OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON Part 2

Mathew chapter 2 verses 1 - 12 picks up the narrative after the birth of Jesus.

Giving us the geographic and chronological context, we learn that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea and that He was born during the rule of King Herod. We are then introduced to the magi.

The magi were a class of spiritual surveyors who likely arose in the same royal courts that Daniel the prophet had served  (centuries earlier) and were students of his writtings. They arrived in Jerusalem inquiring about the divine king of the Jews whom they had spiritually detected and for whom they had traveled to pay homage and  worship. 

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The arrival of the Magi caused a firestorm in the political circles of Jerusalem. 

The magi had presumed that the Jews would know that their own eternal king had arrived but the ruling classes were clearly caught by surprise triggering a frenzy of consultations with the priests and the legal scholars of the land.

When asked, the religious leaders replied immediately that Bethlehem was the location that the king of Israel was to be born. They knew from the scriptures which town the Messiah would arrive in but they had not been alert enough to detect the time of the Lord's visitation.

King Herod felt politically threatened by the developing events and began to plot a way to snuff out the possible emergence of a rival. 

After learning that Bethlehem was the place of birth, Herod discreetly pressed the Magi to give him the exact date that they had detected the Messiah's star so that he could zero in on the most likely candidate.

He asked the Magi to find the one they had come to worship and then to return to him with the  details of his identity so that he could go to worship him as well.

The magi then journeyed to Bethlehem and to their elation, the star they had seen and followed led them directly to where the young child Jesus was.

They worshipped Him and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh;

• Gold represented His kingly office
• Frankincese represented His priestly office
• Myrrh represented His sacrifice of His life

Whereas they had been instructed by Herod to return to Jerusalem to provide him with intelligence on the child, the Magi were warned in a dream not to report to Herod and so they bypassed Jerusalem returning to their homeland.

The story of the Magi gives us a glimpse into the legacy of the prophets who left writtings about the future they had seen and these writtings remained potent through the centuries.

The Jewish diaspora in Babylon had clung to the prophet Daniel's work and on the day of God's visitation, those who traversed the spiritual landscapes were alert and picked up the most significant event to ever occur up to that time.

The great God who made us  and everything that exists, touched down on earth as a human child and the salvation of mankind was now in its final and most critical stage.

Amen.

12

OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON Part 1

Proceeding to Mathew chapter 1 verses 18 - 25, we learn of how Joseph found himself in a  conundrum pertaining to the surprise pregnancy of his fiance and how an existential crisis was averted.

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 

19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 

23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 

25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

In this passage following the genealogy, we are immediately plunged into the phychological and social pressure cooker that engulfed Joseph, the fiance of Mary.

Having secured an agreement to be married to Mary, he was confronted with the news that Mary was pregnant.

Joseph, dealing with his own disappointment and sense of betrayal, thought through a plan that would legally un-entangle himself from Mary while at the same time, shielding her from the harshness of social recriminations.

This explosive circumstance was the milieu in which the saviour of the world was gestating. 

Here, a man and a woman, about to be married, are suddenly interupted in their plans and pulled into a highly sensitive political and spiritual intrigue. 

Because the Messiah's mission of conquering of the kingdom of darkness had long been prophesied, His arrival was being carefully watched for by the agents of darkness in order to prevent the predicted Messiah from establishing a foothold on the earth. 

The saviour of the world had to be discreetly smuggled into the human timeline and as such, everyone on the ground had to be on a need-to-know status.

As hazardous as the scandalous situation that embroiled Joseph and Mary was, it successfully threw searchers off the scent and only after the  reputations of the participants were sullied, was Joseph let in on the secret.

As Joseph was finalizing his plan to divorce Mary, an angel intruded into his dream and revealed to him the plan of salvation that was foretold in the scriptures by the prophets and explained to him  that the fulfilment of these texts was already underway and that he had a part to play.

These are the tasks that Joseph was given to do;

• Believe that Mary did not violate her vows
• Take Mary to his home as his wife
• Give the name of Jesus to the arriving son 

In vulnerability, Joseph and Mary were thrust into the epicenter of God's plan for the redemtion of mankind and with supernatural guidance, they navigated the storm to complete the roles they had been chosen for.

Amen.

