Author: nofearlinda

I am a retired public school teacher that has developed a love of writing. God has lead me to write after many years of study and a life full of experiences. God has shown Himself faithful as I desire to share His love and unlimited character with others. Besides writing, I love to quilt, cook, garden and travel. I enjoy spending time with my grandson, friends and family.

Light or Dark, Another Choice Jesus Gives

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A stunningly beautiful portion of scripture is before us in Chapter 9 of Isaiah. We’ll go thought it slowly so we can absorb and appreciate all God has for us. Isaiah speaks poetically about the coming Messiah giving wonderful insights into this Savior who is to come.

Isaiah 9:1-5

Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. The people in northern Israel from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali suffered greatly when the Assyrian attacked in 734-732 B.C. God is encouraging them that their time of suffering will not go on forever but will be followed by a time when God will bestow glory and honor on their region around Galilee. This of course refers to Jesus and his ministry centered in the region of Galilee and Capernaum where he spent a great deal of time ministering with his disciples.

2 The people who walk in darkness
    will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
    a light will shine. They were a people in darkness and Jesus will be the great light that comes to live and walk among them! He will shine his light of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles. Praise God as we too benefit from that light given long ago.

3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
    and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest
    and like warriors dividing the plunder. The nation of believers will be multiplied by Jesus which it was when Jesus invited both Jews and Gentiles to be a part of the family of God.
4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery
    and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod,
    just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
5 The boots of the warrior
    and the uniforms bloodstained by war
will all be burned.
    They will be fuel for the fire. God promised to break the yoke of slavery to sin and oppression. He gives victory so there is always hope in Him.

This prophecy of Messiah’s coming as a light to the world that would be centered in Galilee and Capernaum shows the specificity of God’s prophecies. He gave the where and what this message would be about. This prophecy in verse 1-2 is quoted again in Matthew 4:14-16. Matthew gives us the details in verse 13 of how Jesus came to that region. “Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— . The idea of Jesus being a light to and for mankind in relation to God was stated by John the Baptist in John 1:9 “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” Jesus confirmed he was the true light in John 8:12 “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Amazingly, God gave the place where Messiah’s ministry would be centered and the results of that ministry – bringing light to a people in darkness. Those who believe in Jesus are called out of darkness into His light. 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” God also promised to break their yoke of slavery which He did by sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Hebrews 10;10 “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Jesus paid for our sins so we can live in His light. Paul puts it this way in Romans 10:10 “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” These prophecies were given 600 years before Christ was born. God is amazing, Sovereign and Omniscient!

How does this speak to us today during this Lenten Season? We need to ask ourselves if we are availing ourselves of His light in our lives. Do we see His truth as light? Do we pursue His truth and light in His Word daily? God was specific about where Jesus’ ministry would be centered. Have you asked yourself where your ministry is centered? Do you purposefully seek to influence those around you for Jesus? Are you asking God to increase your area of influence? God has you where you are for a certain purpose. Don’t let it be wasted. Focus and be intentional about sharing Jesus with those around you. Lastly, keep repentance in mind as Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for our sin by dying on the cross. Am I taking advantage of the relationship Jesus made possible with God? How can I seek to deepen that relationship and make it more applicable to my every day life?

As you marvel at God’s intentional words included in Isaiah that were to give hope to the Jews and to us as well, let these facts grow your faith and trust in who God is, what He knows and what He does on your behalf.

Linda

God Gives Us Choices, Choose LIFE in Him

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As so often happens God gave Isaiah prophesies that ran one into another. Isaiah 8:11-13 pertains to King Ahaz and God desiring that they look to Him, trust in Him and not worry or fear their enemies. Isaiah 8:14-15 were about the coming Messiah. Verse 16 was addressed to Isaiah’s disciples or those who would take care of his teachings or would be preserving them so prophesy could be verified. Verses 17-18 were again referring to Messiah. Prophesy is complex but we have the benefit of seeing from the future and can see how these all played out.

