Tag: Isaiah 63-66
Contrite hearts!
Scripture reading for August 4th: Isaiah 63-66
Our culture values material wealth very highly. We love to look at the holdings of the extravagantly rich and imagine what it would be like if we could live in that luxury. We also value those with talents or abilities that make them famous. If we are honest, we have probably been caught up in this in some way or other.
God owns the universe and everything in it has come from His gracious hand. (Isaiah 66:1) The God who made us and all creation has something that He esteems and values highly. “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 65:2b) God values the one who is humble and teachable. He cares deeply for those who value His word. In fact, He promises them they will be rewarded for their faith!
God promises them that their enemies will be repaid. (Isaiah 66:5-6) God will come with fire and destroy those who have opposed Him and His people. (Isaiah 66:15-16) God promises that those who love Him and Jerusalem will find joy and satisfaction when God brings in the age of peace! (Isaiah 66:10-12) They will enjoy a “new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 66:22) that will endure forever along with the righteous and their descendants! When God’s people tremble at His word, it brings confidence and assurance. It enables them to wait on the Lord to bring it to pass and to live quiet and godly lives of faith and trust. (Isaiah 30:15) (Isaiah 40: 31) Their strength is renewed and they can finish their race with joy and expectation!
The last words of Isaiah have to do with the final punishment of the wicked. “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against Me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” (Isaiah 66:24) I am so thankful that through faith in Jesus Christ, I am now “highly esteemed” by God! What a blessing it is that He was broken and contrite and trembled at the Word of God! He perfectly kept it and offered His life for mine so I can escape this punishment! What a God we serve!
Highly esteemed by God!
Scripture reading for August 2nd: Isaiah 63-66?
Our culture values material wealth very highly. We love to look at the holdings of the extravagantly rich and imagine what it would be like if we could live in that luxury. We also value those with talents or abilities that make them famous. We think that we need to be rich or famous to be noticed in the world. But God looks at something else!
God owns the universe and everything in it has come from His gracious hand. (Isaiah 66:1) The God who made us and all creation has something that He esteems and values highly. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9) “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 65:2b) God values the humble and teachable. He cares deeply for those who value His word and rewards those who honor it!
God promises that the enemies of those who fear Him will be repaid. (Isaiah 66:5-6) He will come with fire and destroy those who have opposed His people. (Isaiah 66:15-16) God promises that those who love Him and Jerusalem will find joy and satisfaction when God delivers Jerusalem and brings in the age of peace! (Isaiah 66:10-12) They will enjoy a “new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 66:22) that will endure forever along with the righteous and their descendants! When God’s people tremble at His word, they can have confidence. Their faith enables them to wait on the Lord and live quiet and godly lives. (Isaiah 30:15) (Isaiah 40: 31) Their strength will be renewed and they finish their race with joy and expectation!
The last words of Isaiah tell how the esteemed of God will see the punishment of the wicked. “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against Me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” (Isaiah 66:24) I am so thankful that through faith in Jesus Christ, I am now “highly esteemed” by God! What a blessing it is that Jesus was broken and trembled at the Word of God! He offered His life for mine so I can escape this punishment! What a gracious God we serve!
Compassion and Fire!
Scripture reading for August 4th: Isaiah 63-66
“Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before You! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make Your name known to Your enemies and cause the nations to quake before You!” (Isaiah 64:1-2) Isaiah longs for God to appear on the earth and reveal His glory and power. He envisions the mountains quaking at God’s revealed presence. He can see the glory of the Lord appearing as a consuming fire that causes the wicked to quake in fear.
Earlier in his prophesy, Isaiah has envisioned the coming of the Redeemer as the “servant of the Lord” who would suffer and bear the sins and iniquities of His people. (Isaiah 52-53) God would come in compassion and mercy and deal with man’s deepest predicament: separation from God! Now, Isaiah prays for God to come in judgment of the wicked and in mercy to His people.
God answered Isaiah in the form of several prophetic words. God assured His people that He would act on their behalf to save them. He would also deal harshly with those who would forsake Him to run after gods of good luck and fortune. (Isaiah 65:11-12) God assured his servants that they would be cared for in the midst of judgment. (Isaiah 65:13-14) He promised to restore Jerusalem as a joy and delight to His people and remove the sound of weeping and crying from it forever. (Isaiah 65:18-19) In fact, a new heavens and new earth would be made that would endure forever! (Isaiah 66:22)
This same God who is a Father to His people will come in a different way to His foes. “See, the Lord is coming with fire, and His chariots are like the whirlwind; He will bring down His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For with fire and with His sword the Lord will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the Lord.” (Isaiah 66:15-16) Not only will God’s many enemies be slain, but they will be tormented by worms and fire forever! (Isaiah 66:24) God is indeed compassionate and merciful to those who are humble and contrite and tremble at His word. (Isaiah 66:2) He is also an impartial judge to those who resist and rebel! Whose side will you be on, the many or the few?
Highly esteemed by God!
Scripture reading for August 4th: Isaiah 63-66?
What are some things that you highly value? Our culture values material wealth very highly. We love to look at the holdings of the extravagantly rich and imagine what it would be like if we could live in that luxury. We also value those with talents or abilities that make them famous. The recent death of the “king of pop”, Michael Jackson, revealed that many people idolized this man. Nearly two million applied to go to his funeral! The prices of his albums, music, and other memorabilia went up as people grabbed for them after his death. News outlets are still talking about him and his legacy and death. Wealth and fame because of talents and ability have been highly esteemed by our culture. If we are honest, we have probably been caught up in this in some way or other.
God owns the universe and everything in it has come from His gracious hand. (Isaiah 66:1) The God who made us and all creation has something that He esteems and values highly. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9) “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 65:2b) God values the man or woman or child who is humble and teachable. He cares deeply for those who value His word. In fact, He gives His word to them to encourage them that they will be rewarded for their faith and humble spirits!
God promises them that their enemies will be repaid for their mistreatment. Isaiah 66:5-6 promises that the Lord will repay them! He will come with fire and destroy those who have opposed God and His people. (Isaiah 66:15-16) God promises that those who love Him and Jerusalem will find joy and satisfaction when God delivers Jerusalem and brings in the age of peace! (Isaiah 66:10-12) They will enjoy a “new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 66:22) that will endure forever along with the righteous and their descendants! When God’s people tremble at His word, it brings confidence and assurance. It enables them to wait on the Lord to bring it to pass and to live quiet and godly lives of faith and trust. (Isaiah 30:15) (Isaiah 40: 31) Their strength is renewed and they can finish their race with joy and expectation!
The last words of Isaiah have to do with the final punishment of the wicked. “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against Me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” (Isaiah 66:24) I am so thankful that through faith in Jesus Christ, I am now “highly esteemed” by God! What a blessing it is that He was broken and contrite and trembled at the Word of God! He perfectly kept it and offered His life for mine so I can escape this punishment! What a God we serve!