Ian’s lets listen to Jesus

In the dark of load shedding I have a different experience of my time with the Lord – no electronic helps, songs, et cetera.

“I have invited you to spend time with me, which does not depend on any outside help. I am here I am your light, I light not only what you can see but into the depths of your heart. Look up and away and see My glory filling the sky– Glorious light, multiple colours, power and beauty pouring forth from Me. But I am not only out there I am in the depths of your soul – there is no place there that is dark enough to hide from me. I seek to bring you light and hope – my light is not a cold white light but I warm glow bringing you the warmth of my love. Yes I am here with you, just as I am with everyone of my children when they draw aside to focus on me and their relationship with and dependence on me”.

We move on to Ch 6 of Matthew. There is much teaching here, but I will lay out a framework to bring the different strands together.

The theme continues to be God’s Kingdom, as Jesus is interpreting it in the light of His coming connecting up with the Old Testament. (cf 6:10,33). Chapter 6 is about “practicing righteousness” (cf 6:1, 33), in other words the practical application of practicing ‘religion’ or we would say expressing our relationship with Jesus.

The opening section deals with the motive behind the religious practices. He condemns the open showy practice, instead repeats the need for secrecy, not desiring to be seen giving alms, praying, fasting etc. Now this almost seems a contradiction to 5:14 ff where He has said the people of the kingdom must be seen, demonstrating their relationship with Him. Underlying this then is the question, “What is our motive in our religious practice? Are we doing it to get attention for ourselves or focusing on His kingdom and His righteousness?”

So the underlying principle, which defines the people of the kingdom? It is buried in two places. Our lives and everything we do must be for His glory (6:9). Secondly we are to be single minded, focusing on Him and His righteousness. So in vs 21 He states the age-old conflict for all men (and women). The conflict of self. Self interest and self enrichment. When He says in v 22, “When your eyes are good,…..”, the Greek word for good could be better translated as “single”. Meaning focused on one thing somewhat like James warns us in James 1:6-8.

Running through this whole section is the thread of prayer which is the connection point between the citizens of the Kingdom and Jesus (or God). There is much there which each of you can unpack, from the warning not to babble a lot of words, to the reassurance that He already knows what we need and the beautifully laid out Lord’s prayer. Once again there is a warning that unforgiveness is a hinderance, a great hinderance to our prayers.

Then finally he deals with our relationship with our possessions, with the subtle and often repeated in this gospel, motivation to have faith, rather than fear. I read recently the suggestion that our fears are an indication of where we are trusting God the least.

And fasting? Well whether you actually fast or deny yourself in other ways, that is meant as a demonstration of the kingdom life which expresses itself in self-denial. Jesus says later in the gospel that if His disciples wished to follow Him the should take up their cross, daily.

So I must ask myself and maybe you should as well. “How is your practice of righteousness doing?”

How is your prayer-life? What are you focusing on? Why not keep a diary of how much time you spend on prayer for yourself and how much on other needs and kingdom issues.

The last two days I have been meditating on whether I truly know Jesus’ love in my heart or whether it is mainly intellectual. This morning I imagine I am sitting at Jesus’s feet like Mary, looking to Him and listening to Him.

“ Some days you are like Mary – able to focus on Me and my love flowing out to you. Receiving everything I want to give you, other days you are more like Martha bustling around – busy with this and that in your mind. You, like all other people are a human being with changing emotions, depending on many things. Now know this I am not like that, my love is constant – it does not depend on how I feel about you – my love is fixed. It is present and focused on you to the maximum – held to you like the power that holds the atom together. When you feel any doubt, remind yourself of the many faces of My love, but start with Me giving My Son Jesus for you – for you on the cross – that is the ultimate sign – stop and meditate on that fact and let your soul rest in it.“

I want to stay with the law a bit longer in Matthew 5:21ff. The law plays such a huge part in the lives of many people. On the one hand there are those who believe, for whatever reason that to be accepted by God they simply must obey the law. “I live my life by the sermon on the mount,” they may say. To them Jesus says “You want to satisfy my demand from you? Then, ‘Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect'”. To a greater or lesser degree such people then spend their lives in bondage to the law, trying to reach that standard. There are many forms of this, especially in the Western world which is post Christian and people are third and fourth generation “Christians”, who have had some exposure to “Christianity” without the real gospel. There are tens of 1000’s who stream to church on a Sunday who fall into this category.

