Divine Banquet on Mount Zion: A Biblical Vision

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 25:6-8 ESV

There is a mountain involved in Isaiah’s vision, where God will prepare and serve “a feast of rich food” with all the trimmings. What a wonderful banquet that will be, particularly for the poor and needy people in their distress. And even for those who are accustomed to enjoying their food with a variety of possibilities, the divine banquet will be literally out of this world.  However, this event will be held on the mountain, assumed to be Mount Zion, where God will be a stronghold and refuge for those in need. 

There is much significance to this mountain. In the Bible, Mount Zion was first described as a specific hilltop fortress in Jerusalem captured by King David. Over time, the name expanded in scripture to mean the Temple Mount, the entire city of Jerusalem, the people of Israel, and finally a symbol for God’s Heavenly kingdom. In Hebrews 12:18, we read, “You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai”. This was the mountain we find in Exodus 19:12, “Mark off a boundary all around the mountain. Warn the people, ‘Be careful! Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Anyone who touches the mountain will certainly be put to death”. The Hebrews epistle was addressed to the Jewish people, so they would have known the significance of any reference to Sinai. But back in Hebrews 12:22-24, we read about the “Heavenly Jerusalem”, where God will be found. “No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel”. Will we pilgrims be there? Of course we will. Where else will we be able to enjoy “a feast of rich food”? A banquet like no other.

There is something else significant about that mountain. In our verses today, we read, “There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth”. What is this “shadow of death”? It is sin. Some translations refer to a veil hanging over humanity, so that they cannot see God, just as Moses wore a veil to prevent the Israelites from seeing his glowing face. The curse of sin and death hangs over every life, but God promises to remove that covering forever. Paul describes unbelievers as spiritually veiled, as we read in 2 Corinthians 3:14, “But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ”. Two verses on, “But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away”. We pilgrims have had our eyes opened to God and His Kingdom, through Jesus and all He did for us at Calvary. We have access to God beyond the veil that stops all unbelievers from seeing Him. Paul wrote, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” (1 Corinthians 13:12). For us pilgrims, the veil has been removed, but one day we will see God clearly, without any spiritual myopia at all. Will that be on Mount Zion, on that day when we will be enjoying the banquet of delicious food? That is our hope, our faith, in the promise of God.

There on Mount Zion, “[God] will swallow up death forever”. Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever”. Back to Paul again in 1 Corinthians 15:54, “Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory”. On the Cross, Jesus defeated death forever, and He confirmed that through the empty tomb. Jesus is still alive today, sitting at God’s right hand, where He is interceding for us. One day, we will be alive with Him for eternity. But notice what this means. Death is humanity’s greatest enemy. Medical science may delay it, and philosophies may explain it, but only Christ defeated it. And the enormous truth is that death itself will one day die.

Dear Father God. We pilgrims will one day come to Mount Zion, the New Jerusalem, Your dwelling. You are preparing a place for us there, something for which we are very grateful. Amen.

Finding Hope in Isaiah 25: Praise Amidst Chaos

Posted on by Adrian Clark
Person in a cloak kneeling and praying on a rocky peak above a sea of clouds at sunrise

“O Lord, I will honour and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. Therefore, strong nations will declare your glory; ruthless nations will fear you.”
Isaiah 25:1-3 NLT

We leave the devastation of God’s judgments in Isaiah 24, and move on to the next chapter. Isaiah 25 is one of the most hope-filled chapters in Isaiah’s writings, and here the prophet suddenly turns to praise. The chapter looks beyond immediate historical events to God’s ultimate victory, the salvation of His people, and the coming Messianic kingdom. It also contains one of the clearest Old Testament prophecies of the resurrection. But in many ways this chapter follows on from the previous verse at the end of chapter 24, which ended on a note of hope, “for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will rule on Mount Zion. He will rule in great glory in Jerusalem, in the sight of all the leaders of His people”. It is almost as though Isaiah turns in a different direction, away from looking at the destruction of the earth, to God Himself, the One who destroyed all because of the “sins of the people, for they have twisted [His] instructions, violated His laws, and broken His everlasting covenant … its people must pay the price for their sin”. Isaiah understood well the consequences of sin.

So, Isaiah turned to God Himself, bursting into a personal outpouring of his praise. You see, God’s purposes had been completed in the previous chapter, the end of the story leaving Isaiah free to look at what God means to Him. Today, we pilgrims look on as life around us seems to reflect a maelstrom of chaos, both near and afar, but Isaiah knew that nothing was going to happen that God had not already planned. World events, on the one hand, and even personal happenings when we walk out of our front doors, all fit in with God’s plans for mankind. This is a hard statement to believe, because we have to face into the reality that sooner or later God will have to act because of mankind’s sin. Many people today are very worried and concerned that someone will push the nuclear button and the world will self-destruct, but we can be assured that nothing like this will happen unless God allows it. For other people, there is a huge cry of “why!” when a baby dies, or a plane crash kills all on board. They shake their fists in God’s face in anger and frustration, that is, if they ever believe He exists in the first place. Could God stop such occurrences? Of course, He could, and one day God will judge the world and its sin, bringing righteousness to bear when there is now only evil and sin. In the perfect to come, we read that there will be no more crying and no more death. Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever”. Through the resurrection of Jesus, we received a message of hope, because He was the first to defeat death. And this one event sealed our faith in God and His plan for the future, a future to be enjoyed by us pilgrims as we live with God forever.

Isaiah saw in his vision what the judgment would look like, but we never find him remonstrating with God with a “why”. Instead, he said, “O Lord, I will honour and praise your name, for you are my God”. Isaiah referred to what had happened as “wonderful things … planned … long ago”. Isaiah praises God for dealing with Israel’s enemies, and those nations that stand against God will one day have to praise Him. But we know that from Paul’s writings in Philippians 2:10-11, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. That’s a very complete count of everyone who has, or will, ever live. No exceptions at all. Paul echoes the same confidence as Isaiah. He wrote, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them“.

For us pilgrims, there is a principle we do well to follow. When life makes little sense, then we look upwards into the Heavenly realms, where we find the One who has all under control. We may not understand what is going on, but we do know the One who does. So, when life makes little sense, and we are tempted to look at the circumstances around us, it is more profitable instead to get on our knees in praise and worship. Faith trusts God’s plan before seeing God’s purpose.

Dear Heavenly Father. When all around us is descending into ever deepening depths of evil and sin, we instead look to You, the Rock upon whom we stand. Amen.

Lessons from Tyre: God’s Redemption and Purpose

Posted on by Adrian Clark
Two shipwrecked wooden boats on rocky coast near medieval castle ruins under cloudy sky with sunrays

“For seventy years, the length of a king’s life, Tyre will be forgotten. But then the city will come back to life as in the song about the prostitute: Take a harp and walk the streets, you forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody and sing your songs so you will be remembered again. Yes, after seventy years the Lord will revive Tyre. But she will be no different than she was before. She will again be a prostitute to all kingdoms around the world. But in the end her profits will be given to the Lord. Her wealth will not be hoarded but will provide good food and fine clothing for the Lord’s priests.”
Isaiah 23:15-18 NLT

Something strange happened, as the Lord revived Tyre after 70 years of forgotten neglect. Isaiah’s prophecy stated that Tyre would be laid low and forgotten (punished or sidelined by dominant empires like Babylon or Assyria) for 70 years—symbolising the lifespan of a king or a complete cycle of judgment. After this period, Tyre would be revived and return to its old ways. The “song about the prostitute” (playing a harp and singing in the streets to attract attention) describes an ageing harlot trying to lure customers back. It symbolises Tyre going right back to its aggressive, opportunistic trading habits. Surprisingly, the passage notes that Tyre’s eventual commercial profits would not be hoarded for selfish pride, but would instead end up consecrated to support those who dwell before the Lord, something that was historically fulfilled in part when Phoenician merchants supplied materials to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

But all this is remarkable until we understand that God’s goal was never merely destruction. His purpose was consecration. There is a parallel here for us, pilgrims and believers everywhere, when we consider how God deals with us when we get things wrong. We read in Hebrews 12:10-11, “For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterwards there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way”. We need to realise that God is in the recycling business. He takes imperfect and sinful human beings who are useless to Him, but, through Jesus, He makes them useful to Himself once again. 

We read in the last verse of Isaiah 23, “But in the end her profits will be given to the Lord. Her wealth will not be hoarded but will provide good food and fine clothing for the Lord’s priests”.  Tyre’s wealth once fuelled pride, but one day that same wealth would honour God. This anticipates a biblical principle seen repeatedly, that God often takes what once served sin and redirects it for His glory. I once knew a man who was a successful entrepreneur, and he established an IT business. But part of his testimony was that he heard the Gospel and encountered a crossroads in his life. Before that, his life could have gone one of two ways: a life of crime or a life dedicated to God. Thankfully, he chose the right way. We pilgrims all have natural gifts that can be used for sinful purposes as well as for God’s glory. We remember the Bible stories of people like Moses. He had a classical Egyptian education as a prince in Pharaoh’s court, which stood him in good stead when he was negotiating with Pharaoh for the release of the Israelite slaves. Of course, when a young man, he nearly screwed up, forcing him to run for his life, but God is patient and brought Moses back again at the right time. Another example was in the case of Zacchaeus, who was, according to the people, “a notorious sinner”. But we read what happened in Luke 19:8-10, “Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost””. God doesn’t merely forgive people for their sins: He transforms and restores them. 

