Old Testament: Isaiah 22:1-24:23
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Isaiah 22:1-24:23 King-dumbs
Chap. 22: This is a prophecy about Jerusalem again (cf. v. 4, 8, 9-10). McGee quotes Dr. F.C. Jennings to say, “This section refers to the future. The history eventuated in the deliverance of Jerusalem, the prophecy in its capture; therefore the history does not fulfill it.” In verses 20-21, Shebna is a “type of” the Antichrist and Eliakim is a “type” of Christ. In verse 23-25, the “peg” is symbolic of the Antichrist whom the Jews will pin their hope to, but the nail will bend and not support their hope.
Chap. 23: A “burden” is a judgment. This one is on Tyre. Compare Ezekiel 26. McGee believes Tyre is symbolic of big business. It will be destroyed. David made alliances with Hiram of Tyre. Tyre is now a city in Lebanon. The same area was a city in ancient Phoenicia.
Chap. 24: Chapters 13-23 have been fulfilled for the most part. The next section will be fulfilled in end times.
McGee makes great observations on v. 17 which are more based on Matt. 24:4, “take heed that no one deceive you . . . .” Here is what he says.
“How many people there are who are being deceived today! They are deceived about life. How many people are even thinking about eternity? Not many. Most people think only of the here and now. Science is now rejecting the creation account—they don’t want it. This is a great day of deception. You can be deceived by science; you can be deceived by politicians; you can be deceived by the news media; you can be deceived by the military; and you can be deceived by all of the malcontents who are protesting today.”
I attended a session of a Creation conference over the weekend. Almost no one was there. People are so deceived about Genesis 1. That is where Satan starts. He ends in the Great Tribulation.
(Note to dispensationalists: McGee believes that v. 22 indicates that Tribulation believers will be resurrected to live in the Millennial Kingdom.)
New Testament: Galatians 2:17-3:9
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Galatians 2:17-3:9 Bewitched?
Paul reiterates what he has already said in Romans 7. He has died to the Law. In other words, the Law no longer motivates him in his life. His motivation is now his love for Christ or rather Christ’s love for him. Verse 20 (which should definitely be memorized!!) states that Christ died in Paul’s place. This is called “substitutionary atonement.” It may sound scary but it just means that Christ died in our place, He is our substitute. He died the death that we deserved. “He paid a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.” His motivation is not the law anymore. His motivation is Christ who “gave Himself” for him.
In chapter three, Paul asks his famous question, “Who has ‘bewitched’ you, you crazy Galatians?” (v. 1). Who has put a spell on you for you to act so nuts? If they received the Spirit by faith, why are they reverting to trying to live by the law? (v. 3). The law couldn’t enervate them. Only the Spirit could (v. 3).
And they had suffered (v. 4). Was that for the law? Miracles of the Spirit were done amongst them. They had nothing to do with the law or legalism.
Paul explained that Abraham was the model of all those who believe (v. 6, 9). The children of Abraham are the ones who live by faith not by the law (v. 7). It was all a part of God’s plan to save everyone, including the Gentiles, by faith (v. 8).
Psalm 60:1-12 Scraping Enemies Off His Shoes A Lament Psalm by David
Proverbs 23:15-16 Taco Bell
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Don’t forget that Solomon was writing a book of wisdom for his son. But it’s good stuff for us, too. And daughters.
Most healthy parents like to see their children succeed. That was true of Solomon (v. 15). That is why he is writing to his son!
The other day I ordered some food at a Taco Bell. A woman was ahead of me. I tried to read the tattoo on her back. It appeared to fade. Anyway, the bell didn’t ring in the kitchen, apparently. All the orders were coming out late. She described her dilemma in very graphic language. I wondered if she would tell her story to her mother that way. Maybe she would. I don’t know.
Part of living right is trying to make someone else’s life better (v. 16). Are you ringing any other people’s bells? Or are you just being tacky?
Choose Life: Scripture: Galatians 2:20 NASB “Trade Ya”
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20 NASB
This is one of the most important verses in the entire Bible.
When I was a kid, we used to collect baseball trading cards we got in gum packs. If someone else had a particularly good card, we would offer, “Trade ya.” If it was a good one, of course, no one would trade.
Scripture tells us about the best possible trade we could make. We can trade in our old clunker of a life for a brand new model life. We can trade ourselves in for Christ. In fact, we should be making this trade every day. Paul says the life he now leads (present continuous tense), he leads by faith in Christ. Paul is not living in his own power. He is letting Christ live through him (v. 20b). Spiritually speaking, Paul died with Jesus on the cross. Now he lives every day trusting Jesus moment by moment.
How crumby is your life right now, living in your own power? Want to get something on trade?
Trade yourself in for Christ.
It’s the best deal you’ll ever make.
If you do, you will find that you are choosing life (Deut. 30:19)!
Fun Application:
General managers of sports teams get paid big bucks to make trades and improve their teams. How are you doing at managing your life? The best trade you can make is your life for His life! After that, you can still make trades. You can trade your sins for His righteousness. Here is the K-E-Y to living the Christian life:
Know that you are dead to sin: Romans 6:6 “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.”
Expect To Be Dead: Romans 6:11 “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
Yield the parts of your body to God: Romans 6:13 “and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
Follow this pattern and you can keep trading in your sins for His righteousness. (Check out the blogs Meshugah? and Get The ‘Led’ Out.)
The purpose of the Choose Life is to pick a positive help out of the One Year Bible (OYB) reading plan for the day. There is always something positive in the Word of God to cheer us and give us strength. For more on today’s reading, check out my One Year Bible blog: King-dumbs