Category: God’s attributes revealed

God of the Impossible, for Real!

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How do you react to startling news? Do you deny it is even possible? Do you accept it with grace and just absorb it quietly? Do you jump up and down shouting for joy? Each of us reacts to situations in our own way. Zachariah was no different. He had heard and seen the angel. He heard the angel tell him that he and Elizabeth would have a child in their old age and that their son would have a mission for God. But seeing and hearing didn’t register belief. Here is Zachariah’s response to the angel, Luke 1:18-25.

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” 21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

Mary and Joseph had questions for the angels that appeared to them too but their questions did not present doubt in God’s ability to follow through. Zachariah could only think in human terms and knew he and Elizabeth were too old to have a child. He focused on the impossibility of the situation not on the power of God. If he had just thought for a moment before speaking, perhaps he would have remembered Abraham and Sarah who had a child in their extreme old age. Abraham was 100 and Sarah in her 90’s when they had Isaac. God is the god of the impossible and Zachariah forgot that in the moment. The angel rebuked him for his unbelief and said he would not be able to speak until John was born. I think that was probably a long 9 months for Zachariah as he waited expectantly to meet this child God was sending to them. As confirmation that something amazing had happened to Zachariah, the people noticed he was different in addition to not being able to speak. They saw by his demeanor was different and they concluded he had had a vision or an encounter with God. I’m sure Zachariah was able to tell them somehow of his angelic vision and the message he had received.

How big is your God? How capable is He? Do you rule out miracles or pray with faith for divine intervention? Consider the words of Isaiah 40:28-30

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

The God who caused Zachariah to not be able to speak, who created a new life in old bodies for both Zachariah and Elizabeth and Abraham and Sarah is the God who brought Jesus as a babe to bring us unto Himself. God is the god of the impossible. In Matthew 19:26 “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Jesus was talking about being saved from sin. Only God could make that impossibility possible and He did it by sending Jesus.

Thank you Lord for this season filled with hope that reminds us that you are the God of impossible things.

Linda

WOW! Message from God to Zechariah

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The Levites took turns serving in the temple in Jerusalem. Here is what happened to Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, when it was his turn to serve. Luke 1:8-17

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Wow! The angel brought Zechariah heavenly news. Zechariah was afraid as often angelic messengers brought bad news and they were spiritual beings which would frighten anyone. Zechariah was told that he and his aged wife would have child. At their age, this would be a lot to take in and believe as they had tried for many years to have a child. Now at their age, it would be a miracle. This son was to be called John, he would be a joy and a delight- good news to any future parents. He would be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth. In Old Testament times, the Spirit of God came upon people for a certain period of time and then would leave. Since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes upon the believer and indwells them forever. So being told that John would have God’s Spirit from birth was an amazing fact. They were also given information about his future mission for the Lord. He would go out in God’s power and call people to repentance. John was to prepare the way for the long awaited Messiah.

I can’t even imagine getting this news. Zechariah was a devout Jew that loved and served God. The joy Zechariah experienced in knowing he would have a part in God’s plan through his son must have been both humbling and exhilarating. Today I focused on the message the angel brought to John as it speaks of God’s Omniscience and compassion for all mankind. God’s plan of redemption was made and carried out through Jesus because He loved us and desired that we be reconciled to Him. Our sin separates us from Him and there is nothing we can do to remedy this situation. Only God could reconnect us. He sent John to proclaim the coming of Messiah and the message that repentance was needed. They had strayed from God and John was to be the wakeup call to stir the Jewish conscience towards faith once more.

Let this Advent season be a wakeup call of your own to turn to Jesus. Seek Him with a repentant heart and let the words of Ezekiel 36:26 resonate in your heart and mind. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ask God for that new heart, renewed faith and openness to do His will in your life. You will be renewed, rejuvenated and experience renovation in your life as never before.

Linda

‘Immanuel’ Revealed in the Prophecy Candle Today

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During this time of year, we remember specifically different aspects of the Christmas story each Sunday of Advent. The four Sunday’s leading up to Christmas Eve are celebrated by the light of a candle remembering part of the Christmas story. The first is to be lit today. It is the Prophecy candle proclaiming the coming birth of Christ, Isaiah 7:14, and it represents hope. The second is the Bethlehem candle highlighting the manger and coming Christ child, Luke 2:12, and it represent love. The third is the Shepherd’s candle highlighting the announcement to the shepherds of Christ’s birth and it represents joy, Luke 2:8-11. The fourth is the Angel’s candle which represent peace from Luke 2:13-14. The last or center white candle is the Christ candle. This candle is lit on Christmas Eve and represents the arrival of our savior who came to cleanse us from sin, Isaiah 1:18.

