Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / August 30 -Isaiah 31

Transcript

August 30 -Isaiah 31 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

• 0:11
  Hello friends. It is Sean.
• 0:14
  Here it is Wednesday, it is the 30th of August.
• 0:18
  And can you almost taste spring in the air?
• 0:21
  We've got a little fig tree outside and I was looking at it
• 0:24
  this morning and I saw some blossoms and I thought you
• 0:27
  clever little thing jumping the gun.
• 0:30
  It's still winter but you are getting the job started early
• 0:34
  and hopefully I will get to eat maybe 2 fix from its branches.
• 0:39
  It's still little and it's trying and we do not have
• 0:42
  particularly green thumbs so the poor thing keeps on trying and
• 0:46
  we just keep on not knowing how to love it best.
• 0:48
  So if you are a green thumb, I applaud you and go and grow some
• 0:53
  plants for those of us who are not nearly as talented in that
• 0:57
  area. But that's me using agricultural
• 1:00
  language today. Not Isaiah.
• 1:02
  No, no. Today we will continue reading
• 1:05
  and this is still the section where we were learning about how
• 1:10
  Egypt is not the greatest bedfellow to have organized for
• 1:14
  when the Assyrians come because they are not going to be
• 1:16
  particularly useful. No, ultimately it is God who is
• 1:20
  going to win the victory for them.
• 1:21
  But that is not today's story. So come on, let's settle
• 1:26
  ourselves in, friends. Let's you and I read together.
• 1:29
  Isaiah, chapter 31. What sorrow awaits those who
• 1:45
  look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, Chariots and
• 1:49
  charioteers, and depending on the strength of human armies,
• 1:53
  instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel?
• 1:58
  In his wisdom the Lord will send great disaster.
• 2:03
  He will not change his mind. He will rise against the wicked
• 2:07
  and against their helpers. For these Egyptians are mere
• 2:11
  humans, not God. Their horses are puny flesh, not
• 2:16
  mighty spirits. When the Lord raises His fist
• 2:19
  against them, those who help will stumble, and those being
• 2:24
  helped will fall. They will all fall down and die
• 2:28
  together. But this is what the Lord has
• 2:31
  told me. When a strong young lion stands
• 2:35
  growling over a sheep, it is killed.
• 2:37
  It is not frightened by the shouts and noise of a whole
• 2:40
  crowd of shepherds. In the same way, the Lord of
• 2:44
  Heaven's armies will come down and fight on Mount Zion.
• 2:48
  The Lord of Heaven's armies will hover over Jerusalem and protect
• 2:52
  it like a bird protects its nest.
• 2:56
  He will defend and save the city.
• 2:58
  He will pass over it and rescue it.
• 3:02
  Though you are such wicked rebels, my people come and
• 3:06
  return to the Lord. I know the glorious day will
• 3:10
  come when each of you will throw away the gold idols and silver
• 3:14
  images your sinful hands have made.
• 3:17
  The Assyrians will be destroyed, but not by the swords of men.
• 3:22
  The sword of God will strike them, and they will panic and
• 3:26
  flee. The strong young Assyrians will
• 3:29
  be taken away as captives. Even the strongest will quake
• 3:34
  with terror and Princess will flee when they see your battle
• 3:38
  flags, says the Lord whose fire burns in Zion, whose flame
• 3:44
  blazes from Jerusalem. We are stubborn, Lord.
• 3:59
  We continue to think that every fight is our own fight and that
• 4:05
  you are on the sidelines. Open our eyes so that we see you
• 4:09
  right at our side, engaged in the battles of our days.
• 4:14
  Help us to rest in you and your provision and your victory over
• 4:20
  all the powers that would try to convince us that they still hold
• 4:24
  strong in our lives. But they don't, because you are
• 4:29
  victorious and ultimately our eternity rests securely in your
• 4:36
  strong hands. So we pray to you, our lion of
• 4:41
  Judah, strong and growling over us to protect us from those who
• 4:47
  would come against us. Thank you for that image.
• 4:54
  We pray all this in the saving name of Jesus.
• 4:57
  Amen.