September 07, 2020, Isaiah cont...
Good morning!
Isaiah 35
The Joy of the Redeemed
The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
We experience all of these great things through Jesus Christ. He leads us to the right path. He is a great King and leader.
Do you think books like Isaiah are tough?
If you dislike this book or if it makes you uncomfortable because of words like judgement and all the things God used or does to rebuild his people than try seeing things differently. In some passages God says it will be restored or redeemed and some places he decides to not rebuild. Could it be some things will never change; or some people will never change. Whatever they are that's just the way they will be! And that's just the way it is; and I want to bold and say God extends an offer to learn from him to everybody but some people refuse. Or they refuse to change. It hard but it true. Some people have doing the same things for over ten years. But some people and some places have a redeeming quality and I think that's the perspective to try to see Isaiah through.
We all have a perspective! Our perspective comes from our world, our lifestyles.
What do you see when you read this book?
The wise man tries to see the perspective of the writer or inspiration for the writing.
I have come to love and appreciate this book. Maybe you can see it too; but I think the book of Isaiah is about balanced among people. It's not about rich or poor if that's all you see.... try to see more. Look deeper could it be if you only see money that's your focus in life. If you only see the poor than that's your focus or perspective but we have to see beyond ourselves sometimes. It is not about you or me (our homes and individual lives) it's about a world in need.
We need balanced scales.
Chapter 34 is filled with Judgement;
chapter 35 talks about redemption.
What if all the wicked ruled?
What will happen to the righteous?
What if everybody was corrupt!
What if all the churches were the same?
Where is the balance!
What is going to happen to the poor, the needy, the fatherless?
We would be in trouble. Greed is a horrible thing. But it's not about the rich and the poor it is about balance. Things need to balance out. The wicked will overrun everybody. They will shut down all the righteous people. If God needs to step in and balance things. I am with it 100%.
Carpenters sometimes have to tear down before they can rebuild. But you get a better house or a better situation. It is all about the skill of the builder and trusting him to do a good job. If he is leading us to the path of righteousness. He knows what brings us to balance. Its comes down to trust. God is not changing for us. He included this book in the bible. We can ignore it but it does not go away. He is God and we come to him and we learn from him. There is a lot of things in Isaiah that is in the New Testament with Jesus. He tells us to get understanding so that we can serve him happily because he is not changing. He does not cater to human flesh. Flesh is weak. It can be destroyed. The spirit cannot be destroyed. We are subject to a human body he is not. He is not flesh and blood. He is spirit. Spirit is greater than flesh. It is not bound to cravings and appetites. A spirit is free. It is not bound by natural things. His spirit will never need medication or an operation. A spirit cannot get sick from sickness. That's just the way it is. We need to follow him.
New Testament:
If Jesus is going to work it out than you give him the rights to be God and do it his way.
When the disciples entered the boat they trusted Jesus. Its like trusting your doctor to operate on you. God creates balance to help us and we really need it. We need righteous people. He uses the wicked people for his purpose in the old testament and new testament. He creates balance. Too much sugar is bad for you. If it's sour it is hard to eat. But with balance you have a perfect dish.
In a natural courtroom a judge determines the outcome of a situation. God is a righteous judge. We may not get everything he does but he is righteous. We cannot be afraid of God. We have to be able to trust him even when we don't agree or lets say, see things his way. As you read find the balance between:Judgement, destruction, Redemption, restoration, and a new way of doing things.
Proverbs cont.....
Saying 21
By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
Saying 22
The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength. Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisors.
Comments
Post a Comment