Week 31 Day 5 – A Picture of the Kingdom
Isaiah 61:1-3; 65:17-25
We come now to the climax of Isaiah’s message. After all the pain and destruction of God’s punishment on Judah through the Babylonian exile, it is time to rebuild His people and establish the Kingdom that will bless the world.
Read 61:1-3. This is the final Servant Song where the coming Messiah begins the process of rebuilding the Kingdom.
Read 65:17-25. List the ways that the new Kingdom is described in these verses. How would you summarize and describe this new place?
Now read Luke 4:18-19. Keep in mind that the Jews to whom Jesus was speaking had been reading this passage for 500 years, awaiting the kingdom that Isaiah described. How do you think they reacted when Jesus interpreted this passage the way He did?
Now read Revelation 21:1-4. Do you see any similarities to Isaiah 65?
Here is the truth in which we, as Christians, can place our hope. Jesus is the Servant of God that Isaiah was predicting. Jesus suffered and died, taking on our sins and paying the penalty for them. Jesus also rose from the dead and stands as the mighty victorious Servant of God who has defeated our enemies. Now Jesus has established His eternal kingdom, right here in our hearts. We do not have to wait for a physical city to be built, we have access to the Kingdom of God, because of Jesus, and through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us.
Spend some time meditating on the fact that the power of God lives in you and that God has granted you the right to be a citizen of His Kingdom. How often do you tap into that Kingdom power to shine a light of hope to the dying world around you?
Jesus is King. Let’s glorify Him today!
Week 31 Day 4 – A Picture of God’s Home
Isaiah 57:15; 66:1-2
In these verses we are reminded of two very important truths.
First, we see the power and majesty of God. We talked about that on Monday. God is almighty. He is not some god that we made up, He is the creator and sustainer of all things. In that we can take confidence.
Secondly, and really the point of today’s lesson, is the fact that God is not just the transcendent, almighty God. He is also the tender, compassionate, very near and intimate lover of our souls. Here is the important part. God does not live intimately in everyone’s souls, only in those with a humble and contrite spirit, and who tremble at His word.
Let’s take a moment and look at the definitions of the Hebrew words that are translated “humble” and “contrite” in the NIV.
Humble –
In 57:15: the Hebrew word shiphel which means “to be low in station.”
In 66:2: the Hebrew word awnee which means “afflicted or poor”.
Contrite –
In 57:15: this is the Hebrew word dacah which means “crushed.”
In 66:2: it is the Hebrew word nakah which means smitten or beaten. Literally, the phrase is “a beaten down spirit.”
We live in an age where pop-psychology is focused on helping us see all the good in ourselves; helping us to feel good. This emphasis has seeped into the church and put pressure on pastors and teachers to only focus on the grace of God; creating a “kinder, gentler” God from that image of God which may have been portrayed in days gone by.
While this emphasis is good and very important, there is a danger in leaning too heavily toward that end of the continuum of understanding God’s nature and our relationship with Him. With too soft a picture of God we can be tempted to inflate the picture of ourselves and begin to treat God with contempt, or at best with flippant familiarity.
Notice the progression of thought in these verses. First, God is almighty and transcendant, above anything we could ever aspire to be. Second, God is intimately relational with humans if, and only if, one important thing happens. The human must be crushed, poor, beaten down, and of low position. Yikes! As terrible as this may sound, when we stop to think about it, it is the only thing that makes sense. Not until we are completely broken can God truly enter into our hearts and begin to rebuild us into the image He wants us to be. Only then can He be the potter, shaping the clay for useful application. It is our pride, our sense of self-reliance, that inhibits the presence of God to fill us and transform us.
The challenge before us today is to ask, “what part of my life still needs to be crushed?” “where am I still holding back and not completely giving over to God in absolute surrender?” Money, work, parenting, relationships? Is He calling you to ministry and you are afraid of financial security? Is He asking you to love an unlovely person and you are afraid of being hurt? Give in, get crushed, let God build it.
Week 31 Day 3 – A Picture of the People
Isaiah 56:1-8
What instructions does the Lord give to the people in order to prepare themselves for His return?
In vv. 4-8, what attitude does the Lord have toward the Gentiles, or those who are not from the nation of Israel?
Throughout Israel’s history they struggled with this area. When God made His promise to Abraham, He said that He would bless all nations through Abraham. God's intent was from the beginning to bring everyone to Himself. Israel was supposed to be the light shining on the hill so that all people would see the glory of God and be drawn to Him. Instead, the people used the Law to keep people out and took on an elitist attitude. God was not pleased by this.
How is the Temple described in v. 7. Read Matthew 21:12-15. How does Jesus describe the Temple, and why is he so angry?
The people in Jesus day were no different than those in Isaiah’s day. They had turned what was supposed to be the bright, shining symbol of God’s love and grace to the world and turned it into a market place to make a quick dime. How many times do we do this? How many times do we use our “religion” to keep people out and to capitalize on it for our own behalf.
Ask God to reveal any ways in which you may be keeping “strangers and foreigners” outside of your heart for the wrong reasons.
Week 31 Day 2 – A Picture of the Suffering Servant
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
In the second half of his book, Isaiah is describing what will happen after God’s judgement on Judah is finished and He begins to restore His people. Isaiah paints a picture of the coming King that will establish His kingdom to rule over the whole world. When you think about a king setting up a kingdom for world domination, what kind of characteristics do you think would need to be present in that king?
Now read Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and list the character qualities and actions this “servant” takes.
This servant of the Lord is a shock to our expectations. What kind of a king would allow himself to be led like a lamb to the slaughter and die for the sins of his people? We know a King like that. Isaiah was predicting the coming of the Messiah, the annointed one of God, who would be the Servant of God and the King of the people. Jesus is that Messiah.
Spend some time thanking God for sending Jesus to fulfill this prophecy of Isaiah’s and to pay for our sins.
Week 31 Day 1 – A Picture of God
Isaiah 40:6-31
As you read through these verses, make a list of God’s attributes. How do you feel after describing God this way?
The mood you are in today may impact your reaction to this description of God. If you are feeling good, you may be filled with confidence and feel great that you are on God’s side because He is so big and is in control. If you are feeling down you may be overwhelmed by the scope of God and feel small and insignificant.
If you feel like the latter, then read vv. 29-31 again. What is the promise made in these verses?
Do you feel weak or tired today? Spend a moment and try to pinpoint where you feel most weak or vulnerable. Now imagine yourself giving that portion of your life to God. On your own you probably aren’t strong enough. But, with the eternal power of God holding you up, you can soar!
Spend some time committing to God that you will draw on His strength and have a great day.
Week 30 Day 5 – The Way of Holiness
Isaiah 35
In this message Isaiah proclaims a vision of hope for the future. He describes what the Kingdom will be like when the Messiah comes and God vindicates Israel. It is a beautiful picture that will, hopefully, spark hope in your heart.
It is interesting to note that one of the themes throughout the Bible has to do with the treatment of the lame, sick, orphans, and poor. The value of a leader is measured, not on his ability to erect grand structures or conquer other nations. Rather, in God’s eyes, a leader is measured by his attitude toward and ability to aid the poor and underprivileged. Reading through Isaiah it is easy to observe that the elite of Judah had become calloused to the poor and sick and had horded the wealth for themselves. In Isaiah’s vision of God’s Kingdom those members of society become exalted and their pain is vindicated.
We can walk on that street today. God’s Kingdom is open to us through the King of all Kings, Jesus. He has made the Way of Holiness accessable to us through the Holy Spirit. Let’s open our hearts to God’s holiness so that it will overflow with grace and mercy to those in our society who are hurting and in need.
