Ian’s lets listen to Jesus

I sit at the feet of Jesus, like Mary. Waiting on Him, just receiving and enjoying His presence. I am a little frustrated by the lack of joy I feel for much of the time. The words of the song “Let there be dancing in the darkness” are going through my mind.

“You have already received all I want to give you. I have given you every blessing in the heavenly realms. I have lifted your burdens, as I have promised. What you need is to see that with the eyes of faith – Yes the world is in darkness, but you are living in a blinding spiritual light. You just need to see it by faith and trust in it, then you will feel like shouting, ‘Jesus is alive’. So don’t allow your inner doubts and Satan’s voice to take away the source of joy, by filling your mind with negative thoughts. Here I am, all of Me – you have Me, appreciate Me and your joy will be complete”.

As we enter Ch 43 of Isaiah, we can pick up a pattern in these chapters with some repetition. As the prophetic voice of Yahweh continues, He presents “His people” to the listener. The way He presents His case is once again pictured as a judicial court. cf vv 9b-12. So what is He trying to prove? In v 7, after presenting the people He created to be His own, he clearly declares His purpose in doing this. Can you see it?

“Everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed an made”. Rounding off this case He once again underlines this purpose in v 21. “The people I formed for Myself that they may proclaim My praise.

Even in His argument in the “court case”, He is “proving” who He is. See what you can pick up there from v 11-13. I am the Lord, There is no other Saviour. I have revealed and saved. I am God, declares the Lord. I am the ancient of days. I not only speak, but I act and when I do ghat no-one can reverse it.

God is unashamedly presenting Himself as the center point of history. The sad thing is that the very people whom He rescued from Egypt and whom He promises He will once again rescue them from the Babylonians v14. Those people to whom He is promising that He is going to do a “new thing” v 19, to whom He is going to give “streams in the desert” v19. That very people, who have the inside lane, as it were on His love and care, are the very ones of whom He says “Yet you have not called upon Me…” v 22.

So He ends the chapter, challenging them to argue otherwise in the light of what history reveals. He goes right back to Adam, since “your first father sinned (V 27) …… They have no leg to stand on, so He declares His judgement in v 28 – final destruction on Jacob and Israel.

Food for thought. How do we see this applying to us? What does Jesus say today? I think it is pretty clear from this passage and the rest of Isaiah, that God wants us to recognize that He is the center-point of history. When he created and still creates, He does it unashamedly for His own glory and wants us to recognize that by, amongst others praising Him. Yet there is more to that. We must recognize every aspect of His nature and appreciate what He is doing, especially as Saviour. We must recognize that He does not only make promises or threats, but that He is a God who acts. Whose will and actions are irreversible.

How are things different for us? Well there is a glimmer of that in the words of the promise of doing a “new thing”. That must surely be a prediction of the coming of the new era of the New Covenant. So we have the benefit of vs 25, forgiveness of sins. We also have the Holy Spirit to help us to glorify Him. Yet, and this is where I sit up and take notice. It is not something that happens automatically. We need to constantly keep in mind what His purpose for each of us, is and make the decision to honour that. This is not a once-off decision, it is a moment by moment way of life.

I find it so encouraging to see how my reading in the scripture ties in with the word I receive when I sit at His feet. He wants us to have joy, but that will only come when we place Him central in our lives and glorify Him, not only with our lips but our whole lives.

Abide in Me and I will abide in you.

“I am already in you, a constant presence since you were born again; but the concept of ‘abiding’ is more than a presence, it is a warm participation in your life – in your thoughts – in your heart. It is a Presence which is contributing to your growth and without which you cannot produce the fruit of this relationship. Notice though – I will abide in you, IF you abide in Me. This close relationship depends on you making the choice to abide in Me – yet even in that, I am motivating and drawing you to Me – all you need to do is listen to My voice. Also, while abiding is a warm fellowship of growth, for that to happen redundant branches must be pruned, so that growth is in the right direction. The the promise holds that if you abide in Me – you may ask anything in My Name and it will be given you, because your abiding will be leading you on a path of My Kingdom’s desires.”

In Isaiah 42 the concept of “The Servant of the Lord” is introduced, and continues for several chapters. Notice though that, in typical prophetic layered fashion, although the initial quote is quite clear about who the prophet is talking about, confirmed by Jesus Himself in Mathew 12:18-21, this cannot be the same servant as mentioned in vs 19. While the initial servant brings justice, the servant from vs 18 onwards is actually under judgement.

The Servant, who is predicted in 42:1-7 will come, according to vs 4, to establish justice on earth. He will come to bring hope. Now notice an interesting thing: in Isa 42:4, the promise is that the hope will come when the islands (Nations according to Jesus) put their hope in God’s law. So, the purpose God had for His servant Jacob in the OT, was to represent Him to the islands (the rest of the nations of the world) so that they would “put their hope in the law”. Israel had failed dismally in that. Just look at the words of judgement in vv 18, ff. Instead of representing Yahweh in a way which would attract the nations, they had followed their own ways, spurning His law and becoming a source of plunder..

So we can see that this prophecy points to Jesus taking over that role, as expounds this passage in Mat 12:21. “In My name the nations will put their hope”. The Servant Jesus came, to correct that failure by being the “first fruit” of the New Covenant. Isa 42:6. But do you see what the role of the people of the New Covenant is to be? They must take up that role of being a “light to the gentiles”. “I will keep you and make you a light for the gentiles”. 42:6.

Our responsibility in the world today, as in the past is to be a priesthood who are representing Jesus to the unbelievers. When we quarrel in public. When we are unloving and selfish. When we are dishonest and self-satisfied, these attitudes all serve to drive people away from Jesus. So we all have a huge responsibility to the world, which can only be accomplished if we continually abide in Christ.

Is the church succeeding in that? Yes in many respects and places, but NO in many other. Notice the seminar that is proposed at the Kweekskool in Stellenbosch for March with the title, “Queering the prophet (Jonah)”.

Now look at the tension in 42:14. For a long time God has been holding back His judgement, because of His patience. But in His heart he has been bursting, like a woman giving birth to bring about this judgement, which will surely happen. Yet in he midst of that is still His grace for those who are blind. (vs 16). This must surely be referring to the ‘remnant’.

What do I hear from Jesus? Abiding in Him is not merely remembering that he is present with me, it is actively pursuing a warm relationship with Him. If I am doing that, I will produce the fruit which He desires so that His church can continue and grow in its task of being a light for the gentiles. I have a promise and a responsibility.

“You’ve been washed by the blood of the lamb. I have been meditating on the ‘mystery’ of Jesus’ blood.

“Everyone has a veil over them, that prevents them from seeing and hearing and understanding Me and who I am. My blood is the only thing that can wash that veil away – My blood is the symbol of My death. It is the key to My life and death. It was also necessary to verify a Covenant with blood. My blood verified the New Covenant. Now I have washed away the veil from you and you can see Me and meet with Me. Yet there are still vestiges of sin which need to be washed away by water and the Word and ultimately by My blood. My blood is most precious because it represents the gift I have given you of life – you could not have that without My blood.

Isaiah 41, opens with a challenge from Yahweh directed at the “Islands” or “The Coastlands”. These “Peoples”, are symbolic of the Nations of the world. It is almost like an accusation in a court case. He starts with two challenging questions in vv 2 and 4. Note the similarity to God’s challenge to Job in Job 38.2 ff. He also challenges them to present their case in v 21. Can you see what the challenge is? We may have felt like questioning God at times in our lives, but Have you ever felt He is questioning you?

The challenge is for them to understand the huge difference between Him and any other gods or idols they may be trusting in to act on their behalf. Can you see the case He is making? He has acted in history and will act in the future. He is the only one who can predict the future, in fact, because He controls it. cf vv 26 ff. The diviners of those days made a big thing of predicting future events and to some extent that is still happening today. cf vv 20 -29.

His most important act in history, after the creation, was to choose a people, in Abraham for Himself. V 8. Then, He proclaims that, as weak as Israel may seem, He is capable of giving them enough power to carry out His plan. cf vv 14-16.

