They lie down and dream and love to sleep.
This is the LifeSpring One-Year Bible Rewind and coming to you from Riverside, California.
Podcasting since 2004, I'm Steve Webb and I'm your OG Godcaster.
This is the podcast that comes to you every single day and we're reading the entire Bible together in a year.
I'm so glad you're here. Welcome.
The website is lifespringmedia.com.
It's running up the flagpole day because sometimes wisdom starts by asking,
what do you think? So maybe you have an idea for the LifeSpring one-year Bible rewind.
Run it at the flagpole. Email me with your idea, steve at lifespringmedia.com.
It's also Prophecy Friday. We'll read Isaiah 56 through 61, after which I'll have a few thoughts
for you on what we've read. We'll also see what happened on this date in church history.
Let's begin. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this day. We thank you for this new year,
and we ask you that as we read, you would teach us. Touch our hearts, Lord, I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Isaiah chapter 56
This is what the Lord says,
Give justice to all people and do what is right, because my salvation will come to you soon.
Soon everyone will know that I do what is right.
The person who obeys the law about the Sabbath will be blessed,
and the person who does no evil will be blessed.
Foreigners who have joined the Lord should not say, The Lord will not accept me with His people.
The eunuchs should not say, Because I cannot have children, the Lord will not accept me.
This is what the Lord says. The eunuchs should obey the law about the Sabbath and do what I want
and keep my agreement. If they do, I will make their names remembered within my temple and its
walls. It will be better for them than children. I will give them a name that will last forever,
that will never be forgotten.
Foreigners will join the Lord to worship Him and love Him, to serve Him,
to obey the law about the Sabbath, and to keep my agreement.
I will bring these people to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.
The offerings and sacrifices they place on my altar will please me,
because my temple will be called a house of prayer for people from all nations.
The Lord God says, He who gathers the Israelites that were forced to leave their country.
I will bring together other people to join those who are already gathered.
All you animals of the field, all you animals of the forest, come to eat.
The leaders who are to guard the people are blind.
They don't know what they are doing.
All of them are like quiet dogs that don't know how to bark.
They lie down and dream and love to sleep.
They are like hungry dogs that are never satisfied.
They are like shepherds who don't know what they are doing.
They all have gone their own way.
All they want to do is satisfy themselves.
They say, Come, let's drink some wine.
Let's drink all the beer we want.
And tomorrow we will do this again.
Or maybe we'll have an even better time.
Isaiah chapter 57
Those who are right with God may die, but no one pays attention.
Good people are taken away, but no one understands.
Those who do right are being taken away from evil and are given peace.
Those who live as God wants find rest in death.
Come here, you magicians.
Come here, you children of prostitutes and those who take part in adultery.
Of whom are you making fun?
Whom are you insulting?
At whom do you stick out your tongue?
You turn against God and you are liars.
You have sexual relations under every green tree to worship your gods.
You kill children in the ravines and sacrifice them in the rocky places.
You take the smooth rocks from the ravines as your portion.
You pour drink offerings on them to worship them, and you give grain offerings to them.
Do you think this makes me want to show you mercy?
You make your bed on every hill and mountain, and there you offer sacrifices.
You have hidden your idols behind your doors and doorposts.
You have left me, and you have uncovered yourself.
You have pulled back the covers and climbed into bed.
You have made an agreement with those whose beds you love, and you have looked at their nakedness.
You use your oils and perfumes to look nice for Molech.
You have sent your messengers to faraway lands.
You even tried to send them to the place of the dead.
You were tired from doing these things, but you never gave up.
You found new strength, so you did not quit.
Whom were you so afraid of that you lied to me?
You have not remembered me or even thought about me.
I have been quiet for a long time. Is that why you are not afraid of me?
I will tell you about your goodness and what you do, and those things will do you no good.
When you cry out for help, let the gods you have gathered help you.
The wind will blow them all away. Just a puff of wind will take them away.
But the person who depends on me will receive the land and own my holy mountain.
Someone will say, Build a road, build a road, prepare the way, make the way clear for my people.
And this is the reason. God lives forever and is holy. He is high and lifted up. He says,
I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are sad and humble.
