Isaiah 55-58, Proverbs 1

0:00We are reading Isaiah chapter 55 through 58 and Proverbs 1, here on Commutor Bible O.T. The Lord invites Israel into his presence and in our opening verses, this is depicted symbolically with a lavish feast, provided free of charge by God Almighty and self. This happens when the wicked one abandons his way and the sinful one his thoughts returning to the Lord who has compassion. Even fornicers who are not from the nation of Israel will be blessed by the Lord who brings them into his house which will be called a house of prayer for all nations. By contrast, Israel's evil and lazy watchmen will be judged. Idols will not be able to save wicked men from God's wrath. Isaiah chapter 55 through 58

1:04Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the water and you without silver, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without silver and without cost. Why do you spend your silver on what is not food and your wages on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good and you will enjoy the choicest of foods. Pay attention and come to me. Pay attention so that you will live. I will make a permanent covenant with you on the basis of the faithful kindnesses of David. Since I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples, so you will summon a nation you do not know and nations who do not know you will run to

2:05you. For the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel has glorified you. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call to him while he is near. Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord so he may have compassion on him and to our God for he will freely forgive. For my thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways. This is the Lord's declaration. For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout and providing seed to sow and food to eat.

3:09So my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I sinned it to do. You will indeed go out with joy and be peacefully guided. The mountains and the hills will break into singing before you and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of a thorn bush, a cypress will come up and instead of the briar, a myrtle will come up. This will stand as a monument for the Lord and everlasting sign that will not be destroyed. This is what the Lord says. Preserve justice and do what is right. For my salvation is coming soon and my righteousness will be revealed. Happy is the person who does this, the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath

4:15without desecrating it and keeps his hand from doing any evil. No foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord should say, the Lord will exclude me from his people. And the eunuch should not say, look, I am a dried up tree. For the Lord says this, for the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths and choose what pleases me and hold firmly to my covenant. I will give them in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters. I will give each of them an everlasting name that will never be cut off. As for the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord and to become his servants.

5:16All who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold firmly to my covenant. I will bring them to my holy mountain and let them rejoice in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar. For my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. This is the declaration of the Lord God who gathers the dispersed of Israel. I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered. All you animals of the field and forest come and eat. Israel's watchmen are blind. All of them they know nothing. All of them are mute dogs. They cannot bark. They dream, lie down and love to sleep.

6:17These dogs have fierce appetites. They never have enough and they are shepherds who have no discernment. All of them turn to their own way every last one for his own profit. Come, let me get some wine. Let's guzzle some beer. And tomorrow will be like today only far better.

7:38The faithful are taken away with no one realizing that the righteous person is taken away because of evil. He will enter into peace. They will rest on their beds, everyone who lives uprightly. But come here, you witches' sons, offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute. Who are you mocking? Who are you opening your mouth and sticking out your tongue at? Isn't it you, you rebellious children, you offspring of liars, who burn with lust among the oaks under every green tree, whose slaughtered children in the wadis below the clefts of the rocks? Your portion is among the smooth stones of the wadi. Indeed, they are your lot.

8:41You have even poured out a drink offering to them. You have offered a grain offering. Should I be satisfied with these? You have placed your bed on a high and lofty mountain. You also went up there to offer sacrifice. You have set up your memorial behind the door and doorpost. You are away from me. You stripped, went up and made your bed wide. And you have made a bargain for yourself with them. You have loved their bed. You have gazed on their genitals. You went to the king with oil and multiplied your perfumes. You sent your envoys far away and sent them down even to shia. You became weary on your many journeys. But you did not say, it's hopeless.

