Tag Archives: Isaiah 66

Daily Bible Study

August 6, 2024 Bible Study — God Will Bring Joy to Those Who Gladly Do Right

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Isaiah 64-66.

Isaiah wraps up his prophecies by revisiting a few of the themes which were throughout his book.  Today’s passage begins with a reminder that no one has ever seen any God aside from the true God.  While other things, and beings, and creatures have been worshiped by people, none of them acts on behalf of those who trust them in the way and with the power which God acts on behalf of those who trust Him and remember His ways.  Yet, despite that truth we still sin against Him and provoke His anger, and what can save us from His anger?  Only God’s love can, and fortunately will, save us from His justified anger at us.  For we are the work of His hand, and He will mold us and make us into vessels that bring glory to His name.  God will reveal Himself to those who do not look for Him and He will be found by those not searching for Him.   Which brings us to the second theme Isaiah prophesied about repeatedly: those who proclaim themselves servants of God while committing wicked acts in secret.  God will bring judgement upon them and show all their dirty secrets.  Those who truly serve God will experience joy, but those who only do so with their mouths while their acts bring harm to others will experience suffering beyond measure.

 

 

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

August 6, 2023 Bible Study — We Are but Clay in the Potter’s Hand

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Isaiah 64-66.

Isaiah tells us that at no point in history has anyone seen or heard of any god other than God who acts on behalf of those who gladly do what is right.  Despite the fact that we have seen and heard what He will do for those who do right, we have sinned against Him.  So, how can we be saved?  By recognizing that we are the work of His hand.  He has revealed Himself to us before we thought to seek Him, or even ask about Him.  He has come to us, those who accept His presence with humility and a contrite spirit will be saved.  However, He has destined for the sword those who believe they will be defiled by associating with others, despite having defiled themselves already by not listening to God’s call for justice and compassion.

 I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

August 6, 2022 Bible Study — God Has Revealed Himself To Us, Whether We Wanted To Know Him Or Not

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Isaiah 64-66.

I will start with where the prophet tells us that no one has heard of, seen, or perceived in anyway another god like God.  One can interpret what the prophet says in different ways.  But, to me, it reminds me of the fact that all other gods that have been worshiped throughout human history have a mythology that have them coming into existence after the beginning of the Universe.  Only the Hebrews worshiped a God who existed before anything else.   But the prophet tells us that God is unique in more ways than that.  Unlike other gods, God acts on behalf of those who serve Him, and helps those who gladly do what is right.

The prophet goes on to write that God revealed Himself to those who did not ask for Him and was found by those who did not seek Him.  God presents Himself to us, despite the fact that we repeatedly reject Him.  He holds out His hands to embrace us, even after we have attempted to give His place to something else.  God invites us to come back to Him.  Yet we have a tendency to push others away from Him as too unclean to be near us, when we defile ourselves by sins without measure.  If we wish to accept God’s salvation we must humbly recognize our own sin, we must recognize that no one, let alone ourselves, have any righteousness of their own.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

August 6, 2021 Bible Study — God Revealed Himself To Those Who Did Not Seek Him

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Isaiah 64-66.

Since I am going to be on vacation from July 31-August 9 I have already written my blog posts for these days and scheduled them to be posted.  However, I may not be able to post a link to them on FaceBook, Gab.com, or MeWe.com during every day (or any day) during this time period.  So, please continue to visit my site to read my daily devotional.

Yet another day where I am not quite sure what I am going to write.  So, I will just start writing the thoughts which I have and see where that leads me.  Isaiah asks how can we be saved when all of us are unclean and our righteous acts are filthy rags.   God answers Isaiah’s question by telling us that He revealed Himself to those who did not ask for Him and was found by those who did not seek Him.  But God also condemns those who hold themselves better than others while wallowing in sin.  Of those he says:

“I called but you did not answer,
    I spoke but you did not listen.
You did evil in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”

Instead let us humbly throw ourselves upon God’s mercy, for He tells us:

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,
    and who tremble at my word.”

I recognize that I am not worthy of God’s forgiveness, but He extends it to me anyway.  And, if He is willing to forgive me, surely He will forgive you.  Please understand, we should all take that attitude.  All anyone must do is recognize their own sinfulness and turn to God, asking Him to transform them into His likeness.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

August 6, 2020 Bible Study If You Think You Are More Righteous Than Another, You Have Not Been Listening To God

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 64-66.

