So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day—the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.

Isaiah 9:8-10:4

So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day—the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up. Isaiah 9:14-16

I came back to my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  Today, I reviewed Isaiah 9:8-10:4, where God is angered by Israel as she has been led astray by false prophets and wicked kings. As I have posted previously, Ahaz chose not to remain firm in his faith (see Isaiah 7:9), turning to his own abilities and those of neighboring lands for protection.  In Isaiah 9:14-16, we see God angered by false prophets who have also led Israel astray.  We MUST have knowledge of God - and this comes from daily study of God's Word. We must be able to discern when we are getting led down a path that takes us away from God.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me and feeds me with Your Word.  Thank You Jesus!  Your Word is not just truth but it is my daily bread - thank You Jesus!  I am grateful for Your Word and for all the people and sources that help me better understand Your intent for me through Your Word.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  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.  

Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.

Isaiah 8-9

Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. Isaiah 8:16-17

I continued my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  Today, I reviewed Isaiah 8:11-9:7, looking at the allure of the world. One of key highlights from the text today is Isaiah 8:16-17 where God seeks for us to "bind up" and "seal the teaching among my disciples" and to "wait for the Lord" - this is where we have hope.  When we bind up and seal God's Word and His teaching - we secure it in our hearts and minds so that it may serve as the basis for our peace, encouragement and strength during times of difficulty.  Those faithful who witnesses God's wrath during period's of Israel's unfaithfulness found courage in God's words, specifically in His prophecies in Isaiah that promised that Israel would be restored and that there would be a King who would reign forever. We can do as those faithful did during Isaiah's time. I am encouraged by the many stories of those in the Bible who waited for the Lord - Simeon (Luke 2) is one of those stories.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You bless those who wait, and those who rest in Your promises.  I have seen Your promises come to pass - many upon many - thank You Jesus for Your faithfulness.  I am not deserving of Your love and faithfulness.  My sin of worry and other sins continue.  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.

And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Isaiah 6

And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  Today, I look more closely at Isaiah 6:9-10, which my study refers to as "the most quoted verses from Isaiah in the New Testament." As such, I look more closely at where the New Testament refers to these verses, including:

• Matthew 13:13-17 (Matthew's account of Jesus telling the parable of the sower)
  
• Mark 4:10-12 (Mark's account of Jesus telling the parable of the sower)
• Luke 8:9-10 (Luke's account of Jesus telling the parable of the sower)
• John 12:37-41
• Acts 28:23-29

In particular, using Acts 28:23-29, the study asks us to look closely at how many of the Jewish leaders rejected Paul's teaching and use of Isaiah. A question in my mind is did the Jewish leaders really know their scripture, for if they truly knew that Paul was quoting Isaiah, they perhaps would not have reacted in the way they did.  Instead it appeared they were offended and rejected Paul's preaching and the Good News. I am challenged to avoid a similar mistake which would be to reject teachings of God through ignorance of the Word. I am more motivated than ever to satisfy an ever growing "hunger and thirst for righteousness."

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My Prayer: Heavenly Father - thank You for Your Word.  Through study of Your Word, I see my own sin and I can see how You are molding me into more of Your image - I know You are not done yet but thank You for the sanctification process!  I am blessed!  Yet I am not deserving of this blessing, nor any of the blessings You pour out for me.  My sin of worry and other sins continue.  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.

And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah 6

And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah 6:7

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  On day 13 of my study, I look more closely at the holiness of God and our response, including how are driven into the arms of the Lord based on His amazing grace.  Isaiah 6:3 refers to God's holiness and the study urges us to look elsewhere in scripture where God is depicted as holy.  One such reference is in Leviticus 11:44-45 where in v45, God says:

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

The study also refers us to Deuteronomy where God discusses what may qualify a king to serve over Israel:

[The king] shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. Deuteronomy 17:18-20

Knowledge of the Lord is key - as I have posted a few days ago.

Knowledge of the Lord reveals our sin and points us back to Him for forgiveness and His mercy.

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My Prayer: Lord You are an awesome God who is Holy and seeks for me to be Holy.  You give me Your Word so that I can know and worship You appropriately - through confession, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of You grace and mercy.  Thank You for Your Word and The Holy Spirit so that I can better understand You Word. I am not deserving of these blessings.  My sins continue...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.