I give new life to those who are humble and whose hearts are broken. I will not accuse forever,
nor will I always be angry, because then human life would grow weak. Human beings whom I created
would die. I was angry because they were dishonest in order to make money. I punished them and turned
away from them in anger, but they continued to do evil. I have seen what they have done, but I will
heal them. I will guide them and comfort them and those who felt sad for them. They will all praise
me. I will give peace, real peace, to those far and near, and I will heal them, says the Lord.
But evil people are like the angry sea which cannot rest, whose waves toss up waste and mud.
There is no peace for evil people, says my God. Isaiah chapter 58
The Lord says, Shout out loud, don't hold back, shout out loud like a trumpet. Tell my people what
they have done against their God. Tell the family of Jacob about their sins. They still come every
day looking for me and want to learn my ways. They act just like a nation that does what is right,
that obeys the commands of its God. They ask me to judge them fairly. They want God to be near them.
They say, To honor you, we had special days when we fasted, but you didn't see. We humbled ourselves
to honor you, but you didn't notice. But the Lord says, You do what pleases yourselves on these
and you are unfair to your workers. On these special days when you fast, you argue and fight
and hit each other with your fists. You cannot do these things as you do now and believe your
prayers are heard in heaven. This special kind of day is not what I want. This is not the way I want
people to be sorry for what they have done. I don't want people just to bow their heads like a plant
and wear rough cloth and lie in ashes to show their sadness. This is what you do on your special
days when you fast, but do you think this is what the Lord wants? I will tell you the kind of fast
I want. Free the people you have put in prison unfairly and undo their chains. Free those to
whom you are unfair and stop their hard labor. Share your food with the hungry and bring poor,
homeless people into your own homes. When you see someone who has no clothes, give him yours,
and don't refuse to help your own relatives. Then your light will shine like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal. Your God will walk before you, and the glory of the Lord will
protect you from behind. Then you will call out, and the Lord will answer. He will cry out, and He
will say, Here I am. If you stop making trouble for others, if you stop using cruel words and
pointing your finger at others, if you feed those who are hungry and take care of the needs of those
who are troubled, then your light will shine in the darkness, and you will be bright like sunshine
at noon. The Lord will always lead you. He will satisfy your needs in dry lands and give strength
to your bones. You will be like a garden that has much water, like a spring that never runs dry.
Your people will rebuild the old cities that are now in ruins. You will rebuild their foundations.
You will be known for repairing the broken places and for rebuilding the roads and houses.
You must obey God's law about the Sabbath and not do what pleases yourselves on that holy day.
You should call the Sabbath day a joyful day and honor it as the Lord's holy day.
You should honor it by not doing whatever you please nor saying whatever you please on that day.
Then you will find joy in the Lord, and I will carry you to the high places above the earth.
I will let you eat the crops of the land your ancestor Jacob had.
The Lord has said these things.
Isaiah chapter 59
Surely the Lord's power is enough to save you.
He can hear you when you ask Him for help.
It is your evil that has separated you from your God.
Your sins cause Him to turn away from you, so He does not hear you.
With your hands you have killed others, and with your fingers you have done wrong.
With your lips you have lied, and with your tongue you say evil things.
People take each other to court unfairly, and no one tells the truth in arguing his case.
They accuse each other falsely and tell lies.
They cause trouble and create more evil.
They hatch evil like eggs from poisonous snakes.
If you eat one of those eggs, you'll die,
and if you break one open, a poisonous snake comes out.
People tell lies as they would spin a spider's web.
The webs they make cannot be used for clothes.
You can't cover yourself with those webs.
The things they do are evil, and they use their hands to hurt others.
They eagerly run to do evil, and they are always ready to kill innocent people.
They think evil thoughts. Everywhere they go they cause ruin and destruction.
They don't know how to live in peace, and there is no fairness in their lives.
They are dishonest. Anyone who lives as they live will never have peace.
Fairness has gone far away. Goodness is nowhere to be found.
We wait for the light, but there is only darkness now.
We hope for a bright light, but all we have is darkness.
We're like the blind feeling our way along a wall.
