King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Sunday, July 11, 2021
Chapters: Isaiah 1-4
Message: Come To Zion
Hello My Friend,
As I was praying this morning I thanked God for the privilege to not only be able to read His Word, but teach it. I also thanked Him that we still have the freedom to preach and teach it in public, but I fear that we are going to lose that freedom very soon if this nation does not get their act together and return to Christ, [Matthew 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:]
They do not want to believe it or accept it, and this goes for every nation, but God will take out each and every nation, city by city, until all of His people are removed and it is destroyed, just like He did with Sodom and Gomorrah. The Book of Isaiah is the twenty-third book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains sixty-six chapters. The author of the book is Isaiah and it was written to Judah and all believers. The timeline for these events took place between 766 BC to 679 BC. The purpose of the book was to teach correction and reproof to all believers. What we are to learn from the book is that rebellion leads to destruction, but repentance leads to restoration, [Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.]
The world and religion have two things in common, both of them deny the fact that Christ is the true King of the world, and that judgment is coming to them. The Book of Isaiah is actually a mirror of the entire Bible. The entire Bible has sixty-six books, Isaiah has sixty-six chapters. The Old Testament has thirty-nine books covering the history and sin of Israel, and the first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah do as well. The New Testament has twenty-seven books describing the ministry of Jesus Christ, including the new heaven and earth, and the last twenty-seven chapters of Isaiah do as well. During the time that his father Amos was in Samaria warning Israel of the judgment they are in, Isaiah was in Judah, telling them that the same thing will happen to them in the future. The book of Isaiah begins with God in deep mourning over the sinful and corrupted state of His nation.
[Isaiah 1:1,4-5,7,9 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.]
[Isaiah the son of Amoz,] Isaiah’s name means; “The salvation of the Lord;” a very suitable name for this prophet, who prophesies so much of Jesus the Saviour, and His salvation. God’s professing people did not know or consider that they owed their lives and comforts to God’s fatherly care and kindness. Still today, many are very careless in the affairs of their souls! Not considering that their false religion does more harm than ignorance of what they should know. [Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant,] The only reason why these God forsaken states, cities, and even this country has not been destroyed yet is because of the very small remnant of faithful, saved souls, who are out there preaching the Gospel, [Romans 10:14-15 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!]
Can you imagine just how bad it had to be in Jerusalem, the city of God, if God was comparing it to Sodom and Gomorrah? We must understand that these are not people who do not know any better, these are people who know the Law and were religious. God will afflict us only for so long, if His people refuse to heed the warnings and repent of their sin, He will turn His back to that nation, and let them die in their sin. Keep in mind that God never stops pleading for His people to return to Him, even when judgment comes, but repentance must take place while their breath is still in them. Now, God goes on further to explain why He is so mournful of them, they are worshiping Him in vain and pleads with Israel to return to Him.
[Isaiah 1:13-20 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.]
[I am weary to bear them.] There is an acronym that comes to mind as I read this, SMH; Shaking My Head, I can picture God sitting on His throne, looking down while in the flesh of Jesus as He stands to the right, shaking His head as He sees countless dead souls praying or giving sacraments to Him in such ignorance. It truly breaks His heart to see them crying out to Him, giving tithes, singing to Him, praising His name, even reenacting His Son’s death, ignorant to the fact that He does not know them, [Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.]
God often refers to Israel as a woman, adorned of her husband. Of course, that would make sense to know why Jesus refers to all who call upon Him as His bride. Since Israel was mixing religions and false gods in their worship of Him He addresses them as not only an adulterous woman, but a prostitute. However, He speaks of a time when He will clean her up and make her pure again, [Isaiah 1:21,24-28 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. 24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: 25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: 26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. 27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. 28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.]
[Zion shall be redeemed with judgment,] This would be Christ’s passion. Jesus gave His sinless life on the cross. By doing so He not only did get vengeance on His adversaries actually when He arose from the dead, He also brought redemption to all who believe in Him and accept Him as their Saviour, [Romans 10:9-12 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.]
