Isaiah 62- Yearning for Peace

 

Isaiah 62 – Yearning for Peace

 

The reason Jerusalem can’t have peace today is because her Messiah is not there. He is seated at God’s right hand and He longs to rule that city in righteousness. No one can bring peace into this world except the Messiah.

 

Many of us wish the Lord would come to get us away from our problems. When things are bad, we long for His return. When things are good we ask for a little more time.

 

We yearn as the Prophet Isaiah yearned as do all believers on earth for the coming of Christ. We yearn for a new heart, a new situation, a new earth, and a new righteousness.

 

Isaiah says Israel will be called Hephzibah which means delightful. Today, Israel is not delightful, it is forsaken and desolate but in the new Jerusalem it will be delightful.

 

Beulah means married. When Christ rules, He will be the protector as a husband is to his wife. Christ will delight over Israel as a bridegroom delight over a bride. The Salvation of Israel is part of God’s overall plan. Our duty here is to pray for Israel and present the gospel to any Israelite we may encounter. The Messiah is their Savior and when He returns, He will establish His kingdom on earth for these people and the Gentiles.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

Isaiah 60 - Jesus' Purpose

 

Isaiah 60 – Jesus’ Purpose

 

In Luke 4:16-19 Jesus went into the temple, opened the Book of Isaiah, and began to read. He closes the book just before it says, “and the day of vengeance of our God”. Then He reopens the book as stated in Luke 4:20-21 and states “this day is their scripture fulfilled in your ears.” This was the fulfillment of Christ’s first coming.

 

Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would heal those with broken hearts and liberate spiritual captives and prisoners. God’s chosen One would announce His grace to a desperate Humanity as an expression of His compassion. From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus said that His purpose was to seek out lost sinners and restore to a relationship with the Father. Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 to substantiate His claim to being the Messiah and to restate the purpose of His life and ministry.

 

Jesus came to heal, teach, minister, and serve. His compassion reveals the character of Christ. God’s love and understanding reach out to those who are depressed and discouraged. He promises to give consolation, beauty in place of ashes, oil of joy in place of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness. The Bible recognizes the heaviness of depression. God’s Word brings hope and encouragement to those who are weighted down, and God’s people stand with those who struggle, to bring relief and restoration. God promises that He will bring restoration “that He may be glorified”. This promise He made was primarily to God’s chosen people, but it is equally important for us today.

 

Isaiah spoke of Israel getting a facelift. This is yet to happen; many Jews have returned to Israel but it has not yet prospered enough to have the Eden like qualities it once had and will have at the beginning of the Millennium. Israel will be a kingdom of priests. That was God’s first intention but because of their sin, this never happened. In the new kingdom, their lives will be of everlasting joy. They will no longer live with rituals, but their lives will adorn the character of Christ. They will greatly rejoice in the Lord.

Today the world is more wrapped up in their self than they are wrapped up in God. As long as we hold on to our sins, we cannot worship with the excitement and thrill God intended it to be.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Isaiah 59 - After Christ Comes

 

Isaiah 59 – After Christ Comes

 

When Christ comes it will be like the sun rising into midnight darkness. The nation Israel will reflect the glory light that will shine upon the entire earth. The church, in the meantime, has gone to be with Christ. Malachi 4:2 says that the Sun of righteousness will arise with healing wings. Darkness shall overcome the earth.

 

There is so much sin in this world that darkness surely covers the earth. When Christ comes, He will be the light, and He will come to Zion and bring the Gentiles from afar. This will be the greatest revival on earth, all will come to life and be resurrected to Christ Himself. All the people shall be gathered in Jerusalem. They will come by land, sea, and by air. Wise men not only from the east but from all over the world will bring gifts to Christ, they shall bring gold and incense. There will be no Myrrh as that was taken care of at Christ’s death.

 

The sacrifice of animals will be reinstated in the Millennium temple. In the future it is said that Russia will send the Jews back to Israel and will not extract payment from them but will give them gifts just as the Egyptians did when the Israelites fled from Egypt. The Lord has made it clear that the judgment on the nations will be based on their treatment of the Israelites. In the Millennium every knee will bow, even those who don’t want to bow will be forced to by public opinion.

 

When Satan comes at the end of the Millennium, then those who bowed unwillingly will gravitate towards him, which will be the last rebellion. After that everything will be made brand new.

 

God is going to start over, and we are all going to have a new nature. Jerusalem will become the center of the earth, and many blessings will come that day. All the treasures will be restored back to its temple. We won’t have need of the sun or moon as Christ will be our everlasting light. Human strength will be restored. There will be no need for wheelchairs or walkers. We will be strong in the Lord. What a glorious day that will be!

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

Isaiah 59 - God Hears

 

Isaiah 59 – God Hears

 

Lies, perverseness, vanity, mischief, violence, gossip, and evil are just few of the sins that are mentioned 32 times in the Bible. God charges Israel and tells them through Isaiah that they must repent and turn to Him.

 

Zechariah 12:11-14 says that there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem. Each family will mourn and confess their sins in the last days. The reason that Israel was not saved in the days of Isaiah was not because of any fault of God. His hand was not shortened, nor was He hard of hearing. Many people today do not believe that God hears their cries, or even cares about their troubles. That is not true. God loves each of us and stands there with a listening ear and outstretched arms.

 

Because Christ has come and died for our sins, He has reached down from heaven and touched us. He blesses us by making us one with Him.

 

Israel stated that they are in darkness, and they confess that their religious rituals have all been a pretense. We need to search our souls and see if there is any hypocrisy within us. If there is, we need to get down on our knees before God and confess this sin and repent.

