Face as a Flint, Absolute Trust in God

Isaiah 50:7-9  
“For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.  8 He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me?  Let us stand together.  Who is My adversary?  Let him come near Me.  9 Surely the Lord God will help Me; Who is he who will condemn Me?  Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; The moth will eat them up.

God in Jesus Christ has completely justified me, no matter who argues against me or tries to condemn me.  They literally can die trying to attack me, as Christ's work on my behalf is finished forever on the cross and up from the grave!  So I rely fully on His help and will not be ashamed nor disgraced as a son of the most high one.  My face is set in determined security as a flint, absolutely trusting in God and His work for me in Christ on the cross! 

Words of Wisdom Come From God

Isaiah 50:4, 5  
“The Lord God has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary.  He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned."  5 The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away.

God gives me wisdom and understanding - so that I can help others with a word.  Words of wisdom come only from God.  Each day I awaken to listen, as I am now doing, to hear and not turn from whatever challenge or rebuke or encouragement I need.  He opens the eyes of my heart and ears to hear that I may serve Him and others.  

Heavens Sing and the Earth Rejoices!

Isaiah 49:13

Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted.

God's grace and mercy and comfort shown to us in Jesus the Christ should fill us with such joy that we cannot help but sing it out to our Lord.  This grace of God's comfort and mercy cause the very heavens to sing (Luke 15:7, 10)! 

In His Acceptable Time

Isaiah 49:8-9
Thus says the Lord:  “In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant to the people, To restore the earth, To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth, ’ To those who are in darkness, ‘ Show yourselves. ’ “They shall feed along the roads, And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.

God rescued me from the darkness of sin and ignorance of Him; shining in my soul He opened my eyes.  Called to light, the beckoning is also to fight - reconciling the world to Himself I speak.  So the prisoners who listen find freedom in light, Christ setting them free for eternity.  How those released from death's soul bondage now can feed and grow, no longer desolate, but full in righteousness!  This is in His acceptable time, as He draws and calls us out. 

Redeemer Who Leads into Peace

Isaiah 48:17-18 
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.  18 Oh, that you had heeded My commandments!  Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

God leads the way we should go for our advantage and His glory.  When we follow in obedience from the heart and not just to avoid punishment, He gives peace and righteousness.  Ultimately we only are righteous in Christ, but the effect of walking with Him in step with His Spirit living inside us (putting deeds of flesh to death as we work out our salvation) is practical and effectual righteousness.  This is peace with God in Christ. 

Message from the Beginning

Isaiah 48:3-7 
“I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it.  Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.  5 Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, Lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, And my carved image and my molded image Have commanded them.'  6 “You have heard; See all this.  And will you not declare it?  I have made you hear new things from this time, Even hidden things, and you did not know them.  7 They are created now and not from the beginning; And before this day you have not heard them, Lest you should say, ‘Of course I knew them.’

God revealed over and over what He was going to do, often such new unseen things to show there is no way anyone could say they knew that would happen.  All this is to show us who doubt just how much God knows and can do.  If we do not give Him the due credit (praise, glory), then we miss the mark.  Our idols of atheism, self reliance and pride of life (our knowledge, intelligence) all fall short of His works and control over the universe. 

Our Own Way Leads to Death

Isaiah 47:10-11  
“For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, “ No one sees me’; Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you; And you have said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.'  11 Therefore evil shall come upon you; You shall not know from where it arises.  And trouble shall fall upon you; You will not be able to put it off.  And desolation shall come upon you suddenly, Which you shall not know.

Many people think they can do whatever they want, no matter how evil in God's eyes, and not be held accountable.  Some go so far as to think there is no God to answer to.  But God will judge them, and they will answer in this life and forever unless they admit they are sinners (do evil by God's standards), believe that only God is and they are not, trust in Christ's sacrifice in their place for answering to the fair punishment of their sin, and then being remade inside to know God sees all - and follow Him. 

Sovereignly Carried to Old Age

Isaiah 46:4,9-10 
Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you!  I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.  9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure, ’

God always carries His people, even until we are old and grey.  He alone delivers, so we must take time to look back and confess that it has always been His work in our lives; there is no other God, and we have not been responsible for all that He has done.  He does all, and time is in His hands as the future is always known to the omniscient One. 

