Israel and Roller Coasters - Chapter 29

"And in an instant, suddenly you will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great noise with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire."

Isaiah 29:5

"Because this people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me a commandment taught by men."

Isaiah 29:13

"In the day the deaf shall hear the words of a book and out of their gloom of darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy from the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult the Holy One of Israel. For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off..."

Isaiah 29:16-20

"For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel."

Isaiah 29:23

Isaiah 29 is such an intriguing chapter. The first word is "Ah", signifying great grief and suffering, then "Ariel, Ariel". Honestly, my mind jumped to The Little Mermaid :-) but that's not what we're talking about. Scholars don't actually know. It's Hebrew ('Ari'el). Some think it means "altar hearth" while others lean towards "lion of God" or "hero". How you read the rest of the chapter is significant based on which meaning you choose. I chose "Israel". It's not one of the options scholars give, but I think there were times when God was ready to sacrifice Israel (altar hearth) and find a new people. However, there were also times when He was actually proud ('lion of God' or 'hero') of Israel. So, I just stuck with the people.

Like Israel, i have my up and down moments with God. It's kind of like a roller coaster. You're always strapped in and sage because of God's love, but there are times when you feel as though that seatbelt is loose, usually when we're flying downhill towards the bottom. Those are the times I disappoint God. Then there are times when I'm pinned down, going no where, and braving the loops, twists and turns.

Just like the seatbelt on a roller coaster, God is always with Israel; He stuck with them no matter how hard times got. Even when there words didn't match their actions, "Because this people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me a commandment taught by men." (v. 13). He protected them, "For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off..." (v. 20). And eventually, at the end of the chapter, God even seems to be proud of Israel, "For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel." (v. 23).

It doesn't mean Israel didn't go through terrifying moments, "And in an instant, suddenly you will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great noise with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire." (v. 5) But God never gave up, never let them out of their protective seatbelt.

Mass Destruction - 34

"Draw near, O nations to hear,
and give attention, O peoples!
Let the earth hear, and all that fills it;
the world and all that comes from it.
For the LORD is enraged against all the nations,
and furious against all their host;
he has devoted them to destruction,
has given them over for slaughter."
Isaiah 34:1-2

WOW!! We're way past Assyria and the trouble that nation caused. Now we're onto all nations, all people and everything that fills the earth.

I have to admit, this passage depressed me. So much so that I needed to take a break from Isaiah and talk of destruction, it was too much for me. I had to spend a little time in the New Testament (1 John 4 to be exact) and remind myself of God's love so I could balance out His wrath.

Coming back to Isaiah 34 didn't seem as bad them, But it's still bad.

Four times in the first 8 verses the phrase "The LORD has" is repeated, The first is in verse 2, "The LORD is enraged". The comments in my footnotes say the Hebrew idiom could be translated "The Lord has rage". That verse alone is enough to terrify me, but it goes on. Verse 6a, "The LORD has a sword", verse 6b, "The LORD has a sacrifice", and verse 8, "The LORD has a day of vengeance". So, to summarize, we have an enraged LORD, who's picked out a day of vengeance, has a sword, and knows what he's going to sacrifice. In that day (to borrow the phrase from Isaiah) all hell will break lose, literally.

If you oppose Zion or its cause you will be destroyed. There are no loop holes to jump through, no clauses or exceptions, just the fact that if you're not with God, then you're against Him which means you're going down.

The scene described is a living hell, the detail is so distinct:

"land shall become a burning pitch...

it shall not be quenched...

it shall lie waste...

thorns shall grow over its strongholds...

it shall be the haunt of jackals..." 

(selection of verses 9-13). 

And in case you have any question as to whether that can happen, when then read,

"Seek and read from the book of the LORD; 

not one of these shall be missing;

...for the mouth of the LORD has commanded, 

and his Spirit has gathered them." 

(verse 16)

In simpler terms: what God says, God does. There are several other horrible things described in verses 9-15 and He says everything mentioned will happen. 

