Isaiah 11

1There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of(A) Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.2And(B) 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 the fear of the LORD.3And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.(C) He shall not judge by(D) what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,4but(E) with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with
equity for the meek of the earth;and he shall(F) strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and(G) with the breath of his lips(H) he shall kill the wicked.5Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and(I) faithfulness the belt of his loins.

fhdfh

Bible verses always have their ambiguities. Verses that break the mind, puzzle the intellect, and generate question marks in daily journals. This passage is no different. Here, there shall come someone from the line of jesse. As the bible begins to describe this special person, one of the descriptions is :

2And(B) 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 the fear of the LORD

What does this mean? There are all sorts of bad implications from these 3 spirits. Here are some possibilities:

1. Greater -> lesser, lesser, lesser
2. Equal -> Equal, Equal, Equal
3. General -> specific, specific, specific

My first objection is, why not just have a list? And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom, understand, counsel, might, knowledge and fear of the lord? There is a strange grouping -

1. Wisdom and Understanding
2. Counsel and Might
3. Knowledge and Fear

Perhaps the second item is more interesting than any of the other ones. Wisdom and understanding are married as husband and wife. Knowledge and fear makes sense, not as strongly. But what the heck is Counsel and Might having to do with anything? What the heck is a spirit of Counsel? Counsel has an idea of advice, knowledge, speaking, or compassion and understanding. Might implies strength confidence and action. It is almost as if these two are not even on the same measuring scale!

And following - a even more difficult section:

He shall not judge by(D) what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,4but(E) with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth

I personally like this verse because of the fact; he will not judge with what his eyes see or ears hear. How many a situation has been mis-understood to the bad social digestion of all! The contrast is stark! In comparison to eyes and ears, he judges with righteousness. The author doesn't even explain how the judgin will work. Only that it will, and it will be right. It also says decide with equity.

Equity
1.the quality of being fair or impartial; fairness; impartiality: the equity of Solomon.
2.something that is fair and just.

and following "for the meek of the earth" another puzzling phrase. How does he decide "for" a people group? At first glance i would have thought they would decide WHO the people group is. But deciding "for" them seems to be a representative. Why would the meek of the earth need someone to judge"FOR" them?

Needless to say, many questions, but good none the less to know that the LORD is right, and when he comes all will be seen, all my rotten deeds, all my hypocrasy, and even if there is but a slight sliver of goodness in me, it will be found, and it will be found that it was from GOD alone. Praise be to God who has put conditions on salvation, but has fulfilled them himself. How shall we walk away from such a God!

Isaiah 10 - The rod and the master

12(W)
When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem,(X) he[a] will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. 13(Y) For he says:

"By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.

14My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples;and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth;and there was none that moved a wing or opened the mouth or chirped."

15Shall(Z) the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!

16Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts will send wasting sickness among his(AA) stout warriors,and under his glory(AB) a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire.

17(AC) The light of Israel will become a fire, and(AD) his Holy One a flame,and(AE) it will burn and devour his thorns and briers(AF) in one day.

18The glory of(AG) his forest and of his(AH) fruitful land the LORD will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.

19The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child can write them down.

The rod and the master. This particular passage interests me because it shows the method of the Lord in punishing the arrogant heart of the king. The first verse is actually quoted from the king of assyria.

"By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for
I have understanding;I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.

14My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples;and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth;and there was none that moved a wing or opened the mouth or chirped."

Pretty pompous isn't it? like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones. I have never touched an ax, a sword, nor any type of armament, so i find this difficult to relate to. You, the common american reader have rarely conquered anything larger than a tomato or a tomato-sized dog. So for this moment, i will speak of other more practical applications. Do we believe in Human fuel? Human power? How do we remedy the lack of perceived output of happiness and good times? Is it "try harder"? That's simple man's talk for "I believe the human element, the human ability".

I find these thoughts particularly strong in educational systems. Our product is a direct measurement of our effort and intellectual ability compared to everyone else. I have found myself very unhappy being average. But being average among what? At a top university level education, which is not bad. But, no, I need to be more than that! Sad is my pride. Perhaps the more telling signs is the suggested remedy? Work harder, think more, read more books, get smarter, find a program, throw all energy towards your achievement! And who has guaranteed that all that input should have any influence on the output of our lives?

And what does the bible say about speech that is like this?

15Shall(Z)
the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!

I am a tool nothing more nothing less. Oh lord, forgive me for the years and years i assumed my ability and smartness. everything comes from the lord! Everything! All drawing, all perceived conversation, all great teaching, all learning; they are gifts from the lord. How often i have called myself the bull, the tiger or the lion that makes the kill when it is really the lord who glues all things together. Praise be to God! That we may experience the life that he has prescribed, and that we can see his workings first hand! I am a human tool! How can I boast of he who wields me?

Do I really understand my spot? my place ? My problems? What puzzles has the lord provided for me that I may be used for Glory by the spirit?

How not to Walk in the way of a people

Isaiah 8 - 11For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me,
and(R) warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12"Do not call(S)
conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and(T) do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13But the LORD of hosts,(U) him you shall honor as holy.

Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14And he will become a(V) sanctuary and(W) a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15And many(X) shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken."

Steps to walk in a different way

1. Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy
2. My take on this particular passage is judgment. Let us be careful of how our judgment lines up with other people's viewing glass. This seems harmless from the outside, but judgments are made on a standard. Having similar judgments compared to other people shows a similar worldview, or a similar standard of truth. E.g. if you lose all your money to a storm and call it a tragedy, then you are showing your standard of good is "with money". In the same way, if you find yourself judging a situation very similar to those around you, then you need to re-evaluate your truth center, and truth priorities.
3. do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread
4. This is more of the negative version of the first point- do not fear what they fear. The simplest one is dying. We need not fear death as the rest of the world does, for we have a saviour, and a wonderful heaven awaiting us, where we will be with our God, our Lord. The only requirement is that we would want to go there. If we don't love God, the God of the bible, how shall we go there? And if we get there and do not love being with him, then what use or bliss is heaven?
5. On another level, we should not fear the world, nore words, nor grades, nor people, nor poverty, nor sickness. Did not the Lord cause us to be born? Did he not cause us to grow into maturity? How can we claim and fear that our lives have started, and no one is watching our paths? If God shall start it, if god shall work it even when were not cognizant as infants, then how shall he not finish it, even we are conscious?
6. One of the more striking aspects of the stories of Jacob, Moses, David, and others is the fact that God interceeded from the beginning. Not only that he interceeded when they were children, and also, if any of these men were equipped with power, he also interceeded then. How shall God NOT be able to influence these silly capitalistic eyes?
7. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread
8. It is a strange comparison to compare worldy fear to God. I fear being hungry tomorrow. Instead, i should fear God somehow? How? That I shall die? Even unbelievers fear that moment by moment. We can fear death without fearing God! Sickness, death, famine, all these things we can fear without fearing the Lord. How does fearing the Lord, and letting him be our dread replace all the commonplace fears that clog most people today?
9. Suggestion: perhaps fearing the lord is the standard and the power. For instance, my fear is that I am hungry now, but perhaps my fear should be that i might cross my God in some evil way. Or that later today i shall find myself very close to a sinful vice. Is it him that we fear to displease? One who has given so much, one who has destined so much of our life from Good? How shall we leave and walk away from such a God?
10. Do we fear the Lord?

Nebuccanzzer, am I?

30"The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the ^(BE)great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?'

31"While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you,

32and ^(BF)you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and ^(BG)seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the ^(BH)Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.'

33"Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was ^(BI)driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.

34"But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the ^(BJ)Most High and praised and honored ^(BK)Him who lives forever;
For His dominion is an ^(BL)everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35"^(BM)All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
But ^(BN)He does according to His will in the host of heaven
And among the inhabitants of earth;
And ^(BO)no one can ward off His hand
Or say to Him, '^(BP)What have You done?'

Most times, I imagine Nebuchadnezzar in a small column called "bad guys", I of course am found in the "good guy column". It's an humanly display of pride, we always hope the best for ourselves. But what has made Nebuchadnezzar good/bad?

30"The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the ^(BE)great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?'

An innocent statement? Maybe, but how often have I also made the same claim. Last night I spent some time meeting a friend's cousin. It was fun, but was it because of the work of my hands? No, it was a gift from God, in almost every aspect. But here's the sneaky question; was i thinking that at the time? At the time i will admit, my ego powered up and took the throne. My jokes, my words, my stories, my doing. Is there any hope to train us towards what is right?

And even more than that, when I think of school, how my priorities rapidly change. A good grade, and it becomes a recognition that always SHOULd have been there: I am awesome. But when i get a bad grade, I assume some sort of fluke. How fervent and repeated my heart is to exalt itself. Everything should be accredited to God.

Considering these things. It is only a matter of time, till i too will find my place in the fields, my senses gone from me, and living like a wild animal. Assist me oh lord, to kill, well, me! I do fear thy hand, and the sting of instruction, but if the doctor's knife does bleed, let it be in your hands more than any, for you are gentle, wise and powerful.

Fancy Parties

Isaiah 5

11Woe to those who(O) rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink,who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them!12(P) They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,(Q) but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands.

In all honesty, I may be taking this out of context. Literally i do not know if this applies to me. Still it is quite frightening. This passage is describing, as i interpret it, men that are pleasure seekers. "who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink".

Though I am not a drunkard, nor a pursuer of all things hemp, I do remember my earlier days and video games. I would wake up, play my brains out, then go and crash to sleep. Man, what a life. Strangely I remember those days fondly, but now as i think about it, I almost sickens me. I think its the thought of just sitting there for an extended period of time. Still, most likely have not learned my lesson. Within the last two years i bought World of Warcraft and played my brains out for a year or so off and on. I guess old habits die hard. Either that or I'm just not used to the real world.

that hobbie has come and gone like many things. The next phrase is interesting - They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,(Q) but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands.

I read this passage and think something along the lines of - we may have all the fancy of things, even the best of the best, games, people, food, entertainment, and great parties. But do we regard the deeds of the LORD? Can we see the work of his hands? It could be that this passage is referring to the pleasure seeking in the world as a replacement for God's creation. It could also be a simple recognition problem on our part, that we do not recognize God's part in our enjoyment?

the Phrase seems to imply that the deeds are separate from the other things. See the works of his hands are also separated ideas meaning they are unrelated. The later passage gives some hints-

24Therefore,(AH) as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,so(AI) their root will be(AJ) as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust;for they have(AK) rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and have(AL) despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25Therefore(AM) the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them, and(AN) the mountains quaked;and their corpses were(AO) as refuse in the midst of the streets.

They have "rejected" the law of the LORD of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy one of Israel. This rejection is not a emotion rejection for it, but a general disregard for it. There are two types of rejection, mental and emotional, and also physical. There is "I would really like to go to your party, but i cannot make it," rejection, and also "I would never ever be found in your house, or at your party, rejection."

It is of hte first we find ourselves most guilty. How often we have smiled on the bible, and commended its precepts, and re-written its commands. And Yet, do we actually do them ? it is an overlooked blight that we do not actually do what we love, for our heart goes to something else. Usually, our own pleasure takes the cake, literally.

Materialism

Isaiah 2:6For you have rejected your
people, the house of Jacob,because they are full of things(I)
from the east and(J)
of fortune-tellers(K)
like the Philistines, and they(L)
strike hands with the children of foreigners.7Their land is(M)
filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their
treasures;their land is(N)
filled with horses, and there is no end to their
chariots.8Their land is(O)
filled with idols; they bow down to(P)
the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made.

I feel rather guilty for my warehouse of dreams. One of the benefits of looking for a new apartment is observing other people's arrangements. Walk into a tightly packed and organized studio, and one might guess the tenant to be a shrewd haggling dealing man. Find a large flat screen TV with neo-modern sofas that break your spine, and the owner is likely a high powered executive. Still across the board, the larger the volume of items found in an apt, it is assumed a larger income.

