OUR FATHER REVEALS THE  ASPIRATIONS AND THE FALL OF LUCIFER

Obadiah verse 3 - 4 says this;

The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’

Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.

This passage, exerpted out of a book that is generally about the judgement that was to be brought against Edom for treacherous conduct, seems to veer out of a natural narrative and into a spiritual narrative.

Though the subject matter is Edom, the words echo the words of Isaiah chapter 14 which, in a similar way, is speaking of the king of Babylon before veering into a spiritual narrative.

In both cases, the hidden subject is the Lucifer who was deceived by pride, aspired to ascend to the high places and make a nest among the stars but He is identified and cast fown

Isaiah in chapter 14 verses 12 - 15, writes it this way;

How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn!

You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!

You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God;

I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.

I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.

The two witnesses to this testimony describe the aspiration of Lucifer to ascend to the pinnacles of authority in heaven and to be like God.

They also describe how the power of God shall bring him down.

Whereas Obadiah emphasizes the pride in Lucifer's heart that made him feel invulnerable, Isaiah emphasizes the self-will that lead Lucifer to aspire to the ambitious ascendancy that caused him to fall.

Amen.

8 

OUR FATHER WHO WILL JUDGE THE UNJUST LEGISLATORS AND UNJUST EXECUTIVES AND UNJUST JUDGES OF ISRAEL

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 1 says this;

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees,

And Isaiah chapter 10 verse 2 continues this way;

to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.

The preface to our verse of interest warns of disaster that will be aimed towards those in authority over jurisdictions who ;

• Fashion legislation that was unjust
• Crush people by issuing oppresive decrees

Our verse continues listing the activities that will draw calamities of judgement;

• Depriving the poor of their rights
• Withholding justice from God's people who are victimized
• Targeting widows for exploitation
• Robbing  the fatherless of their means

These details of the judgements that would fall on those making and enforcing unjust laws in Israel are the last of the four targeted judgements aimed at Israel.

Each if the four infractions and their judgements are anticeded by the phrase;

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised

The three preceding targets and their judgements are;

• Instigation:   Pride and willfulness 
• Judgement: Invasion by neighbours

• Instigation:   Deception and false doctrine
• Judgement: Removal of leadership

• Instigation :  Wicked conduct
• Judgement: Civil war and abject shortages

These are the systematically applied judgements that were aimed at purging Israel of ungodliness and in the end, as verse 21 says, a remnant will remain;

A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God.

Amen

7

OUR FATHER WHO IS OUR HELP AND SHIELD

Psalm 115 verse 9 says this;

All you Israelites, trust in the Lord

  —he is their help and shield.

House of Aaron, trust in the Lord

  —he is their help and shield.

You who fear him, trust in the Lord

  —he is their help and shield.

This passage is a section out of a larger poem (or song) extolling the glory of the Lord and contrasting Him who is present and active with the idols of all the other nations who are blind, deaf, mute, numb and motionless.

Starting with verse 9, the Israelites in general are encouraged to trust in God for He is their help and shield.

Verse 10 then narrows the intended listeners down to the House of Aaron which was the priestly house which served the Lord directly in His tabernacle and temple and encourages them to trust God who is their help and shield.

Verse 11 then narrows the target audience even further to those closest to God and they are described as those who fear the Lord. They are encouraged to trust in the Lord for He is their help and shield.

This progression from the general to the specific is echoed in verses 12 and 13 where the blessing of God is promised to the people of Israel and then to a narrower group which is the house of Aaron and then finally to a group whose credentials are measure within their hearts; those who fear the Lord. In their case, an added caveat indicates that those who fear the Lord will be blessed whether they are small or great.

The Lord remembers us and will bless us: He will bless his people Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron, he will bless those who fear the Lord— small and great alike.

Amen.

8

OUR FATHER WHO PRESERVES A REMNANT OF OVERCOMERS

The book of Isaiah chapter 4 verse 3 says this;

Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 

This verse, in the context of the aftermath of a great judgement that will bring disarray to Israel where the governance of the nation falls to children,  tell of the splendid and beautiful Branch of the Lord and the excellent fruit that will delight those who survive in Israel.

The ones who are a remnant in Zion, those who continue living in Jerusalem, will have the label of holy.

Those who persevere to the end and those who are the overcomers, will have the right to rule and reign with Christ on His throne as the book of Revelation chapter 3 verse 21 says;

To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Amen.

6

OUR FATHER WHO WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE BUT WILL JUDGE THEIR OPPRESSORS WHO OVERPLAY THEIR HANDS

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verses 4 - 5 says this;

Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

“Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath!

The context surrounding this passage is the judgement of the Lord falling upon all those who write unjust laws and run oppressive regimes.

Part of the judgement was conducted through the king of Assyria who was given the club of God's wrath to bring punishment upon the nations who were engaging in oppression.

However, the Assyrian ( standing in for the anti-Christ ), had loftier ambitions and  hautily took credit for the destruction he inflicted on the people of God. As verse 13 says;

For he says: "‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings.

In this stance of pride, the Assyrian is slated for destruction.

The globalist agenda is described here in terms of national sovereignty being dissolved and the leaders being brought into subservience to the central power.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHO RESERVES A REMNANT FOR HIMSELF

The book of Isaiah chapter 17 verse 4 says this;

“In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away.

Revisiting this verse, we consider the context of the diminishing glory of Israel in a day to come.

Assyria, the great power of the time, overruns Aram ( syria) and destroys the capital city Damascus.

This then exposes Israel to direct proximity with the Assyrian empire.

Israel,  under pressure, is compelled to continue affairs in a much more reserved manner.

National expenditure is routed away from luxuries and grand projects and towards defence spending and military buildup.

The nation transitions to a leaner frame in the face of the existential threat. The remnant in Israel becomes more observant and turns away from the idolatrous practices that had crept into the culture.

As verse 7 - 8 says; 

In that day man will have regard for his Maker, And his eyes will regard the Holy One of Israel [with awe-inspired reverence].

And he will not have regard for the [idolatrous] altars, the work of his hands, Nor will he look to that which his fingers have made, Neither the Asherim (symbols of the goddess Asherah) nor the incense altars.

Amen.

4