I moments like this, you have to decide if the Bible is all truth or all lies. It can't be part way, it's all or nothing. What are you going to believe?

Still re-learning the SAME lessons - 30

"'Ah, stubborn children'" declares the LORD,

'who carry out a plan,

but not mine, and who make an alliance,

but not of my Spirit, that they add sin to sin;

who set to go down to Egypt without asking my direction...'"

Isaiah 30:1-2a

"Egypt's help is worthless and empty;

therefore I have called her Rahab who sits still."

Isaiah 30:7

"And now, go write it before them on a tablet

and inscribe it in a book,

that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever.

For they are a rebellious people...

children unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord..."

Isaiah 30:8-9

"In returning and rest you shall be saved;

in quietness and in trust shall be your strength..."

Isaiah 30:15a

Why do we so readily run to solutions of the world rather than look to our creator? We turn to the powers of our time before we seek God. We're no different than the Israelites. We all, it seems, have to learn the same lessons. And I'm sure, just like the Israelites, we sadden God's heart.

We can read Isaiah 30 and think, "the Israelites WANT to go back to the people who made them salves?! Are they crazy?!" But how often do we turn to (or are at least tempted) devices of the world? We all have our weaknesses.

Personally, when I'm down I like to shop Rather than turning to God, I go blow some dough on clothes, jewelry, bags, etc. I know it doesn't really help, yet I want to do it anyhow. Just like the Israelites I'm "unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD."

I wish it could stop there. I wish that's as bad as it gets, but it's not. The Israelites resorted to telling their prophets they didn't want to hear how upset God was, they only wanted the good news. How often do we have selective hearing? Listening only to what we WANT to hear; or just wanting the good news without the bad.

Thousands of years later humanity is still learning the same lessons, still pulled towards the same distractions and evils.

We don't know how to REST in God. And it's often hard for us to return to Him. But that's what He desires of us. To "return and rest" in Him; to lean towards "quietness and trust". All we have to do is call to Him, because God ALWAYS hears the cries of His people.

6 powerful verses - Isaiah 12

"You will say in that day:
I will give thanks to you O LORD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.
Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid;
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation."
Isaiah 12:1-2


"You will say in that day,
Give thanks to the LORD,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing praises to the LORD for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitants of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."
Isaiah 12:4-6


God's name is proclaimed among his people. They are not looking to anyone or anything else except God. What an incredible picture. How much would God delight if we did that all the time. It rather than depending on things of this world, we relied solely on him? That day would be an amazing day!

"Let this be made known among all the earth"...God doesn't want just his people to know of his gloriousness, he wants the words spread among all the earth. Too often, I'm guilty of keeping His gloriousness to myself. I'm overly conscious of what people think of me. The few times I due sing songs of praise to him as I walk down the street, I'm often silenced by the stares of people. Oh to be bold for Christ the way He was bold.

The promised One - 11

"And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and might,

the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD."

Isaiah 11:2

The promised Messiah will come. The prophesy gives details. Six traits are mentioned: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the LORD.

I found those six traits to be fascinating! Most of them occur in our thoughts: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and I would lump counsel in with these as well. Interesting that 4 out of 6 happen inside our bodies with our hearts and mind.

That leaves might and fear of the LORD. I think of these as "stances". For might, I picture a warrior taking his "stance"- preparing for battle, solid, unmoving, etc. For fear of the Lord, the picture that comes to mind is a person on their knees - showing reverence and submission.

"And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. 

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide disputes by what his ears hear,

but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth..."

Isaiah 11:3-4a

I found these verses truly convicting. I'm the type of person who's quick to come to an opinion and unfortunately, I often decide based on what my eyes see. It's a complete contrast to the 6 traits mentioned in the previous verses. This was a good reminder for me.

"They shall not hurt or destroy

in all my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD

as the waters covers the sea."

