Isaiah 44
COMMENTARY:
: 6 Thus says the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. (1350 “redeemer” [ga’al] means act as kinsman, deliverer, to buy back, lay claim to, ransom, or to require blood.
DEVOTION: The LORD has many relationships to HIS people. HE is called a King in this verse. It can mean that HE is the King of kings. Read Revelation 19:16. When the final judgment of those who reject Jesus Christ is going to happen on the earth we find that on the vesture is written a name: King of Kings and LORD of LORDS.
HE is our kinsman deliverer. We needed to be brought back from the fall of man in the first Adam. Jesus is the kinsman. Those who become followers of HIM can be brought back from death to everlasting life. HE has conquered death. The sting of death is gone. We have life after death. We have life in a place prepared by the LORD after HIS ascension into heaven. Remember HE stated that HE was going to prepare a place for us and return to take us to our place prepared.
Thirdly, HE is the LORD of hosts. HE could have called ten thousand angels to deliver HIM from the judgment of Rome. HE is going to lead heavens army in the last days. No army can face this army and win.
Fourth, HE describes HIMSELF as the first and the last. HE is the beginning and the end. Everything began with HIM and will end with HIM. No one else is in control.
Finally, HE states that there is no other god because HE is the ONLY GOD. Through HIS prophet Isaiah HE makes this statement many times to keep HIS followers thinking the right thoughts. Too often they went after other gods. HE had to keep correcting them. HE still remained faithful to them even when they were not faithful.
Our basic understanding the attributes of the LORD helps us understand the choices we have in life. If we truly believe HE is our King, redeemer, Captain of the hosts of heaven, the beginning and the end and that there is no other God in our universe, it should cause us to not doubt HIS instructions and HIS assignments.
CHALLENGE: When you go into your prayer time with the LORD ask HIM to reveal HIMSELF to you, so that, you can understand what HIS attributes mean to you personally.
: 8 Fear you not, neither be afraid: have not I told you from that time, and have declared it? You are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any. (5707 “witnesses” [‘ed] means testimony, evidence of things, witness of people, someone who sees an event and reports what happened, or the giving of evidence in a formal legal setting)
DEVOTION: Those who are genuine followers of the LORD are the ones who share their testimony as to the uniqueness of the LORD. HE presents HIMSELF to the people of Israel and some will become followers and others will just give lip service to HIM but not really follow HIM.
This is happening even today. There are many people who attend church each Sunday to give lip service to the LORD during the service but when they leave the building, they don’t mention HIM the rest of the week. They are individuals who don’t share the truth that HE is the only way to heaven.
Genuine believers are witnesses to the truth of HIS provision of salvation and blessing in their daily walk with HIM. They will share their testimony with others. They will pray with others regarding their salvation and personal needs.
God wants us to be individuals who are genuine seven days a week and not just on Sunday. Our words will glorify HIM. Our actions will glorify HIM. People will know where we stand and it will be a consistent stand day in and out.
God wants us to be genuine and faithful to HIM seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. This can only happen with the help of the Holy Spirit in our life and a life that studies the Bible daily.
CHALLENGE: Those who are genuine believers are not living in fear but are praising the LORD every moment of every day and if they drift, they confess it and move back to witness for the LORD.
:21 “Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me! The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).זָכַר, זָכַר, מַזְכִּיר [zakar /zaw·kar/]-to remember, recall, call to mind)
DEVOTION: After describing the idolaters and foolish individuals that refused to believe the Lord call upon the believers to remember and rejoice! When we recognize all that the Lord has done for us we cannot help but praise Him and celebrate in His presence. Pastor Sharpe use to say that we should be “Bapticostals”! Be baptistic in our doctrine and Pentecostal in our worship of the Lord! I believe that Isaiah would have agreed with that design of worship! When we remember whose servant we are and live accordingly the praise and worship flows naturally from our lips and lives. Today take a few moments to consider where and what you would be had not the Lord delivered and redeemed you!
Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4-5 are just a couple of passages that relate to the worship that the Lord receives as He sits upon the throne. It is not going to be a quiet, reflective liturgy but one that elevates every emotion and action to worship the Lamb that was slain and is alive forevermore.
CHALLENGE: If you have not read Isaiah 6 or Revelation 4-5 in a while take a few moments to reflect upon these passages and how worship is in Heaven. It might make you consider how to be “Bapticostal” in some small way! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
: 24 Thus says the LORD, your redeemer, and he that formed you from the womb, I am the LORD that makes all things; that stretches forth the heavens alone; that spreads abroad the earth by myself. (990 “womb” [beten] means female reproductive organs, belly, womb, body, within, or born.)
DEVOTION: Isaiah is communicating with the children of Israel regarding the God they are supposed to worship. They have been worshiping false gods. They are going to be judged because of their worship of false gods.
However, the LORD is also stating that HE is not going to end HIS relationship with them because of their disobedience. HE is going to chasten them so that they learn that HE loves them. HIS desire is for them to return to worshiping HIM. This will happen in the future.
This verse is a description of some of the works of the LORD. HE starts by stating that HE is their redeemer. HE brought them with a price. HE will restore them to a proper relationship to HIM. Adam lost that relationship in the Garden of Eden. Only a proper sacrifice was going to restore that relationship. The only sacrifice was a pure sacrifice. The only pure man who ever lived was Jesus Christ. HE died for the sins of the world.
Next HE states that HE is the one who gives life to every living being. HE allows them to stay alive because HE is the one in control of their every breath. HE can end their life at any time because they are alive at HIS pleasure.
HE made the heavens. HE made the earth. HE is our redeemer. HE is introduced as the redeemer of Israel. HE has a chosen people. HE knew them from the womb. The New Testament tells us that we were chosen before the foundation of the world. Before creation the LORD knew HIS people.
One of the facts that we need to always remember is that HE formed us in the belly of our mother. Many men were called to serve the LORD from the belly of their mothers. We find that John the Baptist jumped in the belly of his mother when Mary came into the house with baby Jesus in her belly. The word of God states that the baby in the belly of his or her mother is a person. Jeremiah was called by the LORD from the belly of his mother.
Each believer is called from our mother’s belly. Each of us that are called of God was called before the foundation of the world. We need to remember that each person is important to God from conception to death. Praise HIS name.
CHALLENGE: From birth the LORD has prepared HIS children to serve HIM with their gifts until their death. Are you using your gifts right now? There is no retirement age with the LORD.)
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group
Singverse 23
Shoutverse 23
Templeverse 28
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 2, 5, 6, 23, 24
Creatorverses 2, 21, 24
King of Israelverse 6
Redeemerverses 6, 22-24
LORD Of hostverse 6
I am the firstverse 6
I am the lastverse 6
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign)verses 6, 8
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Pouring out of the Holy Spiritverse 3
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
LORD made menverse 2
LORD formed menverses 2, 21, 24
Cyrus (God’s shepherd)verse 28
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
False godverse 8
Graven imageverses 9-20
Delectable thingsverse 9
Fearverse 11
Ashamedverse 11
Worship false godverses 15, 17
Pray to false godverse 17
Abominationverse 19
Deceived heartverse 20
Lieverses 20, 25
Transgressionsverse 22
Sinsverse 22
Divinersverse 25
Make knowledge foolishverse 25
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Servantverses 1, 2, 21
Chosenverses 1, 2
Fear notverse 2
Provision verse 3
Blessingverse 3
Not forgottenverse 21
Blotted out sinsverse 22
Redeemedverses 22-24
Singverse 23
Shout verse 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jacobverses 1, 2, 5, 21, 23
Israelverses 1, 5, 21, 23
Jesurunverse 2
Jerusalemverses 26, 28
Cities of Judahverse 26
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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