AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Wednesday – August 24, 2022, Av 27, 5782
THEY WENT TO YOU
Greetings dear and precious saints of God and welcome back to our Bible Study of the Bible Book of Isaiah. Please take few moments and share this teaching as widely as possible by every means available to you. Thank you so much for sharing. You are a blessing to this Ministry. You have a very important part to play in expanding our reach with the good news. There is no news, absolutely no news, near as good as the Word of God. The featured picture was taken by Pastor Randy Lindsey, a true man of God at Yellowstone National Park in July of this year. I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy these kinds of scenes. Now let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible text and continue reading out loud. You don’t have to read my words out loud although it will help you understand but always read the Bible texts out loud.
Isaiah 26:16-19 (HCSB)
16 LORD, they went to You in their distress; they poured out whispered ⌊prayers because⌋ Your discipline ⌊fell⌋ on them.
17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pains, so we were before You, LORD.
18 We became pregnant, we writhed in pain; we gave birth to wind. We have won no victories on earth, and the earth’s inhabitants have not fallen.
19 Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For you will be covered with the morning dew, and the earth will bring out the departed spirits.
As we launch into our teaching for today, I want to briefly get into a very much related area. As we read this text and many others areas of Scripture the first impression is that God is the primary actor in these circumstances. The other aspect being that it is the will of God. Neither assumption is correct, is very wrong, and is a failure to rightly divide the Word of God. We commonly hear that God has allowed this or that to happen. While that is true, what is the rest of the story? We see in our text that the discipline of the Lord fell upon them and inflicted much pain. Is God speaking in this passage? No, it is Isaiah speaking. Who is he speaking too? Appears that He is speaking to himself, musing, or recalling recent events.
In the Hebrew mind, allowing something is the same as doing the thing. We even see this in our laws today as relates to laws concerning accomplices. What is the trigger for God allowing something? We allow it. We are the ones with authority, God allows what we allow, and He will forbid what we forbid (Matthew 16:19). Silence is allowing. So, the reason the Israelites were in distress was due to their disobedience. The door was opened to the demons and they were more than happy to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). The discipline of the Lord is teaching from the Word (Proverbs 3), it is never the curse in any form. Read the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy and that will help enormously in rightly dividing the Word of God.
2 Timothy 2:15-16 (KJV)
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
Back to our primary Bible text. Why do we have to be in distress to get the revelation we need God? We need God desperately on our best day, not just our worst day. What were the people of God pregnant with? Sin! Unrepented sin will trigger consequences just as obedience triggers consequences. We ourselves make the decisions for death or life, for cursing or blessing. I am sure He is delighted with one and angered and saddened by the other. I am sure we have all watched people in our lives on a path of destruction and in spite of our attempts to show them a better way they continue. We have heard the saying that this one or that one turned to the Lord (Word of God) after they hit rock bottom. Why can’t we learn from the Word of God, seeing in the Word the consequences of righteous ways and unrighteous ways. We see in verse sixteen of our primary text that Israel hit rock bottom and then turned to the Lord. It is definitely better late than never.
Suffering in the sense of poverty, sickness, and all of the curse is not a part of the plan of God for our lives. God’s plan is nothing but good. The choice is ours. I know this is a no take responsibility generation but that is of the devil not of God.
Lord willing, I will pick up right here tomorrow.
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Receive the blessing in Jesus’ name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (MSG)
24 GOD bless you and keep you,
25 GOD smile on you and gift you,
26 GOD look you full in the face and make you prosper.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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