SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/15/2013
8:45 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
Philistia
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Isaiah
14:28-32
Message of the
verses: Today we will look at the
judgment upon Philistia which covers Isaiah 14:28-32: “28 In the year that King Ahaz died this
oracle came: 29 “Do not rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, Because the rod that
struck you is broken; For from the serpent’s root a viper will come out, And
its fruit will be a flying serpent. 30 “Those who are most helpless will eat,
And the needy will lie down in security; I will destroy your root with famine,
And it will kill off your survivors. 31 “Wail, O gate; cry, O city; Melt away,
O Philistia, all of you; For smoke comes from the north, And there is no straggler
in his ranks. 32 "How then will one answer the messengers of the nation?
That the LORD has founded Zion, And the afflicted of His people will seek
refuge in it.’”
In verse 29 we see the term “rod” used and when we look
at Isaiah 10:15 and 24 we will see he is speaking of Assyria. This Assyrian leader died and the people of
Philistia were rejoicing, but Isaiah tells them that the next leader would be
harder on them than the one who had just died.
Dr. Wiersbe points out that “Some scholars think this leader was
Shalmaneser V.” Isaiah compares the dead
Assyrian ruler to a snake who gave bright to an even worse serpent. In Today’s Living Bible we read this “Weep,
Philistine cities—you are doomed” (TLB 14:31).
As we look at this prophecy we see that God has a good
word for His people in verse thirty, but when it comes to the Philistines they
will be wiped out by war and by famine (See verse 30). Verse thirty-one tells us that the Assyrian
army will come from the North like a large and great cloud of smoke and nothing
that the Philistines can do will stop them.
Dr. Wiersbe explains verse thirty-two as follows, “The
envoys (‘messengers’ in v. 32 KJV) of the other nations would ask what was
happening, but the diplomatic news would focus on Judah and not on
Philistia! God’s deliverance of Judah
was the real news, not Assyrian’s conquest of Philistia. We wonder if diplomats and news reporters in
today’s media world would give God credit for a miracle of deliverance.” The answer to that question would probably be
NO!
In our next SD will look at Moab and that prophecy will
take up more time than this one.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I am thinking
about God’s care for His own people as I look at this short prophecy. God has chosen a people for Himself and for
reasons only known to my Heavenly Father I am one of them and for that I will
be eternally thankful.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to trust the Lord to guide my path
as seen from Proverbs 3:5-6.
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 46:1-10
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 glade
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. 8 Come see the works of the Lord, who has
wrought desolations in the earth. 9 He
makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the
spear in two, He burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Cease striving and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the
nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
Question: “Delilah” (Judges 16:3-4).
Today’s Bible
Question: “Who did God promise that through
his seed all the earth would be blessed?”
Answer in tomorrow’s SD.
8/15/2013 9:14 AM
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