Every Knee Will Bow to the Savior

Isaiah 45:22-23  
“Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth!  For I am God, and there is no other.  23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.  24 He shall say, ‘Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him.

... Philippians 2:10-11   that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Deliverance is only in our great God and savior, Jesus Christ!  Every knee will certainly bow in submission and adoration to our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1).  He spoke, we bow to Him as Lord, confessing who He is - and admit the only righteousness we have, the only power, is in Him.  In the end, those who hate Him will face judgment in shame forever.  God gets the honor and glory when we believe when He says we are unrighteous, every one of us, and trust Christ's goodness to be ours when He makes us anew.  

Saved with Everlasting Salvation!

Isaiah 45:15-17  
Truly You are God, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior! 16 They shall be ashamed And also disgraced, all of them; They shall go in confusion together, Who are makers of idols.  17 But Israel shall be saved by the Lord With an everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed or disgraced Forever and ever.

As the end of the preceding verse says, "They will make supplication to you, saying, ‘ Surely God is in you, And there is no other; There is no other God. ’”   When Jesus gives us new life, others can see Him, the one who "hides" Himself in us.  People will serve idols of their own hands or imagination's work, but deliverance from our sin and its just punishment is only in God through Jesus.  That is forever - from before time and past its ending.  There is no shame or disgrace in our God.  Ever. 

This Clay Does Not Rule the Potter's Hand

Isaiah 45:9, 12-13  
“Woe to him who strives with his Maker!  Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!  Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘ What are you making? ’ Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?  13 I have made the earth, And created man on it.  I—My hands — stretched out the heavens, And all their host I have commanded.  13 I have raised him up in righteousness, And I will direct all his ways;

We have no ground to stand on that we can accuse God in how He makes us or whom He chooses for what purpose, even if that purpose is to allow sin’s punishment to bring judgement.  He hardens whoever He chooses, and shows mercy on who He wills; it is not our judgement to direct His will or to condemn Him, since we are all condemned in our own sin already (Romans 9:15-18, 20-23).  This clay does not rule the Potter's hand, but is subject to His good will to make and use us as He planned. 

God Our Creator and Redeemer

Isaiah 44:24 
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;"

Isaiah 45:2-3  I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.  3 I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. 

God is our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  He made everything, including each of us, so when He says that He makes straight paths and removes the prison bars to set us free, it is to show us great and wondrous things hidden for so long - but now revealed in Christ!  So we are set free and eyes opened to know and give all credit to God. 

One True God - First and Last, No Other

Isaiah 44:6, 8, 18, 22  
6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.  8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it?  You are My witnesses.  Is there a God besides Me?  Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’”  18 They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand.  22 I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins.  Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

Because there is only one true God, The Lord and Redeemer, we would be foolish to not let Him open our blind eyes and our cold hearts to His love for us in Christ.  He took away our sins so completely so we can turn to Him forever.  This is knowing and understanding of the heart, mind, and soul.  He was the first and is the last; He also was the first to rise from death and has the last word as the one who will judge the living and the dead. 

Made to Praise our Creator

Isaiah 43:21 
This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.  24-25...But you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities.  25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.

Just as Israel, believers in Christ are made to praise God, to show Him great in our faith and obedience as we rely on Him and follow.  When we sin, it is grievous to God - but in Jesus we have forgiveness that is absolute!  So we must,

1 John 1:9 ...confess our sins, [because] He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Witnesses that He Is, Our Savior

Isaiah 43:10-13 
“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He.  Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior.

13 Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?”

We are witnesses that there is one God, and He is our Savior.  Nobody can take us away from Him, not even ourselves.  He came as both man and God to be God-among-us, Emmanuel.  His name is Jesus the Christ.  If you know him as the one who saved you, your Lord and God as Thomas the disciple said, then you have absolute assurance that the change is eternal.  He never lets us go.  

Chosen Called, and Redeemed

Isaiah 43:1, 4, 7  
1 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.  4 Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life.  7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

God called me by name and redeemed me!  I am His, valuable and loved - so He will use me to bring others to Himself for His glory.  I am made in His image, and that is what He wants, so I can pray confidently that He will hear the prayer in His will for others.  All who are His are because He chose us, called us, and redeemed us - He bought us back from His wrath on our sin against Him by His own hand of His Son's sacrifice! 

