​Have you ever had a friend tell you that you had something on your face or a piece of food stuck between your teeth? If so, you know how embarrassing it can be when you are oblivious to a personal flaw everyone else can see. But, after our embarrassment has subsided, most of us are grateful that someone would care enough to let us know about something we needed to change rather than allowing us to walk around looking silly.

Words often reveal the condition of our hearts (Luke 6:45). However, there are other times in which we use our words to conceal how we truly feel. This can happen both in our relationships with other people and with God.

Overview of Isaiah 28-35

On Wednesday, September 20, from 2-6:30pm come by and get your favorites, including Chicken Pot Pie, Stromboli, Bacon Cheddar Scones, Chicken Tetrazzini, English Muffins with Sausage and Cheese, French Market Sandwiches, Over the Top Macaroni and Cheese, Sourdough Missionary Bread, and Cherry Almond Scones. All proceeds go to support local missions, including The WellHouse, M-Power, Camp Seale Harris and Children’s Hospital, among other projects.

I grew up in a liturgical church, and we recited the Apostle’s Creed each Sunday morning. Perhaps like many who grew up at MBBC saying the Creed each week, the words flowed freely from my mouth and memory long before they were translated to my heart. I can still remember the morning that the Holy Spirit awakened me to the words “resurrection of the dead” at the very end of the Creed. After the service, I met my pastor in the narthex and asked if that meant what I thought it might…that perhaps believers would be resurrected just as Christ had been. His confirmation of my wild conclusion astounded me.

You’d be hard pressed to tell it from the bright and sunny skies we’re enjoying today, but these last two weeks have been extremely difficult for so many who live in coastal regions. As the meteorologists have noted, these days marked the first time in recorded history that two Category Four hurricanes have made landfall on American soil. We can only hope that such history never repeats itself.

After the last few days, you may be feeling overwhelmed at God’s judgment and convicted of your own sin. I think both are very appropriate reactions to the wrath of God! Today, the tide shifts. We see the character of God as the one who will by no means clear the guilty, but also the one who is merciful, gracious, and forgiving (Exodus 34:6-7). We have seen that judgment extends to the entire world, but in our passage today, we see that God makes promises of peace that are available to their entire world as well.

Signs and examples help us to grasp difficult concepts. They shed light on challenging truths; this is why preachers use illustrations in their sermons! We understand better through symbols, and so did the people of Judah. All of the other oracles in this section involve rich literary metaphors that are powerful. However, nothing can quite compare with the image recorded in Isaiah 20. Instead of just recording God’s words,Isaiah himself became a living sign to his people.

Cody and I love to travel together. Before we leave home, we always have a detailed itinerary, maps, and guidebooks about our destination. Without this information, we would not understand much about the sites we might see and experience. When reading through prophetic books, I think a similar philosophy is helpful. It is good to read the passages in one hand with a sort of “guidebook” in your other hand. For this oracle, we must remember that Israel was the wicked northern kingdom, a separate nation at the point in time from Judah, to whom Isaiah wrote. Isaiah 17 records a prophecy against the people of Syria and Israel.

Overview of Isaiah 13-27