Many commentators call Isaiah 24-27 the “Little Apocalypse” because these chapters are similar to those in the Book of Revelation. In Isaiah 24, Isaiah proclaims the world’s destruction “Because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men are left.” After the Lord sends His judgment, Isaiah says the Lord will reign – “For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before His elders, gloriously.” John will later receive a similar vision from the Lord in the Book of Revelation, where he sees Jesus Christ standing on Mount Zion before the final judgment (Revelation 14:1).

In Isaiah 25, Isaiah says the Lord’s people will rejoice over their salvation for “He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken. And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” During John’s vision of the final judgment recorded in the Book of Revelation, John will see the day that the Lord will wipe all tears from the faces of His people and there will be no more pain and no more sorrow (Revelation 21:1-4).

When announcing Israel’s coming salvation in Isaiah 27, Isaiah says the Lord will punish Leviathan. Leviathan is mentioned several times in the Bible as a great, powerful sea monster. David said in Psalm 104:25-26 that God formed the sea for the sea creature Leviathan to play in. Here commentators say that Isaiah is likely using Leviathan as a symbol for the wicked rulers of the earth that will be destroyed. Isaiah then explains that the judgment will be used as a means to bring His people to repentance and draw them to Him – “And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will thresh, from the channel of the River to the Brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel. So it shall be in that day; the great trumpet will be blown; they will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, and they who are outcast in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.”

In Isaiah 29, Isaiah says that Jerusalem will be destroyed due to their spiritual blindness. He rebukes the people because they assume they are exempt from judgment since they live in the city with the temple of the Lord. They falsely believe that their security comes from the temple building and their phony acts of worship, but the Lord isn’t fooled. The Lord says “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me.” The Lord is not impressed with someone going through the motions of worship without a heart surrendered to Him. We may be able to fool others with our external acts of worship, but no one can fool the Lord who sees the heart. 

Isaiah says that the Lord will serve justice to the wicked and He will save the humble who trust in Him – “In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the terrible one is brought to nothing, the scornful one is consumed, and all who watch for iniquity are cut off— Who make a man an offender by a word, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just by empty words. Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: ‘Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now grow pale; but when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they will hallow My name, and hallow the Holy One of Jacob, and fear the God of Israel. These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained will learn doctrine.’”

Spiritual blindness occurs as a result of pride, and it leads people to reject the living God as Lord and Creator. The Lord is the one to heal us from our spiritual blindness by taking our proud hearts and giving us a heart of humility which can accept Him as our Savior. Paul will later say, when we turn to the Lord, He will remove our spiritual blindness and transform us into the image of Christ – “Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:16-18). 

Once the veil has been lifted and you are spiritually alive, you no longer have the same worldview. Those in Christ no longer focus on the temporal things of the world but on those of eternal value. Christians understand their purpose on earth and the command from Jesus to go and make disciples of the nations by sharing the Good News of Christ with others. We share this hope with the world knowing that judgment is coming and believing that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17); trusting that the Lord is the One to lift the veil of spiritual blindness – “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:1-6).

Therefore, go out in this dark world as the light, sharing the knowledge of the glory of God with others, resting in the fact that our good God is sovereign over all — and keep reading. (Isaiah 24:1-27:13, Isaiah 29:1-24)

Today Isaiah pronounces judgment from the Lord against several nations:

Ethiopia – Isaiah says the Ethiopians are “people terrible from the beginning and onward”, but the Lord will humble them and they will one day worship Him.

Egypt – To the nation that enslaved the Israelites, Isaiah says that the Lord will do the same to them – “And the Egyptians I will give into the hand of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them.” The Lord will also dry up the Nile River, which will wreck their economy. However, God promises to save Egypt when they cry out to Him – “for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them. Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. And the Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them.”

As a sign of the coming destruction upon Ethiopia and Egypt, the Lord has Isaiah walk around barefoot and stripped down like a prisoner for three years to illustrate the shame they will experience. However, the Lord says that there will be a day when Egypt, Assyria, and Israel will all be blessed by the Lord – “In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.’” 