Today’s verse from Isaiah was given hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. It is such a specific prophecy that it is amazing. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” From this the Israelites were to expect their Messiah to have a miraculous birth and he would reveal God to them, as his name means ‘God with us’. Since he would be born, he would be a human child, but He would reveal himself as God. He would live with them and it would be as if God himself was with them. I can’t imagine how hopeful and yet confused they must have been to read this over the centuries. As time elapsed, they knew that God had promised them a flesh and blood representative to reveal God among them. It was a hope-filled message for them and for us. Today as we know Jesus came revealing God to all mankind. He died to redeem and reconcile us to God. His resurrection frees us from the bondage to sin and promises eternal life to all who believe in Him.

Today we learn that God is a god of HOPE. He wants us uplifted from our everyday lives with His blessed hope provided in Jesus. Jesus came to bring us hope so we would know ‘Immanuel’, God with us.

May you experience His hope today as you worship Him on this first Sunday of Advent.

Linda

An Unlikely Start to Advent, but A Necessary Perspective

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As we begin the month of December, we turn our focus on Advent and the birth of our Lord and Savior. Each year for the last 10 years I have written each day in December to help bring myself closer to His celebration and truths instead of focusing on the world’s obsession with buying, gift giving and making or saving money. I pray that my blogs will stimulate your thinking and help you to focus on Jesus with your heart, mind and soul. As I look at the various players in the story of the Lord’s coming and His birth, I want to reflect on God and what the story shows us about His character and especially his great love for us.

Today’s thought about God is that He set His Redemptive Plan in motion when sin entered the world. Only Sovereign God could accomplish this for us. He did it by sending His son Jesus.

The story begins in Genesis 3:14-15. Eve had been enticed by the serpent (the devil) into eating from the tree of good and evil which God had forbidden them to eat. She ate and then gave some to Adam so they both were guilty of disobeying God. God spoke to them- the serpent, Eve and Adam and told them the consequences of their actions. So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,

“Cursed are you above all livestock
    and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
    and you will eat dust
    all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
    and you will strike his heel.” These words are the first hint in scripture that there will be trouble between the offspring (Jesus) of the woman and those that do not believe. God is saying that regardless of the problems, Jesus will crush him (Satan and his minions). This will come to a conclusion when Christ returns and all are held accountable before Him. Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place  and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,  in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,  to the glory of God the Father.”

All history is about this struggle over sin and its desire to lure, entice, bind and overcome us so that we will not follow God. The original sin that started in the garden overshadows mankind. That is why when Jesus says in John 8:12  “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” He is showing us a way to leave the darkness brought on by our sin and to walk in His light. Through Jesus, God provides a way for us to be reconciled to Him and get out from under the bondage of sin. Paul exhorts us in Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Faith in Christ frees us from slavery to our sins. John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

So the arrival of Advent bring Christians a time of reflection on all of God’s goodness and the hope of redemption provided by Jesus. We see God’s great love in sending Jesus to save us from our sins. We were in a hopeless state before His coming as there was nothing we could do to get ourselves right with God and erase our sin. We could not be ‘good’ enough to earn God’s favor.

Thank you Jesus for coming.

Linda

Isaiah, What a book! Thank You Lord for Revealing Yourself to Me

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I have been blogging though Isaiah since February 20, two days before the beginning of Lent, until August 31. It has been an experience like no other. If I had thought to do this, I would not have attempted it, but God brought me to it and through it. I decided to go back and reread my blogs and see what impression I had of the entire book from all the pieces. Here are a few things I gleaned:

God keeps His promises about Jesus whether you are looking at his mission, purpose, places, happenings, etc. They are all true. Many were fulfilled when Jesus came but there are some remaining about His return and reign that we can be assured will be true even though they are future to us. We can trust God to fulfill them just as He promised because He has proven Himself trustworthy 100% on all He has given to us. God also included His promises to save, support, comfort, affirm or always have a remnant of believers present. Isaiah is a book filled with God’s promises. Here are a couple for you to review about Jesus. Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 53:3 “He was despised and rejected by mankind,  a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Here are a couple of promises to claim today. Isaiah 40:27-30 “He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.30 Even youths grow tired and weary,  and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord  will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,    they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 49:16 “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;  your walls are ever before me.”

