Doing Without Jewelry

O. T. #1567  "Doing Without Jewelry"
Nov. 15, 2019
Isaiah 3
The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. (verse 13)

LET IT GLOW

What encouragement can we find in this chapter as it gives more details in fall of Judah and Jerusalem that is coming. The fall would not come for some 150 years later in 586 BC. It is the Lord (Adonai), the sovereign Lord of all, who will do these things. He is speaking to Isaiah, the prophet that was faithful to record all that God showed him in a vision and spoke of to him.

Adonai sees the sins of His beloved people and those who will come later. His warnings are for them to repent and only worship Him, not idols, too.

Looking at our key verse, we notice there are two words standeth, which have two different words in the Hebrew, so they have two different meanings.

The first word, standeth means to station, erect, establish; plead means to hold a controversy, to defend, rebuke.

The second standeth means arise, endure, tarry; to judge refers to rule, minister judgment, plead (the cause).

Let's put this together to better understand what is happening. The Lord is standing up to plead, rebuke Judah. If they do not repent of their sin of idolatry, then He will arise to minister judgment.

Why does Judah not listen? Why do people not listen now? I think either they do not consider the seriousness of sin or they think they will have time on their deathbed. Dear one, my cousin Kathy did not have time for anything when it was her time to die. Thank God she had already repented and asked Jesus to be her Savior as a child.

Do we have loved ones that need Jesus as their Savior? Are we sharing with them the seriousness of their spiritual condition?


LET IT GROW

As you read through this chapter, did you notice what things the Lord will take away from the women, daughters of Zion, when they are taken captive into Babylon?
NASB reads:

• anklets,
• headbands,
• crescent ornaments,
• dangling earrings,
• bracelets,
• veils,
• headdresses,
• ankle chains,
• sashes,
• perfume boxes,
• amulets,
• finger rings,
• nose rings,
• festal robes,
• outer tunics,
• cloaks,
• money purses,
• hand mirrors,
• undergarments,
• turbans, and
• veils.

The men will fall by the sword in battle and the women will be sold off as slaves. In the ancient Near East the humiliation of slavery usually included being stripped naked, chained together, and marched off into captivity to be sold as a servant or worse. (Falwell)

How terrible this would be to have lived in Judah at that time of Babylonian captivity. Is there one thing that would be worse than another to do without as a woman?
Looking at the list, we women spend a lot of money on some of those articles, don't we?
Is there anything we should do without in order to spend our money on kingdom work instead of our self? For myself, I could use fewer perfumes and rings and bracelets. I like my jewelry.  How about you? Isn't it the person of the heart that we are supposed to be focused on developing?


LET IT GO

My Adonai, I want to surrender to do Your will.