In the Patriarch Era, the Lord promised Abraham that all nations will be blessed through his descendants (Genesis 12:3, 18:18, and 22:18). We see that God is still working His plan to fulfill His promise, which will come through His Son Jesus Christ. When Jesus arrives on the scene, He will have the same heartbeat as His Father for all the nations to be blessed. That is why He will say to His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:18). After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ to heaven, we will read a story about an Ethiopian eunuch who is reading the words of Isaiah when Philip, a disciple of Jesus, comes and explains the reading to him – “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35). Then the Ethiopian receives Jesus as his Savior and is baptized in the name of Christ, becoming an heir to the Kingdom of God.

Babylon, Edom and Arabia – Isaiah says that Elam and Media, the ancient names for the people of Persia, will take down Babylon and within a year Edom and Arabia will fall. Isaiah describes the terror that will fall upon Babylon when they are conquered by the Persian Empire. The same terror will fall upon those who do not trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior when He returns in glory and power, destroying all that is evil (Revelation 18).

Jerusalem – Isaiah warns Jerusalem, who falsely believes it is immune from the wrath of God, that judgment is coming. Isaiah is speaking of the day when the Lord will remove His protection from Judah and allow Babylon to overthrow Jerusalem because the people trusted in themselves instead of the Lord – “But you did not look to its Maker, nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.” Therefore the Lord says to Jerusalem, “Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, even to your death.” 

The only sin that will not be atoned for is the sin of resisting the Holy Spirit by not repenting and accepting the Lord as your Savior, as Jesus Christ will later explain: 

• “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation” (Mark 3:28-29).
• “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31-32).

Billy Graham answered the question of “what is the unpardonable sin” on billygraham.org – “The point for us is that if we have received Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we have not blasphemed the Holy Spirit; we have accepted His witness. One study Bible explains it as follows: ‘To commit this sin one must consciously, persistently, deliberately, and maliciously reject the testimony of the Spirit to the deity and saving power of the Lord Jesus.’ If a person keeps doing that until death, there is no hope of forgiveness and eternal life in heaven.

“Once again, the unpardonable sin is not some particularly grievous sin committed by a Christian before or after accepting Christ, nor is it thinking or saying something terrible about the Holy Spirit. Rather, it is deliberately resisting the Holy Spirit’s witness and invitation to turn to Jesus until death ends all opportunity.”

Shebna – The Lord says to Shebna, the prideful treasurer of Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah, that he will be judged for using his position for personal gain. The Lord is going to remove everything from him and give it to Eliakim.

Tyre – Isaiah says that this strong, wealthy city will be forgotten for a period of time but will ultimately be restored to the Lord.

The Lord is gracious and merciful. He desires for us to repent of our sins and accept Him as our Savior so that we may be restored to Him and receive salvation. Jesus Himself will later say that He will not turn anyone away who comes to Him – “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:37-40).

Tomorrow Isaiah declares judgment against the entire world, but there is hope. Keep reading. (Isaiah 18:1-23:18)

Today the psalmist of Psalm 136 gives thanks to the Lord for creation, the exodus of His people from Egypt, and His protection of the Israelites in the wilderness. Each time the psalmist thanks the Lord he says, “For His mercy endures forever.”

Oxford Languages defines mercy as “forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.” Because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience to the Lord back in the garden which resulted in the fall, we are all born with a sin nature deserving of death. Paul later explains how we are deserving of death because of the failure of one man, Adam, but the Lord redeems us with the gift of salvation through the works of another Man, His Son Jesus – “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:18-21). This is mercy that endures forever! We deserve death, but instead eternal life is available by grace through faith for anyone who trusts in the atoning sacrifice of the Lord’s own Son. 

The remaining psalms that we read today all begin by saying “Praise the Lord!” Each psalmist lists reasons why the Lord is worthy of our praise:

• “Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; but the way of the wicked He turns upside down” (Psalm 146:6-9).
• “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground” (Psalm 147:3-6).
• “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation” (Psalm 149:4).

We should praise the Lord for He beautifies the humble with salvation through His Son Jesus Christ, by His mercy that endures forever! Therefore, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:6).

That concludes the psalms. Tomorrow Isaiah is back to warning the nations, so keep reading. (Psalm 136, Psalm 146-150)

Today in the Songs of Ascent the Israelites sing blessings over Zion:

• “The Lord bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life” (Psalm 128:5).
• “Let those who hate Zion be put to shame and turn back” (Psalm 129:5).
• “For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for his dwelling place” (Psalm 132:13).
• “The Lord who made heaven and earth bless you from Zion!” (Psalm 134:3).

