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Devotional
Weekly Bible Devotion By Books
June 5-10, 2023
Enter the Presence of the Lord
(All) Lord, you are my God. I will exalt you. I will proclaim your name.
(M) for you have done wonderful things,
(W) plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
(M) For you have been a stronghold to the poor,
(W) a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
(M) a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.
(W) He will swallow up death forever;
(M) He will wipe away tears from all faces.
(W) He will take away the reproach of his people.
(M) for he has spoken.
(All) Behold, this is our God. We have waited for him.
Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
(Isaiah 25:1, 4b,8 -9)
Confession
Lord of our hope, amid of all distress and arguments in our world, we are so easy to become depressed and hopeless. We forgot who you were and what you could do. We forgot that we were indeed not alone at all. We turn our eyes and hearts to you now. You are faithful and sure. We wait upon you. Rescue us from this fallen age. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
Scripture Reading
Isaiah 51:7-8;
7 “Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart: Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults. 8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations.”
Thoughts to share O, Lord, Be My Vision!
Isaiah has 66 chapters. It is a jumbo book. Its time scope covers Isaiah’s contemporary to the eternal future. Its geographical scope includes Israel, Judah, their neighboring countries, the whole world, and eternal New Heaven and New Earth. Bible scholars had asked how possible Isaiah could have such a vision beyond his place and his time. Such mystery can only be understood through its divine origin and the faithfulness of Isaiah and his followers.
Anyone who read through the book will quickly find two clear faces and tones throughout the entire book. One tone is about the disappointment, pain, anger, and rebuke. We can hear frightening judgements such as desolation, destruction, famines, killing, taken, domination. The other tone is about comfort, hope, acceptance. We can hear the hopeful words of “do not fear”, “gathering”, “return”. We even hear marvelous news beyond imagination such as the birth of Immanuel, wonderful baby, the suffering servant who bring in the righteousness, the anointed one who proclaim the good news.
So, what was the issues that Isaiah kept warning? In what ways did the Lord try to restore his astray children? What can we be inspired from this book?
Obviously, there was an issue that the both kingdoms fell short of the glory of their covenant Lord. The sin became institutional and societal. People sought for good life in terms of materials and okayed with all gods and goddesses and their customs in the fear of foreign powers.
Then, at least three themes can be found in Isaiah’s prophecies. They are: (1) to rebuke the emptiness and falsehood of the wooden idols; (2) to re-teach the entire Israelites to get to know who the Lord was, what He was to do; and (3) to recover the holy identity of the Israelites in the world. The Lord revealed himself as the eternal savior. The Israelites were called to be his people, to be the light to the world around them in all circumstances.
The Isaiah prophecies fully recognize the fact that It was hard to follow the covenant God in a real world. So Isaiah forecasted that there would be a suffering servant coming. He will become the ransom for sin and give righteousness to all people who believes him. There will have a new earth, new heaven, and new Jerusalem to all.
By rebuking, warning, teaching, promising, God called the Israelites to return to him, to abandon idols.; to be near him, to love his way and do good, to keep hands clean and hearts pure; to wait patiently the coming of Savior and the eternal new heaven, new earth, new city.
It is easy to get lost and get confused for our faith in a prosperity and power-driven culture. Isaiah book reflected the dilemma of the Israelites after a few hundred years they had been in the promised land. For us today in the 21st century, are there idols? do God’s people have clear vision about who they are in the world? Can they follow God in good times and in tough times? Have ever we come to God when it is too difficult? The warning, teaching and promising in Isaiah book is our reminder that we can walk our earth journey humbly and hopefully, because the suffering servant and wonderful baby has come. Lord, be our vision! We follow you. We are your beloved! Let us be your light and servant in wherever we are.
Prayer suggestions
To us in the 21 century, the suffering servant has revealed to us. In Jesus Christ, we are more resourceful than the Israelites in the 8-7 century B.C. Do we better handle the temptations and confusions in our life? Where do we find help when we are in challenges? What is our basic identity in the world?
Lord of our identity and mission, thank you that Jesus Christ has come. We taste your love and holiness. We have been rescued by you. Please, help us to be near you and your people. Remind your word in our life paths. Keep that eternal hope alive in our hearts. Guide our walk with you humbly. We pray in the name of your servant Jesus Christ, amen.
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