Tyre thought that their trading would continue forever, invincible as they thought they were. But God had other plans because their wealth was being used for corrupt purposes, fueling their pride and arrogance. There was a time when Tyre supplied what was required to build the Temple in the days of David and Solomon, but later Tyre opposed God’s purposes and paid the price. But if we extend the message and lesson about Tyre to global proportions, we see that there will come a day when the world’s wealth will be devoted to the glory of God. Referring to the new Jerusalem, we read in Revelation 21:24-26, “The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. And all the nations will bring their glory and honour into the city”. Commerce by itself is not necessarily evil, and it becomes holy when it is surrendered to God. 

But none of this was a surprise to God, and Jesus taught similar principles. Tyre’s wealth faded and eventually disappeared, but Jesus warned against using our earthly treasures for the wrong purposes in Matthew 6:19-20, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal”. I suppose we pilgrims need to ask ourselves what sort of wealth we are building. Many a person has come to grief making unwise investments, but there is nothing unwise about investing in the Kingdom of God. Those who do will hear one day, “Well done, …” 

Another lesson from Tyre is that earthly kingdoms will come and go, but God’s Kingdom lasts forever. Tyre is now just a pile of ruins, a monument to a kingdom long gone. But we read in Psalm 145:13, “For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does”. In Daniel 2:44, we read, “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever”. But one day God will renew this earth, destroying all the remaining earthly kingdoms in the process. Revelation 21:1-2, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”. One day that will be our dwelling place, you and I, and we read the next two verses, “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever””. 

We pilgrims are a truly favoured people because we are God’s people. Before Him today, we repent of our pride, and in all humility, we kneel before Him, giving Him all the praise and all the glory. In awe, we look into the face of Jesus, with inexpressible gratitude rising up within us. Thank You, Lord.

Dear awesome Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your Word, that teaches us so much. And even more, we thank You that You never give up on us, patiently leading and guiding us in Your ways. Thank You, Jesus, for coming to this world, bringing a touch of Heaven with You. And thank You, Holy Spirit, for living within me, empowering me for all that I face in the day ahead. Amen.

Dependability in Leadership: Lessons from Eliakim

Posted on by Adrian Clark

““Yes, I will drive you out of office,” says the Lord. “I will pull you down from your high position. And then I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah to replace you. I will dress him in your royal robes and will give him your title and your authority. And he will be a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. I will give him the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them. He will bring honour to his family name, for I will drive him firmly in place like a nail in the wall. They will give him great responsibility, and he will bring honour to even the lowliest members of his family.” But the Lord of Heaven’s Armies also says: “The time will come when I will pull out the nail that seemed so firm. It will come out and fall to the ground. Everything it supports will fall with it. I, the Lord, have spoken!””
Isaiah 22:19-25 NLT

Today we are having another look at these verses about Eliakim. Yesterday it was all about the importance of Eliakim having “the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court”. But as we read on, we find these words: “He will bring honour to his family name, for I will drive him firmly in place like a nail in the wall”. In ancient homes, a nail or peg in the wall indicated something dependable, and it would support valuable possessions. Eliakim was about to be given great responsibility, appointed to an important position in the Jerusalem royal court, one that would bring great honour to all levels of his family. Previously, we can see how important he would be, because the Lord said that he would be a father to the “people of Jerusalem and Judah”. But Eliakim’s appointment would be more than something symbolic. He would become a rock, a cornerstone even, that the stressed Judeans could depend on. Perhaps some of us, tired of a succession of inadequate politicians, wish that an Eliakim could emerge in our own country, someone with the leadership ability to unite our divided country and make decisions in the people’s best interest. Yesterday, we considered that Eliakim, holding the key to the house of David, was a type, a prophetic picture, of Christ Himself, who held the same key in His message to the Philadelphians in Revelation 3:7. Eliakim’s position in Jerusalem, as the father figure showing strong leadership in a time of crisis, is also an indication of the role Jesus will play when He comes in His Kingdom. But there is one major difference. Jesus is sovereign, and His rule and reign will be perfect and without end.

How do people around us see us pilgrims? Are we to them Eliakim figures, fathers and mothers, dependable, faithful, reliable, and solid? Or are we something else? Psalm 1:1-3 describes what Eliakim would have been like, and how we ourselves should be. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers”. 

There are some Bible characters who were solid and dependable, and we find them in the Book of Daniel. Daniel 1:8, “But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods”. There were three more young Jewish men who we can find in Daniel 3:16-18, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up””. Daniel reappears in chapter 6, where we read, “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God” (Daniel 6:10). These were four Jewish men who, even in the face of extreme persecution, were not prepared to compromise their beliefs. They were solid and dependable.

We pilgrims need to ask ourselves how faithful and dependable we are. God desires His people to be spiritually reliable. Can others depend upon us, seeing that we are faithful in prayer, worship, service to God and in difficult times? We need to realise that God is looking for dependable disciples.

