A.
So, a week and one day later, I picked up again on Isaiah.
Starting with Chapter 1, Verse 1 I worked out a coding system. This is what God wants from us, is underlined, reenforced by an !. Future events...
...get a scribbled line, along with a notation when?. This is what makes God angry to the point of outraging Him, is underlined and here I add an arrow pointing downward. Particularly telling passages are boxed. Questions I note on a seperate sheet of paper.
Proceeding to Chapter 10 today, statements on good and bad begin to repeat. The way reports, statements and prophesies are noted down reminds me of this blog: at the time an entry is made it is meaningful. It may not be so meaningful out of context later. Only general statements survive.
I trust that, as I continue this study and earnestly seek to understand, I will know from this book what I need to know. It was Isaiah, who along with Moses, appeared at on the mount of transfiguration. He must be a special man in God's sight, a man worth knowing.
B.
Today, a day later I have added a few categories. And, working up to Chapter 30, I have begun to skip the woe passages. Prophesies pointing to God's life on earth and His redemption get a scribble to the right plus an !. Passages that express a promise are boxed and commented.
It became unbearable to read all woe passages, just as unbearable as watching those parts of the News, which I choose not to watch. I am aware of wars, famines, deseases, political upheaval, evil in high places, incompetence and such. Do I need to familiarise myself with it?
In the margin above the text I noted such text summaries as, Our know-how comes from Him, He wants our hearts, He wants us to understand, He wants our trust, He wants us to rely on Him.
Oh God, yes, I am all for it, is my spontanious response.
C. Today I read,
"Woe to those who go down to Eqypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.
Yet he too is wise and he can bring disaster; he does not take back his words. He will raise up against the house of the wicked, against those who help evildoers.
But the Egyptians are men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, he who helps will stumble, he who is helped will fall; both will perish together."
I love the way He speaks, His sense of humor and of realism. Nothing for the humanist here. I think he wants us to be realistic and understand who is who.
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