Key Verse: V15 “For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.”
Are you tired, weary and worn? Have you been working hard and getting little results and appreciation? Isaiah, the prophet of God, warned the people that they worked hard but for all the wrong reasons. They had looked to Egypt for wisdom and strength instead of looking to God. The Egypt in today’s context is the wisdom of the world. Have you been listening to what the wisdom of the world, the wise sayings of great men, instead of listening to the wisdom of God’s Word?
1. Submit to God
V15 “For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest shall ye be saved;….”
God warned His people that if they desire strength from God, they must submit to Him.
The word returning means repenting. God is the Holy One of Israel and He demands holiness in His people. Nothing we do will amount much if we do not repent of our sins and submit to God.
2. Silence before God
V15 “For this saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness….”
God warned His people that if they desire strength from God, they must be silent before Him. In this busy and noisy world, it is time that God’s people take the necessary rest and be quiet before God so that we can hear His still small voice of the Word of God.
1 Kings 19:12 “And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”
3. Surrender to God
V15 “For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.”
God warned His people that if they desire strength from God, they must surrender to His will. Once we surrender to God’s will, our self confidence shall be replaced by our confidence in God. It is when we empty ourselves then are we strong in God.
2 Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I take pleasure infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Food For Thought
For when I weak then am I strong.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 11:18 am
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Key Verse: V13 “For the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”
There is no short cut in our Christian growth just as there is no short cut in our physical growth. In this day and age where everything is instant; instant coffee, instant noodles, instant gratification, etc., many desire to have instant Christian growth. As a result, many fail in the eyes of God as we disobey God and use the devil’s motto of, “The end justifies the means.”
1. Obey Every Law
V13 “But the Word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; …”
We cannot choose the laws of God we desire to obey and those we refuse to obey. Many no longer obey the Word of God and have allowed immorality, homosexuality, corruption, deceit, etc., to creep into their lives. They have put away “Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery, etc.” and choose to live as they like. God warned His people of this attitude of lawlessness, as He gave the illustration of wine, as the people drank it slowly but surely, and they became addicted and intoxicated and fell into sins.
2. Obey Every Line
V13 “But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; ...”
Besides obeying the precept, we must also believe every line of the Word of God. Every line including God’s promises is true. It is a great blessing to know that God is not just a commander of do’s and don’ts but He is also our best Friend who gives us His best.
3. Obey God
V13 “But the Word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”
Let us obey God otherwise we shall receive the judgment of God. Do not think that God is slow in His judgment as the day will come when God shall judge His churches through the fire and only those who obey Him shall come forth as gold!
1 Corinthians 3:13 “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”
Food For Thought
God is interested in both the end and the means and the end does not justify the means.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 11:12 am
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Key Verse: V3 “I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.”
1. God Keeps You
V2 “In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.”
V3 “I the Lord do keep it;…..I will keep it night and day.”
Although the prophet Isaiah prophesied the future Millennium where the vineyard which is the nation of Israel shall have red wine or perfect peace, it is also applicable for Christians today to claim upon these promises if we fully trust in God and live for Him today.
In this troubled time, where everything seems to be in a mess, God’s promise to His children that He shall keep us safe and sound night and day are truly a comfort and assurance to our souls and hearts.
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
2. God Waters You
V3 “I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment:…”
When a gardener waters his plants, he is growing and giving them life. When God waters His people, He is growing and giving us life. The water that God gives us every moment is none other than the Word of God.
Ephesians 5:25-26 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.”
God loves us and He gives us His Word, the Bible, to read, study, meditate and apply it every moment of our lives so that we may be sanctified and cleansed from all our sins.
3. God Bless You
V3 “I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.”
God is good and He shall never allow anyone not even the devil to harm or hurt us.
How can we ever repay God’s love and goodness when He has done so much for us and bless us with His abundant blessings!
Food For Thought
God’s promises are as sure as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 11:11 am
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Key Verse: V4 “Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:”
Although the prophet Isaiah wrote this wonderful passage that we can have perfect peace and everlasting strength during the time of Millennium, we can actually experience these promises right now if we fully trust in God and live for Him today.
1. Trust God any time
V3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”
V9 “With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”
In this troubled time, we can never trust money and investment, as both will fail us. In this wicked time, we can never trust man, not even our best friends or loved ones as they may fail us. But thanks be to God we can trust Him any time as He shall never fail us. God shall give us perfect peace in the early hours and in the late nights and all the time because He is our everlasting strength and peace.
2. Trust God anywhere
V15 “Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.”