Isaiah tells us that God welcomes those who gladly do good, but that we are not godly.  We are constant sinners, every one of us.  We call to God for help, but not really.  God stands ready to respond, but no one actually asks for His help.  Instead of asking God to transform us into godly people whom He can bless, we ask Him to accept our sinfulness as righteous.  We do things which God has declared as detestable, then tell others not to get too close to us because they might defile us.

This passage reminded me of the news around us.  There are people who will beat someone up for not wearing a mask in public, and others who will beat someone up for asking them to wear a mask.  Both think they are more righteous than the other.  But Isaiah tells us that those whom God will bless are those with a humble and contrite heart.  If you think that you are holier, more righteous, better than others, you just haven’t been listening when God speaks.  There is more in this passage I would like to write about, but doing so would dilute that message.  I will come before God with a humble and contrite heart.  I am not better than you, or anyone else.  I am but a sinner whose only redeeming features come from the grace of God.

Daily Bible Study

August 6, 2019 Bible Study — Serving God Means Humbly Admitting Our Sin

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.  I am going to be on vacation through August 10th.  I have prepared my daily Bible Studies for each day throughout that time in advance since I will have limited access to the Internet during this time.  The timing on when I publish these blogs may be erratic during this time.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 64-66.

When I read today’s passage I was struck by comparisons to society today.  We are all sinners who continually sin (I want to note that there is an important distinction between “continually” and “continuously”).  We try to cover our sins with righteous actions which do less to cover our sins than a dirty loincloth.  Yet we spend our time calling out others for their sins.  As a result, we suffer and our land heads toward desolation.  For all of that, we rarely call out to God and plead for His mercy.  Why not? Because we know what He will demand of us and we are unwilling to do it.  

For all of that, God will save a small number, a remnant who will be called by His name.  God will create a new heaven and a new earth where His servants will live in peace.  Isaiah even tells us how to know who will be saved.  Only those with a humble and contrite heart will be saved.  Not long ago I came across a quote from Augustine of Hippo which carries much the same message.

“Let us never assume that if we live good lives we will be without sin; our lives should be praised only when we continue to beg for pardon. But men are hopeless creatures, and the less they concentrate on their own sins, the more interested they become in the sins of others. They seek to criticize, not to correct. Unable to excuse themselves, they are ready to accuse others.”

We need to focus on correcting the sin in our own lives more than the sins committed by others.  Of course, one needs to remember that Isaiah tells us this as part of his prophecy calling people out for their sins.  So it does not mean that we never confront others about the sins which they commit.  It just means that we must do so while humbly admitting that we also are sinners. 

Daily Bible Study

August 6, 2018 Bible Study — We Are Not Good Enough

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 64-66.

    Isaiah starts today’s passage by calling out for God to intervene in the world once more as He did in years long ago. The prophet acknowledges that each and every one of us has sinned and that our acts of righteousness are like filthy rags. The first step in accepting God’s salvation is acknowledging that we are NOT good people. Despite the inadequacy of our righteousness, despite the fact that our sins mean that we deserve God’s judgment, we do not beg God for mercy. I want to note that despite Isaiah saying that no one calls on God, he does exactly that in the very next phrase.

    Isaiah notes God’s response to calls. God is ready to welcome people with open arms, but no one seeks His aid. And God is not just passively waiting for us to turn to Him, He is actively calling out to us that He is right here for us. Rather than turn to God for His help to become righteous, people go from one sin to an even worse sin. Meanwhile one person tells another to keep their distance because the second is too sinful and would pollute the “righteousness” of the first. We have deliberately and openly sinned, right in front of God.

