Thurs.’s Devo - The Lord Shall Save -

Read: Isaiah 1:1-2:22; 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; Psalm 52:1-9; Proverbs 22:26-27 Isaiah received prophecies throughout the reign of four of Judah’s kings. He spoke of the judgments of the Lord on the people and the world, and yet His mercy to the elect. He spoke them to God’s rebellious children in Judah and Jerusalem. They had forgotten their father and their maker and become sinful, guilty and evil. Their lifestyles invited judgment and punishment. Isaiah means “the Lord shall save” which is God’s promise throughout his Word. Because of their rebellion, their land had been ravaged and destroyed by foreigners. God spoke to the leaders of Judah and told them that he was sick of their sacrifices and rituals. They had hard hearts. They had killed innocent victims, perverted justice and spurned righteousness. They had refused to defend the cause of the orphan or fight for the rights of the widows. So, God was going to take revenge on them and remove all of their impurities. He was going to replace their judges with good judges and give them wise counselors like they used to have. The rebels and sinners were going to be completely destroyed and righteous people would take their roles. In the last day, the Temple of the Lord would be exalted above all other institutions. The Lord would be taught throughout the earth and He would mediate between nation and and settle disputes. People would use their weapons of war as instruments of harvest The Lord was rejecting his people because they worshiped the idols of the east and made alliances with pagans. Judah was rich with gold and silver, armies and weapons, and also idols they had made with their own hands. They would now be humbled under God’s hand and their pride and arrogance be brought down. The Lord was bringing his day of reckoning. The proud would be brought down and they would abandon their gold and silver to hide in the rocks to escape God’s wrath. God was about to arise and shake the earth. This sounds like what the earth is experiencing right now. In Corinthians, Paul warns the ones in the church who think he is acting from selfish motives. He reminds them that they don’t fight with natural weapons but with God’s weapons used to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and false arguments. These weapons destroy obstacles that keep people in pride and rebellion. Paul recognizes his authority comes from the Lord and doesn’t change. He will be the same in person as he is in his letters. His boast comes in what the Lord has done through them. Their mission was to spread the Gospel as far as they could.