As You Go

Summary

Summary

Summary: 

A woman who is barren and can’t have children in ancient Israel experienced shame and rejection. Yet here the infertile woman is singing loudly. Her house is so full of children and people it needs an expansion. God reverses her condition. Now no accusation or taunt can remain. They are vindicated by God.

What we need: 

Security, approval, honour. To not be disgraced but to be held in esteem. Knowing that society approves of us is a longing of our heart. 

Why we can’t: 

shame that produces fear. Inadequacy. Disappointment in the eyes of others. God has turned his face away from us. 

Why Jesus can: 

Jesus took our shame. He was spat upon, stripped naked, and slapped. All to shame him and make him an outcast. He was crucified beyond the walls of the city. An outcast’s death. God turned his face away from Christ. He prayed with a broken heart: My God My God why have you forsaken me? 

Now what:

When fear and shame is displaced by God’s acceptance and honour we become confident.

Summary

Have you ever had to take responsibility for something you didn’t do? From Chapter 52:13, through to the entirety of chapter 53, we see the fourth and final servant song in Isaiah. It is the climax of these discussions between the Lord and His faithful servant. You can word-for-word re-create most of the chapter using quotations from the New Testament. This song is a chaiasm with five sections, each 3 verses long. At the centre of this poem is the heart of the issue. 

Why We Can’t

The problem with humans is that we’re bent towards ourselves. We tend to twist right and wrong in a way that most suits ourselves. The problem that comes when we do this is that others are disadvantaged. Try as we might to fix this problem of sin, we can’t. 

Why Jesus Can

God has a plan to deal with the problem of Sin. Though we go astray like sheep, The Lord lays on Jesus our sin. He is pierced, crushed, and beaten so we can be forgiven, healed, and have peace! 

Question

What in this chapter stands out to you about Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross?

Summary

A messenger is running. He is excited and eager to deliver the good news. Before the era of fast communication, it was people who carried news quickly to far away places. This messenger is bringing good news that a new King is sitting on the throne - God himself reigns.

God

We get a glimpse back into Isaiah’s present day here. But no matter when we live or under what societal pressures we face - the message that God is King is good news. It is the good news of peace and salvation. In fact, this is the Gospel message. When Jesus preached he shared this good news - the kingdom of heaven is here!

Application

Our broken emptiness is replaced by God’s complete fullness. Whatever has fallen apart around us, when God comes into our life and becomes ruler - immediately a process of repair begins. Whether substance abuse, porn addiction, habits of selfishness leading to broken relationships, unhealthy relationship to finance, toxic beliefs, thinking, or behaviours - God is King and when he rules on the throne it is good news.

Summary

Trust in God is the outcome of remembering God’s work in the past and listening to God’s voice in the present. As you fill your mind with scripture you will never forget that God does work and will work in your situation.

Why We Can’t

Forgetfulness produces apathy. If we do not keep God at the central focal point of our life, we begin to look elsewhere, or have other priorities.

Why Jesus Can

Jesus lived by God’s word. Every step was based on God’s plan. He fulfilled and lived out God’s prophecies. Even to his death.

Now What?

Invite God to work today as he did in the past. (Vs 9-10) “are you not the same today?”

Take note of what God is doing in your life by keeping a record of his work in your life - a journal, a note on your phone, a picture, a song, etc.

God won’t lead you halfway. He wouldn’t leave you halfway either.

Summary

As we press deeper into the final stages of the book of Isaiah we get clearer and clearer pictures of the God of Isaiah. It is like we are ascending the mountain and now we can see more than when we first set out. We are nearing the peak.

We are seeing a very unique and special picture of God’s chosen servant. This is the King Isaiah saw coming to sit on the throne - yet he is very different to any who comes before Him.

What We Need

Submitting to God's ruling in our life. Giving him total control to decide how we live. Obedience is an indicator of commitment. Love is an indicator that obedience is willing.

Why We Can't

Resentment and a broken relationship leads to a lack of obedience and diverging paths. Israel failed in that they decided to choose their own way and rejected God. God didn’t divorce Israel, they abandoned God. The relationship is complicated.

Why Jesus Can

It is different with the Servant - glimpses of Jesus Isaiah sees. We follow Him now in the first-person perspective. Imagine what it would be like to be Him. We notice straight away how different He is from my way of thinking. He is attentive to the words of God. He listens carefully. Not one thing said by God is neglected by Him. (Vs 4-6)

He is reliant on God and determined to do what God says (vs 7-8). He is accused and mocked - yet he stands firm.

But no charge is brought. No case can stand. No accusation is warranted. He is perfectly obedient in every regard.

Now What?

my failure and broken relationship to God is remedied by Jesus’ bridging the gap. He is the mediator. When I am abandoning God, he won’t give up on the relationship. He gives up himself before he gives me up.

Obedience isn’t about doing more good things to outweigh the bad. “Trust in the Lord and rely on your God” (vs 10) is the way forward. The analogy at the end implies we are all in darkness. It is easy to try to make your own fire and try to keep yourself going. The fire will go out eventually. Instead, we need His light. 