God’s character is revealed in Isaiah as in no other book. Here is a list of attributes I found and I know I missed some. I was so encouraged by this list! God’s glory is revealed in Jesus. God is Eternal, Powerful, Ruler of Heaven and Earth, Creator, Sovereign, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Redeemer, Savior, foundation of our faith, the One and Only God, Holy, Faithful, Merciful, Defender, Just, unfailing in His Love, Restorer, Zealous, Righteous, Father, Prince of Peace, Peace loving Wonderful Counselor and He grieves over our sinfulness. God is the one and only unique God who loves and bestows compassion, mercy, justice, peace, care, help, guidance, faith, joy, hope and rest upon us. I was so amazed at how much I learned or had affirmed about God- who He is and what He does. How much He loves and cares for me and desires that I follow Him. May these words remind you of whom we worship. Isaiah 40:22-28

25 “To whom will you compare me?    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:    Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,    not one of them is missing. 27 Why do you complain, Jacob?    Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord;   my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?    Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God,   the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary,    and his understanding no one can fathom.

Isaiah is also filled with God’s grief over the sins of His people. He points out their rebellion (and ours too) and beckons them to return to Him. He is longsuffering and desires a relationship with us. Isaiah 1:2- 4 “Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth!  This is what the Lord says: “The children I raised and cared for  have rebelled against me. 3 Even an ox knows its owner,
    and a donkey recognizes its master’s care—but Israel doesn’t know its master.    My people don’t recognize my care 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.

What can I take away from this study? God is reliable and keeps His promises. This is a great comfort to me and assures me that my present and future are secure!

God’s is unchanging and I can depend upon His character. His attributes comfort, uplift and guide me. I don’t need to doubt as He is consistent generation to generation. He is unchanging, Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” and Hebrews 6:18 “So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.”

God grieves over my sin and desires a relationship with me. Isaiah 1:18-20 “Come now, let’s settle this,”    says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet,  I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson,   I will make them as white as wool. 19 If you will only obey me,
    you will have plenty to eat. 20 But if you turn away and refuse to listen,
    you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies.     I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Lastly, the phrase that is repeated over and over in Isaiah is God the Holy One of Israel. God’s holiness is seen in contrast to the rebellion and sinfulness of the kings and their people. The way they treated one another and had no respect or love for God is laid out before them. Isaiah does not hold anything back as God is brutally honest and truthful about their sin. We can learn from this and seek Holy God. Come to Him in humility realizing our sinfulness. Isaiah 66:2 God reminds us:

My hands have made both heaven and earth;
    they and everything in them are mine.
    I, the Lord, have spoken! “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,
    who tremble at my word.”

I pray you were blessed by this study.

Linda

Important facts about God

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In Isaiah Chapters 61 and 62, the prophet us a glimpse into God’s love for the city of Jerusalem. He had dwelt in the temple and was present with the people for years. He had left because of their rampant sinfulness but God cherished this city. You can hear the grief in scripture over the destruction of the city that was to come at the hands of the Babylonians. He wanted the exiled Jews to know it was destroyed because of their sinfulness. God wanted to reassure them that He loved Jerusalem and would see it restored and redeemed. He refers to the city as ‘her’ and promises restoration.

Isaiah 62:1-4 “Because I love Zion,
    I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem,   I cannot remain silent.
I will not stop praying for her  until her righteousness shines like the dawn,
    and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
2 The nations will see your righteousness.    World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth.
3 The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
    a splendid crown in the hand of God.

The word pictures of shining, blazing, new name and splendid crown speak of God’s love for this city.

Not only does God love His city, He also loves the people who live within. He promised believers a savior to redeem and purify them.

Isaiah 62:12-13 “The Lord has sent this message to every land:
    “Tell the people of Israel,
‘Look, your Savior is coming.
    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”
12 They will be called “The Holy People”
    and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”
And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”
    and “The City No Longer Forsaken.”

In Chapter 63, Isaiah continues to be reminded of the past, recalling their sins. However, he does not focus upon these facts but proclaims the goodness of God. Keeping the right focus is everything!

Isaiah 63:7-8 “I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love.
    I will praise the Lord for all he has done.
I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel,
    which he has granted according to his mercy and love.” 8 He said, “They are my very own people.
    Surely they will not betray me again.”
    And he became their Savior.

