Isaiah 42

Isaiah 42:3

"A bruised reed He will not break
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth justice.

I have to admit, these statements seem kind of contradictory to me.  The final one says God will bring justice, which would mean condemnation of all things wrong, regardless of severity.  But then it says that things that are somewhat wrong, not doing as intended, He will not condemn.

Maybe this bothers me because I recognize I am one of those bruised reeds or dim wicks.  I deserve to be destroyed, but He isn't doing it, and that makes me feel it's wrong.  Even though it's sparing me to improve, I find I either don't want to, or don't know how.  So why doesn't He get it over with?

Isaiah 41

Isaiah 41:26

Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know?
Or from former times, that we may say, "He is right!"?
Surely there was no one who declared,
Surely there was no one who proclaimed,
Surely there was no one who heard your words.

Who can prophecy about things to come?  What is their source?  What do they see, and how?  Are they predicting things that will happen very soon, merely based on analysis of what has come before?  Or are they just guessing, and hoping they're right?  Or do they make predictions so far out that no one will know or remember when they come true?

God works differently.  He knows what will happen because He is outside time.  Past, Present and Future are all visible to him at once, even easier than us looking at multiple screens on a computer.  When God chooses for something to happen, it will, and no one can truly predict the future without His guidance.

Isaiah 40

Isaiah 40:22

It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

This verse begins to give an idea of the scale between God and us.  It's not the true scale, because there is no such thing, but it gives us something to start from.  How little do grasshoppers appear to us?  We may notice them, but they aren't usually a worry.

Also, He is the one who created this world, and everything we observe.  To him, they are a small place to inhabit, and His domain extends well beyond them.  Still, they give us somewhere to exist, and that pleases Him.  But none of it is necessary for Him.

Isaiah 39

Isaiah 39:8

Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good."  For he thought, "For there will be peace and truth in my days."

Hezekiah had recently recovered from a near-fatal illness.  He has God alone to credit with his still being alive.  Yet come the news that he has sealed the fate of his descendants and people, his only thought is for himself.

Why did he not plead with God, the way he did when he was dying?  Is it any less a tragedy that his kingdom will be destroyed, and his family taken to a far land?  If he had begged God for mercy, would it have made a difference?

Isaiah 38

Isaiah 38:7

"This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He has spoken:

God is giving the king a sign, to prove that what He has said will be true.  However, no one asked for a sign.  God is providing this on His own.

Normally, when a sign is asked for, God is either angered at the display or unbelief, or He gives it quickly.  However, here He does it without request.  I assume this is either anticipatory, where the king was going to ask, or as a special display of His power.

Isaiah 37

Isaiah 37:19

and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

What people make, people can destroy.  We do not have the ability to create, only to shape.  That shaping can take many forms, some of them unique, but that is all we can do.

One type of shaping is destruction.  We can break apart what is there, even try to put the pieces back together.  But we can not make something out of nothing.  Only God has that ability.

Isaiah 36

Isaiah 36:18

Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you, saying "The LORD will deliver us."  Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

This question is very obvious.  Of course no god has been able to rescue its people from Assyria.  Their gods didn't exist, and therefore had no power.

The God of Judah, however, is different.  He has the power that others lack.  They were just made-up playthings of stone or wood or some such.  The one who made the universe, however, has all the power, and only He can decide who will conquer Judah.

Isaiah 35

Isaiah 35:4

Say to those with anxious heart,
"Take courage, fear not.
Behold, your God will come with vengeance;
The recompense of God will come,
But He will save you."

There will always be people who are nervous, or anxious.  They fear what is coming, or the consequences of what has occurred.  They know they cannot stand up to it alone.

However, God is on the side of the just, who trust Him.  The ultimate victory will be His.  And when He returns to judge, we will be remembered, and our commitment to Christ will be counted for us.

Isaiah 34

Isaiah 34:2

For the LORD's indignation is against all the nations.
And His wrath against all their armies;
He has utterly destroyed them,
He has given them over to slaughter.

As with many prophecies, it's not certain whether this is talking about past or future events.  I'm assume future, because I can't see where in history the past events would fit.  There's been no worldwide devastation to date, at least not one that happened simultaneously everywhere.