The Blind and Deaf not all Forsaken

Isaiah 42:20 
"Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Opening the ears, but he does not hear.”   

Isaiah 42:16  I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known.  I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight.  These things I will do for them, And not forsake them.

Jesus told the Scribes and Pharisees that they were blind because they said they could see, because they refused to see God's way.  So they turned a deaf ear to what God in Christ told them.  But He brought light to the darkness of those who knew they were blind, leading them to the straight and true way in Jesus.  Humility and brokenness over their helpless state led to salvation and hope that never dies.  So we who admit our sin, turn from it to Him, and trust Jesus as the only way - we see, and live forever!  

Resurrection Day

Luke 24:44-48  
44 Then He said to them, “ These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.  46 Then He said to them, “ Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.

This is Easter - Resurrection Day.  All the Bible said about the Savior to come was seen in Jesus Christ, as promised.  So God opens our minds to understand deep within to make the Bible come alive, just as He rose from the grave - life from death!  Because He suffered and died for your and my sin, we tell others to turn (repent) from sin to believe and follow Him.  This we bear witness to. He is risen...He is risen indeed! 

Released from Captivity, Called and Kept

Isaiah 42:5-7
Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it:  6 “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.

God who made the universe and us put life in each one and His Spirit in those He gives new life to.  So called as His People, we are to be that light to the rest of the world, setting them free from darkness imprisoned in sin.  The door out of prison and into light is Jesus Christ - there is no other way of sin's penalty out nor into this wonderful grace.  The proof is Jesus raising Himself from death to life after the cross.  

Elect One Brings Justice in Truth

Isaiah 42:1-4.  
1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights!  I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.  2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.  3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.  4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

God sent His Son to bring justice in mercy, grace in truth and love - to the point of allowing us to nail Him to the cross to take away the just punishment for the sin a each one of us has in us.  He then took our sin on as His own to put it to death there, bringing hope of a new life to follow (the resurrection of Easter).  He endured all the hate of religious people set against Himself, all to bring forgiveness and life, to reconcile or make us right in standing with God as we were created to be in Eden.  Grace, mercy, and peace to us in Jesus Christ.  

The Lord's Sovereign Hand

Isaiah 41:20 
That they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the Lord has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

God creates wondrous things on earth and in the universe, put on display for all to see and consider that He has done all things.  He wants us to understand this clear reality instead of reasoning Him away as Creator, substituting dead, meaningless chance.  Seeing, understanding, and agreeing God is who He says and demonstrates in existence around us and taking His word as the source is faith.  Seeing and believing in His Son is faith that then changes us to see so much more.  

Predestined and Secure in Sovereign Grace

Isaiah 41:4, 10
"Who has performed and done it, Calling the generations from the beginning?  ‘I, the Lord, am the first; And with the last I am He.'”   10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'  13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘ Fear not, I will help you. ’

God is sovereign; nothing is out of His control.  Here is His predestined grace which holds us securely in His hand.  He always was and is.  So why fear or give up, when He tells us to not fear and that He will give the strength we need?  He takes us by the hand to lead us, to protect and comfort, and assure us He will help, over and over.  This is grace.  

Have You Not Heard and Known?

Isaiah 40:28-31
Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary.  His understanding is unsearchable.  29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.  30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,  31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

God is not like us; He never is tired or wants to give up.  Armed with that truth, I look at myself in Christ who gives me His strength and wonder why I give up.  He gives strength to persevere, to endure, and allows me to run the race with Him beside me... Let me then choose to soar with Jesus Christ in all the trials and tribulations that weary me.  

Who is Like Our God?

Isaiah 40:25-26 
“To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.  26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.

God is not like anything we would make or like Him to be.  He is so much more!  The Creator of the universe, from the largest galaxy down to the spinning pieces of atoms, holds all together by His word, His Son.  The greatness of His power allows each star in the heavens and each person on earth to be personally known by Him - everyone matters.  He is not a God far off, but near.  Who is like our God? 

The World has Gone After Him!

John 12:17-19 
Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

Because people heard and saw Jesus raise the dead man Lazarus, that hope of the resurrection for all in Christ made them go after Him.  If the whole world saw Who He is and all He did from miraculous birth to bringing wholeness of healed body and soul to life after death, they would also join the "whole world" in going after Him.  But blindness, self serving and pride keep most it the grave till judgment.  

One Way from the Beginning

Isaiah 40:18, 21
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?  21 Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  Has it not been told you from the beginning?  Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

Isaiah 40:25-26  “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.  26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.

God is the only one; many claim to be divine, but only Jesus did what God alone can do, giving blind sight, lame the ability to walk, deaf to hear - even dying and taking His own life back up again. Buddha is still dead.  Muhammad is dead.  Many others have claims, only God shows Himself as proof.  So let us honor Him for who He is, not substituting anyone or anything for Him.  

Behold, the Good News!

Isaiah 40:9-10 
O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”  10 Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.

... Isaiah 52:7.   How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

The greatest beauty is the good news told simply and confidently out loud, for we need to tell all who will hear, "here is your God in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and His reward for turning from sin to Him in believing Him is life unending!"  He reigns as Lord and King, the sovereign God of all, visible and invisible, and must be shown to the world.  

God's Eternal Word of the Gospel

Isaiah 40:5-8
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  6 The voice said, “ Cry out!” And he said, “ What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.  7 The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.  8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

1 Peter 1:23-25.  having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.  The grass withers, And its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

God's word shows us how glorious He is and how easily we wither away by the breath that made us, for we are both mortal and sinful.  Yet the good news in Christ is the word given to give us a new birth, breathing unending life into those who so believe and receive Jesus Christ!  

Speak Comfort of Salvation to God's People

Isaiah 40:1-5 
1 “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God.  2 “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the Lord's hand Double for all her sins.”  3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.  5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

We have all sinned, falling short of God's perfect standard of righteousness.  The price we have paid in this life and into forever was too great, so God made a way - Jesus Christ is that way in the wilderness of sin we are all lost in.  This is what we were told long ago that we would see God's glory in Jesus when He came, and why this comforting Good News was given in advance.  We are therefore to speak comfort of salvation to God's people. 

Live by the Word of God

1 John 2:16 

For all that is in the world —the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.

Genesis 3:6.  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

...1. Good for food - lust of the flesh

...2. Pleasant to the eyes - lust of the eyes

...3. Desirable to make one wise - pride of life (I know it, all)

1 John 2:17.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Prov.22:4  By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.

.....Doing God's will in humility and fear lasts forever and brings:

1. Riches (flesh's true riches are only found in doing His will)

2. Honor (eyes pleasing God do and gain what honors only Him)

3. Life  (flesh's knowledge in Christ exalts The Lord and not self in pride) 

Care about the Consequences

Isaiah 39:6-8 
‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the Lord. 7 ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.'"  8 So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good!” For he said, “At least there will be peace and truth in my days.”

Hezekiah bragged on wealth and did not consider the consequences for others.  Instead, he was only glad that he would not be carried off nor see the riches go either.  He was content to say God was good and right because it did not affect him.  We who know Christ must instead know His merciful and grace-driven love, doing no harm to others (Rom.13:10).  True peace and truth is in Christ, following and imitating Him.   We must care about the consequences for others, not just for ourselves. 

The Living Praise God for Deliverance

Isaiah 38:17-19
Indeed it was for my own peace That I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.  18 For Sheol cannot thank You, Death cannot praise You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth. 19 The living, the living man, he shall praise You, As I do this day; The father shall make known Your truth to the children.

God delivers from sin and its due reward of death, taking away sin and putting it behind us - not because we are doing enough good, but only because He is good, merciful, and gracious.  So should those bought back by Jesus Christ tell God and others how thankful we are and how great He is!  Because we have life in the God who is not dead but is life itself, so we need to pass this on.  

Roots Downward and Fruit Upward

Isaiah 37:31 
And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah Shall again take root downward, And bear fruit upward.

Just as God showed fruitfulness for those of Judah He delivered (saved) from their enemies, so He intends us as reborn creations to take root in Christ to grow in fruitful faith as we walk with Him.  We put roots down into Christ and His word to bear fruit by His Spirit up to God! 

Ephesians 3:17.  that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Colossians 2:7.  rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 

O Lord, Hear and See!

Isaiah 37:16-17 
“O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.

