September 16
Isaiah 22:1-24:23
Galatians 2:17-3:9
Psalm 60:1-12
Proverbs 23:15-16
Isaiah 22:11 – You stockpiled water, but haven’t looked to the maker of the water!
Isaiah 22:16 – Shebna, the treasurer, was chided by the LORD for making a fancy tomb for himself. We may have found his tomb marker!
In Isaiah 22 the prophet rails in God’s name against the excesses of the officials in King Hezekiah’s palace. In 1870 the famous French diplomat, scholar and archaeologist Charles Clermont-Ganneau excavated a partially destroyed tomb high up on the cliff overlooking the Kidron Valley and the City of David in Jerusalem. Over the entrance to the rock-cut burial chamber was an inscription that, unfortunately, he was unable to decipher. Was this the tomb of Shebna the high court official mentioned in Isaiah who is, literally, “over the house” or in charge of the palace (often identified as the treasurer) and who was castigated by the prophet for building himself such an elaborate tomb on the cliff?
A fascinating article and well worth your time! http://www.academia.edu/371048/Tracking_Down_Shebnayahu_Servant_of_the_King
They’ve even found a seal impression of a document Shebna wrote:
Isaiah 22:20 – We’ve met Eliakim before in 2 Kings 18:26 when Rabshekah is threatening Hezekiah’s people in Hebrew.
Isaiah 23:15 – Matthew Henry notices that interesting fact that both Jerusalem and Tyre were in captivity for 70 years.
Isaiah 24:23 – This verse is key to understanding the passage. When will the moon be confounded and the sun ashamed? When the events of Revelation 6:12 occur.
Galatians 2:20 – Phil Johnson of Grace to You preached on this verse, declaring it “The Key to Everything in a Single Verse.” Johnson notes that we share in and benefit from all of Christ’s virtues. Faith brings us into vital union with Christ – in that we participate in His death and resurrection.
Galatians 3:1 – Paul is concerned about his beloved Galatians. Yesterday we read his pronouncement of anathema upon those who teach another gospel. Today he calls the believers of another gospel “foolish” and the teachers “witches.” Paul is greatly concerned about the purity of the gospel.
Galatians 3:6 – This is one of the most quoted texts in the Bible. Genesis 15:6 tells how Abram believed God, and his faith was logged in God’s accounting book as righteousness. James will quote this (James 3:23), Paul wrote about this to the Romans extensively in chapter 4.
Psalm 60:1 – The Psalmist acknowledges his condition, accepts His anger, and asks for His arrival.
Psalm 60:12 – Valiant is a beautiful word that is falling out of favor in the English Language. Google will now tell us how often a word is used over time, and its usage has dropped significantly over the last two centuries. But let’s take a look at Pilgrim’s Progress and meet a character by the name of Valiant:
Then they went on; and just at the place where Little-faith formerly was robbed, there stood a man with his Sword drawn, and his Face all bloody. Then said Mr Great-heart, “What art thou?” The man made answer, saying, “I am one whose name is Valiant-for-truth. I am a Pilgrim, and am going to the Celestial City. Now as I was in my way, there were three men did beset me….”
Great-heart. But here was great odds, three against one.
Valiant. ‘Tis true, but little or more are nothing to him that has the Truth on his side. Tho’ an Host encamp against me, said one, my heart shall not fear; tho’ War should rise against me, in this will I be confident, &c. Besides, saith he, I have read in some Records, that one man has fought an Army; and how many did Samson slay with the Jaw-bone of an Ass?
http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/bunyan/pp21.htm
Proverbs 23:15 – What does a dad want for his son? That he would win at Fortnite? Rather, that he would be wise!
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