Assuming this is future, I'm then guessing this is talking about Armageddon, or even the end of the Millennium.  At both events, all those who rise in opposition to God will be destroyed.  They will be wiped out to a man, and remembered only for what they tried and failed to do.

Isaiah 33

Isaiah 33:15

He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity,
He who rejects unjust gain
And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;

This verse is answering a question in the previous one, about who can withstand God's judgment.  The answer is the type of person listed here, someone who has no evil to be judged for.  Someone who actively avoids evil, not just passively ignores it.

I wish I could say that I was this type of person, but I can't.  I know that I still enjoy evil in too many areas, and accept it in others.  I lack the revulsion and strength that is displayed here, and am unsure how to get it.

Isaiah 32

Isaiah 32:17

And the work of righteousness will be peace,
And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

You sometimes hear people asking what it means to be a believer.  As in, what do you do when you're a believer?  I think this verse gives a good example.

The goal is not peace, quietness, or confidence, however.  These are byproducts.  I forget where the verse is, "as much as it depends on you, live in peace with everyone."  We should always desire peace, but it will have to be as a result of our service to God, not an end in itself.

Isaiah 31

Isaiah 31:5

Like flying birds so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem.
He will protect and deliver it;
He will pass over and rescue it.

God has a special connection to Jerusalem.  It is the place He chose to have His temple built.  Some say a pre-incarnate Jesus ruled there back in Abraham's time.  Whatever the reason, He has chosen that mountain and city as His special place.

As such, He will defend it when needed.  That isn't to say He will always defend it, regardless of what the people there do.  But He will come to its aid when required, to fulfill His promises and prophecies.

Isaiah 30

Isaiah 30:22

And you will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold.  You will scatter them as an impure thing, and say to them "Be gone!"

This is what we must do with sin.  Our sins don't look like metal-plated objects, necessarily.  They may be other things, or thoughts, or people.

However, our reaction must be the same.  We must realize they are defiling us, making us ill-suited for God's use.  Then we must get rid of them, in a way that is unrecoverable.  Finally, we must rebuke them, when they try to come back into our lives.

Isaiah 29

Isaiah 29:16

You turn things around!
Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay,
That what is made would say to its maker, "He did not make me";
Or what is formed say to him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?

This is the perpetual problem that mankind is running into.  We love to take credit for our own work.  We don't like to say that we are not solely responsible for thing things that we've done.  President Obama caught a lot of grief for saying "you didn't build that," but he had the wrong context.

It is true that we didn't make these things, but it was through God's help, not man's, that we are in the places we are today.  God wanted us where we are, for His purposes, and to His glory.  Any time we don't acknowledge that, we are stealing praise from Him.

Isaiah 28

Isaiah 28:13

So the word of the LORD to them will be,
"Order on order, order on order,
Line on line, line on line,
A little here, a little there,"
That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.

To one who is not a believer, the Bible is just a oddly-written rulebook.  It tells you how to do things, things not to do, and a lot of superfluous explanation.  You can read it and build a checklist to live your life from, without any connection or context.

However, those who believe understand it different.  They understand that it is a story, about how we came to this point.  What our ancestors did wrong, and how we are still reaping the consequences of those actions.  And we know that those rules aren't just items to check off, but an expression of our devotion to Him.

Isaiah 27

Isaish 27:13

It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

When they do not have their own land, the Jews have often been a persecuted people.  Rarely have they found a place where their separate cultural and religious identity does not make them stand out from those around them, and the "locals" normally don't appreciate that.

That's one reason that Jews have always looked to Israel, and Jerusalem specifically, as a place to long to be.  They know that it is the place where God has spoken to them from, and they want to hear him again.

Isaiah 26

Isaiah 26:18

We were pregnant, we writhed in labor,
We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind.
We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth,
Nor were inhabitants of the world born.

This is what life is like outside Christ.  We strive and suffer, going through all kinds of pain and labor.  However, for all our effort and cost, it is pointless, because we are trying to do something impossible.

Without God (and Christ), our work is like delivering a baby of air.  There is no point, no accomplishment.  But when we accept Christ, He takes that effort upon himself, and He can do anything He desires.  The baby of air becomes a live child.

Isaiah 25

Isaiah 25:9

And it will be said in that day,
"Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited;
Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation."

