Friday: Further Thought ~ Desire of Nations
Further Study:
See also Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pages 376-378; also The Desire of Ages, pages 236-243.
“Jesus stood before the people as a living expositor of the prophecies concerning Himself.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
Explaining the words He had read, He spoke of the Messiah as a reliever of the oppressed, a liberator of captives, a healer of the afflicted, restoring sight to the blind, and revealing to the world the light of truth. His impressive manner and the wonderful import of His words thrilled the hearers with a power they had never felt before. The tide of divine influence broke every barrier down; like Moses, they beheld the Invisible. As their hearts were moved upon by the Holy Spirit, they responded with fervent amens and praises to the Lord.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 237.
“The day of God’s vengeance cometh—the day of the fierceness of His wrath. Who will abide the day of His coming? Men have hardened their hearts against the Spirit of God, but the arrows of His wrath will pierce where the arrows of conviction could not. God will not far hence arise to deal with the sinner. Will the false shepherd shield the transgressor in that day? Can he be excused who went with the multitude in the path of disobedience? Will popularity or numbers make any guiltless? These are questions which the careless and indifferent should consider and settle for themselves.” — Ellen G. White, Faith and Works, p. 33.
Discussion Question:
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Summary:
God purifies an unjust society by removing the rebels and by restoring the remnant who turn from the sins that have separated them from Him. Due to the blessings of God’s presence, people from other nations are drawn to God and His people so that they also can enjoy the time of God’s favor that is proclaimed and delivered by the Messiah.
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This part of Isaiah has been full of messages about the Messiah, who he is and what he will be like. It gives us confidence in our beliefs. And for those of us who enjoy music, there is simply nothing like hearing many of these words being sung in Handel's Messiah. In my student days, they Messiah was performed on Saturday evening of Graduation. The Avondale Symphonic choir augmented by other choirs in the area and an orchestra would perform the Messiah to a packed audience of well over 1000. I still remember that one year the trumpeter was the well known first trumpeter (Just remembered his name: John Robinson, I think) from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and when they came to "The Trumpet Shall Sound" the sound was magnificent. (I could hear properly in those days!) For someone who enjoyed music but was unable to sing or play to any great extent is was a great experience.
But the performance finished amid the applause of the audience and we have all gone our various ways. Was the performance just a great memory, or did the message contained in the performance sink in? We are coming towards the end of this study of Isaiah. We have had some interesting discussions on the messianic prophecies. We have rejoiced in reading the prophecies about Jesus and contemplating their fulfilment. But ultimately the study needs to affect us and change us.
If there is one message that I get from this study is that it shows Jesus (God revealing himself to us) as someone who served to save. He did not come as the mighty conqueror that the Jews expected. His kingdom was not about winning but serving. And even today, we need to understand that message. This is not some reality TV show where the winner takes all. It is real Christianity where we help others to win.
When I was a kid on the farm in New Zealand, we used to go around the sheep every day to see that they were ok. Some would get caught in the blackberry thickets, others would fall into the creeks and not be about to get out. When we found a sheep in trouble, we had to get in among the blackberries thorns and cut the sheep free, getting scratched in the process. Or if a sheep was in a creek, we had to get into the creek ourselves to push and pull the sheep to get it out. Saving sheep was dirty and often painful work. We could not stand on the side of the blackberries or creek and call the sheep out. We had to get down to sheep-level and work with the sheep to save them.
Christianity is "dirty, painful" work. Praying about it, does not take the place of service.
Same old message isn't it!
When we think of God in His love still diping His hands in this dirty world to save, it makes our hands getting dirty to help our brothers and sisters more palatable, or if you prefer less unpleasant. The necessary service becomes tolerable as we contemplate what He has done for us. The love of God.
I just want to tell you how very much I enjoy your insight. I just found this site a week or so ago, and it has added so much to my lesson study already; largely due to your comments that make me think. Bravo! and thank you.
Thank you for your kind words Sheryl.