Then there are many real Christians, as we have seen in Galatians, completely devoted, who, having been saved and having received the Spirit by believing, they nevertheless fall back into a life of trying to please God by obeying the law to perfection, but in their own strength (cf Galatians 3:1-5). This often follows their conversion because of soft teaching, which does not explain the gospel clearly or just not maintaining a living relationship with the Lord, through the means of grace He has given us.

It is a fact that every human being craves affirmation. There is only one place where one can receive full affirmation and that is in the love of God. John tells us that Jesus prayed in John 17:23 (last phrase of that vs) that ultimate obedience would result from Christians understanding that God has loved each one of us, as much as He loved His own Son. “You loved them even as you have loved Me”. That is surely the greatest affirmation one can get. The challenge is to believe it, every day and not try to seek more by our behaviour or what we say.

So do we ignore the law? Of course not. It reveals God’s very own heart and desire for us. What is necessary is to have the right perspective. The desire to obey the law flows from a realization of God’s infinite love for us. We respond to this love by walking in the Spirit Gal 5.16. Following His guide through the word and responding to His Spirit within us.

So as I worked through these vv of Matt. several challenges came to me on a personal level: 1. Not saying anything derogatory about anyone. 5:22

2. Not resisting an evil person. 5:39.

3. Giving to the one who asks and not turning away from the one who wants to borrow from me. 5:42.

4. Loving my enemy. (My neighbour has gone out of her way to be obnoxious and aggressive towards me. God has surely allowed this to test me). 5:43.

5. Greeting and being cordial to everyone even to those who seek to harm me.5:47.

I suppose the biggest challenge is to just keep living the gospel and all that entails.

Next time lets look at what Jesus tells us in the next chapter about prayer.

Sitting here with the darkness of load-shedding surrounding me, I contemplate:

“Thank you Lord that you have not only promised you will be here to meet me – but that you were here first and have actually invited me to come and join you. Thank you Lord that your promise, “If you seek me you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart”, came true for me many years ago – You did not force me into a relationship, you wooed me like a lover. Then you lavished me with your grace – i.e. Yourself, whom John described as Grace upon Grace (John 1:14b) – you gave me Yourself. Like a huge light up in the heavens you lit up and changed my life – dispelling darkness and bringing light and hope into the darkest places. Yes, as I set out on the path to follow You I discovered what it meant to take up my cross – often experiencing rejection because of You but also because of just living in a fallen world. And so I meet with You this morning against the backdrop of load shedding and so much evil and negativity in a world trying to make it on its own, but secure in the knowledge that You make all things work together for the good of those who love You and are called by Your name – and the promise that nothing can separate me from your love!”

Back to Matthew ch 4, as Jesus moves to Galilee, He starts His public ministry. His main activity and purpose is revealed in 4:17. “He began to preach, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near'”. We are shown His authority as He calls men and they simply follow Him. As He preaches, He is also busy healing the sick and driving out demons. This activity has often been explained as a demonstration of His compassion. However there is more to it, with the theme “Who is this man?” in mind. His healings demonstrated His unique, supernatural power and they are also a sign of His purpose and power showing the first steps in His mission of reversing the curse, which underlies all sickness.

The “Sermon on the Mount”, in the next 3 chapters expands His message and reveals what it means to be part of the Kingdom He is calling the people to repent and join, as it were.

There is plenty of food in this section, but as this is not intended to be a detailed commentary, I will move to my reading of today: 5:17-20. Here again He is emphasizing the theme of “fulfilment”. We have seen this word used several times up to now eg 3:15, 4:14 and now in 5:17. Understand clearly, He is not setting aside the law but fulfilling it. What does that mean?

The purpose of the whole of the Old Testament (“law and the prophets”) is to prepare the world for the coming of God’s Messiah, which would be the tipping point of history. The sacrificial and ceremonial laws were giving understanding to Jesus’ mission. They were there to help us understand what His role would be in restoring our relationship with his Father. He fulfilled both the role of high priest as well as the sacrifice and we can only truly understand that in the light of the OT. However since He has come, He has opened the way through His death on the cross, so these are no longer relevant. The Sabbath pointed to the ultimate rest He is offering everyone whom He invites to come to Him (Matt 11:28). The weary and the burdened.

On the other hand He has given a deeper and wider understanding of the moral law. It was never intended to be just a minimal, legalistic obedience to the letter of the law, but that is what it became for most people and still is today for many. Instead we will see Him explaining in the next vv that the law can only be truly obeyed if the heart is changed – “repent“. Hence adultery does not happen when the physical act starts, it starts with the lustful thoughts, long before that. Ultimately the change of heart that’s necessary to truly live this life, is at the center of the work of regeneration when we receive the Holy Spirit. We see it beautifully summarized in Gal 5:14, “The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.'” This is what was meant when the New Covenant was announced “I will write the law on their hearts”. Jer 1:33.

I hear the words gasped out but clearly heard on the cross, “It is finished!” ‘Tetelestai’ – it has been accomplished, He has completed His mission of fulfilling what the OT was looking forward to.

I am overcome with joy. This ‘One”, the most important figure in history, has actually desired a relationship and a quiet moment with me. I am totally humbled. It is not necessary to find a ‘humble and contrite spirit’ (Isaiah 66:2b), His presence and His love washes over me in waves of joy, that darkness, no matter how deep could ever hide. I am humbled and overawed.

“Yet not I but through Christ in me”, I have been singing.

“I have said, ‘True worship comes from a humble and contrite heart’ – it is necessary to humble your will and realize that for our relationship to work you must understand and live, from the heart, that statement, ‘yet not I but through Christ in me’. To be able to do that you must submit your will to Me. I will put the desire in your heart – but you must make the decision, an ongoing decision, to submit your will to me. Only then can you truly live in the full benefit of my presence and power. Your will is far stronger than you think – that is why I told my disciples that they must take up their cross to follow me – putting to death their own selfish desires and submitting to Me. This is the only true way to the abundant life, the real joy of a relationship and having fellowship with me. That is why I keep testing you – keep your eyes on Me then and keep reminding yourself yet not I but Christ in me. This is the only true way to the abundant life, the real joy of a relationship and having fellowship with me. That is why I keep testing you – keep your eyes on Me then and keep reminding yourself, “Yet not I but through Christ in me”.

I have reached Ch 4 in Matthew. Up to now I have again been struck by the continuity of this gospel with the OT scriptures. Picking up the theme of fulfilment through a number of quotations. Not only have their been direct quotations, but the pictures repeated from the experience of Israel, God’s own son reflect on this. His True Son, for instance, escaped to Egypt and then returned to Israel. Reminiscent of the first Exodus

I have also been reminded of Satan’s ferocious attack on the Messiah as He makes His appearance, represented by Herod’s desire to eliminate Him causing him to kill all the babies of a certain age. So here in ch 4 Jesus takes on Satan, face to face, as it were. We need to see this attack against the background of God’s identification of Jesus identity. The main question of the gospel looms large in the background. “Who is this man?”

Notice that is the challenge Satan makes to Jesus twice in 4:3 and 5.”If you are the Son of God,”‘ he repeats twice. The temptation to Jesus is that He should prove who He is. His reaction underlies the often discussed philosophical question, “Can you prove there is a God?” There is often the challenge to us to want to produce concrete proof. However Jesus resists this and basically states, “Believe what the word of God says”. Obviously this takes a step of faith and that is exactly what God wants.

So we too are constantly confronted by tests (temptations, same word) initiated by the Spirit. Notice this confrontation between Jesus and Satan was an initiative of the Spirit cf v 1. Underlying those tests is constantly the question, can you really trust God? Underlying that question again is, “Do you really believe that Jesus is the Son of God?” Each time you trust Jesus and He arranges a way out of your test 1 Cor 10:13b, your faith is strengthened. It is interesting that at the end of the Lord’s prayer where Jesus asked, “Do not lead me into temptation”, is is followed by “Deliver us from the Evil one”.

