Read Isaiah 27
Highlights:
Judgment threatened; Israel's hypocritical worship; Israel rebuked for its alliance with Egypt; future hope.
For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still (Is. 30:7).
The Israelites were under the special guardianship of God, who had wrought many deliverances for them. Yet, when the Assyrians threatened to invade their nation, they turned to Egypt — the very people who had once so cruelly oppressed their forefathers. To ensure Egyptian alliance, they sent Egypt a large sum of money.
From Israel's past they knew that God would protect them, but they chose to put their faith in an earthly power. Even though they had the omnipotent God of heaven on their side, they picked a fallible army to help them. In some ways, it is simply repeating an age old sin, which is trusting more in the seen than the unseen. This sin demonstrates a lack of faith. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (I John 5:4).
It was as a rebuke for such lack of faith in God, that the prophet said sit still — don't panic, but rely on God to help. Today, the believer in Christ is often tempted to sin in a very similar way. The enemy, Satan, would love to influence our thinking so that he could trick us into losing faith in God. He wants to cause us to look to something or someone physical to help us in our time of need. Faith is not involved in the seen. Faith asks us to believe in the unseen. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1).
To sit still doesn't mean we are to remain idle and use none of our God-given abilities. If we are to receive God's blessings on our efforts, we must, in a sense, sit still by placing our whole dependence on God and not on our own plans. God said: Keep silence before Me. . . . Fear thou not . . . I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness (Is. 41:1,10). It is only in God we will find our peace, strength, and rest. We must do this to allow God to truly work within us. As long as we are “helping Him,” the plan of God for our lives will never be able to truly be put into action. God will complete what He is doing in our lives. Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as He had begun, so He would also finish in you the same grace also (II Cor. 8:6).
It is good that man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord (Lam. 3:26).
Thought for Today:
When it seems there is no hope, is it because we are relying on our own strength rather than God's?
Christ Revealed:
As the precious (Chief) Corner Stone, a sure foundation (Is. 28:16; Eph. 2:20-21; Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:10-12; Rom. 9:33; I Pet. 2:6-8).
Word Studies:
27:1 piercing, swift; 28:21 strange, awesome, unusual; 28:22 bands be made strong, punishment be made greater; 30:1 cover with a covering, give an offering; 30:3 confusion, humiliation, your undoing; 30:24 ear, plow.
Prayer Needs:
Pray for International Broadcasts sponsored by Carl Miller • Staff: Dan Murton • Government Official: Rep. Mike McIntyre II (NC)• Country: Pakistan (146.5 million) in southern Asia • Major languages: Urdu and English • There is no freedom to convert Muslims to Christ. Pakistan is an Islamic republic • 72% Sunni Muslim; 20% Shi'a Muslim; 3% Ahmadiya; 2% Christian; 2% Hindu; .1% Other (Baha'i, Animist, Farsi, Buddhist) • Prayer Suggestion: Remember that the Lord is always ready to help you in times of trouble (Ps. 46:1).
Optional Reading: James 1
Memory Verse for the Week: Habakkuk 3:18