SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/17/2013
10:10 PM
My Worship Time Focus: Moab PT-2
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Isaiah
16:1-14
Message of the
verses: It is my desire to finish up
this section on the oracles of Moab in today’s SD.
The plea of Moab (Isaiah 16:1-5): “1 Send the tribute lamb to the ruler of the
land, From Sela by way of the wilderness to the mountain of the daughter of
Zion. 2 Then, like fleeing birds or scattered nestlings, The daughters of Moab
will be at the fords of the Arnon. 3 “Give us advice, make a decision; Cast
your shadow like night at high noon; Hide the outcasts, do not betray the
fugitive. 4 “Let the outcasts of Moab stay with you; Be a hiding place to them
from the destroyer." For the extortioner has come to an end, destruction
has ceased, Oppressors have completely disappeared from the land. 5 A throne
will even be established in lovingkindness, And a judge will sit on it in
faithfulness in the tent of David; Moreover, he will seek justice And be prompt
in righteousness.”
I have to admit that some of the prophecies in Isaiah’s
book are very hard to understand and that is why I am thankful for the help
that Dr. Wiersbe gives to me in his commentary on the book of Isaiah, “Be
Comforted.” He explains that the
Assyrians could not conquer the city of Jerusalem as we have mentioned in
earlier SD.’s, and as they were coming into the region where the Moabites lived
the Moabites wanted to take refuge in Judah, as we see that they sent an animal
to the king of Judah which was something nations did during this time which was
a form of a paying tribute. Isaiah
wanted them to accept the God of Israel, but they refused to do this and so
they would not allow them to come there.
Since they could not come to Israel they fled south to the fords of the
Arnon River and the “Rock City” of Sela in Edom.
In verse four it can be seen what Isaiah though of the
people of Moab, for he calls them extortioner and oppressors for they refused
to accept the God of Jacob.
The Pride of Moab (Isaiah 16:6-14): “6 We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive pride; Even of
his arrogance, pride, and fury; His idle boasts are false. 7 Therefore Moab
will wail; everyone of Moab will wail. You will moan for the raisin cakes of
Kir-hareseth As those who are utterly stricken. 8 For the fields of Heshbon
have withered, the vines of Sibmah as well; The lords of the nations have
trampled down its choice clusters Which reached as far as Jazer and wandered to
the deserts; Its tendrils spread themselves out and passed over the sea. 9 Therefore I will weep
bitterly for Jazer, for the vine of Sibmah; I will drench you with my tears, O
Heshbon and Elealeh; For the shouting over your summer fruits and your harvest
has fallen away. 10 Gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field; In
the vineyards also there will be no cries of joy or jubilant shouting, No
treader treads out wine in the presses, For I have made the shouting to cease. 11 Therefore my heart
intones like a harp for Moab And my inward feelings for Kir-hareseth. 12 So it
will come about when Moab presents himself, When he wearies himself upon his
high place And comes to his sanctuary to pray, That he will not prevail. 13 This is the word which the LORD
spoke earlier concerning Moab. 14 But now the LORD speaks, saying, "Within three
years, as a hired man would count them, the glory of Moab will be degraded
along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and
impotent."’”
One has to wonder why Moab was so full of pride, for they
were not like the city of Babylon, for they were just a tiny country. We see something that is worth noting in this
section and that is that Isaiah and the Lord wept for Moab even though they
were enemies of Israel. I don’t exactly
remember where I read this, whether in the book of Proverbs or in the book of
Psalms, but it goes something like this:
When your enemy is in trouble don’t be happy about it for if you are
then the Lord will stop the trouble that your enemy is in. Isaiah was not happy for the demise that
would fall upon Moab in just three short years.
Ezekiel 33:11 states “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.” Isaiah felt the same way.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: God has a plan
even for those who do not belong to Him, and we can see in the Scriptures that the
Lord loves all He created even though there will come a time when His justice
will prevail and those who have not accepted the provision that He has made for
them through the death of Jesus Christ that God will send them to hell.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I continue to desire the wisdom of the Lord
to rule in my life as we see in Proverbs 3:5-6.
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 46
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 its 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 made 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.
8 Come behold the works of the Lord, who has wrought desolations to the
earth. 9 He makes wars to cease from the
end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the sword 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.” 1 The Lord of hosts is
with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Selah.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
Question: “3000” (1 Kings 4:32).
Today’s Bible
question: “Through what do we inherit
the promises?” (I better give you a hint
on this question: The answer is found in
the book of Hebrews.)
Answer in tomorrow’s SD.
8/17/2013 10:52 PM
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