Isaiah 65
COMMENTARY:
: 2 I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001).
DEVOTION: The Hebrew as it stands supports Rom. 10:20–21 in referring v 1 to the Gentiles and v 2 to Israel. (D. A. Carson et al., eds., New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 669.) What a sad picture that Isaiah is forced to present to the people that were to be the spokesmen for God to the world. Instead of being a sensitive, willing mouthpiece for the Lord the nation has done everything it can to insult and embarrass the Lord! As a result the Gentiles are welcomed into God’s presence and the Israelite nation is rejected. How sad a picture that the children God had selected has now been rejected and another people have become favored.
The Lord never gives up on those He has chosen and we see in Romans how God has a plan and His promise is still in effect for the nation in the future. This should cause us to reflect and to rejoice that the long suffering of God extends to us as well. If He can be as patient with the nation of Israel there is hope for us as we struggle to walk in His ways and be obedient. The Lord is merciful and extends to us forgiveness in spite of the weakness we exhibit by succumbing to temptation and worldly ventures.
1 John reminds us that he is an advocate for His own and that as we call to Him He hears us and our confession is received! Today recognize that, as a child of God, you are representing Christ and the kingdom of God to the world you are living in. Do not be like the children and Israel and forget who loves you and continually calls out to you to assist and strengthen your life in Christ.
CHALLENGE: Take a moment to consider how your witness of Christ has been today to the world that is watching and judging Christ because of your actions and attitudes. Do you need to stop and have a talk with the Savior? He is as near as the next moment of prayer. He is available even now! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
: 5 Which say, Stand by yourself, come not near to me, for I am holier than you. These are a smoke in MY nose, a fire that burns all the day. (6942 “holier” [qadash] means be set apart, to be or become set apart or sacred, implying ritual and moral purity in the case of persons, consecrated, or removed from common use.)
DEVOTION: There was a group of people who thought they were better than any others in their group. They told others that they were not able to even come near them because they were so much more righteous than they were.
We have all met these types of people who think they are better Christians than any of those who are round them. We find these individuals sometimes in leadership in some local churches who judge others as not as spiritual as they are.
Here we find Isaiah finding these types of individuals in the capital of Israel. The were the ones who were leading in the worship services in the Temple. They were the ones who were looking down on the rest of Israel because they thought they were better than others.
Today we find some of these people even in the local church. Sometimes they are even in leadership. This attitude is not one that the LORD approves of in those who are supposed to be leaders.
HIS idea of leadership is a group of humble individuals who know that they are sinner who have confessed their sins and are allowing the LORD to use them to help others grow in their spiritual life.
God doesn’t want individuals who think they are holier than other but those who are willing to realize that the LORD has given them grace to help others grow in their spiritual life.
We need to watch out for individuals who thing that they have arrived at perfection in their spiritual life. They have not!
CHALLENGE: We need to make sure that we don’t develop an attitude of superior to other believers. We need to humbly thank the LORD for the spiritual growth HE has given us and use it to help others humbly.
: 12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spoke, you did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. (2654 “delighted” [chaphets] means desire, please, will, pleasure, favor, or want.)
DEVOTION: The LORD gave Isaiah an insight into what is happening in his nation. The people of Israel were doing their own thing and didn’t want the LORD to be involved in their life. They liked leaving HIM out of any of their decisions. They even thought that they were holier than God. What an amazing thought by those who were supposed to be God’s chosen people.
The children of Israel were breaking all the commandments. They were even eating the flesh of pigs which was directly commanded of the LORD to not eat.
Remember that God gives people enough rope to hang themselves. HE wants HIS people to follow HIM but if they chose to disobey long enough HE will judge them.
Here we find that HE judges them to the sword. HE also gives a reason for HIS giving them what they want. HE had called them back to HIMSELF but they would not answer HIS call. HE continued to talk with them through HIS prophets and the Holy Spirit but they would not hear HIM.
Instead they did evil in HIS sight. Part of the evil that they did was something that the LORD didn’t find favor in. It made HIM sad.
Once HE established HIS standards, HE told those who were in Israel that some were going to be fed and others were going to be hungry. Some were going to have something to drink and others would not. Some were going to be able to rejoice while others would cry from hearts of sorrow.
The LORD makes a distinction between those who are obedient and those who are disobedient. One is blessed and the other is cursed. Restoration is always possible but there is a point of no return.
CHALLENGE: Our actions speak louder than our words. Correct any action that is in disobedience to the LORD and then HE can bless you again. HE is longsuffering but pre-mature death happens to those who are true servants that continue to disobey.
: 24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (6030 “answer” [anah] means to eye, to reply, to hear, to heed, pay attention, to respond, to sing, or bear witness.
DEVOTION: The chapter starts with the LORD recompenses Israel for their sins. They thought they were good but the LORD knew they needed judgment. However, there was a remnant that would return from the captivity.