Isaiah 11:9

I love that picture, the EARTH FULL OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD. How amazing will it be when that day occurs, when our completely imperfect earth, suddenly has an awareness of the perfect, holy one.

"In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples - of him shall the peoples inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people...He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."

Isaiah 11:10-12

Learning Curves - 10

"Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, 

and the writers who keep writing oppression 

to turn aside the needy from justice 

and to rob the poor of my people of their right 

that widows may be their spoil, 

and that they may make the fatherless their prey!"

Isaiah 10:1-2

God declares hardship on the unjust; on those who cause in justice, who turn a blind eye to the needy and prevent them from obtaining justice. To those who prey on widows and the fatherless - they have no one to protect them -  those who are meant to protect and defend them, attack them instead.

"What will you do on the day of punishment, 

in the ruin that will come from afar? 

To whom will you flee for help, 

and where will you leave your wealth? 

Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners 

or fall among the slain."

Isaiah 10:3-4a

God asks, "What will you do in the day of visitation?" God's anger will pour out on them and they will have to answer for their sins. the friends they made their their competition are now their enemies. They have no where to run and hide; nowhere to seek refuge. 


God asks "where will they leave their wealth?" - All they have accumulated while causing destruction and unjustice is now stripped from them. They have two options,  1) to be taken captive (along with those they took advantage of), or 2) die. And it seems God wants nothing to do with them.

"Oh my people who dwell in Zion, 

be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod 

and lift up their staff as the Egyptians did. 

For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, 

and my anger will be directed at their destruction."

Isaiah 10:24-25

God allows the Assyrians to take control. He allows the Israelites to go through that terror in order to draw them closer to Him. He breaks them down to build them up.


I went through one of these "learning curves" 2 years ago. For months I endured a kind of pain I never knew existed. Yes, there were moments of laughter and joy, but in some ways I think during any kind of trial, you God provides a moment of respite. I still bear scars from that trial to this day; marks that will be with me for the rest of my life.  Yet through it all, I learned how to lean on God in a new way. I cherished time with Him, because He was my confidant, the only one I could turn to for comfort. God's anger didn't destroy those who caused my pain, but He destroyed the lies from Satan that I took as truth. I was allowed to walk down a life path that wasn't pleasant, but I'm a better woman and daughter of King because of it.

God the Parent: Chapter 9

"The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad for when they divide the spoil."
Isaiah 9:2-3

"For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

"For all this his anger has not turned away.
and his hand is stretched out still."
Isaiah 9:12b, 17b, 21b

The people of Israel saw much trial and heartache in their history. Chapter 9 acknowledge this, but also speaks of the great joy that is to come because of a Savior. Though they once walked in darkness, they will now be in the light. I just love that promise: the darkness won't last forever. Too many times, I'm caught thinking it will. Too many times I've decided God let me get in over my head, but that's simply not the case. The light will come in all it's glory.

I love that Jesus' names are capitalized. You know it's a big deal when four names for you are capitalized! And how true those four names are: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

First in chapter 9 we get the good news, then comes the bad news: "The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel; and all the people will know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and arrogance of heart: 'The bricks have fallen, be we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.'" In other words, we don't need God, WE CAN DO IT!

I've had that attitude many a time. I make "exceptions" thinking God didn't get it quite right so I'll make do with something else, not realizing that by doing that rather than seeking His counsel, I'm rebelling against Him. Jacob - Israel - Ephraim - Samaria, they all rebelled against the the worship of the Lord. So, they get attacked.

You see a side of God here that we don't like to think about because it's not the "sunshine and rainbows" God we'd rather see. We see a God who's upset with His people. A God who knows there are consequences to His people's actions, no matter how much He loves them. It reminds me of my younger day when my parent's spanked me for disobeying. They would say it hurt them too, but I never understood that being the one who was getting swatted. But I have a MUCH better grasp now. God didn't enjoy seeing His people suffer, but He knew they HAD too. "For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still."

That phrase is repeated 3 times in 13 verses. God still loves His people and He's still there for them, but He also has to let them suffer.

