden always falls on the family and if the widow does not have a family, the burden of her well-being falls on the church (1 Timothy 5).
When we do these things or actions, we are taking the focus off of ourselves and putting it on others.
YOU CAN'T STRADDLE THE LINE (Isaiah 1:18)
God says, it's time to make a decision. "Come, let us reason together." To reason means to "decide." It's time to stand on one side of the line or the other. You can't have one part of your life in sin and the other in a pretend world of worshiping God. You must step over the line and draw near to God. James says, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" (James 4:8).
When you turn from your sins and false worship of God he takes your sins that are (metaphorically) scarlet and red like crimson and washes you clean.
The Hebrew word for scarlet literally means "double-dyed." He takes our deepest darkest sins and purifies them.
DEAL OR NO DEAL (Isaiah 1:20-21)
God offers the people of Jerusalem a deal. He says they can be obedient and reap all of his blessings or, they can refuse and rebel and suffer the consequences.
WHICH SIDE WILL YOU STAND ON?
What happens if you obey God? First, you must recognize that obedience requires believing in Jesus Christ. The blessing you receive is eternal life. The consequence of not believing is God's wrath (John 3:36).
Obedience always leads to righteousness (Romans 6:16). When you obey God by believing in his Son you become righteous and this righteousness is reflected in your character and conduct allowing you to make right decisions.
You can't serve God by sticking your toe over the line once a week, but living the rest of the week standing on the side of sin. God requires a decision. Here's what Joshua told the Israelites,
"Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15).
This Week: Remove evil from your life this week. Cease doing the things that are dragging you down. Don't straddle the line between sin and holiness. Spend time in prayer and ask God to give you strength to step over the line into his righteousness. Live your life for God this week. Live your life better than you did last week.
Study Questions:
1. Is it comforting to know that God is a merciful God? Explain?
2. Why is it easier to "hear" the Word of God, rather than "obey" it?
3. What are some ways you can "draw near to God"?
June 14, 2007
June 07, 2007
When You Feel Depressed: 1 Kings 18:41 - 19:18
There are three types of Christian experiences, according to Vance Havner, a well-known Southern Baptist pastor.
1. Mountaintop days: Everything is going well and the world looks bright. These experiences are temporary: They can't go on forever. It is unrealistic to expect, as many people do, that we can spend life leaping from one mountain peak to another as if there were no plains or valleys in between.
2. Ordinary days: Working at our usual tasks. We're neither elated or depressed.
3. Dark days: We trudge heavily through confusion, doubt, despair, and discouragement. Sometimes these days string out into months or even years before we begin to experience a sense of relief and victory. When they persist, dark days are days of depression.
Discouragement, depression, despair and doubt all seem to go hand in hand. Being discouraged is a natural emotion that everyone faces from time to time. Jesus himself suffered from a time of discouragement or depression. In Mark 14:33, Jesus was about to be handed over to the authorities to be crucified. Going up the a place called Gethsemane to pray, the Bible tells us that he "began to be greatly distressed and troubled." The word "troubled" in the Greek means to be "Full of heaviness."
Have you ever felt full of heaviness? You're not alone. The prophet Elijah struggled immensely with a time of discouragement and depression. Yet in our passage we find the answer to getting through and overcoming this emotion in our own lives.
BACKGROUND
Elijah had just completed a stunning victory on Mt. Carmel. He had challenged King Ahab and his 450 prophets of Baal to a contest in order to discover whose God was the One True God (1 Kings 18:24.) After an entire day of the prophets of Baal crying out to their god to no avail, it was Elijah's turn. With one simple prayer, Jehovah blasted the altar with fire that consumed everything in its path (1 Kings 18:38.) In addition, Elijah had the people take the prophets of Baal down the mountain where they were killed for leading the people away from God and for making human sacrifices of innocent people (Jeremiah 7:31; 19:4-6.)
THE SOUND OF RUSHING RAIN (1 Kings 18:41-46)
Drought had persisted in Israel for three and a half years. Now it was time for the drought to end. Elijah first prophesied to King Ahab that rain would not fall on the land "Except by my word." Not until Elijah prayed to the True God of heaven would the land get its first drink.