When we are attacked or faced with an impossible situation, do we go immediately before God with praise - and then ask for His name to be honored.  Or do we only seek our own well-being?  The examples in Scripture continually point to God and not to us. 

Highway Out of Hell

Isaiah 35:8-10 
A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. 9 No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

God calls us to be holy as He is - but this is only possible if He lives in us.  We choose to do right, but without His Spirit strengthening us, it cannot go far.  Even though we are as fools to the world, yet we walk this road, redeemed and ransomed from our helpless state of sin.  So we sing for joy forever as the final tear and sadness fall away in His presence to come! 

O Deaf and Blind, Why Be Fearful?

Isaiah 35:3-5 
Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees.  4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear!  Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”  5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

When hope seems lost, God calls us to stand without wavering and hold tight to Him.  We need to remember that His justice will be served in the end, and has been our acquittal.  Christ has paid our just payment for sin, giving us sight and the ability to hear God from within as His Spirit speaks to ours.  So why be fearful-hearted? 

Why John Wrote to Us

1 John 2:12-14

-- 12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.

-- 13 I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.

-- I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one.

-- I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.

-- 14 I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.

-- I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.

12 - As spiritual babes, we need to know we are forgiven because of Jesus (security)

13 - Those who are mature in faith need to remember the One we know

13 - Young men, growing in Christ, must see the victory in following Christ by faith [1Cor.15:57]

13 - Babes in Christ need to also dwell on Who they know (relationship with God in Christ)

14 - Those mature in faith need to continue to treasure knowing Him  (don't give up, get cold)

14 - Young growing men in Christ must find continued strength in Christ, know what He says, and where they stand as victorious in Jesus! 

God's Word is Absolute and Certain

Isaiah 34:16  
Search from the book of the Lord, and read: Not one of these shall fail; Not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them.

Matthew 5:18

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

Everything God put to page will happen as He said, just as all things up to this point in time.  What God commands by word by His Spirit and will shall come to pass.  Jesus reminded us of this to show all will be fulfilled on God's schedule.  His word is absolute and certain because He is sovereign. 

Heavens Rolled Up and Earth Dissolved

Isaiah 34:4 
All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree.

.....Revelation 6:13-14.  And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

....Matthew 24:29-30.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

There will be and end to this broken and sinful world, but those who have hope in Jesus Christ will be relieved; those who do not need hope now before their denials and rejection consummate in seeing these things come down on them.  All will be made new for the coming Kingdom of God and His Christ! 

See God's Beauty Into Eternity

Isaiah 33:17 
Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off.

The verses before this one speak of those seeking God by doing what is right to Him - they seek by pleasing.  But this does not earn them the way only Christ can provide; yet by trying to do what is right in the seeking, they come to the cross where they can see Him in His beauty, as well as the eternal land with Him before their new eyes.  This is the hope of glory in the face of Jesus Christ.  

Acknowledge What God has Done in His Power

Isaiah 33:10-13 
10 “Now I will rise,” says the Lord; “Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up.   13 Hear, you who are afar off, what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might.”

God must be seen and talked about as the greatest, the highest, and most honored and desired.  This is because He alone is God - look at all He has done and continues to do!  We who know Him, who have been drawn close to approach by Jesus Christ must absolutely acknowledge His power and majesty.  What else could we possibly do?  

Wisdom and Knowledge - Stability and Strength

Isaiah 33:5-6 
The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.  6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure.

God brings true justice where our sin brings unfair corruption; He brings righteousness where our sin leaves twisted ruins.  Knowing what He has done and who He with understanding gives us strength in this broken world where people blame God for allowing the consequences we bring on ourselves.  Fearing Him, we have great treasure both now and in heaven.  This is why we study to show ourselves approved to God, aiming to know His word intimately and thoroughly that we might live it out in wisdom and fear of our Lord. 

God's Spirit Works Righteousness and Peace

Isaiah 32:15-17 
Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest.  16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field.  17 The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.

When God came to dwell in man at Pentecost, righteousness began to be possible.  For without a new creation, a new birth, it was not possible to be fruitful for Him.  Without God Himself living in us, we could never know His justice, peace, or assurance.  Praise be to God the Father who did all this by His Son so He could reside in us as Spirit!  

Rely on God's Strength Alone by Faith

Isaiah 31:1  
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the Lord!

