July 16
Isaiah 18:1-23:18
Positionally, once we believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ, we are saved, we are declared righteous, we have become His children. This is once and done, as our position as sons and daughters will not be revoked. But how we live out this Christian life and who or what we choose to trust determines whether or not we enjoy fellowship with God. Our peace depends greatly on this trust. On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan said in West Berlin to Mikhail Gorbachev, “Tear down this wall!” It was an historic moment when the Berlin Wall separating the communist nations came crashing down. I remember being so happy and proud to be an American that day, that we won the Cold War, reduced the nuclear threat, etc. But this shows where my mind and trust was. My thoughts of safety and security were misplaced. For while I relished in our nation, many whose eyes were on their King, did not see it politically but as an opportunity to reach starving souls with the gospel message. Many, like Pastor Lloyd Pulley, took this time to go into Romania and openly share the only message with the power to save. Now years later, as history continually cycles, Russia is no longer beaten down, but as powerful as ever and with nuclear capabilities. New allies have formed on all sides. Most who place their hope and trust in the here and now anxiously follow these moving of the nation’s like a jigsaw puzzle. After many years our nation is now talking to North Korea. The question we must honestly ask ourselves, is do we desire to embark in a relationship to reduce the nuclear threat? Or, once and if that barrier is broken will we see this as an opportunity for the gospel message to spread to a nation that is starving for it? Do we really think that we control the destiny of the world and that our moves are so significant? History moves forward exactly as God knows it will. The nuclear threat is as real as God wants it to be used or not used. Our nation is simply one of many players. Like as individuals, where we eventually fall or stand is determined by whom we trust in, nothing more, nothing less.
As we read of these nations rising and falling, can we not see the cyclical nature of events. Nations rise and fall according to God’s timetable. Even cruel and hostile nations such as Assyria, Babylon, and Persia were all used by God as instruments to bring down other nations. Then when they became overly prideful and impressed with their own power, God saw to their downfall, often in inexplicable ways (the Angel of God with the Assyrians, 2 Kings 19:35; the taking of Babylon in a single night in Daniel 5). These nations were often not good, yet became prominent. Notice how Ethiopia is described in Isaiah 18:2, “...Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of skin, To a people terrible from their beginning onward, A nation powerful and treading down, Whose land the rivers divide”. This nation, horrible from its origin, was allowed to become powerful for a season by God. In our current season of divisive politics in our nation, notice the similarities to the crumbling nation of Egypt in 19:2-3, “I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom. The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, And they will consult idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers.” Their foolishness is seen in 19:12, “Where are they? Where are your wise men? Let them tell you now, And let them know what the Lord of hosts has purposed against Egypt.” We even read of the burden against Jerusalem in 22:11, “You also made a reservoir between the two walls For the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.”
Since most are not experts about the historical events surrounding these nations and prophecies, the accuracy of them can be missed. A good commentary detailing the fulfilling of these prophecies can be found in Walvoord’s Commentary. But the significance should not be missed or minimized. We are simply a more recent nation alongside the many that have come and gone. Unfortunately, though once a nation which upheld a belief and trust in God by our founding fathers and documents, we have plummeted to the same godless state as all the others. To deny this is to be blind concerning the things of God as put forth in His written Word. We, as Christians, answer to God, trust in God, seek His Commission, and His opportunities. If our trust is placed in anything or anyone else, disappointment will be the result. We must make the choice whether we will be impressed with our own works, our own buildings, our own society, or in Him, our God, who created everything we see and has been moving nations through His will throughout history. This is why the entirety of Scripture is so important. These seemingly irrelevant nations and scenarios could not possibly be any more significant than they are for our current times.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: