The Earth Trembles, and the Cry is Heard Among the Nations

Following the proclamation of judgment on the other nations, God now turns toward Babylon and the land of the Chaldeans. Although Babylon was an instrument God used to judge His people, the pride of the Babylonians caused their downfall. Contrast this to the Persians under Cyrus who were blessed due to Cyrus' obedience.

Babylon was a city of great idolatry. These idols would be completely destroyed in the coming judgment and the land made desolate. During the destruction of Babylon, the captives of Judah who are living in Babylon will again turn to God as their fate will become uncertain. A message of hope was also given within this judgment that the people of Israel will be brought back to their land. Their sins and iniquity will be pardoned.

Great details was given about the judgment of Babylon and her destruction will be complete. She will become desolate, never to be rebuild and no one would inhabit there, except animals. She will be conquered as well as facing other disasters such as drought. Her idols would be totally destroyed.

There was a hint that Babylon was destroyed because she refused to let the captives of Israel and Judah free. It appears that God had an appointed time where His will was for His people to return after a fixed period of captivity. But Babylon disobeyed and held on to the captives. There was a also a hint that the instrument of God against Babylon would be led by a specific chosen man, whom will be revealed in other places as king Cyrus of Persia.




Jeremiah 50
Judgment on Babylon and Babylonia

1 The word that the Lord spoke against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.

2 “Declare among the nations,
Proclaim, and set up a standard;
Proclaim—do not conceal it—
Say, ‘Babylon is taken, Bel is shamed.
Merodach[a] is broken in pieces;
Her idols are humiliated,
Her images are broken in pieces.’
3 For out of the north a nation comes up against her,
Which shall make her land desolate,
And no one shall dwell therein.
They shall move, they shall depart,
Both man and beast.
4 “In those days and in that time,” says the Lord,
“The children of Israel shall come,
They and the children of Judah together;
With continual weeping they shall come,
And seek the Lord their God.
5 They shall ask the way to Zion,
With their faces toward it, saying,
‘Come and let us join ourselves to the Lord
In a perpetual covenant
That will not be forgotten.’
6 “My people have been lost sheep.
Their shepherds have led them astray;
They have turned them away on the mountains.
They have gone from mountain to hill;
They have forgotten their resting place.
7 All who found them have devoured them;
And their adversaries said, ‘We have not offended,
Because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice,
The Lord, the hope of their fathers.’
8 “Move from the midst of Babylon,
Go out of the land of the Chaldeans;
And be like the rams before the flocks.
9 For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon
An assembly of great nations from the north country,
And they shall array themselves against her;
From there she shall be captured.
Their arrows shall be like those of an expert warrior;[b]
None shall return in vain.
10 And Chaldea shall become plunder;
All who plunder her shall be satisfied,” says the Lord.
11 “Because you were glad, because you rejoiced,
You destroyers of My heritage,
Because you have grown fat like a heifer threshing grain,
And you bellow like bulls,
12 Your mother shall be deeply ashamed;
She who bore you shall be ashamed.
Behold, the least of the nations shall be a wilderness,
A dry land and a desert.
13 Because of the wrath of the Lord
She shall not be inhabited,
But she shall be wholly desolate.
Everyone who goes by Babylon shall be horrified
And hiss at all her plagues.
14 “Put yourselves in array against Babylon all around,
All you who bend the bow;
Shoot at her, spare no arrows,
For she has sinned against the Lord.
15 Shout against her all around;
She has given her hand,
Her foundations have fallen,
Her walls are thrown down;
For it is the vengeance of the Lord.
Take vengeance on her.
As she has done, so do to her.
16 Cut off the sower from Babylon,
And him who handles the sickle at harvest time.
For fear of the oppressing sword
Everyone shall turn to his own people,
And everyone shall flee to his own land.
17 “Israel is like scattered sheep;
The lions have driven him away.
First the king of Assyria devoured him;
Now at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.”
18 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:

“Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land,
As I have punished the king of Assyria.
19 But I will bring back Israel to his home,
And he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan;
His soul shall be satisfied on Mount Ephraim and Gilead.
20 In those days and in that time,” says the Lord,
“The iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none;
And the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found;
For I will pardon those whom I preserve.
21 “Go up against the land of Merathaim, against it,
And against the inhabitants of Pekod.
Waste and utterly destroy them,” says the Lord,
“And do according to all that I have commanded you.
22 A sound of battle is in the land,
And of great destruction.
23 How the hammer of the whole earth has been cut apart and broken!
How Babylon has become a desolation among the nations!
24 I have laid a snare for you;
You have indeed been trapped, O Babylon,
And you were not aware;
You have been found and also caught,
Because you have contended against the Lord.
25 The Lord has opened His armory,
And has brought out the weapons of His indignation;
For this is the work of the Lord God of hosts
In the land of the Chaldeans.
26 Come against her from the farthest border;
Open her storehouses;
Cast her up as heaps of ruins,
And destroy her utterly;
Let nothing of her be left.
27 Slay all her bulls,
Let them go down to the slaughter.
Woe to them!
For their day has come, the time of their punishment.
28 The voice of those who flee and escape from the land of Babylon
Declares in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God,
The vengeance of His temple.
29 “Call together the archers against Babylon.
All you who bend the bow, encamp against it all around;
Let none of them escape.[c]
Repay her according to her work;
According to all she has done, do to her;
For she has been proud against the Lord,
Against the Holy One of Israel.
30 Therefore her young men shall fall in the streets,
And all her men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the Lord.
31 “Behold, I am against you,
O most haughty one!” says the Lord God of hosts;
“For your day has come,
The time that I will punish you.[d]
32 The most proud shall stumble and fall,
And no one will raise him up;
I will kindle a fire in his cities,
And it will devour all around him.”
33 Thus says the Lord of hosts:

