Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

Isaiah 54-57

Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Isaiah 55:3

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  My study of Isaiah moves on to day 3 (of 5) of week 20, which looks at Isaiah 54-57.  Day 3 once again focuses on Isaiah 55-56.  As it is discussed here, "Isaiah is the only Major Prophet whose story takes place before the fall of Jerusalem. While Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophesy about these events before and while they happen, Isaiah looks into the future to see Judah’s Babylonian captivity....Isaiah’s most famous prophecies, however, concern Jesus. No other prophet is referenced in the New Testament as much as Isaiah. Isaiah preaches of the coming King who will rule Israel and the nations in justice and peace. He also looks forward to a special Servant of God: one who will fulfill all Israel’s duties and bear their sins."  Believers of today, should use Jesus as a basis to see God's faithfulness as Isaiah prophesied about Jesus well before He came to be our Messiah, and Isaiah's words of encouragement and hope for the exiled kingdom of Judah should encourage and offer us hope today as well.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You are faithful!  Thank You Jesus for Your faithfulness, as I know You can never leave or forsake me and You always provide.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Leviticus 12

 You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Leviticus 11:45

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing chapter twelve - God Rules from Our Birth - covering Leviticus 12:1-8, looking specifically at the first theme - God States the Stipulations of His Covenant.  Here, the commentary focuses on the relationship believers have with God - we should honor and obey God's commands out of love for Him.  The commentary uses the analogy of a friend or loved one who tells us something either they don't want us to do when around them, and out of respect and love for our friend and family member, we avoid the thing, even when the thing we are to avoid is not sinful.  That is what we do because of the relationship we have. Similarly, in Leviticus 12, while childbirth is not sinful, God did command mothers to be cleansed and purified before resuming worship in the tabernacle. Other ceremonial laws in the Old Testament, such as the foods God commanded the Israelites to eat and not eat, work similarly.  The commentary summarizes how this works by stating: "[w]e obey God's law because we have a relationship with Him and we love Him. His laws are stipulations of His covenant." While the ceremonial laws from the Old Testament no longer apply with Jesus and the New Covenant He makes with us, the moral laws do and when God commands us to do something or to not do something, we are to honor and obey God because we love Him and because He is God.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me, forgives my sin, brings about obedience, and gives me life to the full now and for eternity - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love me or for any of the blessings You pour out for me.  I worry and I have other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

2 Samuel 6-9 and 1 Chronicles 16-17

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread,  and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. Isaiah 55:1-3

Day 97 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on David's efforts to establish regular worship of the Lord, Michal''s rebuke of David for his exuberant (rightly so!) celebration following the return of the ark to Jerusalem, and David's honoring of Mephibosheth (Jonathan's son and only surviving member of Saul's family). Today's reading also includes the Davidic Covenant.

John Piper has this excellent post on how we must remember that God makes these covenants not just for those to whom the covenant is originally made (i.e. Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, etc.), but for all of His children (believers). "The point of this invitation is that the very sovereignty and wisdom and love of God which assured David of an eternal kingdom can also assure you of God's eternal kindness as a part of that kingdom".  Piper uses Isaiah 55:1-3 to illustrate his point:

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread,  and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. Isaiah 55:1-3

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who feeds me, sustains me, protects me, teaches me, rebukes/corrects me, encourages me, etc.  You bless me and provide for me as no other can - You are the one true God and I am grateful that You have adopted me into Your family.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  I sin...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Zechariah 1

This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. v2

Once again, the Lord displays how He is full of compassion and mercy, encouraging the Israelites to return to Him after many years of suffering by preceding generations.   The Lord is also faithful in that He never gives up on His covenant to Abraham to prosper His ancestors as God's chosen people.  

As I posted yesterday, God chose us while we were still sinners, and He loves us so much that He will forgive us of our sins - we just need to believe in Him and obey Him.  If we do so, we are promised to be blessed (see also Matthew 5:6).  

James echoes the message that Zechariah delivers:

Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8

My Prayer: Lord, You ARE a great God, full of compassion and mercy and faithful as well!  I know You will never leave or forsake me.  I am not promised a life without trouble but I AM comforted that You will always be there to encourage me and help me through all trials.  I love You Jesus and I am grateful that You love me.  I am not worth such love.  I worry too much.  Please forgive me and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, the church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’

Haggai 2

Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ v4-5

God made a covenant with Abraham (see Genesis 12) and this covenant rested on obedience to the law.  When God sent Jesus to walk the earth, Jesus gave us a new covenant:

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22:20  

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:6

We should be thankful that this new covenant is based on grace and not on deeds.  Yes we will be judged according to what we have done but our faith and trust in God is primary (Matthew 22:37-40).

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and I know that You will never leave me.  Your Word and Your Spirit remain with me at all times and I desire to draw near to me and You will draw near to me when I draw near to You.  Thank You for Your love and that You will never leave me.  I am not worth such love and attention.  Please forgive me for sloth and my selfishness.  Help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, the church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.