ISAIAH 34-39: DAY 48 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
February 17, 2023
ISAIAH 34-39
DAY 48 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
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Focus Verses For Today: Isaiah 27:16-20
Today, in our journey through the books of prophecy, we continue our study of the book of Isaiah with a look at the sin of pride. Anyone – anyone! – can fall victim to the sin of pride! King Hezekiah was a good king. He followed the Lord and was rewarded for his faithfulness, only for the sin of pride to strike.
As we prepare to begin our journey take a few moments to ask the Lord for His understanding of Isaiah 34-39. Now read Isaiah 34-39. Let’s begin our journey!
Isaiah 34-39: God will totally destroy all of His enemies, celestial and earthly. He will then restore the land that had been consumed with sin. Those who are redeemed by God experience joy. The redeemed follow the Way of Holiness, a highway where the unclean do not journey. Sennacherib, King of Assyria, threatens Jerusalem, warning that Jerusalem will be destroyed if King Hezekiah doesn’t surrender Jerusalem to King Sennacherib. King Hezekiah sought out the Lord, for he was a God-fearing king. Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, who delivered Jerusalem. God directed Isaiah to go to King Hezekiah and instruct him to get his affairs in order. Hezekiah was dying. Upon receiving this message from Isaiah, King Hezekiah prayed for more time to live. God granted the king’s request. After his healing, foreign ambassadors from Babylon visited King Hezekiah, bestowing him with gifts and praise. The king apparently wanted his visitors to know that he was truly worthy of their praise so he showed them the great wealth of Jerusalem. God doesn’t like pride. God sends Isaiah to pronounce judgment on King Hezekiah for his sin (pride). Isaiah tells the king that Jerusalem will be taken captive by Babylon and that his heirs will be taken to Babylon where they will be held as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Isaiah 39:8 NIV: “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.” What happened to King Hezekiah? He was the man who honored God his entire life. (Isaiah 34:1-39:8)
Our focus verses for today:
16“Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.
18“It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God.”
(Isaiah 37:16-20 NIV)
What do you do in times of adversity? King Hezekiah prayed to God, asking for His help. Prayer is a powerful gift to be exercised fervently and frequently in our life-long, eternal journey with God. Hezekiah prayed for God to spare Jerusalem from the Assyrians and God did. Hezekiah asked God to extend his life by healing a terminal illness he had and God did. What was your last prayer request? Don’t limit yourself! Hezekiah serves as an example of what can happen through prayer. He also serves as an example of what can happen when we take our eyes off God. Are you happy with your prayer life? Do you need to reflect on what you are not praying about? Are you spending enough time with God in prayer? He loves hearing from you! Do you remember to also thank God for His providence when a project is completed or is it merely another, “I” moment in your life?”
Godspeace!
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