SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/27/2013
12:02 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
Maher-shalal-hash-bas: A Warning of Judgment PT-1
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Isaiah
8:1-10
Message of the
verses: We begin today to look at
the second main point in the outline from Warren Wiersbe’s commentary and it
would be good to be reminded what he wrote at the end of his beginning commentary
on this 2nd chapter from his commentary. “Four symbolic names are involved in Isaiah’s
messages, each of them with a very special meaning: Immanuel, Maher-shalal-hash-baz,
Shear-jashub, and Isaiah.”
Introduction:
Isaiah 8:1-4 “1 Then the LORD said to me, "Take for yourself a
large tablet and write on it in ordinary letters: Swift is the booty, speedy is
the prey. 2 “And I will take to Myself faithful witnesses for testimony, Uriah
the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah." 3 So I approached the
prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. Then the LORD said to
me, "Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry
out ’My father’ or ’My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria
will be carried away before the king of Assyria.’”
We learned in a previous SD that Dr. Wiersbe believes
that it was Isaiah who would marry a virgin and that she would give birth,
which also had a meaning in the future when Jesus Christ would be born to the
virgin Mary. Isaiah obeyed what the Lord
said and by the time his son was two years old both Pekah and Rezin were dead
(see Isaiah 7:1). His son’s name means “quick
to plunder, swift to the spoil,” and this speaks of the future judgment when
Assyria would conquer Syria and invade both Israel and Judah, and when Babylon
would take Judah into exile. Dr. Wiersbe
writes “In the remainder of this chapter, Isaiah used three vivid contrast to
show the rulers of Judah the mistake they were making by trusting Assyria
instead of trusting the Lord.
They chose a flood instead of a peaceful river (Isaiah
8:5-10): “5 Again the LORD spoke to me further, saying,
6 "Inasmuch as these people have
rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah And rejoice in Rezin and the son
of Remaliah; 7 "Now therefore,
behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of
the Euphrates, Even the king of Assyria and all his glory; And it will rise up
over all its channels and go over all its banks. 8 “Then it will sweep on into
Judah, it will overflow and pass through, It will reach even to the neck; And
the spread of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel. 9 "Be broken, O peoples, and be
shattered; and give ear, all remote places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet
be shattered; Gird yourselves, yet be shattered. 10 “Devise a plan, but it will
be thwarted; State a proposal, but it will not stand, For God is with us.’”
When Assyria defeated the nation of Syria Judah though
they did the wise thing in putting their trust in Assyria, but we learn here
and from history that it was a large mistake, and should have trusted the Lord
who is represented by the slow moving Shiloah River. Now Judah will have to face the raging Euphrates
River which represents Assyria, and eventually Babylon who will take Judah into
exile in three different stages, 605, 597, and 586 B. C.
Dr. Wiersbe writes about the latter verses in this
section: “But Isaiah saw no permanent
victory for the invading army. After
all, they were entering Immanuel’s land, and God was with His people and would
deliver them for His name’s sake.
Assyria might plan its strategy, but God would thwart its every
move. Sennacherib’s army camped around
Jerusalem, certain of victory, but God wiped them out with a single blow (Isa
37).”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I am reinforced in the truth that God is in control, and
the word history means “His Story.” God
controls all things that are going on, and there are many things going on in
the Middle East at this time, including a mess in Syria, but we can take hope
because God is still on His throne and no one can move Him from it.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Proverbs 3:5-6.
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 46:1-7
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in
trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear
though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip into the heart of
the sea; 3 though the waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its
swelling pride. Selah. 4 There is a river whose streams make glad
the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the most high. 5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be
moved, God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations make an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He
raised His voice, the earth melted. 7
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
Question: “Some false prophets,” (1
Kings 22:1-12).
Today’s Bible
Question: “How long did Paul live in
Rome before the end of the book of Acts?”
Answer in tomorrow’s SD.
7/27/2013 12:34 PM
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