While we are always reminded that Jesus parried the thrusts of Satan with the word which is the sword of the Spirit. However notice how subtly Satan uses a scriptural reference to try and mislead Jesus 4:8 b. This is a strong warning to us to be careful how we handle the scriptures. Much heresy and division in the church has happened because people mishandle the word, not sticking to the basic principles of reading it.

The third challenge to Jesus brings a promise from Satan that underlies so much of the wrong in the world. “If you worship me, I will give you all things”. How many people, in an effort to gain, “all things” don’t end up worshiping the devil by following his lead and his way to get them? Gaining “all things” from a scriptural perspective starts by, “first seeking His righteousness and His kingdom” and then the promise is that He will give you all you need (Mat 6:33). Peter speaks of God supplying “all we need for life and godliness” 2 Peter 1:3.

God’s purpose in creating man is focused on His desire and our responsibility to make worshiping Him the most important part of our lives. I was strongly challenged by his passage to beware again of Satan’s ploy to get us to lose trust in Jesus and look for worldly (his) ways to solve and guide our lives. The way to counteract that is to continually focus our hearts on God. I was reminded again yesterday that it is from the heart that our desires arise, not the mind. May my heart be focused on Jesus and walled off from Satan’s tempting offers. It is timely to remind ourselves that the great adversary, Satan, although mortally wounded is still very active around us.

Now I am going to continue reading Matthew and gaining as much as possible from it. Why don’t you read along and we will touch sides again next Wednesday?

I have been singing, “help me trust you more and more. Help me give my whole heart to you”.

“ Your focus has been on trusting Me for the path ahead into the future. Your focus is on the journey over the river Jordan to the ultimate celebration of victory and a table set for you and a myriad of others. Now you want to trust me more and more. Look back – look back at my history with my people and you. See that shining light – it is so bright it’s soars into the sky and can be seen from everywhere. Look what it is lighting up – the moment of victory – on an old ugly cross in Israel – on my Son calling out, “My God my God why have you forsaken me?” That is a moment in history which has been documented. Now let your trust start there – place your feet on that Rock of certainty and look forward with that as your launching pad and come and follow Me, take up your cross, put to death all self-reliance and doubts and let us walk together into the future, towards the New Jerusalem.”

We come now to he end of this long prophetic book, Isaiah. There has been a great amount of input, much of which has been repeated in various ways for further emphasis and clarification. Ch 66 gathers together a few of these themes.

Of greatest significance, Jehovah speaks about Himself. Which reminds us that He has been and is and will be the center of everything. Firstly He reminds us that, as much as He gave the instructions to build a temple which would symbolize His presence, no building can hold Him. The entire universe is His footstool. (vs 1) a good reminder of what He has said earlier that His ways are far higher than our ways. We cannot put Him in a box to suit our understanding.

Secondly. He can do the most amazing acts in an instant. (vv 8,9). As much as a baby is born in a few minutes, so He can make a nation in the same time.

Thirdly. While much of this passage is devoted to reminding the reader of His judgement against all who do not worship Him. He will treat Israel (all His people) like a mother treats a son (v 12,14). Giving comfort and bringing great joy.

But fourthly, the most telling statement comes in v 23. It will remind you of Philippians ch 2. In the end all mankind will worship Him. For all eternity.

Most of the rest of the chapter is a reminder of the repeated statements that there are two kinds of people. There are those who are deemed to be acceptable to God. Who are going to spend all eternity with Him. They are variously described as, “humble and submissive in spirit” v 2 “Who tremble at His word”. vs 2 and 5. And then there is the all-encompassing word in vs 23; “Those who worship Him.” What a wonderful summary of the true followers of Jehovah, who later are taken into His family through the work of the “Suffering Servant” on the cross. He also makes it clear that His invitation to be part of His kingdom extends to everyone.