I'm not sure if this praise is meant for a time past or present.  I'm guessing it's linked to whenever the previous prophecies of Israel's enemies' destruction occurs, but not sure on whether that's happened or still to come.

Whichever it is, this is still something we believers in Christ can understand.  They are praising God for saving them from their enemies, and enjoying his salvation.  Ours may not be the same as what's talked about here, but we should rejoice just as energetically.

Isaiah 24

Isaiah 24:1

Behold, the LORD lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants.

I'm not sure when this is supposed to happen.  There isn't any context in the chapter or surrounding text to say whether this has already occurred, or is  speaking of things still to come.

If it's past, then whatever calamities God brought obviously weren't permanent or irreversible.  They may have been horrible for anyone in the region affected, but not global and permanent.  If, however, they are still to come, then all the disasters we've ever known won't even compare.  Unfortunately, I can't tell which is the case from this chapter.

Isaiah 23

Isaiah 23:9

The LORD of hosts has planned it, to defile the pride of all beauty,
To despise all the honored of the earth.

God has just said that He will destroy a city, one of the main trading hubs of the time.  This is something on the scale of New York City or Miami or Singapore today.  Its loss will be a huge blow to the "world" economy.

Why does He do this?  Why allow all that suffering and deprivation?  Because the people have become vain, and God is showing them that all they have is fleeting and perishable.  He's knocking them down a peg, in the hopes of them realizing that He is the powerful one.

Isaiah 22

Isaiah 22:16

'What right do you have here,
And whom do you have here,
That you have hewn a tomb for yourself here,
You who hew a tomb on the height,
You who carve a resting place for yourself in the rock?

It appears a steward has forgotten his place.  He is entrusted to lead in lieu of the king, but he has taken on the king's privileges.  He thinks he is king, rather than a keeper, and has glorified himself appropriately.

So it is with us, if we're not careful.  We act like we are in charge, instead of a steward, entrusted with things from God.  We act like we own the world, when we are merely to keep ready for when the Lord returns.

Isaiah 21

Isaiah 21:10

O my threshed people, and my afflicted of the threshing floor!
What I have heart from the LORD of hosts,
The God of Israel, I make known to you.

It sounds like, before this prophecy comes to pass, the Israelites are going to go through great trouble.  To call them a threshed people suggests that they will be decimated and broken, no longer a true people as others would recognize.

However, God is giving them this prophecy for a reason.  He is telling them that though they may be broken, they are not forgotten.  They may be hurting, but are not crushed.  God will remember them, and their oppressors will be brought to His justice.

Isaiah 20

Isaiah 20:2

at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying "Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet."  And he did so, going naked and barefoot.

I have to assume that being naked was a sign of disgrace, just as it is now.  So why would God intentionally humiliate His prophet?  Couldn't He have found some other way of getting His message across?

He probably could have, but it wouldn't have had the impact of this.  God doesn't always call us to live cushy lives.  At times, He calls some to do things that are degrading or uncomfortable, to further His plan and His kingdom.

Isaiah 19

Isaiah 19:24

In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth,

At the time, Israel was in the middle between the two superpowers of its day.  That meant that if they wanted to fight, they had to go through Israel.  Since Israel wasn't keen on letting an army pass through, that meant they had to conquer Israel first, and then the other side would have to in order to retaliate.  It didn't matter if they had a beef with Israel itself; it was just in the way.

This verse speaks of the day for the people to look forward to.  A time when Egypt and Assyria would be at peace, with Israel between them.  They would not be a competitor with either, but instead a peaceful partner of both.

Isaiah 18

Isaiah 18:7

At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the LORD of hosts
From a people tall and smooth,
Even from a people feared far and wide,
A powerful and oppressive nation,
Whose land the rivers divide--
To the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, even Mount Zion.

The people referred to here are the Ethiopians, as it uses almost identical description for them earlier in the chapter.  I'll admit I'm not sure for the reason of the roundabout explanation.  Perhaps it's linking to a previous prophecy of some kind?

Anyhow, the point of the message is clear.  When God returns and elevated Israel, there will be no doubt about what is happening.  Everyone will know who is in control, and will respond appropriately.  They will all bring Him tribute, as He deserves (though He deserves much more).

Isaiah 17

Isaiah 17:6

Yet gleanings will be left in it like the shaking of an olive tree,
Two or three olives on the topmost bough,
Four or five on the branches of a fruitful tree,
Declares the LORD, the God of Israel.

