Tag Archives: Isaiah 41:17-43:13

Daily Bible Study

September 23, 2015 Bible Study — Happy Anniversary to My Lovely Wife

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Today my wife and I celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. I am so grateful both to God and to her for these 15 wonderful years. I pray to God that we have many more together.

DSCN9494

Proverbs 23:29-35

    If you spend your time trying all the latest wines, beers, or mixed drinks, you will suffer for it. I don’t think there is anything I can say to add any clarity to what is said here.

DSCN9490

Psalm 67

    Yes, I will make this my prayer today. May God’s saving power be known to all people throughout the entire earth. May they come to know and praise God. Then, and only then, will there be peace on the earth.

DSCN9491

Ephesians 2

    None of us have any place to boast about our salvation. It was a free gift from God given to us when we were still enmeshed in sin. He did not give it to us as a reward for our righteous behavior, because if salvation was a reward for righteous behavior no one would receive it. No, God recreated us in, and through, Jesus so that we could do good things. The good things we do are not ours to boast of, rather they are God’s doing. I do not do good things because I am a good person. Rather the good things I do are a product of God’s Spirit working through me.
    God, having given us salvation, is now joining us together into a Temple in which He may live. The purpose of this unity is to bring glory to God. We are not called to unity to make people feel better about themselves. We are not even called to unity to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Those are both valuable things, when done in service to the purpose for which God is bringing us together. That purpose is to glorify God. We do not bring glory to God, by proclaiming that sinful behavior is not sinful. However, we need to remember that we are called to confront ALL sinful behavior, not just sinful behavior we find distasteful.

DSCN9493

Isaiah 41:17-43:13

    As I read Isaiah recounting God’s call for the idols to tell us what they had done long ago, I am reminded that scholars and archaeologists frequently question the historical accuracy of the accounts in the Bible. In the early nineteenth century, it was the accepted “truth” that the Assyrian Empire had never existed, that the Biblical writers had invented it to make points about God’s power. Even after the discovery of Nineveh there were those who questioned the accounts given here and elsewhere of the Assyrian siege and withdrawal from Jerusalem, but those have now been confirmed. The idols worshiped by the skeptics had failed to reveal what had happened long ago, just as God had said that they would. Yet the Bible told us of those events. There is a similar call for those idols to tell us what will happen in the future. Before 1948, those who do not accept the Bible and God’s power would have told you that Israel would never again exist in Palestine. Yet, here in Isaiah, God proclaimed that one day He would bring His people back to the land He had promised Abraham.

    There is another theme in this passage which I want to touch on because it struck me as I read this. At the beginning of Chapter 42, we are told of God’s chosen servant, who will not shout, or raise His voice in public. This is a prophecy about Jesus. However, I felt the Spirit talking to me. We are not called to shout, and scream, and stamp our feet. We are called to calmly, gently, and firmly work to bring justice.

Daily Bible Study

September 23, 2014 Bible Study — Happy Anniversary, Love

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Today marks the 14th year of my marriage to the my lovely wife. I thank God every day for bringing this woman into my life. Happy Anniversary, Darling!

DSCN6463

Proverbs 23:29-35

    This is a clear and concise warning about the dangers of becoming enticed by alcohol. While moderate drinking can have benefits, drinking all the time will lead to health problems and social difficulties.

DSCN6462

Psalm 67:1-7

    This psalm will be my prayer for today. How much better would this world be if people everywhere were to pray this psalm, if God’s ways were known and followed throughout the earth? Yes, I will pray this psalm and hope that what it asks for comes to pass. May all the nations praise God and people everywhere fear Him.

DSCN6465

Ephesians 2:1-22

    At one time we were all dead to sin. We all served the one whose spirit is at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. Ultimately, everything we did served death. We served our sinful desires and made ourselves objects of God’s anger. In this way, we were no better than anyone else. But God, in His rich mercy, loved us so much that He gave us life by raising Christ from the dead. We cannot take credit for this transformation from death to life because it was none of our doing. It was a free gift from God.
    We did not receive salvation as a reward for our good works, rather God gave us salvation in order to create a great masterpiece. He created a work of art out of the junk we had made of our lives. He transformed us into a new creation in Christ in order that we might do the good works He planned out for us long ago. Once we were divided into groups, and nations, a races, but God united us into one people, joining us together to be a temple where His Holy Name is worshiped. Let us seek to bring glory to God in all we do, encouraging others to praise His holy name.

DSCN6467

Isaiah 41:17-43:13

    As I read the beginning of this where the Lord calls on the idols men worship to tell what they had done in the past, or predict what would happen in the future, or to just do something, I was reminded of all of the models which people have proposed over the last century or two. Models which they claimed everyone should use to guide their lives, some of those models were economic models, some were scientific models, but all claimed they could tell us what the future held and demanded our loyalty. All of those promises proved to be empty and meaningless. But God has told us what He will do and we have seen it come to pass.
    Isaiah then prophesies in the name of the Lord about the coming of the Christ, a prophecy fulfilled with Jesus coming. Further he tells us to look to the past and learn from what others have experienced. Let us look to the past and see how when people refuse to serve the Lord, death and destruction come upon them. Those that continue to heed His word are completely destroyed. But those who turn to Him and seek to follow His ways make their way through the times of trouble and oppression. God will deliver them out the other side. We have the examples of the way in which He treated His people Israel, predicting the troubles that would come from their sins, and predicting the ways in which He would redeem them once more.

Daily Bible Study

September 23, 2013 Bible Study — Saved To Do Good Works

     Thirteen years ago today my wife and I got married. So far, God has given us thirteen years together. Not all of that time has been great, but I would not trade any of it. I continue to thank God every morning for the wife He has given me and I am grateful to her for marrying me.
     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

DSCN3918

Isaiah 41:17-43:13

     The poor and needy will search for their basic needs and not be able to find them. However, God knows of their need and will provide for them. Those who see what God has done will praise His name for His miraculous love. I am not going to try and summarize this passage as I often do, there is just too much in it. Rather I am going to pull out segments that speak to me today. I will. however, strongly encourage anyone reading this to go and read the entire passage, because there are more beautiful portions to it than I am going to touch on.
     The prophet tells us that God’s chosen one will not shout or raise His voice in public. However, He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. I think this is a model we should attempt to emulate. I want to strive to remain calm and explain what I believe in a quiet, rational voice. When I disagree with others, I do not want to shout them down, rather I want to calmly explain why I disagree. I believe that this is part of my calling from God, to be a calming and steadying influence. I do not always succeed. Sometimes I allow my passions to overcome me, but I have observed that I am at my most effective when I remain calm. It is my ambition to leave the forceful overwhelming of opposition to God.
     I do not want to be one of those who sees, but does not pay attention, or hears, but does not listen. When God speaks to me, I want to pay attention. I do not want God to get out the “two by four” to get my attention by smacking me upside the head. I will not be afraid for I know that God is with me.

“From eternity to eternity I am God.
No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.
No one can undo what I have done.”

***

DSCN3929

Ephesians 2:1-22

     We all used to be dead in our sins, obeying Satan as his servants. We, like everyone else, was deserving of God’s anger. But God, because of His great love, gave us life through Christ’s death and resurrection. Our salvation from death and despair came about by God’s gift and had nothing to do with anything we ourselves had done, or will do. We have been saved from sin and transformed by God’s grace so that we can now do the good and holy things which He planned for us. We are not save because we do good things. We do good things because we are saved.

***

     We as humans have a tendency to divide ourselves into groups. We attempt to make ourselves part of a group where some people are on the inside and are the “good” people while others are on the outside and are “bad” people. Christ came into the world to destroy those divisions. Christ came to break down the walls between us and make us all one people by reconciling us to God. If we wish to be part of God’s Temple, we must allow Him to put our hostility others to death on the cross with Christ. That is the hostility towards others because they are part of “that” group and the hostility towards others because they cut us off in traffic. God loved us when we were hostile to Him and acted to reconcile us with Him. We are called to act in a similar manner.

DSCN3956

Psalm 67:1-7

     There is a phrase in this psalm that I wish to make my prayer:

May your ways be known throughout the earth,
your saving power among people everywhere.

I desire that everyone on earth praise God. The more people who turn to God to serve and worship Him, the less poverty and misfortune there will be in the world.

DSCN3921

Proverbs 23:29-35

     Those who drink to excess will find many troubles.

***

Daily Bible Study

September 23, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Magrat

Isaiah 41:17-43:13

     Isaiah begins a prophecy of praise to God. He tells us that God will make the desert to blossom for the benefit of the poor and needy. Then he asks someone, anyone, to make the case for other gods. Can they tell us what happened before any of those present knew the story? Can they tell us what is going to happen in the future? In fact, he asks that they anything amazing, either good or bad. They do not, because they cannot. They are powerless. Isaiah then prophecies about the rise of Cyrus the Great. Isaiah then goes on to prophecy about the coming of the Messiah, Jesus.
     Isaiah speaks of the gentleness of the coming Messiah. He will not shout or raise His voice in public. He will not so much as crush a weak reed, but He will bring justice to those who have been wronged. He will give sight to the blind and free the captives from prison. He will provide light as He leads those who choose to follow Him out of the darkness. He warns us about seeing and recognizing what is right, but failing to act on it. He warns us against hearing but not really listening. All to often I am guilty of this. I know what I ought to do, but I do not do it. I hear God tell me the words I ought to speak, but I do not say them. Despite all of this, He has ransomed me.

“From eternity to eternity I am God.
No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.
No one can undo what I have done.”

Barony wars, Alanna Fences

Ephesians 2:1-22

     We were all once dead, when we lived in sin, obeying the commands of the spirit of disobedience. We were subject to God’s anger, yet God loved us so much that He gave us life when He raised Jesus from the dead. Note that in this passage the important thing is Jesus’ resurrection, not his death. Further, we cannot take any credit for our salvation. It is completely a product of God’s grace out of His love and mercy and is not a reward for any good works we may have done (which are, in fact, inconsequential when weighed against the evil we have done). There is no room for any of us to think of ourselves as better than others. Nor is there any room for any of us to think of ourselves as less than or inferior to others. We often stress the fact that in God there is no basis for any of us to consider ourselves better than others, but we often overlook the equally wrong view of considering ourselves inferior to others. In the Church, no one who has accepted Jesus as Lord should be treated as an outsider, but equally no one who has accepted Jesus as Lord should consider themselves an outsider. If you come among a new body of believers and they look down on you because you speak your mind before they have given you the “secret handshake”, they are the ones who are sinning. If, on the other hand, you come among a new body of believers and you withhold your counsel and wisdom until you feel that you have received the “secret handshake”, you are the one who is sinning. When we are part of a group, we are called by God to make newcomers feel a part of that group. When we first join a group, we are called by God to reject any attempts (intentional or unintentional) by that group to marginalize us.

Tabitha

Psalm 67:1-7

     What a wonderful psalm and my prayer today.

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—
so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

I ask for God’s blessing so that I may be a witness to others about how wonderful He is. This is the only reason to seek God’s blessing. Then when we receive that blessing, we should use it to help those in need. In all things, we should act and speak so that people to the ends of the earth will come to fear God and from that fear may come to know and accept His grace.

Barony Wars, the list field

Proverbs 23:29-35

     This proverb tells us of the dangers of drunkenness. The Bible does not teach us to abstain from all alcohol, but it does tell us to restrain our consumption of it.