Daily Notes & Observations is a 365-part series that follows a chronological daily Bible reading schedule and contains a short article based on something found in the text for each day. This material is also available in paperback.

July 17, 2012

“Let Us Eat and Drink, For Tomorrow We May Die” (7/17)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Isaiah 18-22.

Judgment was coming against the people of God. Yet instead of this warning being met with careful self-examination and repentance, the people ignored it and acted as if nothing was wrong and nothing would happen.

“Therefore in that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, to shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth. Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.’ But the Lord of hosts revealed Himself to me, ‘Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you until you die,’ says the Lord God of hosts” (Isaiah 22:12-14).

Interestingly, these people recognized the brevity and uncertainty of life. They knew that though they were here today, they could be gone tomorrow. Yet their response to this reality was feasting and revelry as if there was no more to look forward to past this life.
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July 16, 2012

Taunt Against the King of Babylon (7/16)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Isaiah 13-17.

God was going to use the kingdom of Babylon to punish His people (Isaiah 13:1-16). After this, the Medes would rise up against Babylon and would overthrow it (Isaiah 13:17-22), resulting in God’s people being released from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 14:1-3). The people were then instructed to “take up this taunt against the king of Babylon” (Isaiah 14:4). Part of this taunt was meant to ridicule the arrogance of Babylon.

“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth. You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit” (Isaiah 14:12-15).

The leaders of Babylon had tried to put themselves in the place of God. They failed, and God overthrew them. However, this attempt was nothing new. Babylon had its beginnings in an attempt to ascend up to heaven and occupy the place of God.
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July 15, 2012

Why Did Israel Fall? (7/15)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Chronicles 28; 2 Kings 16-17.

“In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes” (2 Kings 17:6).

After a long period of trouble and instability in Israel, the people were finally taken away from their homeland, the land that God had promised their fathers, and relocated by force to Assyria. Why would God bring this upon them? The text goes on to list the reasons why they were punished in this way.
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July 14, 2012

They Prophesy for Money (7/14)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Micah 1-7.

After condemning the rulers for oppressive taxation of the people (Micah 3:1-3), the Lord addressed the prophets who had the same “love of money” (cf. 1 Timothy 6:10) as the rulers. Money, rather than simply proclaiming the word of God, was the primary motivation for these prophets.

“Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, her priests instruct for a price and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord saying, ‘Is not the Lord in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us’” (Micah 3:11).

Since their motivation was money and not truth (their claim that the Lord was with them and would protect them was false), these prophets adjusted their message depending on whether or not their audience would support them.
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July 13, 2012

Those Who Guide This People Are Leading Them Astray (7/13)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Chronicles 27; Isaiah 9-12.

“For those who guide this people are leading them astray; and those who are guided by them are brought to confusion. Therefore the Lord does not take pleasure in their young men, nor does He have pity on their orphans or their widows; for every one of them is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth is speaking foolishness. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away and His hand is still stretched out” (Isaiah 9:16-17).

God’s people were in a wicked and sinful condition. The Lord indicted the spiritual leaders of the people as being the ones who led them astray. The Scriptures show us repeatedly that those who teach and those who hold positions of leadership will be held accountable, not only for their own sins, but for how they have influenced others (Ezekiel 3:17-21; Hebrews 13:17; James 3:1). These leaders had led God’s people into apostasy and would have to answer to Him for it.
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July 12, 2012

"Woe to Those Who Are at Ease in Zion" (7/12)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Amos 6-9.

“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria, the distinguished men of the foremost of nations, to whom the house of Israel comes” (Amos 6:1).

God was sending a message through the prophet Amos of the coming judgment against Israel. Yet these people were oblivious to the danger. They had other matters to focus on besides divine punishment for sin.
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July 11, 2012

“God Does Nothing Unless He Reveals His Secret Counsel” (7/11)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Amos 1-5.

As God revealed His message to the prophet Amos about the punishment that was coming to Israel, He made a point about prophecy and calamity that would be good for us to remember today.

“If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it? Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:6-7).

When a calamity occurs, is God the one behind it? When a tragedy strikes, is God trying to send some sort of message? People wonder about these things all of the time. As a result, they spend many hours speculating, wondering, and worrying over some message from God that they assume must be interwoven in the events of their life. So they try to figure out what God is trying to show them.
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