Hi Brian! The word for this week is "abolish". It's found only once in the Bible. Isaiah 2:17-18: 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. 18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish. KJV
This is the Hebrew word "chalaph". Strong's Concordance says: to slide by; to hasten away; to pass on; to spring up; to pierce; to change. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon adds: to pass through; to grow up; to go on from; to overstep; to transgress; to alter; to renew. In this instance the word is telling us that in the last days the Lord will be exalted as LORD and HE will get rid of all idols that people had been putting in the place in their lives that only HE deserves. That day is coming sooner than we even realize, but it will be all and only GOOD! To be rid of all that exalts itself against the One, True God will be glorious! One thing that I particularly love about God's Word is that it can have both positive and negative connotations, depending on the use. Vine's Expository Dictionary says that the Hebrew word "chalaph" also means to renew, as in Isaiah 40:31 and Isaiah 41:1: 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. KJV 41 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment KJV
My personal take on all of this is that there WILL be a day when God alone will be ruling and reigning, with us right with Him. Until that day, though, WE can have His will and His way in our lives by our own decision to put aside anything and everything that would be contrary to His Word and His will and to keep HIM first place in our lives. As we do that, we will be walking in His blessing even in the midst of chaos, as we see going on right now! Yes, some things are different, but we have had more blessings pour into our lives now than ever before! GOD is GOOD! All the time! Here are Hillsong Kids with the perfect song for this! "My Number One":
