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May 2 + Daily readings & notes

DAY 122

Image result for suffering servant

DAILY READINGS

Isaiah 52-54 & Psalm 119:97-128

DAILY NOTES

Isaiah 52

  • God tells the people to rejoice.  They were afflicted and led away, but now they can look to "the return of the Lord to Zion" (vs. 8).
  • The last of the Suffering Servant songs.  It begins at Verse 13 and finishes at the conclusion of Chapter 53
    • Notice everything the servant will do.
Isaiah 53
  • Everything the servant did (or would do) would 1) be the will of God (vs. 10) and 2) be for the righteousness of the people (vs. 11).
  • I'm not trying to be heretical or anything.  But the early church read this and immediately said, "Jesus!"  They did that for obvious reasons.  But what about that offspring note in Verse 10?
Isaiah 54
  • The fortune and livelihood of the people will be reversed by God.  
    • Barrenness and shame, for example.
  • The prophet compares God to a grieving wife (vs. 6).
  • Whereas oppression, tribulation and fear established the life of the people in Babylon (most of them?), God promises he will not do that to them.  In fact, no weapon formed against the people will prosper!

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Maybe you've heard some people talk about God obviously getting ready to bring judgement against us.  Just look at everything that's happening.  God isn't going to stand for much more. He's going to come and punish us.

Please don't misunderstand what I'm about to say.  There are plenty of things that I see as not honoring God.  But not just the things people in the church have traditionally riled against.  There is a lot God could punish us for.  By us I mean to say the American church.  We're a particular bunch.

I've heard many preachers use the threat of God's judgement as their go-to sermon.  What makes that difficult to hear is that they're not referring to the Final Judgement of God.  In fact, we tend to gloss over that a lot.  We believe there is a judgement every person will face.  We will all stand before God to give an account for our life.  But the judgement I often hear about describes how God is going to punish our nation, specifically.  We're going to have freedom taken away from us.  We're going to suffer the wrath of war.  And so on.  All because God has to punish us.

I'm not convinced that is from God.  Here's why.  What do you think when you see a rainbow?  If you're like most Christians, at some point you probably at least think of the name Noah.  The Bible says God put the rainbow in the sky to remind us of God's promise.

In Isaiah 54 God describes a new covenant of peace.  This is the peace the people have to look forward to after they return from exile.  Listen to what God says about it:
This is like the days of Noah to me:
   Just as a swore that the waters of Noah
   would never against go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry
         with you
   and will not rebuke you.
Do you ever worry God is going to bring a flood to us?  You shouldn't.  So, why do we think we're so special that we can convince God to turn back on this promise?  We aren't.

Now, that doesn't mean we don't have work to do.  Lord, do we!  We've a story to tell to the nations.  And it doesn't mean there are some hearts that need to be refashioned.  There are.  That's why the church of God must realize its true nature and calling.

Stay blessed...john

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