More judgement here I am afraid folks. But there are lessons here for us all. Praise God for grace.
Isaiah 23: An Oracle Concerning Tyre and Sidon
1 The oracle concerning Tyre. Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor! From the land of Cyprus it is revealed to them.
2 Be still, O inhabitants of the coast; the merchants of Sidon, who cross the sea, have filled you.
3 And on many waters your revenue was the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile; you were the merchant of the nations.
4 Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: "I have neither laboured nor given birth, I have neither reared young men nor brought up young women."
5 When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish over the report about Tyre.
6 Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the coast!
7 Is this your exultant city whose origin is from days of old, whose feet carried her to settle far away?
8 Who has purposed this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth?
9 The LORD of hosts has purposed it, to defile the pompous pride of all glory, to dishonour all the honoured of the earth.
10 Cross over your land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no restraint anymore.
11 He has stretched out his hand over the sea; he has shaken the kingdoms; the LORD has given command concerning Canaan to destroy its strongholds.
12 And he said: "You will no more exult, O oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon; arise, cross over to Cyprus, even there you will have no rest."
13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans! This is the people that was not; Assyria destined it for wild beasts. They erected their siege towers, they stripped her palaces bare, they made her a ruin.
14 Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste.
15 In that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:
16 "Take a harp; go about the city, O forgotten prostitute! Make sweet melody; sing many songs, that you may be remembered."
17 At the end of seventy years, the LORD will visit Tyre, and she will return to her wages and will prostitute herself with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth.
18 Her merchandise and her wages will be holy to the LORD. It will not be stored or hoarded, but her merchandise will supply abundant food and fine clothing for those who dwell before the LORD.
Isaiah 24: Judgment on the Whole Earth
1 Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
3 The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the LORD has spoken this word.
4 The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the highest people of the earth languish.
5 The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.
7 The wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh.
8 The mirth of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the jubilant has ceased, the mirth of the lyre is stilled.
9 No more do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
10 The wasted city is broken down; every house is shut up so that none can enter.
11 There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine; all joy has grown dark; the gladness of the earth is banished.
12 Desolation is left in the city; the gates are battered into ruins.
13 For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.
14 They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west.
15 Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
16 From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One. But I say, "I waste away, I waste away. Woe is me! For the traitors have betrayed, with betrayal the traitors have betrayed."
17 Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth!
18 He who flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble.
19 The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.
21 On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth.
22 They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished.
23 Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders.
Things to think about…
The coastal trade cities of Tyre, Sidon and Tarshish would all come under the judgement of God, Isa 23:1-12. They would be overtaken by the Chaldeans (Babylonians), Isa 23:12. This land that Assyria had thought was destined for wild beasts, vs 13 would rise up and be God’s instrument. This was the case under king Nebuchadnezzar 605-562BC. Pride always proceeds a fall.
The land of Tyre (like Jerusalem) would be desolate for 70 years, Isa 23:15. Under the Persian king Cyrus, people who were captured by the Babylonians would return to their lands from 538BC onward and the city of Tyre would again be a blessing for the Lord’s people as they trade with Tyre again, Isa 23:18.
Isaiah 24 is not a pretty picture. It speaks of the judgement of earth. No-one misses out “as with the slave, so with his master”, Isa 24:2. This is a very sobering picture. All will all face the judgement of the Lord, Heb 9:27, only those found in Christ will have any way of forgiveness and grace. Today is the day of salvation – let’s keep sharing the message of the cross and the gift of Christ our Saviour.
Isaiah 24:6-21 is a picture of events on the earth at the end of days. This looks exactly like Revelation 16-19 – trade stops, Isa 24:10-12, cataclysmic events occur Isa 24:18, 19, even the spiritual realm is judged, vs 21.
Note Isa 24:22 “They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished” that there is a period of holding in judgement before the final judgement. This is what is referred to in the NT as ‘death and Hades’, Rev 19:20. This holding time before the judgement is for 1000 years, Rev 20. Satan is held in a bottomless pit Rev 20:1-3. We know after the Great White throne judgment both death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire (Hell) forever. All those whose names are not written in the Book of Life are there, Rev 20:14, 15. There is nothing more fearful than this truth in the scriptures.
Isa 24:23 “Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders”, speaks about the eternal reign of Christ. A new heaven and a new earth. The Lord will reign from the New Jerusalem that descends out of heaven. As this verse says there will be no need for the moon or sun, “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb”, Rev 21:23.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
For Cell Groups.
Reading was from Isaiah 11:1-13 Title “Christ’s kingdom on Earth”
1. How do you interpret texts like these in the Bible? How do you know if they are literal, allegorical or symbolic? Eg Gen 1-11 and parts of Ezekiel, Daniel, Jonah etc.
2. Jesus prayed for the Father’s “Your kingdom come your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven”, Mt 6:10. How does this picture of the earth’s renewal fit these verses.
3. Paul speaks about the earth groaning waiting for “creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God”, so that it can be “set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Rom 8:19-21. How are the sons revealed so the creation can be liberated?
4. Pray for each other, our church and the prayer points.
Prayer Points
1. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
2. Victorian parliament discussing gay conversion therapy, antichristian bill this month.
3. Ministries as they have started back – Youth and Kids at Church.
4. Church finances to meet our expenses and to put a roof over our café.
5. Our City and Country – Pray for revival over our city and the leadership of our country even through these challenging times.
6. The 2 positions:- Youth and Young Adults Coordinator and Children’s Coordinator we are recruiting for in 2021.