Hmm...- 8

Isaiah 8

So, Isaiah 8...I have no notes, nothing underlined...it seems either nothing stood out to me, or I didn't understand the chapter.

So, read it on your own and tell me what you think :-)!

I'll give you a sign - Chapter 7

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and shall call his name Immanuel."

Isaiah 7:14

Chapter 7 begins, "In the days of Ahaz..." another king of the Israelites, particularly Judah as this was during the time when the nation split into 2 kingdoms. Ahaz ascended the throne as a young king and quickly moved the nation to idol worship. He was an evil king. You can read more about him in 2 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28. Let's just say, I'm glad he wasn't my dad, or I would most likely not believe considering he believe in child sacrifices.

We go onto to read that 2 great countries are preparing for battle against Judah and Ahaz is scared! God tells Isaiah to go meet Ahaz with his son. I think that's an amazing act of faith in and of itself. Going to meet a king who'd sacrifice his own child with you son. Thankfully, Isaiah has a good message to tell Ahaz.

Then God asks Ahaz to ask him for a sign! How cool is that?! I know God isn't a vending machine or a genie, but how cool that He's not afraid of putting Himself to the test. And why should He be, he created the world and everything in it. Only the one true God would ask knowing the King could request ANYTHING and He could fulfill the requet.

So often I'm like the king who responds, "I will not ask, I will not put the Lord to the test." I want to believe in God on my own terms and think it's selfish and childish to need God to provide a "sign". But, in the same breath how much does God want to prove Himself worthy? And how freeing would it be to KNOW?

Instead the Lord says he's going to make a virgin pregnant. WHAT?! Only God would come up with a sign that berserk. The Israelites heard this prophesy many times. Yet when Mary claimed she was pregnant without having slept with a man, no one believed her. How often to we choose not to believe thinking it to be impossible? How often do we limit God?

Isaiah's Courage - Chapter 6

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

the whole earth is full of of his glory!"

Isaiah 6:3b

"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,

'Whom shall I send

and who will go for us?'

Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'"

Isaiah 6:8

"In the year that King Uzziah died..." such a sad way to begin a chapter. King Uzziah was a good king. He prayed and looked to God to help him, and God did. He gave him victory over his enemies, and they built up a strong army. He built walls and towers around Jerusalem to protect them. “As long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper,” (2 Chron 26:5). “And he was marvelously helped till he was strong,” (2 Chron 26:15). However, he let all that power go to his head and one day entered the inside temple to offer sacrifice to God, a place he knew he wasn't supposed to be. He became angry when the priests told his he didn't belong their and God struck him with a disease.

So, as you see, the beginning of this verse is very important. "In the year that King Uzziah died" for Isaiah (who this chapter is about) could mean: in the year when all that was right and good came crashing down; in the year when our mighty leader fell. However, the second half of the verse is "...I saw the Lord, seated upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the trains of his robe filled the temple." (v 1b).

There's bad and good. In the year when everything fell apart, I saw the Lord. And the seraphims around Him called to one another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts..." Anything repeated 3 times is worth taking note of. The seraphims mean for it to be emphasized which is why they repeat it, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the WHOLE earth is full of his glory." God's glory is all around, and the seraphims say it in present tense.

Let's recap real fast: in the year that everything went wrong, Isaiah saw the Lord, and was reminded that the whole earth is still full of His glory, even though it feels like it's all falling apart.

Then the LORD speaks to Isaiah, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" and Isaiah responds, "Here am I! Send me." I love the exclamation point after "here am I", it just makes it so much more interesting the passion behind Isaiah's words.

God's next word, "Go". He then gives Isaiah a message to deliver that the Israelites are not going to want to hear. And so begins Isaiah life as a prophet.

I wish I had Isaiah's courage. The courage to do whatever God needed, wherever God needed it done, no matter how hard, difficult or lonely it could be. The courage to say yes without thinking. I'm not that brave. I have moments of braveness, but if I was in Isaiah's place, I don't know if I would have been as quick to jump at the opportunity to be God's vessel. I wouldn't want to be the one to tell Israel they've lost favor with God.