The word Zion is used over 150 times in the Bible. Zion was first mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:7 when David captured the Jebusite fortress in Jerusalem – “Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.” And after Solomon built the temple for the Lord, Zion was mentioned in many psalms to include the temple location. The prophets also expand the use of the word Zion to refer to Jerusalem, the land of Judah, and the nation of Israel.  

Later in the story, Paul will use the name Zion to refer to God’s spiritual kingdom – “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering” (Hebrews 12:22). And Peter will quote Isaiah when he refers to Jesus as the cornerstone of Zion, the spiritual kingdom – “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.’ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:4-10).

At the end of the story, John will use the name Zion while describing a vision of Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb, standing on God’s holy hill in heaven before the final judgment – “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion” (Revelation 14:1). This story ends in victory for Jesus Christ over Satan and all evil. And after Jesus defeats Satan and casts anyone not found in the Book of Life into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15), He will create a new heaven and earth for those who trust in Him as their Savior – “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’” (Revelation 21:1-4).

We can be assured that the Lord is still in control and that His plans will ultimately prevail, from the time when Zion was first mentioned in the Kingdom Era to when Jesus will stand on Zion during the End Times / New Beginning Era. Therefore we can praise the Lord as the psalmist does today in Psalm 135 – “Your name, O Lord, endures forever, Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations. For the Lord will judge His people, and He will have compassion on His servants… Bless the Lord, O house of Israel! Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron! Bless the Lord, O house of Levi! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord! Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 135:13-21).

Tomorrow we finish the Psalms, so keep reading! (Psalms 128-130, 132, Psalms 134-135)

Psalms 120-134 are called the Songs of Ascent or the Pilgrim Songs. Jews traveling to Jerusalem for the three annual Jewish Festivals, Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover), Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and Feast of Booths (Sukkoth), would sing the Songs of Ascent as they climbed up to the city of Jerusalem which sat on top a high hill. King David wrote four of these songs (122,124,131,133), Solomon wrote one (127), and writers of the other ten songs are anonymous.

The songs we read today highlight that the Lord saves souls in times of distress (Psalm 120), our help is from the Lord (Psalm 121), the Lord is merciful to those who wait on Him (Psalm 123), the Lord’s favor is upon the righteous (Psalm 125), and our joy is found in the Lord (Psalm 126).

So imagine the Israelites walking to Jerusalem, looking around at God’s creation and singing:

• “I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).
• “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever” (Psalm 125:2).  

More Songs of Ascent tomorrow, so keep reading. (Psalms 120-121, 123, Psalms 125-126)

Psalm 119 is not only the longest psalm but also the longest chapter in the Bible. Throughout the psalm, the psalmist elevates the word of God. One commentator said that Scripture is mentioned in at least 171 of the 176 verses of Psalm 119. This psalmist knows that it is the word of God that gives life — “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word” (Psalm 119:9-16).

The psalmist asks the Lord to revive him through His word and His holy nature:

• “My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to Your word” (Psalm 119:25).
• “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way” (Psalm 119:37).
• “Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness” (Psalm 119:40).
• “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth” (Psalm 119:88).
• “I am afflicted very much; revive me, O Lord, according to Your word” (Psalm 119:107).
• “Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O Lord, revive me according to Your justice” (Psalm 119:149).
• “Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me according to Your word” (Psalm 119:154).
• “Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord; revive me according to Your judgments” (Psalm 119:156).
• “Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness” (Psalm 119:159).

The word of the Lord revives our souls. Later in the story, John, a disciple of Jesus, states that Jesus Christ is the word, fully divine and fully human – “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1-5).

John said that Jesus existed from before creation and that He created all things. Jesus, the word, who is coming later in the story in the flesh to live as man, was and is God. Since Jesus is God, and the Father and the Son are one, Jesus reflects the image of God. God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are the foundations for the Trinity, equally God but distinct in Persons. Jesus will fulfill all that was written in the word and willingly sacrifice Himself so that we may be revived through His works of salvation. Anyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ will be redeemed from their fallen state and restored to His Father.

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:1-5).

If your soul needs to be revived, run to Jesus! Pour out your heart to Him. He hears and He cares and He will sustain you. And keep reading. (Psalm 119)

Psalm 116 is one of the Psalms that Jesus will sing during the last supper with His disciples before His crucifixion. The psalmist says, “The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: ‘O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!’ … For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I believed, therefore I spoke, ‘I am greatly afflicted.’ … I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:3-15).

