189 - The way of holiness

Kathleen's thoughts

Isaiah 26: 12-19 God's victorious people

Isaiah 26: 20-21, 27: 1-13Judgement and restoration

Isaiah 22: 1-14 The coming siege

Isaiah 34: 1-17 God will punish His enemies

Isaiah 35: 1-10 The coming victory...8. A road will be there and a way, it will be called Holy Way. The unclean will not travel on it. but it will be for him who walks the path. Even the fool will not go astray. There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk on it, and the ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.

2 Kings 20: 1-11 Hezekiah's divine healing..Here is something interesting about healing skin disease. verse 7... Then Isaiah said, " bring a lump of pressed  figs" so they brought it and applied it to his infected skin, and he  recovered. So there has to be something in figs that heals skin diseases...do we use it today in our treatment of our ailments. So I did some research and this is one of the things I found.

When I was a kid, I remember that there were several fig trees surrounding our house. Yes, we had a big garden, and we planted hundreds of medicinal plants as a hobby. Our grandparents used to dry leaves, barks and ripe fig fruits. Our family enjoyed eating sweet figs the whole year-round. We also used the leaves as herbal medicines.

Today, we rarely see fig trees in big civilized cities

In the Bible, there are approximately 67 references to a fig tree. This reminds me that since 2000 years ago, figs were popular around the world, and has been used medically since the ancient times.

I kept planting a few sticks of figs in my farm for the purpose of my old memories to inherit to my children and for generations to come.

What Are Figs?

• It is a Mediterranean tree that is widely cultivated for its fleshy pear-shaped edible fruit.
• It bears a fruit without flower.
• It has a sweet taste and aromatic smell.
• It is easy to harvest, eat and digest.
• A ripe fig can be eaten fresh, dried, or preserved, and can be consumed as a juice or in syrup form.

Figs are considered the fruit of longevity because of its nutritious and medicinal leaves and fruits.

http://www.pyroenergen.com/articles11/fig-tree-fruit.htm


2 Chronicles 32: 24-26 Hezekiah's pride

Lev 20: 7 Consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

Blessings
Kathleen.

189 - He will come and save you

God healed Hezekiah

Chareen's Thoughts

• Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. Isaiah 26:12
• The Lord will bring judgement and restoration. He continues to speak of the coming siege and God punishing His enemies.
• He shares about the coming victory and divine healing.
• Hezekiah was terminally ill and cried out to the Lord who heard him and healed him.  
• The sun moved back 10 steps as a sign of God's word.
• Isaiah told him to use pressed figs.  My mom has some interesting notes in her post today.

 Say to those who are of a fearful and hasty heart, Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance; with the recompense of God He will come and save you. Isaiah 35:4

Blessings

Chareen

I was inspired by this footnote to today's reading said: Did you know that the root meaning of "holiness" is "healthiness" ?

What is true holiness ?
Holiness on Wikipedia

188 - The Lords judgement 188 - The Lord's judgement

Kathleen's thoughts

Isaiah 13: 1-16 Judgment upon Babylon

Isaiah 14: 1-2 The return from exile.

Isaiah 14: 3-11, 18-21 The king of Babylon's fall

Isaiah 14: 22-23 God will destroy Babylon

Isaiah 14: 24-27  God will destroy the Assyrians

Isaiah 24: 1-23 Judgment upon the world. On that day the Lord will publish the host of heaven above and kings of the earth below. They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. THey will be confined to a dungeon; after many days they will be punished. The moon will be put to shame and the sun disgraced, because the Lord of Hosts will reign as king on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. and He will display His glory in the presence of the elders.

Isaiah 25: 1-5 A hymn of praise...Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for you have accomplished wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.

Isaiah 25: 6-9 God prepares a banquet...On that day it will be said, "look, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.

Isaiah 25: 10-12 God will punish Moab.

Isaiah 26: 1-11 God's victorious people...

UNLESS YOU REPENT, YOU WILL ALL PERISH AS WELL LUKE 13:3

Walk in God's countenance for there is no other way. Keep your eyes focused on the cross turn you back on what the everyone does and what  the world is doing. Do what the word says "Obey it!"

Blessings

Kathleen.

188 - Because they have transgressed the laws

Chareen Thoughts

• The proud looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Isaiah 2:11
• Today we continue in Isaiah starting with the Lord's judgement on Babylon. The Lord will destroy Babylon.
• And I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their guilt and iniquity; I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible and the boasting of the violent and ruthless. Isaiah 13:11
• Isaiah speaks about the judgement of the world.This verse was of particular interest to me: The land and the earth also are defiled by their inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, disregarded the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant. Isaiah 24:5. It made me think about the frustration I feel when I see a city or place in disrepair and wonder why.
• Isaiah praises the Lord for all He is and all He has accomplished. verse 8 He will swallow up death [in victory; He will abolish death forever]. And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; and the reproach of His people He will take away from off all the earth; for the Lord has spoken it.

