Isa 34:16 | KingComments | STEP | Isaiah tells his audience – and us who are reading this now – to seek all these things “from the book of the LORD, and read” in it ( ). Isaiah is aware that what he writes is the word of the LORD. Anyone who reads in this book will discover that everything that His mouth has commanded has happened exactly as is said. This can already be seen in creation: “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” ( ). Nothing is missing, nothing is lacking. In exactly the same way His prophetic word will be fulfilled. Each fulfillment will correspond to previous prophecies. He has determined by lot ( ) that His people will own the land and He has determined its division ( ; cf. ). Again, He has determined by lot that the wild beasts will receive Edom as hereditary property. So and no otherwise, they will own it and live there forever. He Who governs creation and cares for His creatures is the same Who will carry out every detail of the promise of His Word, in which He cannot be thwarted. The exhortation to search and read in the Word of God is also addressed to us. It shows that we must make an effort to learn the truth of God’s Word. It is not just reading, but seeking and reading. The Word must be studied. We must learn to discover its coherence. What applies to the prophetic word, namely that no part or verse stands all on its own, but must be read and compared with other parts or verses ( ), applies to every truth in the Bible. God’s Word forms a perfectly coherent whole. The exhortation to seek and read should not be interpreted in such a way that it is intended only for intellectuals. The heart of every child of God will be touched by this, and will have a desire to seek and read, both personally and together with others ( ; ; ).

‏ Isaiah 34:16

The Book of the LORD

Isaiah tells his audience – and us who are reading this now – to seek all these things “from the book of the LORD, and read” in it (Isa 34:16). Isaiah is aware that what he writes is the word of the LORD. Anyone who reads in this book will discover that everything that His mouth has commanded has happened exactly as is said. This can already be seen in creation: “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psa 33:9). Nothing is missing, nothing is lacking.

In exactly the same way His prophetic word will be fulfilled. Each fulfillment will correspond to previous prophecies. He has determined by lot (Num 26:55-56) that His people will own the land and He has determined its division (Isa 34:17; cf. Deu 32:8). Again, He has determined by lot that the wild beasts will receive Edom as hereditary property. So and no otherwise, they will own it and live there forever. He Who governs creation and cares for His creatures is the same Who will carry out every detail of the promise of His Word, in which He cannot be thwarted.

The exhortation to search and read in the Word of God is also addressed to us. It shows that we must make an effort to learn the truth of God’s Word. It is not just reading, but seeking and reading. The Word must be studied. We must learn to discover its coherence. What applies to the prophetic word, namely that no part or verse stands all on its own, but must be read and compared with other parts or verses (2Pet 1:20), applies to every truth in the Bible. God’s Word forms a perfectly coherent whole.

The exhortation to seek and read should not be interpreted in such a way that it is intended only for intellectuals. The heart of every child of God will be touched by this, and will have a desire to seek and read, both personally and together with others (Jn 5:39; Acts 2:42 ; Acts 17:11; 2Tim 2:2).