HE states that there will be difference between HIS servants and those who are disobedient. HIS servants can pray and HE will reply while they are still saying their prayer. HE promises to hear HIS servants.
This chapter instructs us that there will be a NEW heaven and a NEW earth created in the future. This world is going to pass away. It will be cleansed by fire.
Before the NEW Heaven and NEW earth there will be a millennial reign of Christ here on the earth. During this time period the earth will have no devil to tempt them because he will be chained for the thousand years. The animal kingdom will be different. The world will be different. The fields will bring forth great harvests. The elect will live to be over a hundred years old with most living to be a thousand. Sinners will die young. The elect will enjoy the work of their hands. It will be a time of blessing.
While we will reign with Christ during the millennium, those who are still in their human body will be active in the normal events of life. They will be marrying and having children. They will be working their farms. They will be planting their vineyards.
Are we looking forward to a time when we will reign with Christ? How many cities will be reigning over? How many stars will we have in our crowns? Let us “occupy” until Christ returns for HIS bride.
CHALLENGE: Understanding that the time period expressed here has not happened yet – learn more about the different time periods that are recorded in the Old Testament. God is revealing HIS plan for the future.
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)
Asked notverse 1
Sought notverse 1
Call – I will answerverse 24
Speak – I will hearverse 24
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group
Drink offeringverse 11
Sing for joy of heartverse 14
Gladverse 18
Rejoiceverse 18
People of joyverse 18
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
It is writtenverse 6
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Seeks HIS peopleverse 1
Provoked to anger continuallyverse 3
Not keep silenceverse 6
Recompenseverse 6
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 7, 8, 11, 23, 25
MY servant’s sakeverse 8
MY mountainsverse 9
MINE select shall inheritverse 9
MY peopleverse 10
Number some to the swordverse 12
I called – you didn’t answerverse 12
I spoke – you did not hearverse 12
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master)verses 13, 15
GOD – Jehovahverses 13, 15
Lord GODverses 13, 15
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign)verse 16
God of truthverse 16
Former troubles HID from HIS eyesverse 16
Creatorverses 17, 18
New heaven
New earth
Jerusalem
I will rejoice in Jerusalemverse 19
joy of MY people
no more weeping
no voice of crying
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
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)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Not seeking the LORDverse 1
Rebellious verse 2
Walked away from the LORDverses 2, 11
Thoughts that are not rightverses 2, 5
Provoked LORDverse 3
Sacrificed to false godsverses 3, 7
Ate pigsverse 4
Ate abominable thingsverse 4
Told God to stand by HIMSELFverse 5
Holier than you attitudeverse 5
Iniquitiesverse 7
Burned incense upon the mountainsverse 7
Blasphemeverse 7
Forsake the LORDverse 11
Forget to worship LORD properlyverse 11
Not answer the LORDverse 12
Not hear the LORDverse 12
Evil in God’s eyesverse 12
Delight in wrong thingsverse 12
Ashamedverse 13
Leave your name for a curseverse 15
Swears in the earthverse 16
Sinnerverse 20
Accursedverse 20
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Servantsverses 8, 9, 13, 14, 15
Inheritorsverse 9
Elect will inheritverses 9, 22
Seek the LORDverse 10
Provide food and drinkverse 13
Rejoiceverse 13
Singverse 14
Sorrow of heartverse 14
Vexation of spiritverse 14
Chosenverse 15
New nameverse 15
Truthverse 16
Former troubles forgottenverse 16
No more tearsverse 19
Long lifeverse 20
Prayer that is answeredverse 24
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Nationverse 1
Rebellious peopleverse 2
Jacob (seed out of)verse 9
Judahverse 9
Inheritor of MY mountainsverse 9
Sharonverse 10
Valley of Achorverse 10
God’s peopleverses 10, 19, 22
Cry for sorrow of heartverse 14
Howl for vexation of spiritverse 14
Lord GOD shall slay youverse 15
Call HIS servants by another nameverse 15
Jerusalemverse 19
Electverse 22
Blessed of the LORDverse 23
Holy mountainverse 25
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Not destroy them allverse 8
New heavens and New earthverse 17
Glad and rejoice foreververse 18
Create Jerusalem a rejoicingverse 18
her people of JOY
No more infant of daysverse 20
No more old manverse 20
Child shall live to a hundredverse 20
Sinner shall be accursedverse 20
Shall build housesverse 21
Plant vineyards and eat the fruit verse 21
People will live as long as treeverse 22
Elect shall long enjoy the work of their handsverse 22
Not labor in vainverse 23
Seed of the blessed and their offspringverse 23
Call and God will answer while they are speakingverse 24
Wolf and lamb lay down together verse 25
Lion will eat strawverse 25
Holy mountain verse 25
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