4

 OUR FATHER WHO GAVE US HIS ONLY SON AS A REDEEMER AND FULFILLED HIS PROMISE TO ABRAHAM AND TO DAVID Part 3

Proceeding to Mathew chapter 1 verses 12 - 17, we see the last 14 generations from the Babylonian exile up to the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ during the Roman occupation of the land of Israel;

12 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor,

14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Elihud,

15 Elihud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband (father?) of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

Seeing that Jeconiah is included in the previous segment, we count starting from Shealtiel and we end up with 13 generations.

Mathew, however, in verse 17, says that there are 14 generations between the exile and the arrival of Jesus the Messiah.

This question has perplexed scholars but I believe that the miscount is caused by a mis-translation of verse 16 that changed "Joseph, the father of Mary" to "Joseph, the husband of Mary".

It is very commonly known that Joseph was Mary's husband and it is likely that a scribe believed he was correcting an error in the geneological text by changing Joseph's relation to Mary from 'father' to 'husband'.

These are the reasons I believe this;

• Mathew, within the very text he was referencing, is not likely to have miscounted the generations from the exile to the Messiah. His list would have contained 14 generations and an external event would have altered it to 13.
• There are some Aramaic texts that list Joseph as Mary's father rather than her husband.
• Joseph, a common name, is one that could easily be had by both a woman's father and her husband.

4

OUR FATHER WHO GAVE US HIS ONLY SON AS A REDEEMER AND FULFILLED HIS PROMISE TO ABRAHAM AND TO DAVID Part 2

Continuing with the genealogy of Jesus, we now look at Mathew chapter 1 verses 6.5 - 11 which lists the next 14 generations after king David;

6.5 David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,

8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,

11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

In the period of the kingdom of Israel from the time of David until Jeconiah was exiled to Babylon, 14 generations had passed.

The political and social upheavals and tumult during that time culminated in the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and a large number of the people of Israel were taken to Babylon.

The exile, though potentially an existential threat to Israel, did not result in the dissolution of the children of Israel.

The fabric of the Israelite society remained intact  complete with the observance (where possible) of the laws of Moses and the emergence of prophetic voices like that of prophet Ezekiel.

In the Babylonian milieu, the continuation of the tracing of the Israelite family trees continued through to the return from Babylon which we shall look at next.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHO GAVE US HIS ONLY SON AS A REDEEMER AND FULFILLED HIS PROMISE TO ABRAHAM AND TO DAVID Part 1

Starting a survey of the new testament, we look at the book of Mathew  chapter 1 verse 1 - 6 which presents the first third of the  genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 

3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 

4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,

5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,

6 and Jesse the father of King David.

This passage begins with an introduction to the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah as the son of David and the son of Abraham.

David, as king of Israel, was promised by God that his throne would be inherited by an eternal descendant who, from that throne, would rule over the whole of creation.

Isaiah chapter 9 verses 6 - 7 

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

This prophecy recorded by the prophet Isaiah, confirms that the Son who was going to be given for our redemption would reign on king David's throne forever.

Abraham, having demonstrated that he was obedient to God to the point of sacrificing his son, was given a promise by God that through him, all the families of the earth would be blessed.

17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 

18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Thus, the Lord Jesus was a fulfilment of the promises to these two people and this first third of the genealogy shows the descendancy of 14 generations from Abraham down to king David.

This portion of the geneology includes three women two of whom came into Israel from foreign people.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHOSE UNDERSTANDING IS BEYOND GRASP

The book of Isaiah chapter 40 verse 13 says this;

NIV : Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor?

NKJV : Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has taught Him?

Continuing from our look at chapter 40 verse 12 which identified four zones of the earth  that had to be carefully engineered to create a stable platform to serve as a habitation for all the life on earth.

In this context, as we continue to verse 13, we see the conundrum of trying to comprehend the nature and scope of the Being who created the earth's zones in their complexity. How vast and unsearchable would such a Being have to be?

On the other hand, if the creator did not Himself eternally possess all the understanding and prowess needed to created the realm able to sustain biological life, where is the being who would have this capability so as to inform the Creator of the earth on how to do so?

This question is answered in verse 28 where the Lord is declared to be eternal and the singular  creator of the earth. He is eternally rejuvinated and His personally-held understanding is beyond grasp.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

Amen.

114

 OUR FATHER WHO KNOWS US IN EVERY DETAIL

Psalm 10 verse 11 says this;

He says to himself, “God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees.”

This verse speaks of the strong delusion that envelopes us when we are un-regenerated.

We persuade ourselves that our thoughts, words and actions escape the notice the Lord and that He concerns himself with other things and pays no attention to us.

In reality however, nothing escapes the Lord's attention.

The scriptures say that every hair on our heads is numbered and also, in the psalm, that the Lord thinks many thoughts about us.

Every detail about us is known from before were were formed in our mother's womb.

Amen.

7

 OUR FATHER WHOM WE SHOULD PRAISE WITH A PURE HEART

The book of James chapter 3 verses 9 -10 says this;

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

The apostle James addresses the nature of speech among the people of God.

He juxtaposes the use of the tongue to praise the Lord and Father and then, with the same tongue, to curse human beings who were created to be like our Lord and Father.

It would be like praising a person when facing them and then turning to that person's reflection in a mirror and cursing the reflection.

James notes the paradoxic capabilities of the tongue that gives it the ability to cross boundaries of propriety and even contradict reality itself.

The cousel given by the Apostle Paul on this subject is in the letter to the Collosians in chapter 4 verse 6 which says;

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

In speaking with people, the probability of spreading injury and chaos if we speak with an unbridled tongue is ever present.

If our conversations are full of grace (which means that we are sincerely well-meaning towards those we speak to  and that we are generous in how we interprete their words to us) and if we season our discussions with salt to steer  our conversations towards righteousness, we can be assured that our answers will be profitable and we can avoid the pitfalls of carelessly spoken words.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHOSE FACE SHINES UPON US

From Psalm 80;

Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel

You who lead Your people as a flock

You who sits enthroned between the cherubim

Shine forth Shine forth (× 2 )(× 1)

God Almighty, heal and restore us

Humbly have we prayed

Make Your face shine upon us

That we may be saved (× 1) (× 3)

Psalm 80

Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,

    you who lead Joseph like a flock.

You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,

    shine forth 

2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.

Awaken your might;

    come and save us.

3 Restore us, O God;

    make your face shine on us,

    that we may be saved.

4 How long, Lord God Almighty,

    will your anger smolder

    against the prayers of your people?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;

    you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.

6 You have made us an object of derision[b] to our neighbors,

    and our enemies mock us.

7 Restore us, God Almighty;

    make your face shine on us,

    that we may be saved.

8 You transplanted a vine from Egypt;

    you drove out the nations and planted it.

9 You cleared the ground for it,

    and it took root and filled the land.

10 The mountains were covered with its shade,

    the mighty cedars with its branches.

11 Its branches reached as far as the Sea,[c]

    its shoots as far as the River.[d]

12 Why have you broken down its walls

    so that all who pass by pick its grapes?

13 Boars from the forest ravage it,

    and insects from the fields feed on it.

14 Return to us, God Almighty!

    Look down from heaven and see!

Watch over this vine,

15     the root your right hand has planted,

    the son[e] you have raised up for yourself.

16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;

    at your rebuke your people perish.

17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,

    the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

18 Then we will not turn away from you;

    revive us, and we will call on your name.

19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty;

    make your face shine on us,

    that we may be saved.

OUR FATHER'S WAYS ARE SPURNED BY THE WICKED OF HEART.

Psalm 10 verse 4 - 5 says this;

In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;  in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies.

Revisting this passage, we examine the condition of the wicked man

Pride is the instigator of his ways making the man to highly regard himself, every subsequent thought becomes about himself and his own interests.

Any consideration for the role of God in his life is forsaken and his mind is so full of his own affairs that God has no part in his life.

He prospers and his every effort is towards his continued prosperity. The laws of God that would restrain him are ignored and so his path becomes crooked and as he amasses enemies along his way, he mocks them and sees them as nothing.

His victims are helpless before him but when they call to the Lord for relief from their suffering, a day of reckoning is set for him.

Amen.

10

OUR FATHER WHO MADE ALL THINGS WITH GREAT KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

The book of Isaiah chapter 40 verse 12 says this;

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?

Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?

This passage appears in the context of a declaration of the prophet Isaiah who is bringing good news of the salvation that God has provided.

After explaining the vulnerability of men and our need to be saved, the prophet then explains the goodness of God and His loving attention toward those who place themselves in His care.