But all was not going to end well for Eliakim. In Isaiah 22:24, we read that he was a peg or nail upon which everything would hang. But in the next verse we read, “The time will come when I will pull out the nail that seemed so firm”. It is an indication that no human leader is capable of handling all burdens placed upon them. Even the best leader eventually reaches his or her limits. No pastor, parent, friend, church leader or even government can carry the weight of everyone’s hopes. Only Jesus never fails. Only He can carry our burdens. “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). 

So we pilgrims need to be dependable and faithful, never giving up in times of adversity and always there for those weaker brothers and sisters who need encouragement on their journeys through life. And always we need to point to Jesus, the “Author and Perfecter of our faith”. It is only through Him that we will find the Source of the strength that we need ourselves. Our own strength is painfully lacking. 

Dear Heavenly Father. You are the only Source in life that fills our every need. It is only in You that we can find the Cornerstone on which we can build our faith. Thank You. Amen.

Eat and Drink for Tomorrow We Die

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“… But you never ask for help from the One who did all this. You never considered the One who planned this long ago. At that time, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, called you to weep and mourn. He told you to shave your heads in sorrow for your sins and to wear clothes of burlap to show your remorse. But instead, you dance and play; you slaughter cattle and kill sheep. You feast on meat and drink wine. You say, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!” The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has revealed this to me: “Till the day you die, you will never be forgiven for this sin.” That is the judgment of the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
Isaiah 22:11b-14 NLT

We continue our thoughts on Isaiah’s chapter 22 oracle, reading about what he said would happen in Jerusalem. This appears to be a snapshot of events in Jerusalem on the day he wrote the oracle, with the people dancing, playing, feasting, and getting drunk, rather than responding in tears and remorse. They followed the age-old philosophy, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!” Sadly, they responded to God’s warning with reckless pleasure. We pilgrims are aware, I’m sure, that one of the signs of a hardened heart is treating serious spiritual matters lightly. Then as now, cultures often respond to uncertainty by seeking greater entertainment, more possessions or constant distraction. It portrays a flippancy that seems inbuilt within human beings, and we find it still alive and well in our societies today. We may have even behaved similarly ourselves. What about someone who gets to the end of the month and finds they have some money left over in their bank account? Perhaps, instead of putting it away for a “rainy day”, they go and spend it on something useless. A mild example, I know, but it illustrates the mentality present in many people.

Of course, some will follow something Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 8:15, “So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way, they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun”. Over the page, he wrote, “So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!” (Ecclesiastes 9:7). But to counter a life based on such thoughts, Jesus told the parable of the Rich Fool, which started with the warning, “… Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own” (Luke 12:15). I’m sure we all know the parable, but there was a rich farmer who, one year, reaped a bumper crop. He tore down his barns so that he could build new and bigger ones, in which he could store all his wheat and other goods. The account continues with the Rich Fool saying, “And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”” (Luke 12:19). The next two verses conclude the story with Jesus saying, “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God”. So, there is nothing implicitly wrong with “eating, drinking and enjoying life” as long as it is in line with God’s will. Some people, of course, have a view of God that he is a killjoy who sternly and puritanically forbids all sorts of pleasure. But nothing can be further from the truth. Jesus Himself enjoyed a meal with His disciples. We read in Luke 5:33, “One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?”” And in Luke 7:34, Jesus said, “The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’” The key in all that we do is the conclusion drawn by Jesus when He referred to having a “rich relationship with God”.

As we look back in Genesis, we read how God created man and a Garden that He planted with beautiful trees that produced all sorts of delicious fruit. But if that was not pleasure enough for Adam, God then created the birds and animals, and involved the man in their naming. And then came the moment when God created a woman to be his companion. Was that received with grudging acceptance or a “Wow” that reverberated around the Garden? I’ll let you, my readers, be the judge of that! But in the act of creation, God introduced the principle of pleasure. Whether delicious fruit of eating and drinking, it is all part of God’s plan.

Ultimately, we have to ask ourselves how we respond when God provides direction or conviction. Is it with flippant distraction, or will it be with repentance? The Judeans got it wrong, but that is no reason why we should. Our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us, and He delights in rewarding us when we respond to Him with trust and obedience.

Dear Father God. Thank You for all the good things that You have given us. You blessings never cease. Amen.

A Message about Arabia

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“This message came to me concerning Arabia: O caravans from Dedan, hide in the deserts of Arabia. O people of Tema, bring water to these thirsty people, food to these weary refugees. They have fled from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and the terrors of battle. The Lord said to me, “Within a year, counting each day, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. Only a few of its courageous archers will survive. I, the Lord, the God of Israel, have spoken!””
Isaiah 21:13-17 NLT

We come to the third oracle that Isaiah wrote about in this, his 21st chapter. This time, the focus is on Arabia, and the references within our verses today contain some local knowledge, with references to Dedan, Tema and Kedar. Arabia was a wilderness territory between Judah to the north and Babylon to the south. The focus is on a group of refugees from a place called Dedan. In Isaiah’s prophecy, these caravanning merchants will be forced off the main roads into hiding among thickets to avoid being captured or killed. Isaiah calls on the people of a town called Tema to bring bread and water for these refugees who have been displaced, likely by the conflict between Assyria and Babylon. Isaiah concludes this chapter by warning that the glory of the people of the Kedar region will be taken away. The Kedar region refers to a powerful northern Arabian desert tribal group descended from Ishmael’s second son Kedar. Known as nomadic tent-dwellers and skilled archers, their wealth and military strength were prophesied to face near-total destruction within a single year. This will all happen because the Lord has deemed it to happen. So Isaiah 21 offers a snapshot that, at least superficially, holds some interest for us pilgrims, but there seems to be little in the way of devotional content that will help us in our own journeys. However, when we consider the human element of this cameo of Middle Eastern life, we can see similarities with world events currently unfolding today. 

There have always been times when people of one region have been displaced to another. In our Western societies, we may move between regions, perhaps for employment opportunities, but most of us have never been forced to move because of famine or war. But such a necessity is with us today, in places in Africa such as Sudan. In the Bible, there is an account of a family from Bethlehem who went to live in Moab. Not far by modern standards, about 50-75 miles, but in those days it would have taken them about 7-10 days to walk it. And we read in Ruth 1:2 that, “The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there”. This was a family who had little choice other than to move because of famine. 

There was another family flight, the time recorded in Matthew 2:13-14, “After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother”. This was another reason for being a refugee, because Herod was intent on eliminating Jesus, who he feared would challenge his cosy life as king of that part of Judah. 

To consider refugees in the UK today, there is much discussion going on about the immigrants who reach our shores in small boats or in other ways. In the main, these are adult males, mostly from countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan, Iran, and Somalia. Without a doubt, these are deprived and fractious areas of the world, and to escape them is a priority for those who have been persecuted or disadvantaged by the local circumstances in these countries. But how should we Christians respond amid the political and antagonistic rhetoric currently dominating news reports? I suppose Christians should respond to immigration by balancing compassion for the vulnerable with respect for the law. Biblical teachings emphasise loving the stranger and recognising human dignity, while civic responsibilities involve supporting orderly governance. Because opinions among believers vary widely on specific public policies, the core mandate remains treating every person with kindness and justice

There is an interesting take on this in Leviticus 19:33-34, “And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God”. And then we have Zechariah 7:8-10, “Then this message came to Zechariah from the Lord: “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other”.

So, having determined that foreigners (immigrants) are to be treated with kindness and compassion, the challenge for the authorities here in the UK is discerning who is genuinely in need and who is here for more nefarious purposes. And once here, we need to have in place the infrastructure and employment opportunities they need. Prayer is the answer. Prayer for our governing authorities and politicians so that they do what is right for the country as a whole. And we must pray for ourselves, that we respond to those who come to our shores with the kindness and compassion that God has asked of us. And who knows, there may be a practical way we can help, perhaps by volunteering with an organisation that supports those in need after they reach our nation.

Father God. There is much we should be doing to help those in need, particularly immigrants who reach our country. Please lead us, we pray, to make the right response when we have the opportunity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Highway of Grace: God’s Redemption Plan

Posted on by Adrian Clark
Three riders on camels traveling a winding cobblestone road through desert landscape toward historic fortress near mountains at sunset

“In that day the Egyptians will be as weak as women. They will cower in fear beneath the upraised fist of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Just to speak the name of Israel will terrorise them, for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has laid out his plans against them. …The Lord will strike Egypt, and then he will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas and heal them. In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will move freely between their lands, and they will both worship God. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth. For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will say, “Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!””
Isaiah 19:16-17, 22-25 NLT

In our verses today, as we bring Isaiah 19 to an end, we read the phrase “In that day” three times. It’s a day that hasn’t yet arrived, so the prophecy has still to be fulfilled. But it’s a day when Egypt will be blessed along with Assyria, and they both will join Israel in being a blessing to those around them. What an amazing picture of Godly stability in a region where, historically and currently, political instability is the norm. We pilgrims look on at current events in the Middle East and yearn for the days when God’s Kingdom will come to earth “as it is in Heaven”. 

In verse 22 today, we read that “The Lord will strike Egypt, and then he will bring healing”. Judgement will one day fall upon Egypt, but God is there with them, redemptively healing them as they turn to Him. Notice the order of events. God brings punishment to the people in Egypt for their sins, but they turn to Him in response. God then hears their pleas and listens to them, and He heals them. Was this judgment something that only the Egyptians suffered? Not really, because God sometimes has to punish all His children when they stray and behave in ungodly ways. The Bible refers to it as God disciplining His children. Proverbs 3:11-12, “My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights”. These verses were referred to by the writer to the Hebrews, and he wrote, “As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? … For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterwards there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way” (Hebrews 12:7, 10-11). God’s purposes are always redemptive. He does not hand out random punishments for minor mishaps just because He feels like it. Sometimes our greatest blessings come wrapped in painful circumstances.

There is another surprise in our verses today. We note that God has brought together Israel, Egypt and Assyria as fellow worshippers. And the surprise doesn’t end there. God refers to Egypt as being His people, a title normally retained for Israel alone. God’s grace will reach far beyond what we expect, but that is why we pilgrims are here. Gentiles by birth, we could never assume that we were God’s chosen people, but then Jesus came to this earth. Paul wrote, “In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us” (Ephesians 2:12-14). We have yet to see this Scripture fulfilled in the nation of Egypt, but, as Isaiah prophesied, it will come.

Isaiah 19:23 from the Amplified version of the Bible reads, “In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria; and the Egyptians will worship and serve [the Lord] with the Assyrians”. We note that former enemies will be linked by a highway we might call the highway of grace. In the book of Isaiah, the prophet often used highways as symbols of salvation. We remember, of course, that Jesus, through the Cross, built a highway to God the Father, a highway that unites all who believe in Him with fellow believers, pilgrims like us, all over the world. And today we find that the same highway of grace will unite the Egyptians and the Assyrians. 

For us pilgrims today, there may be a message that explains the circumstances in our lives that are causing us some bother. There is always the thought that perhaps God is bringing some discipline into our lives. No one enjoys God’s discipline. Yet Scripture consistently teaches that His correction springs from love rather than anger. Isaiah revealed this beautifully through God’s future dealings with Egypt. God first exposes Egypt’s false securities. Their idols will fail them, their economy will collapse, and their wisdom will prove empty. Yet the story will not end there. The same God who strikes also heals. His purpose is restoration, not ruin. Many believers can trace God’s greatest work in their lives to seasons when cherished plans collapsed or trusted supports disappeared. What felt like judgment became the doorway to deeper faith. God never delights in pain for its own sake. He delights in bringing people back to Himself. So, dear fellow pilgrims, is there an area where God has been unsettling your confidence? Rather than asking only, “Why is this happening?” ask, “Lord, what are You drawing me toward?” Sometimes God removes our dependence on lesser things so we may discover that He alone is sufficient. Our response must be, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant listeneth”.

Dear Lord, when You allow painful circumstances into our lives, please help us to trust Your loving purposes. Please remove every false confidence and teach us to rely on You alone. Thank You that You are the God who not only wounds but also heals, disciplines but also restores. Amen.

Finding Living Water in Times of Desperation

Posted on by Adrian Clark
Wildflowers growing through cracks in dry desert soil with mountains in background

“This message came to me concerning Egypt: Look! The Lord is advancing against Egypt, riding on a swift cloud. The idols of Egypt tremble. The hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear. “I will make Egyptian fight against Egyptian— brother against brother, neighbour against neighbour, city against city, province against province. 
The waters of the Nile will fail to rise and flood the fields. The riverbed will be parched and dry. The canals of the Nile will dry up, and the streams of Egypt will stink with rotting reeds and rushes. 
There will be no flax for the harvesters, no thread for the weavers. They will be in despair, and all the workers will be sick at heart.”
Isaiah 19:1-2, 5-6, 9-10 NLT

The woes spoken against Ethiopia are now behind us, as Isaiah moved on to a prophecy against Egypt. Isaiah wrote this around 710 BC, against the backdrop of the Assyrian period, and it portrays a country at war with itself, eventually conquered by a foreign power. But we remember that Egypt was a superpower in that region, famous for its military, wealth, wisdom, religion, and the Nile. We read in Genesis 47:27 about the time of Joseph and his family, “Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly”. Genesis ends with the death of Joseph, and the Israelites continue to live in Egypt. But the Egyptian nation was founded on idolatry and spiritualism, and in their distress, we read, “… They will plead with their idols for wisdom and call on spirits, mediums, and those who consult the spirits of the dead” (Isaiah 19:3). But to no avail, because the Lord advanced against them, and everything within their country started to shake. Their religious system was going to become ineffective, and social cohesion would start to break down. Worse, the Nile, their source of much wealth, would dry up. Sources of livelihood, such as fishing and weaving, would be severely affected. Overall, the prophecy foretold that God would shake their religion (idols) and their social unity, bringing civil war to their economy, government and impacting their security.

There may come a time when we pilgrims may experience times of shaking, in our own lives or the lives of our families. Sometimes God lovingly removes the things we depend on, things that displace our dependence on Him. Perhaps we might be made redundant, and financial security lost with it. Perhaps something happens that affects our relationships or reputation. Even our health may deteriorate. But in it all, is God shaking us out of our complacency, allowing things to happen to grab our attention and turn us back to Him? There is only one “rock” that cannot be shaken, and that is God Himself. Psalm 18:2, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety”. 