The wine that the disciples will drink with Jesus during the last supper is symbolic of the work of salvation that Jesus will finish on the cross when He pours out His blood for us, creating a new covenant between the Lord and His people (Matthew 26:27-30). Under the new covenant, we are no longer under the Law and sacrificial system which serves its purpose in the Old Testament. We are now saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ will live a life in perfect obedience to the Law for us and die as the final atoning sacrifice for our sins. Anyone who trusts in Jesus will receive the free gift of salvation. Therefore the psalmist can say, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” because when the saints, those who trust in Christ, die, they immediately ascend to heaven with their Lord and Savior for eternity.

In Psalm 118 the psalmist says, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:22-24). The cornerstone is the primary stone placed at the corner of a building’s foundation. In our June 28th reading, Isaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah by referring to Him as the Cornerstone -“Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily’” (Isaiah 28:16).

After Jesus is crucified and raised from the dead, He will reunite with his disciple Peter, and Peter will declare – “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16). Then Jesus will call Himself the Cornerstone, the foundation for those who put their faith and trust in Him, and tell Peter that the church will be built on the proclamation of Jesus Christ as Savior – “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

Then after Jesus’ ascension to heaven, when John and Peter are standing before the Jewish Council, Peter will rebuke the Jewish leaders by saying, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12). Paul will also explain to new believers that Jesus is the cornerstone of the church – “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).

The only way for salvation and to be a part of the church is by confessing and believing that Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone, is your Savior – “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:9-10). Keep reading. (Psalms 115-118)

The Lord often uses oppression to draw people to Him. We saw this very clearly in the Judges Era when the Israelites turned from the Lord and were doing what they believed was right in their own sight. Their actions were evil to the Lord because they were not consistent with His word, which is the only standard of truth. Therefore, the Lord allowed the enemies of Israel to oppress His people as a means to return them to Him. And when the Israelites would cry out to the Lord under their affliction, the Lord would raise up a judge to deliver them and there would be peace while the judge was alive. 

Today the psalmist of Psalm 107 speaks of the same cycle. There is despair, affliction and trouble, so the people call out to the Lord and He saves them: 

Despair – “They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them” (Psalm 107:4-5).

Cry to the Lord – “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble” (Psalm 107:6).

Salvation – “And He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place” (Psalm 107:6-7).

Affliction – “Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons— Because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help” (Psalm 107:10-12).

Cry to the Lord – “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble” (Psalm 107:13).

Salvation – “And He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces” (Psalm 107:13-14).

Trouble – “For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end” (Psalm 107:25-27).

Cry to the Lord – “Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble” (Psalm 107:28).

Salvation – “And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven” (Psalm 107:28-30).

The Lord is the same today! If you are in distress, under affliction, or in trouble, cry out to Him and He will save you. The Lord knows that we need Him to save us and to guide us; that is why He promised to send His Son to be our Savior and the Holy Spirit as a guide to those who trust in Jesus Christ. The psalmist of Psalm 113 speaks of the coming Savior – “The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?” (Psalm 113:4-6). The Son of God, Jesus Christ, will humble Himself by leaving His high position in heaven to come to earth as a baby born in a stable. He will live a life of rejection and persecution and die a brutal death for our salvation. After He completes the work of our salvation, the Lord will exalt Him in heaven and on earth (Philippians 2:5-11).

The psalmist of Psalm 113 also says, “He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes— with the princes of His people. He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 113:7-9). God loves to take the lowly and foolish things of the world and elevate them to accomplish His purposes so that everyone will know it was an act of God – “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). We have already seen many examples of the Lord taking the lowly, those who are in despair, affliction and trouble, and saving them to accomplish His purposes throughout the story:

• He took a former idol worshiper Abraham and his barren wife Sarah and gave them a child in their old age, making great nations from their descendants. 
• He promoted Joseph from slave to ruler over Egypt to save the nations from a famine.
• He saved Rahab, a harlot, who became King David’s great grandmother and is listed in Jesus Christ’s lineage along with Ruth, a former Moabite widow.
• He made David, a shepherd boy, a mighty king and promised the Savior would come from his descendants. 

