Lo, This is Our God!

Isaiah 25:9-12. “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him. We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.  For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under Him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. And He shall spread forth His hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands. And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.”

Remember, in that day refers to the Millenial Reign of Jesus Christ.  In this mountain is Mount Zion.

These four verses give a snapshot of how things will be in the Millenium. Israels’ enemies will be defeated.  Not just defeated, but completely subjugated. Moab is mentioned here. It is a next-door neighbor to Israel, and in the Millenium it will serve Israel (Is. 11:14; 16: 1-5 ).

Israel will finally, as a nation, recognize that Jesus Christ is Messiah. They will turn their hearts back to Him, and the nation will flourish.

The hand of the Lord denotes His power, deliverance, and protection over His people (Ezra 7:6, 28; Neh. 2:8; Acts 4:30; 11:21). I think the picture of God defeating Israel’s enemies is so interesting:  He will move His hands like a man swimming, easily moving through the water, easily defeating His enemies; and destroying their strong walls and fortresses, bringing them to the dust of the ground.

 

Death is Swallowed up in Victory

Isaiah 25:7-8. “And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. ”

Covering the face indicated grief, sorrow,or misery. The idea here is the removal of all satanic darkness and power now covering the whole of the nations. The prince of the power of the air that works in all sons of sin will be removed from all hearts and minds; then men will, for the first time since Adam’s innocence, be free from all satanic influences and demon power. Satan is the ruler of the darkness of this world, and he and all his agents will be confined to the abyss during the 1,000 years of Rev. 20:7; 24:21-22; Eph. 6:12; Rev. 12:7-12; 20:3).

He will swallow up death in victory: Engulf, remove, abolish, cancel; and cause the ravages and triumph of death to cease. In the first resurrection, before the Millenium, all the righteous dead of all ages, including the godly from Abel to the end of the future Tribulation, will be resurrected; and death will be done away as far as they are concerned, at that time ( I Cor. 15:23, 51-57; Phil. 3:20-21;  I Thess. 4:13-17; Rev. 20:4-6). Death will not be destroyed for sinners, though, for they will continue to die during the Millennium. When the second resurrection takes place and all wicked men are given immortality of the body to be tormented day and night eternally, then death will be destroyed (I Cor. 15:24-28, 35-45; Rev. 20:4-6, 11-15). Christ has already conquered death and He now holds the keys of death and hades (Heb. 3:14-15; Rev. 1:18; but death as an enemy will continue throughout the Millenium and exercise its power over sinners (I Cor. 15:24-28; Is. 65:20). After that period there will be no more death (Rev. 21: 3-7; 33:2).

It is always amazing to me how much there is in just a couple of rather short verses. We should understand that the Bible always interprets itself, but in order to see that, we must indeed be diligent students of the Word. We must seek the whole counsel of God, not just the parts that please us or prove our point.

 

In This Mountain

Isaiah 25:6. “And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.”

In this mountain refers to Mount Zion. Again, this entire chapter is describing events of the Millenial Kingdom, which includes the celebration of the physical return of Messiah.

A feast of fat things  could  also be translated as a feast of good things. There has been horrible desolation all over the earth under Antichrist, and now peace and order have been restored.  Feasts always took place as a time of celebration of victories in war.  This one is the ultimate feast, because it includes the presence of Messiah, Who has triumphed over Antichrist and the terrible ones under his leadership, the nations who warred against Israel, as well as His triumph over Satan and his demons.

Wines on the lees:  Wine that has been kept for a long time, and the dregs mixed with it to make it strong. It is purified by straining it through cloth, leaving nothing but the pure wine.

Fat things full of marrow  is an expression denoting sumptuous entertainment and abundant provisions.

 

A Storm Against the Wall

Isaiah 25:4-5. “For Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, and refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud; the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

I thought of Texas this morning, as I read these two verses ( the picture above is NOT Texas).  Man often feels quite good about the structures he makes to protect from natural disasters, but God’s power is so much greater. When He sends a “storm against the wall,” it can make our efforts look pretty puny.

In verse 4, we see four ways in which God has blessed His people:

His is a strength to the poor.

He is a strength to the needy in distress.

He is a refuge from the storm.

He is a shadow from the heat.

In verse five, “the terrible ones” describes a mighty army that comes in and quickly destroys a nation that is unprepared.

I am reminded of this old hymn:

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee: I am Thankful

It’s a little later than  usual for writing my Sunday post. The reason:   I’m not quite ready for the ride to church, for sitting through two services, and the long ride home.  Too much sitting for the time being.

If you’ve been following my Bible study blog, you know I have a back that is slowly but surely disintegrating.  I now have both my sacroiliac joints fused. The one on the right side is the one that’s keeping me grounded for a few more days.  Surgery was a week ago Tuesday.

I’m doing well, really.  It’s an amazingly helpful procedure. My surgeon is one of the doctors who created and refined the surgery, which of course increases my confidence in him.

So today, I want to share with you some things for which I am thankful, things that have a direct bearing on my recent surgery and back issues. They won’t be in any particular order of importance, except for the first two.

First:  Knowing Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord.  That knowledge  has given me great peace and confidence over the past couple of pain-filled years. There will be more pain. It’s a degenerative condition that isn’t planning to go away any time soon. But I should be good for a while now, and I’m thankful.

Second:  Terry, my husband, who is a thoughtful and faithful caregiver. He has taken over all “my” chores for several months now. I literally have nothing to do at home except relax and allow him to take care of me.  Not being of a dependent nature, it has been a difficult lesson for me to sit down, shut up, and let him do his thing.

Other things for which I am thankful:  My church family and my pastor. They have faithfully prayed and expressed concern for me, sending  lots of cards and notes to encourage me.

I’m thankful for a comfortable bed, and for my new My Pillows, which have definitely lived up to the advertisements.

I’m thankful for my chiropractor, who has taken care of me for nearly 23 years. I’m pretty sure my condition would have been a lot worse a lot sooner without his expertise.

I’m thankful for my primary care doctor, who is patient with my efforts to keep my A1C at a healthy level.

I’m thankful for the three of my grandchildren who live only 30 minutes away–and their parents, of course 🙂  Last night they came up, brought supper, and two of our closest friends came to share it all with us.

I’m thankful for all the new friends I’ve made in cyberspace.  That’s a surprise I wasn’t expecting when I launched this, my first blog. It’s an added benefit that continues to surprise me.

I’m thankful for all that I’ve learned as I’ve blogged through several books of the Bible. When you study in order to write/teach, I’m convinced you learn a LOT more than your readers do!

I’m thankful for the homeschool co-op our church hosts. We start the fall semester on Sept. 8, and I’ll be teaching  Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice.  I’ve certainly had plenty of time to study!

I’m just thankful this morning. God is good.  All the time.

I Think I’m Back :)

I rolled out of bed this morning and realized I’d done it  without grabbing the headboard to give myself a boost that wouldn’t hurt my back.

Hallelujah!

The pain isn’t gone, but it is so  much improved that I actually  forgot about it for just a second.  And, even better, I slept through the night without having to get up–which means I slept past the time for my every-six-hours pain pill, and STILL stayed asleep for three hours past that time.

I feel rejuvenated.  I feel like Tigger!

 

Well, that may be going a bit too far, but I really am encouraged this morning.  It’s been such a long time since I haven’t had any pain, and today I’m beginning to believe this one is going to go away–I’m hoping for a very, very long time.

You can watch for my Sunday Morning Coffee post.  I already know what my topic will be 🙂

In Time

Synchronize

Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt. 

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I do apologize.  I meant for this to be posted on my writing blog, not on this one.  That’s what happens when you don’t double check. So I’m going to re-blog this on my other blog, and then I’ll delete it from here 🙂

 

From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:

synchronize (v.)1620s, “to occur at the same time,” from Greek synkhronizein “be of the same time,” from synkhronos “happening at the same time” (see synchronous). The transitive sense of “make synchronous” is first recorded 1806. Of timepieces by 1879. Related: Synchronized; synchronizing. Synchronized swimming is recorded from 1950.

The prefix syn means united, acting, or considered together; thus the name of the once popular boy band, ‘N Sync that got its start in 1995.

Chronos was the Greek god of time.  Interesting, always, where words come from.

Children are often taught to play a musical instrument, especially the piano, in time with a metronome, a mechanical device that kept a stead rhythm to help the student establish  a sense of timing.  The musical application of synchronicity is surely of the most interest to me, although I do understand its importance in hundred of other  applications.

For instance, dancing is a form of synchronous  movement. There is something just delightful in watching dancers who are in exact rhythm with each other–grace, timing, agility.

 

 

 

For you youngsters out there, this was perhaps the most famous Hollywood dance couple of all time–Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Perfectly synchronized, always a pleasure to watch.

Singing also needs synchronicity.  A choir is an ensemble in which no one voice or singer stands out. The idea is to blend so perfectly that it would seem to be just one voice.

 

 

You probably won’t want to watch the whole concert. I used this mainly because it so clearly demonstrates what a really good choir should sound like.

