Isaiah 33
The Destroyer!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, January 26.
Have you ever wondered who the destroyer is? The destroyer is found throughout the Bible, including Isaiah 33:1-2a, “Woe to you, O destroyer, while you were not destroyed; and he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him. As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; as soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.” Here, the destroyer appears to be Assyria, “the rod of My anger” (Isaiah 10:5), but it could also refer to Babylon, “My war-club” (Jeremiah 51:20).
Ultimately, the destroyer is a tool in God’s hands to execute His righteous judgments. This is evident at the Passover in Exodus 12:23, “For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you” (cf. Hebrews 11:28). We also find the “destroying angel” in 1 Chronicles 21:15, “And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, ‘It is enough; now relax your hand’” (cf. Revelation 9:11).
Paul referenced the destroyer in 1 Corinthians 10:10, “Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.” An example of Israel’s grumbling was found in Number 21:6-9 when “the Lord sent fiery serpents” to kill the grumblers. Jesus referenced this story in John 3:14-15, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” Jesus emphasized that there is only one way to be saved from the destroyer (John 3:16)!
Seize the moment and look to Jesus, high and lifted up, the only way (John 14:6)!
God bless you!
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YOUTUBE:
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