Where do you dwell?

"Terror and pit and snare confront you, O inhabitant of the earth." Isaiah 24:17

The prophecy in the twenty-fourth chapter of Isaiah concerns the entire earth, not just a selected kingdom or group of people. It has several parallels to prophecies outlined in the Book of Revelation, but one of them stuck out at me in particular.

This chapter is basically a sandwich in structure...it starts with chaos and destruction, has a few verses that glorify and praise God there in the middle, and then ends with more chaos and destruction. Verse 13 starts the praise section, describing a "shaking of an olive tree" and "the gleanings when the grape harvest is over." Basically God's judgment has already began its terrifying work, and numerous people have been wiped out. However, there is a remnant of His people leftover who "raise their voices and shout for joy" (verse 14). In the midst of unfathomable death and despair, they choose to marvel at God's majesty and righteousness and praise His name, saying "Glory to the Righteous One" (verse 16).

The latter part of verse 16 immediately shifts focus once again to fear and trembling, saying "woe to me," and verse 17 warns the inhabitants of the earth of the "terror and pit and snare" that will inevitably find them. When I looked up this verse using an online commentary (found here) it referenced Revelation, in which there are several verses that mention those who inhabit the earth (3:10, 6:10, 11:10, 13:12, and 13:14). There is also one verse that mentions those who dwell in heaven (13:6). The first group will experience the horrific consequences of their sin and the Antichrist's deception during the end times. The latter group will be with God in heaven and sit in His presence.

Here's the point....where we dwell now affects where we will dwell later. Whether we live long enough to see the prophecies in Revelation and Isaiah carried out or not, where we choose to dwell has a huge impact on our lives and our walk with God. If we choose to be an inhabitant of the earth, we will make worldly things our focus. We will strive and chase after wealth, live for our desires, and experience the consequences of our sin in both this life and the next. If we choose to sit with God in the heavenly places, we will chase after Him. We will live for Him. And we will experience the peace and comfort that can only be possible in the midst of terrible suffering because it's from Him.

And please don't let it escape your notice that we can be seated with Him in heavenly places in the here and now. This happens the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior (Ephesians 2:6). Although we live out our earthly lives wrapped up in flesh, our spirits are already in His presence, seeing Him face to face. Jesus lived a human life but continuously lingered in His Father's presence; why shouldn't we each enjoy the same privilege?

So as you go about during this busy week before Christmas, ask yourself, "where do I dwell?" Are you seated with Him in the heavenly places and letting His majesty and peace envelop everything you do, or are you dwelling on the earth and settling for whatever semblance of comfort it can try to scrape together for you? Dwell with Him. Talk with Him. Praise Him. Then even in the midst of hardship and despair, your first impulse will be to worship and glorify Him. I can think of no better attitude to have in a time such as this.

harlot's wages

"Her gain and her harlot's wages will be set apart for the Lord..." Isaiah 23:18

Today's passage is Isaiah 23...yep, I'm still in Isaiah. Maybe one day I'll move on to the other prophets.... :o)

This chapter contains the prophecy regarding the city of Tyre, which one commentator describes as "the mart of the nations" since it was established near the sea and it served as a place for merchants to buy and sell (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary, found here). The city is destroyed due to the pride of its inhabitants and their unwillingness to turn to God (verses 9-11). However, after a period of seventy years, God will again "visit" Tyre and show mercy to the city and its people (verse 17). But Tyre goes back to its old ways. It is described as "playing the harlot with all the kingdoms of the face of the earth" (also in verse 17), which is pretty much what it was doing before. Here's the kicker...Tyre's "harlot's wages" are described as being "set apart for the Lord" (verse 18). My first reaction upon reading this was, huh?

So I looked in the margin of my Bible since the phrase "set apart" had a couple of other references; I mainly studied the first reference, which is found in Exodus 28:36. In this passage God is instructing His people regarding the construction of His temple and all of its elements, specifically the priestly garments. Verse 36 describes a plate of pure gold that has the phrase "Holy to the Lord" engraved on it. This plate is then to be fastened on a blue cord and put on the front the turban that Aaron, the chief priest, was to wear. Aaron was to wear this plate because he would bear "the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate...that they may be accepted before the Lord" (verse 38). All of the sacrifices and gifts that the priests brought to the temple were still defiled in a way since they were human and had a sinful nature. But if Aaron, the appointed priest, brought the sacrifices to the Lord in His appointed way, God would accept them (phrasing borrowed from here).

I think at this point I may have uttered another huh? How in the WORLD can you compare the wages of a harlot to a chief priest bringing sacrifices before the Lord? The phrase "set apart" is used in both of these instances, so they must have something in common, right?

If we read further in Isaiah 23:18, we find out what Tyre's gains are to be used for: "food and choice attire for those who dwell in the presence of the Lord." And furthermore, these wages are described as "sufficient" for this purpose, and are not to be hoarded or stored up (also in verse 18). So basically although the people of Tyre will ultimately return to their old ways, their profit will be used for the furthering of God's kingdom.

Here's where it gets a little trickier. To me, it's not clear whether this new monetary exchange is really endorsed by the people of Tyre. Are they giving their wages over to God voluntarily or are they just accepting the fact that their money is not their own anymore and doing so begrudgingly (which I would almost be afraid to do, given the massive wrath and destruction their city saw seventy years earlier)? Different commentaries say different things; some say this passage is a lesson about being a good steward no matter what your calling is, and others say it is an example of God allowing His people to slip back into their old ways but yet also furthering His kingdom by doing so.

Either way, there is a question to be asked of yourself. Just how much are you giving to His kingdom? Are you hoarding your wages or worse, playing the harlot and spending them on idols for your own personal gain? And this goes beyond money. These "wages" can encompass a bunch of different things, such as how you spend your time, how you set your priorities, and where you focus your attention. If there is one thing to be learned from the prophecy against Tyre, it is that God can set apart anything as holy to Him. No matter how worldly something may seem, it is not beyond God consecrating it and using it for His kingdom. So will you give it willingly and take part in the blessing that comes as a result, or will you try to withhold it with a clenched fist and feel the pain of it being taken away? God wants to further His kingdom, and will use whatever means He thinks necessary to get us to be a part of it, but I believe it truly blesses His heart when we do so with a willing and loving heart. It's time to give, even if it's just the wages of a harlot.