Isaiah 3-5
Isaiah 3
Notice the names of God here.
Notice too that in the judgment, there is a complete destruction of and confusion in leadership. Everyone will need it, but it will not be found…at least not by looking down. It is an ironic justice since they should have been looking to God for leadership. So, He gave them what they had been seeking, life without Him.
Isaiah 4
V. 1 This should probably belong to chapter three. It is similar to 3:6. Women will look for a leader and there will be none.
Vs. 2-6 Enter the Branch. Rather than this referring to the remnant of Israel, this most likely refers to the Messiah, who is called the branch in other places in the OT. This is a picture of the Messiah rescuing His people and Jerusalem at the last minute.
Isaiah 5
Vs. 1-7 With the pictures of destruction and rescue in view, God now shows how he planted Israel a vineyard and that it has become liable for judgment.
Vs. 9-23 And this is what ruined the vineyard God planted.
Vs. 24-25 God declares His anger with Judah and Jerusalem.
Vs. 26-30 And He calls the nations to come and judge Israel.
2 Corinthians 11:1-15
Vs. 1-3 The proof of Paul's apostleship and the focus of Paul's ministry was to have the people focused and in love with Christ. The battle going on in Corinth had people focused on personalities and on themselves.
V. 4 What an interesting charge against the spiritual stature of the Corinthians. The super apostles might have come from Jerusalem, from the circumcision party, claiming authority from the apostles and showing that their Jewish background was superior to Paul's.
Vs. 5-6 Paul obviously was giving new and inspired teaching. The super apostles weren't bringing anything new or moving the Corinthians into the harvest. They were leading them back to the law and causing the Corinthians to be self-centered. By their fruits they were known.
Vs. 7-11 Paul's boast was that he did not put an obstacle in the way of the Gospel. The Corinthians' shame is that Paul never accepted financial help from Corinth because of their immaturity.
Vs. 12-15 Paul has shown them a lot of love and patience in the first chapters. It is time now for him to deal with these trouble makers.
V. 13 is very clear.
V. 14 is very famous.
By the fact that God has included this all in Scripture, it is obvious that these issues and conflicts are an important part of helping the church keep focused in the harvest.
Psalm 53
Now everything is beginning to sound like Isaiah, although David lived before Isaiah. Oh, that's right, it really is the same author. :)
Vs. 1-3 Paul uses a lot of this in Romans 3.
This video looks like someone's Sunday school project, and it's not bad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR6QA4rPx5U
Proverbs 22:28-29
V. 28 This says to me that there are some things handed down from past generations that we are meant to respect.
V. 29 Perhaps one of those things to respect is patient craftsmanship. The old craftsman doesn't do his work well to stand before kings. He does work well to do his work well. I think of Paul's words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
It is hard to find anyone today who is willing to devote himself to one skill and do it with patience and excellence. We have been taught to multi-task, to demand that everything comes faster and to work for the acclaim of others.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
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