    All of us have sinned and none of is are righteous, none of us has even truly called on God. Yet God says that some of us are worth saving. He will save a remnant. What qualities determine eligibility for that remnant? God will save those with a humble and contrite heart who tremble at His words. In light of what this passage says we can see part of what God means. Those whom God has saved know that they are no better than anyone else. We will not be saved because we are good people. God saves us because we recognize that we need saving. God does not save us because we are more deserving of salvation than others. In order to receive God’s salvation we must acknowledge that we do not deserve to receive it. When we tell others of God’s salvation, part of our message must be that if we, as bad as we are, qualified to receive God’s salvation, then surely they qualify. Our message must NOT be, “If only you were to make yourself as good as I, you too could receive God’s salvation.” No, our message is, “If I, as bad as I am, received God’s salvation, then surely you can receive it as well.”

Daily Bible Study

August 6, 2017 Bible Study — Having a Humble and Contrite Heart

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 64-66.

    Do not blame God if your troubles overwhelm you. He is ready to help if you ask Him for it. Do not claim that God does not make Himself obvious when you are not even looking for Him. People claim that God does not help them when they are unwilling to follow His commands. They claim that there is no evidence for God when they do not wish to find Him. People who are busy defiling themselves isolate themselves from those they consider impure. When I first read this I saw it as applying to two groups, but as I started to write I realized that both groups are variations on the same mistake. When the prophet condemns those who say, “Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!” he is speaking to everyone who will not associate with those they consider unclean. There are those who call themselves Christian who will have nothing to do with those who do not because they are afraid it will defile them. There are those who will not associate with those who hold differing political views because they think those others are evil. We cannot serve as God’s hands and feet to reach those He desires to draw to Him if we will not associate with those who do not yet know Him. IF we think we are holier than others, we are defiling ourselves. It is only when we have a humble and contrite heart, when we acknowledge our unworthiness before God, that we will begin to experience the holiness which comes from Him. It is then that He will transform us into holy people.

Daily Bible Study

October 2, 2015 Bible Study — Striving To Emulate Christ

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 24:15-16

    The godly will recover from set backs time after time, while the wicked are devastated the first time calamity strikes. Guess which group you belong to if you are skulking around waiting for an opportunity to rob those who have done you no wrong?

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Psalm 74

    One of my concerns about the Church, the Assembly of believers, in the United States is that we see few if any true miracles. We do not see signs and wonders like those which Jesus performed. This psalm both gives me hope for the return of those days when the Church showed God’s power throughout the earth and helps me understand why we have not seen it. There have been times like this in the past, and there will probably be times like it in the future (unless the Lord returns before it happens again). The reason we are not seeing powerful signs and wonders is because of God’s mercy. When He once more shows His signs and wonders, His mighty hand will strike the earth. He will unleash His might and smash those who are His enemies.
    When we read the accounts in Acts of the signs and wonders God performed through the Apostles, we also read of Ananias and Sapphira. I pray for God to once more show His power through those who follow His name, but am I prepared for when those I know experience His judgment?

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Philippians 3:4-21

    Paul tells us that if anyone had a basis for bragging about their righteousness it would be himself. Yet despite that, he considers all of his acts of righteousness to be trash, to be of no value, when compared to what Jesus has done. This is an important thing, no matter what we have done that might be praiseworthy, it is of no value when we look at the wrong we have done. It is only through faith in Jesus that our sin can be compensated for. Paul wanted to suffer with Christ so that he could experience the power which raised Christ from the dead. There is a definite truth here. We can only truly experience the joy that comes through Christ when we are willing to sacrifice our interest and well-being for the betterment of others. Even then, we only truly experience it when we recognize that it is only through God’s free gift of salvation that our sinful tendencies can be offset.
    It is important to understand that as long as we are on this earth we have not yet been completely transformed by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of God. Nevertheless we should continue to strive for that perfect transformation. Let us seek out role models who are living examples of Christ and strive to emulate as they strive to emulate Christ. Always remembering that no one on this earth is perfect. As we are transformed internally into the likeness of Christ, so too will we, eventually, be transformed externally into his likeness.

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Isaiah 66

    God looks with favor on those who have a humble and contrite heart. It does not matter what sacrifices you make, what offerings you offer, if you are trying to be righteous by your own actions, to be justified by the works you perform, you may as well be performing human sacrifice. Until you recognize that you have sinned beyond hope of redemption, you will not be prepared to accept God’s grace. If you think that the little good you have done gives you an entitlement to God’s good will, you have failed to understand the depths of your depravity. As long as you are at the center of your life, you are an idolator and sinner.