Isaiah 60:1 ff

Time to RISE AND SHINE!!!

Isaiah begins this with two simple words:  Arise!  Shine!

It seems simple enough on the onset. We read these words in the English and think we have a grip on the meaning. But, what we find, is that the meaning of just about any word in THE WORD  is deeper than a simple one word definition like ARISE! or SHINE!

Now, let me comment on the languages God chose to write the original scriptures in. Hebrew and Greek are two of the most expressive languages ever written. They go deeper than surface meaning. They both paint pictures that explain what kind of context we should be coming from when we read.

That also brings up who God is speaking to through Isaiah.  At first, considering I began to study this verse because it was a prophetic word concerning the Star of Bethlehem's appearance the night of the Nativity, we would automatically think it was alluding to the star when, in fact, Isaiah hasn't quite gotten to the star yet!  This prophecy was addressed to the Jews and, more precisely, to believers.  SO, what we find is that these first words were directed to the people of God.  

On top of all of this, both of these words were written in the IMPERATIVE which means they are not mere suggestions.  They are not left up for your decision.  They are both orders given by our God directly to us.  Like marching orders from a military commander to his troops.

The Hebrew word for ARISE here;  קוּם quwm {koom} Strong's Concordance #6965 

It denotes a movement usually from a seated or prone position.  What we see first is a simple GET UP.  In plain English, if you will, it's telling the people of God to get off their behind!!  And seeing as it's a COMMAND, we should add AND QUICK!

Also, the word denotes taking a stand; confirming, ratifying, establishing.  To make binding a decision.  God is telling us here to get up and take a stand!  This denotes that the army of God, if you will, is getting ready to move out.  Our Lord and General is telling us to come to attention, ready ourselves for war and be ready to move out!

I think it is worth mentioning that God spoke this word several times to several of his key spiritual leaders.

Genesis 13:7  Abram had just separated himself from his nephew, Lot, and went to dwell in the land of Caanan.  God spoke to him and told him to ARISE and walk the width and breadth of the land!  He was, once again, ratifying the covenant between HIM and Abram.

Deut. 9:12    Moses is told to ARISE and go and do something about the Hebrews because they were worshiping the golden calf.

Joshua 1:2    Moses is dead and Joshua is told to ARISE and cross the Jordan; taking the land that God had promised Abram so long ago.

I Samual 9:3/16:12    The same word is used leading up to the coronations of both Saul and David as King.  (Once again Ratifying it)

Jonah 1:2   It was also used in God's call of Jonah to Nineveh.

Isaiah 52:1    In a warmup to chapter 60, God says

AWAKE! AWAKE!

PUT ON YOUR STREGNTH, O ZION!

The Hebrew word for SHINE:  אוֹר 'owr {ore} Stong's Concordance #0215

This seems simple enough; just like ARISE.  But we see quickly that, if this is leveled at the people of God, it takes on new meaning.  When we considered it only a prophecy of the Bethlehem Star, we were safe to assume the shining was done by the sign in the sky.  But, now, if ARISE was a command to us as believers, then SHINE is also a command!

In the Imperative also and, thus, an order, God here has called his army to get up, prepare for battle and,now, he tells them what he wants them to do:  SHINE!

God wants us to get up from our complacence and do something.  Make a stand and make it known!

This word is the same used in Genesis to describe God bringing light into a dark world.  And here he is again describing just that!  HIS light coming into a dark world!!

In the up coming verses, God himself will explain where this light is supposed to come from...

TO BE CONTINUED (AS USUAL)

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1846928305/word-to-the-wise-melchiors-tale

Also, not much time left on my Kickstarter campaign.  It ends in less than two weeks.  It's been a slow start, but I have received some donations personally.  So, I would like to thank those of you who have joined me so far!  Just to let you know, if you have misgivings about paying for things online, I can work out taking pledges personally.  I will still honor the rewards program on Kickstarter.  I want each and every one of you to feel a part of something big and get back in return more than what you put in!

If you have any questions, message me on facebook or here, email me at ward.motes@gmail.com or, those of you who can, call me or talk to me personally.

Thank you again

Ward Motes

This is a little different from the Bible study, but I needed to post this somewhere.  Stay tuned this week for another installment in my study of the Magi, the Star and the birth of the only Son of God.

“The sin of Religious Supremacy like the sin of Racial Supremacy is leading us toward real destruction.”

Brian McLaren

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4cRLghrd34&feature=endscreen&NR=1

I bring this video to your attention not to praise this individual nor to demonize him.  But I think this is an example of where we are headed spiritually.  Brian talks about the rise of the NONES; people spiritually unaffiliated with any religion.  Brian goes on to talk about why he thinks this is happening and he includes the ministry of the Holy Spirit in his conclusions.  He believes that the Holy Spirit may be telling people not to become “a part of something that makes you distrustful, prejudiced against and inhospitable toward other human beings”

He goes onto make the quote I used in the opening; equating Christians who place their belief structure in a superior position to the ideals and opinions of others in this world with those who believe their race is genetically superior.  Quite a leap and a damning one at that.  But typical these days, really.  If you don't agree with the status quo, you will be demonized.  And especially if you say God and quote scripture, you will be disqualified from the public forum.

