Category: Isaiah

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

This is the last great chapter of Isaiah. What sort of religion does God esteem? Religion where we are humble and contrite in spirit – where we are doers of what Jesus has said as well as hearers. Our behaviour is to mirror our profession of faith.

SJA Notes

* God above, Your word is truth. Please teach us today.

“But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

What does God want from us?

He tells us as we read through His word, day by day.

From this passage today we see a very clear call from the Lord.

“But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

Do we tremble at God’s word?

This should be a hard question for us. We should not shrug this off.

This question is born out of what importance and place that we give to the Lord and to His word.

Are we making time for God’s word?

Is God’s word important to us?

Do we hold up God’s word as truth, are we zealous for it?

* Gracious Father,

Please put within us a contrite spirit, a humble heart and mind.

Mark us as a people who tremble at Your word.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Judgment and salvation are corollaries. They always go hand in hand with each other. Awe and respect are equally necessary in my life as love and joy. Isaiah’s majestic words humble and thrill us.

SJA Notes

* Holy God, please show us how to live, for Your glory.

“But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,”

This is a hard word from the Lord.

It is a word against superstition of any kind.

It is a word against believing in luck, random cosmic chance, star signs – Anything that gives sovereign authority to any entity apart from our Creator God.

Listen to the warning God gives us!

“… I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in.”

God does not delight in us following superstition!

What do we have then?

ANSWER when God calls.

LISTEN when He speaks.

Hearken, let us hearken to God’s word.

* Sovereign God,

Thank You for the vision of hope we read here, of Your holy mountain, where there will be no death, no hurt, no sin.

Thank You for the hard word You have for us regarding superstitious belief.

Please mark us as a people singular in our devotion to You.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

This reading recounts the spiritual history of Israel. It makes sorry reading, just like our own spiritual histories. The wonderful thing is that God did rend the heavens and come down! (64:1)

SJA Notes

* Faithful God, please draw us closer to You today, show us what You want for us to know.

“There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.”

In and of ourselves, we humanity, we have no ability or intent, no agency, to rouse ourselves to take hold of our Creator Lord God – We cannot even make a single movement toward the Lord away from our sin.

_We_ cannot do this!

But.

BUT!

“But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

Isaiah recognises our state before the Lord, and recognises who the Lord is.

HE is the Father, the Potter, the Creator.

WE are the children, the clay, the work of His hand.

The prophet Ezekiel speaks of a vision that gives us the answer to this dilemma, the Lord speaks regarding the valley of dry bones (our dead-hearted state outside of God),

“And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, …”

God does the work that we cannot! He moves us even though we are unable.

God saves us. We do not.

God breathes new life into us. We do not.

God’s Spirit is placed within us, so that we are able to walk in obedience, Him alive in us, refining us as precious gold through the fire.

God does this. We do not.

Hallelujah for this!

* All-Powerful God,

Thank You for saving us, making our dead hearts alive in new life.

Thank You for creating us Lord God.

Please help us point those around us to You, because You alone offer salvation from our sin.

Amen.