The Lord will save and use anyone who humbles himself and calls upon the name of the Lord. He has done it in the past, and He continues to do it today through His Son Jesus Christ. And those who are in Christ will one day be elevated to their desired haven as Psalm 107:30 said — and that is in heaven for eternity.

Keep reading. (Psalm 107, Psalms 111-114)

Today the psalmists recount the story of the Bible as they call the Lord’s people to remember His mighty works – “Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Abraham His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones!” (Psalm 105:5-6). Since we are just over half way through the chronological story of the Bible, today is a good day to review the eras of the Bible that we have already covered in our reading with the help of the psalmists: 

• Creation Era – The Creation Era included five stories: Creation, the Fall, Cain and Abel, Noah and the flood, and the Tower of Babel. We also read the Book of Job, which many scholars place at the beginning of the Patriarch Era. After the fall, the Lord made a promise to send a Savior to redeem His people (Genesis 3:15). Then He killed an innocent animal and used its skin to cover Adam and Eve, illustrating that the shedding of the blood of the innocent atones for the sins of the guilty (Genesis 3:21). Jesus Christ is coming as the final sacrificial Lamb to live a life we can’t live and die a death that we deserve, shedding His innocent blood on our behalf, to restore us to His Father the Lord. The rest of the story is about the coming Messiah.
• Patriarch Era – There were three patriarchs in the Patriarch Era: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Lord made a promise to Abraham that he would be a father of many nations and that kings would come from him. The Lord promised to give his descendants land in Canaan and said that through Abraham’s descendants all the nations on the earth would be blessed. When Jacob was on his deathbed in Egypt, he gave blessings to his sons, and we discovered that the Messiah would come from the bloodline of Judah (Genesis 49:10). The psalmist recalls the works of the Lord through the patriarchs in Psalm 105:
  • “He remembers His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance,’ When they were few in number, indeed very few, and strangers in it” (Psalm 105:8-12).
  • “Moreover He called for a famine in the land; He destroyed all the provision of bread. He sent a man before them— Joseph—who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him, the ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions” (Psalm 105:16-21).
  • “Israel also came into Egypt, and Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham. He increased His people greatly, and made them stronger than their enemies. He turned their heart to hate His people, to deal craftily with His servants” (Psalm 105:23-25).
• Exodus Era – The Lord delivered His people, who were enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years, by sending the ten plagues. The final plague was the death of the firstborn in Egypt, both man and animals. But God delivered the Israelites by the Passover, another clear illustration that we are saved by being under the blood of the innocent, pointing to the coming Savior. Then the Lord brought them into the wilderness where He established the sacrificial system and gave the people the Law. The Lord was training the Israelites to walk with Him, to trust Him, and to obey Him as He provided for them:
  • “He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen. They performed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham… He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land, the first of all their strength. He also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them had fallen upon them. He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light in the night. The people asked, and He brought quail, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it ran in the dry places like a river” (Psalm 105:26-41).
  • “But they soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel. But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert; He gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them” (Psalm 106:13-15). The psalmist goes on to talk about the rebellious stories of Dathan, the golden calf in Horeb, Baal of Peor, and he ends with the story of the waters of Meribah where Moses sinned against the Lord and lost the privilege of entering the promised land – “They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account, for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips” (Psalm 106:32-33).
• Conquest Era – After the death of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land, but the people failed to drive out the inhabitants as the Lord commanded:
  • “For He remembered His holy promise, and Abraham His servant. He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness. He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, and they inherited the labor of the nations, that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws” (Psalm 105:42-45).
  • “They did not destroy the peoples, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them, but they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works; they served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled by their own works, and played the harlot by their own deeds” (Psalm 106:34-39).
• Judges Era – After the death of Joshua, the Israelites forgot the Lord and turned to idolatry. This era was defined by everyone doing what was right in their own sight, which was evil in the sight of the Lord. Therefore the Lord turned His people over to their enemies, but when they cried out to Him, He sent a judge to deliver them. The people had peace while the judge was alive, but once the judge died they fell back into idolatry and wickedness. Therefore, the Lord turned them over again to their enemies. This was the sin cycle. The Israelites experienced seven different cycles with twelve different judges in the Book of Judges:
  • “Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people, so that He abhorred His own inheritance. And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, and those who hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand. Many times He delivered them; but they rebelled in their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry; and for their sake He remembered His covenant, and relented according to the multitude of His mercies” (Psalm 106:40-45).
• Kingdom Era – The people no longer wanted the Lord to rule over them, so they asked for a king like the nations around them. The Lord gave them King Saul, who was more concerned about the praise of man than the approval of the Lord. Therefore, the Lord took the kingdom from Saul and gave it to a man after His own heart, King David. King David desired to build a house for the Lord, but the Lord told him that his son Solomon would be the one to build His house. However, the Lord promised King David that He would build him an enduring house and that his descendants would sit on the throne forever, pointing to the Messiah who is coming through his bloodline. David’s son Solomon began well as king. He built the temple of the Lord, asked for wisdom, executed justice, and was well respected by all. However, he intermarried with many women amongst the nations around him and began worshiping their false gods, causing his heart to turn from the Lord. Therefore, the Lord stripped ten of the twelve tribes from the hand of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam.