 

And then, of course, there is synchronized swimming:

 

 

Some of you will recognize Esther William, from the 1930’s and 40’s, who became known as “America’s Mermaid.” It seems to me she did some movies that included her in synchronized swimming routines, but I could be wrong.  Long time ago.

Okay, so I looked it up, and yes, she helped popularize the sport in her 40’s and 50’s films.

So that’s enough. I’m finished 🙂

 

 

 

 

Maybe a Few Days Off

This will be brief.  Yesterday was surgery day.  Everything went just as it should, and I am thankful.

However, sitting is not my best position right now. I can manage in my comfortable chair in the living room, but I write this blog at my PC. It is on the desk where I keep my Bible and other study materials. The chair in there is not exactly therapeutic.

 

It could be a few more days before I’m ready to  sit in that chair.

I do want to thank those of you who have prayed for me during these past couple weeks. I know that God was in it every step of the way.  There is, of course, some pain from the surgery that is well-managed by the medication. I should be back to  normal–whatever that means :)–in just a few more days. ‘

Praise

Isaiah 25:1-3. “O Lord, Thou art my God: I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou has done wonderful things; Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. For Thou has made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built. Therefore shall the strong people glorify Thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear Thee.”

The verb tense in this passage places it in the far future, during the Millenial Reign of Jesus Christ.  Isaiah’s heart is full, as he hears from God about this future time. He exalts God, and will continue to do so. He praises the name of God, and will continue to do so.

There are 20 reasons for his vow to worship that are listed in this chapter. In these three verses,  Isaiah lists that God has done wonderful things; that His counsels from the beginning have been faithfulness and truth;  that He has made a city into a heap of rubble; that the city’s defences are ruined; that the palace full of those who are alien to God have no city; and that city will not be rebuilt.

Those who believed God and stayed strong will praise Him; the mighty nations that destroyed Israel and Judah will finally begin to fear God.

 

Sunday Morning Coffee: Heartache

(1)   When your heart is aching, turn to Jesus,

He’s the dearest Friend that you can know;

You will find Him standing close beside you,

Waiting peace and comfort to bestow.

Chorus

Heartaches, take them all to Jesus,

Go to Him today,

Do it now without delay.

Heartaches, take them all to Jesus,

He will take your heartaches all away.

(2)   There is joy for every troubled sorrow,

Sweet relief for every bitter pain,

Jesus Christ is still the great Physician,

No one ever sought His help in vain.

(3)   Jesus understands, whate’er the trouble,

And He waits to heal your wounded soul.

Will you trust His love so strong and tender?

He alone can make your spirit whole.

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I hear a lot of heartache in my counseling office. I hear stories about men who have no intention of marrying, yet they expect all the benefits of being married. I hear about women who are completely self-centered, having no time or interest in supporting husband or child. I hear of children who are angry and hurtful to parents and grandparents, turning away from those who have loved them as soon as they can afford to find a dump of a place to live in–anywhere is better than the house they grew up in. I hear about parents who have been incredibly abusive to their children, but somehow get away with it; at the same time, a good father is accused by a bitter mother-in-law of sexually molesting his daughters, and it takes over a year to clear his name.

The world is full of injustice.  Satan is ramping up the heat as he sees his end coming nearer. People have listened to lies about God, about faith, about Christianity. They have decided that “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die,” is good advice.

I heard about a new “game” today, something called Blue Whale, in which the administrator challenges participants to commit deeds to show their courage. The last thing they are challenged to do is to take their own lives.

We have lost all sense of the value of human life, created by God in His own image. We are driven with every wind of doctrine, tossed back and forth like a tiny boat on a raging ocean.

I was talking with a dear friend today who has gone through her own valley of the shadow of death and come through it triumphant, but there were many pitfalls along the way.  As we reminisced, I thought about what  a really wonderful life I’ve had.  Growing up in a lower middle class neighborhood where there wasn’t much wealth, but instead a wealth of love, was a great experience. I married a godly man who has stood by me for 48 years.  I have four children who have all married well, and who are all serving the Lord in their local churches.

I’ve been privileged to be a stay-at-home mom, a high school teacher, and now a counselor in a Christian counseling practice.  A charmed life, compared to what many others have had to deal with.

I have some physical issues, but we all do.  We’ve never been wealthy, but we’ve never been destitute.  God has provided for us through His people, and through our own ability and determination to work hard–something else we’ve taught our children to do.

I have so much that I’m thankful for.  I need to be more thankful than I am.

As you go to your various churches this morning, meditate on that for which you are thankful. Put the details in their proper place and focus on what you are about to do; the people you will minister to; and the God Who has all of it in His hand.