Why is this perspective important? We can see those things that are important to God. The place where God dwells is sacred. In the Old Testament it was in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple. In New Testament times it is within the heart of the believer! God expects us to treat His dwelling place with honor and respect. We are to strive to keep His ways within us. We also see that God loves the believer and rejoices over, claims and seeks to cover them with mercy and love. God considers us His very own!

Just like how God did not give up on the children of Israel, He will not give up on each of us. He seeks to love and bestow mercy and love lavishly upon each of us! Praise God! Thank you Jesus!

Linda

Precious Promises from our Savior

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Isaiah 61 is a chapter filled with encouragement from the coming Messiah. The believers could read it and be filled with hope at his coming. We can read it and know that He is real and the things He promises will come to pass providing a future filled with love, protection, fulfillment and justice. In verses 1-3 we see a picture of what Jesus did for us and continues to do for us through faith in Him.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
    for the Lord has anointed me Jesus preached to the poor in spirit-
    to bring good news to the poor. the good news of salvation.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
    and to proclaim that captives will be released Faith in Jesus brings comfort and freedom
    and prisoners will be freed. from the bondage of sin.
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
    that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, Jesus brings comfort to those who
    and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. mourn over their sins.
 To all who mourn in Israel,
    he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, Sorrow of sin will be turned to gladness in Christ.
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
    festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks Through Jesus’ righteousness we will
    that the Lord has planted for his own glory. mature and bring Him glory.

As the chapter continues, Messiah promises hope: verses 3,7 use the word instead of____

 3 instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor. 7 Instead of your shame
    you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy will be yours.

In addition to these promises God says in verse 8, “For I, the Lord, love justice;
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
    and make an everlasting covenant with them.“

What do these verse teach us about God? He loves us and desires to provide for us abundantly. He desires to turn sorrow into gladness. He desires go give us a double portion and provide us with everlasting joy! God loves justice and will be eternally faithful to us who love and trust in Him. What a marvelous God in which we can put our faith and trust! We are so blessed.

Isaiah 61:10 concludes this chapter and is the perfect response to God’s blessed provision for us. I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

May your heart be filled with His glorious promises.

Linda

Unshakable with God!

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After telling us to not be afraid in Isaiah 54:4-5, the Lord explains the brief punishment the Israelites will suffer. It may have seemed to them that God was abandoning or turning His back on them. Isaiah 54:7-9

“For a brief moment I abandoned you,
    but with great compassion I will take you back.
8 In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while.
    But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
    says the Lord, your Redeemer. 9 “Just as I swore in the time of Noah
    that I would never again let a flood cover the earth,
so now I swear
    that I will never again be angry and punish you.

It may seem to you too, that you are being abandoned, and are not loved and cared for by God. But God promises that He loves us with an everlasting love. He makes promises to us that He alone can and will keep. God keeps all of His promises! See how God concludes this conversation in verse 10.

“For the mountains may move
    and the hills disappear,
but even then my faithful love for you will remain.
    My covenant of blessing will never be broken,”
    says the Lord, who has mercy on you.”

God promises no matter how things appear His faithful love remains placed upon us. His word and His new covenant through Jesus will not be broken. He always has love and mercy for us.

What do we know about God’s love and mercy? His Love– In Ephesians 6:16-18 Paul explains God’s love to the Ephesian Christians, “ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” Psalm 23:6 by King David, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” From Daniel in Daniel 9:4, “I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands.” His Mercy– It is God’s decision who will receive His mercy. Romans 9:15-16 explains God’s position. “ For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose,  and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” 16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.” Mercy and love are part of God’s character, attributes of His, Psalm 86:15 “But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” We can ask God for His mercy. David repeatedly asks God for mercy as in Psalm 25:16 “Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress.” In Daniel 9:8, Daniel pleads for mercy for the nation of Israel who were in captivity in Babylon, “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.” Paul explains in Ephesians 2:4-5 how God’s mercy towards us led to our salvation, “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)’

Isaiah 54:10 is a verse we can claim and hold onto in our lives. No matter what is happening around us we can count on God’s love and mercy. He delivers on His promises!

Linda

Good News from God Brings Hope and Joy

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Before we get into the 4th and final song about Messiah, I cannot skip the beautiful words of Isaiah 52:7-12. Isaiah is excited about the coming return of the Jews to Judah, after their time of captivity, and it foreshadows Christ’s 1st and 2nd coming. The immeasurable joy and hope that the returns bring are mirrored here.

