Wed.’s Devo - God’s Word to Moab and Galatia

Read: Isaiah 15:1-18:7; Galatians 1:1-24; Psalm 58:1-11; Proverbs 23:12 It is believed that Isaiah gave this prophecy against Moab in the first year of Hezekiah’s reign and it was fulfilled four years later when Shalmaneser seized the strongholds of Moab on its way to invade Israel. Moab had probably joined with Israel and Syria against Assyria. God used Assyria to take down the places of idolatry and idols worship in Moab. The surprise attack happened so fast that the army didn’t have any time to do anything but cry out like the people. They only had time to flee. In Chapter 16 the prophecy continues and the prophets of Moab tell the people to send the lambs to the king of Judah. They had paid Israel lambs during King David’s rule but had stopped. They hoped that by providing Judah with lambs, they would take them in as refugees. They will cry out to their pagan gods but they will not be able to save them. Nothing they do will save them from God’s wrath. Isaiah says that this would happen to Moab within the next three years. Chapter 17 begins Isaiah’s prophecy about Damascus. It will end in a heap of ruins. Syria will look like Israel after the Assyrians took it. Their land will look like a field after harvest - totally desolate. Only a remnant will survive. Then the people will look to God as their creator and God. The will realize that all this happened because they abandoned the Lord. Their harvest will not be fruit and grain but grief and pain. Those who plunder them will be plundered themselves. Chapter 18 was a word to the people of Ethiopia. They were fierce warriors who were feared by other nations. They would be cut off before they started. The good of their land would be gifts sent to Jerusalem. In Galatia, the Judaizers said that Paul had taught them wrongly. They said that Paul taught other churches that they must be circumcised. Paul wrote them this letter to set things straight. He makes the point that he didn’t teach anything using human reasoning but he heard from God and spoke what he heard. When Paul was saved on the road to Emmaus he spend three years in Damascus listening to the Lord and being taught by him. Then he went to Jerusalem to meet Peter and spend time with him. After that he launched out on his missionary journeys. During those three years, the church had gone through growing pains and struggles to keep the truth from becoming blurred and tainted. Paul came back full of God’s spirit and full of the truth. His mission was to bring truth to the church and help cleanse them from false doctrines that had worked their way into the churches. Lord, may we look into our own hearts and see if any false doctrines have sifted in. Thank you for truth that stands the test of time.