“The children of Israel were oppressed,
Along with the children of Judah;
All who took them captive have held them fast;
They have refused to let them go.
34 Their Redeemer is strong;
The Lord of hosts is His name.
He will thoroughly plead their case,
That He may give rest to the land,
And disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.
35 “A sword is against the Chaldeans,” says the Lord,
“Against the inhabitants of Babylon,
And against her princes and her wise men.
36 A sword is against the soothsayers, and they will be fools.
A sword is against her mighty men, and they will be dismayed.
37 A sword is against their horses,
Against their chariots,
And against all the mixed peoples who are in her midst;
And they will become like women.
A sword is against her treasures, and they will be robbed.
38 A drought[e] is against her waters, and they will be dried up.
For it is the land of carved images,
And they are insane with their idols.
39 “Therefore the wild desert beasts shall dwell there with the jackals,
And the ostriches shall dwell in it.
It shall be inhabited no more forever,
Nor shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.
40 As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah
And their neighbors,” says the Lord,
“So no one shall reside there,
Nor son of man dwell in it.
41 “Behold, a people shall come from the north,
And a great nation and many kings
Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth.
42 They shall hold the bow and the lance;
They are cruel and shall not show mercy.
Their voice shall roar like the sea;
They shall ride on horses,
Set in array, like a man for the battle,
Against you, O daughter of Babylon.
43 “The king of Babylon has heard the report about them,
And his hands grow feeble;
Anguish has taken hold of him,
Pangs as of a woman in childbirth.
44 “Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the floodplain[f] of the Jordan
Against the dwelling place of the strong;
But I will make them suddenly run away from her.
And who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her?
For who is like Me?
Who will arraign Me?
And who is that shepherd
Who will withstand Me?”
45 Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord that He has taken against Babylon,
And His purposes that He has proposed against the land of the Chaldeans:
Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out;
Surely He will make their dwelling place desolate with them.
46 At the noise of the taking of Babylon
The earth trembles,
And the cry is heard among the nations.

But the Lord will be to you an Everlasting Light

This chapter describes a time when the Gentile nations will know the God of Israel. But more than that, they will come in multitude to Zion and bring great wealth, perhaps as offerings. Their rulers and kings will also come to Jerusalem, and they will serve Israel. Their multitude and abundance they bring will be glorifying to God.

The speaker in this also reveals that He is the Saviour, Redeemer and Mighty One of Jacob. Then Gentiles will supply them, even with milk. There shall be no more wars. These seem to be describing the time when the Lord will reign on Earth. It describes that the Sun will not be the one providing light during the day. In fact the Lord's eternal light will provide them with light all day.



Isaiah 60
The Gentiles Bless Zion

1 Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see:
They all gather together, they come to you;
Your sons shall come from afar,
And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
5 Then you shall see and become radiant,
And your heart shall swell with joy;
Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.
6 The multitude of camels shall cover your land,
The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;
All those from Sheba shall come;
They shall bring gold and incense,
And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.
7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you,
The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar,
And I will glorify the house of My glory.
8 “Who are these who fly like a cloud,
And like doves to their roosts?
9 Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me;
And the ships of Tarshish will come first,
To bring your sons from afar,
Their silver and their gold with them,
To the name of the Lord your God,
And to the Holy One of Israel,
Because He has glorified you.
10 “The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls,
And their kings shall minister to you;
For in My wrath I struck you,
But in My favor I have had mercy on you.
11 Therefore your gates shall be open continually;
They shall not be shut day or night,
That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles,
And their kings in procession.
12 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish,
And those nations shall be utterly ruined.
13 “The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together,
To beautify the place of My sanctuary;
And I will make the place of My feet glorious.
14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you
Shall come bowing to you,
And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet;
And they shall call you The City of the Lord,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
So that no one went through you,
I will make you an eternal excellence,
A joy of many generations.
16 You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles,
And milk the breast of kings;
You shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 “Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
Instead of iron I will bring silver,
Instead of wood, bronze,
And instead of stones, iron.
I will also make your officers peace,
And your magistrates righteousness.
18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.

God the Glory of His People

19 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory.
20 Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
21 Also your people shall all be righteous;
They shall inherit the land forever,
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
22 A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.
I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”

But Your Iniquities Have Separated You From Your God

God is able to save but He makes it clear that it is their wickedness and evil that is hindering them. They are being compared to vipers, probably due to their venomous nature and also compared to spider weaving their web, probably due to their plots to trap others.

And the people confess their sins and acknowledge the darkness of their society. Even when they were trying to look for justice and righteousness, they could not find it themselves since it is darkness all around them. Part of this darkness, they admit, is due to their own sins.

The Lord promised them a Redeemer, to those who would turn away from their transgressions. God makes a covenant with His people and put His Spirit on them. This covenant would go through the generations.



