James 1:3 tells us “the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” 2020 has certainly been a year where the faith of many a faithful Christian has been tested but what should our attitude be? We should endeavor to persevere. To endeavor is to “make every effort”. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:3 to “Make every…

Isaiah 24:23 The moon will be dismayed, the sun ashamed; for the Lord Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders—with great glory. This Wednesday we continue our study on Isaiah by focusing on chapter 24. What can we learn from Isaiah 24? God will judge the sinner and save the righteous….

“You shall not covet” Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21. The 10th command goes beyond a simple command to not covet listing specific examples. Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” The…

What do all of these ancient oracles teach us today? Isaiah’s oracles teach several important truths, still relevant centuries later. First, God rules over all nations; He’s not a local deity or a territorial god. Despite appearances at times to the contrary, God has His hand in the intricate details of our lives as well…

The 9th command pertained to legal testimony. The idea of justice is prominent in the Old Testament, and honesty in the courtroom was a precondition to maintaining justice. The prophets spoke harshly against giving false testimony and stated that one of the primary reasons for the punishment of Israel and Judah was the false testimony…

1 Corinthians 5:13 assures us that “God will judge those outside.” God will judge, He always has and He always will. Isaiah 13-23 speaks about God’s judgment on the world powers of Isaiah’s time for their national sin. Proverbs 14:34 says “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Isaiah 13-23…

The 8th of the 10 Commandments, You shall not steal, (Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:19) forbids the theft of another’s possessions and implies that theft does violence to the victim’s sense of well-being. But there is so much more to the 8th command than simple theft or robbery. It speaks to respect for your neighbor and…

God does not speak for very long in the dark and black passages of judgment. He comes over and over again to express words of comfort. To express his message of hope to the Israelite people, God, through Isaiah, appealed to their fondest memories. Isaiah 11 borrows images from three of the greatest events from…

Last week we looked at the seventh command: You shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18). We looked at the basics behind this command and the deeper meaning, being faithful to God. But this command naturally leads into the topic of divorce and that is a very relevant topic for Christians today. So this…

Review Chapters 7-8: Ahaz put his trust in man not in God, what happened to Ahaz? Read 2 Chronicles 28:1-8. God is a just God but He is also a merciful God and God’s mercy is never far away. There can be no good news if there isn’t bad news. Isaiah 7-8 speaks of God’s…