Isaiah 5
(v.7) God has described in the previous verses, how the people of Israel have rejected Him, and how they will be consumed by their enemies as a result. We see a lot of patterns in the Bible, for that is the way God reveals Himself to us and His people.
Prophecy in Western culture:
Prediction --> Fulfillment
Prophecy in Hebrew culture:
Pattern --> Fulfillment
God speaks to us in pattern throughout the Bible, not only to make sure we understand, but to see that the whole Bible speaks of one thing...God's plan of redemption for mankind in His Son!
(v.8) For those of us who currently live in so much cement and buildings, or those who have lived in those areas...it is not good for us to be so cramped in. God wants us to live amongst nature and to see His handiwork every day! My family recently moved from the suburbs of Southern California to the hill country of Texas, and we see God's handiwork every day! We can't help but see God in our yard and the creatures He has in it.
If we think about it, as a society, we have replaced God's handiwork with man's handiwork in our cities. We see immense buildings, roads, signs and lights...but only when we venture into the country or to the mountains, do we see God's majesty in His creation.
If you can't live in an area where you can enjoy nature, make sure to take your kids to the beach, the mountains, or the like on a weekend. Also, it's good to send them to Christian Camp in the woods, so they can get closer to God.
(v.14) Here we see the word Sheol again, and it's the place for the spirits until Christ died and allowed the believing spirits to go to heaven. The unbelieving spirits stay in Sheol, and they will be cast into the abyss with Satan and his demons.
(v.20) Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil
Aren't we living in these times today? Our culture mocks righteous living for lavish and exuberant lifestyles. We defend the convicted murderer, but throw away and kill the unwanted child in the womb. We are intolerant of Christians, but preach tolerance to them at the same time!
Always measure your values and beliefs with the Word of God, and you'll do well in this life.
Isaiah 6
(v.3) Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts
I show my kids that they say holy three times...this is believed to be referring to the Holy Trinity.
(v.8) Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?
Take note of the word Us and read Gen 3:22 and Gen 11:7 to them...the word in all these cases is Elohim, which is a plural word (three or more) used in the singular tense. This is God as the Holy Trinity! Also, take note of Isaiah's response...he volunteers to serve God! We should all take Isaiah's lead and step out in faith and serve God!
Isaiah 7
(v.14) This verse is used at Christmas time to point us to the Immaculate Conception of Christ. But skeptics try to say that the word virgin means a young woman!
First of all, the Hebrew text says the virgin which points us to one particular virgin. And if we use common sense, what kind of sign would it be to Israel to have a young woman give birth to a son? That happens every day! No, God is talking about one particular woman who hasn't been with a man, and the Holy Spirit makes her egg fertilized by supernatural ways! God had this plan all along, if we read Gen 3:15 we see that God pointed to this event from the beginning!
In Hebrew, the name Immanuel means God With Us and that is what Jesus was! We know this for a fact, since John states this at the beginning of his gospel:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...
~ John 1:1, 14
Remember, the name Jesus means Yahweh is Salvation, so His name was His mission!
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