The great power and the unfathomable understanding possessed by God is then touched on in our passage by illustrating that the vast horizons of our planet were easily measured out by the God of creation.

The engineering of the earth as a stable and inhabitable place required carefully balanced parameters.

In this verse, four components of the earth's ecosystem are mentioned;

• The hydrosphere - rivers, lakes, seas, oceans 
• The atmosphere - gases, ions, clouds
• The biosphere - soils, organic overburden
• The lithosphere - mountains, mantle

All these components were measured and balanced to make life sustainable on the earth.

The Lord, whose knowledge and understanding were not furnished by any other, fulfilled His own purposes in creation.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHO WILL JUDGE WICKEDNESS

Psalm chapter 10 verses 4 - 5 say this;

In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;  in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

His ways are always prosperous;  your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies.

The prideful stance of men in their wickedness is one that displaces all considerations of God from their minds.

When operating by the standards of the fallen world, the wicked man succeeds and rejects the righteous laws  that are contrary to the predatory devices and formulas that have yielded success for him.

Those who speak out against his wicked and corrupt conduct earn his ire and he sneers at them with contempt. He is convinced that he will never have to face accountability for his conduct towards other people and discounts the possibility of a final judgement.

However, as verses 14 - 15 say, the victims of the wicked man's exploitation cry out to God and He sees the wreckage left behind by the actions of the wicked man. 

But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;  you consider their grief and take it in hand.

The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out.

The psalmist warns that wickedness, even when carried out in secret, is visible to God and is subject to accountability and ultimately, the wicked man is stopped.

Amen.

8

OUR FATHER SENDS PROPHETS TO GUIDE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS BUT THE REBELLIOUS RESIST THEM

The book of Isaiah chapter 30 verse 9 - 11 says this;

For these are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction.

They say to the seers,  “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right!

Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.

Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!”

To preserve righteousness, the Lord sends seers and prophets to alert the people of the hazards of their conducts and to guide them in the way they should go but the people, comfortable in their ways, suppress the voice of the prophets by instructing them not to speak up.

 They demand that they only hear encouraging and happy things even if they are false.

This condition that the prophet Isaiah documents is mirrored in the Apostle Paul's second letter to Timothy in chapter 4 verses 3 - 4,

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 

They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

The unrighteousness in the human heart comes with a tendency to reject even the counsel that is sent to bring knowledge to us that would save us.

Built into our sinful nature is an inclination that causes our race to reject the very truth that would be beneficial in favor of the deception that comforts but leaves us in harms way.

False teachers are accumulated in large numbers to drown out the voices of the people who are sent to bring righteous reproof.

The ones who insist on proclaiming the truth are marginalized and silenced.

This is an important tactic that the kingdom of darkness uses to keep the Lord's people drifting away from the righteous path that would make them strong against the kingdom of darkness.

4

OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS SON TO REDEEM US

From Psalm 40;

It is written of Me in the scroll

And I desire to do Your will, My God

You have put a new song on My soul 

A hymn of praise in which I will declare Forever 

There is none like You (x2)

Psalm 40

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;

    he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

    out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

    and gave me a firm place to stand.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,

    a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear the Lord

    and put their trust in him.

4 Blessed is the one

    who trusts in the Lord,

who does not look to the proud,

    to those who turn aside to false gods.

5 Many, Lord my God,

    are the wonders you have done,

    the things you planned for us.

None can compare with you;

    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,

    they would be too many to declare.

6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire"

    but my ears you have opened"

    burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.

7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come"

    it is written about me in the scroll."

8 I desire to do your will, my God;

    your law is within my heart."

9 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;

    I do not seal my lips, Lord,

    as you know.

10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;

    I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.

I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness

    from the great assembly.

11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;

    may your love and faithfulness always protect me.

12 For troubles without number surround me;

    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.

They are more than the hairs of my head,

    and my heart fails within me.

13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;

    come quickly, Lord, to help me.

14 May all who want to take my life

    be put to shame and confusion;

may all who desire my ruin

    be turned back in disgrace.

15 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"

    be appalled at their own shame.

16 But may all who seek you

    rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who long for your saving help always say,

    "The Lord is great!"

17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;

    may the Lord think of me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

    you are my God, do not delay.

4

4

OUR FATHER WHO FREES HIS PEOPLE FROM BONDAGE

The book of Isaiah chapter 19 verse 4 says this;

I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

This verse reveals a tactic that the Lord used against the Egyptians who had cruelly oppressed God's people.

