READING FOR APRIL 2, 2026: ISAIAH 47, ROMANS 16, PSALM 27:1-5 ISAIAH 47 The empire of Babylon is pictured as a young woman of privilege. This woman, this empire will no longer sit on a throne, though, but sit in the dust. She will be a common laborer and live shamefully without clothing. This is because she will experience the vengeance of the Lord. God must want us to be aware of such vengeance because we run into this expression in both the Old and New Testaments: “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Rom. 12:19). Yet in the very next verse in Isaiah, we learn that God is also the redeemer for His people. The Bible keeps giving us the full view of God and we keep trying to make Him one dimensional.
God explains why Babylon acquired Judah: God delivered Judah to them in His anger. It is interesting and relevant to know that we can misread the reasons for certain events. Apparently, Babylon thought it was their greatness that caused them to defeat Judah. Pray that we will understand the true reasons for God’s actions in our lives and in our world. Despite God’s using Babylon as His instrument of anger, He charged Babylon as being unmerciful toward Judah. Here is a case where God sovereignly directs the affairs of nations and yet holds each accountable for freely acting sinfully. Both are true in God’s wisdom. We are never in a position to blame God for what happens. He always acts righteously.
Keeping the young woman metaphor in place, God says Babylon will become both a widow and a grieving parent in one day. This is a reference to their suddenly being overtaken by Persia. They had felt secure in their occult practices of casting spells and in their supremacy on the world stage, but these factors were not enough to make them secure. False practices and military might are certainly not sufficient to sustain a person or nation today, either. Only God can save us from our natural state of sin and condemnation. Jesus is our only redeemer, not our good works, power, wealth, education, family, or national heritage.
ROMANS 16 As was recently mentioned, the Christian faith is not meant to be lived in isola-- tion, but to be lived in community, in the local and worldwide church. Nowhere is this more evident than in this chapter. Paul’s extensive knowledge of so many individuals in Rome is amazing. It is proof that he was not a distant project manager but deeply involved in the lives of other Christians. If any of us are not so involved, we need to consider how to connect with other believers. Pheobe, mentioned in verse 1, is generally considered the person who delivered this letter to Rome. She is described in some translations as a servant of the church and in others as a deacon. The same Greek word used can mean either, so it may be significant that she (a woman) was considered a deacon, an official of the church. Paul then launches into a long series of greetings. Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned first. We also run into this
READINGS FOR APRIL 2, 2026 CONTINUED: ROMANS 15, PSALMS 27:1-5 husband-and-wife team in Acts 18 as mentors to Apollos. Here we also learn that Paul owes his life to them. No wonder they are mentioned first. Perhaps we all have friends who have risked something for our sake. Let’s thank God for these essential people.
Verse 7 seems routine on the surface, but it is at once one of the most celebrated and most controversial verses in the Bible. Some scholars read this as saying “Junia is outstanding among the apostles.” This is how most translations render it. Others believe the verse should read “Junia is well known to the apostles.” The issue at stake is women in church leadership. Space does not permit fuller treatment of this matter here. Certainly, Junia was a highly valued woman of God, as were many others mentioned in this greeting list.
The last ten verses include final greetings, along with vital warnings and admonitions. Watch out for false teachers who teach just the opposite of what Paul taught! They are not godly but self-serving. Be established in the Gospel as conveyed by Paul and the Scriptures. These are commands by the eternal God leading to “obedience of faith.” This obedience is not obeying anything we want or what our culture suggests but is trusting obedience to God’s Word.
PSALM 27:1-5 This Psalm is the text for quite a rousing song that captures the mood well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwk4EW1HQU8 Even without the music, one feels ready to tackle anything just by reading these empowering words. Think about it for a moment! Who or what can make us afraid if the Lord of the Universe is our Light? First David states this obvious but liberating truth. Then he expresses a request to dwell in the Temple all his days to meditate and behold his beauty. The Temple of God is now within each believer: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you” (1 Cor 6:19). We can and should be living in His presence and beholding His beauty as our default state. Let’s test ourselves on this. What do we think about when waiting for a long train or standing in a long line? We could be meditating on God and beholding His beauty. At least we can do it now!
