Scripture does not reveal Isaiah’s purpose for singling out Shebna, the king’s steward (secretary). But he was extremely prideful. So highly did he think of himself that he was preparing his grave high up on Mt. Zion. Shebna considered himself worthy of the burial of kings (2Ch 32:33).
But according to Isaiah, God will coil Shebna up into a little ball. He will hurl him into a far away barren land (presumably Assyria). He will disappear, never to be heard from again. Pride, the abuse of power and influence, will not stand with God (2:11,12). Lord, may humility over rule any pride in my heart and in the hearts of our leaders.
You whose heart and life is right with God will have nothing to fear (Isa 33:13–16). #DoTheRightThing
MORNING WATCH NOTES:
“OMG!“ Fearful of judgement, the people bellow, “Who can survive the Holy?“ Isaiah gives the short answer. “Easy. Those who walk with the Holy and speak what is right and true. Those who do not extort by bribery or plot to do evil and violence. Those whose hands, ears and eyes are closed moral pollution. Those who do right in his sight.” These are those who have no need to fear the Holy One.
The Apostle Paul makes the same point. “Rulers hold no terror for those who do right.” (Rom 13:3). This is the man or woman who need not be alarmed, though the judgments of the Holy be all around them. Lord, you are ever before me. My refuge is in you.
The faithful prayer sentry declares with the Psalmist, “You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I trust’ “ (Psm 91:1-2)
Bow your head in humble repentance for trusting in anything other than God’s resources (Isa 33:7-9) #TrustingGodAlone #DeadManWalking https://www.bible.com/116/isa.33.7-9.nlt
MORNING WATCH NOTES:
What does it mean to come to the end of self? Isaiah answers by pointing Israel (pointing me) to symbols of failed earthly treasures. Treaties for security with powerful earthly kings turn to bitter disappointment. Lebanon, known for its stately cedar trees, wither and die. Sharon, known for its very fertile land, become a barren wilderness. Bashan, known for its abundance of grain and cattle, is plundered. Carmel, known for its thick forests, is utterly defoliated. Earthly resources collapsed around them.
TESTIMONY: Oh, the battle scars of this aging sentry. They run deep and they run long. But they are every day reminders to me of the grace and the mercy of God in my life. It makes me tremble and weep. But the scars prove the worth of that final death blow to self, to the man I used to be. The scars embedded deeply in my conscience give evidence of battles won by my high and glorious Commander, The Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I must come before you today Lord, in humble repentance for trusting in anything other than you.
When every earthly ally fails; every earthly resource withers, becomes barron and plundered; everything once thought to be mine by entitlement, deserved or taken for granted, is stripped away, I have come to the end of self. Now I am ready to listen and receive from God.
Turning again to the destroyer (presumably Assyria) of Israel, Isaiah pronounces disaster on this enemy of God‘s people. Though this destroyer is used by God to discipline his people they (presumably a holy remnant) offer up prayers acknowledging God as merciful and strong in times of trouble.
As in Job 13:15, this remnant says, “God might kill me but I have no other hope. I will take my case up with him.” The Lord God is our sure foundation. Reverence and respect of God is our greatest treasure in every circumstance. Lord, the ardent sentry has no greater treasure than his/her reverence for you. I shall put my faith in you.
If the women of Judah are at ease, smugly resting in the security of their homes – thinking all is well, they should think again. Because of Judah’s rejection of God, complacent attitude and careless lifestyle she will suffer at the hands of Assyria. She should repent before God (vv11,12). But she won’t (vv1-8).
So the bounty of the countryside farms and the good life of the cities and towns will be suddenly decimated. The time was short. Assyria would conquer Judah (v10). Only a full-scale national repentance could reverse that. Sadly no one heeded Isaiah‘s warning.
Is America listening today? Her rejection of God, her sin, is no different than Judah’s. Lord, I pray that America might heed the warnings and turn fully to you in a national repentance. Send awakening Lord.
