One Year Bible, September 10

ISAIAH 6:1 - 7:25                                                                                                             
THE EMPTY THRONE:  King Uzziah died after reigning 52 years; the throne of David is empty.  Sorrow and loss prepare us for the revelation of God, cleansing our inner eye so we can see Him.  God emptied the throne so that He might fill it with Himself. We live on top of a hill by the Mississippi River.  We can't see anything because of all the trees, except in winter when the leaves are off.  The loss of the leaves gives us sight all the way across to Wisconsin!  Our unchanging God stands out more clearly after removing obstructions.  What the prophet saw was that Jehovah is the actual King of Judah - seated on the empty throne.  He then describes God's robe, but not His face!  The True Leader of Earth is Jehovah, not young Jotham.  This revelation brings NEW STRENGTH to us.

"HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD OF HOSTS."  "The whole earth IS full of His glory." Not, SHALL BE.   It IS.   God is celebrated above all creation, conditions, limitations, and ideas. John 12:41 says that Isaiah saw God's glory and it was Jesus.  God's GLORY is all that He is and does, in excellence and extravagance.  It is how His Presence IMPACTS the earth. It shook the Temple.  Anyone in this kind of Presence, is conscious of all he is NOT - and feels the "fear of God".  We see ourselves when we see God.  When we have a clear revelation of God, we have a deep sense of sin.   Then, the sin is burned away as we are cleansed.   We become "partakers of His divine nature". (2 Pet 1:4)  Immediately we want to serve Him from a grateful heart.

THE COMMISSION:  "Here I am. Send me!"  God promised failure!  Only a remnant would even hear the Gospel.  The rest will harden themselves.  Because men love their darkness, the light will bring judgment.   Four stages of commission: Vision of God; recognition of sin; experience of purging, and abandonment to obedience.

"THE FLAMING ONES" - Seraphim means "flaming ones", and this is their only mention in Scripture.   They flash with splendor, move swiftly, glow with love, and blaze with enthusiasm. The closer they are to the throne, the more they glow and burn.   They covered their faces from looking directly on our dazzling God.   They move about quickly in reverence and godly fear, in response to the Spirit. 

A SEIGE & A SIGN:  Jerusalem was besieged: Syria and Ephraim formed a confederacy to go against Judah to destroy the Davidic line of kings.   God gave a sign that Judah would be delivered: "a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His Name Immanuel." God told them that before Isaiah's child was 3-4 years old, both kings (Syria and Ephraim) would be dead.   Judgment would still fall on Judah, however, in the form of Assyrian assault. 

RESPONSE: The Word was made flesh to bring everlasting defeat to Satan and to the Old Man.  Both kings have been dealt with by the Lord, the Son of the Virgin.  Rejoice!

2 CORINTHIANS 11:16-33                                                                                                     
"MINISTERS OF CHRIST" - They actually opposed the Gospel of Jesus Christ, their preaching brought people into bondage, they "gloried in the flesh", they were elitists, caused confusion and unrest in the Church!  They portrayed themselves as "ministers of righteousness"  and were actually Satan's emissaries, "deceitful", "false", and "abusive".

LESSONS LEARNED AT THE CROSS: Pressure from outside and from inside: True workers of the Gospel experience pressure, persecution, problems, dangers, loneliness, weariness, pain, discouragement, attacks, etc. - all imposed from outside themselves.  Then internally, they identify intimately with Jesus and are concerned for the work, that others don't tear it apart; and in identifying with people, are concerned for the people they love and nurture.  When one of them comes to spiritual harm, the pain in his heart is like a burning fire.   If it pierces Jesus' heart, it pierces his.  But God brought him through them all!  Not only has he shared the Master's sufferings, but he is God's, to do with as He will.

RESPONSE:   I would have to be absolutely convinced that I was doing God's will in His timing, to endure all these things without questioning my call.  By obeying God in the little things (there really is no such thing to God.), I get accustomed to hearing His voice.  Then, when God asks me to do something extraordinary, I know it's Him because I know His voice.  In fact, I had just such an occasion this week.  It took me nearly a whole week to "get it", though!  I fret for 6 days before I finally understood what God wanted!  When we KNOW what God said, it gives us confidence to speak and to do.

PSALM 54:1-7                                                                                                                      
BETRAYED BY PEOPLE YOU HELPED:  David had fought to deliver these people (strangers) from the Philistines.  Then, they sent messengers to King Saul to tell him that David was hiding in their midst!  Instead of getting mad, sad or bad, David wrote a song!  He told his own heart that it is SAFE to trust God, by giving God thanks and praise for His goodness and His greatness.  "He has delivered me out of all trouble."

PROVERBS 23:1-3                                                                                                             
Better to slit your throat than to indulge in all that rich food.  The temptation is particularly strong when eating in the company of people who can afford to buy and eat that stuff!  Here's a good prayer: (Ps 141:4) "Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties."  Here's another example: (Dan 1:8)  "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: "

RESPONSE:   And we all know that Daniel and his friends ended up better-looking and healthier than everyone else because of their diet (veggies).  I actually think of this Proverb whenever I eat.  The Holy Spirit can lead us about our food, too.  If you can eat food that is not good for you without bothering your conscience, then you are seared! (1Tim 4:2)  Repent and obey the Holy Spirit.