Central to the message of this chapter (and the whole of Isaiah) is God Himself. cf vv 4b,13,16b, 17, 20b. He is this great God who acts in history for His people and there is no-one or anything that can compare to Him. The challenge to us is: “Do you really believe this?” I don’t mean in your mind only, or even your heart. Is it demonstrated in all the practical applications of your life?

He has the future in His hand, how comforting is that? Especially with the events unfolding in the Ukraine at the moment.

Lastly I was struck again by how He chooses the weak to demonstrate His strength cf v 14 ff. This so reminds us of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:5,9b and 10. It is exactly when you are feeling weak and vulnerable that God can use you most to glorify Him, because then your ego does not get in the way and His power is demonstrated.

Singing, “My love is like a mighty flood”.

“I took My people into the wilderness to make it possible for them to serve and follow Me, without the distractions of Egypt. There they would also learn to depend on Me entirely for everything, not on their own devices and plans. Many years later I came to the earth and My ministry started in the wilderness – to demonstrate to My people that I was going to rescue them from the wilderness and take them into the ‘Promised Land of milk and honey’. You are still living in the wilderness, although there are many signs of My generosity and creativity around you, it is totally marred by sin and the curse. However today, I remind you that My love is like a mighty flood in the wilderness, ‘streams in the desert’. It comes to bring you abundance and fulness of life and that flood was released the moment I died on the cross – that is where My love was and still is being poured out from. If you ever doubt My love, just look at the cross.”

Now we come to the most encouraging chapter 40 of Isaiah. After chapter 39, it forms an introduction to the next “book” of Isaiah (ch 40-56). 200 years have passed since the prediction of the Babylonian invasion. The Israelites have experienced that invasion by Babylon, when they were taken into exile. The time of the exile is almost over and the people are preparing to return to Israel.

The message is quite clear, “Comfort, comfort my people says your God“. 40:1. The key to understanding the need for comfort is found in 40:27. “Why do you say, O Jacob and complain O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? The Israelites obviously felt abandoned by God and had no word from Him for some time.

It is a universal question, asked by almost every believer over the years at some stage or another in their lives. So what is this message of comfort as set out in this chapter? Firstly there is a message that her sin has been forgiven, because it has been paid for 40:2. What sin, you ask? Well that is what the first 39 chapters details isn’t it. Mainly a lack of trust in God.

This forgiveness is linked to the one who is bringing a message in the wilderness, vs ,3. It is a message of hope. that the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind will see it vs 5 (note, not just the Israelites).

It is a message which, unlike man’s fleeting life is linked to God’s word, which “stands forever“. It is so important that it needs to be declared from the highest mountain. The Hebrew is the equivalent of the Greek “evangel” of the New Testament. The message’s central point concerns the Souvereign Lord and what he is going to do, using all His power. Yet at the same time acting like a shepherd, who knows all His sheep and cares tenderly for them.. vv 9-11.

Verses 12-26 go on describing a beautiful picture of this Souvereign Lord of ours, comparing Him to the empty idols along the way. But perhaps one of the most important emphases, completes the picture in the last 4 verses. Against the background of the question, whether God cares, the answer comes. God is everlasting, continually faithful, concerned for the weary and those who stumble and fall. The key word in these last verses is the word “hope” in vs 32. Read the word “trust” instead (those who have faith), who believe this message. It is to them that the promise of having their strength renewed comes, which enables them to soar on wings like an eagle.

That was the message to the Israelites in Babylon. What about us? The voice crying in the wilderness leads us to the one whom this verse points to in the NT. John, in the desert, once again calling out a message of repentance and faith in the One who would soon be baptized by him. This was all happening in the wilderness, where Jesus launches His ministry from. A fulfillment of the earlier predictions of the coming Messiah in Isaiah.

We look forward, with expectation, to the further predictions of the One who will bring comfort, in the next chapters of Isaiah.

In he meantime, what is Jesus’ message for me today? A clear reminder that when I feel God is not caring, I should visit scriptures like this to remind me of who God is and what He has come to do. And then to put my faith and trust and hope in Him. May God bless you all as you imbibe this most encouraging chapter.

