September 8th Bible in a Year Readings

Isaiah 1:1-2:22 + 2 Corinthians 10:1-18 + Psalm 52:1-9 + Proverbs 22:26-27
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Old Testament - Today we begin the book of the prophet Isaiah!  A powerful quote from Bible.org at this link about this book is: "The Book of Isaiah is one of the most important books of the Old Testament. While little is known of the personal life of the prophet, he is considered to be one of the greatest of them all. The book is a collection of oracles, prophecies, and reports; but the common theme is the message of salvation. There was, according to these writings, no hope in anything that was made by people... There would be a purging of the nation because God is holy. Before the nation could inherit the promises made to the fathers, it would have to be made holy."

~ Isaiah ~
Author: Isaiah
Date: Eighth century B.C.
Content: Isaiah’s long ministry lasted almost sixty years and covered the reigns of four kings, the last one being Hezekiah, the reformer. Isaiah was sent primarily to Judah, although his message concerns the northern kingdom of Israel as well. He lived through the awful days of the civil war between Israel and Judah in 734-732 B.C. and saw the destruction of Israel by Assyria in 722 B.C. the grim lesson taught by Israel’s fall was not lost on Isaiah, and he used it to encourage Hezekiah to trust in the Lord. The Lord delivered Judah from the mighty Assyrian army by sending a plague to destroy the camp. Isaiah also looked beyond his own time to the coming exile of Judah and the deliverance that God would provide.
Theme: Isaiah was one of Jesus’ favorite books and he quoted it frequently, because the central them is salvation. God is seen as the Savior of his people, who redeemed them from Egypt, who will redeem them from their coming captivity, and who will send his beloved Servant to bear the sins of us all (Isaiah 53:6). God freely offers to pardon all who will turn to him in repentance and faith. The future kingdom of God on earth is also described in exquisite detail as a time when men will lay down their swords and, in peace, sing praises to God their King. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” p. 11) More great commentary on the book of Isaiah is at this link.  Below is a portrait of the prophet Isaiah by artist Guy Rowe:

Today in Isaiah chapter 1 verses 2 and 3 we read these words of the prophet Isaiah: “Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." These words were spoken to the Israelites in the 8th century B.C., but do you suppose they can apply to our modern world today as well? Do we know God? Do we truly understand God? I do think that sometimes we can forget that God is our Father. We are his children. He has brought us up. And we have rebelled. Is an ox at times smarter than us in terms of knowing who its master is? Do we truly know who our master is? I’m afraid sometimes I live my life as if I am my own master. I am “master of my own destiny!” Well. . . am I really? What about you. Who is your master day in and day out? Do you know your Master? Do you understand?

Bible Project: Here is a great video overview of the book of Isaiah!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0A6Uchb1F8

New Testament - Wow... I love Paul's words to the church in Second Corinthians chapter 10 verses 3 through 5: "We are human, but we don't wage war with human plans and methods. We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ."  This is incredibly powerful for us to realize.  We are human.  God is God.  We are not God.  But, good news is that we have access to God's "weapons" through our relationship with his son Jesus.  And trust me.  In this fallen world, we need God's weapons.  We need his strength.  We need his grace.  We need his forgiveness.  We need his miracles.  We need his Son.  These are the only ways that we will knock down the Devil's strongholds in our lives and in others lives.  How do we access God's mighty weapons?  My personal opinion is that prayer is one of the best things we can do in this regards.  I don't know about you, but I do not pray enough.  However, just lately I've been praying a bit more, and I'll tell you, God has moved!  Prayer is such a beautiful mystery.  We need it like the air we breathe.  Please pray.  Other ways to access God's mighty weapons are certainly reading and studying God's Word daily, investing in a church community at least weekly (even more is better via small groups, etc.), and confessing and repenting and fleeing from sin.  Then, with God's weapons we are called to introduce others to who God is and teach them to obey Christ.  How are you accessing God's mighty weapons these days?  Are you praying?  Are you reading and studying the Bible daily?   Are you investing in a church community weekly?   Are you confessing and repenting and fleeing from sin?  Or are you relying on your human plans and methods to make it through the day?  Are you relying on worldly weapons?  Will you seek instead God's mighty weapons?

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Second Corinthians titled "Contrasting Christian Leaders With the Cultists" is at this link.

Psalms - Verse 9 in Psalm 52 stood out to me today - ""I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will wait for your mercies in the presence of your people."  Are you looking forward to praising God forever?  Are you willing to wait for God?  If things don't seem to be moving as quickly as you would like them to in your spiritual life, will you still wait for God?  And will you do so in the presence of God's people?  Do you believe that being part of a church community can help you during a time of waiting for the Lord?  And do you believe that you can help others in your church to wait as well?  Then, together you can look forward to praising God forever for what he has done and will do! 

Proverbs - We read an interesting Proverb today in chapter 22 verses 26 & 27: "Do not co-sign another person's note or put up a guarantee for someone else's loan. If you can't pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you."  I've always been intrigued by these types of Proverbs / verses in the Bible.  Verses that basically say don't co-sign or guarantee anybody else's debt - unless of course we're talking about your kid!  :)  I do see the wisdom in this.  If you co-sign / guarantee for somebody else, then be prepared to have to pay back that debt in full...  Wow.  This is pretty heavy to think about.  We hear so much about staying out of debt - and typically think about our own personal debt.  That's obviously wise.  And well, this Proverb today is saying don't take on other people's debt!  That is very wise! Stay out of debt!  Your own and particularly your friends'!