The chapter is about the destruction of both Israel, and one of its enemies.  However, God in this verse gives a glimmer of hope to the people.  They will not all be destroyed, some will survive.

God always leaves hope, even when we don't see it.  It doesn't mean that we will be the ones to survive tragedy, but that tragedy will never wipe out everyone.  Even when the end times come, some will be left, who are faithful to God and testify to Him..

Isaiah 16

Isaiah 16:14

"Within three years, as a hired man would count them, the glory of Moab will be degraded along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and impotent."

Some of the prophecies in the Bible are rather vague.  They may not say exactly who will be affected, or how.  A number are vague on time.  Some refer to things that will be imminent, and some to things that are millennia in the future.

This is not one of those times.  God specifically says this will occur within 3 years (not sure how the hired man counts; maybe 3 years to the day?).  Within three years of when this was uttered and/or written down, Moab would be no more.  We sometimes ask for clarity on when God will do something; perhaps we shouldn't always.

Isaiah 15

Isaiah 15:3

In their streets they have girded themselves with sackcloth;
On their housetops and in their squares
Everyone is wailing, dissolved in tears.

When God's judgment comes upon this people, it will be swift and decisive.  There will be no buildup, no preparation.  It will come quickly, when least expected, and it will be devastating.

However, not all will be destroyed in it.  Some will be spared, and they will mourn for their kin who were not.  God will leave a remnant, to testify to what happened and unknowingly confirm His power.

Isaiah 14

Isaiah 14:27

For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it?  And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?"

My first time teaching the Sunday School class I'm currently in, I got "stuck" with the second time Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife.  In digging to find something non-repetitive, I realized that God acted directly to bring out the truth, because Sarah was supposed to have Abraham's son within a year.

God acted directly, because man had failed.  He had to intervene, because there couldn't be any dispute in the child's parentage.  That fits with this verse very nicely, I think.

Isaiah 13

Isaiah 13:11

Thus I will punish the world for its evil
And the wicked for their iniquity;
I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud
And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.

God will judge the world.  There is no if, no maybe, no condition.  The world will be judged, and everyone in it.  The only question is when.

However, we can't say that we don't deserve it.  We have all failed Him, all gone against Him.  We all deserve whatever He decides to give us.  Only by His grace, to those who accept Christ's death in place of our own, will we be spared.

Isaiah 12

Isaiah 12:1

Then you will say on that day,
"I will give thanks to You, O LORD;
For although You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away,
And you comfort me.

This is a wonderful sentiment.  Praising God because He has saved us from our just fate.  Given what we know about what should have happened, how could we not praise Him?

However, there seems to be an implication that we will praise Him after He has saved us from what everyone else is now experiencing.  Wouldn't it be better if we praise Him now, knowing that He has/will save us, but before others suffer?  I'm sure I don't do that as much as I should, but it's something I want to work on.

Isaiah 11

Isaiah 11:3

And He will delight in the fear of the LORD,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;

Today, all we have to work from is what we see and hear.  We rely on testimony, and evidence, and analysis of that evidence.  Everyone knows it's a flawed system.  People can lie, evidence can be misinterpreted or omitted.  It has issues, but it's the best we can do.

When Jesus comes to rule again, he will not be like the rulers of today.  His communion with the Father will be such that he can judge properly, with truth rather than based upon what's presented.  He will know what is truth and what is not, and judge accordingly.  Perfectly.

Isaiah 10

Isaiah 10:20

Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

All the suffering that Israel is about to go through, is not just punishment, or God venting His displeasure at them.  It's not to destroy them, or wipe them out.  There is a real reason for it all.

They are going through all this terrible suffering, so that they will turn back to Him.  It's like the ultimate form of reconciliation, or the book of Judges taken to its proper conclusion.  After this, there will always be at least some significant portion of Israel that will keep the faith with God.  Never again will they completely turn away from Him.

Isaiah 9

Isaiah 9:18

For wickedness burns like a fire;
It consumes briars and thorns;
It even sets the thickets of the forest aflame
And they roll upward in a column of smoke.

This is a good description of wrongdoing.  (He used the term wickedness, but that tends to overemphasize things I want to generalize).  Comparing it to a fire gives a very good picture, which anyone can relate to.