The fact of the matter is that the true message of the Bible and of God and Jesus Christ, his only son, IS RELIGIOUSLY SUPERIOR to all other thoughts; all other spiritually quests. What God has to say to us through his written word is of paramount importance especially in this day of syncretism and the overall permissive nature of people in general.

If you disagree with someone or say they are wrong it makes you distrustful, prejudiced and inhospitable. It makes you part of the problem leading to REAL DESTRUCTION.

Now, I have to admit. There are fringes of everyday religious life where people of faith advocate outright hatred of those who perpetrate sinful lifestyles; Westboro comes to mind. And there are times when everyday, ordinary Christians find themselves downright outraged at the flaunting of these sinful lifestyles from the television to the marches down their city streets to the speeches of the people who are supposed to represent them in Washington. And, a lot of times, these well meaning people of faith lose sight of what's important and end up hating the sinner instead of the sin. I have to admit this much.

This does not mean however that any disagreement with such lifestyles is to be considered hateful rhetoric. I'm afraid we're heading down a slippery slope where people (as we in Tennessee say) throw the baby out with the bathwater. Which means simply that in order to combat the real problem of hate groups within the body of Christ, we simply put a gag order on any such discussion of the subject. It just seems that once a person utters the name of God and anything negative about Homosexuality, for example, their position is rejected immediately. As a Christian, I find it absurd that one cannot disagree with the proponents of such issues as the sin of Homosexuality, the outright error of Evolution or ones right to an Abortion thus ending another's life. That I cannot simply disagree and refuse to simply let it go on without so much as a comment without being pegged as hateful and prejudiced is ludicrous!

What comes next is a dangerous precedent. For simply quoting the scriptures that speak out against such things, we, as Christians, will find ourselves at the wrong end of the majority and, possibly, the law itself. Already, we have pastors in the pulpit who have to put their tax exempt status in danger to simply read what God gave us about sin. My pastor put it simply this Sunday. Many believe in God. But not all believe God.

This is not about tradition. This is not about the 'good ole days'. This is not about those backward religious types who cling onto their tired old values and won't get with times. No, this is about whether we believe God. To cling onto our modern day gods like Homosexuality, Evolution and Abortion, we have to disavow what God himself has said. We have to discredit the scriptures and cut the WORD apart like a Thanksgiving turkey. We have to treat our life in Christ as most of the world treats their spirituality; like some buffet. We take what we like and discard the rest. This cannot be so.

As I contemplate the future, I grieve for those who WILL believe God. It will not be an easy road. The days of the Religious Right are over. The days of the Moral Majority are gone. Even if we outnumber them, and I think we do, they will use the mechanisms of fear and speak over us; gag us legally and socially. We will not be able to utter a word without being social outcasts outside our own circles. And, if you haven't noticed, those circles are dwindling. Our children are slowly being eaten up by this permissive machine we call love causing them to distrust us as hatemongers and people simply lost in an old, dead religion.

I don't say all of this to cause you to be disheartened. No, not by any stretch of the imagination. I say this as a wake up for me and all others who strive to BELIEVE GOD. I also say this as a wake up call to those who say LOVE and teach hate. Those who preach tolerance, but have nothing but intolerance for those who disagree with them. Both sides need to get a grip on the fact that we can disagree and still be brothers. Just because we don't step in line with the popular thought doesn't mean we cannot bring love to the table. Because LOVE is not simply agreeing; it is understanding and speaking the truth.

Enough for now. Stop and Pray. The future is in the whispers of the saints to their GOD.

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie

Romans 1:25

I'm quite the fanboy when it comes to old school comic books. The dashing hero with the costume and cape; fighting injustice and righting wrongs. But, one thing I found out was that the hero was only as heroic and dazzling as the bad guy was dark and sinister...

Isaiah 60:2

For behold, the darkness shall cover the Earth,

And deep darkness the people;

No sooner had Isaiah announced the arrival of brilliant new light, the Prophet warned of a great, deep darkness covering the Earth. Now, considering he had just pronounced the judgment of God down on the Nations and to Israel itself, I'm sure those hearing the prophesies couldn't imagine things getting any bleaker. But this is precisely what Isaiah was announcing. I mean, how could they have seen the conquering of Judah, the leading away to captivity, the hardships of rebuilding only to be overcome by another conqueror, Rome? Darkness may have been an understatement.

The era surrounding the birth of Christ was indeed a dark time for the Israelites. Not just to be besieged or at war or, even, taken into captivity, but to be occupied by the most unrighteous of peoples, the ROMANS.

