Prophecy – Isaiah 12-17
January 20, 2009
Today we return to Isaiah…
Bible Passage: Isaiah 12 – 17
It begins in Chapter 12 with the encouragement to the Israelites to continue to praise the Lord their God for He is their strength and song. He is their salvation.
What follows is a series of prophecies against the enemies of Israel (Chapters 13 – 17). First, the Babylonians were taken to task because of their pride and their fall was swift and dramatic. Then the Lord continued His condemnation of the Assyrians, the Philistines, the Moabites and the people of Damascus.
Indeed … no one can withstand the Lord and His righteous judgement.
However, I just want to focus on Chapter 12 today for it brings a much needed message today:
- Isaiah 12:3
Isaiah 12:2 – 3
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
‘ For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation.’”
Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.
I will trust and not be afraid;
‘ For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation.’”
Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.
When hard tomes come around, we always have a chouce of whether to trust Him or to fear.
“I’ve lost my job!” – trust or fear?
“We’ve lost our life savings!” – trust or fear?
“The doctors tell me that I have cancer!” – trust or fear?
In 12:3, it tells us that we should continue to have joy everyday, not just at the point of our baptism.
Indeed, Isaiah 12 asks this very important question:
When is the right time to praise the Lord?
Praise the Lord always, regardless of the circumstances we may be in.
It is common to only praise the Lord when something good happens or when we receive an unexpected blessing.
But our God is to be praised at all times, in whatever circumstances.
We praise God not on the basis of our circumstance but rather on the basis of who God is in the midst of our circumstances.
We do not praise God because of the way we feel but because of who He is and the way He feels about us.
Don’t only praise God when you are in church. Praise the Lord always, in song and or in words.
How many of us do that very often. When you are in the lift. When you are driving alone? When you sit in the office? When you are swimming or walking?
Do you take every opportunity to praise the Lord.
Someone once told me that when she started focusing on praising God … she found that when she praise God more, her problems seem much smaller. This was because, she felt, she was less ‘self focused’ and now more ‘God focused’.
Indeed, this was what Isaiah felt too. It will be most easy for him to feel disheartened and hopeless given the adverse circumstance Israel was in. But see what he proclaimed in Isaiah 25:1…
“O LORD, You are my God.
I will exalt You,
I will praise Your name,
For You have done wonderful things;
Yourcounsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”
I will exalt You,
I will praise Your name,
For You have done wonderful things;
Yourcounsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”
Let’s learn to praise God in whatever circumstances we may be in today. Everyday.