Then comes the jarring note. The note which so many of us tend to skip over as we read. That is the description of those who reject God. Apart from those who openly rebel against God, now as elsewhere in the book, He singles those out who say they are worshiping Him, yet are consorting with all the the pagans. It seems to me as I reflect on this that this is perhaps one of the main issues in Christianity today. The many who claim to be followers of Christ, but their hearts have not been converted. Their worship is only superficial and does not indicate a changed heart. It speaks volumes that the last verse of this book describes the fate of all who reject God.

In this weeks weekend Burger was an interview, a whole page with an ex-dominie, who has just published a book. “The bad news of the gospel”. He describes himself as an agnostic. The reason, according to him that he cannot accept Christianity is that we are called to believe that far more people will go to hell rather than heaven. It seems to me, denying what is a major theme of the bible will not change it. At the same time this should be a major spur for all of us to share the gospel with as many people as we can.

For those of you who are persevering with me and my blog, I am starting to read the gospel of Matthew. It connects very much with the Old Testament and much of what Isaiah has written about, giving a New Covenant understanding to it.

I have been singing, “Bless the lord oh my soul – the sun comes up there is a new day dawning”.

“ Ian just stop and reflect on what you have just been singing. You rely on the fact that there will be a new day dawning, the sun will come up. That reflects the rhythm of my creation, my whole creation functions according to a rhythm that I have built into it– everyone accepts it without thinking. But my rhythm is like my heartbeat – it is fixed, it is powerful. Nothing can change it. When there are storms and drought people run around calling out for mercy, but these are only small evidences of what happens when I draw back my rhythm. So be comforted because you are held fast in me, in Jesus within that rhythm. You are not like a small twig in a raging torrent being swept along – you are a son firmly held to my breast – feeling and living out the rhythm of my heart beats for you and for my whole creation.”

We come to an interesting passage today, Isaiah 65:17-25, as we near the end of Isaiah. This passage describing a new creation – new heavens and a new earth resonates with Revelation 21:1 ff. Yet there is a false note. Although people are promised a long life, without the sound of weeping there still appears to be a limit to it.

So I stand back and see 65:23 b, which seems to be the key verse. These people are under God’s blessing, the curse has been removed. So this is a look ahead in prophetic fashion of the Messianic age. An age which was introduced with the death of Jesus when He took the curse upon Himself, but will only be fully realized when He comes again. The prophet has not been shown the dividing line. We have already entered the Messianic age, yet we are mainly experiencing the spiritual aspect of it. We have been blessed because of Jesus taking the curse on our behalf. We have received every spiritual aspect of that blessing (Ephesians 1:3), but we are still living in a fallen world.

What is pictured here in a physical sense still awaits us when we pass over the spiritual Jordan into the final Promised Land. What a prospect and how closely it resonates with the picture in Revelation. In the meantime we should continue to appreciate every aspect of God’s creation as He has given it to us at this time.

One aspect of this Messianic Age which stood out for me is in 63:24, describing the benefit of God’s blessing, “Even before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear”. This is a refreshing reminder of the value and meaning of prayer and has echoes of Matt 6:8, “your father knows what you need before you ask”. It shows that behind the scenes God does not need to be informed of our needs and desires, yet He invites us to engage with Him in a conversation about our lives and what is happening to us. This is the wonder of having a relationship with the Creator of the whole universe who knows everything, including what is still going to happen.

As you speak to Him, no doubt He will be steering your will into line with His. Prov 16:3 says “Commit to the Lord whatever you do (or your way) and your plans will succeed”. Many people think they can plan and just before they go ahead to carry them out they throw out, “I commit this to the Lord” and that means He will see that they succeed. The Hebrew construct of this verse is “if you lay your way alongside the Lord’s way, then your plan will succeed”. Thus while we pray, the Lord helps us to turn our way over to His guiding hand that His way may supplant it. Then it will be that He answers while you are still speaking.

As my prayer life continues to grow, I still find it so easy to fall into habitual patterns and rotes. Repeating in various ways what I have already asked. I need to constantly remind myself that I am having an active interaction with God who invented the idea of conversation, and based His will clearly on paper, in His word.

Singing, ”The Ancient of Days; none before me, none beyond me, all of time in my hands”.

“ Your vision of me encompassing everything that is – is correct. I am everywhere, there is no part of anything that exists that is separate from Me. Even in the darkest sinful corners I am there. Even when I choose to withdraw my manifest Presence, because of sin, I am still there. Just the awareness of Me has been removed. And all the time I am working in judgement and redemption as my central aim to grow My kingdom into a bride worthy of Me. Enjoy My creation as much as you can and continue to see it as a gift from Me, but understand this world is only a faint reflection of what is to come, so live to the fullest of My presence, be aware of what you are experiencing continually in this light, knowing that I am there – actively participating in every aspect of your life”

In our reading of Isaiah we are approaching the end, with its magnificent prophecy of what is still to come. The focus, is still on the “Suffering Servant” and His role in dealing with God’s vengeance. See the vital question in 63:1 “Who is this coming from Edom….?” But how are the people of Israel experiencing this, in the light of their state of exile? This is revealed in the prayer from 63:15 – 64:12. Here they pour out their hearts to God. Let us see what we can learn from this for our own prayer-life. Just remember we need to first see how the people of that time understood these words, then we can see how we can apply them to ourselves, now that Messiah has come.

The overriding feeling they have is that Yahweh has abandoned them That He has withdrawn from them. They feel that they no longer belong, even Abraham has abandoned them . 63:15,16. Very revealing is the fact that they sense their abandonment has come as a result of their sin, however they accuse Yahweh of causing them to sin. vs 17. “Why Yahweh do you make us stray from your ways? You harden our hearts so we do not fear you”.

His absence is “proved” by the fact that they have lost their land. The land that was Promised as part of His Covenant.

So they cry out “return”(vs17), “if only you would tear open the heavens and come down” (64:1). Then its as if this cry brings them to remember times past and who Yahweh really is. Times past, when He did awesome works and the mountains shook when He came down. Reference to the exodus and the giving of the covenant.

This memory brings a serious reflection and conclusion. They are all unclean, their iniquities carrying them along like the wind. And God? He is the Potter and they are clay, made by Him. What hope is there?

The only hope lies in that figure of 63:1. The One coming with crimson garments. The only One who is powerful to save! Wow!

How do we read this prayer, this side of the gospel? Firstly there is the time-honored message of Christianity. Jesus has come as the Vindicator and Redeemer. We are equally lost without Him. In fact Paul uses this language of the universal sinfulness of man, to show how much we all need to be saved, clearly in Romans 3. We all need that. It is only in recognizing our need that we can fully appreciate God’s Provision in His Son.

But what about blaming God for our sin? His hardening. It is a universal tendency for man to justify his sin, in some way or another. Are you justifying something you actually know that is wrong? The bible does speak of God hardening hearts, even of those who are saved. There is a sense in which God turns away from someone who continually sins. However the rest of the story is that He is ever seeking our repentance and our true heart. Remember the 99 sheep, He leaves to find the one who is lost?

So what do we do when God seems far away? Firstly one can call out openly how you feel. It is also very important to remind ourselves of God’s past acts. What is told in the bible and what He has done in our own lives. Remembering His continual promise that He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Then, also we should remember that sin separates us from God, it is always good to make sure you do not harbour some hidden or even open sin which you need to repent from.

Finally, feeling that God is not near, does not mean He has left. Remember to rely on what the word says and not your feelings. I find spending time just sitting at His feet and listening to Him is most helpful and singing worship songs reminds me of all the old and sure truths.

So friends, maybe you have seen something you feel important in this passage, especially something I have not mentioned. Why not share it with us? In the end the important thing to remember is that prayer is that point of connection between us and our Heavenly Father, through His Son and with the help of the Spirit. I keep on reminding myself not to make new rules which will inhibit my free association with My Glorious Father.

I am surrendering all to my lord. My heart, my mind, my will? – My will? It is my will that is obstreperous, contrary – I need to bring it in line with Gods will – let Your will be done in my life as it is in heaven.

I have been singing “The anchor holds” – picture of a ship, sails torn, battered and sinking – being washed onto the rocks by the storm tossed sea. But there is an Anchor, the Lord is my anchor – I hold on to Him, but he is holding on to me with a grip which will never yield. The words of Romans 5:1,2, come to mind – “since you have been justified you have peace with God through Jesus Christ, through whom you have gained access, by faith into this grace in which we now stand”. The picture is of a safe harbour and a ship which was exposed to the storms of life, sailing into that harbour of Gods grace in Jesus, the water smooth because of Jesus‘s work on the cross. Psalm 46 says “be still and know that I am God“. It comes to me that it is not enough to know that Yahweh is God, but one must know him personally so that he can be my anchor, so that he can usher me into the peace of the harbour of His grace. I need His work every day in my life, because my will is demanding my way all the time and that will prevent me from experiencing that peace.

My head is dizzy from all the catastrophes that seem to be rolling in endlessly over our country and the world, especially in the last few years. I suppose we all hope that the worst is past, but looking back at history that is a vain hope. As I read Isaiah 63:1-6, a shiver passes over me. The same shiver I felt time and again when we studied Revelation together. Here we meet the Saviour again. The same Saviour, a suffering Saviour (63:9) who takes the goblet of God’s wrath out of Israel’s hand in 51:7b. And as we know from Luke, he drinks it on our behalf, in “vindication” (63:1b)

Stand back a bit. Look at the description of God’s wrath in 63:1-6. Allow it to sink in. “Crimson stained garments, red from the winepress (of His wrath), blood spattered garments and stained clothes. Nations crushed in His anger, drunk from His wrath He has poured out their blood on the ground.” Taste it, feel it. It is huge, it is frightening and yes, I know it will only be released fully at the end times, but is what we are experiencing now not just a fore-taste of it? The so-called “natural disasters” and wars. Notice the coupling of His “power to save” with this lurid description of His judgement. Notice also how Yahweh speaks in vv 3 – 5, stressing the fact that He alone has the power and mandate to pronounce His judgement.

If you read Revelation ch 14 you will see some of this language repeated there.

Do you really comprehend what waits for the unsaved and what we have been saved from? The pictures of war, floods, plague are simply that, mere pictures warning of the great judgement that is still going to come. Reading a passage like this should cause us to fall on the ground in thanksgiving that we have been saved. And rising, redouble our determination to share the “Good News” of the Gospel.

Thankfully we can read on in the next 8 vv about a compassionate God full of faithful love (Chesed). Here He speaks of His relationship with His people Israel, whom He saved again and again. However they rebelled and grieved the Holy Spirit (Vs 10), so He became their enemy. Nevertheless, He relented and put His Spirit among His flock again. That is the God who sent His Son to drink the cup of His wrath on our behalf. And why? For His glorious Name’s sake. (V14.b).

“To make a glorious Name for Yourself”. The glory of God. A refrain repeated over and over. I cannot fully understand all this, but this is His priority and I am continually drawn to glorify Him and the Name which represents Him and who He is.

Love – the greatest command, the command that supersedes and determines all others. Firstly love for My Father and I – then for your neighbour as yourself. This is something that is only made possible by My grace after you have been re-generated. It is firstly an action determined by a decision, then a feeling which accompanies it. It is made supernaturally possible through the avenue I open to make that the central aim of your life. However there is a sense in which you must cooperate with My work in you.. You must decide to love while I make it your life‘s purpose through my Spirit and My Grace. This is a continual growth and interaction. While I lead you through life and situations where you have to practice it. All the time I am pouring out my love into you. See it in My word, feel it through My Spirit, feel it in prayer and in the music and feel it through the actions and interactions of my other children with you. Go and practice my love today.

In the words promising the restoration of Zion in Isaiah 62, the picture is once again painted of marriage. While God has desired a relationship from the beginning which is as close and loving as a true marriage, His people have committed adultery by loving other god’s and idols more than Him. Yet here again He promises the prospect of a marriage (62:3-5), where He can delight in His bride and rejoice over her. As time passed we know that Zion never lived up to this hope of His. Yet in His mercy He gave them plenty of time to do it.

We also know that His ultimate answer to this disloyalty of His people was to send His Son, who would make the way possible through His redemption and the power of His Spirit for His love to be released and realized. So overriding everything in our lives is the preparation to be part of the heavenly bride one day.

Now in ch 62 an interesting addition to the message. Immediately after the invitation to be part of His bride comes a message of the importance of prayer. cf 62:6,7. The word watchmen is taken to mean prophets or maybe prayer warriors. Those who will pray all day. And notice the interesting instruction to these prayers in vs 7. Do not give Him (Yahweh) rest. Does that not remind you of the importunant widow?

Reveling in the concept of being part of God’s eternal bride, I am struck again by the importance of the part I must play in its establishment. As small and insignificant as I am in the bigger scheme of things, every one who is chosen has a specific, irreplaceable role to play. I have been reminded today again of the importance of love. Love for the Father and for my neighbour. However there is something more. Something that I know I fall far short of. That is in praying as a watchman. Praying continuously, Never giving God any rest. How are you, dear readers doing in these areas?

Even as Moses had to put a bronze snake on a pole and the people had to look up at it, trusting that by doing that they would be saved, just so have I been lifted up on the cross so that people, anyone, can look to me in trust and I will save them. Yet they first have to understand they need to be saved – it is as simple as that – this message is often made unnecessarily complicated. The very fact that the person has come to the point of recognizing their need and calling out, means they have started repenting from their trust in themselves. It is as simple as that, but not always easy because mankind does not like to be told they are inadequate and need salvation. Yes this is the key element of the Christian faith – the crux as it is called. However, as many people as there are in the kingdom, their personal experience of this moment is unique – yet equally precious.

Jesus stood up in the synagogue and read the first verse from Isaiah 61 (Luke 4:18), ending by saying “today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”. So we know that this prophecy was looking way ahead of Isaiah’s time. However it must have been a great encouragement to the Israelites in Babylon, who had left a war ravaged land behind them 70 years before. 70 years of suffering for the disobedience of a people over the centuries before. Now it was promised that it would be reversed. A rebuilding and restoration not only of their cities and lands, but of their internal spiritual state. “A crown of beauty instead of the ashes of mourning” etc vs 3. we know now that that promise was not nearly fulfilled when the Israelites returned to Zion, way back then.

As I read this passage I found myself thinking of Eukrane. There will be an end to their war, but what will be left of their beautiful country and cities? Much more serious though, will be the mental and spiritual damage to each person who has survived. Their lives will never be the same again.

That is, in fact what sin has done to the world. The picture of war and destruction is a physical reminder of the consequences of the sin which pervades the world. Now Jesus came promising a restoration. A spiritual restoration (vs 1). Looking back in history we see that as much as that promise is real and wonderful, it has not been fulfilled completely, yet. Yes individual people are healed, spiritually and emotionally on a continual basis as they experience Jesus’ work in their lives but, there remain the scars that sin has caused.

What is the answer to this enigma? It lies in the next verse after where Jesus stopped at the end of vs 1, when He read the passage in the synagogue. He did not read vs 2 “to proclaim the year of God’s favour and the day of God’s vengeance; to comfort those who mourn.” the ultimate time of the fulfilment of that prophecy lies ahead in the future when there will be a day when all this will be totally fulfilled. That is why we speak of the “now but not yet”. We have much of the benefit of Jesus’ work of salvation and restoration now, but the ultimate day of the complete restoration of God’s favour and at the same time of judgement, will still come.

So what is Jesus saying to me from this passage? I should not be discouraged as I look at all the evil in the world, because this promise still holds. Instead I should continue to share the promise of the ultimate fulfilment through salvation, with anyone whom God sends to me. The second thing that really speaks to me is the whole question of God’s timing. 70 years had passed before God brought back the Israelites to their land. His time is not ours. This speaks to my impatience to see things happening now, people changing, events working themselves out etc. I must learn to relax into God’s time and trust Him, while I do every day what I feel He wants me to do. Taking one step with the Spirit at a time, with the reassurance that His plan will be accomplished in my life as well as the whole world.