Devo | Do Not Become Proud | Isaiah 2:12-22

Read Isaiah 2:12-22

In the NASB translation we see the phrase “For the LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning.” In some translations it will say “The Day of the Lord”. This phrase is very important throughout scripture—specifically the prophets

The Lord’s Reckoning will not necessarily happen on one particular day however it will happen over a period of time. This is the day/age of man but God will see bring a new day into the fold. This will be the Lord’s day.

1. The pride of humanity will be judged and humbled before the Lord.

To understand how God will ride of humanity of their pride we must understand what “the Day of the Lord” truly is. It is found in Revelation 20-22.

The Day of the Lord: God’s Justice (ridding the world of sin)

“The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison. And will come out to deceive the nations which are the four corners of the earth…and the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

--Revelation 20:5-10

The Day of the Lord: God’s Perfect Judgement

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds…Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:11-15

The Day of the Lord: The restoration of our broken world; worshiping the restorer (God)

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,

coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. He (God) who sits on the throne said, “Behold I am making all things new.”

Revelation 21:1-5

2. In order to get married; the groom will get His bride must be ready for her wedding

The church, God’s people are the bride of Christ. The metaphor of God being the groom and His people being the bride is the ultimate condition for God’s people in Revelation. Until then we are in a process of restoration from God. God is constantly getting His people ready so that we may live victoriously with Him in heaven one day.

Why does God Judge? Because God restores. One can only be restored if their past condition is fully cleansed.

“Instead of giving up on His adulterous people, God Himself came near as Immanuel who dwelt among us…The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.”

--John 3:29

“For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, His body, and is Himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that He might sanctify Her, having cleansed Her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy without blemish.”

--Ephesians 5:23-27

3. God has complete authority; not humanity. We must worship God, not ourselves.

The coming of Jesus, His death and resurrection made the world tremble. In the Day of the Lord God will continue to make the world tremble in His final judgement and restoration. Remember, when Jesus was on earth He was popular with gentiles and unpopular with the Jewish High Priest (his own people). The gentiles chased Him in order to be healed and restored by Him.

This transitions into understanding that the only entity in this life who has complete authority and control is God. We are saved by our Faith in God but then begins the pathway to righteousness. He will prepare us as a bride getting ready for a wedding. Wil you listen to God and worship Him? Or will you give into what the world is offering, destruction and corruption.

Questions:

1. How can we live in a righteous manner for God—what can we do to protect ourselves from sin?

2. Why does God love us? Why does God want to restore us throughout this process of making us more like Him?