Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / December 19 - Isaiah 66

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December 19 - Isaiah 66 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello friends. Sean, here it is Tuesday, it is
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  the 19th of December and we get another day closer to the
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  Christmas time that the whole world is screaming out for.
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  And today, yes friends, we have made it.
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  We have made it to the final chapter of the book of Isaiah
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  and we will finish it off today. Wow it It has been such a roller
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  coaster of ups and downs, travelling through so many
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  different phases of the journey of the nation of Israel in their
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  homeland, in exile and then back in their homeland again.
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  And well, it's hard to sugarcoat the ending.
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  It has a very gruesome ending with dead bodies lying in the
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  ground being eaten by worms. And as horrific as it sounds,
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  it's actually part of a very specific cultural story which
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  those people would have held. And if you remember back to when
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  the Assyrians had a siege around the city of Jerusalem and God
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  said, just hold strong, I will defend you.
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  And 185,000 Assyrian troops died and well, you can't get rid of
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  or bury that many soldiers. And so there was this horrific
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  scene of 185,000 Assyrian bodies lying and decomposing open to
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  the birds and the worms, and that is seared into the psyche
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  of the Israeli people that this is what happens to God's
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  enemies. And Jeremiah also draws
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  parallels to these views that that they endured.
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  So when he gets to the end, you think why would he end on such a
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  gross note that is Isaiah drawing reference to the last
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  time that God had saved his people and passed judgment on
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  his enemies. So here we are, friends.
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  It is time to settle in and hear the final chapter of this epic
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  saga of Isaiah as we read together.
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  Isaiah, chapter 66. This is what the Lord says.
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  Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool.
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  Could you build me a temple as good as that?
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  Could you build me such a resting place?
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  My hands have made both heaven and earth.
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  They and everything in them are mine.
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  I, the Lord, have spoken. I will bless those who have
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  humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.
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  But those who choose their own ways, delighting in their
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  detestable sins, will not have their offerings accepted.
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  When such people sacrifice a bull, it is no more acceptable
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  than a human sacrifice. When they sacrifice the lamb,
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  it's as though they sacrifice a dog.
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  When they bring an offering of grain, they may as well offer
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  the blood of a pig. When they burn frankincense,
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  it's as if they had blessed an idol.
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  I will send them great trouble. All the things they feared for
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  when I called, they did not answer.
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  When I spoke, they did not listen.
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  They deliberately sinned before my very eyes and chose to do
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  what they know I despise. Hear this message from the Lord.
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  All you who tremble at his words.
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  Your own people hate you and throw you out for being loyal to
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  my name. Let the Lord be honored, they
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  scoff, be joyful in him, but they will be put to shame.
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  What is all the commotion in the city?
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  What is that terrible noise from the temple?
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  It is the voice of the Lord taking vengeance against His
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  enemies before the birth pains even begin.
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  Jerusalem gives birth to a son who has ever seen anything as
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  strange as this? Whoever heard such a thing?
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  Has a nation ever been born in a single day?
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  Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment?
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  But by the time Jerusalem's birth pains begin, her children
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  will be born? Would I ever bring this nation
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  to the point of birth and then not deliver it?
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  Asks the Lord. No.
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  I would never keep this nation from being born, says your God.
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  Rejoice with Jerusalem. Be glad with her.
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  All you who love her and all you who mourn for her, drink deeply
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  of her glory, even as an infant drinks at its mother's
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  comforting breasts. This is what the Lord says.
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  I will give Jerusalem a river of peace and prosperity.
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  The wealth of the nations will flow to her.
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  Her children will be nursed at her breasts, carried in her
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  arms, and held on her lap. I will comfort you there in
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  Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child.
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  Then you will see these things. Your heart will rejoice.
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  You will flourish like the grass.
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  Everyone will see the Lord's hand of blessing on his servants
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  and his anger against his enemies.
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  See the Lord is coming with fire, and his swift Chariots
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  roar like a whirlwind. He will bring punishment with
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  the fury of his anger and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke.
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  The Lord will punish the world by fire and by his sword He will
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  judge the earth, and many will be killed by him.
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  Those who consecrate and purify themselves in a sacred garden,
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  with its idol in the centre, feasting on pork and rats and
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  other detestable meats, will come to a terrible end, says the
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  Lord. I can see what they are doing,
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  and I know what they are thinking.
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  So I will gather all nations and peoples together, and they will
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  see my glory. I will perform a sign among
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  them, and I will send those who survive to be messengers to the
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  nations, to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians who are
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  famous as Archers, to Tubal and Greece, and to all the lands
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  beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my
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  glory there. They will declare my glory to
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  the nations. They will bring the remnant of
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  your people back from every nation.
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  They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an
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  offering to the Lord. They will ride on horses, in
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  Chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels, says the Lord.
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  And I will appoint some of them to be my priests and Levites.
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  I, the Lord, have spoken as surely as my new heavens and
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  earth will remain, so will you always be my people with a name
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  that will never disappear, says the Lord.
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  All humanity will come to worship me from week to week and
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  from month to month. As they go out, they will see
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  the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me.
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  For the worms that devour them will never die, You know, the
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  fire that burns them will never go out.
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  All who pass by will view them with utter horror.
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  Our Lord, you paint a scene of absolute victory, absolute
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  victory over your enemies, and absolute provision and rejoicing
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  and joy and unity for those you love.
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  Thank you that you lavish this love on us, that you provide
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  this new place for us to be in union with you.
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  You are a good, good Father and we love you, and we are so
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  grateful for all that you do for us, all that you have done for
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  us, and all that you've won for us in Jesus.
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  Thank you, Holy Spirit, that you bring us your comfort and your
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  presence even when we really don't deserve it.
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  But you are our God and we love you, and it's you that we praise
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  with our whole hearts, always in the loving name of Jesus.
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  Amen.