Isaiah 10:1-11:16, 2 Corinthians 12:11-21, Psalms 56:1-13, Proverbs 23:6-8
Today is the 12th day of September. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with you today. Ah…busy, busy, busy. Let’s take a deep breath and let’s just blow it out. I’m coming in here. I’m doing it with you. We’re just coming in here around the global campfire, it’s crackling and we’re here together and it’s warm and it’s serene and peaceful. And like yesterday, we were talking about casting our cares on the Lord. So, we release those things, we let them go and we center ourselves and allow God’s word to take the focus of our attention right now. As we say all the time, whatever it is we were doing, whatever it is we needed to step away from, or whatever it is we gotta do today or whatever it is that’s happening, it’ll still be there. It’s just interesting how walking back into life after letting God’s word wash into our hearts changes the way that we look at things, which is such…such the beauty of the Scriptures. So, we’re reading from the English Standard Version this week. And today, Isaiah chapter 10 and 11.
Commentary:
Okay. So, when we started the book of Isaiah a few days ago we talked about how it’s one of the most quoted…it’s one of the most quoted books in the new testament…okay…let me say this again…it’s one of the most quoted Old Testament books in the New Testament, and this is largely because Isaiah gives clear prophetic promises of a coming deliverer or a Messiah. And, so, the writers of the New Testament reveal Jesus as this…as the promised Savior, in part, by showing the ways that he fulfills prophecies, which is the centerpiece, one of the main reasons or intentions of the gospel of Matthew. So, we just read today, we just read in the book of Isaiah some of those prophecies that allude to this coming Messiah that refer to Jesus, but we just read through it and did you catch it? Like, write? We can move right by it and be like, “What? How does this…? Like how does what we read today have anything to do with Jesus? How did these connections made by the New Testament writers? Like, how is it that Jesus even became a contender?” So, we see some of that today. So, we began reading from Isaiah chapter 10 and we read, “woe to those who do decree iniquitous decrees and the writers who keep writing oppression to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be there spoil and that they may make the fatherless their prey.” Okay, so essentially Isaiah is naming a pattern that had been happening long before Isaiah and continues all the way until today, right? So, this this pattern of justice and the denying of justice and the taking advantage of people so that certain people, certain parts of society feel marginalized, suppressed, oppressed. And this was for sure going on when Jesus was around because this is who Jesus went to to do his ministry, but the hope that is found in the prophetic writings was that one day a redeemer would come and make things right. So, in our reading today, Isaiah foretold the Assyrian invasion of the northern kingdom, which we read all of this, which happened and would carry away 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel and then threaten Jerusalem. And like I said, we read the stories, so we know that it happened. And we also know that the Babylonian empire conquered the remaining southern kingdom of Judah. But what Isaiah foretold was that all would not be lost, right? So, Isaiah says, “in that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more, lean on him who struck them but will lean on the Lord, the holy one of Israel in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob to the mighty God. Okay, so the Hebrew people, the Jewish people in the first century, which is the time of Jesus. Those people were the descendants of this foretold remnant. So, the prophecy had become a reality, but the problem was they were back in their homeland after exile, but it wasn’t there land. In the first century at the time of Jesus the land was controlled by the Roman empire. Actually, it was considered a part of the Roman Empire, the province of Syria. And, so, the Hebrew people who were back in the land that was promised to them were back in the land, but it was not their land and they were being marginalized and they were experiencing the oppression and the injustice that Isaiah and written about and they were longing for a redeemer. They were longing for the land to be restored to them under their control. So, when we read Isaiah’s prophecies as it relates to Jesus, now we can kinda see where they’re coming from. We can see why they were expecting a redeemer and for that matter, how they were looking at what this person would be like because Isaiah gives a description. “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord and his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide disputes by what his ears here” and that is very true of Jesus, “but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth, and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist and faithfulness the belt of his loins”. So, there’s a description of this redeemer that is foretold to come. And, so, people are looking for this Redeemer because there’s a description and we can see that Jesus fit this criteria. So, in the first century, when Jesus was performing his ministry whether or not he was the foretold Messiah was a topic of discussion about and among the people that were hearing him mostly because these prophecies were known, they were woven into the culture. So, then later the New Testament writers would use the Old Testament prophets extensively…extensively using the book of Isaiah that we’re reading to further reveal what people had missed…a redeemer did come. And then God’s work of restoring all things was absolutely at work in the world through Jesus. And, so, that’s, in part, how we get from here to there.