Yesterday we spoke of the vengeance of God. Isaiah 35:4. You will want to read the rest of Isaiah 35 because it details the recompense God's love has for us.
It would be good to summarize this week with the love of God.
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:5 NKJV
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
I John 4:7-11 NKJV
"We can only give what we have."
Do we have Christ?
What is the individual and collective cure for sin?
Christ is the only "vaccine" for sin! We should desire Him everyday so we could have some defense from this rotten disease that we are all infected by. Jesus is the only remedy for sin!
And while we are cured by His offer of immunity, as the people of Israel in the desert looking up for the bronze snake, like the spring of water He can make abundantly run into our drying souls, perhaps we can share and exchange evil for good, hate for love! This is the true and infallible "prescription" of life!
As Jesus taught, the wheat grows with the tares, so this final discussion question is a great "examination" point isn't it(2 Cor 13:5)? If honest, we will know exactly where we stand.
This pastor had a real field of labor, just as Jesus did in His day, and most pastors do, if we believe what Jesus and Isaiah taught(Matt 7:14, Isa 4:1).
Did not the Son of God come to give His Light to the nations, for them to walk in it and so with expel the darkness in man’s mind and direct it to know that there is a God in Heaven who has laid out the path for mankind to walk in Righteousness?
Do we focus our interest only on the matters surrounding Christ's comming, but do not transfer the purpose of His coming, His Light of Life to become our Light of Life? All efforts by Heaven on mankind’s behalf are to bring Heaven's Light to mankind and teach them how to walk by it!
Why do so many Christian denominations put more importance on teaching their creeds to be observed correctly instead of teaching its members about how to ‘correctly’ minister, serve and share the Love of God with their fellow man? I personally experienced the discomfort many ‘churched’ members felt when called upon to include an ‘outsider’ who did not dance correctly to their tune.
Why do so many organized churches place such a great import to teach their members to observe correctly their rules and regulations? In my opinion, this causes the churched believer to either become fearful of ‘new-commers’, or use their ‘insider position’ to lord their ‘good standing’ over them; both feel ‘uncomfortable’ to share their faith in love! Their heart’s allegiance is divided between their denomination’s creed and the inclusiveness of the pure Gospel of Love and Equality of all man in God’s eyes.
I believe that the more man-made restrictions/limitations/rules/traditions/’idols’ exist in an organized church, the more its members act like a club or a cult – their creed becomes their idol. Instead of letting the original message of Salvation through application of their by love changed heart benefit all, which brought them together in the first place, their focus is changed to become an apologist for their denomination’s interpretation of Scripture; everything else is secondary.
Worship then is done as a Christian in love with 'whatever the name of the denomination', and not a Christian in love with His Father.
Those believers' efforts are turned inward to maintain ‘purity’ as a member of their denomination instead of turning outward to exemplify Christ’s Light of Life in compassionate, loving, caring, attentive and inclusive interactions with the unsaved.
I think the more focused the believer places on creed, the more judgmental he/she becomes.
I would say that God purifies an unjust society through all believers, no matter where they find themselves, who commit to always walk in Christ’s Light as exemplified by His teachings and supported by the example of His Life.
The believer demonstrates God’s Love, the righteous Image His Maker, as they live their lives following the guidelines established by Heaven for mankind.
The purpose of Christ’s coming is to safe mankind, by demonstrating how we are to interact with each other, how to treat each other with kindness, how to live and interact with each other peaceably and so share this Good News with all we come in contact with.
'He spoke of the Messiah as a reliever of the oppressed, a liberator of captives, a healer of the afflicted, restoring sight to the blind, and revealing to the world the light of truth.'
In most if not every island and country of this world there are those of a lesser ethnic group, or poorer class who are at a socio-economic disadvantage than others. Some ethnic groups are killed because of who they are without a cause. Are we as Christians standing up against injustice? Does it bother us? What are we doing about it as individuals or a group? What are we doing to help the illegals who we pass by everyday looking for help, how do we treat them. How did Jesus treated them and reached out to their needs? How did he treated the Samaritans?