God Himself builds a highway of worship among the gentile nations.

October 21, 2013 - Isaiah 19:16-25

¹⁶ In that day the Egyptians will become weaklings. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the LORD Almighty raises against them. ¹⁷ And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the LORD Almighty is planning against them.

   ¹⁸ In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.

   ¹⁹ In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border. ²⁰ It will be a sign and witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. ²¹ So the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and keep them. ²² The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the LORD, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.

   ²³ In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. ²⁴ In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. ²⁵ The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”

Prophet Isaiah saw the wonderful vision that Egypt would become God's people. Assyria the handiwork of God, and Israel God's inheritance. Isaiah saw that these people once rebelled against God and received God's severe punishment, but as they cried out to God, God would respond and heal them. Isaiah even saw a highway from Egypt to Assyria that these people would worship together - "a worship highway". God will accomplish impossible work for converting the rebellious gentile nations to become His people, His handiwork, and His inheritance. God is on the move. He is the God of missions who brings the gospel through His church to the gentiles. Trust in Him, seek His path, and walk His step to witness Jesus with joy and faith. Jesus is the Savior of all peoples. 

Only our God is to be exalted.

October 20, 2013 - Isaiah 13:1-14:23

    ¹ A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:

   ² Raise a banner on a bare hilltop,
   shout to them;
beckon to them
   to enter the gates of the nobles.
³ I have commanded those I prepared for battle;
   I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath—
   those who rejoice in my triumph.

   ⁴ Listen, a noise on the mountains,
   like that of a great multitude!
Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms,
   like nations massing together!
The LORD Almighty is mustering
   an army for war.
⁵ They come from faraway lands,
   from the ends of the heavens—
the LORD and the weapons of his wrath—
   to destroy the whole country.

   ⁶ Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;
   it will come like destruction from the Almighty.
⁷ Because of this, all hands will go limp,
   every heart will melt with fear.
⁸ Terror will seize them,
   pain and anguish will grip them;
   they will writhe like a woman in labor.
They will look aghast at each other,
   their faces aflame.

   ⁹ See, the day of the LORD is coming
   —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—
to make the land desolate
   and destroy the sinners within it.
¹⁰ The stars of heaven and their constellations
   will not show their light.
The rising sun will be darkened
   and the moon will not give its light.
¹¹ I will punish the world for its evil,
   the wicked for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty
   and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
¹² I will make people scarcer than pure gold,
   more rare than the gold of Ophir.
¹³ Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;
   and the earth will shake from its place
at the wrath of the LORD Almighty,
   in the day of his burning anger.

   ¹⁴ Like a hunted gazelle,
   like sheep without a shepherd,
they will all return to their own people,
   they will flee to their native land.
¹⁵ Whoever is captured will be thrust through;
   all who are caught will fall by the sword.
¹⁶ Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;
   their houses will be looted and their wives violated.

   ¹⁷ See, I will stir up against them the Medes,
   who do not care for silver
   and have no delight in gold.
¹⁸ Their bows will strike down the young men;
   they will have no mercy on infants,
   nor will they look with compassion on children.
¹⁹ Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms,
   the pride and glory of the Babylonians,
will be overthrown by God
   like Sodom and Gomorrah.
²⁰ She will never be inhabited
   or lived in through all generations;
there no nomads will pitch their tents,
   there no shepherds will rest their flocks.
²¹ But desert creatures will lie there,
   jackals will fill her houses;
there the owls will dwell,
   and there the wild goats will leap about.
²² Hyenas will inhabit her strongholds,
   jackals her luxurious palaces.
Her time is at hand,
   and her days will not be prolonged.

¹ The LORD will have compassion on Jacob;
   once again he will choose Israel
   and will settle them in their own land.
Foreigners will join them
   and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
² Nations will take them
   and bring them to their own place.
And Israel will take possession of the nations
   and make them male and female servants in the LORD’s land.
They will make captives of their captors
   and rule over their oppressors.

   ³ On the day the LORD gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, ⁴ you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

   How the oppressor has come to an end!
   How his fury has ended!
⁵ The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked,
   the scepter of the rulers,
⁶ which in anger struck down peoples
   with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued nations
   with relentless aggression.
⁷ All the lands are at rest and at peace;
   they break into singing.
⁸ Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon
   gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
   no one comes to cut us down.”

   ⁹ The realm of the dead below is all astir
   to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—
   all those who were leaders in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
   all those who were kings over the nations.
¹⁰ They will all respond,
   they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
   you have become like us.”
¹¹ All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,
   along with the noise of your harps;
maggots are spread out beneath you
   and worms cover you.

   ¹² How you have fallen from heaven,
   morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
   you who once laid low the nations!
¹³ You said in your heart,
   “I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
   above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
   on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
¹⁴ I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
   I will make myself like the Most High.”
¹⁵ But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
   to the depths of the pit.

   ¹⁶ Those who see you stare at you,
   they ponder your fate:
“Is this the man who shook the earth
   and made kingdoms tremble,
¹⁷ the man who made the world a wilderness,
   who overthrew its cities
   and would not let his captives go home?”

   ¹⁸ All the kings of the nations lie in state,
   each in his own tomb.
¹⁹ But you are cast out of your tomb
   like a rejected branch;
you are covered with the slain,
   with those pierced by the sword,
   those who descend to the stones of the pit.
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
   ²⁰ you will not join them in burial,
for you have destroyed your land
   and killed your people.

   Let the offspring of the wicked
   never be mentioned again.
²¹ Prepare a place to slaughter his children
   for the sins of their ancestors;
they are not to rise to inherit the land
   and cover the earth with their cities.

   ²² “I will rise up against them,”
   declares the LORD Almighty.
“I will wipe out Babylon’s name and survivors,
   her offspring and descendants,” declares the LORD.
²³ “I will turn her into a place for owls
   and into swampland;
I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,”
   declares the LORD Almighty.

   

Prophet Isaiah saw the vision of the punishment on Babylon, the morning star (Venus), which would be fallen from the heaven. Babylon considered itself as the most powerful nation on the earth but soon would be defeated by the Most High.  Prophet Isaiah prophesied that God is the only One to be exalted and all authorities, no matter how powerful they were in the military sense, would be destroyed by God on the Day of the coming. Satan also wants to raise his throne to be above the stars of God and enthroned on the mount of assembly (Mount Zaphon), and to be like the Most High. But his power had been defeated by the cross of Christ and will be totally destroyed when the Lord returns. Isaiah's vision brings us hope in seeing the final victory of God over all the hostile forces of the earth - no matter they are so powerful politically or spiritually. Only God is to be exalted. 

God is our salvation.

October 19, 2013 - Isaiah 12:1-6

    ¹ In that day you will say:

   “I will praise you, LORD.
   Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
   and you have comforted me.
² Surely God is my salvation;
   I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense;
   he has become my salvation.”
³ With joy you will draw water
   from the wells of salvation.

   ⁴ In that day you will say:

   “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
   make known among the nations what he has done,
   and proclaim that his name is exalted.
⁵ Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
   let this be known to all the world.
⁶ Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
   for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

Prophet Isaiah saw the vision that the Lord has become the salvation of Israel - He has become the strength and defense of His people, and He has turned away from his anger to His people. People of God can all come to draw water with joy from the wells of salvation. They can sing aloud for the Holy One who dwells among them. God is our salvation. What else can we fear? God is our strength. What else we can't conquer? God is our defense. What attacks from our enemies we can't overcome? Nothing due to our illness, physical weakness, fear, worries, uncertainties, confusion, people's misunderstanding can hinder us from drawing strength from the wells of God's salvation. God is our strength and salvation forever. He is our banner of victory!

Jesus, the root of Jesse, will establish His Kingdom on God's Holy Mountain.

October 14, 2013 - Isaiah 11:1-10

    ¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
   from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
   the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
   the Spirit of counsel and of might,
   the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—
³ and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

   He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
   or decide by what he hears with his ears;
⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
   with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
   with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness will be his belt
   and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

   ⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,
   the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
   and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
   their young will lie down together,
   and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
   and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
   on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD
   as the waters cover the sea.

  Prophet Isaiah saw the vision of the branch and root of Jesse on which the Spirit of the Lord will rest. The Spirit of wisdom, understanding, might, counsel, and of the knowledge and fear of the Lord will rest on the root of Jesse. He will be the righteous and faithful King on earth. He will also set up the ultimate Kingdom of peace on earth, and wars will end and justice and peace be ultimately established on earth. The Kingdom will be a place where even all the creatures will be completely restored back to God's original creation order on God's holy mountain. And the earth will be completely filled with the knowledge of the Lord. 

My dear Lord, I desire to see what Isaiah has seen from his vision. My Master Jesus had incarnated on earth, and Jesus was filled with the full extent of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is full of understanding, wisdom, might, counsel, and knowledge and fear of the Lord. He has inaugurated God's Kingdom on earth and the church is now indwelt by the Holy Spirit to continue Jesus' mission on earth, proclaiming and living out God's righteousness and faithfulness until to the day when Jesus returns on earth again and consummates God's kingdom on His holy mountain. Let's not be discouraged and stand firm for advancing His Kingdom. 

We are God's remnant - truly relying on Him.

October 12, 2013 - Isaiah 10:20-27

    ²⁰ In that day the remnant of Israel, 

   the survivors of Jacob,
will no longer rely on him
   who struck them down
but will truly rely on the LORD,
   the Holy One of Israel.
²¹ A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob
   will return to the Mighty God.
²² Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel,
   only a remnant will return.
Destruction has been decreed,
   overwhelming and righteous.
²³ The Lord, the LORD Almighty, will carry out
   the destruction decreed upon the whole land.

   ²⁴ Therefore this is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says:

   “My people who live in Zion,
   do not be afraid of the Assyrians,
who beat you with a rod
   and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
²⁵ Very soon my anger against you will end
   and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.”