It consumes everything, whether you want it to or not.  Even the things it does not consume, it can damage to the point of uselessness.  What is left afterwards is nothing but a bad smell and damage to yourself.  And it can consume you too, given opportunity.

Isaiah 8

Isaiah 8:19

When they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter," should not a people consult their God?  Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?

I never understood the idea of a medium.  I could see why one might want to talk to a relative who has died, to tell them how you loved them, or hear it from them.  I know how people can regret not saying some things, or want to take things back once it's too late.

But why would you consult someone who is dead about the future?  What makes people think that the dead somehow know more than the living?  Maybe they can see everything that's happening now, I could understand how people might believe that.  But the future?  Why would the dead have a special conduit to the future?  God exists outside time, and is the only one who can know.  He chooses who might know the future, and no one else.

Isaiah 7

Isaiah 7:13

Then he said, "Listen now, O house of David!  Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well?

This is a statement that I think I would have found most perplexing if it were posed to me.  The king had probably not wanted a sign, out of reverence.  Why should he test God, even when asked?  The instruction itself could easily be a test, to see how much faith he had.  I like to think I'd have probably done the same thing

However, in this case, that was the wrong answer.  Instead, he was to ask, because God had instructed him to.  His supposed reverence was actually disobedience.  His hesitation was insulting to God, as it would be for a king to keep another person waiting with whom he had an appointment.  When God gives us instruction, we should obey, even if it doesn't always make sense.

Isaiah 6

Isaiah 6:5

Then I said,
"Woe is me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

For a long time, I've felt that church has lost its significance in many ways (to the attenders, not just the public in general).  The moment the service is over, everyone's thoughts turn away from it.  They're all talking about what is going on in their lives, their plans for lunch, and who said what.  The sermon is almost instantly forgotten, or at least shunted aside.  Being ADD, it's hard enough for me to give it proper thought, and the random chatter around me doesn't help.

What would it be like if more people had Isaiah's view of their time in church?  If we were impressed with our unworthiness to be in this place, gathered to remember God's glory and power and purity?  How would we act differently?  How would our conversations change?  What would be the  impact on the church?

Isaiah 5

Isaiah 5:20

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Whenever I read passage like this, I stop and wonder if there are places I'm doing this in my life?  I know there are things I do which are contrary to Scripture.  I realize that, but I do them anyways, and that is to my shame.

But are there things that I'm doing wrong without knowing it?  Are there things that I think are fine, which aren't?  And if there are, am I willing to change?

Isaiah 4

Isaiah 4:4

When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning,

At first glance, it looks like this may be a prophecy about the return of Christ, either before or after the Millennium.  It appears to be God judging the people, and cleansing His holy city.

However, I think it may be significant that the term Lord is not the word for God (that would be all caps).  Instead, it seems to be using a more generic term.  That makes me wonder if this is referring to when Jerusalem is conquered by the Babylonians, and the purging is God using them to clear away the wicked who had brought the Israelites to this fate.

Isaiah 3

Isaiah 3:8

For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
Because their speech and their actions are against the LORD,
To rebel against His glorious presence.

As I type this, it's a few hours until the second presidential debate, between two (in my...and many others' opinions) completely unqualified candidates.  A scandal broke in the news for each side two days ago, and a lot of people are wondering "how did we get to this?"

I don't like to stretch the "America is specially favored by God" line very far, because I'm not convinced by it.  But I think there is something to the idea that when a nation rebels against God and His commands, that God will turn away from it and let it take things to their natural conclusion.  I hope there's still a chance for the people of this nation to realize their mistakes (myself included) and turn back to Him and His ways.

Isaiah 2

Isaiah 2:3

And many peoples will come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
That He may teach us concerning His ways
And that we may walk in His paths."
For the law will go forth from Zion
And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

This is what will once again come, after Jesus returns for his millennial reign.  The people will all look to Him for guidance.  He has the best way, and knows what it is for everyone.

We, currently, have a significant portion of that way.  It's called the Bible.  I wish I could say that I have the enthusiasm that the people here display, but that would be lying.  It is, however, my prayer for that enthusiasm to become my own.

Isaiah 1

Isaiah 1:13

"Bring your worthless offerings no longer,
Incense is an abomination to Me.
New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies--
I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.

