Posts
It’s tough to get going on my q.t., needing to work on it at night because of our schedules while on vacation. And without my commentary, I’m at a disadvantage when I don’t quite understand some passages.
God said in verse 4, “I chose a time to punish people, and the time has come for Me to save.” God had earlier been described as covered in blood, as if from a winepress. The people had known Him as a punisher, yet now He says He’ll be their Savior.
This causes Isaiah to praise god by telling about God’s kindness in giving many good things. He said that when the people of Judah suffered, God suffered also. And because of His love and kindness, He saved them. When they turned against Him, that made His Holy Spirit very sad, it says. Knowing they were alienated from God, Isaiah prayed, “Lord, look down from the heavens and see; look at us from Your wonderful and holy home in heaven. Where is Your strong love and power? Why are You keeping Your love and mercy from us? … Lord, why are You making us wander from Your ways? Why do You make us stubborn so that we don’t honor You? For our sake, come back to us…”
As far as the Israelites go, we know they’d been given judicial blindness by God, which won’t be removed until the second Advent of Christ. But how would this apply Christians? Yes, He did show great mercy to us. Yes, He has been very kind to us. Yes, He saved us, and yes, when we suffer, He suffers with us. And we did cause His Holy Spirit sadness by our sins.
But I think as Christians we do still see His strong love and power. He doesn’t keep His love and mercy from us unless we have distanced ourselves so far from Him that it becomes His best way to get us back to Himself.
Father, thank you for not visiting us with judicial blindness. Thank You for continuing to love us and show Your mercy to us. Guide us with Your Holy Spirit, and help us not to make Him unhappy by our sin. Like Isaiah, I praise You and will tell of Your kindness.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
No comments:
Post a Comment