Reading from Wednesday, September 8

What up, kids?

Reading for September 8
Isaiah 1:1-2:22
Oh yeah. I am extremely excited to read these next few books. From what I understand - this is the prophetic section of the Bible - from Isaiah to Daniel - I have heard many mind blowing quotes from these guys so I'm pumped to see what's on the plate here. Let's dig in.

Oh yeah. This is the good stuff. I wish I wasn't rushing through the Bible to try to finish it in a year - I could probably do three or four nights of blogging just on these two chapters alone. Let me try to summarize what's going on here.

So this is the same prophet Isaiah that we read about back in 1 or 2 Chronicles. He was around during the whole Israel vs Judah thing. The majority of the text is God speaking through Isaiah, so if I say "he said" or "he wrote", assume I'm talking about God. So he opens the first chapter with a commentary on the rebellion of Israel. How they have abandoned God and ignored his commandments. This is true - during the time this was written, there was a constant rebellion away from God and into the neuveaux religion of the moment. He encourages his people to stop doing wrong but to do right. And it actually sounds right!

^1:17 learn to do right!
       Seek justice,
       encourage the oppressed.
       Defend the cause of the fatherless,
       plead the case of the widow.

Yes, yes and yes. This is the God I believe in. A God of true justice and mercy. A God who helps the helpless loves the unloving and gives grace to those undeserving.

But that's not why people came to this show. They came for prophecies, and in these first two chapters he makes two main prophecies:

1) The coming of Christ
2) The second coming of Christ

Now I'm assuming these things since I already see what the context clues are insinuating, but judge for yourself:

First coming:

  ^1:18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
       says the LORD.
       "Though your sins are like scarlet,
       they shall be as white as snow;
       though they are red as crimson,
       they shall be like wool.

Second coming:

^2:12 The LORD Almighty has a day in store
       for all the proud and lofty,
       for all that is exalted 
¹⁷ The arrogance of man will be brought low
       and the pride of men humbled;
       the LORD alone will be exalted in that day

This is really excellent stuff. Maybe after this year is over I can spend a couple months a piece in a few of the books I really enjoyed reading, and really get in depth with research and stuff. This, of course will be on my list.

2 Corinthians 10:1-18
Again, this section really isn't doing anything for me.


Skip.

Again.

Psalm 52:1-9
 ⁷ "Here now is the man
       who did not make God his stronghold
       but trusted in his great wealth
       and grew strong by destroying others!"

These kind of people still exist in the world - perhaps more than ever. Evil rich dudes who care for nothing but their riches. But we have to remember that Jesus died for them too. "The least of these" isn't just poor or oppressed people - it includes "the best of these" by worldly standards. Remember to love these kinds of people too, as Jesus loved them.

Proverbs 22:26-27
 ²⁶ Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge
       or puts up security for debts;
 ²⁷ if you lack the means to pay,
       your very bed will be snatched from under you.

Alright, yo. Bedtime. Happy weekend.