9:41You found a renewal of your strength. Therefore you did not grow weak. Who was it? You dreaded and feared so that you lied and didn't remember me or take it to heart. I have kept silent for a long time, haven't I? So you do not fear me. I will announce your righteousness and your works. They will not profit you. When you cry out, let your collection of idols rescue you. The wind will carry all of them off. A breath will take them away. But whoever takes refuge in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain. He said, build it up, build it up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from my people's

10:42way. For the high and exalted one who lives forever, whose name is holy says this, I live in a high and holy place and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed. For I will not accuse you forever and I will not always be angry. For then the spirit would grow weak before me, even the breath which I have made. Because of his sinful greed, I was angry, so I struck him. I was angry and hid, but he went on turning back to the desires of his heart. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him. I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating words of praise.

11:45The Lord says, peace, peace to the one who is far or near, and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the storm tossed sea, for it cannot be still and its water churns up, myer and muck. There is no peace for the wicked says my God. Cry out loudly, don't hold back, raise your voice like a ram's horn. Tell my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins. They seek me day after day and delight to know my ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not abandon the justice of their God. They ask me for righteous judgments. They delight in the nearness of God. Why have we fasted but you have not seen?

12:46We have denied ourselves, but you haven't noticed. Look you do as you please on the day of your fast and oppress all your workers. You fast with contention and strife to strike viciously with your fist. You cannot fast as you do today, hoping to make your voice heard on high. Will the fast I choose be like this? A day for a person to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed and to spread out sack cloth and ashes. Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the Lord? Isn't this the fast I choose? To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and to tear off every yoke.

13:48Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him and not to ignore your own flesh and blood? Then your light will appear like the dawn and your recovery will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you and the Lord's glory will be your rear guard. At that time when you call, the Lord will answer. When you cry out, He will say, here I am. If you get rid of the yoke among you, the finger pointing and malicious speaking, and if you offer yourself to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness and your night will be like noon day. The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land and strengthen your bones.

14:51You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose water never runs dry. Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins. You will restore the foundations laid long ago. You will be called the repairer of broken walls, the restoreer of streets where people live. If you keep from desecrating the Sabbath, from doing whatever you want on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable, if you honor it, not going your own ways, seeking your own pleasure or talking business, then you will delight in the Lord. And I will make you ride over the heights of the land and let you enjoy the heritage of your Father Jacob for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Proverbs chapter 1

16:03The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel for learning wisdom and discipline, for understanding insightful sayings, for receiving prudent instruction in righteousness, justice, and integrity. For teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to a young man, let a wise person listen and increase learning and let a discerning person obtain guidance for understanding a proverb or a parable, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and discipline. Listen my son to your Father's instruction and don't reject your mother's teaching for they will be a garland of favor on your head and pendants around your neck.

17:07My son, if sinners entice you, don't be persuaded. If they say, come with us, let's set an ambush and kill someone. Let's attack some innocent person just for fun. Let's swallow them alive like sheel, whole like those who go down to the pit. We'll find all kinds of valuable property and fill our houses with plunder. Throw in your lot with us and we'll all share the loot. My son, don't travel that road with them or set foot on their path because their feet run toward evil and they hurry to shed blood. It is useless to spread a net where any bird can see it, but they set an ambush to kill themselves. They attack their own lives.

18:07Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly. It takes the lives of those who receive it. Wisdom calls out in the street. She makes her voice heard in the public squares. She cries out above the commotion. She speaks at the entrance of the city gates. How long inexperienced ones will you love ignorance? How long will you mockers enjoy mocking and you fools hate knowledge? If you respond to my warning, then I will pour out my spirit on you and teach you my words. Since I called out and you refused, extended my hand and no one paid attention. Since you neglected all my counsel and did not accept my correction, I in turn will

19:12laugh at your calamity. I will mock when terror strikes you. When terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind when trouble and stress overcome you. Then they will call me, but I won't answer. They will search for me but won't find me because they hated knowledge. Didn't choose to fear the Lord. Were not interested in my counsel and rejected all my correction. They will eat the fruit of their way and be glutted with their own schemes. For the apostasy of the inexperienced will kill them and the complacency of fools will destroy them. But whoever listens to me will live securely and be undisturbed by the dread of danger.

20:25Today's episode was narrated and orchestrated by me, John Ross, and co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible. Thanks for listening and remember to trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding.