Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

Isaiah 42-44

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. Isaiah 42:1

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, I move on to Lesson 16, Day 2, where the focus is Isaiah 42.  Here, my commentary outlines the following divisions:

1. The Gentle King and His Irresistibly Advancing Kingdom (v1-7)
2. The Message of the Kingdom Resulting in Joyful Praise (v8-12)
3. The Zeal of the Warrior God Rescuing His Captive People (v13-17)
4. The Shameful Condition of God's Sinful People
   

In v1-7 we see a prophecy of the coming Messiah - Jesus Christ. He is referred to as God's servant (v1).  He has chosen Him (v1).  He delights in Him (v1).  He put His Spirit upon Him (v1). He is "giving" us Christ "as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon from the prison those who sit in darkness."  Behold indeed!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You ARE the Promised Messiah, the One told about and anticipated about long ago in the book of Isaiah.  You came to save me and all of humanity throughout redemptive history - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You came to save me and how You did save me.  My sin is great and it continues.  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.   

Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Isaiah 42-44

Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. Isaiah 44:21-22

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, I move on to Lesson 16, Day 1, which encourages us to read all of Isaiah 42-44 and to see general broad themes that strike us as we read. Much of Israel's history (including that of both parts of the divided kingdom - northern/Israel, and southern/Judah) is that of rebellion against God.  Throughout the Old Testament, God is seen punishing Israel, yet at the same time He is faithful to the promise and covenant He made to Abraham and his descendants, so God is full of grace and compassion - saving a remnant of the faithful to be a root for the nation God promises (see Genesis 12:1-3 for the Abrahamic Covenant). My initial reading of Isaiah 42-44 is consistent of this broad theme of God's grace in the face of Israel's rebellion.  I must remind myself (daily) that my rebellion and sin is no less than that of Israel in the Old Testament.  This makes God's gift of faith and salvation for me all the more stunning - amazing grace indeed!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your love and grace is amazing indeed!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessing and grace.  My sin IS great...and it is 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. 

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

Pausing once again from my deep-dive study of Isaiah, today I listened to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion - which focuses on the extent to which God is dependable - not just through the miracles of the "biggest things" which were promised and fulfilled, such as the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also through the miracles of the mundane such as the "practical provision of our daily bread and financial support." Piper encourages us to see the message in Matthew 6 (v25-34 focuses on anxiety/worry) where Jesus seeks for us to avoid being anxious.  We are encouraged because God is dependable in the "mundane" details of our life through our faith.  Piper states that "[l]ives of faith are the great mirror of the dependability of God."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me and who is dependable in all the details of my life - large and small...thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You provide.  My sin is great and it continues.  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 form 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.

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:16

Pausing again from my deep-dive study of Isaiah, today I listened to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion - which focuses on the extent to which God is proud of us. John Piper uses Hebrews 11 as the text to examine this question. The author of Hebrews (11:8-21) describes the faith of Abraham, Sarah, Issac and Jacob and Piper zeroes in on v16 where he unpacks how these faithful "died in faith", and "not having received the things promised" (v13) and how it is that "God is not ashamed to to be called their God" (v16). Core to Piper reasoning is the "before" where these faithful "desired a better country" - heaven.  We of course are not citizens, nor should our allegiance be to this earthly life, but to heaven which is our home. The more we truly believe this and long for the day when we ultimately will be at home and with Jesus (after meeting Him face to face). 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves and who is saving a place for me in Heaven - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a blessed gift - the greatest gift of all time.  Please forgive me for my sin, help me overcome it, and turn 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 udnerstand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.    

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith....He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

Romans 4

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith....He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Romans 4:13, 19-21

Pausing from my deep-dive study of Isaiah, today I listened to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion - which focuses on Paul's description (in Romans 4) of Abraham's faith. John Piper refers to Abraham's faith (and believers today who share that faith) as "for the impossible."  He states that "Abraham’s faith glorified God by being fully assured that he could and would do the humanly impossible. This is the faith we are called to have. That God will do for us what we could never do for ourselves."  I seek this faith for myself - God please give me this faith in increasing measure.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me and who gave me faith - through grace and as a gift.  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I am undeserving.  My sin continues daily.  Please forgive my sin and help me overcome it and turn from it 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.

But when I look, there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer. Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind.

Isaiah 40-41

But when I look, there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer. Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind. Isaiah 41:28-29

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, I completed Lesson 15, with Day 5, which looks again at Isaiah 41. As I posted yesterday, God challenges faithful and idolaters alike that nothing compares to the One True God - Jesus Christ.  He is the Alpha, and Omega, the Creator, the Wonderful Counselor, our Advocate, etc. - nothing else compares.  We all - faithful and others - fall prone to seeking comfort from idols.  Yet we must all acknowledge the supremacy of God, and accept Him as our Lord Savior and choose to life so that we bring glory to Him - He is worthy! Isaiah 41 speaks of the "Futility of Idols" in v21-29.  In v28-29, God challenges idolaters to make the case that these idols compare to Him and of course they fall short!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - even when I turn to earthly comforts and idols - You welcome me back - thank You Jesus!  I know I am not deserving of such love, grace and compassion.  Please forgive me for my idol worship and help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn 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.

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

Isaiah 40-41

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. Isaiah 40:29-31

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, I move on to Lesson 15, Day 4, which looks at Isaiah 41. Here, my commentary outlines the following divisions:

1. The Lord stirs up a conqueror to do his bidding (v1-7)
2. The Lord defeats Israel's enemies (v8-16)
3. The Lord transforms nature and refreshes His people (v17-20)
4. The Lord alone determines and declares the future (v21-29)

Core to this chapter is how Isaiah prophecies how God uses Cyrus from Persia (referred to in v2 as the one from the east) to conquer Babylon - consequently releasing Judah from exile to rebuild the destroyed temple in Jerusalem (536 BC).  This chapter also challenges those who rely on idols and false Gods to equal the One True God - it is God alone that is able to control every aspect of the universe, including both the large and small details in the lives of its inhabitants. Front and center in this chapter is also how God alone protects His elect and how He refreshes and provides.  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves me, who protects, refreshes, and provides - and so much more - Your blessings are innumerable and indescribable!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it is 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.