Isaiah 66:15-24. So here we are at the end of Isaiah. I never did get an introduction written to the book but I hope that the comments throughout have been helpful and kept you all on track for understanding when the book was written, to whom, and why. In yesterday’s reading we got another dose of hope about the future of God’s promises to Israel promises we all share in if we are humble and contrite (a word that means lame in the other two times it is used in the Old Testament) and have great respect for what God is doing (Isaiah 66:2). At the very end of yesterday’s reading Isaiah told us that God will use his power (“his hand will be made known” is a fancy way of saying God will help) to help those dedicated to living for him (the ‘hope” part) but then he also reminded us that God will continue to be angry about the unfairness that his enemies have been practicing (very end of v. 14).
Verses 15-17 give us more details about what happens when God doesn’t like what we are about. The consequences of having God “deal” with us are described as fire and the sword. We are also told that many people will perish at the hand of God. Verse 17 tells us that people who are being religious but not really following God will suffer their normal existence will cease.
In verse 18 we see that a time is coming when all mankind will have to face God and they will understand who he really is (“see his glory”). Proof of who God is is the fact that many nations who had not had a relationship with God (like the Israelites did) would give honor to God. Verse 20 says that these formerly uninformed and unbelieving people groups would bring many people to Jerusalem. These people from the nations are called “brothers” of the Israelites, they are also called an “offering”, and some of them will even become priests (people who serve God in a special way) in the new kingdom. Offerings in the Law of Moses were given to honor god and show respect to him. Theses people from all the nations will make God very happy.
Yesterday I talked about the end, the millennial (1000 year) kingdom and the new heavens and earth in and for eternity. It won’t be just the new creation that lasts forever so will the “children” of the Israelites. This is talking about people who come to believe in Jesus because of what God has done in the world starting with the Jewish people. The religious festivals tht were supposed to help mankind see how helpless they were because of their sin will, in this new existence, become times when God is honored (Sabbaths were days when the Jewish people were to remember God and focus their activities on Him (including doing good to others (Matthew 12:1-13). One last time in the book of Isaiah we see the seriousness of turning away from God. Evidently there is a place in the new existence where believers can look at the eternally separated existence of those who chose not to follow God not take his offer to restore them. The image is gruesome like Prometheus in Greek mythology who was eternally condemned to be eaten by birds in reality those who do not put their eternity into Jesus hand will be eternally tormented in the lake of fire (see Revelation 20) and there situation is described as one where they are eternally being consumed by worms like a corpse in the ground.
As a message to those in Jerusalem who had spent much of their lives living for themselves by their own power the book of Isaiah must have been scary. The fact that God is serious about sin (disobedience and rebellion) was seen in the invasion by Sennacherib, a tool of God’s judgment. . But the fact of God’s love and faithfulness was also seen in his destruction of the Assyrian army at the gates of Jerusalem. The book was a continual reminder of the two aspects of God’s existence, his love and his purity or holiness. God will deal with sin and actually has dealt with it through Jesus. The question is will we each take him up on his offer of salvation or will we continue to try to reach him on our own through our own prideful lives. The truth is we have all fallen short of God’s perfection (Romans 3:23), we have all gone astray (Isaiah 53:6) but god laid the penalty for all of our sins on that one perfect servant, his son Jesus (1 John 2:2). We cannot get to God on our own Jesus is the only way (John 14:6). So dump your pride, accept the gift of eternity with Him, and honor him each day by living you life Him. As another prophet said, “He has shown you, oh man, what is good: to treat others justly, to love his mercy toward us and show it to others, and to bow down before Him” (Micah 6:8). The offer is on the table and the clock is ticking. Think about it today.
Lord thank you for helping me survive long enough to hear your word and respond to it. Thank you for letting me live long enough to live at least some years for you. I am sorry for the years that were lost in sin and disobedience. Thank you for coming into my life and renewing me and becoming my helper. You are an amazing and loving God. Help many come to you before it is too late. Eternity with you sounds so much more amazing than eternity being worm food.