In verses 14-15 we see opposition to the Messiah’s message. He will be a holy place;
    for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
    a trap and a snare.
15 Many of them will stumble;
    they will fall and be broken,
    they will be snared and captured.” The coming Messiah, Jesus, was/is to be the cornerstone of their lives and ours or He will be something they/we would stumble over. He is either the solution or the problem. The New Testament disciples saw Jesus as the foundation of their faith. Ephesians 2:19-20 “ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” Many of the Pharisees and other religious leaders opposed Jesus. They stumbled over His truth and light from God. Luke 11:53“When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions,” Their opposition lead to his crucifixion and condemnation. They led the people to cry “Crucify Him” and demanded he be put to death. As Isaiah prophesied, this Jesus would be the solution to our sin and separation from God problem or He would be something we’d question, desire that he’d be gone from our lives or even wish Him into non-existence.

The next verse in this prophesy was aimed at those following Isaiah. Perhaps they were the recorders of the prophesy and he wanted to make sure they wrote it down so it could be authenticated when the events came to pass. He wanted God’s words affirmed as always true! Verse 16 “Bind up this testimony of warning and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples.”

Verses 17-18 bring us back to Messiah. 17 I will wait for the Lord,  who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.” 18 Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion. The author of Hebrews applied these verses to Messiah, Christ, in Hebrews 2:13 “Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion. “ Jesus was the ultimate example of trusting faith and that those who believed in Him were given to Him by the Father. He called them his children and his friends.

What do you take away from these verses?

** Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith and you have to chose to build upon Him and His truths or not.

**Many reject Jesus as the Son of God and stumble over His truth, love and redemption.

**God’s words to Isaiah were authenticated, showing God keeps His promises.

**Jesus is our prime example of trusting faith and those who follow Him are claimed by Him as His children and friends.

Which is it for you? Do you claim Jesus as the author and founder of your faith, the chief cornerstone upon which everything is built? Or do you deny He is God and ignore His teachings and truth? You can’t have it both ways. He is either a building block or untruth, lies and deceit. God created us with free will and leaves this crucial choice to us. We either choose life or death. Moses’ words from Deuteronomy 30:19 still ring true. “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”

As we continue to see in Isaiah, Christ is the Holy one, the Only one, who can Save us.

Linda

No Fear, just Trust in Almighty God!

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Today’s passage is from Isaiah 8:11-13. God is giving words of warning and advice to King Ahaz through his prophet Isaiah.

11 This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people:

12 “Do not call conspiracy
    everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,
    and do not dread it.
13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
    he is the one you are to fear,
    he is the one you are to dread.

In this passage God is seeking to turn the king and his people to Himself. He is desiring that they see Him as the one to be feared and not the neighbors or the enemies that surround them. Their hope and salvation rests in the Lord Almighty. Here are some lessons and truths I gleaned from this passage about God that can and do apply to our lives:

*God wants me to rely on Him alone. No alliance or compromises are needed to defeat my enemies. God alone is sufficient.

*Knowing God, I do not need to fear the world and circumstances like non-believers do.

*God is holy.

*My reverence (fear) should be reserved for God alone.

*God will literally trip up my enemies and defeat them.

*God is my refuge.

Ask yourself today- do I see my circumstances through God or God through my circumstances? Do I believe Deuteronomy 31:6 wholeheartedly or not? “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Take a leap of faith today and seek to live by God’s Words to Isaiah. No fear allowed. Replace that fear with trust in God. He will not let you down and He will see you through.

Linda

Immanuel, God with Us!

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We learned that in Isaiah 7 the enemies of Judah were marching towards Jerusalem. Isaiah had prophesied before King Ahaz that the enemy would not be victorious. They were to stand firm in faith and believe and trust God for this victory. Isaiah then told Ahaz to ask God for a confirmation sign. Ahaz refused to ask God saying he did not want to test God. Isaiah chastized Ahaz for not wanting a word of prophecy from the Lord. This prophesy was meant to convince Ahaz that God could indeed rescue him from his enemies and to grow his faith. The prophesy is one of the major prophesies about Jesus and what would happen to Ahaz and Judah in their near future. Isaiah 7:14-17

14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). 

This prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled in Matthew 1:20-23 which was given to Joseph.

 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

I was also fulfilled in Luke 1:26-31 which was given to Mary:

 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.“

Scripture records the actual birth of Mary’s baby in Luke 2: 4-7 in the ‘Christmas Story’.

 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Isaiah’s prophecy contained both events near to their present time and one that would not occur for another 600 years! Prophecy is often given this way and time alone helps us to discern what is close and what is far away. However, whether it is near or far, all of it is absolutely true. Here is the remainder of the prophecy from verses 15-17 that tell of the coming destruction of the land by Israel’s enemies. This destruction of the kings mentioned was also foretold in Amos 1:3-5 and Jeramiah 7:15.

15 By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt and honey. 16 For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted. 17 “Then the Lord will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you!”

The prophecy that Isaiah gave from God about the coming Messiah was to bring hope to all Israelites. It was show that there would be a miraculous coming of ‘God with us’. This child would be a miracle of birth sent by God. Since the only God with us the Israelites were familiar with was God’s indwelling of the temple and the tabernacle before that, this would have been a gigantic revelation. It was to change the course of human history. Never before had God dwelt with his believers in bodily form. Ahaz did not want a sign from God but the sign God gave was definitely one we would not want to turn down. It was a sign that would change the course of history.

As I close this section of prophecy from Isaiah, I am blessed by God’s words of hope and deliverance that Messiah would bring. On this side of the cross, we see the effect Jesus had on humanity and how he was indeed God with us! My faith is strengthened in that God knew what his plan was to save all mankind through Jesus the Son and he gave us this prophecy to help us see that He is indeed Sovereign and Omniscient. He is the one that has a plan that will not be thwarted by the events of any age and His will will prevail. I pray that seeing the prophecy fulfilled from verse 14 increases your faith.

One other thought, Ahaz did not want a word from God for whatever reason. I can’t imagine anyone would not want to hear something from God. I had to ask myself though, am I listening to God and hearing His messages to me? Do I welcome His revelations? Do I treat God’s Word with reverence and respect? When I study and read God’s Word, am I looking for His messages to me? His whole book is a love story to me and for me, do I see that? May you look with fresh eyes as you read and study His Word during this Lenten Season.

Meditating on verse 14, may you welcome Jesus into your life today and let Him be ‘God with you’. You will be blessed.

Linda

A Practical Application for All of Us!

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God’s grace is shown in the following events. They occurred during the reign of King Ahaz which was a time of great disobedience by Judah. God sent Isaiah to give Ahaz a message of deliverance and hope. The two smoldering stumps that Isaiah mentions are Kings Rezin and Arman who had allied together with Ephraim and Ramaliah’s son to come against Israel in battle. They were so sure of victory that they had even decided whom they would put in charge after winning. Here is what happened. Isaiah 7:1-9

Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. 4 Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘It will not take place,
    it will not happen,
8 for the head of Aram is Damascus,
    and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
Within sixty-five years
    Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
    and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,
    you will not stand at all.’”

Not only did God say that their enemies would be defeated but that in Ephraim would be a shattered people. What do we learn about Almighty God from this scene?

  • God is Sovereign and knows what will happen and what will not happen!
  • When in CRISIS:
  • God wants me to be careful, not reckless in my actions or impatient
  • Be calm and not fretful, worried or overcome with fear, no panic allowed!
  • To be committed to Him, TRUST in Him
  • To not lose heart and stand committed to Him!

God was seeking to teach them a practical lesson through Isaiah that HE ALONE can Save! God is the one to be trusted with our life problems. He always has an answer for every problem. God ALONE is GOD, There is no other! Ahaz would be assured of victory in an overwhelming situation if he listened to God and trusted Him. Can’t that be said of our lives too? Learning to walk in trust, depending upon our Savior is a lifelong journey. Take heed of the lessons God wanted to teach them about how to act during a crisis. They are ones we can use today with just the same results = victory in Jesus.

Linda

God is Worthy of All our Praises this 1st Sunday of Lent 2023

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In this week’s blogs in Isaiah, I have been reminded over and over of the power and might, the majesty and holiness of our God. Isaiah was privileged to see His throne room, his train, and the Seraphs as they praised God with their voices. He was cleansed by God’s holy fire and spoken to by Almighty God. He was given a mission and accepted it willingly. Today as you worship ponder the holiness of God. Here in Psalm 46 the psalmist seeks to capture the majesty of God in words.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come
    and the mountains crumble into the sea.
3 Let the oceans roar and foam.
    Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude

4 A river brings joy to the city of our God,
    the sacred home of the Most High.
5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
    From the very break of day, God will protect it.
6 The nations are in chaos,
    and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders,
    and the earth melts!
7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
    the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude (Isaiah mentioned the Seraphs were calling out

to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, Holy, Holy, Holy!)

8 Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
    See how he brings destruction upon the world.
9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
    He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.”

11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
    the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude

The presence of God calls for our praises and our reverence. As verse 10 says, be still and know that I am God! If we listen and look around, we will see that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is among us. He is in control and Sovereign over this world and the next. He is Sovereign over heavens and earth. He is worth of all our praises!

Enjoy the 1st Sunday of Lent.

Linda

Doom to Bloom, God’s desired way for Us

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The book of Isaiah is filled with prophesies pointing the people of Judah to their near future along with the distant future. The amazing thing about these is we can see many of them already fulfilled in their history and in Christ’s coming. Along with these are prophesies that are still future to us. We can see God keeps His promises, and we can look forward with hope to the future outlined for us in scripture.

In today’s passage from Isaiah 5 we have a series of ‘Woes’ delivered by Isaiah to the people of Israel. He gives God’s the charges against them and the result of their disobedience. The Message translation uses the word doom which I think aptly describes their problems.

5:8 Doom to you who buy up all the houses
    and grab all the land for yourselves—
Evicting the old owners,
    posting no trespassing signs,

5:11 Doom to those who get up early
    and start drinking booze before breakfast,
Who stay up all hours of the night
    drinking themselves into a stupor.

5:18 Doom to you who use lies to sell evil,

5:20 Doom to you who call evil good
    and good evil,
Who put darkness in place of light
    and light in place of darkness,
Who substitute bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter!

5:21 Doom to you who think you’re so smart,
    who hold such a high opinion of yourselves!

These warnings were given about 100 years before the destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of the Jews to Babylon. If we look at each one- these same accusations could be leveled against people in our day. Sin is sin – it has not changed over the centuries. What has changed is the ‘fix’ for our sinful condition. Jesus came to bring light, hope and redemption for our sin sick souls. We do not have to settle for treating others poorly, being addicted, wallowing in evil and lies, doing evil instead of good and over thinking ourselves! Jesus came to save us from our sins and call us to repentance. He came to provide a way for us to rid ourselves of these sinful habits and replace them with justice, mercy and hope. Christ is the Holy one, the Only one, who can Save us. Cling to that truth and place your hope in Him. God keeps His promises and we’ll see his plan of redemption unfold in the next chapters as we receive prophesy after prophecy about Messiah, our Savior.

I love the words of Micah 6:8 which stand in contrast to these woes in Isaiah 5. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
  And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
 and to walk humbly with your God.” These words and actions lead to life, hope and blessings from God. God wants so much more for us than the Woe’s of the world.

