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April 20

 

Hosea 5:1-6:10

We are in the Exile Stream today reading from the Good News Translation.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, we find ourselves in a world today that is increasingly ungodly; ungodly just like the people we hear people Hosea addressing.  Teach us how to reach out to a population that is encouraged to go bad.  Let us be Light in the darkness and live effectively to see people come to you.  Amen.
 

5 – The people of Israel; the northern kingdom are intent on doing wrong all of them top to bottom Priests, the king, the population and I mean ALL the people are in sin.  The leaders are particularly culpable for leading the nation into idolatrous rebellion and God is going to punish the whole lot of them. They’re so ill-bent on doing wrong God talks that He doesn’t even want them to come and worship in the state they are in.  They are in such a bad way they are unable to repent.  This is bad; really bad. God has had enough of these people.  God is also disturbed how Israel and Judah have turned on one another. God is about to abandon them and let them suffer for awhile.  Maybe they will “listen” to the suffering and repent ….?

 
6 – The people are utterly dark and seem to have no idea how far they have fallen, nor how idolatrous they are, nor how disobedient they are.  They have been aggressively idolatrous for about two centuries and they think that acting religious and making sacrifices is going to cover for all the wretchedness and murder and their national commitment to stay this way; phony, double-minded and sinful.  Think of this: these people are more interested in managing [and feeding] their sin than finding their God and walking with him.  It’s astonishing.
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April 19

 

Isaiah 60-64

We are in the Prophetic Stream today getting close to the end of the book of Isaiah. We are using the Good News Translation this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

The section today bursts forth as a song of the Messianic Age.  The Lord is here and in full and good news is spreading over all the earth and the illustration spills right into being the glory of heaven.

 
60 – Isaiah is one of the greatest writers that ever lived and this is certainly among Isaiah’s sections. It’s even among the most wonder-filled chapters in the whole Bible.  It talks of a grand gathering, people and wealth are coming to Jerusalem, the testifying, the sacrifices, it’s the homecoming of history and “the LORD will make His Temple more glorious than ever ” v. 7. There will be great service in Jerusalem. When the chapter morphs into talk that can only be interpreted as paradise itself with unimpeded access to God it is altogether a marvel.
 
61 – What we read in the first three verses of 61 is Isaiah talking of Jesus.  Jesus knows it is Him and quotes this when He is speaking in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:18f).  This is prophecy fulfilled 700 years later.  This is a time of great restoration.  The Messianic theme that actually started in Isaiah 59:20 is still proceeding.  Israel will have servants, and wealth, and joy.  The praises to the LORD will be coming from all nations – the testimony of what God has done in this one nation will amaze the whole earth that much.
 
62 – The splendor here is the imagery of a wedding.  It is enchanting as a wedding also. The symbolism is matched in ways by John’s writing at the end of Revelation when “the New Jerusalem” is coming down like a bride preparing to meet her husband. The surprises and excitement of a reunion also come into play too. There is food; bread and wine in abundance and phenomenal worship.  Is it fine to call this a dinner/theater gone into a colossal mode?!  And most of all the LORD is coming to save.
 
63 – there is a peculiar insertion here – a mentioning of Edom; it could be a reference to all the enemies of God and Jerusalem who will be trampled and defeated permanently. It is certainly a break in the literature to interrupt all the glory and worship and celebration to put this in such a run of wonderful things.  However it is part of celebrating to defeat an enemy, and revel with our victorious LORD.  Isaiah resumes abruptly; talking of the goodness and love of the LORD and his precise care and provision. The chapter ends with a prayer for mercy; beseeching God to treat them according to God’s goodness v.s. their character and lack thereof. This is a theme we have seen before in Isaiah.
 
64 – and Shazzam, 64 arrives and we are not looking way forward to glorious things and themes and events. Isaiah just wants God to show and make himself known.  Things are difficult; attitudes across the nation are crass, the city is in ruins, beautiful places have been deserted and Isaiah is pleading for the LORD to come to them.
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April 18

 

Psalm 28-33

We are in the Wisdom Stream reading through the psalms. We are using the Good News Translation this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

28 – “give praise to the Lord for he has heard my cry for help.” is the core of this Psalm.  It is a prayer. It is thanksgiving for God answering prayer. David is urging people to be grateful and devoted to God. God saves and protects and David is blessed by this.

 
29 – is a very audio centered Psalm, it is filled with reminders of the sounds that God makes through what He has created: seas, thundering, echoes, lightning, trees in the wind.  Many are not drawn to God by such things, perhaps.  But David is so focused on God that any sound has David pause to reflect, “wow, listen to what God is doing now!” He has a childlike faith and wonder about him that shows up all the time in David’s life and pilgrimage.
 
30 – David has come through so much turmoil and brushes with death and battles and chaos and treachery.  And it all comes back to him as he has just taken Jerusalem and made it the capitol.  His palace will be there in Jerusalem.  This event happens early in II Samuel.  But the decision to settle and make this the center of the young nation – that and the dedication of David’s palace was the occasion of Psalm 30 being written.
[Don’t confuse this with the Temple – his son Solomon did that a few decades later]
 
31 – This issue here is prayer, trust and looking to God for protection.  It has been said of David, and for many reasons, that he learned better than probably anyone that he knew best that when God was all you had, you then realized that God is all you need. God was David’s Savior, defense, refuge, and shelter. David turned to God in the midst of any and every event or emotion he was going through.  He saw God as his caregiver.  None of the “if it’s to be, it’s up to me” touting.  David’s hymn was “I did it Thy Way” v.s. the American tune that was popular in the 1900’s.  The Lord is faithful and deserves our response of love for Him.
 
32 – David’s sin with Bathsheba and the full realization of the gravity that David had descended to is what prompted him to write Psalm 51.  David going through the confession process and finding restoration and relief and healing prompted him to write this one; Psalm 32.  David’s remorse had run its course and David realized the full depth and height of God’s forgiveness by now.  His joy in the Lord was returning.
 
33 – This is a song of joy and praise and thanksgiving that seems to ring clear up to heaven.  The joy of walking with God makes each step a wonder.  The joy of the Lord spreads to everything everywhere.  All nature and the sky too brings out the praise.  God is such a marvel!
 
Lord God of Heaven, you truly are good to us. You give us your righteousness and you strengthen us to live in joy and with that strength we can praise you more and more and praising you gives us joy to praise you yet more.  You a our marvelous God.  Amen.