To establish context, the children of Israel had cried out to God about their misery as slaves in Egypt.

In response, the Lord undertook to free them from the hands of the Egyptians and He sent Moses back to Egypt to speak to the Pharaoh of Egypt.

In the ensuing struggle, plagues of varied calamities were brought upon the Egyptians to put pressure on the Egyptian power heirarchy to compell the release of the enslaved captives.

In our passage, we see a parrallel narative but overlaid on a later context that could be understood to be our current millieu.

As the oppressor attempts to encapsulate the people of God into various forms of political and social bondage, one of the Lord's responses will be to provide for the placement of a harsh and cruel leader over the ranks of those serving the opressor.

This will have the effect of causing the oppressors to lose heart as the cruelty they dispensed on other people is dispensed on them.

The faltering morale will cause the regime to descend into a chaotic blend of confusion and material disfunctionality until the edifice of political/martial power collapses and the people of God are freed from their oppression and captivity.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS SON TO SAVE US

From Psalm 31;

I turned to You when I was in distress

I trusted You, My Rock, My Righteousness 

When strength failed, and my bones grew weak

With my last breath I gave You My Spirit to keep (x2)

Now those who put their hopes in Me are wise

How abundant are the blessings I provide

They'll be strong They will not fall apart

For I will place My Spirit into their hearts (x3) 

PSALM 31

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;

    let me never be put to shame;

    deliver me in your righteousness.

2 Turn your ear to me,

    come quickly to my rescue;

be my rock of refuge,

    a strong fortress to save me.

3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,

    for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,

    for you are my refuge.

5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;

    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;

    as for me, I trust in the Lord.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,

    for you saw my affliction

    and knew the anguish of my soul.

8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy

    but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;

    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,

    my soul and body with grief.

10 My life is consumed by anguish

    and my years by groaning;

my strength fails because of my affliction,[b]

    and my bones grow weak.

11 Because of all my enemies,

    I am the utter contempt of my neighbors

and an object of dread to my closest friends—

    those who see me on the street flee from me.

12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;

    I have become like broken pottery.

13 For I hear many whispering,

    “Terror on every side!”

They conspire against me

    and plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, Lord;

    I say, “You are my God.”

15 My times are in your hands;

    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,

    from those who pursue me.

16 Let your face shine on your servant;

    save me in your unfailing love.

17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord,

    for I have cried out to you;

but let the wicked be put to shame

    and be silent in the realm of the dead.

18 Let their lying lips be silenced,

    for with pride and contempt

    they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19 How abundant are the good things

    that you have stored up for those who fear you,

that you bestow in the sight of all,

    on those who take refuge in you.

20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them

    from all human intrigues;

you keep them safe in your dwelling

    from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the Lord,

    for he showed me the wonders of his love

    when I was in a city under siege.

22 In my alarm I said,

    “I am cut off from your sight!”

Yet you heard my cry for mercy

    when I called to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!

    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,

    but the proud he pays back in full.

24 Be strong and take heart,

    all you who hope in the Lord.

OUR FATHER WHO BRINGS DOWN THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 34 says this;

He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.

This last verse of chapter 10 gives a metaphoric description of the dissolution of the myriad of administrative structures of the Assyrian kingdom around the earth by the Almighty God.

In the same way that the Lord used the Assyrians as an impliment of judgement, an impliment of judgement is used to bring destruction to their ambitious grab for power.

Lebanon, a nation associated with the great cedar trees, is standing in for the primary hierachical structure that was set up to serve the kingdom of darkness in its reach to gain control of the earth.

Before the mighty one, this central jaugernaught is felled.

Amen.

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 OUR FATHER WHO INTERVENES ON BEHALF OF HIS PEOPLE 

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 33 says this;

See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power.

The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low.

Continuing on to verse 33, we see the reason why the Assyrians attempt to overrun Jerusalem is thwarted.

The direct intervention by the Lord Almighty to disassemble the kingdom of darkness occurs here.

The heirarchical structures that were assembled  by the Assyrian to create a platform from which to rule the whole  earth, are cut off by the Lord himself.

