Isaiah 41:17-43:13
One thing we'll see in these verses is a promise for those who trust God and a challenge to those who don't. Also, God begins more and more to show us what the purpose of prophesy is. Why does God say in advance what He's going to do? Is it like a magic trick so we'll be impressed? The strange effect of sin in us is that we are not impressed by anything God does. For the unbelieving, the fulfillment of prophesy is a testimony to their stubbornness and sin. God has said what needs to be said, in advance. For the believing, prophesy gives hope. We might be awed by God's character and attributes and power, but the purpose is hope. That will be clear in all we are reading from here to the end of Isaiah. Paul also says this in Romans 15:4, "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope."
When you see what God is saying to Isaiah, you understand that some of that hope was for those people receiving the prophesies as Isaiah spoke. Some of that hope was for the godly people in Jerusalem as the city was being besieged by the Babylonians, for those who were taken into exile, for those who returned to a shattered land after the exile. Some of that hope was for the people living in the time Jesus was on the earth. Some of that hope is for Jews now, and for Jews during the tribulation. God will redeem His people.
We should be able to identify with the challenge of living in present circumstances, but knowing, as Paul says in Ephesians, that we have been "made to sit with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Even now, working in the harvest, lugging around this body of death, having to cry out to God for mercy and strength as we take up our cross everyday to follow, we have a future blessing promised to us to give us hope today. In faith we draw near to God and draw strength. Those who trust themselves just go, "Yeah, nice verses."
Isaiah 41:17-29
Vs. 17-20 God will answer those who repent and are faithful in calling to Him. Notice that this prophesy is given so they may see and know and understand that this was the hand of the Lord.
Vs. 21-24 This is the challenge to those who pursue other gods or human means.
Vs. 25-27 God declares that He is the one who is foretelling and determining the return of the people to Jerusalem.
One note here: Because of where Jerusalem was, everything came from the north. To the west is the Mediterranean Sea and to the east is the great desert. No one came over the desert. So even though the Babylonians and Persians were west of Jerusalem, they had to travel north along the rivers and then south to Jerusalem. They called this route "the fertile crescent," because of the arc the river takes. Most of the threat that Jerusalem faced came from the north.
V. 25 This "one" is thought to be Cyrus the Persian king who sent the people back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.
Vs. 28-29 Again, those who follow or worship anything but the Lord are only fooling themselves.
Isaiah 42
There are two servants in view. The one servant was the nation that was supposed to give testimony to the world. They failed. So, God sent the other servant, the Messiah, who was successful. The "so" is funny only in that God always knew the first servant would fail their first mission and Jesus was appointed before the foundation of the world to be the savior of the world. The Jews will get another mission, which they will complete.
Vs. 1-16 are about the Messiah. Some of this was fulfilled and mentioned in the gospels and some of this will still be fulfilled in the tribulation and in the Millennial kingdom.
There are a lot of things in these verses. Look for structure and commands. There are some "I am's" to help follow the flow of the passage. Notice how often that God bases His promises on the fact He is the creator. It is almost as if He is using creation as a symbol of hope, saying, "Just as I made this, you can be sure of that."
Vs.1-4 are quoted in Matthew 12:20.
Vs. 5-7 These words remind me of what Jesus quoted when He taught in Nazareth and almost got thrown off the cliff. What He quoted was from Isaiah 61 and from Isaiah 58. But it is close to this too.
Vs. 17-25 This is the failed servant Israel, as opposed to the Messiah.
Isaiah 43:1-13
Vs. 1-7 These are powerful words of encouragement to the repentant and faithful among the exiles back then and in the future. Verses 1-2 are great comfort.
Vs. 8-13 Yet there will always be people who will worship and trust something or someone other than God.
Notice God's own declaration to His greatness and power and sovereignty.
The height of sin and insanity is to deny God's existence. And for those of us who say there is a God, our insanity is in not trusting Him and following Him.
I'll bet you'll figure out which verse this song comes from.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBmtGSuw04Y&feature=related
Ephesians 2
Just like yesterday, go slowly through these first 10 verses. There are some thoughts in these verses that are capable of changing a life.
Vs. 1-7 These verses are one big happy sentence. If you are a former grammar teacher, you might want to hunt down the main verbs and the subject and then graph all the subordinate clauses. This explains why some translations begin with the sentence, which isn't there but is referred to later, "And you He made alive when…" This introductory sentence is implicit in what Paul is saying. Putting that phase first puts the opening words in context quickly. Grammar is fun.
V. 5 "by grace you are saved" is a parenthetical emotional outburst on Paul's part. Can you see from the sentence why this is? We, as described by the past four verses, were made alive together with Christ? The dirty and dead linked to the divine? "Whoa, dude! By grace we have been saved."
V. 6 is positional. We are physically not yet there, but in reality our future is secure.
V. 7 This thought is pretty unbelievable, and really more than the mind can grasp.
V. 10 Good works are not how we are saved. They are what God gives us to do as "keys" that open doors in the harvest. When we get to Titus, we'll see good deeds are mentioned quite a bit. Conspicuous by its absence in Titus is any mention of sharing the gospel. I think good works to the person next door is what God has given us to open the door next door for the gospel. It's loving our neighbor.
Vs. 11-17 This isn't just an explanation of how God united Jew and Gentile. It is an explanation of how God brought all people together in Christ to make a people for Himself during this time. There is no contradiction between Judaism and Christianity. Christ fulfilled the law in His sinless life and became the payment for all who had violated the law (everyone) by becoming a curse for them and satisfying the justice of God. Now, as said in Galatians, there is just one man in Christ. Paul is actually beginning to describe the creation of the church…a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Notice that in those last verses the pronouns are plural. "You" means "all of you."
It's hard to talk about Eph. 2:8-9 without thinking of how God reached out and brought us to Christ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw584druD1Y
Psalm 67
This psalm begins with the blessing which God gave to Aaron to bless the people in Numbers 6:24.
What is interesting then, is that the psalm expresses God's purpose in blessing Israel, to make Israel a witness to the world that all people might be saved.
This is now the mission of the church, to bear testimony in the harvest. The day will come when Israel will turn to their Messiah and bear the light of His Word in the world's darkest hour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViyhcNPma18
Proverbs 23:29-35
There are few things on earth that lends itself to greater misuse than "drink." It is obvious from Scripture that God made wine, and wine is spoken of as a sign of His blessing, but in a fallen world it can become a danger. Here, without God, we seek the relaxation it gives as an escape and we get lost in being lost in our escapes.
As disciples we need to look to our own hearts on this one. Is this something God has given us liberty to enjoy? Can we control it? Jesus drank wine, but Jesus controlled it. Paul probably drank wine and was against those who forbid it on legalistic grounds, but Paul was against drinking wine around the weak, flaunting personal freedoms. Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine to deal with the effects ministry was having on his stomach.
It might also be true that many people don't drink wine, but the warning of excess is still here. Everything that is good can be twisted: games, TV, shopping, computer, sex, everything. We each need to see what we can control, what we might need help controlling, and what we might just need to get rid of.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send feedback or comments to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
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