I have found it hard going to read judgement upon judgement with a sparse sprinkling of hope.  But He is faithful and the goal of discipline is freedom and strength in Him.

Blessings
Chareen

187 - The peaceful kingdom.

Kathleen's thoughts
Assyria's coming destruction.

Isaiah 20: 1-6 The sing to Egypt and Cush.

Isaiah 23:1-18 Judgment against Tyre.

Isaiah 10: 5-19 Assyria, God's instrument

Isaiah 10: 20-23 Remnant of Israel to be saved.

Isaiah 10: 24-27 Judgment against Assyria

Isaiah10: 28-34 The invader attacks.

Isaiah 11: 1-9 The peaceful kingdom.

Isaiah 11: 10-16 The exiles will return.

Isaiah 12: 1-6 Hymn of thanksgiving.

Chapter 11...The peaceful kingdom... is a beautiful chapter of the return of God's people and how we will all be living together with all God's creatures. Can you imagine walking up to a lion and just patting it and walking by snakes. What a glorious day that will be walking in the presence of the Lord. The thanksgiving hymn is beautiful too. A hymn of celebration Give thanks to the Lord; proclaim His name! Celebrate His deeds among the peoples. Declare that His name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things. Let this be know throughout the earth. Cry out and sing citizen of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is among you in His greatness.

Gods' blessings
Kathleen.

187- Behold, God, my salvation!

Chareen's Thoughts

• Today the reading started with the Lord asking Isaiah to walk around naked.  Reading this made me realise just how obedient prophets were and just how much the Lord asked of their station.  I always had a romantic notion of being a prophet for the Lord but now I am coming to realise that the gift of being a prophet comes at a high price.
• We continue reading about His judgements on Tyre and Assyria.
• We read about how the Lord will lay Tyre to waste for 70 years which was fulfilled in 572 BC. (source). 
• But her gain and her hire [the profits of Tyre’s new prosperity] will be [a]dedicated to the Lord [eventually]; it will not be treasured or stored up, for her gain will be used for those who dwell in the presence of the Lord [the ministers], that they may eat sufficiently and have durable and stately clothing [suitable for those who minister at God’s altar]. Isaiah 23:18 This came to pass in the New Testament. Eusebius (Hist. 10:4) says that “when the church of God was founded in Tyre..., much of its wealth was consecrated to God... and was presented for the support of the ministry.” Jerome, also writing in the fourth century a.d., says that the wealth of the churches of Tyre “was not treasured up or hidden but was given to those who dwelt before the Lord.” (Source)
• He promises that there will be a remnant of Israel.
• Isaiah prophesies about Jesus:
  Isaiah 11:1-9
  Amplified Bible (AMP)
  11 And there shall come forth a Shoot out of the stock of Jesse [David’s father], and a Branch out of his roots shall grow and bear fruit.(A) (This is the source text for the tradition of the Jesse Tree traditionally used at Christmas/Advent)
  2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord—
  3 And shall make Him of quick understanding, and His delight shall be in the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord. And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, neither decide by the hearing of His ears;
  4 But with righteousness and justice shall He judge the poor and decide with fairness for the meek, the poor, and the downtrodden of the earth; and He shall smite the earth and the oppressor with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
  5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of His waist and faithfulness the girdle of His loins.
  6 And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatted domestic animal together; and a little child shall lead them.
  7 And the cow and the bear shall feed side by side, their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
  8 And the sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
  9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 
• The Lord promises that the exiles will return and Isaiah gives thanks.

2 Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and song; yes, He has become my salvation.

3 Therefore with joy will you draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:2-3 
 He is our portion and strength
Blessings
Chareen

186 - The Nations judged

Kathleen's thoughts

Isaiah 21: 11-12 A message about Edom

Isaiah 21: 12-17 A message about Arabia

Isaiah 14: 2-32 Judgement upon the Philistines.

Isaiah 15: 1-9 Judgement upon Moab.

Isaiah 16: 1-14 Moab's hopeless situation

2 Kings 18: 7-8 Hezekiah defies Assyria

1 Chronicles 4:39-43 The Amalekites slain.

Isaiah 18: 1-7 Judgement against Cush

Isaiah 19: 1-15 Judgment against Egypt

Isaiah 19: 16-25 Egypt will worship the Lord. ..23On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. Assyria will go to Egypt, Egypt to Assyria, and Egypt will worship with Assyria....24 On that day Israel will form a triple alliance with Egypt and Assyria - a blessing within the land...15. The Lord of Hosts will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork and Israel My inheritance"

The Lord... is coming... to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with His faithfulness. Psalm 96: 13

The reading today of God's judgement against the nations is all because they preferred to do things their way and worship idols  God wants us to walk in His statues so that it will go well with us and generations onwards. His word is there for a purpose. You can have a Bible well read, go to church on Sundays but not walk in the word you have nothing. The aim of God's word is to obey it let it be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path and let the meditation of your heart be acceptable to the Lord and let everything that has breath continually praise the Lord and give Him all the Glory.

Blessings
Kathleen..