The rain was coming and it was going to be torrential. Elijah told Ahab to get some food and drink, because the drought was over. There was probably no doubt in King Ahab's mind that Elijah meant what he said. Ahab had just witnessed a miracle that proved Elijah was speaking for Jehovah. After such a long drought, Ahab could finally relax and enjoy a meal, knowing that the land would be saved.
While King Ahab enjoyed his meal, Elijah traveled back to the top of Mt. Carmel to pray to God that he would send rain on the land. It is here that we get our first indication that Elijah was running out of spiritual and physical steam.
Earlier that day, Elijah had made the trek to the top of Mt. Carmel (elevation 1,792 ft.) He had challenged the prophets of Baal, waited for them to summon their false god, built his own altar, watched Jehovah perform a miracle, traveled down the mountain for the execution of the prophets of Baal, and climbed back up to the top of the mountain to pray to God for rain. It had been a long, trying, and emotionally draining day.
Verse 42 says when he reached the top of the mountain he "cast himself down and put his face between his knees." We can just picture a man, exhausted, yet compelled to finish his task. It’s like a picture of a man standing watch, keeping a lookout, not leaving his post. The prophet Habakkuk said, "I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me..." (2:1).
We're not told the exact words of Elijah's prayer (although we know he prayed specifically for rain, James 5:18), but he prayed it at least eight times. Each time his servant would run to a little ridge on the mountain and look toward the sea for any sign of rain. The final time Elijah's servant reported back that there was a "little cloud like a man's hand...rising from the sea" and Elijah knew that was it; That little cloud would form into giant cumulonimbus clouds that would drench the land with life giving water.
Elijah gave Ahab fair warning that the rain was coming so he could get his chariots back to the city (about 10 miles away) before the roads became clogged with mud and debris.
Exhausted as Elijah was, God gave him supernatural power to run ahead of Ahab to the city of Jezreel where Elijah arrived first (1 Kings 18:46).
THE DEATH THREAT (1 Kings 19:1-2)
There is no doubt that Ahab was excited to tell Jezebel what had happened on Mt. Carmel. You should have been there!, might have been the first words out of his mouth. In relating his story to Jezebel it is important to note that Ahab never said, "You should have seen what Jehovah did!" Rather, he told her "all that Elijah had done...” After hearing the story of what had happened, instead of Jezebel believing in Jehovah, she sent out a death threat to Elijah.
ELIJAH LOSES HEART (1 Kings 19:3-4)
God had just performed some of the most amazing miracles through Elijah.
- Fed him by sending ravens twice a day with food (1 Kings 17:4,6)
- Provided an unending supply of food for a widow and her son (1 Kings 17:14)
- Raised the widow's son from death (1 Kings 17:22)
- Challenged the prophets of Baal and won (1 Kings 18:39,40)
- Prayer was answered for rain (1 Kings 18:45)
- Ran 10 miles, beating a chariot (1 Kings 18:46)
Yet even with all of these acts of God, Elijah became dreadfully afraid of Jezebel because of her death threat. And he "Ran for his life!" His faith suddenly failed him! He ran to Beersheba (and then, after leaving his servant, went a day's journey farther into the wilderness), which is just about as far south in Israel as he could go.
DARK DAYS OF DESPAIR (1 Kings19:4-5)
It was over. Elijah had gone as far as he possibly could go. He could run no further (or so he thought). He felt there was no use for his life. What good had it all been? God performed all those miracles, but now Jezebel was going to kill him. Is that all life is; you do good things an then you die? Elijah could do no more -- he quit. He "sat down...and asked that he might die."
Elijah did two things that are classic signs of deep depression. First, he was ready to die (vs. 4), and second, he fell asleep (vs. 5). But God wasn't finished with Elijah.
CAKE THAT HEALS (1 Kings 19:5-8)
Elijah needed sleep. He also needed food. He had been on the run. Barely getting any sleep or food. God knew that he needed both and as he slept God prepared a wonderful meal for Elijah. A fresh cake was baking on hot stones right near his head and a cool jar of water was next to it. An angel awakened Elijah and he ate the cake and drank the water. Then he fell back to sleep. After sleeping for a while the angel awakened him again and told him to eat more because his journey was not over. He was now to travel 200 miles in forty days and forty nights to Mt. Horeb (Sinai), where God had given the Ten Commandments (the Law) to Moses -- There was still more for him to do!
