You Learn Something New Everyday
I led a Bible study in Isaiah for the last few months and it did not turn out to be the center of staid theology and thought provoking dialogue. The study book I (quickly) chose was really really hard and did not have a leader's guide or answers to the really really hard questions. In short, I was in way over my head. People would ask what we are learning in the study, or more importantly, what I was learning and I always responded with a blank stare. Followed by, "the questions are really really hard and there is no leader's guide". So during our last meeting I tried to share with our group what I had learned and I figured that maybe they would, finally, learn something too. Maybe.
I learned, or remembered, that Isaiah means "God has saved", or, "salvation is of the Lord". And that is what Isaiah prophesies through each of his 66 chapters. He tells of the destruction and/or rebellion of God's people and then of their coming salvation. He will save His people, the people He chooses, through His holy work alone. In the New Testament in Acts 4:12 we learn "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. " That name is The Messiah, Jesus.
Throughout the book of Isaiah God continually calls for repentance, promising redemption as in Isaiah 1:18-19, "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land." And we are reminded of his calling, "Come now", in Romans 5:8, "but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." I love how God starts that verse in Isaiah 1, "Come now". It is like He is saying, "Listen here, we can get through this, you and I."
It's not all rainbows and roses with our friend Isaiah. He also warns of rejecting God completely. Isaiah 66: 3-4 tells us the Lord says, "...these have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations. I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them, because, when I called, no one answered. When I spoke, they did not listen. But they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight." It is easy to miss an important part of these verses - He called. The Lord called them. Reached out to them. He said, "Come now", but they ignored Him. One thing to note here, God is a huge giver of second chances. Or third, or fourth. All of His faves throughout the Bible fall again and again. And again.
I heard John MacArthur today and he called Isaiah the first gospel. I never thought of it that way but it makes sense because The Messiah, The Savior, is all through Isaiah. It is what his name means after all, Isaiah "God has saved". (See, we are learning somthin'!) So, as you read through Isaiah you see the hope, the hope in Christ the Savior and Messiah. We see the first clear glimpse in Isaiah 9:2, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; these who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shown." And in 9:6, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Also in Isaiah 40:11, " He will tend his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with young." And in Isaiah 43:1b, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name you are mine." There's that "calling" again. Then in Isaiah 43:25, "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and I will not remember your sins."
That is important. Did you miss it? "For my own sake". That's grace. God's grace. Through God's grace He gives us salvation through His son Jesus Christ. He saves us from ourselves not because we are worthy. Far from it. In Romans 5:2 , "Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this Grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." His grace. Not us, mind you. Remember, He is the one doing the calling and all we have to do is pay attention. Sometimes that is easier said than done. But thankfully grace is grace, it says so right there in Romans 11:5-6, "So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace."
But why? Well God loves His people. He knew that our sin could not be made clean by our own doings. No, He knew He would have to step in to help us out with that messy sin business. A final sin offering would have to be made. Isaiah tells us about that offering and our sin, our ignoring what we shouldn't. He says in 53: 4-6, "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-every one- to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Why? Cause He loves us. In I John 4: 9-10 it says, "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
I think the following sums it all up quite nicely, Titus 3: 4-7, "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
I hope we all learned something. I did. I learned that I am not here to preach sin and salvation to everyone, just to me.
I learned, or remembered, that Isaiah means "God has saved", or, "salvation is of the Lord". And that is what Isaiah prophesies through each of his 66 chapters. He tells of the destruction and/or rebellion of God's people and then of their coming salvation. He will save His people, the people He chooses, through His holy work alone. In the New Testament in Acts 4:12 we learn "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. " That name is The Messiah, Jesus.
Throughout the book of Isaiah God continually calls for repentance, promising redemption as in Isaiah 1:18-19, "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land." And we are reminded of his calling, "Come now", in Romans 5:8, "but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." I love how God starts that verse in Isaiah 1, "Come now". It is like He is saying, "Listen here, we can get through this, you and I."
It's not all rainbows and roses with our friend Isaiah. He also warns of rejecting God completely. Isaiah 66: 3-4 tells us the Lord says, "...these have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations. I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them, because, when I called, no one answered. When I spoke, they did not listen. But they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight." It is easy to miss an important part of these verses - He called. The Lord called them. Reached out to them. He said, "Come now", but they ignored Him. One thing to note here, God is a huge giver of second chances. Or third, or fourth. All of His faves throughout the Bible fall again and again. And again.
I heard John MacArthur today and he called Isaiah the first gospel. I never thought of it that way but it makes sense because The Messiah, The Savior, is all through Isaiah. It is what his name means after all, Isaiah "God has saved". (See, we are learning somthin'!) So, as you read through Isaiah you see the hope, the hope in Christ the Savior and Messiah. We see the first clear glimpse in Isaiah 9:2, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; these who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shown." And in 9:6, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Also in Isaiah 40:11, " He will tend his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with young." And in Isaiah 43:1b, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name you are mine." There's that "calling" again. Then in Isaiah 43:25, "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and I will not remember your sins."
That is important. Did you miss it? "For my own sake". That's grace. God's grace. Through God's grace He gives us salvation through His son Jesus Christ. He saves us from ourselves not because we are worthy. Far from it. In Romans 5:2 , "Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this Grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." His grace. Not us, mind you. Remember, He is the one doing the calling and all we have to do is pay attention. Sometimes that is easier said than done. But thankfully grace is grace, it says so right there in Romans 11:5-6, "So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace."
But why? Well God loves His people. He knew that our sin could not be made clean by our own doings. No, He knew He would have to step in to help us out with that messy sin business. A final sin offering would have to be made. Isaiah tells us about that offering and our sin, our ignoring what we shouldn't. He says in 53: 4-6, "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-every one- to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Why? Cause He loves us. In I John 4: 9-10 it says, "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
I think the following sums it all up quite nicely, Titus 3: 4-7, "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
I hope we all learned something. I did. I learned that I am not here to preach sin and salvation to everyone, just to me.
I definitely learned things and you were a great leader!
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