“How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of the messenger who brings good news,
the good news of peace and salvation,
    the news that the God of Israel reigns! Just as the people await the messengers with battle news in ancient days, similarly they are to wait expectantly for the return from captivity and the coming Messiah.
8 The watchmen shout and sing with joy,
    for before their very eyes
    they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem. The arrival will be greeted with great joy and rejoicing. They will see it for themselves!
9 Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song,
    for the Lord has comforted his people.
    He has redeemed Jerusalem. When they return from Babylon, they will find things in ruins but their comfort will come from the Lord. They will see the hope and possibilities in it.


10 The Lord has demonstrated his holy power
    before the eyes of all the nations.
All the ends of the earth will see
    the victory of our God. The miraculous return to Jerusalem by the Jewish captives was only something that could have been provided by God’s hand. He caused Cyrus the ruler of Persia to look favorably on the Jews and provide them what they needed to return and rebuilt. Similarly, Jesus’s coming to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday just as prophesied and his ultimate return at the end of the age are provided by God alone. 11 Get out! Get out and leave your captivity,
    where everything you touch is unclean.
Get out of there and purify yourselves,
    you who carry home the sacred objects of the Lord. They were to return for their fresh start with hope in their hearts and carrying the sacred objects that Nebuchadnezzar took when they were taken into captivity. God had preserved them from the time they were taken until Cyrus ordered them returned! 12 You will not leave in a hurry,
    running for your lives.
For the Lord will go ahead of you;
    yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind. When God is directing our pathways, we do not need to run in fear for we have His promise that He is with us 24/7, ahead and He also has our backs!

I pray these images from our promise keeping God remind and encourage you today that He is with us always, He has our backs, He had a plan for the Jews who languished in Babylon and He has a plan for us. He will not forget us because we are His. Reflect on belonging to Him. Psalm 100:3 “Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his;  we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.“

Linda

Isaiah-Song #3 Servant’s Obedience

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Song #1 introduced God’s Messiah as the chosen Servant in Isaiah 42:1-9, Song #2 spoke of Messiah’s mission in Isaiah 49:1-13, Song #3 today speaks of Messiah’s obedience in Isaiah 50:4-11 and #4 to come will talk about Messiah’s suffering in Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

The Lord’s Obedient Servant Isaiah 50:4-11

4 The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
    so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
    and opens my understanding to his will.
5 The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me,
    and I have listened.
    I have not rebelled or turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me
    and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.
I did not hide my face
    from mockery and spitting. The servant to come would be obedient and responsive to God unlike the Israelites. He listed and offered himself for suffering at the hands of men. These actions point to the fulfillment in Matthew 27:26 and 30 by Jesus. “So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.” 30 And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it.”

7 Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
    I will not be disgraced.
Therefore, I have set my face like a stone,
    determined to do his will.
    And I know that I will not be put to shame.
8 He who gives me justice is near.
    Who will dare to bring charges against me now?
Where are my accusers?
    Let them appear!
9 See, the Sovereign Lord is on my side!
    Who will declare me guilty?
All my enemies will be destroyed
    like old clothes that have been eaten by moths! We are reminded here of the resoluteness of Jesus as shown in Luke 9:51 “As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Later in prayer he became resolved to the Father’s will. Luke 26:42-46 “Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”

10 Who among you fears the Lord
    and obeys his servant?
If you are walking in darkness,
    without a ray of light,
trust in the Lord
    and rely on your God.
11 But watch out, you who live in your own light
    and warm yourselves by your own fires.
This is the reward you will receive from me:
    You will soon fall down in great torment. Isaiah ends this song with a warning. If you fear the Lord and walk with Him, you will see and experience the Light His light shown to the world in Christ Jesus. It calls for trust and reliance upon God. If you seek to live by your own power and light, beware as your rewards will lead you to great downfall and eternal death. Remember Romans 3:23 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” and Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The suffering of the Obedient Servant of God, Messiah, Jesus Christ, would be great. This suffering is further shown in the 4th Song of the Suffering Servant. During this Season of Lent, let us reflect on the suffering of our Lord Jesus and sing a song of praise to Him for all He accomplished on the cross and to God the Father for vindicating Him by raising Him from the dead. Victory in Jesus!


Linda

I love this old hymn- it never disappoints. I smile as I consider the victory I have in Jesus.