A NEW JOURNEY (1 Kings 19:8-10)
God met Elijah at a cave on Mt. Horeb and asked him a simple question, "What are you doing here?" Elijah began to spew out his own self-righteousness to God. He turned all of the attention on himself:
- "I have been very jealous for the Lord."
- "I, even I only, am the only prophet left."
- "They want to take my life."
He was proclaiming to God that he was the only faithful one left in the land. He was saying, "Why do I have to suffer? I've done everything right? I'm the only believer in the land and yet I'm being pursued to be killed? Why ME?
ELIJAH IGNORES GOD (1 Kings 19:11-13)
After Elijah vented, God told him to "Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD." But Elijah stayed in the cave; he was too depressed and discouraged to listen to God's commands. [When we fail to listen to God it is because of our own self-centeredness] Elijah was putting all the focus on himself; it was a Woe is me mentality. When he focused on himself he fell into depression. When Elijah's attitude changed from God centered to self-centered, his usefulness as a servant suffered.
God passed by the cave and as he did he was followed by a great wind, and an earthquake and fire. Still, Elijah remained inside the cave. Finally, there was the sound of a faint whisper -- it got Elijah's attention. It was the quiet graciousness of God that attracted Elijah and drew him out of the cave. It’s when the Lord speaks to us through his Spirit and we listen, that we can be set free from the bondage that oppresses us. God’s Spirit gives us freedom. It was God’s gentle Spirit that drew him out of the cave. The apostle Paul said, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
God was showing him that just as he could not be coerced out of the cave by miraculous signs, neither would the nation of Israel be compelled to turn from their sins because of miraculous signs.
NO TIME FOR A PITY PARTY (1 Kings 19:14-18)
God didn't stand around arguing with Elijah about his problems. Rather, God gave him another job to do:
1. Go back and anoint Hazael to be King over Syria.
2. Go back and anoint Jehu to be King over Israel.
3. Go back and anoint Elisha to take your place as a prophet.
Then God gives Elijah the punch line. Elijah had constantly been saying that he was the only one who was a true believer. He said it in 1 Kings 18:22 and he said it again to God in 1 Kings 19:10 and again in 1 Kings 19:14. But God said to Elijah, Oh, by the way thanks for doing all of these things for me, but I want you to know that you are not the only true believer left; there are seven thousand people in Israel who have never bowed to Baal! So get moving...there's work to be done.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Through the life of Elijah, we have seen God do mighty works. The book of James tells us "Elijah was a man with a nature just like ours." James tells us that so we might realize what God can and will do through us when we pray.
But because Elijah's nature was like ours, he entered into times of despair. He wanted to give up; to say, "What's the use!"
WHAT CAUSED ELIJAH'S DESPAIR?
There are several causes of depression and Elijah was not immune to them.
First, he may have fallen prey to what one psychologist has called "post adrenalin depression." This is common in people who have recently had an emotional high. It happens to Christians sometimes when they go away to camp and make a decision to follow Christ. At camp, they are away from the trials and problems of their lives and they're able to focus closely on God; they're excited about what God has done in their lives, but when they go back home, down the mountain, the depression sinks in. It's as if the adrenal system switches off and they slip into a state of depression.
GOD DESIGNED US THAT WAY
Our adrenal system was designed by God to give us the strength to physically get through emotionally charged situations. That's why people may say this about someone who has lost a loved one, "It is amazing how well he is taking this death. He is so strong! He's really trusting the Lord." That may all be true, but often times, days, weeks, even months after the funeral, after the adrenal system shuts down, the person begins to despair.
