Read: Isaiah 1:1-2:22; 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; Psalm 52:1-9: Proverbs 22:26-27
Isaiah prophesied through the reigns of four kings of Judah which was about 62 years. Hosea , Micah, and Nahum all prophesied during his time. Isaiah means “Yaweh is Salvation”. He prophesied during a most crucial period of Judah and Israel’s history. They had experienced 50 years of prosperity and power but had fallen to pagan worship and idolatry. They had secret places of pagan worship, the wealthy oppressed the poor, the women neglected their families for carnal pleasure, and of the priests and prophets had become pleasers of men rather than pleasers of God. They had completely violated their covenant they made to God with Moses. Judgement and captivity were inevitable for both nations because of their sin.
Isaiah entered his ministry at the time when Rome was built and the first Olympic games were being played. Assyria was ready to take over the nations to the south and west of them. Asia was also wanting to grow their borders. Isaiah was a student of world affairs and could see the conflicts boiling and in a few years Assyria took Samaria (Israel’s capital).
God sent Isaiah to tell the people of God’s great displeasure with the condition of their hearts. He was not impressed with their fake worship and their selfish sacrifices. God was going to shake the earth mightily and deal with their idols.
Where the warfare in the Old Testament was physical and tangible, Paul explained that in the new covenant our warfare is spiritual. Our weapons are not guns or our criticism but they are mighty through God. They bring down strongholds, cast down imaginations, and everything that tries to look larger than God. They bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. I can’t help but read this whole chapter in light of what is going on in our nation. We have a leader who God has miraculously placed in office to lead our nation back to him and he is criticized at every step. He is criticized if he says something and if he doesn’t say it right on time. I have never seen a person undergo so much opposition and hate as our president. Whether we agree with everything he says or does is not the point. The point is we have to stand behind him and use the weapons of our warfare to fight for God. God has the agenda for our nation but it is always contingent on His people and how they repent and pray. If we don’t see revival happen in our nation it will not be because of the president but because the people rejected what God was doing. Let’s not be that people. Let’s get on our knees and pray God’s kingdom down to earth and pray for our leaders.
Lord, we pray for our leaders and for what you want to do in this nation. May it be a nation that knows God and walks in righteousness and truth.
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