Prayer:
Father, we love You and we love Your word and we love the many facets of Your word and we love what it does to us and how things come clear in our lives, like how, like yesterday, how it became clear that we have to collaborate if we want to cast our burdens on You, we have to do that, we have to let them go and that snaps things clear in our lives. And then in the book of Isaiah today, we begin to see how the dots connected between old and New Testament and it snaps those kinds of things clear for us. So, we thank You for…for how You are removing the veil so that we can see clearly. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com is the website, it is home base, it is where you find out what’s going on around here and there’s something going on around here today to talk about and I’m excited because it’s exciting when we get to a day to talk about something that’s been being worked on for a long time.
A good portion of this year we’ve been kinda working forward towards this and this was all revealed that the Daily Audio Bible Family Reunion a couple weeks ago but…so last week we talked about our new journal 2.0’s. Those came in and we’re excited about those and the steeped coffee, the portable coffee solution for the Windfarm brand of coffee. Finally found a solution to keep its fresh so we can have a fresh coffee experience even if we’re traveling or on the go or are not in a place we can make a nice cup of coffee. So, those were last week.
And now I want to talk to you about the Global Campfire. And you might be like, “well, you say that all the time, that’s our community, right? Like…that’s what we kinda…that’s what we do every day is come around the global campfire.” That’s all true. And the idea for the Global Campfire is one of those things that just sort of happened like in the day by day flow of things…just sort of happened one day a couple years ago. I’m just reading the Daily Audio Bible and talking and…and it…I just saw this giant bonfire in my mind, and I saw us from all angles kinda coming in out of the dark into the light into the fire glow where we could just kind of sit around this campfire together and allow God’s word to speak. It just became this metaphor for what we do every day and the rhythm of what we do every day and the community aspect of what we do every day and the prayers that we pray for one another and the ways that we reach out in the heart and mind and yeah…it’s just the community experience of the Daily Audio Bible. So, we’ve been kinda calling it that for a while. We had the Global Campfire initiative that we did a couple years ago to help launch this new app and this new experience that will ever…ever grow forward. So, for example, like the new Hotline button, there’s a lot of development and that’s part of part of creating community around the rhythm of the Scriptures. So, anyway, here’s where things start to converge. Yeah know, we’ve had resources in the Daily Audio Bible Shop since we’ve had a Daily Audio Bible Shop but earlier this year, I was looking at all that going, “Okay. We really haven’t even tended this garden for several years now. What resources would we put in here that would be like lifestyle kinds of resources, the kinds of things that you have because they remind you of something because they make you feel close to something or because they say something that you agree with and that you want to be reminded of, like those kinds of things, what could we do? And, so, first had to start with, “well, what would that even look like?” And, so, we went into design mode and kind of looked at our Daily Audio Bible marks, our logo and etc. And, so, we created a global campfire logo that represents the community aspect of what we do here. And then we began creating those kinds of pieces, those kinds of things that we use, but then when we use them, they can remind us that we’re not alone and can be that constant reminder. And, so, we got about the business of creating some items like that and they are now in the Daily Audio Bible shop. There’s a whole Global Campfire section in the Daily Audio Bible shop now where you can see these. And I don’t spend a ton of time trying to unpack every single one of those items. There’s a dozen of these items that we kind of considered. All of these things can be used in this way - as a reminder of our journey through the Bible, as a reminder that we’re not on this journey alone, and as an invitation to those who are feeling very alone in this world. And, so, we’ve created these and I’ll try to unpack a few of them each day for the next couple of days but I just wanted you know they’re all available and I think I only have one item to highlight today and I would expect this particular item of all the items to probably not be in stock by tomorrow. And, so, I have five words to describe this - Klean Canteen Global Campfire edition. So, we have brand-new Klean Canteen’s in stock. Currently the very brand-new ones. So, they have this new lid on them that as a little carrier, you can clip it to things, I’ve been using it for a little bit. Believe it or not, I had my perfect fire engine red Daily