Fri.’s Devo - The Valley of Vision

Read: Isaiah 22:1-24:23; Galatians 2:17-3:9; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 60:1-12 God refers to Jerusalem as the Valley of Vision which is sort of an oxymoron. You would go up on a mountain to see, not a valley. But, since Jerusalem had lost their ’seeing’, God referred to it as a valley. Isaiah saw Jerusalem full of devastation and disease. The leaders that couldn’t escape surrendered without a fight. He was seeing a day of crushing defeat, confusion and terror brought by the Lord and his army. Isaiah looked forward to the day when the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and Elamites attacked with their bows and chariots. Homes were dismantled to fill up the holes in the wall. Reservoirs were built to bring water into the city. Yet, no one cried out for God’s help. No one realized this was their fault for abandoning God. Isaiah tried to warn them as well as other prophets but they chose to party when they should have repented and walked in burlap. God sent Isaiah to Shebna, the palace treasurer who was building a great monument to be buried in. He asked him what he was doing since his body was about to be sent to a foreign land to die. He would never have any use for the tomb he was building. He told him he was a disgrace to his master. He would be replaced by Eliakim who would serve Hezekiah faithfully. Shebna represented all the dishonest men who ruled the financial world. They would all be replaced by men of integrity like Eliakim. God’s people would be given authority over the finances of the world and would be able to open doors that had been shut before. God gives a word about Tyre, the wealthy city of trade on the sea known as the marketplace of the world. It would be torn down and judged for her pride. Sidon, her sister city would also be destroyed. Babylon would be turned over to wild animals after the Assyrians were through with it. Tyre would be forgotten for 70 years, the life span of a king. Then she would be revived for a time but, in the end, all her wealth would be turned over to the Lord. He would use it to provide good food and fine clothing for the Lord’s priests. Judgment was coming to the whole earth at the same time. The sins of the earth has caused this great curse. The whole earth has lost their joy and they all have the same sad story. Only a remnant is left. Only a little food is left to harvest. Isaiah sees this great shaking of the earth and all the devastation that lies ahead and yet the people still continue to party and act like noting is about to happen. The good news is that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will rule on Mount Zion and he will rule in great glory in the sight of all the leaders of his people. All that we read today reminds me of what is going on right now in our nation. It is encouraging to read that all that is happening in the world is going according to plan. In the end the wealth of the wicked will be in the hands of the righteous who will use it to bless the world. In Galatians, Paul addresses the ones who thought they still had to follow the law to be Christians. He explains that they can’t continue to live by the old system since the new one has come. The new one is based on Christ’s death and resurrection. We too have died to our sins and been resurrected to a new life of freedom and grace. If we live to please God then we will do the things that are right. We now live by the Spirit and not by a list of laws. Abraham is our example who went agains the laws of his day and followed the Lord by faith. God’s plan was given to Abraham when he said that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Now the Gentiles are welcome into GOd’s kingdom which was God’s plan all along. Lord, help us to understand the day we are in and put our trust in what you are doing.