12 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. 13 For he says:
“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;
I remove the boundaries of peoples,
and plunder their treasures;
like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones. 14 My hand has found like a nest
the wealth of the peoples;
and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,
so I have gathered all the earth;
and there was none that moved a wing
or opened the mouth or chirped.”
15 Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it,
or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?
As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,
or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood! 16 Therefore the Lord God of hosts
will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors,
and under his glory a burning will be kindled,
like the burning of fire. 17 The light of Israel will become a fire,
and his Holy One a flame,
and it will burn and devour
his thorns and briers in one day. 18 The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land
the Lord will destroy, both soul and body,
and it will be as when a sick man wastes away. 19 The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few
that a child can write them down.
REFLECTION:
Use imagination to read this passage with the appropriate tone of voice and attitude of God and Assyrian King respectively.
Assyrian King’s problem is that he did not respect the limits or the intention of God and acted in arrogance, as though God were not the source of its might. In another word, he has taken the credit for what was really God’s work. Therefore, Assyria is not being punished for having the power God gave, but for its pride and misuse of God-given power.
Have you ever taken the credit for what was really God’s work in which you were merely an instrument? How do you actually practice giving credit where credit is due?
PRAYER:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.
1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
REFLECTION:
Read this passage with excitement and anticipation. King Ahaz has refused to listen to and obey God, but a greater king is coming to put things right.
The birth of a child will produce illumination which is a great light to the darkened people.
Which of these titles—”Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”—particularly describes God as you have known Him during a time of difficulty? Recall the situation and continue meditate on that name. Converse with God.
PRAYER:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.
19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.
REFLECTION:
Judah had turned away from the light into the dark: from turning to God for help and forgiveness and heeding His law, to mediums and spiritists, to ghosts that whisper and mutter.
Think of a time when you have been overwhelmed with the reality of the darkness and evil which is present in our world. How did you find comfort?
If you have ever sought guidance through fortune-telling, divination, witchcraft, evil spirits, or ancestral worship rituals in the past, and have never confessed this to God, please now ask Him for forgiveness. Pray that He will remove any place in your life where demons may have gained control, and ask for His protection and blessing. It is best to share your experience with a pastor or a mature Christian leader, such as a small group leader, and ask them to pray for you. From this point on, break free from Satan’s authority and enter into God’s light and holiness, becoming a victorious and joyful Christian—a follower of Jesus.
PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask You to reveal to me any involvement I have had—knowingly or unknowingly—with cults, witchcraft, or teachings and activities of other religions. I now renounce all of these in order to experience the freedom that is found in You. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
