Isaiah's Vision

By Mary Vee
II Kings, 15, II Chronicles 27, Isaiah 6

From the Journals of the prophet Isaiah

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King Uzziah had died and his son Jotham was crowned king of Judah.

It seemed Jotham had learned from his father's wrong doing (offering incense in the temple), because he was careful not to do the same. I was glad for that.

Jotham worked to rebuilt the Upper Gates of the temple of the Lord and did extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel. He built towns in the Judean hills and forts and towers in the wooded areas. 

Jotham attacked the king of Ammonites and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talents of silver, ten thousand core of wheat and ten thousand core of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years. 

Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.

Unfortunately, the people of Judah continued their corrupt practices.

The year that Jotham's father, king Uzziah, died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted. The train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And they called to each other, saying,

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty

the whole earth is full of his glory."

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 

"Woe is me!" I cried. "I am ruined."

Then one of the seraphs flew to me. "See this has touched your lips. Your guilt is taken away and your sins are paid for."

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send to tell the people my message?" And who will go for us?"

And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

The Lord said, "Tell them my message. They will not listen, though."

"How long will they not listen, Lord?"

"Until the cities are ruined and no one lives there, until the houses are left empty and the fields are ruined, until all the people have been sent far away and the land is totally left alone. And though a tenth of the people will remain in the land, it will not be enough to take care of it.  Still, the few who remain will be a seed to kindle my people."

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1. Who is the new king of Judah?
2. Is he a good king? (One that obeys God)
3. Are the people worshipping God?
4. What does Isaiah see in his vision?
5. What does God ask for?
6. Who will do the job?

The Tree Parable

By Mary Vee
Judges 9

Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon told this parable

to the people of Shechem:

One day a group of trees decided to meet to talk talking about their problems. They shouted, whined and complained.  After several hours, one tree suggested, "Lets appoint a king to rule over us. If we had a king, he could solve our problems." 

The other trees clapped their leaves together. "Great idea! Let's ask Olive to be our king."


Not one of those trees remembered the great Lord God who created every root, trunk, branch, and leaf. 

The leaders of the trees wandered up the hill to speak with Olive.  "We need a king to rule over us. Will you be our king?"


Olive rolled his branches. "Seriously? You want me to stop making olives which are pressed into oil and used to honor God and men and go to sway over sway over trees?  I think not!"


The leaders of the trees lumbered back to the meeting. "He said, 'No.'"

The trees grumbled for a few minutes until one suggested, "Lets ask Fig to be our king."


Once again, not one of those trees remembered the great Lord God who created every root, trunk, branch, and leaf. 


The leaders hiked up the mountain to speak with Fig. "We need a king to rule over us. Please be our king and solve our problems."


Fig smiled and shook his trunk in his usual kind way. "I couldn't stop making sweet figs to be your king. What would the people eat instead of my good fruit?" His branches shook as he gently laughed. "I am not your king."


The leaders of the trees shuffled back to the meeting. "He said, 'No.'"


The trees twiddled their branches for a few minutes until one suggested, "Lets ask Vine to be our king."

Once again, not one of those trees remembered the great Lord God who created every root, trunk, branch, and leaf. 


The leaders of the trees proudly paraded through the valley to speak with Vine. "We need a king to rule over us. You must be our king."


Vine crept toward the tree trunks and wound himself around their trunks. He looked into their knothole eyes. "You want me to stop making juicy grapes which cheers both God and men to sway over you trees?" The vine squeezed a little tighter. "No way."


The leaders tugged free of the vine then trudged back to the meeting. "He said, "No.'"


The trees at the meeting wrung their branches. "Who is left to ask?"


One tree answered, "Let's all go to ask Bramble to be out king."  The trees clapped their leaves to the great idea.


Sadly, not one of those trees remembered the great Lord God who created every root, trunk, branch, and leaf. 


The trees hiked through the swamps to speak with Bramble. "You must come and reign over us!"


Bramble snickered. "If in truth you anoint me as king over you then come and take shelter in my shade. But if not, let fire come to burn all trees."


The trees chose their king.


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1. Why did the trees want a king?
2. Why did Olive tree say, "No"?
3. Why did Fig tree say, "No"?
4. Why did Vine say, "No"?
5. Who did the trees forget and as a result didn't want for their king? 
6. What did the trees choose?


One of Gideon's sons, Abimelech, decided he wanted to be king. He managed to kill all of his brothers except Jotham. He convinced the people of Shechem to make him king. Jotham used this parable to let them know they did not choose wisely.