Many rely on their own or their allies' and friend's strength or power to overcome enemies and find deliverance from them.  True deliverance (the word salvation) comes only through a single way and truth - this real life and victory is only through Jesus Christ.  All others will fail in the end.  Do we live in that certain victory of faith?

1 Corinthians 15:57   But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Chronicles 29:11   Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all. 

Patient Grace to Lead our Way

Isaiah 30:18,20 
18 Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.  For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.   21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

As John 16:13 also tells us, God as Spirit living in us teaches us all things and He leads us (Ps.23:3) for His righteousness to show Himself to us and the world.  God is not only just, but full of mercy, so I need to be quiet and wait on His guidance from within when the way forward is not clear.  

Saved in Turning and Rest

Isaiah 30:15
For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not,

Faith is trust in God - who He is, all He said, and all He does.  When we turn to Him and away from other things, we discover peace beyond comprehension; then we have assurance to strengthen us.  The alternative to faith is unrest, uncertainty, and loss.   We then rest fully in Christ and His righteousness which justifies us completely and irrevocably. 

We are Given Understanding and Learning

Isaiah 29:18, 24 
In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.   24 These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained will learn doctrine.”

Jesus gives hearing and sight in the darkness of the sin we all are born and continue in.  He heals our broken alienated spirit and gives contentment and peace as we are taught by Him.  The physical healing Jesus did was not the real miracle - it was the restoration and reconciliation of man to God as proven by the One who could heal from inside.  This is the new birth creation miracle.  

Potter and Clay

Isaiah 29:16
Surely you have things turned around!  Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”?  Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?

Isaiah 64:8.  But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

Do we try to "make" God in our image, questioning why He does not do as we would?  Or do we see that He is God in heaven who does as He pleases?  God made us, and remakes us in Christ, so we need to yield under His mighty and loving hand of grace and guidance for His, the Master Potter's, good will and purpose.  He gives understanding as we need it and are able.  

Honor God with the Whole Heart

Isaiah 29:13-14
Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, 14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”

God wants our hearts, and faith that takes Him at His word, trusting and serving with actions that reflect the thoughts and intents of the heart.  He did such a wondrous work in His Son up to, on, and from the cross! This is marvelous and Christ now is our wisdom and understanding that we lack without Him.  We must honor God with the whole heart, learning from Him and listening to His word over all others (sola scriptura). 

Wonderful Counselor to Guide Us

Isaiah 28:29 
This also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.

All God teaches us is wonderful in the way He give us wise and perfect counsel as He guides us with wisdom into the more excellent way of love and truth in His great grace and mercy!  He is the wonderful counselor (Isaiah 9:6). 

Do Not Mock God's Coming Judgment

Isaiah 28:22 
Now therefore, do not be mockers, Lest your bonds be made strong [or, "lest your punishment be made still more severe"]; For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, A destruction determined even upon the whole earth.

Do you know those who mock God's certain judgment on the world, on all who mock and bind together to explain away His just wrath on sin?  They need to listen to what God says in His word, and we can point them to Him for forgiveness only found in Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 28:23. Listen to the Teaching of God Give ear and hear my voice, Listen and hear my speech.    Isaiah 28:26 For He instructs him in right judgment, His God teaches him. 

Our Precious Cornerstone

Isaiah 28:16  
Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.

[Act hastily = "be ashamed"; Ro 9:33 and 1Pe 2:6, he who rests on Him shall not have the shame of disappointment, nor flee in sudden panic]

Jesus Christ is God's foundation that holds up all He has said and done.  He is precious and certain, the solid rock we can either stand on, or have fall on us and grind us to powder.  So we do not run from Him in shame, but wholly trust in His name by forgiving grace and mercy to be at peace with God always.   

The Dead Will Rise

Isaiah 26:19  
Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise.  Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:20   But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

We have the absolute reality of a resurrection after death, even as Isaiah spoke of figuratively to Israel so long ago.  In Christ who has already risen from death we too will awake and sing with all those called out by God!  

He Has Done Our Works in Us

Isaiah 26:9, 12 
With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.   12 Lord, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works in us.

Desire for God all day long drives me, even though I stumble and fall, for His judgment teaches righteousness by the grace and mercy in Christ.  He works in me and through me as I obey and yield to His Spirit, God within me.  So is peace with God in this world and into forever.   We learn righteousness as He works it in us (Philippians 1:6).  