Audio Bible Klean Canteen, I had that for…well…since the first edition of the red one, so a couple years and I lost it…I left it somewhere and I’m pretty…pretty careful about my Klean Canteen. And, you know, I was without…like so many of you are like, “there’s only so many of them…we just keep trying to get them.” I was without my Klean Canteen for a couple of months knowing that these would be coming in and they are in now. And, so, the brand-new ones, they have a little bit of a different lid, which is an improvement and they will keep your coffee hot all day long. At least they keep my coffee or tea, which I drink several days a week warm all day. So, I’m sipping a hot coffee all day long. So, you can see them in the Daily Audio Bible Shop in the Global Campfire section. And this time we ordered double what we normally order expecting these are probably gonna be pretty popular and go within a couple of days. So, there you go. To launch our Global Campfire mark, logo, thing that sort of represents what it is that we do as a community every day, we’re launching these Klean Canteen’s along with all of the other lifestyle items in the Daily Audio Bible Shop. So, check it out, especially with a Klean Canteen’s. Get them while you can.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in this mission that we share together that sort of encapsulates all of it, including the Global Campfire, including our community experience. If what we’re doing bringing God’s spoken word to whoever is willing to listen anytime, anywhere, and to keep building community around that so that we do know we’re not walking through this journey alone, if that is life for you, then thank you for your partnership and being life to it. We can’t do this if we don’t do this together. That has always been true. And, so, thank you for your partnership. There’s a link on the homepage, at dailyaudiobible.com. If you are using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.
And as always if you have a prayer request or comment you can press the Hotline button in the app, the little red button that will connect you right away or you can dial 877-942-4253.
And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
This message is for Stephanie the RN from Oklahoma. Stephanie, this is Reba the RN from Nebraska. My heart goes out to you with your panic attacks and having to switch where you’re giving care. And us nurses, we take care of everybody else and then by the time we realize that we need to take care of ourselves it’s pretty extensive sometimes. I myself been kind of taking a break from work. I resigned from my position…oh…on the 20th of August and part of it is to take care of myself and then also to take care of my father whose health is failing. So, as I go through my changes in my situation, I will be praying for you Stephanie that you take the time you need to take care of yourself so that if ER and ICU and those intensive places are where you are to serve that God will grant you the calmness that you need. And I encourage you just…just take some time to take care of yourself. Sometimes God just has to stop us so we realize how valuable we are, especially when we are called to care. So, I’ll be praying for you Stephanie in the coming months. Thank you.
Good morning DAB it’s Xavier from Cameroon. I would love to let you know that I…though I have some personal problems as far as things that make my mind not to be stable my countries in need…my countries in need of prayers because in the past 3 to 4 years we’ve been experiencing disable unrest. __ has taking the lives of thousands of people and I’ve been working as a tribe protection assistant for the past year now, struggling to restore some dignity in the life of the vulnerable, you know, carrying out psychosocial activities with children to ensure that their emotional mind and their well-being is being restored and there’s a lot of challenges that we’re faced with. You know, lots and lots of days of lockdown where people cannot move and it’s occurring affects in our activities. And, so, I would like you to put us in our prayers. The children with whom we work with, they have parents and caregivers as well. You know sometimes it’s not easy for a child to see how parents are being maltreated by, you know, some senseless individuals. But I just want Christ to touch the lives of the leaders of this country so that, you know, this war comes to an end, people can go back to their daily activities. There hasn’t been a community that has seen the best yet to come. There’s all these communities are struggling to get on their feet and upright themselves. __ you have houses that have been burnt, homeless people, people have been separated from their families, children have experienced lots and lots of violence. I just want the DAB family to put us in prayers and that God bless the lives of the leaders.
Hello, my brothers and sisters,
fellow DABbers, this is Randy from rocket city. I wrote a poem inspired at the
Labor Day DAB 2019 Family Reunion camping that captures our unique DAB
community centered around the reading of God’s word. It’s titled, The Beautiful
Gathering.
