Mon.’s Devo - The Good News and the Bad

Read: Isaiah 12:1-14:32; 2 Corinthians 13:1-14; Psalm 57:1-11; Proverbs 23:9-11 In Chapter 12, Isaiah continues to tell the good news of their distant future when they will sing of the goodness of God. It is the victory song to be sung when all the discipline and destruction is over. Chapter 13 tells of the destruction of Babylon. It was a foretaste of the end of times when judgment will come upon the whole earth. The people were paralyzed with fear as they heard the horse hoofs of the Assyrian army coming. So many were killed that Isaiah said people were scarcer than gold. Everything on earth and in heaven was shaken. There was no mercy given. Babylon had been the most glorious kingdom and now was destroyed, never to be inhabited again. Chapter 14 gives us the good news once again. It is the story of redemption and restoration after the war. The nations of the world will help Israel return to their own nation and the ones who come with them will serve them. Their captors will be captured and Israel will rule over its enemies. Isaiah gives a word about the king of Babylon and what will be said about his kingdom. When he is killed and goes to his eternal dwelling the spirits of world leaders that have been long dead will stand to see him. They will cry out that now he is as weak as they are. The king of Babylon is personified as Lucifer, the son of the morning. He said he would ascend to heaven and set his throne among the stars, but he was brought low under the earth instead. In the pit he will be mocked and laughed at. In the same year that the king of Babylon died, King Ahaz of Judah died. Isaiah warned the Philistines not to be happy to see King Ahaz die because God would raise up a king even more powerful than Ahaz. He was referring to Hezekiah. Paul gives the Corinthians plenty of warning that he is coming so they can get their lives ready and cleaned up. He told them to examine themselves to see if their faith was genuine and test themselves. Their faith should tell them that Jesus Christ is still with them and in them. If not, then their faith is useless. Lord, may our faith be full of power because we kn