One Year Bible, September 12

ISAIAH 10:1 - 11:16                                                                                                            
DAY OF VISITATION: (10:3) "What will you do in the day of visitation?"..."to whom will you flee for help?"  A visitation is when God comes near for the purpose of Divine intervention with Divine intent - usually to punish or to reward. The natural world intersects with God's Manifest Presence.

GOD'S PADDLE: The ASSYRIANS were God's instruments of punishment, but they thought the victory was theirs. The ASSYRIANS represent our fleshly tendency of self-centeredness and independence. (10:12-14) Self-exaltation of the FLESH ends in self-destruction.

TWO TREES: Chap 10 tells of the complete and irremediable destruction of the CEDAR tree, ASSYRIA. Chap 11 tells of the indestructible vitality of the OAK tree, David's monarchy (Jesus).

"IN THAT DAY":  Again, it is the day that the glory of Zion shines in contrast to the world-spirit of antichristianity.  It is the day of Jesus Christ - it began with Jesus' ministry, and will never end.  We are living "in that day".  His Kingdom is come - He is our Flag.  We are gathering together unto Him.

SEVEN-FOLD SPIRIT OF GOD: Whatever Jesus is, He is by reason of the "resting on Him" of the Spirit of God - - - ungrieved and unrestrained.  Because of the character of the Spirit, Jesus possessed unerring judgment, and always saw clearly the path ahead, and had the "might" to walk it out.   And what Jesus is, He gives to His believers to become by the dwelling in them of the same Spirit of Life which was in Him.

RESPONSE:  "His rest is glorious".  It is full of the provision and protection that His Presence brings.   All our "efforts" must be used to stay in His Presence - to stay ABIDING and CONNECTED to God.   That means we must build a new habit of always referring to Him, always bringing everything TO Him, always relying on Him, always thanking and praising Him (in everything), always trusting Him, always LOVING Him.  That is the REST of God.  Hebrews 3 and 4 says "the Land" is the place of REST.  God's Presence IS "the Land".   Enter in - in fact, "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest..." (Heb 4:11 NIV) 

2 CORINTHIANS 12:11-21                                                                                             
"THE SIGNS OF AN APOSTLE":  The word used to describe apostles is "patience" - "the strength to go the distance in the face of opposition, hindrances, dangers, & hardships", and in Corinth, he had a fulltime job to support himself.  "Signs and wonders and mighty deeds" - with the exception of one: he did not expect them to support him financially (although he was entitled to it). They are his "spoiled children".

THE JOY OF SACRIFICE:  "I seek not yours, but you."   He is coming because of LOVE, not because of GREED FOR AN OFFERING.  Sacrificial LOVE is the TRUE SIGN of an apostle.   Mark it well: If he doesn't love you, he's not an apostle!  This love is like Christ's: you can trample on it, deny it by treating the person with suspicion and contempt, but the love still burns hard and bright.   He would gladly give his life for you.

UNIVERSAL SINS OF CARNAL PEOPLE:  "Arguing, envy, wrath, selfish ambitions, backbiting, whispering, conceit, disorder", "I SHALL BEWAIL": "uncleanness, fornication, lasciviousness (licentiousness)".   These are ALL sins of the FLESH (the SELF).  They are forms of uncleanness and self-preservation and are fought against IN US by the Holy Spirit.   However, Paul says that the second part of the list would actually break his heart and he wouldn't be able to avoid mourning over them if they hadn't repented yet.

RESPONSE:   "I will gladly spend and be spent for you".   One of the first sermons at a particular church I used to attend, was on this verse.   I think of that particular pastor whenever I read this passage because he so exemplified it.   He was asking if we were willing to be "spent" - or used up for Jesus.  Did we love people enough for that to happen?   We become a "living sacrifice" when that happens.  This verse reads that the love isn't for Jesus, as much as it is for people!  Jesus loves like that.  This was how Paul was able to endure the insults, the questioning of his motives, the distrust, the accusations, the lies about him - - - after he had worked so hard among them, even working a second job so they didn't need to support him.   Do we love that much?  There is no question that I love the Lord - - - but do I love people LIKE HE DID?  That's what God wants.

PSALM 56:1-13                                                                                                                    
WHEN EVERYONE HATES ME:  I feel like I'm being swallowed up with their animosity.  They thirst for my blood.  They twist my words, stir up arguments, and then sit back and wait for me to fail.  "But this I know: God is for me." I don't have to be afraid what man can do to me.  MAN CAN DO PLENTY, but ultimately it is God's will that will stand.

PROVERBS 23:6-8                                                                                                             
Grudging hospitality isn't really hospitality at all!  On reflection you will regret you even accepted his invitation. And he regrets it too!  He didn't really want you eating "his" food.

RESPONSE:   Why does God save my tears in a bottle?  My enemies will have to give an account for every tear.  TEARS tell a story of being persecuted by evildoers.  The story is recorded in "Thy book". Malachi 3:16-18 calls it "the book of remembrance", where God keeps track of the righteous and the wicked.  Those whose names are in that book are God's possessions.  There is actually a play on words contained in this verse: "wanderings" (Heb: nowd) and the word for "bottle" (Heb: no'd) SOUND the same in Hebrew.  It was used to draw our attention to the fact that God pays attention to our legitimate tears. (Those not wept in self-pity and unbelief.)