I have been singing: “My God is for us”.

“In all the vicissitudes and uncertainties of life it is important to know that I am for you. Who then can be against you? There is one who tries everything against you – but I have already won the victory. While you may catch glimpses of him, it is I that call the shots. So remember when you feel discouraged or doubtful – I am for you – I am rooting all the time for your glory – ultimately to bring Me glory – that is My aim. So do not allow Satan to put you in bondage again – I have sat you free – free to enjoy Me and be completely satisfied in Me. Live that life as you serve Me”.

Today I am reading Isaiah ch 38 and 39, which bring to an end the first “book of Isaiah’. Just to give a broader view. The first 39 chapters have covered a period when Isaiah was prophesying to his contemporaries. King Ahaz was a bad king but his son Hezekiah was much better. They are also subtly contrasted with another expected King cf 9:7. The book ends with a prophecy of doom in ch 39:5-7. This describes a devastating invasion by Babylon. This prophecy would only be fulfilled some 100 years later, thus long after Isaiah had gone to be with the Lord. From ch 40 – 56 Isaiah brings a series of prophecies of comfort for the Israelites in their slavery. Of course, a major figure in this section is the Comforter/Suffering Servant/Messiah, which means it is actually looking forward to a time way past the Babylonian invasion.

Looking at ch 38 and 39 we come to the conclusion of book 1. Hezekiah has just faced and resisted the words spoken against Israel by the Field Commander. There is a picture of repentance and turning in trust to the Lord in prayer. He doesn’t seem to be doing too badly. However ch 38 and 39 show up the weak streak in him.

There is a description of a severe illness and the devastating effect it has on him, not only physically but also emotionally. cf 38:3d. He begs God to prolong his life, reminding God of his previous devotion. There is a glimmer of insight in to his thinking though, which leads to the events of ch 39. Cf 39:17 ff. Notice the emphasis on MY benefit in vs 17 and the gist of the prayer that follows.

His mind still appears to be focusing on himself. This is what seems to lead to the foolish mistake that he makes in showing the envoy from Babylon, the riches of Israel. The final proof lies in his last statement in 39:8, where he is only relieved for himself and doesn’t seem to care what happens to the nation as a whole.

Am I being unfair in this assessment? I don’t think so. Firstly, this is a universal problem. Adam demonstrated it in the garden. As you trace the lives of many people in the bible, that seems to be the one area which stands out as a central problem. It is the problem which lay behind Hezekiah’s running to the Egyptians for help, in the first place. Demonstrated by his forgetting to trust the Lord. He also seemed to be acting in a way to ‘save face’.

The question, as we come to the end of Ch 39, is “who will help Israel and for that matter the world, to deal with this problem?” Well that sets the scene for where the Comforter, the Suffering Servant comes in, isn’t it?

In fact he whole of the first book of Isaiah, with all his oracles, demonstrate the lostness of mankind, even God’s own people, the Israelites. It seems to me God has gone to great lengths to show how much we all need the work of the Messiah. It is a fact, that until people can perceive their need, they usually won’t be interested in Jesus. The difficult thing is that, though we may have been set free, we still carry the footprints of sin in our lives. Perhaps the most basic one being self centeredness. That acts directly against God centeredness and our ability to fully trust Him.

I have spent a lot of time considering why God included these two chapters in the story. Of course commentators tend to avoid giving their opinion. I would like to hear what you guys think.

I am deeply desiring to “know” God’s glory. I see a light upon the mountains, it is growing in intensity and brightness – till it fills the whole earth – till it fills the whole universe.

“That is My glory – My glory is the reason I created. My Glory is the reason for history – and ultimately, when the ‘The Marriage Supper of the Lamb’ is celebrated, will be when My glory will finally be revealed. I have created each person individually and uniquely different – yet with one purpose – to bring Me glory. Yet, sin causes each man (woman) to seek his (her) own glory rather than mine. Even those who serve Me and love Me are often drawn away to seeking their own glory. So I am manipulating the whole of history to demonstrate My glory. You cannot see it, yet the whole earth is covered in My glory like the waters cover the sea. Go out and allow Me to show My glory through you and enjoy it, rejoice in it, it is the highest goal”.