Week 30 Day 4 – Of Prideful Clay
Isaiah 29:13-16
It is at this point that we must unwrap the real culprit that lies at the root of our silly scheming: Pride. Deep inside we have a desire to be “right,” to be “free,” to be “in control.” Our society has adopted a notion of radical individualism; this notion that I am a free agent, the master of my destiny. We believe that we can shape ourselves into whatever form we want. How foolish is that?!? Can the pot make itself into something else? This all comes down to a matter of trust. Do you trust that God, who is your creator, has your best interest in mind? Do you trust Him enough to obey what He says, even if it seems contradictory to human wisdom? For a person who has been burned by people in the past, this is a scary proposal. Yet, it is the heart of the gospel. Let go of your need to be your own master and turn everything over to your creator. Let Him have your heart, then He will make it produce the kind of fruit that it was meant to produce.
Spend some time asking God to expose to you the areas of your life where you are still holding on to control. Ask Him for the courage to let go.
Week 30 Day 3 – The Branch of Hope
Isaiah 11:1-9
In the first half of Isaiah, the prophet is warning the nation that Israel will be destroyed by the empire of Assyria. He says that God is using Assyria like an axe to chop down the tree of Israel. Because of their perpetual sin, God removed the wall of His protection from them and allowed the beastly hordes from the north to swoop in and devour His vineyard, to cut down His beautiful vine, leaving behind only a stump of wood sticking out of the mud.
This act of devastation must have broken the heart of God. From a human perspective, it paints a bleak and desperate portrait of Yahweh. When we observe a lifeless stump protruding from the ground it does not elicit great feelings of hope. On the contrary, this vision could leave us in the mindset of Ecclesiastes, asking the question, “what is the purpose behind this? Where is the meaning?”
Then we see chapter 11 and a renewed sense of hope floods new light on the picture. There, just below the violent hack marks of the axe, a fresh, green sprig of a branch begins to emerge. From the aftermath of death and destruction, new life is given birth.
Read v. 1. Jesse was King David’s father, so the “stump of Jesse” represents the remnant of Israel that is left after God has destroyed it with Assyria.
This passage is one of many in Isaiah that is called a “Messianic” passage. Messianic means that it refers to the coming Messiah (or anointed one) of God who would be the greatest King the world had ever seen. We believe that Jesus was the fulfillment of these Messianic passages. We will look more closely at these passages next week.
As you read over your descriptions of the Messiah and the Messiah’s Kingdom, how does it make you feel to know that Jesus is that person?
Week 30 Day 2 – A Wake Up Call
Isaiah 6:1-7
Many people feel that this was Isaiah’s “call to ministry.” Look a little closer. Isaiah saw this vision when Uzziah died. Isaiah had been preaching in Jerusalem for years already! So what we have here is a seasoned preacher who has been working hard for the Kingdom of God who is suddenly confronted with a deeper revelation of God. He is not a “sinner” off the streets when he falls down and says “I am ruined!” He’s a preacher!
So what? We can learn a great deal from this event. It doesn’t matter where you are in life. You could be a drug adict who is struggling to survive, or you could be the president of a seminary and the pastor of a church, revered in the community. No matter who you are, when you truly come face to face with the reality of God’s presence, there is only one response; on your face, now! No one is holy in their own ability. No one is good enough to meet God’s standards. It is only through the grace of God that we can do anything. When we keep that in mind, it will be easier to remove any prejudices or barriers that may exist between us and others in the world.
Week 30 Day 1 – The Vineyard
Isaiah 5:1-7, 20-30
On this first day of looking at Isaiah it is important to understand that, by the time Isaiah was preaching, the people of Israel had been pushing the limits with God’s patience for centuries. God had come to His vineyard year after year and found little to no fruit. It was finally time for Him to pull the axe out of the back shed and start doing some serious pruning. The axe that He chose to use was the Empire of Assyria. During Isaiah’s lifetime the Assyrians annihilated the Northern Kingdom of Israel and destroyed all of Judah except the city of Jerusalem.
We must never forget that although God is a loving and gracious God, that does not mean that He turns His head away from blatant sin. As a loving Father it is His duty to discipline us and prune our branches on a regular basis.
If you think of your heart as God’s vineyard, what kind of fruit would God find there today?
In what ways could you allow God to cultivate and fertilize your vineyard this week?
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