• Divided Kingdom Era – Ten tribes were given to Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam, who formed Northern Israel. Jeroboam was an evil king who devised a new religion of idolatry in an effort to control the people. All nineteen kings after him were evil. Northern Israel lasted two hundred and nine years before the Lord raised up the Assyrians to serve judgment against His rebellious people and destroy them as a nation in 722 BC. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, was the first king of Southern Judah which consisted of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, plus the ones who left Northern Israel to come and worship the Lord in Jerusalem, including the Levites. Southern Judah has had a few good kings, but most have been wicked like the kings in Northern Israel. However, every king in Southern Judah is a descendant of King David as the Lord promised. God is still working His plan to send King Jesus through David’s descendants. Currently in the Divided Kingdom Era, the godly King Hezekiah is sitting on the throne in Judah. 

We have six more days reading the psalms before we get back to the warnings from the prophets and the story of King Hezekiah and his reign, so keep reading. (Psalms 105-106)

Psalm 102 is “A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord.” Commentaries said that this psalm could have been written during the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. The psalmist begins by asking the Lord to hear his cries. Then he goes on to pour out his heart to the Lord. 

The psalmist is afflicted internally by his health and externally by his enemies. He feels abandoned by the Lord – “Because of Your indignation and Your wrath; for You have lifted me up and cast me away. My days are like a shadow that lengthens, and I wither away like grass” (Psalm 102:10-11).

However, when the psalmist moves his eyes off of himself and onto the Lord, he concludes that although man’s days wither away, the Lord endures forever – “But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your name to all generations” (Psalm 102:12). The psalmist is now hoping in the eternal God whose greatness will be proclaimed throughout all generations. 

We see that the psalmist believes that the word of God is true when he says that the Lord would one day restore Jerusalem, just as God said He would through the prophets. Jeremiah prophesied that the Jews would be in captivity for seventy years in Babylon, but then He would restore them to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 25:11). The psalmist recognizes that when this happens, the nations and all of earth will know the Lord’s glory; and it will be written for all generations and even for people yet to come – “This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven the Lord viewed the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to release those appointed to death, to declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem” (102:18-21). 

The Lord is always looking down from heaven and assessing His creations. We saw this during the Creation Era. After the Lord created each thing He would look upon it and declare it was good. However, ten generations after Adam and Eve, the Lord looked upon earth and saw nothing but evil and wickedness in the hearts and minds of all the people except Noah and his seven family members. Therefore, the Lord sent a flood to destroy the wicked, but He saved the righteous, Noah and his seven family members who trusted in Him. 

The Lord is the same today. He still looks down on earth, assessing the evil and the righteous, and He will judge accordingly. This is why the psalmist ends his psalm with this prayer – “O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days; your years are throughout all generations. Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; yes, they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will change them, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will have no end. The children of Your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before You” (Psalm 102:24-28).

In times of trouble and despair the psalmist calls upon the eternal unchanging God whose purposes will stand throughout all generations. We will see His purposes stand later in the story when Jesus Christ arrives on the scene. Jesus will establish the church, and He will tell His disciples to build the church by making disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). As disciples continue to go out as tools in God’s hand sharing the Good News of Christ with others, the Lord continues to grow His church, and the remembrance of His name will continue from generation to generation, just as the psalmist stated. 

More psalms tomorrow, so keep reading. (Psalms 98-100, Psalms 102, 104)