Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
While the actual inauguration day of the newly elected American President is two months from now, already there are many people wringing their hands in worry, and some are predicting disaster for America and the world! I wonder what you are feeling and thinking as you consider the future in view of what is happening this week in America? Do you foresee great days or disaster ahead? And how do you anticipate your personal life will be different two or ten years from now as a result of the election in America this week?
I’ve had the privilege of traveling to some of the places in the world considered the most dangerous and difficult for Christians to survive. While there I’ve met with Christians, sometimes in secret locations for fear they might be seen meeting with a foreigner, especially an American Christian. I’ve heard them describe their survival tactics in places where Christians are imprisoned or even killed if it is discovered they have a Bible or if they meet with other Christians for Bible study or worship!
Their faith in God’s power and presence with them; their confidence in God’s Supreme Sovereignty; their determination to live Jesus honoring lives, even in despicable, desperate circumstances, have seemed to me radically courageous!!
When I’ve asked them what portions of God’s Word give them great courage in the face of persecution, torture or even martyrdom, the Bible book of Isaiah has often been mentioned. That’s part of the reason we’ve been digging into Isaiah as the American election and the uncertain future has been approaching us.
So today join me in Isaiah chapter 64. In some places in the world, the words of this chapter are the desperate cry of suffering Christians, TODAY! Could it be our cry in America one day? Isaiah writes: “Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before You! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make Your name known to Your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!” (Is. 64:1,2)
Clearly this is a desperate cry from someone in great suffering, someone who feels helpless against a powerful enemy. In our day it’s the cry of people living in North Korea, or some parts of China, or India, or those living under Sharia Law in some Muslim nations, or those living in gang or drug cartel-controlled places, or those living in war torn or terrorist dominated places. It’s a desperate cry for God to unleash His mighty, holy power against wickedness that terrorizes humanity in so many places!
For the Jewish people, of course, these words reminded them of the great story of their enslaved ancestors having been rescued by God’s mighty power through the plagues; delivered through the Red Sea water tunnel as Pharaoh’s army pursued them; and then gathered at Mount Sinai, where God came down to meet with His people. Do you remember the description as Moses recorded it? “There was lightning and thunder…and a very loud trumpet blast… Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently… and the voice of God spoke…” (Ex.19:16-19)
Sounds like a volcano, doesn’t it? What’s the closest you’ve ever come to a volcano or anything terrifyingly similar which showed you the unrivaled power of God? Perhaps for you it was a hurricane or typhoon or tornado or tsunami or strong earthquake. But this was not a volcano, this was God Himself coming down to earth to meet with His people.
This display of God’s power was for them and all who would ever read of this event to understand the limitless power yet the personal love of God. For Billions of people the deplorable and frightening situations in which they live cause many of them to cry out for God to unleash His mighty power in a similar and significant way so that no one could deny it is Almighty God coming to their rescue.
Isaiah wrote this 64th chapter during a very difficult time in Israel’s history. The northern kingdom Israel had been conquered and ravaged by the armies of Assyria about 20 years before. Jerusalem was under the ruthless control of King Manasseh who is described by God as one of the very worst kings in Israel’s history! (2 Kings 21:1-16) Therefore I can well imagine Jews living anywhere in the world, 2700 years ago, often found themselves crying out to God with the words of Isaiah 64:1,2. Did you know my friends these powerful words not only point back to Exodus 19, they also describe TWO future events in which Jesus will return to our world as described in Isaiah 64?
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 describes the glorious return of Jesus to gather up all of His followers, both living and dead, in what is called by many ‘the rapture of the saints’: “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. And so, we will be with Jesus forever. Encourage one another with these words.” Oh my, what a remarkable day that will be as Christians, redeemed by the blood of Jesus since the day of His crucifixion to the present, will be rescued, resurrected and taken up to meet Jesus in all His glory!
The second future time Isaiah 64:1,2 will happen is the powerful, victorious return of King Jesus when He will establish His throne in Jerusalem and reign as righteous king over all the earth (Zech. 14:9) for 1000 years as recorded for us in Revelation 20:4,5. Satan will be bound in the Abyss (Rev. 20:1-3) and King Jesus in all His power and with His angelic armies will battle against all those who have gathered against Israel. (Zechariah 14:1-5)
But my friends, for many in Isaiah’s day, they remembered a remarkable, miraculous experience, which happened only a few years earlier during the reign of King Hezekiah, when God sent an angel to defend Jerusalem which was under assault by the Assyrians. (2 Chronicles 32:20-22) Unlike the loud description in Isaiah 64:1 and Exodus 19, this time God came down from heaven in the power of an angel who did God’s deliverance work quietly but very effectively, killing 185,000 enemy soldiers in one night! And perhaps you remember 700 years later when the disciple Peter was imprisoned in Rome, sentenced to death, yet God sent an angel who quietly freed Peter and led him out of that prison! (Acts 12:1-19)
The focus of Isaiah 64:1-3 is the awesome, almost indescribable power of God combined with His full awareness of all that is happening everywhere here on earth. It’s also a message of assurance of God’s love for His people… so whatever you are facing today my friends, no matter where you are in the world, you may sure God is watching as Psalm 33 assures us: “The eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love…we wait in hope for the LORD; He is our help and our shield…” (Ps. 33:18,20)
Let’s lift up our voices with this worship song in thankfulness to our almighty God and His full awareness of all that is happening in our turbulent world.
Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 64:1,2.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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