But returning to the prophecy about the Nile, it was Egypt’s life. Without it, crops would fail, affecting not just farmers but also the industries that depend on them for their very survival. As a result, businesses would collapse, bringing destitution and hardship. In fact, Egypt’s economy would collapse. Such a picture emphasises that anything we depend on more than God is also in danger of becoming like a “dried-up river”. We know the advice given by the Psalmist in the first Psalm. He speaks about those who “… delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night” (Psalm 1:2). But here’s the thing, the next verse reads, “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do”. The Psalm continues with the opposite case, condemning wicked people, who are compared with “worthless chaff, scattered by the wind”. People who are plugged into the things of God are fruitful and spiritually productive. Those who aren’t will end up spiritually withered and will eventually experience a spiritual death.

So, where do people go to find a water source that will never run dry? Of course, we are not referring to a physical water supply because the one that matters is the one Jesus referred to in John 4:13-14. Jesus was having a conversation with a Samaritan woman at a well near the village of Sychar. They were discussing how Jesus would obtain a drink from the well without a rope and bucket. But then, “Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life’”. Jesus provides an endless supply of “living water” that will spiritually refresh those who believe in Him, now and for eternity. 

Not long after, Jesus was in the Temple when He said something that was foundational for pilgrims everywhere. We read, “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory)” (John 7:37-39). Sadly, many Christians have neglected Jesus’ invitation to drink of His living water, and struggle through their Chriatian lives, dry and parched. If we turn to the last chapter in the Bible, we will find a verse that once again emphasises the importance of that “living water”. We read, “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1). And we can find references in other parts of the Bible to this “living water”. The message is clear and uncompromising. The world offers streams and rivers that will eventually dry up. Only Jesus can offer “living water” that lasts forever, the “water” that refreshed His people.

Dear Lord Jesus. We look to You this morning for a fresh supply of the living water we need today. Only You can supply it, and only You can refresh us. There is no limit to Your supply, so please help us to share it with those around us, as they live their lives with dry and shrivelled spirits. In Your name. Amen.

People Will Look to their Creator

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Only a few of its people will be left, like stray olives left on a tree after the harvest. Only two or three remain in the highest branches, four or five scattered here and there on the limbs, declares the Lord, the God of Israel. Then at last the people will look to their Creator and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will no longer look to their idols for help or worship what their own hands have made. They will never again bow down to their Asherah poles or worship at the pagan shrines they have built.
Isaiah 17:6-8 NLT

The people in Israel will have nothing left, according to Isaiah’s prophecy. Their society will have been destroyed, with most of the inhabitants either killed or deported into exile. The few people left will look around them and feel the loss of their neighbours, the busy markets, the chatter in the taverns, but it will all have gone, swept away by the Assyrian tide. But they will be unable to relax, because they will have to eat. There will be fields to tend, flocks to look after, friends and relatives to mourn, probably wounds to heal, and bodies to bury. Perhaps their houses will require repair or rebuilding. There will be much to do by the “few of its people” who will be left.

Imagine today looking out of our windows, if we had any after the devastation, at a town or village, devastated by war, with buildings partially or totally destroyed. The aggressors had gone, pillaging and plundering over. The shops that had not been flattened by shelling and bombing were devoid of any contents. All gone. All destroyed. Bodies everywhere needing to be buried. The people are left starving and despairing, but so few remain. Perhaps a modern-day image of what Damascus of old will be like. Apocalyptic visions of what life will be like after wars have wrought devastation.

But there is hope, because “then at last the people will look to their Creator and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel”. The idols were of no help. The “gods”, sculpted lumps of metal or wood on the shelf in the living room, will not rush to their aid. Bowing to the Asherah poles or to the pagan shrines will not achieve anything. A brutal lesson will have been learnt by the remnant of people left in the land. Dim memories of Deuteronomy 28 might have re-emerged in their miserable thoughts, as they ticked off one by one all the curses Moses had warned about. They will finally “get it”, that there is no God other than their Creator, the “Holy One of Israel”. 

Back to the same scenario today. There may not be Asherah poles or pagan shrines. No idols in the corner of the room, but there are other “gods”. Perhaps the golf clubs in the corner. Or the expensive car, or what is left of it, parked on the drive, useless and just an inanimate lump of metal, plastic and glass. An idol is anything that has taken the place of God, anything that diverts our attention away from our Creator, the “Holy One of Israel”. 

Regardless of the age we live in, God is always there. He is the “same yesterday, today and forever”. God created us, when He “… made all the delicate, inner parts of [our bodies] and knit [each one of us] together in our mothers’ wombs” (Psalm 139:13). How arrogant mankind has been when they have forgotten this very truth, that we are only here on this planet through the grace of God and through His miraculous design in creation. And we have the extreme offence of God’s creation being brutalised and corrupted, perhaps on the altar of abortion, a modern-day Asherah pole or pagan shrine, worshipped in the name of selfish pleasure. 