Isaiah 59
Separated from God

1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.
4 No one calls for justice,
Nor does any plead for truth.
They trust in empty words and speak lies;
They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.
5 They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web;
He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out.
6 Their webs will not become garments,
Nor will they cover themselves with their works;
Their works are works of iniquity,
And the act of violence is in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed innocent blood;
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
Wasting and destruction are in their paths.
8 The way of peace they have not known,
And there is no justice in their ways;
They have made themselves crooked paths;
Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.


Sin Confessed

9 Therefore justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
10 We grope for the wall like the blind,
And we grope as if we had no eyes;
We stumble at noonday as at twilight;
We are as dead men in desolate places.
11 We all growl like bears,
And moan sadly like doves;
We look for justice, but there is none;
For salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them:
13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord,
And departing from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands afar off;
For truth is fallen in the street,
And equity cannot enter.
15 So truth fails,
And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.


The Redeemer of Zion

Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him
That there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
17 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay,
Fury to His adversaries,
Recompense to His enemies;
The coastlands He will fully repay.
19 So shall they fear
The name of the Lord from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”
Says the Lord.
21 “As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”

And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel

There is a call to rejoicing with singing and the expectation of great blessings in terms of possession of land and descendants. This looks forward to the time of redemption, where the Lord is the Redeemer. The shameful past is put aside, the wrath of God was momentary and now is the time to look forward to the mercy and everlasting kindness God will pour on His people.

God affirms His covenant and reminds them of His promise to Noah not to bring a worldwide flood again, showing His trustworthiness. God describes the heritage for His servants, that no word form against us shall prosper. It is also a time when the people are established in righteousness, the children are taught by the Lord, and there will be no more oppression and fear.



Isaiah 54
A Perpetual Covenant of Peace

1 “Sing, O barren,
You who have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
You who have not labored with child!
For more are the children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.
3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
And your descendants will inherit the nations,
And make the desolate cities inhabited.

4 “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
5 For your Maker is your husband,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called the God of the whole earth.
6 For the Lord has called you
Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Like a youthful wife when you were refused,”
Says your God.
7 “For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.

9 “For this is like the waters of Noah to Me;
For as I have sworn
That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth,
So have I sworn
That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains shall depart
And the hills be removed,
But My kindness shall not depart from you,
Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”
Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

11 “O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
And great shall be the peace of your children.
14 In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me.
Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.

16 “Behold, I have created the blacksmith
Who blows the coals in the fire,
Who brings forth an instrument for his work;
And I have created the spoiler to destroy.
17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.

The Lord has Called Me from the Womb

The Lord reaffirms that He has a plan to save His people Jacob and Israel. They are still very much in God's plan of salvation. They who are referred to here is not the expanded worldwide Gentile Church. It specifically mean the Israelites because it also says that "I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth."

The the Messiah is also introduced as a one who will be despised by people, whom nations abhors but who will later be worshipped by Kings and Princes. This is all part of the covenant that God will save His people and restore the Earth. God knows that some of his people were discouraged and asked where is God, but He addresses these questions here by reminding them of the promises of restoration. God will again raise up the stature of Israel that kings and queens will bow to them and they will know God.


Isaiah 49
The Servant, the Light to the Gentiles

1 “Listen, O coastlands, to Me,
And take heed, you peoples from afar!
The Lord has called Me from the womb;
From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.
2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword;
In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me,
And made Me a polished shaft;
In His quiver He has hidden Me.”
3 “And He said to me,
‘You are My servant, O Israel,
In whom I will be glorified.’
4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain;
Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord,
And my work with my God.’”
5 “And now the Lord says,
Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back to Him,
So that Israel is gathered to Him[a]
(For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,
And My God shall be My strength),
6 Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
7 Thus says the Lord,
The Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One,
To Him whom man despises,
To Him whom the nation abhors,
To the Servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise,
Princes also shall worship,
Because of the Lord who is faithful,
The Holy One of Israel;
And He has chosen You.”
8 Thus says the Lord:

“In an acceptable time I have heard You,
And in the day of salvation I have helped You;
I will preserve You and give You
As a covenant to the people,
To restore the earth,
To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;
9 That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’
To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
“They shall feed along the roads,
And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.
10 They shall neither hunger nor thirst,
Neither heat nor sun shall strike them;
For He who has mercy on them will lead them,
Even by the springs of water He will guide them.
11 I will make each of My mountains a road,
And My highways shall be elevated.
12 Surely these shall come from afar;
Look! Those from the north and the west,
And these from the land of Sinim.”
13 Sing, O heavens!
Be joyful, O earth!
And break out in singing, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted His people,
And will have mercy on His afflicted.


God Will Remember Zion

14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
And my Lord has forgotten me.”
15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget,
Yet I will not forget you.
16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me.
17 Your sons[b] shall make haste;
Your destroyers and those who laid you waste
Shall go away from you.
18 Lift up your eyes, look around and see;
All these gather together and come to you.
As I live,” says the Lord,
“You shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament,
And bind them on you as a bride does.
19 “For your waste and desolate places,
And the land of your destruction,
Will even now be too small for the inhabitants;
And those who swallowed you up will be far away.
20 The children you will have,
After you have lost the others,
Will say again in your ears,
‘The place is too small for me;
Give me a place where I may dwell.’
21 Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who has begotten these for me,
Since I have lost my children and am desolate,
A captive, and wandering to and fro?
And who has brought these up?
There I was, left alone;
But these, where were they?’”
22 Thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations,
And set up My standard for the peoples;
They shall bring your sons in their arms,
And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders;
23 Kings shall be your foster fathers,
And their queens your nursing mothers;
They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth,
And lick up the dust of your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord,
For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.”
24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty,
Or the captives of the righteous[c] be delivered?
25 But thus says the Lord:

“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away,
And the prey of the terrible be delivered;
For I will contend with him who contends with you,
And I will save your children.
26 I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh,
And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine.
All flesh shall know
That I, the Lord, am your Savior,
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

O Virgin Daughter of Babylon

God declares that Babylon will be put to shame and reveals that God Himself will see to this. The main reason was that although God used Babylon as an instrument of judgement on His people, Babylon showed to mercy but instead became arrogant of its power. Babylon had abused her wisdom and knowledge and her arrogance reached the level of declaring themselves as God. They were steeped in wickedness, enchantments and sorceries. They trusted in their own knowledge and their renowed stargazers and astrologers. But none of these will be able to save them from the wrath of God.


Isaiah 47
The Humiliation of Babylon

1 “Come down and sit in the dust,
O virgin daughter of Babylon;
Sit on the ground without a throne,
O daughter of the Chaldeans!
For you shall no more be called
Tender and delicate.
2 Take the millstones and grind meal.
Remove your veil,
Take off the skirt,
Uncover the thigh,
Pass through the rivers.
3 Your nakedness shall be uncovered,
Yes, your shame will be seen;
I will take vengeance,
And I will not arbitrate with a man.”
4 As for our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name,
The Holy One of Israel.
5 “Sit in silence, and go into darkness,
O daughter of the Chaldeans;
For you shall no longer be called
The Lady of Kingdoms.
6 I was angry with My people;
I have profaned My inheritance,
And given them into your hand.
You showed them no mercy;
On the elderly you laid your yoke very heavily.
7 And you said, ‘I shall be a lady forever,’
So that you did not take these things to heart,
Nor remember the latter end of them.
8 “Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures,
Who dwell securely,
Who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me;
I shall not sit as a widow,
Nor shall I know the loss of children’;
9 But these two things shall come to you
In a moment, in one day:
The loss of children, and widowhood.
They shall come upon you in their fullness
Because of the multitude of your sorceries,
For the great abundance of your enchantments.
10 “For you have trusted in your wickedness;
You have said, ‘No one sees me’;
Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you;
And you have said in your heart,
‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.’
11 Therefore evil shall come upon you;
You shall not know from where it arises.
And trouble shall fall upon you;
You will not be able to put it off.
And desolation shall come upon you suddenly,
Which you shall not know.
12 “Stand now with your enchantments
And the multitude of your sorceries,
In which you have labored from your youth—
Perhaps you will be able to profit,
Perhaps you will prevail.
13 You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels;
Let now the astrologers, the stargazers,
And the monthly prognosticators
Stand up and save you
From what shall come upon you.
14 Behold, they shall be as stubble,
The fire shall burn them;
They shall not deliver themselves
From the power of the flame;
It shall not be a coal to be warmed by,
Nor a fire to sit before!
15 Thus shall they be to you
With whom you have labored,
Your merchants from your youth;
They shall wander each one to his quarter.
No one shall save you.

And Israel whom I have Chosen

God reaffirms His promise to His people - Israel. In addition, the prophetic pouring of God's Spirit over His people is mentioned here. This will be fulfilled at Pentecost and believers after that. God also reminds them that He is the One and Only Lord, King of Israel. He has no beginning and no end. And He is also the Redeemer.

In a large part of this chapter, God shows how ridiculous their worshipping of idols is. He describes with great details the variety of processes which people use to make idols. The idols were made of wood or metal and using the same fire the people use to bake bread, and then the people foolishly worship these idols. They are made with hands and do not see and hear and hence are lifeless. Yet the people foolishly think such idols are able to deliver them.

God then commands Israel to return to Him, that He had blotted out their sin. At that time perhaps, the people may not yet understand about Messiah, but certainly today, we can see how God is able to redeem His people through Messiah. God the creator of the Universe then promised that Jerusalem will be rebuilt.




Isaiah 44
God’s Blessing on Israel

1 “Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant,
And Israel whom I have chosen.
2 Thus says the Lord who made you
And formed you from the womb, who will help you:
‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant;
And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,
And floods on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,
And My blessing on your offspring;
4 They will spring up among the grass
Like willows by the watercourses.’
5 One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
Another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
Another will write with his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
And name himself by the name of Israel.


There Is No Other God

6 “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
‘I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.
7 And who can proclaim as I do?
Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me,
Since I appointed the ancient people.
And the things that are coming and shall come,
Let them show these to them.
8 Do not fear, nor be afraid;
Have I not told you from that time, and declared it?
You are My witnesses.
Is there a God besides Me?
Indeed there is no other Rock;
I know not one.’”


