Monday: Divine “Magnet”
Read Isaiah 66:1-19. Keeping in mind the time in which Isaiah wrote, what is the basic message he is giving here?
Through the prophet, God reiterates the appeal and warning that permeates the book: God will save and restore the humble, who tremble at His word (Isa: 66:2, Isaiah 66:5). As in Isaiah 40:1, He will comfort them (Isa: 66:13).
Image © Rolf Jansson at Goodsalt.com
But He will destroy those who rebel against Him. These include hypocrites of ritual, whose sacrifices He rejects ( Isaiah 66.3-4; compare Isa: 1:10-15), as well as those who hate and reject His faithful ones (Isa: 66:5). They also include those who practice pagan abominations (Isa: 66:17) like those practiced at the temple in Jerusalem (Ezek: 8:7-12).
Look at Isaiah 66:3. What is this text saying? What spiritual principles are being revealed here? How might the same idea be expressed, but in the context of contemporary Christianity and worship?
How does God serve as a magnet to draw the nations to Himself? Isaiah 66.18-19.
Following the destruction of His enemies (Isa: 66:14-17), God reveals His glory so that He becomes a magnet to draw people to Jerusalem (compare Isa: 2:2-4). He sets a “sign” among them, which is not specified here but apparently refers to the sign last mentioned by Isaiah: God gives His people joy and peace and restores their land ( Isaiah 55.12-13). When He reveals His glory by restoring His people after destruction, this is a sign of His restored favor, just as He gave Noah the sign of the rainbow after the Flood (Gen: 9:13-17).
Read Isaiah 66:5. What does it mean to tremble at His word? Why does the Lord want us to tremble at His word? If you don’t tremble, what might that say about the condition of your heart?
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In literature, plays, films and so on, most of the story lines go something like this:
The goodies face the baddies.
The conflict begins.
It looks like is is getting complicated.
The goodies look as though they are going to lose.
When all looks lost, the goodies break through.
Then comes the denouement - the bit where everything is sorted out and the goodies get their rewards, and the baddies get what they deserve.
I like that word, "denouement". I learned about it a long time ago and its great to be able to use it in a comment. It carries with it a sense of satisfying finality.
Isaiah 66 is in a sense a denouement of the battle between good and evil. It is giving us the sense that God understands completely what is happening and everything is sorted. Yet, it is not without its own sense of challenge. Isaiah 66 has its own set of issues to think about. If you read this chapter carefully, you will be challenged to reveal God's glory to others.
The most perfect denouement is the point in time where the eye of God’s faith in us is coincident with his foreknowledge. That is why he predestines all of us to be saved, so that we can know and love him as he really is and not perceive him dimly as we do now. It is like Euler’s Identity—there is no difference between the fundamental character of his universe and the One from whom the universe came.
Now that is denouement!
Amidst a lot of tention in the world today, even strong nations seem to fade before the pandemia's reality. Because the condition that the world has achieved is the result of its own degeneration, population needs to follow weekly state decrees, issued to be for public safety! The internet has been the solution for the problem of physical presence needs in schools and many other professional activities. Hopefully, the same worlwide web may also be the vehicle to spread the message of the cross around the world.
I do believe that Christ dying on the Cross is the magnet and the sign for evermore.
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."
John 12:32 KJV
How to be drawn, put the magnet before you. Psalms 16:8.
"...The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, "I delight to do Thy will, O My God."" Psalm 40:8. DA 175.5
What does it mean to tremble at His word. I to believe it means to consent to be brought into compliance of His word, or if you prefer to be made willing to be willing, to do the will of our Father. Philippians 2:13.
Now in summary of tremble at His word. "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
When Christ walked on this earth, the things he did and the life he lived was a magnet for/to other. According to the bible he called 12 men to follow him, thousands came because he drew them with his character. A loving, caring, tender, merciful, character. In the OT when the people sin, many times the Lord told the leaders what his character was in dealing with them. We see the Lord reminding them several times especially when they were dealing with his laws. His laws are Holy just like him and disobedient to the laws required death- the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. He is a gift to us.
As we come to the end of the book of Isaiah, it has become clear to me that there is really nothing complicated about the message our Heavenly Father has for his children on this earth. All He wants man to recognize is that they have a Father in Heaven and it is He, that He loves His children and admonishes them to behave in a caring, compassionate way, that He is patient and desires to give us all the help we need to navigate the rough waters of this life.
He wants us to come to the point in our relationship with Him where we are joyful doers of His Word and not learners or listeners only.
Our future starts with this life! If one does not trust and believe now, if one does not walk in the Lord’s footsteps on His Path now, if one does not believe now that there is a Father in Heaven which directs the affairs of man, if one does not believe there is a daily and future reckoning for the actions done by each individual, then one just goes about life in any way it works for them. If it works well, one keeps doing that which brings satisfaction, but if it does not go well, then this person is offered a choice – finding counsel from a trusted source to amend their way, or remain bound to do that which caused the issues he is faced with.
If we happened to meet a person at this strategic point in their life, open to receive a word of wisdom and truth, or, if that person knows us and finds us trustworthy to come to for advice, this person could appreciate the insights we share with them about the Source who directs our lives.
Whatever the perceived need, if we can help, we help. If not us personally, then we would direct them to a source capable to provide help – but we do respond and get involved! Not everyone might want to hear about or can understand the God we serve with our lives, but, hopefully, the one in need will recognize thankfulness in his heart.
What does it take for man to turn to God? Some seek Him being guided by their inner, spiritual compass locked on ‘Absolute Truth’; others, contemplating and meditating on philosophical concepts, find Christ’s Truth of *Life by Faith* to be the most balanced during their search for understanding; others find themselves facing calamities of their own or not of their own making, and turn to Him.
Practical and instructional help are equally valuable when establishing the right way out of a crisis and, when putting their foot forward again, hopefully this person knows that they are on the right Path.
Yes, we all experience difficulties as we navigate this living soul's ship through the waters of Life. Why not allow the Captain who made all things, knows all things, watches over and cares about the things He made, to plan its course and stir us into safer waters toward His harbor? Do we trust our own mind more than the mind of God?
Do we look at our struggling fellow man as our brother and sister? Do we think of them as deserving to have their ship guided into the same harbor and anchored right next to us as our brother and sister, a child of God?
Why not boldly but intelligently declare the Glory of God to those we find struggling with keeping their life’s ship upright, and pointing out to them that the most capable, most careful, most prepared, most knowledgeable – the Right Captain - is waiting on them to place Him at the helm of their Life to take it to the safest place - His Heart?