We follow Israel’s story in Isaiah 36:21- 37:28.

What was the reaction of Hezekiah and the people to the threats of the Assyrians? The immediate instruction was to not answer the Field Commander. Not to try and argue with him. No explanation is given. (37:21)

Secondly there is this picture of various people tearing their clothes (37:22; 38:1). Associated with that, of putting on sackcloth. What does that mean? Well it was the outward sign of the people of that era of distress (37:3) and mourning. There is also a hope expressed that God will still act (37:4c). The bible often associated mourning with a recognition of sin and a sign of repentance. How do we interpret this action here, though?

Its almost as if the people are driven there by fear and hope that their mourning will move God to rescue them. Notice where the hope of the rescue is focused – 37:4d. The remnant which we have been following throughout this story. Something of Hezekiah’s spirituality is revealed in the prayer that follows in 37:14-20. Notice where the focus of his prayer is. He reminds himself of God’s souvereignty in creation and calls on Him to show this by rescuing them, “So that all the kingdom’s on earth may know that you alone are God.

Presumably he is being reminded of the importance of this. Notice the parallel to what God said to me this morning. His glory is paramount. His name is inextricably linked to His glory. This places Hezekaiah’s prayer right alongside the will of God in defending His name, in the face of all the mocking blasphemies that have been made.

Finally then, Isaiah brings God’s reply (37:22 – 35). I suggest you study it carefully. Here are some interesting points that I have noticed. In vs 26 we have a strong reminder that God has had a souvereign plan throughout the whole of history. Nothing has happened by chance, in the past and because of God’s zeal everything He has ordained for the future, will still happen 37:32.

Secondly we are reminded here of God’s omniscience (knowing everything) concerning everyone in the world(37:28), not only of each one of us Christians, as in Psalm 139 . God has an intimate knowledge of friend and foe alike. Finally as in 37:4d, the focus for the future of Israel lies with the remnant 37:31.

Maybe you may see something more. If so please share it on the blog.

So what do I hear Jesus saying to me from this passage? The comfort I received is that God is still working out His plan, which might at some times appear unlikely in the face of disaster. That plan still focuses on “the Remnant” of which Jesus was the first fruits in the New Testament. Everyone who is “in Jesus” is therefore part of that remnant and hence, I am still part of this unfolding plan. Then there is a reminder of something in our lives, which should be reflected in our prayers. God’s name and His glory should be central. If we do that then our prayers will be right alongside God’s will.

Proverbs 16:3 says “Commit to the Lord, whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The Hebrew verb translated “commit” there, actually means “lay your plans alongside God’s”. That is the great reminder of the power in prayer. The challenge to me lies to live that out.

“Yet not I but through Christ in me.” – As I ponder these words I realize that if I want to live my life in according to Your will, it comes down to a decision I must take. I must take it with every step, every thought, every action. The onus is on me to make the decision, either to go my own way or stay in the the way of Christ and benefit from the grace that covers me there. It is not enough to know that God has infinite power. It is not enough to say that I have experienced that power in the past. That power is only available if I walk in Jesus’ will. If I choose to follow You, You will release all the power for me to do that and far more than I could dream is possible. You will convict me and remind me of the fact that I am wandering off, but You will never force me to take the right decisions. The motivation to do that is huge though, because it draws me back into the arms of Your love. Not that You ever stop loving me, but when I move away from You, I stop experiencing the joy and power of Your presence and love. Thank you Lord for reminding me of all this today.

Back to Isaiah. We come now to Chapters 36 -39, which are a narrative link between the first half of Isaiah, where Assyria features as the aggressor to the second half which looks forward to Babylon ‘s invasion and the exile. Let’s read this one step at a time and see what Jesus is saying to us.