Idolatry Is Foolishness

9 Those who make an image, all of them are useless,
And their precious things shall not profit;
They are their own witnesses;
They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
10 Who would form a god or mold an image
That profits him nothing?
11 Surely all his companions would be ashamed;
And the workmen, they are mere men.
Let them all be gathered together,
Let them stand up;
Yet they shall fear,
They shall be ashamed together.
12 The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals,
Fashions it with hammers,
And works it with the strength of his arms.
Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails;
He drinks no water and is faint.
13 The craftsman stretches out his rule,
He marks one out with chalk;
He fashions it with a plane,
He marks it out with the compass,
And makes it like the figure of a man,
According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house.
14 He cuts down cedars for himself,
And takes the cypress and the oak;
He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest.
He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it.
15 Then it shall be for a man to burn,
For he will take some of it and warm himself;
Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread;
Indeed he makes a god and worships it;
He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
16 He burns half of it in the fire;
With this half he eats meat;
He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
He even warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm,
I have seen the fire.”
17 And the rest of it he makes into a god,
His carved image.
He falls down before it and worships it,
Prays to it and says,
“Deliver me, for you are my god!”
18 They do not know nor understand;
For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see,
And their hearts, so that they cannot understand.
19 And no one considers in his heart,
Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say,
“I have burned half of it in the fire,
Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals;
I have roasted meat and eaten it;
And shall I make the rest of it an abomination?
Shall I fall down before a block of wood?”
20 He feeds on ashes;
A deceived heart has turned him aside;
And he cannot deliver his soul,
Nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”


Israel Is Not Forgotten

21 “Remember these, O Jacob,
And Israel, for you are My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant;
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!
22 I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions,
And like a cloud, your sins.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”
23 Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into singing, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And glorified Himself in Israel.


Judah Will Be Restored

24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
And He who formed you from the womb:
“I am the Lord, who makes all things,
Who stretches out the heavens all alone,
Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
25 Who frustrates the signs of the babblers,
And drives diviners mad;
Who turns wise men backward,
And makes their knowledge foolishness;
26 Who confirms the word of His servant,
And performs the counsel of His messengers;
Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’
To the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’
And I will raise up her waste places;
27 Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry!
And I will dry up your rivers’;
28 Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd,
And he shall perform all My pleasure,
Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,”
And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”’

Let us Contend Together

Very encouraging words are given here from the Lord to His people. Even at that time before Yeshua, God told His people they were redeemed and they are His people. God describes Himself as the Holy One of Israel. He will protect His people. In fact He is calling for all His people to be gathered together.

God makes clear the reason for assembling His people is to witness to the rest that He alone is God and there is none before or after Him. However, God reminds them that many of them had forsaken the sacrifices. Moreover they have increased in their iniquities. Yet God shows His grace here by offering a pardon to blot your their sins and forget about them. God earnestly invites them to "Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together". This is extremely clear that the final qualification of salvation does not rely on sacrifices at all but instead requires people to establish a relationship with the Lord Himself".



Isaiah 43
The Redeemer of Israel

1 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west;
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
8 Bring out the blind people who have eyes,
And the deaf who have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
And let the people be assembled.
Who among them can declare this,
And show us former things?
Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified;
Or let them hear and say, “It is truth.”
10 “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord,
And besides Me there is no savior.
12 I have declared and saved,
I have proclaimed,
And there was no foreign god among you;
Therefore you are My witnesses,”
Says the Lord, “that I am God.
13 Indeed before the day was, I am He;
And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand;
I work, and who will reverse it?”
14 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon,
And bring them all down as fugitives—
The Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
The Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings forth the chariot and horse,
The army and the power
(They shall lie down together, they shall not rise;
They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
18 “Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
20 The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
21 This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My praise.

Pleading with Unfaithful Israel

22 “But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob;
And you have been weary of Me, O Israel.
23 You have not brought Me the sheep for your burnt offerings,
Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not caused you to serve with grain offerings,
Nor wearied you with incense.
24 You have bought Me no sweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
But you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have wearied Me with your iniquities.
25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;
And I will not remember your sins.
26 Put Me in remembrance;
Let us contend together;
State your case, that you may be acquitted.
27 Your first father sinned,
And your mediators have transgressed against Me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary;
I will give Jacob to the curse,
And Israel to reproaches.

For I, the Lord your God, will Hold your Right Hand

God encourages His people in this chapter showing that besides being the Creator of the Universe, He is also interested in their lives, their nations, their protection and so on. He specifically reminds the Israelites that they are His chosen people according to the covenant with His friend Abraham. God specifically mentions He will strengthen, help, and destroy those who come against them.

There is a reference to the Redeemer. God also revealed that His people will go through much physical difficulties, but He will help them and not forsake them. He supernatural help will also show others His glory. Finally God also challenges His people to present their case for trusting on idols and anything else. He warned them that those are totally worthless.

Isaiah 41
Israel Assured of God’s Help

1 “Keep silence before Me, O coastlands,
And let the people renew their strength!
Let them come near, then let them speak;
Let us come near together for judgment.
2 “Who raised up one from the east?
Who in righteousness called him to His feet?
Who gave the nations before him,
And made him rule over kings?
Who gave them as the dust to his sword,
As driven stubble to his bow?
3 Who pursued them, and passed safely
By the way that he had not gone with his feet?
4 Who has performed and done it,
Calling the generations from the beginning?
‘I, the Lord, am the first;
And with the last I am He.’”
5 The coastlands saw it and feared,
The ends of the earth were afraid;
They drew near and came.
6 Everyone helped his neighbor,
And said to his brother,
“Be of good courage!”
7 So the craftsman encouraged the goldsmith;
He who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil,
Saying, “It is ready for the soldering”;
Then he fastened it with pegs,
That it might not totter.
8 “But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My friend.
9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
10 Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
11 “Behold, all those who were incensed against you
Shall be ashamed and disgraced;
They shall be as nothing,
And those who strive with you shall perish.
12 You shall seek them and not find them—
Those who contended with you.
Those who war against you
Shall be as nothing,
As a nonexistent thing.
13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
14 “Fear not, you worm Jacob,
You men of Israel!
I will help you,” says the Lord
And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15 “Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth;
You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small,
And make the hills like chaff.
16 You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away,
And the whirlwind shall scatter them;
You shall rejoice in the Lord,
And glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,
Their tongues fail for thirst.
I, the Lord, will hear them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18 I will open rivers in desolate heights,
And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land springs of water.
19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree,
The myrtle and the oil tree;
I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine
And the box tree together,
20 That they may see and know,
And consider and understand together,
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.



