Isaiah 50
COMMENTARY:
: 1 Thus says the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. (3748 divorcement”[k@riythuwth]means divorce, dismissal, the act of ending a marriage, or a deed giving notice by a husband to a wife of impending divorce.)
DEVOTION: The LORD has a unique relationship with the children of Israel. They are HIS chosen people. HE told Abraham that HE would take care of his descendant. However, they were disobedient. The LORD chastens HIS children who are disobedient.
We know from the book of Malachi that the LORD hates divorce. HE designed marriage to last for a lifetime. HE wants us to work through any circumstance that comes into a marriage. With the help of the LORD there can be victory in every marriage if both parties are willing to keep working together with the LORD. When this doesn’t happen and sin increases there has to be a change of circumstances. Marriage is W.O.R.K. which means that there needs to be worship, organization, routine, and keepsakes in every marriage.
Here in this chapter HE is telling Israel that because of their sin HE is issuing a time of dismissal for chastening. HE is not giving up completely because HE tells a remnant to continue to trust HIM. The rest will go into captivity and not change their attitude or actions in their relationship to HIS commandments.
HE is sending a servant to suffer. This servant is Christ. HE is going to have individuals hit HIM. HE is going to have individuals pluck off HIS hair. HE is going to have individuals spit on HIM.
However, HE knows that the LORD will help HIM. This all happened to Christ when HE came as the Messiah the first time for all those who trust in HIM. Those who try to do it on their own will have to face eternity in sorrow. Don’t light your own fire! We need to go to the LORD for our LIGHT. Jesus is the LIGHT of the world.
Every believer must give a good witness to their unsaved spouse. Too many believers are bad witnesses to the love of Christ to their spouse. If there are two believing spouses there should be times of prayer and fasting when things are not going according to the Word of God in their life.
CHALLENGE: Pray for your marriage and the marriages of those who are family and friends. Your prayers will make the difference.
: 2 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinks, because there is no water, and dies for thirst. (7114 “shortened” [qatsar] means to dock off, curtail, cut down, much discouraged, grieve, mourn, trouble or vex.)
DEVOTION: Is God limited? Is there anything too hard for the LORD to do? Sometimes we seem to put the LORD on our level of power. We know that we can’t cause everyone to have an end of their problems. We like to be problem solvers but it doesn’t work for everyone, so we think that God can’t do it if we can’t.
How big is our God? Sometimes our thinking is wrong and God gets our attention to correct that thinking. HE has the power to dry up the sea. HE can make rivers in the wilderness. HE can cause rivers to disappear.
It is not that HE cannot save Israel but HE chooses not to save them from this captivity because they need to learn a lesson regarding the consequences of their sin.
The LORD is chastening them but HE has not lost any power. HE chastens those HE loves. HE is trying to get the attention of Israel.
The same is true today. Our unbelief causes us problems. We tend to think that we have to solve our own problems without even going to the LORD in prayer. We think we can redeem ourselves.
That is impossible not only on a problem level but also on a sin level. The only one who can solve our sin problem is the LORD Jesus Christ when HE died on the cross for our sins. The Father looks at us through HIS Son and forgives our sins. Then we are redeemed. We are brought back from our slavery of sin to a relationship of servant of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Enlarge your belief regarding who is going to solve your sin problem and your daily problems. If we continue to depend on ourselves – we will fail.
: 4 The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary; he wakens morning by morning, he awakens mine ear to hear as the learned. (3928 “learned “ [limmuwd] means disciple, taught, discipled, someone who takes up knowledge or beliefs from a teacher, expert, or practiced.)
DEVOTION: The LORD gives an instructed tongue to those who ae willing to be taught by HIM what HIS message is to the people. In this case it was Isaiah who the LORD had taught what to say to the people of Israel.
Those who are taught have a message to give to give to those who are willing to listen to the message of the LORD. This was true in Isaiah’s day and it is true today.
There are many people who are not willing to listen to the LORD but put messages of their own, as if, they were messages of the LORD.
In the Old Testament these individuals were called “false prophets” and today they would be called pastors who are not preaching the truth of the Word of God.
There are many who say they are preaching from the Bible but they are quoting false teaching of men who are not genuine followers of the LORD. They sound good at times but when you compare what they are teaching to the whole counsel of God you find that they are false teachers trying to profit from their false teaching.
Every teacher we listen to should be checked out by the Word of God and our prayer life. The Holy Spirit will give us the truth regarding their teachings. Too many people are following those who are not really teaching the truth but a false religion that is not found in the Bible.
We have to be students of the Word of God and check out what others are saying in person and from the pulpit. We gave to be those who are genuine students of the LORD and the Holy Spirit will give us wisdom as to who we should listen to and support.
CHALLENGE: Those who are genuine teachers want you to check out their teaching in the Word of God on a daily basis. The Holy Spirit will give you discernment if you ask HIM!
: 7 “For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore, I will not be disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). 2496 חַלָּמִישׁ [challamiysh /klal·law·meesh/]- flint, rock. (in the sense of hardness)
DEVOTION: In ministry and life when we are doing work for the Lord it is extremely important that we know that it is the Lord’s work and not our own. Isaiah was daily challenged as a prophet of God and needed to be reminded that the Lord was there to assist and direct him through the difficulties that he faced. It was only that knowledge that enabled Isaiah to continue to declare a word of God that most people of Israel hated.
When we are in ministry and must declare the word of the Lord to people that do not want to hear or obey the principles and truths that are the Lord’s it is imperative that we know that Christ is directing. Words and actions of adversaries can be very exhausting to the faithful servant of God. Only the one that knows His calling and is strengthened by the Lord’s word will endure. Set your face like a flint (rock) and stand firm in the truth God wants you to share.
CHALLENGE: True ministry is difficult work as people do not want to believe the word of God. As a servant of the Lord it is the privilege to proclaim and present an example before unbelievers. In difficult times we can grow weary but remember what Isaiah said here and “set your face like a flint.” (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
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