I am reminded of my Sentinel Orders to Stand Faithfully, Watch Vigilantly, Pray Earnestly, WARN CLEARLY.
But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths (Ezk 33:6).
The nation of Judah was facing a crisis (Assyrian conquest). For her sin of rejecting God she stood at the threshold of destruction. The prophet Isaiah clearly identifies the character of men and women who disdain and reject God (vv5-7). America needs to wake up, for her bulwark reveals similar vulnerabilities.
This is America’s National Disgrace. It is clear to the discerning eye. From Isaiah 32:5-7: Those who are ungodly and foolish are seen as heroes. Dishonorable men are exalted and respected. Fierce zealots make plans to further their own ends. They practice ungodliness; ridicule and marginalize those who trust in God. They make plans for their own self interests but they deprive the disenfranchised of basic needs in life. Smooth talkers appear honest/earnest, but mix sense with non-sense, scheming to mislead. They lie to convict the powerless, even when their is just cause. Can we see any of this in America today?
BUT…
THERE IS HOPE AHEAD!
Isaiah speaks of a Redeemer who will come. Judah had suffered under unjust rulers and leaders, but “A righteous king is on the way. Honest princes will prevail under him.” Although Judah would be destroyed and taken into captivity, still there were many who act according to “generosity” (v8). They were hungry for a righteous ruler. That ruler, that “righteous king” would be Jesus Christ, who has already come and he will come again to rule.
WHAT WILL THE HOPE OF THIS RIGHTEOUS KING LOOK LIKE?
The coming Christ will provide, “Shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm.” His rule will be “like streams of water in the desert or the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.” In Christ’s rule “everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it. Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly” (vv1-4).
Lord, it excites the heart of this aged sentry to know the assurance of my once come, and coming again, righteous king. Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Today would be as good a day as any to pray for a national repentance in America. That she would once again celebrate the Christ-child; the Savior of the world.
Lord, would you give the leaders of America a humble heart of repentance. I pray that they would no longer compare themselves to each other but see themselves in the light of a holy God.
Lord, would you begin the work of repentance and healing within the one square foot in which I stand this morning. Do a work of repentance and healing in my household. Do a work of repentance and healing in and among my neighbors, whom I know very well.
I pray for the leaders, the pastors and ministers in my city. I pray for those officials who carry out the will of the state in my county. I pray for the leaders of my state and the leaders of my nation.
From my house to the White House, Lord, may we have a humble heart of repentance. May you once again receive the honor and majesty due you in America.
Lord, this is a prayer from the heart of the sentry standing watch today. I join the sentinel call to prayer.
Because of God’s devotion to his people, Isaiah calls again for Judah to repent, return to God; renounce all idolatrous behavior. Even greater reason to turn back to God is his promise to annihilate Assyria by the sword of God (note 37:36).
God is devoted to his rebellious people and he promises to not only defend his people, but to lay waste their enemies. God’s assurance of love and protection should alter the behavior of his people toward him. Lord, you have captured and delivered my heart. I am yours.
Repentance in America begins with the person in the mirror.
In Deuteronomy 17:16 God specifically instructs the Hebrew children not to trust in the nation of Egypt, not to consult with or trust in the power of Egypt. Egypt in Scripture looms large is a symbol of bondage. Nothing good can come of the believer who trusts in the powers of this world’s philosophies for help.
Instead God‘s people should look to God and him alone for wisdom and strength. One cannot trust the flesh or the philosophies of this world to provide guidance or security. Trusting in this world’s wisdom will bring calamity to believer. Lord, it is the joy of the sentry to put full faith and trust in you alone.
The people of God have only to look to the history of how God works in the Old Testament on their behalf. He is devoted to his people. He will discipline his people and he will deliver his people. The example of this is seen repeatedly, as in this passage.