Where ever we are, even as far as to the ends of the earth, God is with us as He is omnipresent, everywhere! Trust God anywhere, in the darkest place, in the most remote area, in the most feared nation as He shall never forsake us.
3. Trust God forever
V4 “Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:”
God is with us forever whether in life or in death. We can fully trust God even in death because the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.
V19 “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”
Let us sing praises to God and trust Him as we shall live forever!
Food For Thought
How you Live for God is How much you Trust Him.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 11:10 am
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Key Verse: V8 “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.”
This passage describes the Millennium, the 1,000 years, the period after the Great Tribulation, where there shall be peace on earth as the Devil is bound for 1,000 years.
Revelation 20:2 “And he (the angel) laid hold in the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him 1,000 years,”
1. Death No More
V8 “He (the Lord) will swallow up death in victory; …”
Do you fear death? Fear no more as Christians sleep when we die. We shall wake up and we shall see God.
2. Tears No More
V8 “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces;…”
Have you been crying? It is sad when we lose our loved ones and we cry each time we think of our loved ones who passed away. We cry when things do not go our way and when we lose our health, wealth, friends and loved ones. Cry no more as there shall be no tears in the Millennium! Our wonderful and loving Saviour Jesus Christ shall wipe away our tears.
3. Shame No More
V8 “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.”
Have you been ashamed before? Have people accused you until you feel so ashamed and helpless? Shame no more as God shall take away the rebuke or shame from you. Thank God that He is the only righteous Judge and He shall vindicate you from being wrongly accused. Even when you are wrong, God shall forgive as you repent and forsake your sins.
Food For Thought
God never fails to remove Death, Tears and Shame from you if you Trust Him.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 11:09 am
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Key Verse: V18 “And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.’
Though this passage is describing the Great Tribulation, the period after all the Christians are called up into heaven by the Lord Jesus Christ, it is happening at the present time in a smaller scale.
1. Fear
V18 “And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear ...”
The noise of fear is everywhere today. Hear the cries of more than 50,000 Chinese babies and children as they are struggling in the hospitals or clinics after consuming tainted milk which is poisonous. Hear the cries of Wall Street and the financial centers of the world after the collapse of the once powerful financial institutions. Hear the cries of people everywhere as we fear for the worst is coming where our stocks and shares, property prices, and even our jobs are at stake as recession is looming ahead.
2. Pit
V18 “And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; …”
The pit is death. The recent terrorist attack at Islamabad, Pakistan, where a truck loaded with explosives crashed into the Marriot hotel killing many people. Death is everywhere as we see people fighting one another and the world is heading towards a very dangerous time.
3. Snare
V18 “And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.”
The snare is deception. The world is full of deceit as corruption and cheating are on the rise. There is no way people will stop deceiving one another unless greed and evil are removed. Yet in spite of the 3 dangers there is hope for the people in this world. We need Jesus Christ to be our Way in place of Fear, Life in place of Pit and Truth in place of Snare.
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Food For Thought
You should tell others of the Way, the Truth and the Life if you know Jesus.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 11:08 am
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Key Verse: V9 “The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.”
Tyre was a great commercial, entertainment and political city of the ancient world. The people in Tyre were busy making money and enjoying life and they had forgotten that all that they had was from God. Hence, the Lord humbled Tyre by allowing the Chaldeans to defeat them and put them under captivity for 70 years. (V15 “…Tyre shall be forgotten 70 years, …”)
1. Greed
V1 “The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.”
Three sins that God hates most are greed, pleasures and pride. The people of Tyre might be mighty and strong but their greed had taken over their love for God. Does this not remind us of the recent collapse of the titans of Wall Streets, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch and other great financial institutions? The root problem of this financial fiasco was due to the greed of mankind as people bought what they could not afford and went on credit that ultimately caused this financial disaster.
2. Pleasures
V7 “Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity (origin) is of ancient days? Her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.”
Tyre was known as the city of pleasures involving sexual immorality and drunkenness. It was a sinful city and God had to judge them in their sins. Does this not remind us of the many cities which are aiming to be the great entertainment centers of the world?
3. Pride
V9 “The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, …”
If there is one sin that God hates most, it must be prIde, with “I” in the center of the word, “prIde.” Success has gone into the heads and hearts of many people and they have become proud and have forsaken God who created them. Does this not remind us of the origin of the devil or Lucifer, the most beautiful archangel ever created by God, who fell into sin because of pride when he wanted to be like God! Ezekiel described Lucifer as the prince of Tyrus or Tyre.
