Set Apart as an Offering to God (Isaiah 34)

Isaiah 34 speaks of being set apart as an offering to God in a negative sense.  That is, Isaiah sees that the nations will become their own sacrifice for sin slaughtered by the sword of the Lord.  The nations are devoted to the Lord for destruction as an offering — they are given over for sacrificial slaughter.  The teaching of Scripture about a final judgment and about hell are somewhat of a stumbling block for Americans.  Only 61% according to a CNN poll believe that bin Laden is in hell.  The reason these things are a stumbling block for many Americans is that we like to think that we are pretty good people (esp compared to bin Laden) and so God would not want us to be sacrificially slaughtered.  But Jesus was devoted to destruction as an offering.  You can yourself be devoted to destruction as an offering to God or Jesus was the sacrificial slaughter offered for your sins.

New audio link.