God Speaks
Prophecies Against Babylon, the Philistines, Moab and Damascus
Verse of the Day: This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out and who can turn it back? (Isaiah 14:26-27 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 197
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Isaiah 13-17:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Isaiah 13
1. Although God is love, He is also a God of judgment. He declares, “I, the LORD, will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their sin. I will crush the arrogance of the proud and humble the pride of the mighty.” Isaiah 13:11
2. People of a proud nation (like Babylon in Isaiah’s prophecy) will be shown no mercy but will be utterly destroyed by an enemy army until even their lush cropland is desolate.
Isaiah 14
1. God will defend His people. It is written, “the LORD has built Jerusalem [Zion]; its walls will give refuge to His oppressed people.”
2. God says, “My people will no longer be . . . slaves nor bow down under their heavy loads.”
Isaiah 15
1. God’s heart weeps for the people He must punish because of their sins.
2. The once proud people the LORD judges “will wear burlap as they wander the streets. From every home and public square will come the sound of wailing.”
Isaiah 16
1. God “will establish one of David’s descendants as king [Jesus the Messiah]. He will rule with mercy and truth.”
2. People [like those from Moab] will cry out, “Help us,” . . . “Defend us against our enemies. Protect us from their relentless attack. Do not betray us now that we have escaped.”
Isaiah 17
1. In the day of God’s judgment “people will look to their Creator and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.”
2. People “will no longer look to their idols for help or worship what their hands have made. They will never again bow down to their Asherah poles or worship at the pagan shrines they have built.”
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Isaiah 13-17?
O God of love, thank You also for being the God who corrects and judges His people. You love us while we are yet sinners, but You also love us too much to leave us there. You judge our pride and arrogance and replace it with submission and humility as we turn back to You. While our enemies are relentless and show us no mercy, You continually demonstrate both mercy and grace. Even Your severe judgment is meant to alert us to our wrongdoing and to get us on the right path back to You. You weep when we stray (even run) away from You, but it delights Your heart when we even begin to turn back. You greatly rejoice when we no longer look to our “idols” but cry out to You for help. When we do so, we will always bring You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Isaiah 13-17? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will bring my sins to the LORD daily now so that they can be forgiven by Christ, and I won’t have to face God’s judgment in the future.
- I will thank the LORD for setting me free and ask Him to show me ways that I can help set others free of their sins as well.
- I will look forward to King Jesus’ reign of mercy and righteousness and urge others to join me.
- I will root out of my life anything that I have been clinging to or worshiping instead of the LORD God.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.