Because God loves Judah he disciplines her, harshly if necessary (vv12-17). His devotion to Judah is unquestioned (vv18–22). Finally, his deliverance comes as Judah turns to him in repentance. His deliverance is utterly complete. Lord, your past deliverance gives this old sentry great hope for today and for the future.
You may anticipate the Lord of Glory entering into your life with power (Isa 30:23-26). #JesusLordOfGlory #JesusNowAndForever
MORNING WATCH NOTES:
What is true for God’s people in ancient days is true today and at the end of time as we know it. All of God’s enemies, not just the Assyrians against Judah, will be annihilated. The world order will be reassembled according to God’s order. Now is the time to trust in him as Savior.
In the beginning God created light in its perfection. In the end light will again shine in perfection. In between is a present darkness. In the end will come the rains and the wonderful harvests. Men will feast and eat (figuratively) before God. His people will be delightfully full of God. Lord, you have spoken life and hope into my life. That is true for all who turn to you.
Even in the midst of suffering God is not far from his sinful rebellious child. He stands by to teach us, to instruct us by his voice. When once we have surrendered to him it will be clear the way in which we are to go (vv19-21).
The way which we choose will reject all other gods. We will be happy to destroy the idols in our lives and put Jehovah God at the center. In response God will heal his people and cure them from the wounds he gave them. If this sentry is to know daily renewal then certainly he must daily surrender afresh to God.
If my beloved country is to know renewal and spiritual awakening then she must turn in repentance to the God of her fathers.
When once the wayward, rebellious, child of God surrenders, his/her whimpers of repentance are heard from on high (v4). Then, like the father greeting the prodigal home from the far country of sin, God is first on the scene to help. This is the message of the prophets.
The enemies, the attackers, God had used to discipline his child will be crushed. Their course of pain and suffering will come to a sudden end. They will be driven away by heaven’s armies. They will “vanish like a vision in the night.“ It is God‘s greatest delight to vanquish the enemy of the child of God. Thank you Lord, for hearing in the night this sentry’s prayer of surrender so many years ago.
FOR AMERICA: Lord, I pray that my beloved nation may surrender her heart fully to you. May she know the fires of revival & spiritual awakening from sea to shining sea. May the power of heaven’s armies be used to deliver her from the enemies that would seek to destroy her.
At the center of the Jewish faith is the temple in Jerusalem and the worship of Jehovah God. At the center of the Christian faith is the temple of the Holy Spirit (my body – 1Co 6:19) and the collective worship of God by believers in union together with Christ (Jhn 4:23,24).
The call has always been to worship God in spirit and in truth. But we see here that rote ritual, rules and observances had supplanted sincere worship of, and devotion to, God. It was indifferent and deceitful. It happens today as well. This brings the holy ire of God on dead lifeless religion. Father, may this sentry worship & serve you with a whole heart, given in spirit and in truth.
Lord, would you bring America to a place of sincere worship and devotion to you. Would you intervene and give her a whole heart for you. Would you sweep our land in renewal, revival and spiritual awakening.
I can sense the joy in Isaiah‘s voice as he explains the purposes and plan of God in the discipline of his people. When he judges the nations (speaking of Babylon), God utterly destroys them. But Israel, his child, he purges, measure by measure, in increasingly harsh ways until all the alien gods in their lives are destroyed, ground to powder. Israel will then be regathered from various regions, one by one [the shepherd leaving the 99 to find the one lost sheep comes to mind – Luke 15:1–7].
After Israel’s captivity for her recalcitrance she was released by Persian King Cyrus in 539 B.C. God fulfilled his promise. He called his people back to community, back to worship and feasting in a right relationship with their God.
Even today, God may be counted upon to discipline, deal justly, with his people, the Jew and the church. O Lord, “A bruised reed you will not break, but will bring to truth“ (Isa 42:3). O how this sentry remembers his journey of discipline and the grace of a loving God.
