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!

Isaiah 54

Dear RTB’ers,

We have an emotional God: For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid My face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer. (vv.7-8) Desertion, compassion, anger – but ultimately, everlasting love. Not unlike we as parents disciplining a disobedient child – we do it out of love. But the love that we have for our children is infinitely less than the love that God has for us. In the end, with all that we might have gone through, God speaks to us, …My steadfast love shall not depart from you… (v. 10b) The Gospel in just a few words…!

Blessings!

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Dear RTB’ers,

Christmas Day. It’s so fitting that today’s entire passage is our fourth and final “Suffering Servant” passage, quoted more often in the New Testament than any other passage or set of verses from the Old Testament. So, no further comments from me on the passage itself. Rather, I would encourage you to read it over and over, again and again, reading it at least one time substituting Jesus for all the third-person pronouns. That’ll be my Christmas Day present to you.

Merry Christmas, to all of you!!

Blessings!

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See also: August 23 (2023) / Isaiah 52-55.

Isaiah 51:17-52:12

Dear RTB’ers,

Christmas Eve. I see much of Israel’s exile experience in today’s reading. First, we have God’s judgment on them for their apostacy in not seeking Him: Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of His wrath … they are full of the wrath of the LORD, the rebuke of your God. (v. 51:17a, 20b) But now God has had enough of His wrath poured out on His people (God speaking): Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of My wrath you shall drink no more; and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors… (v. 51:22b, 23a) And then we see them returning from exile with great joy! The voice of your watchmen… eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem. … For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. (vv. 52:8-9, 12)

Now, let’s put ourselves into that story. Let us be the Israelites who have in many ways abandoned our God. Hard times have been upon us, events and outcomes allowed to befall us, but not without God’s watchful eye, all designed for our growth, that we return to Him. And yes, He is ever faithful; He goes before us and behind us. Thank you, Lord! Glory!!

I hope to see you at church this evening!

Blessings!

Isaiah 50:4-51:16

Dear RTB’ers,

Pronouns and quotation marks… Today’s portion of chapter 50 has no quotation marks (they end with 50:3), so who is speaking? Is it Isaiah (the author) or is it God or is it the (S)servant? Verses 4-9 are all first-person pronouns – I, me, and my – with “Me” and “My” capitalized in the NASB. So, who is speaking? It’s easy to see Jesus as the speaker, especially in verse 6: I gave My back to those who strike, and My cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not My face from disgrace and spitting. In spite of His treatment, Jesus is confident of His victory over His adversaries. Then we have a third-person “His” in verse 10 and another first-person “My” in verse 11. Yes, it’s confusing. But whatever might be our understanding, those last two verses of chapter 50 provide clear warning – do not contend with this “His” or “My” person! This you will have from My hand: You will lie down in torment. (v. 50:11b)

Then we move to our 16 verses in chapter 51. In the NASB it’s all in quotation marks, except for verses 3 and 9-11. The ESV agrees, except that verse 3 is not excepted. So again, who is speaking. It is my understanding that when the translators use “stand alone” quotation marks in Isaiah that it is the Lord speaking. The NASB agrees – everything inside quotation marks in chapter 51 has capitalized pronouns. And if so, He is speaking to a “you”, clearly the Israelites: Look to Abraham your father… (v. 51:6a) And, as I’ve said before, when God speaks to the Israelites back in Isaiah’s time, we can often read His words as speaking to us in our time: Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD… (v. 51:1a) So today, in the chapter 51 verses, as if spoken to us, it’s all comfort for His people: …My righteousness will be forever and My salvation to all generations … I, I am He who comforts you… And I have put My words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of My hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’ (vv. 51:8b, 12a, 16) Yes, we are His people! Claim it!

Blessings!

Isaiah 49:1-50:3

Dear RTB’ers,

As the STS introduction reports, we are now moving away from a focus on Israel’s neighbors and oppressors: our “attention is turned to Israel’s glorious future”. Yes, it is a much easier read to see Israel being lifted up by this “servant”: And now the LORD says … “It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nation, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (vv. 49:5a, 6b) That is, my sense is that the Lord is speaking of the exiles returning from captivity, but that this return is a small item compared to the outreach that Israel (or the “servant”) will have on the entire world.

OK, this “servant”… Early on we read that the servant is Israel: And he said to me, “You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” (v. 49:3) However many scholars see these “servant” passages as referring to Jesus, the Messiah. The NASB and NKJV have all four uses of “Servant” capitalized (vv. 3, 5, 6, 7); their clear intent is that these “servant” passages are Messianic. Naturally, as John S. often suggests, it is up to us to make our own interpretation. However, my NASB Study Bible suggests that the entire passage from verses 1 to 13 refers to the Messianic Servant. Either way, with Israel as the servant or interpreting a Messianic Servant, today we read of Israel’s future glory, with the Lord’s deliverance and care for her especially prominent in the rest of today’s reading. Enjoy!

Blessings!

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See also: August 22 (2023) / Isaiah 49-51.

Isaiah 48

Dear RTB’ers,

Yesterday I posted, “God will do what He will do. Our only response is to acknowledge Him.” Then John repeated that point in his comment, “Are we, as Fred says, acknowledging the Lord God Almighty? Or are we instead stubborn of heart and far from righteousness? (Isaiah 46:12)” Intriguing, because today we read that many of Israel’s people were NOT acknowledging God or His ways, His prophecies. They were people …who swear by the name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right. (v. 1b) God says of them, You have never heard, you have never known, from of old your ear has not been opened. (v. 8a) But God, ever merciful, did not deal with them as they deserved: For My name’s sake I defer My anger; for the sake of My praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. (v. 9)

The Israelites serve as an example for us. We also can be stubborn of heart and far from righteousness, hard of hearing, rebellious in our own ways. And while we know that God is merciful, do we really want to count on His mercy instead of simply acknowledging Him from the start? Again, God will do what He will do. Our only response is to acknowledge Him.

Blessings!