Worship Video: Psalm 52:9 in today's readings reminded me of Michael W. Smith's great song "A New Hallelujah!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBxOkruKpqI

Do you want to sing a new Hallelujah? Click here and Sing!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: 'Come now, let us reason together,' says the LORD. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'" Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)

Prayer Point: Pray that your sins have been made white as snow and wool, through a saving faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

Comments

[Ramona]

Isaiah 1:1-2:22
Ahh, this book contains some of my favorite passages. There is a verse in the 49th chapter that utterly floored me when I did my first read through the bible seventeen years ago. It was one of three verses that literally spoke to me in such a way that my life immediately changed.

Come, let's consider your options," says the Lord. "Though your sins have stained you like the color red, you can become white like snow; though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet, you can become white like wool. If you have a willing attitude and obey, then you will again eat the good crops of the land. (Isaiah 1:18-19 NET.)

When I first came upon these verses I realized that God wanted me to dialogue with Him. I could not only bring my problems, but I could debate with Him, I could bring to Him those things that I didn’t see as “sin” and God would talk to me about it. I took God up on his offer almost twenty years ago and I haven’t stopped talking to him sense. There are many people who are afraid to challenge God about the things they see, the unfairness the wickedness and the things they read in God’s Word, I’m not. I have gone to God often about the things I thought were unfair and have had my eyes opened every time by the great Master.

The last verse in today’s reading, 2:22, is so deep in its depth of understanding.

22 Stop putting your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. How can they be of help to anyone?

To often we put our trust in men and they fail us and then we get all bent out of joint. Man is not God. If we can just get this Wisdom down in our spirits, if we can just grasp the understanding of this verse, then we will learn how to manage our disappointments.

We are not disappointed by what we find, we are disappointed by what we expected to find. If we keep putting our trust in men, government, relatives and ideologies, we will always be disappointed.

II Corinthians 10:1-18

One of the reasons we, God’s folks, have such a hard time with taking up God’s weapons and putting down ours is because we want to be in charge and we are rebellious. That rebellious nature can even be seen in a two-year old child who insist on putting on his shoes by himself, even when he is trying to put them on the “wrong” foot. Rejecting all help and suggestions the child stubbornly resists the help and walks around for a very long time with the right shoes on the wrong foot. How much like that child are we? We pick up vengeance, manipulation, violence and all the other human tools to try to get people to do things the right way or at least the way we want.

If we use God’s weapons then God will get the Glory, which is rightly His. However, if we use our puny weapons and win the battle, although we will latter find out we lost the war, we stand and take credit for everything thus feeding our egos. The seventh verse tells us why this will not work:

7 The trouble with you is that you make your decisions on the basis of appearance.

The type of weapon used in a war is always based on information about the enemy, wrong information means wrong weapons will be used. Since God knows everything, He is the one we need to trust to supply the right weapon at the right time.

Psalm 52:1-9

This Psalm is an example of a man who was defeated by God’s weapons. (1 Sam. 21-22),

Psalms 52:3-5 AMP
(3) You love evil more than good, and lying rather than to speak righteousness, justice, and right. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
(4) You love all destroying and devouring words, O deceitful tongue.
(5) God will likewise break you down and destroy you forever; He will lay hold of you and pluck you out of your tent and uproot you from the land of the living. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

Proverbs 22:26-27

I know the words in these two verse speak about co-signing someone’s loan or note and we immediately think of paying back money on a debt that we didn’t make. I think this concept of taking on monetary debt is part of it but a very small part. What we are vouching for is the person’s character and integrity. Our integrity is manifested by our deeds, our behavior. Either we have it or we don’t. If someone needs a loaned co-signed then it means the lender doesn’t trust the person. As a co-signer we are vouch safe the person by connecting our integrity with his or hers. There is a 50/50 chance that the person can pull the co-signer down to his or her level if they don’t pay back the loan; or they will come up to the level of the co-signer. Either way the co-signer has placed his/her reputation into someone else’s hands. The more I think about this the more I believe that these two verses need to be looked at in the light of the reading from yesterday because they share the same principal.

Yesterdays reading:

Make no friendships with a man given to anger, and with a wrathful man do not associate, Lest you learn his ways and get yourself into a snare. (Proverbs 22:24-25 AMP)

And today’s reading:

Be not one of those who strike hands and pledge themselves, or of those who become security for another's debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should he take your bed from under you? (Proverbs 22:26-27 AMP)

Both passages have the common theme of not allowing someone else to define, damage or make our integrity and reputation.

Grace and peace,
Ramona

[Deedee]

I have to say in all the years I have went back and forth with studying..17 years it took me to mature and stay the course and get to the beginnings of Isaiah. I love and this is new to me: that Isaiah is a small version of the bible. There are 66 chapters in Isaiah like there are 66 books in Bible. 39 chapters of the sins of the world just like in our OT..and 27 chapters of the Hope of the gospel. Just like NT. How neat.

2nd Corinthians boldness must be mixed with meekness..resetting our mindset with the love of Christ! And mindset of christ.
When the Edomite was coming to Saul to humble or call him out: he told him that he loveth evil more than good; and lying rather to speak righteousness. Ouch!! It is better to love mercy and trust in the Lord rather than Riches. Amen

Proverbs 22: 26-27
Why are you putting up securities for unfaithful people and you are suffering. If you fail to pay..it gets bad and your bed could be taken..yikes.