Enter into your inner chamber of prayer* to watch and wait for God’s deliverance (Isa 26:20,21). #WatchAndWait #PrayForDeliverance https://www.bible.com/1588/isa.26.20-21.amp
MORNING WATCH NOTES:
The remnant of God, those who have believed in Jehovah and follow him obediently, will be spared in the midst of the righteous judgments of God upon sin. They are instructed to take shelter, enter into their hidden chambers “for a little while, until the Lord‘s anger has passed“ [Babylon fell in one night – 539 b.c.] How shall any nation who stands against God survive?
Even today we, like Israel, may “see the Lord coming from heaven to punish men for their sin.“ Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Sin will be exposed and all will know. Meanwhile, God’s remnant will be kept in his “perfect peace” (v3). I may take seriously that God will judge sin. Lord, this sentry will enter into his inner chamber of prayer and intercede for my family, my friends and my country.
*The inner chamber of prayer is the storm center on the battlefield. F.F. Bosworth (1877-1958), an American evangelist in the 1920s, makes this statement on prayer: “The inner chamber of prayer is the place, the strategic position, where the decisive victory is obtained, and maintained. Therefore, the enemy uses all his power to get the Christian, and above all the minister, to neglect prayer.”
When once one has seen God as the only remedy for deliverance (vv12-14); after one has spuriously exhausted all to save him/herself; when one recognizes the extreme distress of oppressing circumstances as discipline from the Lord, there is a halting silence and shame. There is the realization of sin in the presence of a holy God, then a mournful prayer for help, for grace and forgiveness.
To the joy of the remorseful heart comes the life giving grace of God. It comes down like dew refreshes the earth. It revives and renews the life of the penitent one. Whether it be an individual, a church, a city or a nation, if one dies, that one shall live again. O Lord, thank you for so great a deliverance as you brought to me, so great a sinner.
The lives of men will not be changed by providing a good environment. Although, that may help enormously. But even the most gracious of divine kindnesses, which God may display, are ignored by many. They take no notice of God’s daily mercies. They are taken for granted.
Men seem far more likely to respond better to judgment then to blessing. Judgment brings me face-to-face with my own inadequacies; my need to surrender to God. To this aging sentry this becomes far more evident. So, for me Lord, it is in the morning watches, before the dawn breaks, that I will earnestly seek you. In you I will find peace and accomplishment.
If my mind and heart are fixed on God, not only will I be kept in perfect peace (vv3,4), but God also promises to set me on a path that is level, smooth and straight ahead.
My trust in God, obedience to his word and sincere desire to glorify him enables me to perceive even God’s judgments as a means to a righteous and redemptive end. After a dark night comes a sincere, relief-seeking daybreak in the morning. Lord, may the path before me be one of righteousness and goodness.
Never have I been so glad for an election to be over. But one thing this sentry knows for sure. God is sovereign and he will work his will in and through all the affairs of men.
The Standing Orders of the Sentinel are to engage in life with a surrendered heart to the Commander of our faith, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. It is for this duty sentry to stand faithfully, watch vigilantly, pray earnestly and warn clearly (Isa 62:6,7).
It is clear that Isaiah‘s view here is apocalyptic and messianic. “In that day,“ is the Day of the Lord. “In that day,” the Lord will rule in richness and abundance. Death will be banished, a thing of the past. Elections? No bearing.
The cause of all tears will be eliminated – hurt, pain, suffering, sickness, persecutions – GONE! God has spoken! The people will shout, “YES! This is the One [Jesus Christ] in whom we have trusted. Finally, every enemy of God will be forever gone. Vanquished. Done. Elections? No bearing.
Lord, my rejoicing and confident heart does not even begin to express my inner excitement at the outcome of your promised return. Elections? No bearing.
The song (Psalm) of Isaiah (Ch 25) highlights the wonderment of the believer towards God. On the one hand seeing, understanding and praising God for his vast wisdom and forethought in righteous judgment of the nations. On the other acknowledging God‘s mercy and deliverance of the poor and needy.
God is a strong impregnable tower of salvation. He is protection from the storms of oppression and the heat of persecution. His covering for his chosen ones will bring sweet relief to all who stand with him. Lord, you are to this sentry a tower of strength like no other.
A remnant is joyfully celebrating having dodged the bullet of judgment (vv13-16a). But in the midst of this resounding joy, Isaiah, the man of God is disconsolate. His pain is palpable. He is the sentry on the wall who has delivered the warning at the gates of the city. But the city harkened not to his voice.
Isaiah’s words for then also resonate forward to a time in the far away future, when a final judgment will fall. He says, “My heart is broken because deceit still prevails.” The treachery continues, even into our day. Isaiah sees the destruction of the last days of earth. The Lord is coming. It may be very soon. He will reign on earth. We are living in the end times.
The Good News is that God is not willing that any should perish but have everlasting life. Lord, may the heart of this sentry be devoted to you, compassionate toward others, unashamed in my witness and undeterred to speak truth.
What keeps you awake at night? Securing your family, your home, your wealth? Your life? In God’s judgment none of these things will be safe.
The crisis of our day is but a harbinger of what is to come. The Scriptures read like a current news story: “There is no new wine – [where are the voices for God’s word?]. Joy is silenced. THE CITY WRITHES IN CHAOS; every HOME IS LOCKED to keep out intruders. MOBS GATHERin the streets, crying out for wine. Joy has turned to gloom. Gladness has been banished from the land. THE CITY IS LEFT IN RUINS, it’s gates battered down” (24:7-12). Sometimes I read Scripture and cannot believe my own eyes. Today we are seeing a picture of what God’s judgment will look like.
This old sentry has stood his watch many a day and night, near 75 times around the sun. From my watchtower I have not seen such chaos inside my own walls, in my own streets and political landscape as seen today. This sentry cries out in the Morning Watches, “Lord, enlarge my heart for the city. Much of my days are past, but my heart breaks for my city. I will do whatever I can.”
“Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. . . Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” (Psm 31:21–22,24)
“And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” (Jer 29:7)
For the serious reader: Phenomenal article on the heart of God for the heart of the city, written by Cory Seibel, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministries at Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary and Worship Pastor at Bethany Mennonite Brethren Church in Fresno, California.https://directionjournal.org/39/1/heart-of-god-in-heart-of-city-missional.html
All of the fallen nations (Asyria, Moab, Damascus, Ethiopia, Babylon, Arabia and Tyre – Isa 14-23) serve as a backdrop for Isaiah‘s prophecy for end times nations. The fulfillment of these prophecies means that God will certainly fulfill judgment on all the nations of the world…and for the same reasons (pride in their wealth and power; rejection of God and idolatrous worship of man-made gods; gross immorality and cavalierly godless behavior).
Isaiah 24–27 describes a future time of intense tribulation followed by the ultimate blessings of the coming kingdom of God. The future of the world comes into sharp focus. Lord, make of this sentry a voice that elevates, sings out, the Good News of redemption in the face of certain judgment.
“So I sought for a man among them who would [rebuild the] wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”– Ezk 22:30 (NKJV)
“No one?” Can I be “one?” Who can be “one?”
I have many times wondered at Ezk 22:30. This morning my pastor preached on this passage. He basically raised a similar question. Ezekiel was among those who had been deported from Judah. He was the prophet of the hour as judgment fell on Judah. Was he not in the gap? What about Daniel and his three friends? They were all in that first deportation. They to were all prayer warriors. Jeremiah was also in that deportation. Was he not adequate to stand in the gap? If those guys aren’t qualified, who is qualified, who is adequate to fill the breach?
From his own personal quiet time, my pastor announced, “God is always looking for people to pray. He is always looking for that “one” intercessor who can be used to save many.” Then my pastor said, “Jesus became the man in the gap.”
