Isaiah 12:1-6 “In That Day”

Isaiah 12:1-6 “In That Day”

Isaiah writes about God’s judgment upon the people. God sets forth various reasons. They forget to worship Him, they acknowledge other Gods and even worship them, and they take advantage and oppress each other. Isaiah tells how God will bring the Assyrians and the Babylonians to punish the people. Yet Isaiah has some good news. A day is coming, a day of redemption.

 

1. in that day

            a. in this instance the word for day “yom”, might be better translated “time”

            b. God tells the people a remnant will return and prosper again 538 – 432BC

            c. chapter 11 tells of a new kind of leader

            d. 11:6-9 true peace will come

            e. still “in that day” God will gather His people a second time. 1948

            f. the day is not finished until Jesus returns.

 

2. present history

            a. chapter 12 in that day refers to the time of Ezra when he reads the law

            b. it also refers to a time yet to come when modern Israel will return to God

            c. But more importantly the “yom” of chapter 12 is your Yom and my yom

 

3 our day

            a. a world full of anger, anger we do not understand, from neighborhood and school shootings to wars in Afghanistan. Why all the anger? As a result we work hard at not upsetting people.

            b. But this scripture tells us that God is angry with us just as He has been with Israel.

            c. but His anger has been turned away, as we draw water from the Well of Salvation.

            d. Jesus said in John 7:38 when you believe in Him streams of living water will flow

            e. The most valuable resource is water, the need for clean water, water is protected

            f. the superstition mountains of Arizona , every year people die hiking from dehydration

            g. the well of salvation will never run dry, no need to guard it or limit it

            h. it cannot be bottled, sold, or stolen, it is free.

            I. God’s requirement, rejoice in His kindness

            J. give as much of it away as you can.

 

Someone you know or might meet needs their day. Their hot and dry from the struggles of life. They are thirsty and lost just as you where or have been. The water of salvation is what they need and Jesus has given you a big cool bottle full, if you give it away, Jesus even promises to give you more.

Isaish 1

Isaiah 1:10-18

Our trip through the Bible now takes us from the books of wisdom, to the Prophets. Often people make the mistake of thinking of the Prophets as fortune tellers. People who were predicting the future. Though they did that they were more like pastors, making social commentary and reflections. Holy men through whom God would warn the people, try to call them back. Even though their words predicted the future and even speak to our present, they were first and foremost words for the people of their day. Today we start Isaiah. Isaiah writes at the time of the fall of the northern tribes of Israel in 722 BC. He is writing to the people of Judah for the most part, who will fall to the Babylonians in 586. From Isaiah we get the idea of the Messiah, the suffering servant of God who will restore the nation and the people. Today we start with Chapter 1 which really is an overview of the entire book.

 

A.  Religiously correct

            Sacrifices, burnt offerings, incense, festivals and appointed feasts.

            They have the religious part down well, like a clock.

            They have the right music, the worship team, the pastor with a perfect hair, a smooth tongue and a bright smile. All the spiritual bling, glamour and glitter.

            Yet this religious stuff is not working for God. Vs 12-14

            God has stopped listening vs 15

            Vs 2&3

 

B. Let us reason together

            God wants to make a deal

            What God wants is reasonable

            Today our world is crippled with unreasonableness.

            From congress to board rooms to families.

            On the news the celebrate some meaningless compromise (color of the restroom walls)

 

C. Gods’ offer

            Vs 16&17 Stop doing what is wrong, learn to do right.

            Seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the widow and the orphans

            Willing and obedient

            Your sins will be forgiven vs 18

            You will eat the best from the land vs 19

 

Where are you today? Are you religious or do you have a relationship with God. Are you being obedient or leaning heavy on that forgiveness thing. Are you busy naming and claiming the blessings of God while you shirk your responsibilities to God. Jesus wants you to get real, be reasonable. Romans 12:1 KJV “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service.” Let us stop doing what is wrong and start doing what is right.

Song of Songs

Song of Songs

We make fun of some of the images of Songs of Songs, your hair is like a flock of goats descending Mt. Gilead, and your teeth are like shorn sheep each with its twin. Other parts can make you blush if you good understanding the imagery that is used. As you read this steamy little book it becomes difficult to follow the romance.  It is not a picture of perfect love; it is a picture of the relationship between God and Israel, and even God and us.

 

A. love begins

            a. 1:1-4 passionate desire they can’t wait to get alone together.

            b. Her friends are happy for her and in vs. 8 tell her to follow the tracks of the sheep to find her lover.

            c. So starts the relationship between God and the people of Israel

            d. They worship God alone; they keep His laws and celebrate life with God.

 

B. God looks for us

            a. 2:17 – 3:3 the people have started staying out late and not coming home.

            b. 3:3-5 God goes out and finds them and brings them home.

            c. by 5:2-8 Israel shows up at the door but does not come in, God runs and opens

            d. Then God goes out to search for them but is beaten and bruised.

            e. 5:9 what makes them special. 5:10-16 God tells of his love for Israel

            f. 6:8-9 now God is only the best of many. “of all my girlfriends you’re the best”

            g. 8:13 Israel longs to hear God voice.

 

C. God has a passion for you

            a. God designed us for passionate love for one person.

            b. God designed us to also be passionate in our love for God and only God.

            c. long in your heart to hear His voice.

            d. He is calling come back to me.     

           

Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 “Remember God”

Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 “Remember God”

            Silvia and John are 56 years old, they have been married for 37 years, raised their family and retired from their jobs. There first few years were painful but they stuck it out and got a routine together. They did not spend time talking together other than a few stolen moments, a vacation, or when a struggle demanded it. Now they have time, but they find it hard to talk. The opinions and habits of the past get in the way. They find that 90% of their life is not connected to each other. Being alone with each other for so much of the day scares them.

            Many retired couples find themselves in this same place. Solomon finds himself in the same place in his relationship with God. He and God made a good start but now Solomon is overwhelmed by the meaningless things he did and the relationship with God he does not have.

 

1. Solomon in old age

            a. the days of trouble

            b. find no pleasure in them

            c. v 2 your eyes go

            d. v3 legs tremble and arms are weak

            e. v3 teeth are few

            f. v3 friend no longer come to call

            Solomon sits on a throne of compromise knowing he has given his best strength to the wrong things.

           

2. our time

            a. in our teens: church is boring, prayer, reading, (what is out there)

            b. family to build, careers to cultivate, money to save, we just need a rest.

            c. My life is full of troubles and even though I am interested in God …

            d. I got time to do the things I have missed…

            e. now in old age with all the time to think, pray, focus on God but I don’t

 

3. Build it now

            a. the last full measure of devotion.

            b. Lincoln was asking for our first measure of devotion

            c. Live your lives with Jesus while your children can see it

            d. live your life with Jesus now so you retire with a friend not a stranger

            e. given your best strength to Jesus who gave His best to you.

            f. vs 13 love God…

            g. teach your children to do the same.

 

 

Gettysburg Address

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Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.