The Strand Study Bible

ISAIAH ISAIAH 24 ) it was more vile than Sodom and Gomorrah’s sin of homosexuality ( Gen 13:13 ). Except for a very small remnant of serious believers, Judah, like Sodom and Gomorrah, would have been destroyed. 1:11 Religious ritualism without righteousness ( To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me – vs. 16-17 and I Sam 15:17-23) nauseates God. William P. Young in The Shack notes that there are a lot of smart people who are able to say a lot of right things from their brain because they have been told what the right answers are, but that does not mean that they know God. 1 THE ADAGE IS TRUE: Being right in what you do doesn’t mean that you are right in what you are NOTE – God is looking for relationships, not rule-keepers (Lk 10:38-42). God’s people are to quit playing church and to start being the Church that God has called them to be ( Mt 16:18 d ). 1:13 God told the people of God in Isaiah’s day, “I don’t want you giving to me ( Bring no more vain oblations – vs 11-14, Mt 5:23-24 and Prov 15:8) and I don’t want you praying to me (vs 15, Mt 6:14-15 and Job 35:13)… not until you start obeying me (vs 16-19).” Hearing from God (that is, His Word) and obeying what you hear is a prerequisite to God hearing from you ( Mt 7:21 ). 1:17 “Doing well” (avoiding stubbing your toe in life) is a matter of “learning;” it’s a matter of character ( SOS 1:3 ). Simply put, character is the condition of acting correctly without being compelled to do so. Ann Coulter in How to talk to a Liberal ( if you must ) notes: 1047 THE ADAGE IS TRUE: Learning to enjoy the company of your own character protects you from the company of other characters NOTE – There are five realizations that every child of God must come to if he or she is going to learn character – not normal character, but biblical character; the kind of character that gives you God-given wisdom so that you can see your way in the dark corners of life. Hard working sacrificial people are certainly capable of learning normal character, however, that doesn’t mean they have biblical character. Jesus, in speaking to Christians, said in Matthew 16:26: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world (due to his character) and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? What Jesus meant in Matthew 16:26 was: What does it profit the Christian if he works hard and becomes successful in this world but fails in his relationship with God and ruins it for himself in the next world?” THE ADAGE IS TRUE: There are two kinds of character: the character that gets you yours , and the character that brings God His NOTE – If we are to succeed in giving God what’s His, then we must come to five realizations: 1. Realize doing well biblically isn’t natural (Prov 20:9, Rom 3:10,23 & 5:12, Psa 51:5 and Job 5:7 & 14:1) THE ADAGE IS TRUE: Character isn’t inherited; it’s initiated (Meaning: You have to work at developing character) The reason you have to work at developing character, be it natural or biblical, is because character is not natural. In order to avoid stubbing your toe you have to be willing to admit to yourself that some things in life just aren’t natural . 2. Realize in order to do well biblically we must think well biblically (Rom 12:1-2 & 4:22-24, Colo 3:9-10 and II Cor 4:16) In order to avoid stubbing your toe in life you have to be willing to “expose yourself” to the light (the light being God’s Word – Psa 119:105). No one who naturally lives in darkness wants to naturally expose himself to the light (Jn 3:19-21). Yet if you want to keep from stubbing your toe you’re going to have be willing to expose your eyes by turning on some light. 3. Realize thinking well biblically is a command (Phil 2:5 & 4:8-9) It’s easier to build character when you have a trainer standing over your shoulder, insisting it be done, than it is to try and to do it all by yourself ( Judg 21:25 ). It’s why some people join the military. They know they don’t have the wherewithal to do what’s not natural so they placed themselves under “command.” In order to avoid stubbing your toe in life you have to be willing to place yourself under command . 4. Realize thinking well biblically must be scheduled (Deut 6:1,6-9) Those who fail to place themselves under “rule” (a schedule), will try and rule themselves, which is never ideal. In order to avoid stubbing your toe in life you have to be willing to schedule turning on the light each day. 5. Realize a schedule must be practiced (Josh 1:8, Psa 1:1-3 and Neh 8) Really now… what good is a schedule if you don’t practice it? In order to avoid stubbing your toe in life you have to be willing to practice your schedule (a time and a place). THE ADAGE IS TRUE: You can become as good a Christian as you learn to be 2:2 Isaiah foresaw a time in Israel’s history ( in the last days ) when the people of earth would experience salvation’s blessings, where they would experience peace with one another; learning worship instead of war. This time is commonly known as CHRIST’S KINGDOM ( MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD ; the thousand-year Millennium). Until that day (Isa 9:6-7), however, the opposite of peace will exist (Joel 3:1-2,9-21). NOTE – No darkness today can dim the bright future God has for His people (Isa 14:12-18/Rev 2:10-21:1). People don’t commit acts of great evil or great courage out of thin air. Character is developed out of a lifetime of choices. Almost every decision you make, however small, will be a step closer to God or a step closer to the devil. When you are unkind to a clumsy shop clerk, you are taking a step closer to the devil. When you snap at your mother, you are taking a step closer to the devil. When you gossip enviously about a friend, you are taking a step closer to the devil. When you go along with the in crowd and don’t speak out against liars, against promiscuity, against abortion, you are taking a step closer to the devil. But it’s never too late to stop and begin taking steps toward God. It’s a lot easier to make that journey with companions who know the way. 2

1 Young, William P. The Shack . Los Angeles, CA: Windblown Media. 2007. Print. 2 Coulter, Ann. How to Talk to a Liberal (if you must) , NY, NY, Crown Forum, 2004. Print.