As the Assyrian forces surround Jerusalem, the “Field Commander” addresses King Hezekaiah, who is Ahaz’s son and the present ruler in Judah, Chapter 36:1-20 deals with what this fellow says and Hezekiah’s response follows in the next chapters. I found this address interesting as an example of how Satan tries to subvert our trust in God, because that is what he is trying to do. The key word is “trust”, repeated several times. If this Field Commander can break Hezekiah’s trust in God then he is going to be able to overcome Judah. So what does he say? Read through the passage and see what he says and how what the he says can relate to what Satan may be saying to you today.

Here is what I saw:

1. Who are you depending on? vs 5, Yes, who are you depending on, that is the question for all of us?

2. Is he depending on Egypt? Well the temptation has been to do that. I suppose today, Egypt represents anyone who appears to have the ability to help us.

3. Then he casts doubt on Hezekiah’s trust in God. The incident he wrongly interprets in vs 7 refers to Hezekaiah’s removing “illegal” places of worship to force the people to worship at the temple in Jerusalem, which was God’s instruction.

4. Then he actually claims he is acting on the Lord’s instruction, v 10.

5. He then addresses the other Israelites who are listening, to try and subvert them so that they will put pressure on Hezekiah to surrender. He first threatens them personally, vs 12 Then he claims the king is deceiving them because he cannot deliver them, vs 14. He then mocks Hezekaiah’s trust in God. vs 15. He tries to offer them another land. vv 16,17. This is a huge attack on God because they were already living in the “Promised Land”, so he is attacking the very plan of God. Finally he mocks Yahweh himself by suggesting Hezekaiah is wasting his time in trusting God, because God is no better than the idols of the other nations. vv 18,19.

So what is all this about? Trust (faith) is the vital link we have with God. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith”, Ephes. 2:8. It is the means through which we are saved. It does not stop there, however. Our whole relationship with God is based on our trust in Him. The most important work He is doing in each one of our lives is to help our faith to strengthen. On the other hand if Satan can attack our faith and cause us to doubt, maybe trust God less or trust other things instead of Him, he is weakening the whole of the Church as well as each of us individually.

Now all these things that we read here represent ways that Satan uses to attack our trust in God. That is why it is so useful to read this passage because the best way to fight the enemy is to get to know his methods.

I pondered over this reading and realized how easily I trust in other things than God. When there is a medical crisis, or financial or anything else which threatens me, I find myself immediately starting to think who can help me. This seldom starts with God. Should we not consult medics, use medicines, find financial advice then? Of course not, God is the one who provides them for us. The question is, who are you trusting in? Are you lending your ears to wrong advice? Do you start doubting all sorts of things?

A very interesting passage that caused me to have lots to think about.

I have been meditating on God’s name, His honour and what that means to me.

“Yes My name is all important. From the very beginning I have chosen a people to carry My name, yet time and again they have abused it – that is why I punished them repeatedly. You now carry My name – because you are in Jesus – so part of the heavenly blessing which you have received in Him is that you now have My name. Yet, even as you carry My name as a blessing, it carries a responsibility. You are always representing Me, wherever you go. Whatever you do or say will and does reflect on My name. But don’t let that be onerous – draw near to Me as your Father and walk with Me in step with My Spirit and you will carry My name in honour. Just be aware that every angry word, every time you mutter and complain or say something bad about someone, that has a negative effect on My name. just draw close to Me. Every prayer, every desire you have when you walk close to Me will be fulfilled because they will align with My desire for you.

The 23 chapters of Isaiah, from Ch 12 to 35 carry a number of oracles which basically repeat the same message. God will judge. His own people first and His enemies, which He uses as an instrument of Judgement next. There is the theme of a “Remnant” which occasionally speaks of a king. Then there is the recurrent theme that God will save those who trust in Him. I have decided to jump to ch 35 which is a comforting picture which ends that long section of judgement.

Please read Ch 35 and meditate on what is being said. What exactly is being promised? When will this happen? Has it any relevance for me?

When I was in Israel in 1972, they told me they were busy fulfilling this prophecy. They had laid on huge pipelines, carrying water from Lake Kinneret right through the country. It had transformed this “desert-like” landscape into a green oasis in many places. There was never any mention of the hand of God being in this transformation, however. So, could this be what Isaiah prophesied?

There are some faint shades here of the promises God made to His people when He brought them out of Egypt. Those people were promised a land flowing with milk and honey. Yet, here 300 years later the people were being attacked from all sides and the future looked really grim.

Well, there were certain aspects of this promise which would be fulfilled when God brought His people back from 70 years of exile in Babylon. The redeemed, those saved from the exile, did return with singing to Zion. But what a homecoming. A ruined city and a devastated temple waited for them. Poverty and hardship seemed more prominent than streams in the desert.

Over the years the people have tried several times to recreate this scene on their own, missing the point completely. The problem lay in their inability to trust in Yahweh. They wanted to do it their way and get the glory for themselves. This passage lays the bed for the expectation of the last part of Isaiah. How will God fulfill this prophecy? Will we ever see it it here on earth?

There are certainly aspects of this prophecy which are being fulfilled now. Vs 3, is mentioned in the letter to the Hebrews 12:12. Then there is this picture of a “Way of Holiness”. “The unclean will not journey on it, it will be those who walk in that Way.” This sounds very much like the “Narrow Way” which Jesus used to describe our journey on the way to heaven. The use of the term “The Way” to describe this journey reminds one of the name that the early Christians gave to their new-found faith. These are all pictures relative to this world.

Some others are maybe more symbolic. Like the water gushing forth in the desert. Perhaps this describes our new life in Jesus, but we are also reminded of the streams of living water which Jesus promised, would flow forth from HIm

Ultimately though, we must accept that the full picture still lies in the future. It is the “hope of the Christian”. We can see ourselves as the “redeemed returning with singing unto Zion. Where everlasting joy will crown our heads”.

Underlying all this is the constant reminder that this is only for those who trust in the Lord. Of course from our perspective today, we can see the key role of the One who we have met earlier as the Son and the Stump of Jesse. The King described as carrying the government on His shoulders.

The question I ask myself, as I listen to Jesus is. Do I see this picture unfolding symbolically around me as I continue to follow the Way through the desert? The narrow, difficult Way. The Way that has been made by Jesus. But also a reminder that for my part, I need to strengthen my feeble hands and weak knees for what I may face.

Quietly I wait on the Lord. In my mind I am like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him and enjoying His presence.

“Yes Ian, I am present here with you – the Creator of the whole universe, the Ruler of the kingdoms of the world, robed in magnificent majesty, yet quietly present here with you in My Spirit. I bring with Me the full warmth of My love to surround you and embrace you – yet at the same time I hold the rod of correction to direct you away from your selfish desires and plans. I shine into this room with the full force of the sun to fill your life with My presence and My joy – enjoy Me, appreciate Me – that is what glorifies Me most.”

We come today to the last two chapters of the “book of Immanuel” Isaiah, Chapters 11 & 12.

Chapter 11 starts with the prophecy in vv1-5, which link the theme of a “remnant, which we have seen developing”, with a specific figure. Here there can be no mistaking this figure. It is the expected Messiah. We see in these verses all the characteristics of Yahweh brought upon a “man”, through the Spirit of the Lord. This links with the other prophecies about Immanuel, “God with Us”, in this section.

In 11:6-9 we see a representation of the prophetic climax behind Yahweh’s intent, which we will only experience after the final “day”, when the whole earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 11:9.

The rest of the section should be seen in three time frames. Firstly, describing a gathering of the Jewish people from where they have been exiled and bringing them back as a sort of second Exodus to The Promised Land. This foresees another gathering or Exodus which is heralded in Chapter 12. When the ministry extends to the whole world, including all the nations, 12:4 c. This too has several time frames. In one sense it started when Messiah arrived in the world , as the “Son” and the “Root”. However it was not completed then, it is still ongoing and will only be complete when “That day” finally arrives”.

Chapter 12 gives a beautiful description of the most important aspects of the salvation which Messiah would bring, to take us to our final destination. See if you can spot them.

1. We will all praise God for what He has done. That is, He will be recognized for who He is. Isa 12:1,3,5,6. Remember, not recognizing God for who He is, was the underlying sin of the people,
2. His anger will be turned away. Propitiation, as I described last time, by Jesus.12:1b
3. His main action is and will be to save us. Notice, it is God who saves us. He is the sole agent. cf vv 2,3.
4. Our part is to simply trust in Him and in this promised work of salvation. v 2. We demonstrate this trust by our genuine experience and expression of Joy. vv 3,4,5.
5. Finally this is such a magnificent gift from Yahweh, that our reaction should be to go out and tell all the nations.

I meditate on that. This God, Creator of the universe, Saviour of my soul, present here in this very room with me, through Immanuel’s Spirit. Wanting to have fellowship with me and flowing from that to be an agent, telling all the “nations of the glorious things Yahweh has done.”

Singing “I stand amazed”.

“Are you truly amazed? Are you truly in awe? Do you really drink in who I am, that My ways are infinitely higher than your ways, that My words are infinitely higher than yours? Do you understand the vastness of My presence, like the waters cover the sea? The whole world in My hands? Do you understand My power, My ability to do anything I choose to do? Mankind managed to split an atom and 100 000 people were killed. But I split whole suns, whole constellations. Stand truly amazed, because even as amazing as all that is, the most amazing thing, the most wonderful thing of all was the death of my Son on the cross. That act transformed the whole of history and it was done as much for you as for anyone else. Yes, ponder and absorb and stand amazed”.

I am looking today at the rest of Isaiah ch 9 and ch 10. Seen in the context of the Son who is prophesied to be born because of the darkness, gloom and distress in Israel/Judah. The surprising thing is that the prophecy reverts again to God’s judgement, chiefly of Israel and Judah. Yes Assyria is going to be God’s vehicle of destruction, but it will be initiated by Him cf 10:13, 23!

There is an interesting twist to this judgement of God in 10:5 ff. Despite the fact that God specifically chose Assyria to be His “rod of anger”, He will judge Assyria even more severely for carrying His judgement out. cf 10:5 ff. Mmmm seems a bit unfair doesn’t it? Unless one understands that He wants to make the point that despite their waywardness, Israel still had a special place in His heart.

Now a couple of things stand out. Even as God declares the litany of Israel’s sins, I have looked to see what the basic underlying sin was. The fundamental sin from which all these sins arose. We can see the answer in 9:9, 10. The people wanted to go it on their own. They were boasting of what they had done and would do, without any reference to God. That was the basic sin of Adam, it was the basic sin of Israel and Judah. It is still the basic sin today. While we look at all the awful things mentioned and shake our heads, we ourselves, may be going ahead and taking pride in what we are doing every day, not recognizing God’s hand in every aspect of our lives. In all of our creative thinking. Not relying on Him completely.

The good news is that God has decreed that there will be a remnant. 10:20. Now look how they are described in that vs “They will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel”. The aim of God in developing a remnant was to establish a people, for Himself that would “truly rely on Him”. As I have said before, that theme of the remnant, will continue to be developed in Isaiah. The very next chapter (11), will again give us a clue how it was going to arise.

Something else of significance comes out in this section: Four times the statement “yet for all this, His anger is not turned away” 9:12b; 17c; 21c; 10:4b., is repeated. Do you know why that is so significant? It is significant because it points directly to Jesus and the work He did on the cross. Look at Romans 3:25 and look at the note in the margin of your NIV bible. The word translated as “a sacrifice of atonement” is actually a “propitiation”. This is a unique word used for Christ’s ministry and means that through His death on the cross He “turned away the wrath of God”. So what God was seeking in Isaiah’s time, was someone to turn His wrath away from His people. He Himself, would eventually supply that someone many years later when Israel had born the brunt of God’s wrath. This is how a Remnant would be formed. One that would truly rely on God.

Stop and think about that. God’s wrath remains the same today as it was then, against all sin. Which, as we have seen, arises from Man’s basic desire to be like God and to act independently from Him. For man to seek his own glory, like the Tower of Babel. It is only as we flee to Jesus that we can be protected from that wrath, as He turns it away from us.

Do you hear Jesus speaking to you? Do you stand amazed at His presence? How do you respond to what you have read today? God bless all of you.