The Futility of Idols

21 “Present your case,” says the Lord.
“Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.
22 “Let them bring forth and show us what will happen;
Let them show the former things, what they were,
That we may consider them,
And know the latter end of them;
Or declare to us things to come.
23 Show the things that are to come hereafter,
That we may know that you are gods;
Yes, do good or do evil,
That we may be dismayed and see it together.
24 Indeed you are nothing,
And your work is nothing;
He who chooses you is an abomination.
25 “I have raised up one from the north,
And he shall come;
From the rising of the sun he shall call on My name;
And he shall come against princes as though mortar,
As the potter treads clay.
26 Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know?
And former times, that we may say, ‘He is righteous’?
Surely there is no one who shows,
Surely there is no one who declares,
Surely there is no one who hears your words.
27 The first time I said to Zion,
‘Look, there they are!’
And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings.
28 For I looked, and there was no man;
I looked among them, but there was no counselor,
Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
29 Indeed they are all worthless;[a]
Their works are nothing;
Their molded images are wind and confusion.

For Surely There Is A Hereafter, And Your Hope Will Not Be Cut Off.

The first section seems to be teaching us not only manners but perhaps to be mindful of our position in the presence of a king or authority. It also discourages us to envy or covetousness. In addition it also warns that sometimes we will be offered things by people who do not really mean it. Several verses later, food is again used to illustrate and teach about being wise and in control of our wants and also to increase our understanding.

The next topic is not to withold discipline from children - the verses are:
13 Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
14 You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.[b]

Another set of verses teaching us how we should relate to our mother and father.
22 Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice.



Proverbs 23
1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is before you;

2 And put a knife to your throat
If you are a man given to appetite.

3 Do not desire his delicacies,
For they are deceptive food.

4 Do not overwork to be rich;
Because of your own understanding, cease!

5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not?
For riches certainly make themselves wings;
They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

6 Do not eat the bread of a miser,[a]
Nor desire his delicacies;

7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.

8 The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up,
And waste your pleasant words.

9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

10 Do not remove the ancient landmark,
Nor enter the fields of the fatherless;

11 For their Redeemer is mighty;
He will plead their cause against you.

12 Apply your heart to instruction,
And your ears to words of knowledge.

13 Do not withhold correction from a child,
For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.

14 You shall beat him with a rod,
And deliver his soul from hell.[b]

15 My son, if your heart is wise,
My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself;

16 Yes, my inmost being will rejoice
When your lips speak right things.

17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day;

18 For surely there is a hereafter,
And your hope will not be cut off.

19 Hear, my son, and be wise;
And guide your heart in the way.

20 Do not mix with winebibbers,
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;

21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

22 Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.

23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it,
Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.

25 Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who bore you rejoice.

26 My son, give me your heart,
And let your eyes observe my ways.

27 For a harlot is a deep pit,
And a seductress is a narrow well.

28 She also lies in wait as for a victim,
And increases the unfaithful among men.

29 Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?

30 Those who linger long at the wine,
Those who go in search of mixed wine.

31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;

32 At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.

33 Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things.

34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:

35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”

Incline Your Ears to the Words of My Mouth

The first paragraph is as if God is speaking. Interesting to note that God says He will speak in parables to reveal wisdom to the people. This was exactly how Jesus preached to His people.

The second paragraph speaks of God in the third person, revealing His relationship to His people from the line of Jacob. God was made known to their children and they are regularly encouraged to keep the commandments and not be rebellious.

The psalm narrates the history of the Exodus, in particular the marvelous and wondrous provision of God as they ventured to the Promised Land. It details the miracles of the provision of food and water as well as God's presence as a cloud by day and fire by night to guide them. Yet they rebelled against God and were punished on several occasions.

In times of their punishment, they remembered God as their Rock and Redeemer. But they constantly turned again to provoke God and not remember the miracles in Egypt which forced Pharaoh to let them free. God also worked miracles in defeating all the armies of the Promised Land so the Israel can settle there. Yet they provoked God by worshipping idols and pagan gods.

Finally it describes God in His sovereign will chose from Judah, His servant David. David was taken from being a Shepperd of sheep to be the Shepperd of Israel, with integrity in his heart.