Linda

Awed by Almighty God

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Isaiah began his ministry with a dramatic call from God. He was commissioned by God to be his authentic voice to a people who had fallen into sinful ways. They had abandoned the worship of the one true God for worthless wooden and stone idols. They had traded the powerful for the impotent and the majestic creator for poles or statues made by man. The scene of Isaiah’s vision is recorded in Isaiah Chapter 6 verses 1-8

It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 They were calling out to each other,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
    The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.

5 Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

What hits you first in this heavenly scene? I was struck by the other worldly creatures that were flying around proclaiming the holiness of Almighty God. They covered their faces with their wings as they could not even look upon the glory of God. Perhaps the feet were covered as the feet touch the ground and might be considered dirty. Seraphim are not mentioned elsewhere in scripture so we can assume they are heavenly creatures tasked with honoring holy God. Can you even imagine the sound of their voices that were loud enough to shake the rafters! Smoke has been associated with God’s presence when he appeared to the Israelites at Mt Sinai, Exodus 19:18 “All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire.” Fire is also associated with the presence of the Holy Spirit and baptism by Jesus, Matthew 3:11b “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” The other image that assailed me was the fact that the train of God’s robe filled the temple. It must be massive and He needs no one or nothing to help Him manage it. He has it under control and the majesty of this swirling robe fills my mind as a majesty and wonder.

When Isaiah first took this all in, the first thing he realized was his own sinfulness. Being confronted by the purity of Holy God illuminates all areas of darkness within us. The Seraphs realized his dilemma, being sinful in God’s presence was not allowed, and immediately took action. One appeared with a burning coal to take care of the problem of Isaiah’s sin. The coal touching his lips cleansed him and took away his sin leaving him forgiven and free from guilt. We can only imagine how clean and pure Isaiah must have felt and how privileged to be alive in the presence of Almighty God. Once sin was gone, God spoke to Isaiah and presented his mission request. He did not order Isaiah to go but asked if he would be willing to go. God created Isaiah with free will and God wanted him to desire to follow Him. Isaiah would need the resolve of his own will to preserve in his God given mission. God knew the times ahead would be difficult and God needed him willing and fully engaged.

How are you feeling as Lent begins? Are you ready and willing to engage in a soul-filled journey of self-reflection? Are you looking to see God more clearly, repent more fully and believe in Him more completely? Take a lesson from Isaiah as we begin this journey. Look to God, see your sinfulness in his presence and release it to Him. Accept his full cleansing and open your heart and mind to what God is calling you to do. It might be in your home, workplace, church or community. May your response be the same as Isaiah, “Here I am Lord! Send me!” He will give you what you need to see it through just as he did Isaiah.

Linda

Let this NOT be you! Have a clean heart before God!

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Isaiah begins in the first chapter listing Judah’s sins against God. What were they doing that was so offensive to Holy God? Here are a few specifics the Lord gives to Isaiah:

Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth!
    This is what the Lord says:
“The children I raised and cared for
    have rebelled against me. REBELLION against God who has lovingly cared for them.

4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are—
    loaded down with a burden of guilt.
They are evil people,
    corrupt children who have rejected the Lord.
They have despised the Holy One of Israel
    and turned their backs on him. They have regarded God with contempt, scorn and turned away from Him.

12 When you come to worship me,
    who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?
13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts;
    the incense of your offerings disgusts me!
As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath
    and your special days for fasting—
they are all sinful and false. Their worship was filled with ceremony but not sincerity.
    I want no more of your pious meetings. Their offerings and special celebrations were meaningless.

In what ways do your sins mirror those of the people of Judah? Are you rebelling against God and denying your faith? Are you treating God with contempt or scorning His ways? Are you just going about the motions of worship? Are you seeking to bargain with God and offer meaningless actions to Him? Let your heart be clean before Him and confess your sins. He desires to create a clean heart within you.

Isaiah adds that if it was not for the mercy of God there would have been devastation like Sodom and Gomorrah. God tires of their sinfulness and admonishes them to ‘straighten up and fly right’ so to speak in verses 16-17.

