Words – Where Do They Go?

Jason Mraz has a lyric in which he wonders where all of our words go. “Do they bend, do they break, over the flight that they take, and come back together again, with a whole new meaning and a brand new sense, completely unrelated to the one I sent?”

I have been wondering similar things lately. I reviewed some old notes today and remembered things I had long sense forgotten. I reviewed some old blog posts today and came to the same realization.

Sometimes, it seems our words get away from us. We write them, hoping to remember them, then we forget them, then we remember that somewhere we have them. So we come back to them, read them again, try to remember what we were going through when they came to us and why they ever left us.

This exercise made me realize something:

I want all my words back. Not that I want to erase or remove everything I’ve ever written. I just want all my words to be accessible and I don’t want to ever forget them.

Because words are powerful. Words can mess with us. Especially The Word. “For in the beginning was The Word. And The Word was with God. And The Word was God.”

Let that one stew in your mind for awhile. May you never forget it.

Isaiah 44-46

Starting with Isaiah 40, it’s like the whole tone of the book changes. The tone is upbeat. The verbiage is joyful and triumphant. The outlook is hopeful.

Chapter 44 continues that trend. The Lord, again, emphasizes that idols aren’t even in the same class. Little “g” gods are not the same as the big “G” God.

Chapter 45 has an amazing prophecy concerning Cyrus of Persia, along with some wonderful proclamations about the character of the Lord.

Chapter 46 goes back to the theme of chapter 44. And this is certainly a thought worth camping out on. Little “g” gods are not the same as the big “G” God.

He is the Lord of lords, the King of kings, the God above all gods. May we bow!

Isaiah 41-43

The Lord stands up for His people in 41. He also makes sure to clarify that He is the only Lord. No idols can compare.

My wife really likes 41:10. She has good taste.

The Lord’s chosen servant is described in chapter 42. He is going to do some BIG things.

Now listen to this one, from chapter 43: “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” For His own sake, He blots out, wipes out, does away with our transgressions. He won’t remember our sins. Praise Him!

Isaiah 36-39

The whole flow of the book changes at this juncture. No longer is it prophetic announcements; now, it is historical narrative.

Sennacherib comes on the scene, sending his messenger Rabshakeh to challenge King Hezekiah and all of Judah. He threatens them, intimidates them, mocks them and their God.

Hezekiah is distressed when he hears these words. However, he responds in a rightful way. He goes to the house of The Lord, he consults the godliest man he knows, he prays, and he awaits an answer. The Lord gives an answer to Hezekiah through Isaiah, and lo, it comes to pass. The Lord delivers Judah, the Assyrians are struck down, and the king of the Assyrians is killed by his own sons.

This would be a happy ending, if you’re on Judah’s side, but unfortunately this isn’t the end.

Hezekiah develops a sickness, then he is healed, then he screws up just before death. Envoys from Babylon come and Hezekiah shows them all around. He gives them an all inclusive tour. Enter Isaiah. He tells Hezekiah that in a few short years, all of those goods, and even some of Hezekiah’s sons, will be in exile in Babylon.

Exile is impending.

The outlook is terribly grim.

Isaiah 34-35

The outlook for the nations in chapter 34 is grim at best. It sounds like worldwide judgment. It sounds dark and full of destruction. Sky dissolved, trees withered and shriveled, streams full of pitch, the land drenched with blood, the sword of the Lord bathed in blood. Every picture you can imagine of destruction is named in this chapter.

You hope you’re never a part of something like this.

Thankfully, there’s a chapter 35. It’s the opposite. Words of rejoicing and strength. Blind seeing, deaf hearing, lame walking, mute speaking. It’s life, exuberance, joy. Water in the dry beds, greenery in the barrenness. The highway of holiness is there. The glory of the Lord is there.

Two starkly different scenarios. May the Lord find you in 35, not in 34.

Isaiah 31-33

In chapter 30, we saw the woes to those who trust in Egypt. In chapter 31, that woe continues.

Chapter 32 has a few good verses. At the start, there’s reference to having shelter from the storm. Which of course takes me back to my favorite uncle, Uncle Bob, Bob Dylan. If you’ve never listened to his song, “Shelter from the Storm,” you should.

Another good verse in 32 says, “He who is a noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.” That’s worth pondering.

The last notable verse in chapter 32 says, “The effect of righteousness will be peace,and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” Another thought worth pondering.

In chapter 33, Isaiah basically says something to the effect that things are bad now, but God will arise soon. Cling to verse 22 of that chapter. Israel did and we should too.