Summary

For any relationship to thrive, giving time and showing commitment are crucial. To develop a skill it takes time and commitment.

What We Need

Commitment and relationship - both to give it and to have others give it to us. We long for security, love, and compassion which only come when we have someone give us full commitment. We want a community where everyone is together and united. We also need to reciprocate for such a relationship to thrive.

Why We Can’t

The sad reality is that we feel forgotten and deserted. Community feels scattered and we don’t feel a sense of security. We feel the threats around us and conflict comes so quickly. It feels that no one fully commits to others and things quickly fall apart.

Why Jesus Can

God is committed. Even when we feel a lack of commitment, he promises to be faithful. He promises that he will never forget and never abandon us (verses 15-16). God’s new covenant is built on the assurance that God will achieve what we couldn’t. The new covenant involves God’s rescuing the trapped, restoring the weak, and retrieving the lost. God’s commitment reaches beyond boundaries inviting people from all nations. God unites and gathers those who are broken and hurt by abandonment. Jesus is the One who demonstrated God’s full commitment at the expense of his own rejection and abandonment. He is totally committed to us, being betrayed and abandoned by his friends.

How We Live Now

Jesus inspires us to live in commitment to God and to our community. As we realise that he was rejected for us, we would not allow anyone else to feel excluded. We constantly remember the one who remembered us. We commit to the one who is fully committed to us.

Summary: 

When we lack authenticity, we deceive others and ourselves. Isaiah challenges his readers to look inward and ask who am I really? Not who I pretend to be, nor who I want to be - but who am I really? This is so they can realise who God is and why he deserves worship and obedience.

What we need: 

To be true and genuine - to be committed and not changing. God laments that "Jacob" is dishonest and does not keep promises. God longs for his people to be consistent and to live out what they profess to be. They are deceiving everyone and themselves. God wants us to listen to his commands and respond consistently. If we live authentically and in line with God's word, we will have peace flowing like a gentle river, righteousness rolling over us like waves in the sea.

Why we can't: 

Unwilling to be corrected. Easier to pretend than adjust (vs 4). Tell ourselves a different narrative - I had to do it this way. The narrative for those Isaiah writes to was to ignore God and just claim the idols are better. God speaks of the future to correct that belief and challenge their worldview. Easy to rationalise away God's word "I already knew that." Honesty comes when humility is present. We choose destructive habits that prevent us from being honest and living genuinely. Instead, they defaulted to traitorous acts. They betrayed God.

Why Jesus can:

Jesus never broke a promise. The hands that formed the heavens and formed humans from the dust of the ground - were the same hands that healed lepers and were nailed to the cross. Jesus had peace in the most difficult times because he was perfectly attuned to his Father. He was betrayed, he was not a traitor. He suffered but not to be refined - so that we would be refined. 

How do we live now:

The only person God can’t save is the one you pretend to be. Obedience and authentic living come from the realisation of Jesus and to start being honest with ourselves. We will live authentically because He is authentic.

Summary

Babylon is beautiful, powerful, secure, and in charge. What they do with their power is corrupt. God challenges abuses of power. The chapter invites us to reflect: "What will I do with power?" We must also contemplate: "If Babylon abused power and was corrected, what will God do in our day against abuses of power?"

What We Need

If we sat in the seat of power, calling the shots, with the ability to change things how we want - would we use our power for good, or would we do the same thing others have done with the power? We long for power used correctly. However, power often is abused. Relationships can quickly become broken and soured by abuse. Societies struggle when those in power use it incorrectly. We desperately need power used appropriately. But like Babylon in this chapter we see that as power multiplies it is mismanaged and harmful.

God challenges power and its abuse in this chapter. Through natural consequence or divine intervention - abuse of power will be corrected by God. Instead, he will exalt the humble and the vulnerable. God fights for the weak. God is working through those who stop corruption.

Why We Can’t

Power corrupts. With more power comes control and pushing of agendas. The vulnerable are ignored and oppressed. They think themselves invulnerable and above accountability and the need for transparency. “No one sees me.” Is used to give power abusive capabilities. Babylon believes, as all who hold the keys of power do, that they will withstand anything and succeed even if they are crooked and corrupt. 

Once power is taken from the powerful, they are torn apart just as they did to the vulnerable.

Why Jesus Can

Jesus gave up power. He had all power but he gave it up. He was not weak being put on the cross. He was so powerful that he didn’t retaliate and willingly went to the cross. This is a power we have never seen before in humanity. His disciples James and John mistook the true secret of power - Jesus taught them it was found in service.

Now What?

The way we treat the vulnerable is an indicator of our understanding of salvation and our relationship with God. With power, in any form - whether finances, position, reputation, or influence - we are called to relinquish it. By praying to God and giving up ourselves to him, we learn to live not by power, but by faith. Giving the power to God allows me to live in a way that doesn't take power from others. We now serve and live differently and proactively help those in need.