Tues.’s Devo - Isaiah’s Message

Read: Isaiah 6:1-7:25; 2 Corinthians 11:16-33; Psalm 54:1-7; Proverbs 23:1-3 Isaiah was promoted to a higher prophetic position when Uzziah lost his position as king. Uzziah had reigned for 50 years and during that time Judah had experienced great prosperity. Uzziah started out as a good king but let pride slip in and one day went into the Temple to do what only the priests were allowed to do. He offered incense on the altar and it took 80 priests to get him out before he was covered with leprosy. His reigning stopped then and his son had to take his place until he died. He was a picture of what had happened to Judah spiritually. *** In the year Uzziah died, Isaiah was brought to God’s throne and shown the Lord and the Temple filled with God’s presence. The angel touched Isaiah’s lips and removed his guilt and forgave his sins. He offered to go to the people to give God’s message. The message was that God was going to harden their hearts so they could not hear, or understand God’s message. *** Isaiah asked how long this would continue and God said until their towns were empty and the whole country was a wasteland. Only a very small remnant would survive. *** Ahaz was the king of Judah at the time. King Resin of Syria and Pekah the king of Israel set out to attack Jerusalem. When Ahaz found out, he was very afraid. God sent Isaiah to go and meet him and tell him to not worry because the invasion would never happen. Israel would be completely destroyed in the next 65 years. *** Later, God sent Isaiah back to Ahaz to tell him to ask for a sign of confirmation and make it as difficult as possible. Ahaz refused to ask for one so God told him he would give him one anyway. He told him that the virgin would have a son and his name would be called Emmanuel which means God is with us. Before he was able to eat solid food, the lands of the kings of Israel and Syria which were threatening to come and take Jerusalem would be deserted. Then the Lord would bring the king of Assyria on Jerusalem. The king of Egypt would also come and take everything in their land. Only a very few people would be left to live off the land. The land would turn to thorns and briers and the wild animals will take over. *** Isaiah’s wife was the virgin or young woman who had a son, but he was also prophesying of a virgin in the future who would have a son and he would be the Messiah who would be God, come down to earth to dwell with us. *** In Corinthians, Paul defends his life of suffering for the truth of the gospel against these “Super Apostles” who have come to deceive them with lies. He asks the people if these people are really servants of Christ. He gives examples of his own life to show what a servant of Christ looks like. It is one who has given his life to serve. Our Psalm was probably Paul’s prayer many times. *** Lord, may we not be deceived by teaching that would entice us to be lazy or justified to sin. May we walk even more uprightly in these days so that your light can shine even brighter in our lives.