Psalm 78
A Contemplation[a] of Asaph.
 1 Give ear, O my people, to my law;
         Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
 2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
         I will utter dark sayings of old,
 3 Which we have heard and known,
         And our fathers have told us.
 4 We will not hide them from their children,
         Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
         And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
        
 5 For He established a testimony in Jacob,
         And appointed a law in Israel,
         Which He commanded our fathers,
         That they should make them known to their children;
 6 That the generation to come might know them,
         The children who would be born,
         That they may arise and declare them to their children,
 7 That they may set their hope in God,
         And not forget the works of God,
         But keep His commandments;
 8 And may not be like their fathers,
         A stubborn and rebellious generation,
         A generation that did not set its heart aright,
         And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
        
 9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows,
         Turned back in the day of battle.
 10 They did not keep the covenant of God;
         They refused to walk in His law,
 11 And forgot His works
         And His wonders that He had shown them.
        
 12 Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,
         In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
 13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
         And He made the waters stand up like a heap.
 14 In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
         And all the night with a light of fire.
 15 He split the rocks in the wilderness,
         And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
 16 He also brought streams out of the rock,
         And caused waters to run down like rivers.
        
 17 But they sinned even more against Him
         By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
 18 And they tested God in their heart
         By asking for the food of their fancy.
 19 Yes, they spoke against God:
         They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
 20 Behold, He struck the rock,
         So that the waters gushed out,
         And the streams overflowed.
         Can He give bread also?
         Can He provide meat for His people?”
        
 21 Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious;
         So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
         And anger also came up against Israel,
 22 Because they did not believe in God,
         And did not trust in His salvation.
 23 Yet He had commanded the clouds above,
         And opened the doors of heaven,
 24 Had rained down manna on them to eat,
         And given them of the bread of heaven.
 25 Men ate angels’ food;
         He sent them food to the full.
        
 26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;
         And by His power He brought in the south wind.
 27 He also rained meat on them like the dust,
         Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;
 28 And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
         All around their dwellings.
 29 So they ate and were well filled,
         For He gave them their own desire.
 30 They were not deprived of their craving;
         But while their food was still in their mouths,
 31 The wrath of God came against them,
         And slew the stoutest of them,
         And struck down the choice men of Israel.
        
 32 In spite of this they still sinned,
         And did not believe in His wondrous works.
 33 Therefore their days He consumed in futility,
         And their years in fear.
        
 34 When He slew them, then they sought Him;
         And they returned and sought earnestly for God.
 35 Then they remembered that God was their rock,
         And the Most High God their Redeemer.
 36 Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth,
         And they lied to Him with their tongue;
 37 For their heart was not steadfast with Him,
         Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
 38 But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,
         And did not destroy them.
         Yes, many a time He turned His anger away,
         And did not stir up all His wrath;
 39 For He remembered that they were but flesh,
         A breath that passes away and does not come again.
        
 40 How often they provoked Him in the wilderness,
         And grieved Him in the desert!
 41 Yes, again and again they tempted God,
         And limited the Holy One of Israel.
 42 They did not remember His power:
         The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
 43 When He worked His signs in Egypt,
         And His wonders in the field of Zoan;
 44 Turned their rivers into blood,
         And their streams, that they could not drink.
 45 He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
         And frogs, which destroyed them.
 46 He also gave their crops to the caterpillar,
         And their labor to the locust.
 47 He destroyed their vines with hail,
         And their sycamore trees with frost.
 48 He also gave up their cattle to the hail,
         And their flocks to fiery lightning.
 49 He cast on them the fierceness of His anger,
         Wrath, indignation, and trouble,
         By sending angels of destruction among them.
 50 He made a path for His anger;
         He did not spare their soul from death,
         But gave their life over to the plague,
 51 And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt,
         The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.
 52 But He made His own people go forth like sheep,
         And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
 53 And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear;
         But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
 54 And He brought them to His holy border,
         This mountain which His right hand had acquired.
 55 He also drove out the nations before them,
         Allotted them an inheritance by survey,
         And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
        
 56 Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
         And did not keep His testimonies,
 57 But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
         They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
 58 For they provoked Him to anger with their high places,
         And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
 59 When God heard this, He was furious,
         And greatly abhorred Israel,
 60 So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
         The tent He had placed among men,
 61 And delivered His strength into captivity,
         And His glory into the enemy’s hand.
 62 He also gave His people over to the sword,
         And was furious with His inheritance.
 63 The fire consumed their young men,
         And their maidens were not given in marriage.
 64 Their priests fell by the sword,
         And their widows made no lamentation.
        
 65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
         Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
 66 And He beat back His enemies;
         He put them to a perpetual reproach.
        
 67 Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph,
         And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
 68 But chose the tribe of Judah,
         Mount Zion which He loved.
 69 And He built His sanctuary like the heights,
         Like the earth which He has established forever.
 70 He also chose David His servant,
         And took him from the sheepfolds;
 71 From following the ewes that had young He brought him,
         To shepherd Jacob His people,
         And Israel His inheritance.
 72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,
         And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

God the creator of the universe, is now glorified by his creation, "the heavens declare the glory of God". This is not only poetic but it is true in that God's majesty can be seen through the beauty of His creation by believers and unbelievers alike.

David describes the perfection of things associated with God, including God's Law, His testimony, the Statutes, the commandments, the Fear of the LORD, the judgements. All these are so good that they are to be desired more than gold.

The ending of this Psalm is the wonderful appeal to God as
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, Be acceptable in Your sight".


Psalm 19

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
         And the firmament shows His handiwork.
 2 Day unto day utters speech,
         And night unto night reveals knowledge.
 3 There is no speech nor language
         Where their voice is not heard.
 4 Their line[a] has gone out through all the earth,
         And their words to the end of the world.
       
         In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
         And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven,
         And its circuit to the other end;
         And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
       
 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
         The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
         The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
         The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
 10 More to be desired are they than gold,
         Yea, than much fine gold;
         Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
 11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
         And in keeping them there is great reward.
       
 12 Who can understand his errors?
         Cleanse me from secret faults.
 13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
         Let them not have dominion over me.
         Then I shall be blameless,
         And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
       
 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
         Be acceptable in Your sight,
         O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

In Job 18  his friend Bildad continues to assume Job is in the wrong. Bildad goes on to describe how the wicked is confronted with disaster after disaster, which he no doubt thinks correlates with Job's situation quite well.

Job responds in Chap 19, where he continues to describes his misfortunes. Job quite clearly believes God is responsible for the disasters, as in v21 "For the hand of God has struck me!". And yet, Job does not cease to depend and cling to God. In v25, Job says " For I know that my Redeemer lives", suggesting that Job knows God's role as The Redeemer and waiting to be redeemed. He yearns for the time when he will see God at the end of his life. I think this picture of Job's heart shows that even as he describes how God is responsible for the calamities, he is not actually blaming God in the negative sense, rather he is describing his situation, perhaps with a little self-pity and not understanding God's purpose.

Job 18

Bildad: The Wicked Are Punished

 ¹ Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: ² “How long till you put an end to words?
      Gain understanding, and afterward we will speak.
 ³ Why are we counted as beasts,
      And regarded as stupid in your sight?
 ⁴ You who tear yourself in anger,
      Shall the earth be forsaken for you?
      Or shall the rock be removed from its place?
 ⁵ “The light of the wicked indeed goes out,
      And the flame of his fire does not shine.
 ⁶ The light is dark in his tent,
      And his lamp beside him is put out.
 ⁷ The steps of his strength are shortened,
      And his own counsel casts him down.
 ⁸ For he is cast into a net by his own feet,
      And he walks into a snare.
 ⁹ The net takes him by the heel,
      And a snare lays hold of him.
 ¹⁰ A noose is hidden for him on the ground,
      And a trap for him in the road.
 ¹¹ Terrors frighten him on every side,
      And drive him to his feet.
 ¹² His strength is starved,
      And destruction is ready at his side.
 ¹³ It devours patches of his skin;
      The firstborn of death devours his limbs.
 ¹⁴ He is uprooted from the shelter of his tent,
      And they parade him before the king of terrors.
 ¹⁵ They dwell in his tent who are none of his;
      Brimstone is scattered on his dwelling.
 ¹⁶ His roots are dried out below,
      And his branch withers above.
 ¹⁷ The memory of him perishes from the earth,
      And he has no name among the renowned.^[a]
 18 He is driven from light into darkness,
      And chased out of the world.
 ¹⁹ He has neither son nor posterity among his people,
      Nor any remaining in his dwellings.
 ²⁰ Those in the west are astonished at his day,
      As those in the east are frightened.
 ²¹ Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
      And this is the place of him who does not know God.”

Job 19

Job Trusts in His Redeemer

 ¹ Then Job answered and said: ² “How long will you torment my soul,
      And break me in pieces with words?
 ³ These ten times you have reproached me;
      You are not ashamed that you have wronged me.^[a]
 4 And if indeed I have erred,
      My error remains with me.
 ⁵ If indeed you exalt yourselves against me,
      And plead my disgrace against me,
 ⁶ Know then that God has wronged me,
      And has surrounded me with His net.
 ⁷ “If I cry out concerning wrong, I am not heard.
      If I cry aloud, there is no justice.
 ⁸ He has fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass;
      And He has set darkness in my paths.
 ⁹ He has stripped me of my glory,
      And taken the crown from my head.
 ¹⁰ He breaks me down on every side,
      And I am gone;
      My hope He has uprooted like a tree.
 ¹¹ He has also kindled His wrath against me,
      And He counts me as one of His enemies.
 ¹² His troops come together
      And build up their road against me;
      They encamp all around my tent.
 ¹³ “He has removed my brothers far from me,
      And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
 ¹⁴ My relatives have failed,
      And my close friends have forgotten me.
 ¹⁵ Those who dwell in my house, and my maidservants,
      Count me as a stranger;
      I am an alien in their sight.
 ¹⁶ I call my servant, but he gives no answer;
      I beg him with my mouth.
 ¹⁷ My breath is offensive to my wife,
      And I am repulsive to the children of my own body.
 ¹⁸ Even young children despise me;
      I arise, and they speak against me.
 ¹⁹ All my close friends abhor me,
      And those whom I love have turned against me.
 ²⁰ My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,
      And I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
 ²¹ “Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends,
      For the hand of God has struck me!
 ²² Why do you persecute me as God does,
      And are not satisfied with my flesh?
 ²³ “Oh, that my words were written!
      Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
 ²⁴ That they were engraved on a rock
      With an iron pen and lead, forever!
 ²⁵ For I know that my Redeemer lives,
      And He shall stand at last on the earth;
 ²⁶ And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
      That in my flesh I shall see God,
 ²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself,
      And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
      How my heart yearns within me!
 ²⁸ If you should say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’—
      Since the root of the matter is found in me,
 ²⁹ Be afraid of the sword for yourselves;
      For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
      That you may know there is a judgment.”