Year Two, January 2

I Will Give Thanks To You, O LORD1

As he did during the reign of Uzziah, the great prophet poured out his forceful statements during the days of Jotham. Isaiah is the great gospel seer. He spoke more about Jesus Christ than all the other prophets. We will now read three of his prophecies. He gave these to us in the form of songs. The first song represents Israel as a vineyard. The vineyard picture was a good way to get the attention of the people.

  

Isaiah 5:1-7

1 Let me sing for my beloved

my love song concerning his vineyard:

My beloved had a vineyard

on a very fertile hill.

2 He dug it and cleared it of stones,

and planted it with choice vines;

he built a tower in the midst of it.

and hewed out a wine vat in it;

and he looked for it to yield grapes,

but it yielded wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem

and men of Judah,

judge between me and my vineyard.

4 What more was there to do for my vineyard,

that I have not done in it?

When I looked for it to yield grapes,

why did it yield wild grapes?

5 And now I will tell you

what I will do to my vineyard.

I will remove its hedge,

and it shall be devoured;

I will break down its wall,

and it shall be trampled down.

6 I will make it a waste;

it shall not be pruned or hoed,

and briers and thorns shall grow up;

I will command the clouds

that they rain no rain upon it.

7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts

is the house of Israel,

and the men of Judah

are his pleasant planting;

and he looked for justice,

but behold, bloodshed;

for righteousness,

but behold, an outcry!

We are very much like Israel and Judah in so many ways! What more could God have done for us? We have the Bible and the ministry of the gospel. Our family is protected like a walled garden. Our country has a history of fruitful gospel preaching. Are we bearing fruit? What should we expect if we are vines without grapes? God’s judgment is always related to the knowledge we choose to ignore. May the Lord give all of us grace to bear much fruit for his glory.

In this next song, the prophet looks forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus.

  

Isaiah 12

1You will say in that day:

“I will give thanks to you, O LORD,

for though you were angry with me,

your anger turned away,

that you might comfort me.

2 “Behold, God is my salvation;

I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation.”

3With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (What a sweet gospel song. The only ones who can sing it are those whose sins have been washed away in the blood of Jesus. To them it is a joyful song. They are no longer afraid to believe God’s promises. They go to the Lord for blessings.  They may draw all the water they want from the wells of salvation. They are citizens of Zion. The water of God’s blessings are theirs without restriction or price.) 4And you will say in that day:

“Give thanks to the LORD,

call upon his name,

make known his deeds among the peoples,

proclaim that his name is exalted.

5 “Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;

let this be made known in all the earth.

6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,

for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

It is the delight of saved souls to glorify the Lord. They cannot keep their joy inside. They shout like those who have just won a great battle.

After God deals with the enemies of his people, they will have another song on their lips.

  

Isaiah 24:1-4

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.

Happy are those who are protected and kept in peace by their All Powerful God. Is there one in our house who does not trust in the Lord? Let us pray that all our minds will always depend on God.

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¹ Isaiah 12:1