Since we are all sinners, God knows that we are going to mess up, sometimes all day long, He does not expect perfection because we are perfect in Christ, what He does expect is a perfect heart. That means, when we mess up, we admit, confess, and repent of our sin. We will all stand before Jesus one day, even those of Old Testament days, He is the one who perfects us as we walk with Him. What we read from the New Testament about Jesus coming to judge the world is the same exact thing that God told them. In fact, through Isaiah, God gives us a glimpse of the day that Jesus would come to judge all the world from Zion.
[Isaiah 2:2-4 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.]
[and all nations shall flow unto it.] Actually, this would be after Christ’s passion and the Gentiles start seeking Christ. It would be when He returns that He will reign the earth from Zion for a thousand years, I will also be when the Jews will finally acknowledge Christ for who He is, and His saints will also reign with Him, [Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Matthew 19:28-29 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.]
One day, in the blink of an eye, Jesus will be here, every nation will be judged, and all these false churches are going to get a huge awakening. In fact, I am sure the founders of these false religions have already seen Jesus, were cast into hell, and are screaming up at the living for them to stop to no avail since they cannot speak to them. Ignorance does not save anyone, and those who follow the lies of these false religions are not saved because regardless of whether or not they were misguided, they believed the lies over the truth. And let me tell you, God knows exactly what they are doing, if they are going to believe the liars, then He actually hands them over to them, which we find out why through Isaiah.
[Isaiah 3:1-5 For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, 2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, 3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. 4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. 5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.]
[doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff,] Think about what God is saying, He removes them from His protections, His provisions, His presence, and places them under oppression of their own children, and women will rule over them. And God goes on to address the women as well.
[Isaiah 3:11-13,16-17,24 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. 12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. 13 The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. 16 Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: 17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts. 24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.]
[and the LORD will discover their secret parts.] If you think that the way you dress does not matter to God, think again, the short skirts, the blouses, all reveal their secret parts. Do you see our country? It is one by one, being ruled by ruthless and godless women who proclaim abortion as form of birth control, who make a mockery out of God, and life itself. Do you see the false religions? One by one, they too are being ruled by women, who do the same thing. Since they are going to live they way they are living, God is going to give them up to their delusions, [2 Thessalonians 2:3,9-12 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.]
Jesus calls those who create false religion as the blind leading the blind. They are people so wrapped up in the lusts of their flesh that they are willing to believe the lies, and follow those rather than obey the truth. And it is only going to get worse before Jesus returns, yet, there is still hope. As God continues to foretell of the judgment, He does gives some hope for those who did not forsake Him.
[Isaiah 4:2-6 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. 3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: 4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. 5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. 6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.]
[even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:] This is none other than the Book of life, in which the names of every saved soul will contain. Jesus takes away our reproach, the shame, the disgrace we face for our sin. People get the idea that you have to be a certain religion to be saved, this is wrong, and will send you to hell quicker than you can blink your eyes. If you think about it, both Jews and Christians have been reduced to a religion, when God has nothing to do with religion. Being Jewish, Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, or Muslim does not save anyone, only Christ does, and to be honest, a Christian is not a Christian unless they personally know Jesus Christ as their Saviour, [Hebrews 12:18,22-23 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,]
Jesus Christ Magnified: [Isaiah 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: Isaiah 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank you for sending Your Son to make redemption for our sins permanent. We no longer have to offer animal sacrifices because we are redeemed by the precious blood of Your Son once and for all. We know that salvation does not give us a free pass to live in sin and not suffer for it, it does give us the opportunity to show Your Son to the world and receive much more through our faithfulness to You. Lord, we who are saved and born again are Your light that shines through us as we walk the path You give us, lead us and guide us, help us to seek Your truths and live by them so we can be an honor to You. Put Your hedge of protection around us, and give us Your strength and courage to boldly proclaim Your Son to the world. Let us not be afraid to speak the true Gospel, and give the words of wisdom to approach anyone who teaches the lies. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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