 

Someday Israel will make this confession, and when they do, time will be close at hand for our Christ to come and dwell in Zion.  God made this covenant for Israel and Christ’s followers. There will never be a day that this promise will be forsaken for this is the purpose of God. It will be fulfilled in God’s time.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

Isaiah 58 - Can We Hurt the Grace of God?

 

Isaiah 58 – Can We Hurt the Grace of God?

 

Can wicked ways and outward religious forms delay the grace of God and hurt the cause of Christ? Men and women who are religious and church members and yet curse like a pagan block the grace and glory of God. Men and women who are dishonest in business, immoral in their social lives yet talk about being good enough to meet God’s standards also block the grace and glory of God. This is why God’s glory was withheld from the Israelites and is being withheld from people of today.

 

God told Isaiah to cry aloud and tell these people of their sins. It takes a very brave man to do this because not everyone likes to hear the truth. Isaiah made some enemies, but God tells it like it is and He wants His servants to tell it like it is and warn them that their sin could lead to eternal separation from God.

 

The Israelites asked what the purpose is of fasting if God didn’t take note of it. Fasting was to be an outward expression of the soul, but they made it a form which ministered to their pride and ego. Fasting is to be private between man and God. They boasted about fasting and God rebuked them.

 

If we are worshiping God to please man then we are not having a pure relationship with God. We must demonstrate our faith by our conduct. Start being honest in our dealings, be truthful in all ways.

 

The Israelites turned their back on the poor and needy. They even refused to show love and kindness to their own flesh and blood. When a person has a heart for God, they also have a heart for other people. You will want to be helpful to them and a blessing to them.

Isaiah was not popular with the people, they thought they were doing right and deserved some credit. If we want blessing and grace and glory from God we must build a relationship with Him. God wanted to give them blessings, as He does us, but if our worship is not for the right reason, we are only getting in God’s way. We must seek God’s forgiveness if we are doing what we do to seek compliments from man, thinking God will be pleased. Anything we do in the name of Christ should be done for Him and Him alone. We must put our pride and ego aside and humble ourselves before God.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Isaiah 57 - The Righteous and the Wicked

 

Isaiah 57 – The Righteous and the Wicked

 

In today’s world, it is the wicked who live in comfort, have all the money, and prosper in this nation. Those who follow in God’s will, suffer from criticism of the world. Sometimes, we just can live day to day with our finances, our families and our friend. It is not easy being a Christian and God tells us that in this world we will suffer, but He also tells us to take heart for He has overcome the world. We won’t always suffer. When Jesus comes, it is the wicked who will perish, but those who stay strong in the end and does not conform to the world, will live in comfort and  be blessed beyond our wildest imaginations.

It is true, that someday we will die, but when we do die, God will be saving us from a lot of problems.

Satan has a stronghold on this nation and unless there is a great revival towards God, it is going to get worse. When we die we will enter peace, we will walk in heaven in uprightness. We will be saved from the great tribulation and enter the presence of Christ. God speaks of the wicked as persecutors of the righteous. The wicked are described as idolaters, those who have turned their backs on God. They are guilty of gross immorality and murder. This was the sin of their day, and it is the sin of today. Like then, there are people who would rather worship rocks, or the moon, or handmade idols than God. The only difference from then, it is no longer kept a secret but out for all to see.

The wheat and the tares are growing together just as God said it would. But for the righteous God covers those who trust in Him like a mother hen over her chicks. He is the God of eternity. He will not always hate sin, because someday He will abolish it.

Men and women are living shorter lives. We don’t get to live to be 900 anymore. We are lucky to make it to 100. Sin has shortened the lives of the people and it will get even shorter as long as sin reigns in our land. God does this to weed out the bad seed from the good. Only God can speak peace into the heart of the sinner. God says there is no rest for the wicked. Even in religion there is unrest. Only God can bring about that peace we are searching for. It is only through confession and repentance of the sins that they will find peace. And that is done through Christ our Lord and Savior.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

Isaiah 56 - When Jesus Comes to Reign

 

Isaiah 56 – When Jesus Comes to Reign

 

When Jesus comes to reign, the laws of the Israelites will be enforced, and the Gentiles will benefit from it. We are encouraged to live holy lives now so that we will be able to walk the Golden Streets in peace. We will own our own property and not have to pay taxes. The Sabbath will be restored. Today, we are not held accountable for the Sabbath day. (Col 2:16). We make that choice for ourselves.

 

The Gentile or the eunuch will not be left out. We will be a part of His nation. In the days of the Israelites, the Gentile and eunuchs were not accepted by the Israelites. In the New Jerusalem all will be accepted, along with the handicapped, strangers and the outcasts. We will all worship in God’s temple together. That was God’s intention in the first place, but it has never been. That is why there are so many church buildings bearing different names. There will be no more black and white segregation churches. Today’s church has become more like a country club, we serve good meals, hold baseball games, have yard sales, etc. In Christ’s church it will be all about relationship, with Him and with each other.

 

In Isaiah’s day God permitted nations to come against His people like devouring animals. They were attacked by Assyria, then Babylon came and robbed and pillaged and took them captive. Over the years Jerusalem has been destroyed at least 27 times. Each time Jerusalem had been rebuilt upon itself. Today you would have to dig down thirty to fifty feet to get to the place where Jesus once walked the earth.

 

The prophets and priests who were supposed leaders of His people were blind and ignorant. They were like dumb dogs. They would rather be quiet than speak up when they saw their people sin. They like some preachers today only spoke of issues they were comfortable with. They were afraid of stepping on someone’s toes. If we teach to please the people, we are not speaking for God. God is straight forward in His teachings and so should we. If we teach God’s word with Love and Compassion that He had, if they turn against it, we take the matter to God and He will work it out. We are accountable for showing others the Word of God and to teach others how we are to live as Christians. We are to speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where it is silent.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.