The nations and kingdoms that formed the Assyrian's  power base are cut apart and are weakened and destroyed.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER SAVES HIS PEOPLE 

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verses 30 - 32 says this;

Cry out, Daughter Gallim! Listen, Laishah! Poor Anathoth!

Madmenah is in flight; the people of Gebim take cover.

This day they will halt at Nob; they will shake their fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.

The desparate scramble by Assyria to reach Jerusalem to try and forestall their inevitable defeat, occurs in this passage.

The towns along the route to Jerusalem are in fear as the Assyrians march past them.

Some, like Gallim, cry out in fear while Laisha lays low and listens. Others just brace for the coming assault and suffer as Anathoth does.

Others, like Madmenah,  in the face of the approaching Assyrians, pack and run away while Gebim takes cover and hides from the army.

When the Assyrian army reaches the town of Nob (which is about 3 miles from Jerusalem), they stop and they lament and shake their fists at the mount of Daughter Zion ( the mount of olives) at the hill of Jerusalem which is between Nob and the city of Jerusalem.

The push to reach Jerusalem by the frantic Assyrians fails and they angrily shake their fists at what impedes their attack.

This symbolizes the attempt of the kingdom of darkness to short-circuit prophecy by invading Jerusalem but the daughty of Zion, the nation of Israel, prevents this from happening.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE ENEMIES FLEE BEFORE HIM

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 28 says this;

They go over the pass, and say, “We will camp overnight at Geba.”

Ramah trembles;  Gibeah of Saul flees.

Continuing from verse 27 which we examined yesterday,  we look now see some details of the retreat of the Assyrians.

As they escape from the debilitating plagues that are being visited upon them,  they march away over a mountain pass so as to be able to defend their retreat.

As the Assyrians crowd into Geba to camp, Ramah ( which is just 2 miles down the road ), is in fear because of the proximity of the harsh army.

Seven miles away, the town of Gibeah evacuates in fear of the Assyrian army.

In the spiritual realm, the retreating army of darkness acts vengefully towards those it comes across and those in its path of retreat suffer the violence and violation of its creed.

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 OUR FATHER WHO KNOWS EVERY MANEUVER OF THE ENEMY

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 28 says this;

They enter Aiath; they pass through Migron; they store supplies at Mikmash.

This verse speaks of the movements of the Assyrians after they have been struck by the power of God.

They move through towns that are not known today and they hide their supplies that they amassed for their operations at Mikmash (which means a concealed place).

These are stored at a hidden location ( the identity of Mikmash is not certain) for future plans once the kingdom of darkness regroups.

This effort by the Assyrian reveals the thought process that got him to believe that a pre-emptive power-grab would give him total control of the earth without needing to go through the judgement at the end of time.

Once the futility of the lunge for power becomes obvious, he will run and hide and wait for another time.

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OUR FATHER WHO EMPOWERS HIS REMNANT PEOPLE

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 27 says this;

In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat.

This verse speaks of the causal agent of the end of the bondage of slavery of the Assyrians over the people of God.

In the interpretation of the NIV and many other versions, the yoke of oppression is removed because of  the increase of fat. This is then read to mean the prosperity and well-being of the people of God expands beyond the capability of the Assyrian oppressor to contain or control them.

Alternately, versions such as the NKJV, render the text this way;

It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.

In this case, instead of 'fat', the translators interpreted the Hebrew to say, 'annointing oil'.

Instead of a mechanical metaphor representing the cessation of bondage because of a misfitting of the yoke as the size of those yoked grew, the causal agent of the end of bondage is represented as an 'annointing oil' which can be understood to be a spiritual amplifier of strength in the natural realm.

Thus, the text can be read to mean that the oppression of God's people is brought to an end because they are annointed with oil and are able, even as a remnant, to break away from under the Assyians by the strength they are imbued with.

Because the narrative has a unambiguous backdrop of the people of God being a small remnant at the time of the events being described, I believe it is more accurate to see the causal agent of the removal of the yoke of bondage over God's people as a function of a spiritual empowering via announting oil rather than an enlargement of their numbers or prosperity represented as fat.

Amen.

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 OUR FATHER WHO TAKES ACTION AGAINST THE OPPRESSORS OF HIS PEOPLE

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 26 says this;

The Lord Almighty will lash them with a whip, as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; and he will raise his staff over the waters, as he did in Egypt.

This verse speaks of the ways that the Lord will take action against the Assyrians when His anger is redirected toward them.

