Connections

Today I read the first half of Isaiah 30. I only had time to read half because I had a Bible study this morning, so I read verses 1 through 17. Later that morning a sister in Christ quoted verse 18 of Isaiah 30, so I figured that was a good indication from God that I need to finish this chapter up soon!

But first, something cool God showed me about the first half. God uses this prophecy to warn Judah through Isaiah because they are forming an alliance with Egypt instead of turning to Him. In fact, verse 2 says they didn't even consult Him before doing so! The latter part of that verse caught my attention though:

"...To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!"

I read that phrase a few times, thinking, It seems to me I've read these words before. Sounds like a psalm I've read a bunch of times. I'll admit, I couldn't remember which one exactly. Definitely looked it up in the back, and discovered the one I was thinking of was Psalm 91.

Check out Psalm 91:1...."He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." The words "shelter" and "shadow" are what jogged my memory in the first place, and here they are in Psalm 91! The fact is, we all seek shelter somewhere, especially when life gets difficult. We can find our refuge in the comforting shadow of God who covers us with His mercy and love, or we can settle for something far less and deal with the pain that inevitably follows when we place our trust in someone or something other than our Lord. How cool is it that God uses the same terminology in two different books of the Bible to get that point across!

But the connections don't end there. Read on to verse 6, where God's people are described as carrying their "riches" and "treasures" on the backs of their beasts of burden to Egypt, "a land of distress and anguish, from where come the lioness and lion, viper and flying serpent." And yeah, I totally got distracted with the whole "flying serpent" idea. Hopefully you did too. That way I won't feel so silly. But anyway, I looked back in Psalm 91, and in verse 13 it reads, "You will tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down." Again, similar terminology yet very different circumstances. In Egypt (or at least on the way to Egypt), God's people are prophesied to encounter lions and snakes, and I can only surmise by the tone of the prophecy as a whole that the creatures pose a real danger to them, yet they are so determined to be allies with Egypt that they don't realize that maybe these animals are simply obstacles God put in their way. If only they chose to align themselves and their "riches and treasures" with God, then the once-threatening lions and snakes would become the hunted instead (Psalm 91:13).

One more. Verse 17 of Isaiah 30 says that the rebelliousness of God's people will become their destruction, in that "one thousand will flee at the threat of one man." In the previous verse, Isaiah prophesies that the people of Judah will not take God's call for repentance seriously, and will instead put their trust in acquiring more "swift horses." (Ever tried to cling to something worldly rather than just repent and turn to God? I know I have.) As a result, they use those horses to try to outrun their enemies, and it seems they're not very successful since all it appears to take is one man to cause a thousand more to flee (verse 17). Look back in Psalm 91. Verse 7 says, "A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it [destruction] will not approach you." This verse, and the psalm as a whole, describes the peace and security we have access to when we abide with God and put our trust in His hands. Instead of being one of those thousand people fleeing from one singular enemy, we can be one singular person causing a thousand ememies to flee! Remember, Romans 8:37 says that in the face of any hardship or danger we are more than conquerors; the NASB says we overwhelmingly conquer. That means overcoming on a large scale. Why cause one nagging temptation to flee when you can cause a thousand to flee? With His help, we can.

It's always cool to me when I find similar words and phrases in different books of the Bible. The fact that they're there stresses the fact that the Bible is indeed God-breathed. Who else could have inspired such subtle yet powerful connections? It also stresses the fact that we should read the Bible as a whole, instead of picking and choosing certain books or passages or stories. True, we have our favorites, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that; it helps with memorization, application, prayer, and sharing God with others when we read and re-read our favorite sections of Scripture until they are imprinted on our minds and hearts. But especially after what God has shown me today with these two passages, one a sobering prophecy and the other a sweet song of thanksgiving, I for one want to start delving into the parts of His word that I seldom consider reading. Seeing one idea reinterated or rephrased in a different manner from one passage to another can lead to deeper understanding, more meaningful application, and more powerful prayers. Those are all things I desire in my walk with God. May His Word always speak to me in new and exciting ways.