But I'm sure it was near impossible for the people who first heard these prophesies to fully understand the level of darkness that was coming. It is much like us trying to comprehend the level of disaster that will come with the end times.

But this darkness was an all too familiar theme in the Bible. It was into Darkness that God's light broke through in the very beginning of creation (Genesis 1). It was Darkness that was the ninth plague announced by Moses to Egypt (Exodus 10). The prophets all talked about darkness coming. Amos said of the dreaded day of the Lord:

Amos 5:20

New King James Version (NKJV)

20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light?

Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?

But Isaiah spoke of a deep darkness; something much deeper and more tragic than the political goings on around the nation of Israel. If you read Isaiah carefully, you will see that God's issue is with the darkness found in people's hearts. Chapter five of Isaiah, speaks of his Beloved (Israel) planting the choice seeds but growing wild grapes instead!

Isaiah 5:7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,

And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant.

He looked for justice, but behold, oppression;

For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.

And...

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;

Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,

And prudent in their own sight!

God was pronouncing judgment through Isaiah to a people who had the world tilted on it's head. Who celebrated evil deeds and looked with indignation at those who followed the righteousness path. And, all the while they did this, they claimed to be his people (because they were) and continued to follow the sacrifices. In fact, Isaiah opened up with his petition against Israel in chapter one.

Isaiah1:2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!

For the Lord has spoken:

“I have nourished and brought up children,

And they have rebelled against Me;

This summed up God's position and justification for what he was about to do. And this gives us some insight to what things were like in the times of Jesus ministry. For, instead of learning from the judgment of God, Israel had apparently lapsed into the same old ways. Maybe this is why Jesus used Isaiah as scripture for his opening text for his Earthly ministry.

Luke 4:16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

This darkness that had set upon the people by their own actions was due a break though. For it was the gospel of Matthew that quoted Isaiah (this very opening scripture) as an answer to a prophecy.

Matthew 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,

14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles:

16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,

And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death

Light has dawned.”

The crowning joy of this pronouncement of great darkness is that it was prophesied to be broken! Sometimes, it just pays to keep reading...actually, when it comes to the WORD, it ALWAYS pays to keep reading!

Isaiah 60:2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the Lord will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

The lesson here is that, if we find ourselves in darkness, the first thing we need to understand is that it is most always caused by someone's sin. It may not be yours. It may be because of someone elses. If it is ours, then, we need to understand that and correct it. If it is someone elses (a parent, a spouse, a friend, a child, a leader be it either local or national), then we need to pray for them and take the steps God prescribes. This anticipates us actually coming to him for the solution.

The second lesson learned is that no matter the deepness of the darkness, God is always there at the right time with his unconquerable light!

…...Sometimes the vile villain and courageous hero resides in the same person...

Let the Lord ARISE over you and in you...let HIS GLORY be seen UPON you...

Please check out my Kickstarter project and pray about how God would like to get you involved in this every growing project!

WORD TO THE WISE: MELCHIOR'S TALE

After spending over fifty chapters announcing damnation on the sinful nations of the world, Isaiah, the prophet of Judah, began to change his message...

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

² 

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the Lord will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

³ 

The Gentiles shall come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising.

ISAIAH 60:1-3

With these words, Isaiah began to announce the coming of a light promised from the beginning of time itself.  With these very words, the paradigm began to shift; the darkness began to break.  It was these very words that echoed off the hills of Judea the night Jesus Christ came into this world.  But who actually noticed the sign in the sky that night?  How many actually reacted?

The opening words from my fictional book

WORD TO THE WISE: MELCHIOR'S TALE

begins like this:

And to think he had almost given up...

How many times have we seen that 'sign in the sky'?  How many times have we heard from God concerning something he wished to do in us, with us and through us?  And how many times have we simply given these moments a pass?

These Magi picked up from their busy lives, from the safety of their homes to travel to Jerusalem at the behest of a simple sign in the sky.  From the reaction of those in Herod's court, we can assume that they missed the celestial announcement or chose to ignore it.  From the very fact that these were the only recorded visitors, we can assume that no one else recognized it as a sign or considered it too little, too late.

Now, before we get judgmental, we need to ask ourselves how many times God has chosen to reveal himself to us; to give us a sign that he wants to do something for us, to us and through us?  And how many times have we passed on it due to our busy lives or just due to our outright laziness?  We make excuses.  We justify our position and we move on.  Now, don't get me wrong, I know God has a plan; no doubt.  But, sometimes, God reveals his plans to us and we either miss it or dismiss it.  We figure to ourselves that surely there is someone else who is better equipped to handle this task.

Sometimes yes.  Sometimes no.

I pray that we become more and more careful about our responses as God chooses to reveal himself and his plan to us everyday.

Also check out the Kickstarter project for WORD TO THE WISE 

Pray for it and get involved!!

WORD TO THE WISE: MELCHIOR'S TALE