October 22, 2020

 Hello 

Thursday

Isaiah name means "The Lord is my Salvation"

God reminds us that there is none like him. 

We discover the full dimension of God's salvation and his judgement. 

Despite their shortcomings God still rescues and has compassion on his people. Can you count how many times he had to rescue them? In the book of Psalms we lose count on how many times he had to rescue King David. We all know the reason why they needed rescuing but let us focus on the fact that he rescued them. He also tells them, "I will help you." 

 He is telling people who have fallen short I will help you. He is telling the same people (Israel) you are my chosen Servant. 

Isaiah 49 

The Servant of the Lord

 Listen to me, you islands;

    hear this, you distant nations:

Before I was born the Lord called me;

    from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.

 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,

    in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me into a polished arrow

    and concealed me in his quiver.

 He said to me, “You are my servant,

    Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”

But I said, “I have labored in vain;

    I have spent my strength for nothing at all.

Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,

    and my reward is with my God.”

 And now the Lord says—

    he who formed me in the womb to be his servant

to bring Jacob back to him

    and gather Israel to himself,

for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord

    and my God has been my strength—

 he says:

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant

    to restore the tribes of Jacob

    and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,

    that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

His love reaches as far as needed. His understanding and knowledge is beyond our grasp. We can only agree with it. I agree because I believe in him the person. I believe that he is. His words capture and hold you until you find peace. I know that the words come from God because of how they make me feel. What man can speak peace and it  happens. Who can speak words of life and things begin to live again. Who among us talk in this manner? We talk about others; we talk about us; we talk about what we want. God talks about life; he talks about righteousness; he talks about joy! There is none like him. 

This is what the Lord says—

    the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—

to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,

    to the servant of rulers:

“Kings will see you and stand up,

    princes will see and bow down,

because of the Lord, who is faithful,

    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Restoration of Israel

 This is what the Lord says:

“In the time of my favor I will answer you,

    and in the day of salvation I will help you;

I will keep you and will make you

    to be a covenant for the people,

to restore the land

    and to reassign its desolate inheritances,

to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’

    and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’

We are a covenant unto people. God will reassign and restore the land in order to say to the captives come out; and those in darkness be free!

The New Testament beautifully depicts this scripture through the actions of Jesus Christ.

Can you image Darkness holding people. 

In my mind there is an image of a person being trapped in the dark. But if someone comes in with a light immediately they see. Jesus the light of the world. His ways, his words, his attitudes, his decisions were of light and he lights up our paths showing and exposing the ways the enemies keeps people in the dark. 

Have you ever met someone that was so different than you that they help you see what you lack. That person is a light. 

 When the light comes on everything is visible. Can person be a light? Yes. 

In word

In deed

In everything they do

It shows everyone else what they cannot see.

“They will feed beside the roads

    and find pasture on every barren hill.

 They will neither hunger nor thirst,

    nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.

He who has compassion on them will guide them

    and lead them beside springs of water.

 I will turn all my mountains into roads,

    and my highways will be raised up.

See, they will come from afar—

    some from the north, some from the west,

    some from the region of Aswan.”

Shout for joy, you heavens;

    rejoice, you earth;

    burst into song, you mountains!

For the Lord comforts his people

    and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,

    the Lord has forgotten me.”

 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast

    and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget,

    I will not forget you!

 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

    your walls are ever before me.

 Your children hasten back,

    and those who laid you waste depart from you.

 Lift up your eyes and look around;

    all your children gather and come to you.

As surely as I live,” declares the Lord,

    “you will wear them all as ornaments;

    you will put them on, like a bride.

 “Though you were ruined and made desolate

    and your land laid waste,

now you will be too small for your people,

    and those who devoured you will be far away.

 The children born during your bereavement

    will yet say in your hearing,

‘This place is too small for us;

    give us more space to live in.’

 Then you will say in your heart,

    ‘Who bore me these?

I was bereaved and barren;

    I was exiled and rejected.

    Who brought these up?

I was left all alone,

    but these—where have they come from?’”

This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I will beckon to the nations,

    I will lift up my banner to the peoples;

they will bring your sons in their arms

    and carry your daughters on their hips.

Kings will be your foster fathers,

    and their queens your nursing mothers.

They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground;

    they will lick the dust at your feet.

Then you will know that I am the Lord;

    those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”

 Can plunder be taken from warriors,

    or captives be rescued from the fierce?

 But this is what the Lord says:

“Yes, captives will be taken from warriors,

    and plunder retrieved from the fierce;

I will contend with those who contend with you,

    and your children I will save.

 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;

    they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine.

Then all mankind will know

    that I, the Lord, am your Savior,

    your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

God loves us and he will never leave nor forsake us. 

There are lots of similarities to the New Testament

For example his anger is but for a moment. He is Righteous and he delights in righteousness and has no pleasure in the wicked.

He desires to teach people. He says over and over again. I will help you. He will help us in unique ways just like in the New Testament. He helped those disciples. They were not the same men that started the journey. It does not always have to mean God will help only with fighting enemies (like he helped David). In the New Testament he helps the person. He shows them how to break free. 

God asks us to love one another as he loves us. 

1.Towards the brethren we should have an attitude of forgiveness. 

(the Jews lived among themselves)

2. We treat God bad and he finds it in his heart to have compassion on us. 

3. God does not support those who oppress and depress others.  He is a loyal friend. He will deal with those types of people. 

Have a great day!