LEARNING DAILY

 

Isaiah 48:1, ”Hear this, house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth or in righteousness;”

 

 There was a story being passed around a while back about several men going into a church with automatic weapons.  They shouted out that they were going to kill the Christians that had gathered there.  Many fled to the get out of the church before shots were fired.  But there were people who did not leave.  It was at that time the gunmen put down their weapons and stated, “Now we can have church!”  This probably did not happen but the idea leads into the meaning of the verse in Isaiah 48:1. 

 

The JSESB defines the name “Judah” as the nation’s surname and the name “Israel” as the nation’s spiritual name.  It also states that “to swear by the name of the Lord” is an idiom expression of worship.  It is good to know the meaning of words and phrases of scripture.  Chapter 48 of Isaiah reveals that Judah was a people who professed to follow the God and called upon His name.  That would translate for us today as those who are in church on Sunday, give money to the church, may clap to the music and even raise their hands from time to time.  There are people who claim to know the Lord and know enough about the Bible to converse about it.  They would claim that the Lord helps those who help themselves; please show me where that statement is in the Bible!  Like the people of Judah, people today like to give the appearance outwardly that they are Christians.  The rest of the week does not always show what they appear to be on Sunday.  Through Isaiah, the Lord said the people rejected the truth of His Word and were living unrighteous lives before Him; that was the reality of these people. 

 

I want you to read two verses in the New Testament that indicate this theme and show we are in the end of times.  2 Timothy 3:5,”they will act as if they are religious (a form of godliness), but they will reject the power that could make them godly.  You must stay away from people like that.” (NLT).  Paul, the writer of this letter to Timothy, was speaking about the same thing Isaiah was saying – people would have a “form of godliness, appears to be a religious person but do not manifest the power that can save them from sin, selfishness, and immorality.  They practice and tell others they can practice sins mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:2-4 and still inherit eternal life” (LSSB).  That is a far different teaching from what the Bible teaches!

 

In 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Paul writes  “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching.  They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will teach them whatever they want to hear. They will reject the truth and follow strange myths.” (NLT).  Bible doctrine is not something people usually like to study; Paul states in the end times people will refuse to love sound doctrine.  Instead, they will turn away from the truth.  Anyone want to shout out an AMEN!? People today do not want to hear anything about turning away from sinful behavior, repentance, the judgments of God, or the need to live on the narrow way that leads to eternal life in God’s kingdom.  So, they will turn to teachers who “tickle their ears or who teach them what they want to hear.” 

 

God’s Word tells those who desire to follow the truth found in it, to submit and remain faithful to it - even in the face of persecution.  God’s Word must be our ultimate guide to truth and righteous living that is acceptable to God.  There is no new truth that we are to follow.  Every thing we believe and do is based solely on what is found in God’s Holy Word.  Read it! Study it! Do what it says!  By doing so, you will be equipped to know false teaching when it comes and run from it!

 

By the way, in the introductory story, would you have fled or stayed?

 

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB