Isaiah 14:12-23 "How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning ! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations ! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of GOD: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the most HIGH. Yet thou shall be brought down to Hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the Earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners ?
All the Kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD. I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts."
Today's text reveals one of the most staggering events in all of history. Think of this -- the wisest, most exquisite creature the LORD had made, the one who guarded the throne of the living GOD, fell into sin (Ezekiel 28:12-19). Consumed with pride, Lucifer succumbed to the temptation of believing that he could become something more than he was (vv.12-14 pictured above). Each of the five "I wills" in these verses indicates that he deemed himself to be superior to his CREATOR. Though a created being, his desire was to be in the dwelling of GOD ("Heaven"), to rule over the angelic realm ("stars of GOD"), to have messianic anointing in GOD's kingdom ("mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north"), to have glory that GOD alone possesses ("heights of the clouds"), and to take the very place of GOD HIMSELF ("be like the most HIGH").
Sin brought down the most incredible being GOD had ever made. Thinking about this horrible event is both humbling and sobering. The mightiest, most beautiful and intelligent of all of GOD's angels took it upon himself to attempt to overthrow his CREATOR by rebelling against HIM. Lucifer sought to be free and independent from the LORD. He even went beyond that desire -- he wanted to replace GOD and planted this thought in Eve's mind when he deceived her in the garden (Genesis 3:5). Because our first parents succumbed to temptation, all of us, as their descendants, are sinners by birth and deed. Isaiah wrote, "All we like sheep have gone astray" (Isaiah 53:6 pictured above). A popular song from a previous generation sums up this sinful, wicked attitude; when contemplating his existence, the famous vocalist declared that he had lived his life "My Way !" GDF
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
Copyright, FEATURE: A Daily Bible Study Guide.
Used with permission. www.featoday.org
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