MY TAKE AWAY NOTES:
There is only one who is 100% adequate to stand in the gap. That one is Jesus! Jesus is the great intercessor (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25). Jesus is the “gap man,” reaching up to God with one hand and reaching down to man with the other. What does that mean to me as a prayer sentry? It means that IF I AM IN CHRIST, THEN I TOO AM IN THE GAP. I pray in the name of Jesus, the “gap man.”
Jesus, Sentinel On Duty
Whenever I am standing in prayer, I am in the gap (so it is for any prayer sentry). This sentry stands in the adequacy of Jesus. This sentry never was qualified, never was adequate. But Jesus is always qualified, always adequate. What pure joy to my soul. What a grand assurance of prayer. I am fortified to stand my post.
Praying through the ancient prophecies of Isaiah regarding all the godless nations surrounding Israel and Judah. Not an easy read. I was considering the fact that EVERY PROPHECY over every nation has been FULFILLED (Isa 14-23).
God is a sovereign, who providentially works his will through all the affairs of men. I have every reason to believe that the prophecies of the future (Isa 24-27, New Testament, et al.) will be fulfilled, just as they were in those ancient of days. My sentinel faith rests in an eternal Commander who seeks the ultimate good and will destroy all evil.
When king Sennacherib of Assyria showed up to conquer Jerusalem he employed the very same tactic Satan uses to defeat us – DOUBT! In Genesis 3:1-4, Satan casts doubt on God‘s word. “Surely God hath not said…” Here, the Assyrian enemy casts DOUBT on the word of a godly king. “Surely the king has misled you…” EXPOSED!
From DOUBT comes all manner of defiance, discouragement and defeat. How do we win the great battles against Satan? James 4:7,8 tells us to 1) Rely humbly on God, 2) Resist Satan (he will flee) and 3) Rest, draw near to God, who will come quickly to your aid. Lord, may this sentry recognize when he’s under attack by the enemy. Then rely, resist and rest in God.
There is a saying in Texas – “One Riot, One Ranger.” Heaven also has a saying, “One Assault, One Angel.”
The fierce fighting monarch, King Sennacherib of Assyria, showed up in full battle array to assault Jerusalem’s gates. He sent messages taunting King Hezekiah and the citizens of the city (vv10–19). He mocked and derided Jehovah God.
Although smaller in numbers the people of Jerusalem were prayed up, prepared and putting faith in God (vv1-8). Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah cried out to the God of heaven. God sent ONE ANGEL and destroyed the whole Assyrian army. Sennacherib went home in disgrace, never to be heard from again – he was killed in the temple of his god, by his own sons. Lord, this one lone sentry has reason to prayerfully expect you to do great things in any given day.
King Hezekiah of Judah was faced with insurmountable odds by the Assyrian Army. We already know Hezekiah is a man of prayer and strategic action (chapters 29-31). So with wise counsel he devises a carefully thought out plan of no small consequence (vv1–3). Then he communicates his plan and methodically carries it out (vv4,5).
Finally, he calls all the people together and points them to the only One who can save them. “Be strong, don’t be afraid – there is more with us then with them – we have the Lord our God on our side.” My take away from this is to pray much, plan well, work smart and TRUST GOD throughout the process. Father, you are the Mighty Fortress of my life. In you I stand as a watchman. “Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world” (1Jhn 4:4).
A careful reading of Second Chronicles, Chapters 29, 30 and 31 would reveal three characteristics of the person that God uses and honors with success. In Chapter 29, King Hezekiah shows himself as a godly and principled man. In Chapter 30 he shows he is not afraid to call out sin with a view toward God’s loving mercy. In Chapter 31 he shows obedience in following God with a whole heart.
King Hezekiah of Judah challenges me to be a man who God uses, with my associates, my friends and my family – principled in life, fearless for good and wholehearted for God. It calls to mind Micah 6:8 – He has told you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. Lord, make of this watchful sentry a man that is usable to you.
The Prayer Sentry 