Ezekiel 28:2 “Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, …”
Food For Thought
A creature shall never be like His Creator.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 11:06 am
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Key Verse: V1 “The burden of the valley of vision, What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?”
The “valley of vision” is a paradox as we should be standing on the mountain and not the valley to get our vision. The reason why it was a valley of vision was because the spirituality of the people of God or the nation of Israel in the city of Jerusalem was at the lowest point. Yet God encouraged them to look up from the valley and see the vision that God had for them.
1. Look to the Maker
V11 “Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the Maker thereof, neither had respect unto Him that fashioned it long ago.”
The nation of Israel prepared fortress, walls and ditches for their protection against enemies’ impending attacks but they failed to look to their Maker and Creator. We can prepare our studies, plan our career, serve God in many areas but if we fail to look to the Maker for His direction and instructions, we shall fail in everything we do.
2. Look to God of hosts
V12 “And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:”
The God of hosts desired His people not to just weep and mourn but to truly repent of their sins. It is one thing to be sorry and sorrowful of our sins but it is another thing to repent and turn away from our sins. The nation of Israel had continued in sins and the God of hosts had warned them many times of the consequences of their sins. There is a limit to God’s longsuffering and patience and let us not test God’s limit!
3. Look to the Lord
V24 “In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it.”
When we look to the world and man, we are like hanging our life and everything we have on the nail that one day shall be removed and taken out. We shall be disappointed as we shall be condemned to hell for our sins. The only sure way in life is to hang our life and everything we have on the nail of our Maker, our God of hosts, our Lord, who shall never be removed and we shall never be disappointed!
Food For Thought
Who you look will determine where you go. Look to God and you shall know the way to heaven.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 11:06 am
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Key Verse: V6 “For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.”
What is a watchman? A watchman is a guard who usually stands at a high tower to alert the people of impending dangers.
What about the watchman of God? The watchman of God has the utmost responsibilities of warning the people of the impending danger of the fiery pits of hell and telling them of the Gospel of Christ that whosoever believe in Christ shall not perish into hell but shall have abundant life with Christ forever and ever.
1. Compassion
V4 “My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.”
Prophet Isaiah was heavy hearted as he saw the terrible wickedness and evil of the people in the land. He feared that the judgment of God was coming soon as there was no sign of the people turning away from their sins and to the true and living God. The watchman of God must have compassion for souls. He loves people and will tell them of the Gospel of Christ.
2. Courage
V6 “For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.”
The prophet must say what he saw. He must be true to God and the people and be courageous to warn the people of the impending dangers. The watchman of God must also be courageous even when he faces fierce opposition of the people after telling them the Gospel. He must trust God for everything.
3. Commitment
V8 “And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:”
The watchman must be 24 hours and 7 days watching for impending dangers. There may be shift duties for the several watchmen but still the watchman on duty must be committed to his duty and not fall asleep in the night. The watchman of God must also be committed. No matter how tired or weary, he must be committed and ready to tell others of the Gospel of Christ.
Food For Thought
The watchman of God is compassionate, courageous and committed to watching for souls.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 11:03 am
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Key Verse: V3 “And the Lord said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;”
The prophet Isaiah was commanded by the Lord to walk without wearing his upper garments and barefooted as a sign to demonstrate to the people that judgment was near and the people must repent of their sins.
1. Servant
V3 “And the Lord said, Like as my servant Isaiah ...”
Are you a servant of the Lord? Isaiah was called the servant of God because he was obedient to God, his master. There was no question asked when God commanded Isaiah to walk without his upper garments and barefooted. Isaiah practiced what he preached as God commanded him. He obeyed God in spite of the opposition he faced as he preached to the people to repent of their sins.
Galatians 1:10 “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”
2. Sufferings
V3 “… Isaiah hath walked naked and barefooted three years ...”
It was not easy for Isaiah to walk half naked and barefooted for 3 years. With the weather conditions and the tough terrain in mostly desert areas, it must be hard on his body and feet. Isaiah could have injured his feet and could have caught a chill but nevertheless, he obeyed God and walk semi naked and barefooted. Sufferings are necessary for Christians as they strengthen us for the ministry of God. Without sufferings, there is no glory.
Romans 8:17 “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.”
3. Shame
V4 “So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.”
Isaiah pronounced judgment upon the Egyptians and the Ethiopians who had persecuted the people of God and had refused to believe in God of Israel. When Christians refuse to trust and obey God, we shall end in sufferings and shame, just like the Egyptians and the Ethiopians.
Food For Thought
Our walk must always be in step with our talk.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 10:56 am
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