DON'T BE DEPRESSED OVER DEPRESSION
But depression is not all bad. When Elijah fell asleep, it was his body's way of rejuvenating. Even though he was depressed, the sleep acted as an agent of recovery. It gave his adrenal system time to repair. "The longer a person is in a state of demand or energy the longer it may take for the adrenal system to repair. Likewise, the older we get, the less resilient is our adrenal system and the more depressed we become after an adrenalin high." (Hart, Counseling the Depressed)
EAT YOUR SPIRITUAL CAKE
This is why those who have recently believed in Christ need discipleship. When a person comes to Christ he or she realizes that their sins are forgiven and that they are recipients of the gift of eternal life. For many they feel as if a burden is lifted off of them. They hunger for the Word of God, they want to tell others about Christ, they desire to live their lives pleasing to the Lord. At the same time, because they are human, they are tested by the trials of life and it's possible that they can get worn down. Which is why we constantly need the filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Like the "cake and water" that was provided to fill Elijah and give him strength, so the Holy Spirit fills us, guides us and strengthens us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling (2 Thessalonians 1:11). Like Elijah, we must wake up and eat. Here are two Scriptures that will help in your time of despair:
Psalm 62:5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Focus on Christ. If you only focus on yourself you will sink deeper and deeper into the mire of despondency. You need to focus your life on something much bigger than yourself.
HOW DO I PREVENT DEPRESSION OR DESPAIR?
1. Trust in God. Do you really believe that God knows the situation you are in? God didn't forget Elijah while he was wandering in the wilderness and neither will he forget you. Look at what the Apostle Paul said:
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13
2. Expect Discouragement. Here are words from Jesus that help put life into reality:
John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
It is unreasonable for you to think that depression, discouragement, doubt and despair shouldn't be a part of your life. Jesus said, that you WILL have tribulation.
Here's what Jesus' half brother James said;
James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
James 1:3 For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
You see, it is what you do when you are depressed or discouraged. James says to remain steadfast!
3. Reach Out: We've touched on this already, but part of the problem in our world today is that we are too self-focused. We want happiness. So, we look for happiness in areas that never satisfy us, like money, drugs, sex, entertainment, sports, etc. Earthly pleasures never satisfy. They simply cause more distress in a person's life.
It's like buying a car. Before you had the car you never worried about it being stolen or breaking down! You never worried about getting a scratch on it, because you didn’t have a car to worry about. But as soon as you owned the car all these worries and more flooded into your life.
If you are constantly striving for money, you can never get enough. Gamblers understand this very well. They can never stop because they are always craving more. They never win enough -- never satisfied.
Some think having sex will satisfy them only to find out that it won't. It's the relationship that is built around sex that satisfies and sex is the natural outcome of that relationship between a husband and a wife.
When you only look to satisfy yourself, you'll find yourself sinking into depression;
Because you can't satisfy yourself.
So how do you do it? How do you reach out to others? How do you get the focus off yourself? J.P. Moreland, professor at Talbot Theological Seminary puts it this way:
One must "learn to give one's life away for Jesus’ sake." We must "grow in the skill of daily, habitual, healthy self-denial for Jesus' sake.... Here’s one simple suggestion for progress in this area. When you get up in the morning, start off with praise and thanksgiving to God for the things you honestly appreciate about him and his dealings with you. Then lift all your burdens to him until you have a sense of rest before the Lord. Then tell him that between now and, say, lunch, with his help you are going to orient your morning towards focusing on others and giving yourself away for their good."
SUMMARY
Things were going pretty well in Elijah’s life and perhaps that caused him to take his focus off of God and place it on himself. We can learn from Elijah's mistakes. We don't need to spend time in the wilderness like Elijah did, but if we do we should remember that God never leaves us – he never runs from us, we run from him. He is always there to impart to us his gentle, gracious whisper of encouragement. As God sent Elijah to anoint two new kings and a new prophet, so God wants to use you to anoint friends, family and co-workers with his blessings. When you are depressed or discouraged you can't do that -- gain your strength from God and go forth and obey his will this week!
This Week: Give your life away for Jesus. Take the focus off of your problems and make an attempt to help someone else. Maybe you can just bless someone with a note that says you are praying for them? Or, perhaps you reach out and help someone in need in the name of Jesus? Ask God to show you how you can reach out to others.
Study Questions
1. Elijah became depressed after all he had seen God do. God works in our lives and yet we too become depressed from time to time. Does it encourage you to think that we face the same emotional issues that Elijah faced? Explain.
2. If you had met Elijah while he was sitting under the broom tree, what would you have told him?
3. What would you tell a friend who is struggling with his or her Christian walk and being obedient to Christ?
Bible Search
Go into all the world...
Movie Reviews
July 2010
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