   ²⁶ The LORD Almighty will lash them with a whip,
   as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff over the waters,
   as he did in Egypt.
²⁷ In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders,
   their yoke from your neck;
the yoke will be broken
   because you have grown so fat.

 My Lord Almighty, thanks for choosing me to be one of Your remnant. You convert me to learn truly relying on You, not relying on my own strength. I return to You everyday as I open my eyes to see and open my ears to listen in the morning of everyday. You are the Holy One of Israel and You are my Mighty God. I return to You; I return to You. I prayed that I can listen to Your voice each day and now You allow eye floaters to emerge in my left eye that causes me to slow down my motion and try to focus on my front only. More frequently I have to close my eyes to rest. Please speak to me as I close my eyes every time. I am Your remnant; I return to You; I truly rely on You; please speak to me. I also pray that though eyes floaters will be with me for a lifelong time, I would like to see Your vision - Your Glory, Your Presence, Your holiness, Your mercy with us as I open my eyes. I would like to sacrifice part of my eye sight for seeing Your Face and Your Love to me and Your people. 

Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty King, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

October 11, 2013 - Isaiah 8:19-9:7

    ¹⁹ When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? ²⁰ Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. ²¹ Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. ²²Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.

¹ Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

   ² The people walking in darkness
   have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
   a light has dawned.
³ You have enlarged the nation
   and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
   as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
   when dividing the plunder.
⁴ For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
   you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
   the bar across their shoulders,
   the rod of their oppressor.
⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle
   and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
   will be fuel for the fire.
⁶ For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given,
   and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
   there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
   and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
   with justice and righteousness
   from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
   will accomplish this.

Prophet Isaiah, in the midst of spiritual darkness of the nations of Israel and Judah, saw the vision that a great light has dawned on those who live in the land of darkness. People will rejoice because their yokes of burden and oppression will be shattered. The great light comes from a child whose name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. And His government will never end. Jesus is the great light that has dawned on all sinners who are now walking in distress and darkness. Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor who leads us into the truth of God and the Lord of our life; Jesus is the Mighty God who leads us victory over all enemies and conquers death for our behalf; Jesus is the Everlasting Father who shepherds us and cares for us forever; Jesus is the Prince of Peace who brings reconciliation of people with God and ultimate peace and justice on the earth. This is the best news or message for us.

My Master Jesus, continue to counsel me with the Spirit of Truth when I am in the midst of dark shadows; uphold me that I can declare victory over my enemy Satan; shepherd me with Your rod and staff that I can rest besides the living water and walk through the dark valley of danger; and bring me to rest in Your Shalom in the midst of storms ahead of me. 

Our whole being and our families are signs for the Message of the Lord.

October 10, 2013 - Isaiah 7:18-8:18

    ¹⁸ In that day the LORD will whistle for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. ¹⁹ They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes. ²⁰ In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard also. ²¹ In that day, a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats.²² And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey. ²³ In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be only briers and thorns. ²⁴ Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. ²⁵ As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.

    ¹ The LORD said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.” ² So I called in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me. ³ Then I made love to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the LORD said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. ⁴ For before the boy knows how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”

   ⁵ The LORD spoke to me again:

   ⁶ “Because this people has rejected
   the gently flowing waters of Shiloah
and rejoices over Rezin
   and the son of Remaliah,
⁷ therefore the Lord is about to bring against them
   the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—
   the king of Assyria with all his pomp.
It will overflow all its channels,
   run over all its banks
⁸ and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it,
   passing through it and reaching up to the neck.
Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land,
   Immanuel!”

   ⁹ Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered!
   Listen, all you distant lands.
Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
   Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
¹⁰ Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;
   propose your plan, but it will not stand,
   for God is with us.

   ¹¹ This is what the LORD says to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people:

   ¹² “Do not call conspiracy
   everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,
   and do not dread it.
¹³ The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
   he is the one you are to fear,
   he is the one you are to dread.
¹⁴ He will be a holy place;
   for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone that causes people to stumble
   and a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
   a trap and a snare.
¹⁵ Many of them will stumble;
   they will fall and be broken,
   they will be snared and captured.”

   ¹⁶ Bind up this testimony of warning
   and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples.
¹⁷ I will wait for the LORD,
   who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.

   ¹⁸ Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.

The Prophet Isaiah received the vision of the Lord to pronounce judgement to the nations. Isaiah followed and married a prophetess, birthing a son and naming him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz - meaning Damascus and Samaria would be destroyed by Assyria very soon. God used the king of Assyria as an instrument to punish the nations and to reveal His sovereignty. 

My Mighty Lord, You call me to be a prophet as well in order to deliver Your words of encouragement and also the words of punishment to your people. Isaiah received the words and obeyed. He offered himself as well as his family - his wife and his children - to serve the Lord, using the name of his children to convey God's message. The prophet Isaiah, including his whole being, his prophetic words, and his whole family, became the message of the Lord. Strengthen my faith today as I have to follow my Lord with faith and obedience that God's message can be conveyed through my whole being - my words and all my belongings.