Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Foundry Publishing House of Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene for Tuesday, 16 January 2018 "The Parade of Enemies" by Jonathan Twitchell - Isaiah 19:16—20:6Isaiah 19:16 On that day Egypt will be like women trembling with fear, because Adonai-Tzva’ot is shaking his fist at them. 17 Just mentioning the land of Y’hudah to the Egyptians will throw them into panic; they will be afraid because of what Adonai-Tzva’ot has planned for them.
18 On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Kena‘an and swear loyalty to Adonai-Tzva’ot; one of them will be called the City of Destruction.*
19 On that day there will be an altar to Adonai in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a standing-stone for Adonai at its border. 20 It will be a sign and witness to Adonai-Tzva’ot in the land of Egypt; so that when they cry out to Adonai for help because of the oppressors, he will send them a savior to defend and rescue them.
21 Adonai will make himself known to Egypt;
on that day, the Egyptians will know Adonai.
They will worship him with sacrifices and offerings,
they will make vows to Adonai and keep them.
22 Yet Adonai will strike Egypt, both striking and healing,
so they will return to Adonai.
He will listen to their prayers,
and he will heal them.
23 On that day there will be a highway
from Egypt to Ashur.
Ashur will come to Egypt and Egypt to Ashur,
and Egypt will worship with Ashur.
24 On that day Isra’el will be a third partner
with Egypt and Ashur, a blessing here on earth;
25 for Adonai-Tzva’ot has blessed him:
“Blessed be Egypt my people,
Ashur the work of my hands
and Isra’el my heritage.”
20:1 In the year that Sargon the king of Ashur sent his commander-in-chief to attack Ashdod, he captured it. 2 It was at that time that Adonai, speaking through Yesha‘yahu the son of Amotz, said, “Go and unwind the sackcloth from around your waist, and take your sandals off your feet.” So he did it, going about unclothed and barefoot. 3 In time, Adonai said,
“Just as my servant Yesha‘yahu
has gone about unclothed and barefoot
for three years as a sign and portent
against Egypt and Ethiopia,
4 so will the king of Ashur lead away
the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia,
young and old, unclothed and barefoot,
with their buttocks exposed, to the shame of Egypt.
5 They will be dismayed and ashamed
because of Ethiopia their hope and Egypt their pride.
6 On that day, the people living
along this coast will say,
‘Look what happened to the people
to whom we fled for help,
hoping they would rescue us
from the king of Ashur!
How will we escape now?’”
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Babylon. The Philistines. Moab. Damascus. Cush. Egypt. Edom. Arabia. Chapters 13–24 of Isaiah read like a parade of Israel’s worst enemies. As every pagan nation is named, we read words of judgment and destruction on those who oppressed the people of God. It can be tempting to want to parade our enemies past God’s judgment seat, to imagine them receiving justice and punishment for every wrong they had committed! If I were Isaiah, I might have enjoyed delivering this prophecy a little too much.
However, right in the middle of the passage, we read surprising sentences about deliverance (see 19:21). God is made known to the Egyptians. They pray and worship, and God delivers them.
Remember that God loves those who seem to be enemies to the faith. Even our adversaries are created in God’s image, and God desires to grant deliverance and redemption. When we understand this truth, it becomes easier for us to live out the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike.(Matthew 5:44-45a).
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Hymn for Today: "Ring the Bells of Heaven" by William O. Cushing1. Ring the bells of heaven! There is joy today,
For a soul, returning from the wild!
See the Father meets him out upon the way,
Welcoming His weary, wand'ring child.
Chorus: Glory! Glory! How the angels sing;Glory!
Glory! How the loud harps ring!
'Tis the ransomed army, like a mighty sea,
Pealing forth the anthem of the free.
2. Ring the bells of heaven! There is joy today,
For the wand'rer now is reconciled;
Yes, a soul is rescued from his sinful way!
And is born anew a ransomed child.
Chorus: Glory! Glory! How the angels sing;Glory!
Glory! How the loud harps ring!
'Tis the ransomed army, like a mighty sea,
Pealing forth the anthem of the free.
3. Ring the bells of heaven! Spread the feast today!
Angels, swell the glad triumphant strain!
Tell the joyful tidings, bear it far away!
For a precious soul is born again.
Chorus: Glory! Glory! How the angels sing;Glory!
Glory! How the loud harps ring!
'Tis the ransomed army, like a mighty sea,
Pealing forth the anthem of the free.
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Thought for Today: Therefore, go and make people from all nations into talmidim, immersing them into the reality of the Father, the Son and the Ruach HaKodesh, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember! I will be with you always, yes, even until the end of the age.”(Matthew 28:19-20a).
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Please pray: That many people in Moldova will come to know Yeshua as their Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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