We feel our way as if we had no eyes.
In the brightness of day we trip as if it were night.
We are like dead men among the strong.
All of us growl like bears.
We call out sadly like the doves.
We look for justice, but there isn't any.
We want to be saved, but salvation is far away.
We have done many wrong things against our God.
Our sins show we are wrong.
We know that we have turned against God.
We know the evil things we have done,
sinning and rejecting the Lord,
turning away from our God,
planning to hurt others and to disobey God,
planning and speaking lies.
So we have driven away justice,
and we have kept away from what is right.
Truth is not spoken in the streets.
What is honest is not allowed to enter the city.
Truth cannot be found anywhere, and people who refuse to do evil are attacked.
The Lord looked and could not find any justice, and he was displeased.
He could not find anyone to help the people, and he was surprised that there was no one to help.
So he used his own power to save the people.
His own goodness gave him strength.
He covered himself with goodness like armor.
He put the helmet of salvation on his head.
He put on his clothes for punishing and wrapped himself in the coat of his strong love.
The Lord will pay back His enemies for what they have done.
He will show His anger to those who were against Him.
He will punish the people in faraway places as they deserve.
Then people from the west will fear the Lord, and people from the east will fear His glory.
The Lord will come quickly like a fast-flowing river driven by the breath of the Lord.
Then a Savior will come to Jerusalem and to the people of Jacob who have turned from sin, says the Lord.
The Lord says, This is my agreement with these people.
My spirit and my words that I give you will never leave you or your children or your grandchildren, now and forever.
Isaiah chapter 60
Jerusalem, get up and shine, because your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines on you.
Darkness now covers the earth.
Deep darkness covers her people.
But the Lord shines on you, and people see His glory around you.
Nations will come to your light. Kings will come to the brightness of your sunrise.
Look around you. People are gathering and coming to you.
Your sons are coming from far away, and your daughters are coming with them.
When you see them, you will shine with happiness.
You will be excited and full of joy, because the wealth of the nations across the seas will be given to you.
The riches of the nations will come to you.
Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels from Midian and Ephah.
People will come from Sheba, bringing gold and incense, and they will sing praises to the Lord.
All the sheep from Keter will be given to you. The sheep from Nebaoth will be brought to you.
They will be pleasing sacrifices on my altar, and I will make my beautiful temple more beautiful.
The people are returning to you like clouds, like doves flying to their nests.
People in faraway lands are waiting for me. The great trading ships will come first,
bringing your children from faraway lands, and with them silver and gold. They will honor the
Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, who does wonderful things for you. Jerusalem, foreigners
will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. When I was angry, I hurt you, but now I want
to be kind to you and comfort you. Your gates will always be open. They will not be closed day or night,
so the nations can bring their wealth to you, and their kings will be led to you.
The nation or kingdom that doesn't serve you will be destroyed.
It will be completely ruined.
The great trees of Lebanon will be given to you, its pine, fir, and cypress trees together.
You will use them to make my temple beautiful,
and I will give much honor to this place where I rest my feet.
The people who have hurt you will bow down to you.
Those who hated you will bow down at your feet.
They will call you the city of the Lord, Jerusalem, the city of the Holy One of Israel.
You have been hated and left empty with no one passing through, but I will make you great from
now on. You will be a place of happiness forever and ever. You will be given what you need from
the nations, like a child drinking milk from its mother. Then you will know that it is I,
the Lord, who saves you. You will know that the powerful one of Jacob protects you.
I will bring you gold in place of bronze, silver in place of iron, bronze in place of wood,
iron in place of rocks. I will change your punishment into peace, and you will be ruled
by what is right. There will be no more violence in your country. It will not be ruined or destroyed.
You will name your walls salvation and your gates praise. The sun will no longer be your light
during the day, nor will the brightness from the moon be your light, because the Lord will be your
light forever, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will
never be dark, because the Lord will be your light forever, and your time of sadness will end.
All of your people will do what is right. They will receive the earth forever. They are like
the plant I have planted, the work of my own hands to show my greatness. The smallest family will grow
to a thousand, the least important of you will become a powerful nation. I am the Lord, and when
it is time, I will make these things happen quickly. Isaiah chapter 61. The sovereign Lord
has filled me with His Spirit. He has chosen me and sent me to bring good news to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted, to announce release to captives and freedom to those in prison.