Some gather around causes to save and protect
some gather politically to promote and elect
some gather to cheer to spur their teams on
some gather to protest and say it’s not fair
desiring freedom like at Tiananmen Square
but we are the people who gather online
we gather together time after time
we gather around Jesus the word made flesh
we listen to truth the life and the way
we as a community every day
then moved by the spirit through what Brian may say
we get to the task we call in and we pray
we love one another in the spiritual realm
we care for one another when we are overwhelmed
we praise we encourage we weep and we cry
how noble our desire
how global this campfire
how noble our fee
how great when we meet
how sweet when we gather
on air as a DABber
praise God this revival
the Daily Audio Bible
Hello Daily Audio Bible family this is Teresa from Indiana. Hello, Brian and Jill thank you so much for this forum. I just want to ask God today to bless all of us all over the world and just help us, keep us, give us strength to continue to move forward. I’m a longtime listener, call in every once in a while. The new red button is very exciting. I’m glad to be using it today. I want to pray for our children who are prodigal’s. Just want to lift them up and ask God to give them strength, give them courage, give them what they need to get back and to be strong. So many of our children have been blessed by teaching early in life and they know the right way but for whatever reason have been led astray. So, God we’re asking You today to create in our children a clean heart and renew a right spirit within them that they maybe get back to You. As the deer panteth for the water, Lord let their souls long after You. I particularly ask that You would lift up my son Jonathan. He said to me just the other day, “mom I fight every day with myself to do the right thing.” So, I’m praying for courage for him and all our children. In Jesus’ name. I love you. Amen.
Hi family this is his little Cherry in Canada. And when Brian read in the Song of Solomon today, “you are my private garden”, I remembered something that happened to me recently and I wanted to share it with you. There’s a lady down the street from me whose entire front yard is a flower garden and she spends a lot of time in it. Everyone in the community admires it as they walk by including me. And I got to know her just by saying hello when I walked by. And sometimes we chat. And over time we became friends. But recently she did something that took our friendship to a whole new level. She asked me, “would you like to see my private garden?” And I could tell she was offering me something really sacred and I said, “oh yes, I’d love too.” So, everyone can see her front garden but in the back yard, there is another garden that is her private sanctuary and there’s a tall fence around it, so I had no idea it was even there. But it was magical. The front yard can’t compare because she’s been working on her private garden for years and there are hundreds of different plants and flowers. She pointed them out to me, and her face was absolutely glowing as she told me all about them. She led me to little looks and crannies where we sat and had flower tea and fruit. It was really obvious that this beautiful place was her passion. She spent so much time and energy on it, and I felt so honored to be there. So, today when Brian read, “you are my private garden” I had a new understanding of how God feels about us and also a new understanding of what an honor it is to be invited into his feelings as we pray for each other because each one of us is His private garden.
Hey everybody this is Pelham from a Arab Alabama or A-RAB Alabama if you ask Siri, that’s what I’ve heard because I don’t have a cell phone right now because I’m in a recovery program. I’m calling to touch base with everybody. Just…well, I’ll dive right into it. So, Jesus has been so active in my day today. I mean, without Him I couldn’t make it through a day of where I am. I live in a beat-up house with 20 guys. It’s…it’s…I don’t think the health department would approve of it to be honest with you. And the guy who’s the head of it almost got into a fight with another guy the other day and beat the door off the hinges, literally. The door to my room that I’ve taken about 18 to 20 different scriptures, literally. I write them down so that I can memorize Scripture through the day while I’m working in the chicken plant that I work in and I go over them when I get home. I tape it on my door. If I…you know…I don’t do it every day but I try too. Sometimes the job that I’m doing’s so busy I can’t do it. Sometimes it’s not. And it’s funny because I was thinking…when I put the Scripture on there…I was thinking, “this is one powerful door” because it’s got so many scriptures on it. And that very night, the administrator of the program, the director of the program literally punched the door off the hinges. I had to go out of my way to get it back on. So, yesterday on my way home something put me under attack, and I was miserably sad on the way home. And I got in and I had a package and the package turned out to be a notebook that had been written by the DAB family at the reunion to me. I just want to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. That reached out and pulled me out of that place that I was in. If I had longer, I’d say more but I’m running out of time. I love you guys. Hope everybody’s doing well. Goodbye.