How does one know when ritual loses its meaning?  What is the indicator that something with a specific purpose has lost that purpose, and is just being done to check a box, or fulfill a tradition?  How do you know when you've lost the sincerity that makes ritual have purpose?

I've been fighting this question a lot recently, in my own life.  I appreciate tradition, but despise empty ritual.  I've come to worry some of my actions are merely empty ritual, without sincerity.  I pray that God will show me if this is true, and if so guide me back to the heart I had.

Song of Solomon 8

Song of Solomon 8:11

"Solomon  had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers.
Each one was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.

I have no idea how much a thousand shekels of silver was, but it sure sounds like a high price.  Hope it was quite the vineyard.

Song of Solomon 7

Song of Solomon 7:10

"I am my beloved's,
And his desire is for me.

If only...

Song of Solomon 6

Song of Solomon 6:8

"There are sixty queens and eighty concubines,
And maidens without number;

Call me jaded, but this is part of the reason I don't like this book.  If Solomon is truly the one who wrote this, he was a serial philanderer/polygamist.

The man has 60 queens he's married to, 80 concubines he should be married to, and who knows what's meant by maidens (concubines-in-waiting?, yet we're supposed to believe that he has suddenly found his one "true love?"  I don't buy it.

Song of Solomon 5

Song of Solomon 5:7

"The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
The struck me and wounded me;
The guardsmen of the walls took away my shawl from me.

What kind of crazy city is this woman living in?  I thought this was supposed to be Jerusalem, capitol of Israel, home of God's temple.

Why are the police-equivalent attacking people at night?  Even in those days, there surely would be some out and about.  The city was walled, so it's not like they could have thought she was an intruder.

Song of Solomon 4

Song of Solomon 4:6

"Until the cool of the day
When the shadows flee away,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.

OK, I'll admit, I'm completely lost.  He was talking about how beautiful she is, and then suddenly he's going away somewhere?  I don't understand.

Also, why would someone want to go to a place with myrrh?  I thought myrrh was a burial spice.  I guess that means it has a strong smell, but still...

Song of Solomon 3

Song of Solomon 3:8

"All of them are wielders of the sword,
Experts in war;
Each man has his sword at his side,
Guarding against the terrors of the night.

This is the entourage of Solomon, 60 of his best soldiers.  I wonder why he needs so many.  Is it to show his importance, or were there attempts on his life?

I'd wonder if they were all his closest friends, but Solomon was a king of peace, not of war.  I'd think that it would therefore be less likely that he would bond so much with his soldiers.

And what are the terrors of the night she speaks of?  Was he traveling between cities, in the dangerous wilderness?  Or were things that bad inside Jerusalem?

Song of Solomon 2

Song of Solomon 2:4

"He has brought me to his banquet hall,
And his banner over me is love.

I remember singing this song as a kid.  Somehow, I never realized it came from this book.  I have to admit, that knowledge kinda poisons it for me.

Whatever some people may say, I can't see that this book is supposed to be some kind of stand-in about God and His people.  It's clearly an intimate romance between two humans.  So using this verse in a kid's song just feels wrong now.

Song of Solomon 1

Song of Solomon 1:17

"The beams of our houses are cedars,
Our rafters, cypresses.

I'm probably going to have trouble with this book, given the lack of personal situation to connect to.

I'm not sure here, but I'm guessing that cedars and cypresses were both strong and expensive.  They have a house that will last, and one that is well-regarded.  They've built well, and for the long term.

Ecclesiastes 12

Ecclesiastes 12:13

The conclusion, when all has been heard is:  fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.

I don't know what I can say that would expand upon that.

Ecclesiastes 11

Ecclesiastes 11:9

Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood.  And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes.  Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.

This is the perfect summation of this book.  There will be many days of trouble and toil, days where you despair for not having purpose.  But you should look for and enjoy the good days.  Make yourself happy.

However, this isn't a license to do anything you want.  You are still responsible to God, and what you do should reflect His desires. Your sins will still be judged.  Even for Christians, we should not take our freedom lightly, for Christ paid the price for our mistakes.

Ecclesiastes 10

Ecclesiastes 10:2

A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left.