He has sent me to proclaim that the time has come when the Lord will save His people and defeat
their enemies. He has sent me to comfort all who mourn, to give those who mourn in Zion joy and
gladness instead of grief, a song of praise instead of sorrow. They will be like trees that the Lord
Himself has planted. They will all do what is right, and God will be praised for what He has done.
They will rebuild cities that have long been in ruins. My people, foreigners, will serve you.
They will take care of your flocks and farm your land and tend your vineyards. And you will be
known as the priests of the Lord, the servants of our God. You will enjoy the wealth of the nations
and be proud that it is yours. Your shame and disgrace are ended. You will live in your own
land, and your wealth will be doubled. Your joy will last forever. The Lord says, I love justice,
and I hate oppression and crime. I will faithfully reward my people and make an eternal covenant with
them. They will be famous among the nations. Everyone who sees them will know that they are
Jerusalem rejoices because of what the Lord has done.
She is like a bride dressed for her wedding.
God has clothed her with salvation and victory.
As surely as seeds sprout and grow, the sovereign Lord will save His people, and all the nations will praise Him.
In today's reading, beloved, the first eight verses of chapter 56 explain that God wants to welcome all people, not just the Jews, into His house.
And then the last verses of that chapter chastise Israel's leaders, those who should be closest
to God and able to lead people to him.
Verse 10 says, the leaders who are to guard the people are blind.
They don't know what they're doing.
All of them are like quiet dogs that don't know how to bark.
They lie down and dream and love to sleep.
Remember that last sentence.
We're going to come back to it.
Here it is again.
They lie down and dream and love to sleep.
Now, chapter 7's first 13 verses chastise the people of Israel, not the leaders, but the people.
Well, since the religious leaders were asleep, it's not really a surprise that they were so far from God, is it?
And yet, God calls them to account, because their behavior was abhorrent to Him.
In the final verses, verses 14 through 21, though, God promises that He'll not always be angry with them,
and he will in fact guide them and comfort them. He says in verse 19, I will give peace, real peace,
to those far and near and I will heal them. Well, what reason does God give for this?
Verse 16 tells us, I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, because then human life
would grow weak. Human beings whom I created would die. Beloved, despite our sin, God does not
want us to die. That's what the whole plan of salvation is all about. That's why Jesus gave up
the glories of heaven to be born in his stable, and why he lived a sinless life and was crucified
on a Roman cross and was resurrected on the third day, because unless he did this, human beings whom
he created would die. God loves us, beloved. He has made a way for you and for me to be forgiven,
despite our many failures, if we'll just accept his gift.
When I read chapter 56, I was reminded of a song by Keith Green called
Asleep in the Light.
Remember that sentence I asked you to remember?
They lie down and dream and love to sleep?
That's what made me think about this song, Asleep in the Light.
The first part of the song is very much like chapters 56 and 57,
where God is chastising the leaders and the people.
But the end of the song is a reminder of how it can be if we turn to Him.
Listen carefully to the words.
Do you see, do you see all the people sinking down?
Don't you care, don't you care?
Are you gonna let them drown?
How can you be so numb not to care if they come?
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done.
Bless me, Lord.
You know, it's all I ever hear.
No one aches.
No one hurts.
No one even sheds one tear.
But he cries, he weeps, he bleeds.
And he cares for your needs.
And you just lay back and keep sloping it in.
Oh, can't you see it's such a sin?
Because He brings people to your door and you turn them away as you smile and say,
God bless you, be at peace and all heaven just weep.
Cause Jesus came to your door
You've left him out on the streets
Open up, open up
And give yourself away
You see the need, you hear the cries
So how can you delay?
God's calling and you're the one.
But like Johnny Alon,
he's told you to speak,
but you keep holding it in.
Oh, can't you sin such sin?
The world is sleeping in the dark
that the church just can't fight
because it's asleep in the light.
Why can't you be so dead when you've been so well fed?
Jesus rose from the grave and you, you can't even get out of bed.
Oh, Jesus rose from the dead.
Come on, get out of your bed.
How can you be so numb
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes and pretend
The job's done
You close your eyes and pretend
The job's done
Don't close your eyes, don't pretend
We're just done
Come away, come away
Come away with me, my love
Come away from this mess
Come away with me, my love
Come away from this mess
Come away with me, my love
We need to wake up, beloved.
I want to be ready when Jesus comes for me.
How about you?
You can comment on the show notes page at
Lifespringmedia.com slash S12E74.
You can also email me at steve at Lifespringmedia.com
or go to comment.lifespringmedia.com and comment there.
We'll start the book of Mark tomorrow
by reading the first two chapters.
Verse of the Day, Isaiah 61.10.
This is a long one, but it's got a beautiful promise.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord.
My soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation.
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
The New Year has a way of inviting us to begin again.
New habits, new rhythms, a renewed commitment to God's Word.
If the Lifespring One Year Bible Rewind is part of how you're starting this year,
opening Scripture each day and reading it faithfully together with the Lifespring family,
I'm inviting you to take part in sustaining it.
We use a simple model called value for value.
If this daily time in the Word has value for you, you're free to return value in whatever way you're able through time, talent, or treasure.
That could be prayer, encouragement, or financial support.
You can find out more right here.
Lifespringmedia.com slash support.
Thank you for beginning this year with me.
Today's associate producer is Timothy LaFontaine, who came in with $100.
There's a note with it, and Timothy says, I missed writing Merry Christmas last time,
so Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Well, thanks so much, Timothy.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you.
God bless you.
And I also want to thank Minion for his daily boosts, averaging about 240 sats, and Lifespring
family Berean, Brother Michael Hainer, for streaming 10 sats for each minute he listens
to the show.
You guys are very much appreciated.
God bless you as well.
On this date in church history, January 2nd.
In 1643, Isaac Watts was baptized.
Actually, it was early January of 1643.
We don't have the exact date.
But he was baptized, marking the formal beginning of a life that would later reshape Christian worship.
Watts would go on to give the church hymns that spoke directly of Christ's saving work,
helping believers sing theology with clarity and joy.
His baptism reminds us that lasting influence often begins in quiet obedience,
long before public ministry ever appears.
And in 1743, in January, again, we don't have the exact date,
Jonathan Edwards began preaching a series of sermons in Northampton
that would soon spark widespread spiritual renewal.
What began as faithful preaching in a local congregation became one of the earliest sparks of the first Great Awakening, reminding us that revival often begins simply with the careful proclamation of God's Word.
And about 1956, modern Bible reading plans were encouraged for the new year in the UK and the US of A.
By the mid-20th century, churches and publishers across the United States and the UK increasingly promoted structured Bible reading plans at the start of the new year.
These plans encouraged believers to read Scripture daily and systematically.
Huh. Like, does that sound familiar?
It helps Christians cultivate lifelong habits of hearing God's voice through His Word.
It was a practical reminder that spiritual growth is often shaped by steady faithfulness rather than by dramatic moments.
I will be recording Sunday show tomorrow afternoon.
So if you'd like to share something God has done for you, if you have a praise report, share it with the Lifespring family.
And if you have a need in your life that you'd like us to pray with you about, share that with the Lifespring family as well.
Go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com and you'll find an easy to fill out form there to tell me what you want to share.
And if you'd like to remain anonymous, you can say so on that form there.
Or you can email me at steve at Lifespring Media and you can text or leave an email right here.
Lifespring Family Hotline, 951-732-8511.
And when you send in your prayer requests, I'll pray for you in my daily prayer time.
And of course, we'll pray together on the show.
If you enjoy the show, tell someone.
Thank you for starting the new year with me.
Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly.
Thank you so much for being here today and inviting me to be a part of your day.
I'm Steve Webb. Bye.
The Lifespring Media family of programs are made possible by the generous support
of listeners like you.
Thank you.
The Lifespring One Year Bible Rewind
is a Lifespring Media production
hosted by Steve Webb,
the OG Godcaster since 2004.