Category: Isaiah

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Verse 11 has often been turned into song. There are wonderful words of challenge here for acknowledging who God really is. Verse 17 introduces us to the cup that Christ drank in your stead and mine.

SJA Notes

* Father God, please write Your word upon our hearts today, that we might not sin against You.

“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

These are wonderful words of hope!

God has ransomed His people from the clutches of sin, the devil and death.

Ransomed. Redeemed. Restored.

We are promised a new heavens and a new earth, one that God is building.

Just as He is building His church here on earth, He is building a place in glory.

Everlasting joy. Gladness and joy obtained. Sorrow and signing fleeing off into the distance.

We are reminded of Revelation 21,

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Isaiah recorded the same vision John was shown. One of our hope. Eternity writ large in big notes, an inheritance unlike anything the world can offer.

Be encouraged today! We have a King who conquered death so that we might be brought into new life.

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

* Heavenly Father,

We come to You today, please humble our hearts and break our foolish pride.

Please fix within us this clear hope of eternity, of glory, where we will dwell with You and You with us in all true fulfilment.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

The use of divorce as an example shows us how God feels about our rejection and indifference to Him and our rebellion from Him. Chapter 51 has that wonderful cry for repentance and faith: “Look to the Rock from which you were cut!”

SJA Notes

* Mighty God, open our ears today to teach us, and may we not turn away from Your word.

“Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward.”

These passages point us to Jesus, the suffering servant.

Jesus was obedient to His Father’s will (right up that weary hill to the cross). He was not rebellious.

Are we like our King?

Morning by morning – Are we coming to our Lord, listening to His word as He awakens our ears?

Morning by morning – Are we turning to Him, and not away, turning to the truth and not to the world?

Morning by morning.

Are we growing more like our King Jesus?

* Loving God,

Please help us today to obey Your voice, the voice of our Master.

We are Your servants, our hearts are Yours, we are Your people Lord God.

Please help us to walk in the light, to trust in Your Name, to rely on You.

We would pursue righteousness Lord, and seek You – Please O Lord, please help us in this.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

The coming of Jesus is not some new plan brought into operation because the old failed. The old, old story, Praise the Lord it’s true! – God intended His Servant Jesus to come as a covenant for the people and to save us. These passages introduce that wonderful theme of Isaiah – the Suffering Servant!

SJA Notes

* Loving God, please show us Your wisdom today, please write it on our hearts.

“The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword;”

Who is this speaking of? Called from the womb with a mouth like a sharp sword?

This is a little true of John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus.

We can summise from Luke chapter one that John glorified and worshipped His king from the womb, when his mother Elizabeth was pregnant and his Aunt Mary was also pregnant (with Jesus),

“And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.”

John was the voice calling in the wilderness, with a message of repentance (Matthew 3, John 1) – Speaking God’s word to the people.

We read in Hebrews 4 that God’s word is a sharp sword that cuts through soul and spirit, joints and marrow.

So this is a little true of John.

But John is only a pointer. He is a voice that calls us to the King, not the King Himself.

Because this verse points us clearly and strongly to JESUS. God the Son, born in a stable to Joseph and Mary. The one promised from long ages beforehand, the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.

He is the ultimate and final and full fulfilment of this truth-telling!

We read in Revelation 19,

“From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron.”

Jesus is God’s word become flesh. God’s word is the only offensive tool in our arsenal, the Sword of the Spirit.

He is our rescue and our redemption, He is our King who defeats His enemies. He is the suffering servant who made it possible for a wretched and broken people to be saved back into a right relationship with their Creator God.

This is Jesus!

* Almighty God,

Please help us to understand Your word today.

Please show us enough to grow toward You today.

Thank You for Your word.

Amen.