Daily Encouragement

July 25, 2010 - The Cause Of Spiritual Downfall

Meditation on Isaiah 39

Hezekiah was a great king. He led his nation to a spiritual renewal and reform. He rebuilt his nation militarily. His engineering of an aqueduct underneath Jerusalem for water supply is still marveled by archaeologists today. Most of all, his prayers were answered by God in a spectacular way: The great Assyrian army was destroyed by angels and his incurable disease was healed.

But God still judged him for his pride. For he showed off all his possession in his palace to the ambassador of Babylon who came to congratulate him for his successes. He did not offer thanksgiving to God after God had healed his illness. (2 Chronicles 32:24-25)

Therefore God told Isaiah to predict that all he had would be carried off into Babylon. His descendants would be captured and became eunuchs in the palace of Babylon also. His house and nation will fall. What a tragedy it was!

Hezekiah's answer to God's judgment was still prideful. He thought that at least "there will be peace and security in his life time." (v. 8) Self-centered pride indeed brings judgment and downfall.

Shouldn't we learn some serious lesson from it?

July 26, 2010 - The Greatest Comfort

Meditation on Isaiah 40

Changing to the new theme of comfort, Isaiah 40 began to present the greatest hope for mankind, the coming of Messiah. The opening began with "Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people" thus saith the Lord as the famous Oratorio by Handel quoted in singing. God has prepared the way for the Messiah to come. For God has forgiven the sins of His people after His judgment. The loving God does care for His people as the shepherd cares for His lambs. (v. 1-11)

God is great and omnipotent. He is the creator and He rules over everything. He seats on the circle of the earth. This previous statement by Isaiah revealed the round shape of the earth almost 2,200 years before Columbus discovered America. God's word is trustworthy. The sovereign LORD is so great that He can provide for all our needs and solves all our sin problems. (v. 12-26)

Not only can the LORD take care of us in eternity. He is also able to solve our problem in daily lives. Verse 31 gives one of the greatest hope and comfort to all people ever since Isaiah said it. "But those who wait on the LORD shall all renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (NIV)

It is such a great comfort indeed.

July 27, 2010 - God's Faithfulness To His People

Meditation on Isaiah 44

In this chapter, we can see God's great love and faithfulness to His people even though they were unfaithful. First of all, Isaiah mentioned the name of Israel as Jacob which was known as a deceiver was given the name, Jeshurun, which meant "the upright one". God had forgiven their sins and given them righteousness.

God pointed out their foolishness of trusting in idols which were made by their own hands. He made fun of their ignorance and senselessness in the process of making their idols. (v. 12-20) But God also promised them that they would rebuild Jerusalem under the edit of Cyrus, the Persian King. He is sovereign and His word will always be true. And He is the only true God.

God did all these for Israel because He gave birth to them. (v. 24) He would glorify Himself through them. (v. 23) He therefore showed His faithfulness to Jacob.

God loves His people who had committed themselves to Him from the beginning. Though they may be unfaithful at times, He still loves them to the end because He cannot deny Himself. (1 Timothy 2:13) Does it inspire you to love the heavenly Father today?

July 28, 2010 - Salvation To The Whole World

Meditation on Isaiah 49

God through Isaiah was calling to the end of the earth including all the islands that He had saved Israel to be a light of the nations so that his salvation may reach them. (v. 1-6) In time of judgment, Israel may think that God has forsaken them. But God assured them that He was faithful so He would restore them. He would keep His covenant with them. Furthermore He would prepare ways for the Israelis who had been scattered abroad to come back to their own land in the future.

Most likely Isaiah was predicting in the Millennium Kingdom after the tribulation period in the future that the Jewish people from all over the world will return to Israel. Notice verse 12 says, "Behold, these will come from afar; and lo, these will come from the north, and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim." (NASB) Many scholars consider that Sinim referred to China during the time of Isaiah. For China at that time began to be ruled and united by the Qin dynasty, (the one that built the Great Wall of China). The pronunciation of Qin is similar to the word, Sinim, the translation from the Dead Sea Scroll. This would be farthest county from the East for Israel.

God Himself will rescue Jacob from many troubles and battles so the nations will know that He is the redeemer. And Israel will be His servant to lead the nations to the LORD.

July 29, 2010 - The Savior Who Was A Servant

Meditation on Isaiah 52

Jerusalem which represented God's people would be redeemed and delivered by the Lord God from their captivity, Isaiah predicted. God would show His power to the nations so that they shall see His salvation for His people. God would protect them in the front and at the rear. But they needed to be purified and departed from the unclean matters. The one who would accomplish all that for His people is called God's servant. (v. 13)

Then in the following chapter, Isaiah described the appearance of the Servant as well as His suffering and sacrifice for the sins of His people. How marvelous was the detailed fulfillment of all those description fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. He was the servant for Israel as well as for the whole world for He had come not to be served but to serve in obedience even to die for the sins of the whole world. (Mark 10:45)

As a result, those who join into the New Jerusalem shall rejoice. Glory will be upon His church. Have you departed from sin and join into His church yet? (Hebrews 12:22-24)

July 30, 2010 - Why Prayer And Fasting Is Not Answered?

Meditation on Isaiah 58

Some of the people in Isaiah's time did seek after God. They even pray and fast earnestly. Yet God did no respond to them. Why? Isaiah explained to them the reason: They did not manifest action of love and passion to their neighbors. Contrarily, they continued to oppress the weak and the poor. They did not care for the needy among them. If they would turn around to conduct social justice and expressed their charity with their heart, God would then turn toward them to answer their prayers and fasting. If they would have compassion toward one another rather than finding fault, the light of the LORD would shine upon them.

In such condition of true repentance, God said, "The LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." (v. 11 NKJV)

Prayers must accompany with action of repentance before it is answered. Besides eternal salvation which is by faith only, there is a condition for any of God's blessings! Now we shall all understand why many of our prayers had not been answered.

July 31, 2010 - The Millennium Kingdom

Meditation on Isaiah 65

Many times in his messages, Isaiah described a future state of Jerusalem that will be peaceful and secure with prosperity. It will be in a later day when all the nations will go there to learn the truth of God. (Isaiah 2:1-4; 25:6-9; 62:1-12; 66:7-14, 18-22) During those days, some unusual phenomena will happen: "No longer will there be in it an infant who lives out but a few days; or an old man who does not live out his days; for the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred will be thought accursed. .....The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; ..." (v. 20, 25 NASB cf. Isaiah 11:6-9)

These circumstances, I believe, can be refereed to the Millennium Kingdom prophesied by John in Revelation 20:1-6 when Satan will be bounded. These periods will be the time right after the battle of many nations against Israel at Jerusalem. The King of kings will intervene and deliver Jerusalem in a miraculous way and then establish the millennium kingdom as Zechariah 14 prophesied. These days will not be the eternal state since people will still die. The eternal new heaven and new earth will be created by God in Revelation 21.

In this world of chaos and judgment due to sin, there is hope only in Jesus who will be the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will come according to the biblical promise. (Revelation 19:11-16) Hallelujah!