Read: Isaiah 1:1-2:22; 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; Psalm 52:1-9; Proverbs 22:26-27
Isaiah means “Yaweh is Salvation”. Israel and Judah had been blessed and prospered. Their kingdoms had grown and spread. Through their great riches, they had turned to harlotry and paganism. They had taken up the worship of false gods and added it to their own worship of the only true God. He was sick of it; God was just another idol on their shelf. The Roman Empire was taking over the Greek Empire that had been in power. They were beginning to have the first olympic games. Persecution was about to move to a whole new level for the Jews.
Isaiah prophesied imminent destruction but afterwards a time when God’s kingdom would be restored on the earth.
Paul was living in a similar period of time, only persecution had already been in full swing. He reminded them that they don’t fight naturally but supernaturally. Their weapons weren’t swords and tangible weapons, but they had divine power to bring down strongholds. They could demolish arguments and every pretense or lie that stood up against the truth. Our confidence is not in ourselves or anything we have accomplished but in Christ who is in us.
David compares us to an olive tree that is flourishing in the house of God. I love that the tree was flourishing! He trusted in the Lord’s love for him and what he had done in the past. He wrote this Psalm after he was ratted on by Doeg who told Saul where he was. David had plenty of natural enemies but he fought them with praise.
Lord, help us to praise you in the midst of all of our circumstances.
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