But in times of trouble, what do people do? We can turn to Psalm 121 to find the remedy. “I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” That’s the bottom line for mankind, regardless of belief or religion. There is only one Source for the few people left. Psalm 46:1, 6, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. … The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts!” Further on in the Psalm, we read, “Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honoured by every nation. I will be honoured throughout the world” (Psalm 46:8-10). Ultimately, God will prevail over all evil, and it is a hard lesson for people everywhere to learn that they have lost out by worshipping the wrong god.

God’s love is there for everyone to embrace, a love so profound and complete that He did not even spare His own Son, Jesus. And all we have to do is believe in Him. Of course, that means we must turn from our sins and live our lives God’s way. But the alternative for all those who refuse to believe in Him is that they will perish. When we read John 3:16 slowly and carefully, we find the two choices before us: perishing or eternal life. I know which option I have chosen.

Dear Father God. Once again on my knees before You today, I can do nothing other than worship You. Only You have the words of eternal life, spoken through the lips of Your Son, Jesus. I pray for the strength to complete the journey into Your presence, the place where You live, despite all the trials and temptations that come my way. And I pray for my family, that they, too, will make the right choice at Calvary. Amen.

Do Not Be Afraid

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“So this is what the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, says: “O my people in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians when they oppress you with rod and club as the Egyptians did long ago. In a little while my anger against you will end, and then my anger will rise up to destroy them.” The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will lash them with his whip, as he did when Gideon triumphed over the Midianites at the rock of Oreb, or when the Lord’s staff was raised to drown the Egyptian army in the sea. In that day the Lord will end the bondage of his people. He will break the yoke of slavery and lift it from their shoulders.”
Isaiah 10:24-27 NLT

Words of assurance from “the Lord of Heaven’s Armies”. God said to His people that He was angry with them, but “in a little while” that anger would turn against the oppressors, the Assyrian army. God reminded the Judaites of what He had done for them in the past; specifically, He mentioned the victory that Gideon achieved over the Midianites and the time when the Egyptian army was destroyed in the Red Sea. When was God’s anger going to be turned? The prophecy didn’t include a time, but it did say that it would happen “In that day”. The people would know when it happened.

In Isaiah 10:24, we read God’s words of comfort to His people, “O my people in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians when they oppress you”. Despite their wickedness, the Judaites were still God’s people, and although they were going to be punished, He still loved them and was committed to them and their future. He told them not to be afraid. Fear is a terrible emotion, debilitating and demoralising, and, faced with a cruel and unstoppable foe, the people were afraid. They were fearful for their lives, their families, their possessions; in fact, everything that they were was under threat. So if God told them not to be afraid, faced with such a devastating situation, what were they to think? Would His words of comfort make any difference? 

Fear is one of Satan’s greatest weapons. The people of Judah had every reason to be afraid, as Assyria was the world’s superpower at the time. Cities had fallen, nations had disappeared, and Jerusalem seemed next. Yet God’s first word was not strategy but reassurance. The Lord reminded His people that, although their enemy was powerful, their suffering was temporary and God, “the Lord of Heaven’s Armies”, was still in control.

What about us pilgrims today? Are we fearful about anything? Are we facing a situation that is debilitating and demoralising, as the Judaites were? Perhaps an unexpected bill has landed on the doormat this morning, and we do not have the funds to pay it. Perhaps the company we are working for is announcing redundancies today, and we are worried about our jobs. Perhaps a loved one is suffering from a terrible disease, and we are fearful of what might happen next. The list of potential fears cooked up by our enemy seems endless, but the same message that God gave the Judaites He gives us as well: “Do not be afraid”. Psalm 27 starts with the verse, “The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” In John 16:33 we read, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world”. Why are these verses in the Bible? Because they show the heart of God to a people easily captured by fear.

It could be that our fears stem from the burdens we are carrying. I don’t mean physical burdens such as a backpack or heavy shopping bag. Burdens such as shame, sin, guilt, and the like. In Isaiah 10:27, we read that God will “break the yoke of slavery”. The yoke, a device that held two oxen together when ploughing fields, was often used as a metaphor for slavery and oppression, just as it was to the beasts coupled together. Too often, we pilgrims can be enslaved by our thoughts, habits, ways of life, influences, and friends. In Matthew 11:28-30, we read, “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ‘ ” Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light””. Jesus has the power to break our “yokes” if we let Him. Galatians 5:1, “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law”. 

The Judaites were afraid and oppressed. Believers today can experience the same. But God is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is still in the business of setting people free, and we pilgrims only have to reach out and feel the love of our Heavenly Father as he helps us through whatever we are experiencing. 

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank You for our freedom in You. Jesus said, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free”. Help us, we pray, as we bring before You all that is enslaving us and stopping us from functioning as a true child of God. Amen.