These actions are compared to specific actions that were taken against the enemies of the children Israel when they were leaving the bondage of Egypt.

Firstly, the  Assyrians will be struck with a whip as Midian was struck at the rock of oreb by the remnant of 300 men under Gideon.

As Midian was struck down, the present oppressors will be suddenly surprised in their camps and they will be struck and sent scattering in a panic. Some of their leaders will be tracked down as Oreb and Zeeb were tracked down and they will be put down as described in the book of Judges chapter 7.

Secondly, just as the staff of Moses was raised over the waters in Egypt to turn all their surface water to blood,  the Lord's staff will be raised over the waters of the Assyrians and their resources will be turned to blood.

Every resource that the Assyrians have amassed for themselves will become as blood and carry an unbearable stench and will be rendered unusable.

Thus , two prongs of action against the Assyrians will leave them defeated.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER'S ANGER TOWARDS HIS PEOPLE RELENTS 

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 25 says this;

Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.”

The Assyrians had been used as an impliment of judgement against the Lord's people.

The Assyrians had opportunistically taken advantage of their position to try to gain absolute control of the nations of the earth and by extension, the people of God.

This verse highlights a moment where the anger of God against His people ends and is redirected towards the destruction of the Assyrians because of their presumption and arrogance.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO WILL PROTECT HIS REMNANT FROM THE ASSYRIANS

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 24 says this;

Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says: “My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.

Specifying the remnant of His people who are marked by the fact that they dwell in Zion, the Lord tells them not to be afraid of the agents of darkness who strike them with rods and threaten them with clubs.

The Assyrians, acting towards God's people like the Egyptians did towards the Israelites while they were in bondage, used violence or the threat of violence to try to intimidate God's people but the Lord instructs His people not to be intimidated by them on account of the power of His might.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO WILL ENFORCE THE DECREES OF HIS REMNANT

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 23 says this;

The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land.

Continuing  from verse 22, we see that the Lord Himself will carry out the destruction that His remnant will have decreed over the land.

The Lord, in His tremendous might, will unleash a strike that will demolish the infrastructure and administration of oppression that was set up by the kingdom of darkness.

Amen.

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 OUR FATHER WHO PROTECTS HIS REMNANT

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 22 says this;

Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return.

Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous.

This verse references the metaphor within the promise that the Lord made to Abraham about the number of his descendants being like the sand by the sea.

Though this vast number is fulfilled, the people of God who emerge from the conflagration with the king of Assyria described in Isaiah chapter 10, will be a remnant who will survive the destruction and will rise to decree overwhelming righteous judgement on the kingdom of Assyria.

The power of God will enforce their decrees and kingdom of Assyria will be evicerated.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER SET HIS SON UPON THE THRONE

From Psalm 2

On My holy mountain

Have I installed My King

Therefore, you rulers, of the earth 

Be wise and humbly bow to Him 

Serve God with fear always reverence

His rule with trembling

Blessed are all those 

Who find their refuge in Him

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Psalm 2

Why do the nations conspire[a]

    and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth rise up

    and the rulers band together

    against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,

3 “Let us break their chains

    and throw off their shackles.”

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;

    the Lord scoffs at them.

5 He rebukes them in his anger

    and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

6 “I have installed my king

    on Zion, my holy mountain.”

7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;

    today I have become your father.

8 Ask me,

    and I will make the nations your inheritance,

    the ends of the earth your possession.

9 You will break them with a rod of iron[b];

    you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;

    be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with fear

    and celebrate his rule with trembling.

12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry

    and your way will lead to your destruction,

for his wrath can flare up in a moment.

    Blessed are all who take refuge in him

OUR FATHER'S REMNANT WILL RETURN

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 21 says this;

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

In the conflagration with the king of Assyria, the remnant of God's people will be separated out and they will return to the Mighty God.

This remnant is a set of people who, with humility, joy, gratitude, serenity and anticipation, will return to the Lord in His service.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER IS OUR PROVIDER

The book of Isaiah chapter 10 verse 20 says this;

In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

The day that the king of Assyria is struck down, the remnant of the Lord's people will decouple from their reliance on the Assyrian economic systems and will begin to walk in faith trusting in the provision of God.

This transition represents the end of the control that the kingdom of darkness will be able to wield over the people of God.

Amen.

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