In today's culture, you hear a whole lot about how you should follow your heart, or your passion, or chase after that dream that seems impossible.  This verse shows why that's such a bad idea.

I know my own heart, and there are many areas where it does point to the right.  However, there are some where it definitely wants to go left, and I tend to follow.  Obeying your heart will always lead to trouble, it's just a question of when.

Ecclesiastes 9

Ecclesiastes 9:10

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

I'll admit, this verse both heartens me and concerns me.  I like it, as most people would, because it tells me to enjoy life, and do what I want to do.  We are not put here to toil and die; God wants us to enjoy ourselves.

But how should we enjoy ourselves.  When it says to do whatever we find to do, does that mean we can (or even should) go for what's most pleasurable, regardless of the consequences?  Should I forget my morals and beliefs, and just have at it regardless?

Ecclesiastes 8

Ecclesiastes 8:17

and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun.  Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, "I know," he cannot discover.

Feels kind of frustrating, doesn't it?  No matter how hard we try, we will never get the answers we seek.  If that's the case, why should we keep seeking?  Why live for a goal you know you will never have a chance of reaching?

I think it's partially because, as the old saying goes, it's not about the destination, but the journey.  You'll never know everything, but you'll know more.  You'll learn more about God, about His creation, and about yourself.  That knowledge has value, even if the totality of knowledge will never be yours.

Ecclesiastes 7

Ecclesiastes 7:8

The end of a matter is better than its beginning;

Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.

Variations on this idea are throughout the chapter.  I think what it's trying to say is that at the beginning, one is full of excitement, and energy, and naivete.  One can see exactly how things are going to progress, and looks forward to it all.

However, the journey is rarely as expected.  In the end, it's often more of a slog than of a race.  You get to the end and look back, and you see how costly it's been, what's been spent and lost, the places where you went in the completely wrong direction and had to fight back.  But at the end, you've made it, and there is at least a sense of accomplishment.

Ecclesiastes 6

Ecclesiastes 6:9

What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires.  This too is futility and a striving after wind.

I'm not completely sure I understand this verse, but here's my best guess.  I think in the first part he's saying how most people treat their lives.  Go after what your eye sees, be all about the now.  Don't worry about what your soul wants, or the eternal/long-term perspective.

If I'm right in interpreting that, then the second sentence makes sense.  That sort of short-term mentality is deeply flawed.  You'll be forever chasing the next cool thing, never satisfied.  Unless you keep your focus on God and His desires for you, all your effort is worthless.

Ecclesiastes 5

Ecclesiastes 5:2

Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God.  For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.

I wonder if I take this verse a bit too seriously.  My natural inclination is to not make trouble, to keep quiet and assume others know what they're doing.  At church, I may do more of this than average, since I'm clearly not in leadership.

However, I recently did speak up on something (well, wrote, if I'm going to be honest).  It's something that had been bothering me for years, and writing to the pastors about it had been bouncing around in my head for a year and a half.  But I now worry I waited too long, and that the window of opportunity may have closed.  I hope not, but fear it has, in which case I'll have a painful decision to make.

Ecclesiastes 4

Ecclesiastes 4:10

For if either of them falls, the one will life up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

 This verse is both heartening and, to me, bittersweet.  The heartening part is to know how much of a help having someone with you can be.  For something as simple as accountability, or even just not wanting to let that other person down, a friend is key.

The bittersweet part for me is that, over the past few years, I've found my list of friends steadily shrinking.  Several have moved away, or just consumed with life to the point we don't really connect anymore.  Being an introvert, it's hard for me to connect with people to begin with, so this slow loss has started to concern me.  However, I don't know what to do about it.

Ecclesiastes 3

Ecclesiastes 3:7

A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.

I find myself currently in a time between these events.  I recently spoke out about something, after years of keeping silent.  I wrestled for a long time with whether or not I should say something, or even if I was right to think what I was.

Now that I have spoken, I am waiting to see what action will be taken in response.  I'll admit I'm not optimistic.  if my fears come true and nothing happens, I'm going to have to decide whether it's time to tear or to sew.  Do I accept that that's just the way things are going to be, or do I say goodbye and move on?  Wisdom for that decision is my most repeated prayer right now.

Ecclesiastes 2

Ecclesiastes 2:3

I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.

