Thursday – November 9, 2023, Cheshvan 25, 5784
A SWIFT BIRD OF PREY
Greetings precious saints of the only Living God, the only God who can save from the wrath to come. And welcome back to this informative and though provoking study of the Book of Isaiah. Please take a moment and share this teaching as widely as possible by every means available to you. Thank you for sharing. The Truth is sorely needed in the world to bring light and in the Church to drive out the traditions of men and the doctrines of demons. Dear brothers and sisters let us determine in our hearts to be good Berean’s. Let us prove every word, seeing if it be true or not.
Acts 17:10-11 (NLT)
10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.
11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
This is a lot of work but far better than believing and acting on traditions and doctrines of demons. We will not see God manifest in your life beyond salvation and speaking tongues perhaps believing lies. Remember, it is the Truth that makes us free. Free of what? All the bondages of the curse! The featured picture is of Donna and me last fall.
Now, let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible text and continue reading out loud, yes, out loud. It is not a complete waste to read silently but you will not build or increase faith (Romans 10:17) and it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). Now, to our text reading out loud.
Isaiah 46:10-13 (NLT)
10 Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.
11 I will call a swift bird of prey from the east—a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding. I have said what I would do, and I will do it.
12 “Listen to me, you stubborn people who are so far from doing right.
13 For I am ready to set things right, not in the distant future, but right now! I am ready to save Jerusalem and show my glory to Israel.
As we again examine our primary Bible text, we come to verse eleven. We have come to understand that this “swift bird of prey” to be Cyrus a Persian King still some 200 years in the future. According to the Rose Publishing Bible Time Line Isaiah lived 760-673 BC and Cyrus the Great 559-530 BC. Let’s look at this 11th verse in the Amplified Version.
Isaiah 46:11 (AMP)
11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east—the man [Cyrus] who executes My counsel from a far country. Yes, I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed it, and I will do it.
God has given mankind freewill and I do not believe there is evidence He will violate that freewill. The question is this, how do we reconcile this law of freewill with verse eleven and some others in the Bible. Let me throw out a couple of things for us to consider. I do not believe the Bible teaches that God manipulates people for that would be like the way the Devil works and is witchcraft. He does not control people making them do things like a robot or puppet that is very contrary to freewill and would be unjust. Could it be that He has already been there since He is free of time and offered choices to people that they chose? That being true He is not watching things unfold but knows the end from the beginning. In spite of knowing the end from the beginning He treats everyone of us according to our walk at this moment in time all the while knowing our end. I don’t know that I know the full and clear answer today but God will give illumination to me, to us.
Verse twelve the Lord is inviting His people again to listen and calls them stouthearted. This term is referring to their opposition to God. Another similar term we are perhaps more familiar with would be to have a hard heart or stiff-necked. He tells them that they are far from righteousness, far from right standing and doing right. Then the Lord declares that He wants to set things right now not at this distant point with Cyrus. He says in effect, I am ready to save Jerusalem and show my goodness to all Israel. See how repentance can change any timeline. This is part of the mystery of God, Prophecy, and time. Remember, we saw this with King Hezekiah. King Hezekiah repented, Israel does not at this time, it was their choice not the will of God. His will is spelled out in verse thirteen.
Lord willing, I will pick up right next week with chapter forty-seven. Remember, we love you and there is nothing you can do about it.
Authored By: Dr. David R. Wood, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (KJV)
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
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