Isaiah was a brave man!

Poetry - Chapter 5

Isaiah 5:12-13a

"They have a lyre and harp,

tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,

but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,

or see the work of his hands.

Therefore me people go into exile

for lack of knowledge..."

Isaiah 5 is a long poem that begins with a vineyard that God is tending. He has worked long and hard hours in the vineyard. Caring for even it's smallest needs, but when God looked for it to yield it's fruit, it didn't. "What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done it it?" was His cry.

We reap the rewards of our hard labor, or our neglect of it. Israel's behavior was destructive and God wasn't pleased with them. After everything He'd done for them. He cared and toiled over Israel for their benefit so they would yield Him much fruit, yet they turned wild. So now other lands and people are coming with weapons drawn and battle plans set.

I don't know about you, but this hits a little too close to home for me. God has protected me and guided me my entire life. Be it through people He placed around me, or His whispers in my heart and strength in my soul. Yet so often, I disregard Him. I don't care to see how well He's taken care of me; how tender He's been. Instead, I go my own way and do my own thing.

This chapter was a good reminder for me to give thanks to God is all circumstances and to relish in His presence rather than running from it.

In that day...-Chapter 4

Isaiah 4:2

"In that day the branch of the Lord

shall be beautiful and glorious,

the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor

of the survivors of Israel"

Isaiah 4:5a

"Then the Lord will create

over the whole site of Mount Zion

and over her assemblies..."

We've just finished talking about how God will take away the finer things in life from the women of Zion. The outward things that I so often find myself desiring. When everything is taken away from them they have no where to turn because they turned away from God. Chapter 4 begins with a scene of 7 women clinging to one man begging for his protection. Suddenly okay with the simple things in life.

As I read through Isaiah one of the key phrases that stands out is "In that day...". It's not always referring to a "good day". I fact many times, some pictures of the most horrible days depicted in Isaiah begin with, "in that day..." But verse 2 is one of the good moments, God is finally getting his due glory. The people finally call out to Him, just like the women called out to the one man to save them.

"Then the Lord will create..." I just love that picture because it brings me back to Genesis. God's creations are good and pure and this verse is no different. The Israelites catch a glimpse of the presence of God constantly with them. Though this time not while they wander through the dessert, but "over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies".

So often I wish I could have that tangible presence of God with me everyday, but then I remember I do. He's always there, always providing and He will always answer when I call out to Him.

Not so Big and Mighty Afterall...- Chapter 3

Isaiah 3:8

"For Jerusalem has stumbled,

and Judah has fallen,

because their speech and their deeds are against the LORD,

defying his glorious presence."

Isaiah 3:16a

"The LORD said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty..."

God's people...doesn't that phrase just seem to ring with power? To be known as God's people, that seems like quite the declaration to me! And maybe that's what the Israelites thought too. That's how I read it at first. That the Israelites were so caught up with themselves, that they started to give themselves a pay on the back. But then I took a closer look, I think the Israelites forgot God altogether. They might have been caught up with themselves (I still think that to some degree), but I also think they began relying on themselves, on their "man-made" structures.

For example, I'm a daughter of our King, but I don't think like that very often. Pride is an issue for me. I like to think I'm the great and might one, which makes me no different than the Israelites because I too, "defy His glorious presence."

The first part of this chapter is talking about the men in the culture, then we turn to the women. The Israelite women were proud and arrogant. God's judgement on them is not something I would look forward to. The Lord takes away all pretense and outwardly attractive thing. Their beautiful adornments are replaced with basic things or nothing at all. It was a good reminder for me that the beauty I do possess is a gift from the Lord. I often try to control it with makeup, hair products, diet and exercise, etc. And while I don't think any of those things are bad, I need to remember that God gave me what I have and I should be grateful and not try to change because I don't like ____________.