December 10

Journey-through-the-Bible-with-us

READING FOR DECEMBER 10, 2025: ISAIAH 1, REVELATION 6, PSALM 119:169-176          ISAIAH 1 We have been studying the reigns of the kings of Judah and Israel as we have read 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. This book begins with a vision God gave the prophet Isaiah who spoke for God to the people during the reigns of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Obvious- ly, God was not pleased with Judah. We wonder sometimes why Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount seems more uplifting than God’s more judgmental message here. Consider the context. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lays out standards of behavior He expects in His already-but-not- yet Kingdom. Our time of judgment coming, though: “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Rom. 14:10). Here in Isaiah, God, after rescuing Judah generation after generation, had to communicate the seriousness of Judah’s continual rebellion against Him. The harsh tone was necessary. God cared too much for His people than to allow this behavior to continue. 

This chapter suggests that the people were active in worship and obedient to all the obliga- tions God set for them regarding sacrifices and feast days. So, what specific acts of rebellion made God so angry as to equate His chosen people with Sodom and Gomorrah? The answer is in verse 17: not seeking justice, particularly for widows and orphans. Maybe there were flashier and more obvious sins also being committed, but nothing else is mentioned in this chapter. Doesn’t it seem strange that this issue caused God in the Old Testament to react so strongly. But let’s check the New Testament: “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27).  Again, it’s not displays of religion but action to support the most marginalize that God desires more. This writer certainly believes everyone needs to be born again by grace through faith. But a person who doesn’t seek justice for the most marginalized among us is not demonstrating saving faith and is in danger of God’s wrath: “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;  I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me’” (Matt. 25:41-43).

REVELATION 6: Chapter five revealed that only Jesus was worthy to open the scroll that would reveal God’s plan for the earth. This scroll has seven seals, and this chapter describes Jesus opening the first six. (The seventh seal will be opened in chapter 8.)   

  • Seal One: White Horse of the conqueror (6:1-2)
  • Seal Two: Red Horse of war (6:3-4)
  • Seal Three: Black Horse with scales (6:5-6)
  • Seal Four: Pale Horse of death (6:7-8)   
  • Seal Five: Souls of Martyrs crying out to God (6:9-11)
  • Seal Six: Worldwide Chaos (6:12-17)

READING FOR DECEMBER 10, 2025 CONTINUED: REVELATION 6, PSALM 119:169-176

The last two verses of this chapter make it clear that these seals are a reflection of God’s wrath. “They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrathhas come, and who can stand?’" (6:16-17)

We don’t like to think about God’s wrath, but it is clearly portrayed in both the Old and New Testament. The OT uses words like great, fierce, fiery, jealous and fury when describing God’s wrath. The New Testament helps us to see that God’s wrath comes on those who are dis-- obedient. (John 3:36, Ephesians 5:3-6, Colossians 3:5-8, Romans 2:5-7) When we consider this coming day of God’s wrath, those who know Jesus as Lord can be thankful for three things: 

1) We (born again people) Were Not Appointed to Suffer Wrath. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9).                                     2) We (born again people) are Saved from Wrath. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Rom.5:9-10).                                                                                                                                                                                   3) We (born again people) Are Rescued from Wrath. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

For those who are saved, let’s take a moment and thank God for rescuing us from His wrath.

PSALM 119:169-176 This section, entitled “Tav,” is the last of this longest chapter of the Bible. “Each of the 22 sections is given a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and each line in that section begins with that letter” (David Guzik). Appropriately, this ending section explains how truly knowing and understanding God’s word informs all other ways in which we interact with God. It shows how to make requests to God (vs. 169-170); how to praise God (vs. 171); how to sing to God (vs. 172); how to enjoy God (vs. 173-174); and how God helps us live with purpose (vs.175).By not drawing upon God’s word, not only are we not fully experiencing a relationship with God, we don’t even know what we’re missing. We wander “about like a lost sheep” (vs 176).