16 Wash yourselves and be clean!
    Get your sins out of my sight.
    Give up your evil ways.
17 Learn to do good.
    Seek justice.
Help the oppressed.
    Defend the cause of orphans.
    Fight for the rights of widows

These straight forward verses lay out how God desires that we are to relate to Him and act towards others. Just like Isaiah in Chapter 6 had to be clean and have his sins forgiven to come before Holy God, so it is with us. To be in a relationship with God, to do God’s work and show His love to others we need to be clean! The only way to do that is through Jesus. Just as Jesus cleansed the leper in Matthew 8:3 “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.” Jesus’ touch will clean your willing heart and erase your sins. Christ is the Holy one, the Only one, who can Save us. Seek his touch and repent of your sins. Remember this from Lamentations 3:22 and be encouraged. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning;  great is your faithfulness.”

Each day is a new day with the Lord. He will forgive you and help you start anew with Him. Enjoy this wonderful song by Michael W Smith about the heart of worship. May you worship be sincere and uplift you into the very presence of God.

Linda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPC22XHc8tQ

Isaiah, the Man who Saw it All

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As we begin our journey through Isaiah, I want to talk about the man, Isaiah, so we can better understand who he was and the struggles he faced as God’s spokesperson/messenger. Isaiah 1:1 “These are the visions that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He saw these visions during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.” Isaiah was the son of Amoz not to be confused with the prophet Amos. It is thought that he was related to King Amaziah who was his uncle. Isaiah often had easy access to the palace and the kings so his ‘royal’ status would have helped him navigate the royal maze of things. Considering his message from God that Judah was sinning and needed to repent, he might not have been the most popular fellow in the palace. He served God during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah and Manasseh. They reigned in Judah from 792-642 B.C. He began his ministry in the year King Uzziah died according to Isaiah 6:1 and continue for 58 years. He was married and had 2 sons which the Lord named. It is thought that he is the prophet referenced in Hebrews 11:37 “Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword.” He was thought to have been sawed in half by King Manasseh.

Isaiah came with a message of repentance as Judah had been sinning against God and definitely not walking by the 10 Commandments. They had fallen into idolatry and followed practices of the nations around them. Kings Uzziah and Jotham sought to follow the Lord but still allowed the high places and idols to remain. King Ahaz went into complete idolatry and wickedness during his reign of 16 years. Hezekiah was a godly man and sought to rid Judah of the high places with idols and bring the people back to worshiping God. He did have his moments though and Isaiah was right there seeking to point him back to the Lord. Manasseh was the final king under which Isaiah prophesied and he was totally evil. He erected idols to Baal and put up Asherah poles. He practiced sorcery, astrology, and divination. He even sacrificed his own sons to the gods. He did much to provoke the Lord’s anger during his 55 on the throne. It is no wonder that Isaiah message of God’s anger over their sin and their need to repent before Holy God was not welcomed in the palace and the nation. He foretold of their deportation to Babylon as well as the coming of a Messiah that would redeem all mankind. His messages gave hope to the later exiled Jews as they suffered in Babylon and to us as we await the return of King Jesus.

As you accept the ashes on your forehead today and look forward to a time of repentance leading up to Holy Week and Easter, may you prayerfully consider the messages Isaiah in regard to your own sin. May you look and feel his messages of hope as he speaks of the magnificence of Holy God, the only one who can save us. May the prophesies in his book lead you to a deeper faith in Jesus and His mission. Christ is the Holy one, the Only one, who can Save us.

Looking forward to this journey and what God will teach me.

Linda

You can read about these king in 2 Kings 15-21. The story goes between the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. The northern kingdom was taken into exile by Assyria during Hezekiah’s reign leaving only the people of Judah. After one more good king, Josiah, the rest of the kings lead Judah back into idolatry and they are deported to Babylon in 3 phases ending with the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. You can read about this in 2 Kings 22-25.