Approved to God

2 Timothy 2:15 
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Acts 17:11   These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

Why do we study the Bible?  It should be to understand it rightly, and to then live it and teach it correctly and directly.  We must do this with the attitude and approach of examining what we are taught and hear by finding if the scriptures say this also - but not just finding a verse or two that we agree with.  We need to see all of what God says about each area of doctrine, comparing spiritual things (1Cor.2:13).

("rightly dividing" = orthotomeo) ορθοτομουντα τον λογον τησ αληθειασ - cut straight, to cut straight ways to proceed on straight paths, hold a straight course, equiv. to doing right to make straight and smooth, to handle aright, to teach the truth directly and correctly

1 Corinthians 2:13  These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 

Written in His Book

Revelation 13:8   
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 17:8.   The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, ...

1 Peter 1:20   He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

Jesus already planned to die on the cross before we were made.  We have always been written in His book, even before we were conceived in our mother's womb. 

Fatih is Perfect Peace by Trusting God

Isaiah 26:1-4 
1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks.  2 Open the gates, That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.  3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.  4 Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.

God saves, delivers us from sin, with such certainty that it is as if a castle wall surrounds us.  When we keep the truth of His word, He calls us in to peace in our trust (faith) in Him alone.  Our strength of soul in Him never ends - beyond the end of time.  Do we so believe not only to salvation that can never fail, but day by day trust that brings peace within beyond what we can understand? 

Rejoice in Awaited Salvation

Isaiah 25:1, 8-9  
O Lord, You are my God.  I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.   9 He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.   9 And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”

God is truly worthy of praise to tell Him we understand and agree that He is and does wonderful things, in truth and faithfulness we can absolutely rely on.  He has swallowed death, defeating it forever with the promise to take away all our sorrow in the end in His presence.  No longer will the world attack those of us who are His, therefore we have unbounded joy in the deliverance (salvation) from sin, death, and hell in Jesus Christ! 

The Promised Messiah, Christ

Isaiah 22:20, 22 
“Then it shall be in that day,  That I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah; [Eliakim ="God raises" or "God sets up"].  22 The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.

God raised up the Christ, the Messiah, to open forgiveness and eternity in heaven in His presence to us.  No one can close that door once entered.  Enter the sheepfold by Jesus The Christ, and you will not be locked out, but secure forever. 

Revelation 3:7  "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, “These things says He who is holy, He who is true, ‘He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens” 

Eat and Drink, Tomorrow We Die?

Isaiah 22:9, 11-14  
9 You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great...  11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls For the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.  12 And in that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.  13 But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”   14 Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts, “Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death,” says the Lord God of hosts.

When we look to save our own skin, even when saying we are doing God's work, and do not respect and honor our Creator, then we anger Him.  By not trusting and fearing God, we live for ourselves and seek to only enjoy what we can get out of life for our own pleasure instead of pleasing God.  Humility, fear of God, repentance, and remembering "to obey is better than sacrifice."  Let us walk with our God (Micah 6:8), and not fall in with the fallen world whose mantra is, "Eat and Drink, Tomorrow We Die!" 

Saved to Follow in Obedience

Isaiah 19:20-21  
And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them. 21 Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it.

God sent Moses to lead Israel out of slavery, but it was actually The Lord who led them, who alone can save (deliver).  So He also delivers us from our enslavement to sin, our disobedience and disbelief in Him, through our turning away from it to Him and trusting His deliverance when He promises it - just as promised to Israel for freedom from bondage.   This is then what makes God known to you and causes you to further obey from the heart in love and not by compulsion.

Galatians 4:3-5.   Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 

Fellowship and Sin - Walking in the Light

1 John 1:6-8 
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.   8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

The previous verse says literally, "And darkness there is not in Him, no, not in any way."  We then who are truly His do not live a life of sin.  Proverbs 4:18 says, "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day."  We are to so live and be sanctified, to become more like Jesus each day.  The confession of sins is a necessary consequence of "walking in the light", just as confession (along with turning from it repentance) was a requisite for salvation.  Not doing this or denying we must is self-deception at best.

2 Corinthians 3:18   But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.