There's a good bit to unpack there.  But if I'm reading this correctly, he's basically exploring being drunk, to understand how it makes him feel.  In the process, he also is examining what good there is to do with our lives.

I don't drink, but I do probably spend a lot more time than I should in other forms of pleasure.  But that's time that I'm wasting, time which I won't get back.  It could be put to more productive uses.  I need to focus more on how to do that, rather than what's good for just me.

Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes 1:18

Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.

There's a saying in recent years that's gained popularity:  the known knowns, known unknowns, etc.  The idea is that there are things you know about, and there are things you don't know about, and there are things you know that you don't know about.

I think the phrase has some insight into this verse.  The more you know, the more you're aware of problems and what's being done wrong.  You know that you're worse than you thought, and that you are farther from God than you thought.

Proverbs 31

Proverbs 31:30

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

This verse gives a key fact about women, and how to look for a wife.  As a single guy, this is a verse I would do well to remember.  Too often, we men look at superficial things, like attractiveness and charming behavior.

However, these are worthless unless she also is a strong believer.  It is better to love a woman who believes in God and Christ, but may not be the most attractive, than to fall for a woman who is beautiful, but has no desire to serve God.  It's a lesson I should focus more on.

Proverbs 30

Proverbs 30:9

That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?"
Or that I not be in want and steal,
And profane the name of my God.

The risk of the rich believer is arrogance and pride.  When you have everything you want, it's easy to forget about God.  You did all this hard work to get here; you are now reaping the rewards.  Where does God enter into that, until you need him?

For the poor, it's easy to rely on God, because He can be all you have.  But when He doesn't seem to be answering, the risk is to do something to take your fate into your own hands, and become a bad testimony in the process.

Proverbs 29

Proverbs 29:23

A man's pride will bring him low,
But a humble spirit will obtain honor.

I'm in the middle of a...disagreement with my pastors about some things at my church.  I think some changes need to take place in order for their stated objectives to be possible, but I've come to doubt their willingness and/or vision to do so.

I find myself uncertain about who's on which side of this verse.  I like to think that I'm the objective one who's stepped back and sees things as they truly are.  But I worry that maybe they're right, and my bitterness at the current state has caused pride to overcome rationality.

I continue to pray for guidance.

Proverbs 28

Proverbs 28:13

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

This is a rather tough verse for me.  My default is to keep things bottled up.  It's not someone else's fault that I mess up.  It's not their problem when I sin; that's between me and God.  And besides, even if I were to confess, they wouldn't understand; they'd just ridicule me, or at least look at me different from then on.

This verse says that's not true.  I admit I wonder if this is how it's supposed to be, but not how it is?  Or is it just my pride, or fear, that keeps me from talking about my failures?  Something for me to pray about more.

Proverbs 27

Proverbs 27:2

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.

Yet another verse that gives a clue how to find the truth in one's heart.  Lots of people "toot their own horn," as the old saying goes.  They declare themselves good, or right, or superior.  But self-affirmation is often the most unreliable form there is.

At the same time, this doesn't say to belittle oneself.  It says to let someone else praise you, not you yourself.  It doesn't say that instead you should criticize or downplay yourself.  I've heard that humility is thinking of yourself less, not less of yourself.  This verse, I believe, matches with that.

Proverbs 26

Proverbs 26:24

He who hates disguises it with his lips,
But he lays up deceit in his heart.

Maybe because it's election season, but this one caught my attention.  There's been a lot of discussion about whether Donald Trump hates Mexicans, Muslims, etc.  Most of the reason for this is because of the things he says, which can be insinuated to show his bigotry.

But I worry more about the ones who seem to gloss over everything, and explain away things they shouldn't.  Those, I have to wonder if this verse applies to.  Are they saying what they think they need to say, to get elected/keep their positions?  If so, what do they really think?

Proverbs 25

Proverbs 25:28

Like a city that is broken into and without walls
Is a man who has no control over his spirit.

This is the third time today that something along this thought has come up for me.  First in this morning's sermon, the pastor talked about how we need to avoid living strictly in the now.  Then in the Sunday School lesson, we were talking about how your speech reveals your heart.  Now this.

The point I take away from it is that having control over yourself is critical.  You can't let your emotions rule you, because they only care about what feels good now.  If you're going to look long-term, which also means looking at what God wants from you, you will have to control yourself.