Isaiah 66

Dear RTB’ers,

Isaiah. Beginning on November 17 we have read Isaiah for 42 days out of the next 49 – only one week in that seven-week span reading the apostle John’s three letters. So we’ve been on a long journey, ending today on a happy note as we read more about the New Jerusalem and God’s final judgment on wrongdoers, His glory manifested for all to see.

A few highlights of the New Jerusalem: Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her … Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream… As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. (vv. 10a, 12a, 13)

And the final judgment: For by fire will the LORD enter into judgment … and those slain by the LORD shall be many… “Those who … go into the gardens … eating pig’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, … and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see My glory… all flesh shall come to worship before Me…” (vv. 16-17, 18b, 23b)

Thus we end Isaiah.

Blessings!

Isaiah 65

Dear RTB’ers,

Tomorrow, Sunday, January 4, our first RTB gathering of the new year – in Nathan Hall after coffee hour (and bus duty and cleanup). Come join us!

Today, two distinct threads between verses 1-16 and 17-25. In the former God is distinguishing between Israelites who are faithful (My servants, Isaiah 65:8,9, and especially Isaiah 65:13-15) and unfaithful (a rebellious people, Isaiah 65:2; people who provoke Me, Isaiah 65:3). He has harsh words and a deadly outcome for this latter group: But you who forsake the LORD, … I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in My eyes and chose what I did not delight in. (vv. 11-12)

But for the former group, the faithful, He offers goodness and gladness: But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people… Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. (vv. 18-19a, 24) Note the contrast in the bold phrases in the two paragraphs.

…choose this day whom you will serve, … But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15)

Blessings!

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See also: October 5 (2023) / Isaiah 65-66.

Isaiah 63:7-64:12

Dear RTB’ers,

Today’s reading sounds much like a lament that we may have read from one of the Psalms. A few years back I noted (from one of my Study Bibles) the elements of a lament: a cry for help; the author’s situation; an expression of confidence; a protestation of innocence or a prayer for vindication; and grateful recognition for God’s help. Read through today’s passage and look for these elements. Yes, it does sound like Isaiah’s prayer is a lament.

In yesterday’s post I noted that Jesus knew His Scripture. Today we see that the apostle Paul also knows Isaiah. Here is the passage from today’s reading: From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides You, who acts for those who wait for Him. (v. 64:4) And here we see Paul quoting this passage: None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (I Corinthians 2:8-9) Repeating myself from yesterday – as Jesus and Paul knew and applied Old Testament passages, for ourselves, the more we read, the more we know, and the more we know, the more we come to love God more and more.

Finally, the STS authors note Isaiah’s mention of the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 63:10, 11, 14. I always appreciate Holy Spirit mentions in the Old Testament.

Blessings!

Isaiah 61:1-63:6

Dear RTB’ers,

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…

Isaiah 61:1-2a

You may be saying to yourself, “I recognize those verses.” And you would be correct. Jesus read these verses when a scroll was handed to him in the Nazareth synagogue: He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written … [the verses above]… And He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21) Jesus knew Scripture!! Let Him be the model for us as we move into a new year, becoming more and more familiar with all that we read and coming to know Him more!

Blessings!

Isaiah 60

Dear RTB’ers,

New Year’s Eve. The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light… (vv. 19-20a) All this morning I’ve had a song in my head, “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light”. Our son had sent us a beautiful rendition of that song that his church had sung at their Christmas concert. The chorus in that song stands out, agreeing with the verses quoted above: “In Him there is no darkness at all, the night and the day are both alike. The Lamb is the Light of the City of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.” It is so wonderful when my “head thoughts” and our RTB reading are the same (or similar). What do we call that? God’s holy echo…!!

Seven or eight times in today’s reading we see the words “shall come”. Nations shall come, sons and daughters shall come, wealth shall come, tormentors and oppressors shall come…, all shall come to God, to the glory of the Lord at the new Jerusalem: The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. (v. 14) This is the future to which we hold. When? We don’t know. Maybe 2026? Happy New Year, everyone!!

Blessings!

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See also: October 4 (2023) / Isaiah 60-64.

Isaiah 59

Dear RTB’ers,

The STS intro provides a really good summary of today’s reading (as it often does), helping us to understand what might have been more confusing without that help.

For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us … we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. (vv. 12a, 11b) If we put ourselves in today’s story, verse 12a quoted above is ours also. Fortunately, however, verse 11b no longer holds for those of us who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the salvation that the Israelites lacked. What did I quote yesterday? “Humility, contrition, thanksgiving, prayer, praise…” Now we can add salvation to that list!! Glory!

Blessings!

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See also: October 3 (2023) / Isaiah 56-59 (again).

Isaiah 58

Dear RTB’ers,

Isaiah writing as if Israelites were speaking: Why have we fasted, and You see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You take no knowledge of it? (v. 3a) Integrity test here – am I (are we) like the Israelites of old, fully confident in my (our) own righteousness, expecting God to acknowledge and affirm my (our) supplications? Might there be a better way to approach our holy God? Humility, contrition, thanksgiving, prayer, praise…? Maybe… Not my will, but your will be done.

Blessings!

Isaiah 56-57

Dear RTB’ers,

Again, the STS introduction is super helpful in reading today’s two chapters. In that intro the authors highlight the Gentiles and the eunuchs, the leaders and the idolators. They surely enhance our understanding compared to our reading it on our own!

As is often the case, one verse stood out for me: For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (v. 57:15) Our God dwells in a “high and holy place”, but He still encourages the hearts and spirits of the lowly and the contrite. So much so, that He sent His Son to come down to us and live among us – from His “high and holy place” to be with us, to show us His Father. That’s the true message of Christmas, the spirit of the Incarnation – God became man, to revive the lowly and contrite. That’s us. Enjoy it!

Blessings!

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See also: October 3 (2023) / Isaiah 56-59.

Isaiah 55

Dear RTB’ers,

It is often the case that I’ll be reading sections in Isaiah that are not very familiar to me, but then I’ll run across verses that I know quite well – often because I know them as music or as tried-and-true teachings. That’s the case today with Isaiah 55:6,8-9,11,12. All five of these verses are familiar to me; I even cited verse 11 eight days ago in reading Isaiah 45:23. It is my hope that more and more Scripture becomes more and more familiar to all of us, as we continue to read day after day, month after month, year after year.

But today a different verse jumped out at me: Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? (v. 2) Maybe it’s because we just celebrated Christmas a few days ago. I had looked with wonder this Christmas season at sale flyers, shoppers, and yard displays that had me wondering about what other people were thinking about the true meaning of Christmas. I saw far more Santa Claus and snowman yard displays than nativity scenes. The lights are all wonderful to look at and I’m happy for the Christmas spirit around town, but I do wonder about our excessively commercial Christmas season. Yes, God (through Isaiah) well asks us, why do we spend our money on that which does not truly satisfy? Why do we…?

Blessings!