Isaiah 31-35

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When your heart is disturbed and you begin to worry due to troublesome issues – like perhaps losing a job, developing cancer, or losing a spouse through divorce - where do YOU turn? 

Sadly, many of us turn to family, friends, doctors, medications, counselors, and other human and/or earthly sources.  Why is it that God is last one we turn to?  Why do we turn to others for help, and not God?

This is exactly what Judah did...and it hurt the heart of God!  Notice what God says in 31:1, "What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel."

Examine your life right now!  Are you putting your trust in the company you work with for a steady paycheck?  Are you putting your trust in medication or supplements to solve your health problems? Are you relying on a counselor to save your marriage?  If you are, you're hurting the heart of God!

Back to our story...

Judah has little more than a year (32:10) before the Assyrians will come and destroy everything they’ve worked hard for. Their manner of life will be completely altered and destroyed. They will be taken captive and moved from their homeland. And many will die!

Chapter 31 opens up with God telling them how angry He is over seeking the help of the Egyptians rather than seeking His help.  They cannot see that it is God Himself who’s bringing this calamity on them, AND that there’s a way out of this mess EXCEPT THROUGH HIM!!!

Maybe that's your situation as well!  Maybe God is not allowing healing, or providing a solution through the other methods you're currently using. Perhaps what God is waiting for is for you to seek Him with all your heart, confess sin, and get right with Him. It's critical that we understand that God brings these stories to us within the Old Testament to provide examples for how we should live, how we should trust Him in everything, and how important it is to live sinless, holy lives before Him!

God reminds them of some incredible truths:

1)  He is the one who is sending a “great disaster” and He will NOT change His mind! 

2)  He reminds them that Egypt’s horses and power is no match for the mighty angels He will send!

3)  And, He won’t have any mercy and will NOT listen to the cries of His people when the tragedy begins. It will be too late!  The Bible teaches us in Revelation 2:21 how God gives people "space" or time to repent BEFORE He casts his punishment on them - "I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality."  Such was the case with Judah, Israel, and every one of us!

However, notice how God also provides a SOLUTION! God is desperately trying to tell His people that they can avoid this disaster...if they would only repent of their sin and turn TO God!  Note 31:6 – “Though you are such wicked rebels, my people, come and return to the Lord."

Sadly, it didn't happen!

God reminds them of the future of Israel - The Millennial Reign of Christ

As it is with God's nature, He loves to provide us HOPE! Notice the hope He provides in 32:1-3, God says, "Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under him. Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land. Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth, and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it."  

This message of hope refers to a future day when Jesus rules and reigns on the throne of David in Jerusalem where the whole world will seek the Lord and want to do His will.

Did you notice how God says through the prophet Isaiah, "In that day..."  He says it in 32:5 and in 33:6. God is speaking of the future reign of Christ from Jerusalem.  God sees time differently than us!  Even though He speaks of future events only a year away, He also sees the end time years as well.  It's as though God sees it ALL as one timed event. God is over time, beyond it. He created time. One day, time will end and eternity future will begin.  Time is only for the benefit of man, not for God. He was in eternity past, in our present, and will be in eternity future.  God is eternal. Man is temporal. In between eternity past and eternity future, God created time - a time for the universe to be created, a time for the planets to form within our galaxy, a time for the animals and mankind to be created, and a time of human history and existence. Time was created for man.

Those who hurt Judah will be destroyed!

In chapter 33, God provides another hope to the people of Judah.  He tells them that he will eventually destroy the Assyrians for what they're doing. Notice what God says in 33:10-13, "But the Lord says: “Now I will stand up. Now I will show my power and might. You Assyrians produce nothing but dry grass and stubble. Your own breath will turn to fire and consume you. Your people will be burned up completely, like thornbushes cut down and tossed in a fire. Listen to what I have done, you nations far away! And you that are near, acknowledge my might!”

The future promise of Zion!

Again, the future millennial reign of Christ is mentioned. As we read 34:3-4, we can see the prophecy mentioned in Ezekiel 39:11-13 where when Christ comes back to earth (the 2nd Coming of Christ) with His saints, the armies of the entire world will gather together in the Valley of Megiddo to fight against Him.  Jesus will but speak a word, and they will be completely destroyed. The devastation will be so horrendous that it will take 7 months to bury the dead!  Listen to what Ezekiel prophesies, "And I will make a vast graveyard for Gog and his hordes in the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Dead Sea. It will block the way of those who travel there, and they will change the name of the place to the Valley of Gog’s Hordes (otherwise known as the Valley of Megiddo). It will take seven months for the people of Israel to bury the bodies and cleanse the land. Everyone in Israel will help, for it will be a glorious victory for Israel when I demonstrate my glory on that day, says the Sovereign Lord."

Notice also Revelation 6:14, "The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places." Can you see how it ties into Isaiah 34:4?

God describes in 34:8 this future event will be known as, "For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance."

What a magnificent time that will be!  In fact, the rest of chapter 34 and 35 are messages of hope!  In fact, Isaiah tells the people to remind everyone taken captive that there will one day be a glorious day for His people (35:3).  

So magnificent will be the day and time, that God says in 35:10, "Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem[a] singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness."

In fact, as a young man, I attended a church that used to sing this verse as a song...which went like this, "For the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come will singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads, they shall obtain gladness and joy, for sorrow and mourning shall flee away,"  

What a great song and motivator! If I could sing it, I would teach it to you today. However, with the internet, you can find that song! Do it, and sing that song of joy.