For all the things in our household, what do we have ot show? I remember the Piper quote well, "at the end of your life, do you want to go to God and say ' look at my shell collection God! Look at my Golf swing! Or do you want to be known for something more?"

And look how Isaiah speaks of israel:
"they are full of things from the east"
I don't know exactly what that means, but if we look at the following list, we can get a good feeling for what he is talking about. Silver, God, "no end to their treasures", horses, chariots, idols. And in short, it is all summarized by this one line:

"their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands,"
I believe some of this meaning may not translate to us, the beneficiaries of a market economy. It seems that most of the items we obtain or get are made for us by some factory in a far off land. Back then many things are hand made. Other riches are pillaged or captured from conquering other countries. The spoils of hard work were much more tangible.

Perhaps an exercise will help. Though we don't make or conquer our treasures, we work for them. If you, kind reader, have a job, or a occupation, or a specialty which you are compensated for, what is your heart's desire? What object is at the forefront of your eyes, and in the sensitive part of your ear? When work's gears grind you to despair, what image keeps you toiling? Is it another shiny object? Is it a person? Is it your house? Is it your future? Then consider then, are we bowing ourselves before idols? That we press on for some fancy car, or fancy toy? Perhaps that we endure all things for a secure future on this earth?

Of all Creation we are Evil

I remember his tone most of all.

Erik was always a calm man, especially around the word. Even more so around people who were curious about God's teachings. One time I eavesdropped couch counseling, and the quote has always stuck with me.

"All creation obey God. All creatures, all the seas, the storms, and the earth. Of all these things, humans are the only ones that do not obey. Of all creation, WE do not obey the creator"

When spoken like that, I have a flash of just how much of a rebel I am. To think, there be a nation, no, a great sovereignty, and I am but a foot soldier waving a stump of a fist at my orders. How am I to be looked on with any favor? Can I be considered with any courage? No, my purple heart should be made of thorns, and my gold necklace into iron shackles. Even in a progressive society like today, if you rebel against authority, you will be punished severly.

And not only do I find myself stopping in the midst of a battle, but i find myself stopping others also, encouraging or enticing them not to fight. Not to raise arms, but to sit and eat our rations!

In Isaiah 1 it says:

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O(H) earth; for the LORD has spoken:"Children[a](I) have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.3The ox(J) knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib,but Israel does not know, my people do not understand."

Though i fully understand this is speaking of Israel as a nation in the old days, my heart still resonates, and my conscience accuses me, I am of the very similar behavior. I do not know, I do not understand.

5Why will you still be(O) struck down? Why will you(P) continue to rebel?The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.6(Q) From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it,but bruises and sores and raw wounds;they are(R) not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil.

This is not literally happening to me, but why should i be surprised when various afflications come about? Why am I surprised that my books do not satisfy, and my games leave me empty?
Why am i surpised that through all the excitement I have found through the years, i find myself still wanting more?

12"When you come to(AB)
appear before me, who has required of
you this
trampling of my courts?13Bring no more vain
offerings; incense
is an abomination to me.(AC)
New moon and Sabbath and the(AD)
calling of convocations— I cannot endure(AE)
iniquity and(AF)
solemn assembly.14Your(AG)
new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates;they have
become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.15When
you(AH)
spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you;(AI)
even though you make many prayers, I will not
listen; (AJ)
your hands are full of blood.16(AK)
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of
your
deeds from before my eyes;(AL)
cease to do evil, 17learn to do good;(AM)
seek justice, correct oppression;(AN)
bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

How I don't pay attention to how i come to the lord! How true harrison is, coming to the lord is a cleansing thing, a precious thing. Let us take a good assessment of ourselves before we come ot the lord! We just walk right in an pray, which is ablessing, but where has our reverance gone? We are so very very very lucky that we may enter in an have an audience with the Most High, yet we walk in and presume on Jesus' covering to cast about feeble requests like a babbling child.