Category: Book of Isaiah

Consider His Suffering

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
– Isaiah 53:3

Consider Jesus our Savior. Consider his suffering. He was despised and sentenced to die. He was rejected by his own people, forsaken even by his own disciples. He was a man of sorrows. He was acquainted with grief. He was familiar with suffering.

And what about you? Do you feel despised? Rejected? Forsaken? Do you know sorrows? Grief? Suffering? Jesus has been there. He knows how you feel. He knows the hurt you are experiencing. Our God is not a distant God who cannot be touched by our weaknesses. But he became one of us and can identify with us. And he did it because he loves us, because he cares about us. So in your trials run to him – he knows and he cares.

Father, thank you that Jesus can identify with us in our weaknesses.
Thank you that you care about us in our trials.
Help us to run to you and find rest for our souls.

Consider His Rejection

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

Who has believed what he has heard from us?
– Isaiah 53:1a

The gospel goes out, but few believe. The good news is preached, but few respond. This verse is quoted in John 12:37-38 in reference to people’s response to Jesus’ ministry. Jesus was indeed despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3). This verse is also quoted by Paul in Romans 10:16 in reference to the many who refused to believe the gospel message as he preached it. And we might yet quote it today in our own context – who indeed has believed what he has heard from us? The good news of Jesus is all too often despised and rejected by men.

And yet Calvin suggests that this verse is not merely describing the refusal of people to believe in Jesus back then or today. Rather, it is Isaiah groaning before the Lord and crying out – who has believed what he has heard from us? Isaiah proclaimed the message of the coming Suffering Servant, but most refused to believe. And so he groans before the Lord.

We too ought to groan before the Lord for those who have not believed. We too ought to cry out to Him on behalf of unsaved family and friends, our neighbors and our communities. We too ought to groan, cry out, plead with God to open blinded eyes that they might see Jesus and believe.

Father, help us to groan for the lost.
May we be faithful in crying out to you on behalf of those
who desperately need a Savior.

Consider His Unimpressiveness

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
– Isaiah 53:2

Consider Jesus our Savior. He was unimpressive to the people. He was a nobody, or so it seemed. He was not royalty. He was not wealthy. He wasn’t even a Roman – which in that day meant he wasn’t much. He was a common Jew – part of a defeated nation. And he wasn’t even from Jerusalem, but backwoods Nazareth. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? He hung around with sinners and tax collectors. Nothing impressive about that! When you looked at him, you didn’t see majesty or beauty. He was just a common person, someone like you and me. He was unimpressive.

And yet this young plant was the shoot that would come forth from the stump of Jesse; this root out of dry ground was the branch from Jesse’s roots that would bear fruit (Isaiah 11:1). This unimpressive man was the promised Messiah King! And “of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of host will do this” (Isaiah 9:6).

Father, help us to look beyond the unimpressive exterior,
and perceive the glory of our Messiah King.

Walking in the Dark

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness and has no light
trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.
– Isaiah 50:10

You have been there.
Walking in the dark.
With no light.
Nothing makes sense.
You don’t understand.
You wonder why.
Where is God in the midst of this?
Why is this happening to me?

And in the midst of darkness, God calls us to trust him.
To trust him in that trial.
To trust him in that struggle.
To trust him in the midst of that turmoil, that sorrow, that pain.

Just trust him.
Keep looking to him.
Rely on him.
Lean on him.
Rest in him.

Whatever dark paths you may be on today,
trust in the name of the Lord and rely on your God.
And he will hold you up.

Costly Obedience

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

The Lord GOD has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious;
I turned not backward.
I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.
– Isaiah 50:5-6

These verses speak of the Servant of the Lord. He would obey God even to the point of suffering. And we know that the Servant is Jesus whose back was lashed, whose beard was pulled out, whose face was spit upon. As Philippians 2:8 tells us, he was obedient to the Father even to the point of death on the cross.

What about us? Are we willing to obey even to the point of suffering? Will we obey God even when it is hard, when it hurts? Will we obey even when we don’t feel like it? Will we obey even when it hits our pocketbook, intrudes on our free time, or crosses our comfort zone?

Jesus obeyed to the point of death, giving us an example of costly obedience. And he calls us to follow in his steps.

And yet on the other side of the cross, Jesus was and is exalted above every other name. On the other side of the suffering came great blessing. And so it is for us. Obedience may bring suffering for a time, but blessing follows close behind.

So let us obey regardless of the cost, setting our gaze on the blessings yet to come.

Morning by Morning

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah, Habit of Scripture1 Comment

Morning by morning he awakens;
he awakens my ear
to hear as those who are taught.
– Isaiah 50:4b

This verse is found in the third Servant Song speaking of the coming Servant of the Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ. And morning by morning he listened to God. It was a regular habit – a daily habit – listening to God.

Now the verse gives us a description of the Servant. It is not a command. And yet it is a good example for us to follow, even more so because it is the example of our Lord whom we follow. Morning by morning, he listened to God.

I love to read Christians biographies of men who were close to God and did great things in the kingdom. And the recurring testimony of these men is that they spent time with God morning by morning. If we want to be close to God and be used by God in his kingdom, we ought to consider their testimony and follow their example.

Morning by morning – listen to God.

Not Forgotten

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

In Isaiah 49, Isaiah is writing to the people of Israel in Babylonian exile. And they need to know that they are not forgotten. The Lord has not forgotten them.

And still today as we face our own trials and struggles, we need to know that we are not forgotten. The Lord has not forgotten us.

Though it feels that way sometimes, doesn’t it?

But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”  – Isaiah 49:14

Ever feel that way? Ever think those thoughts? As you are walking through some trial or struggle, you wonder: where is God in the midst of all of this? And it feels like God has forgotten. But your feelings are wrong.

“Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”
– Isaiah 49:15

Could a mom forget the baby lying in her arms? Could your mom have forgotten you? And even if she did, even if your mom and dad and everyone were to abandon you, God says, “I will not forget you. I have compassion on you. I care about you. I care for you. I love you.”

Remember this week no matter what you face that you are not forgotten. The Lord has not forgotten you.

That We Might Believe

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

In Isaiah 44-48, God predicts the coming of a king named Cyrus who will defeat the Babylonian empire and allow the people of Israel to return to their land.

And around 200 years later, Cyrus comes, defeats the Babylonians, and allows Israel to return to their land.

God predicts and brings it to pass – that we might believe.

In Isaiah 49, God predicts the coming of His Servant whose words will be like a sharp sword, who will glorify God, and who will labor in vain. This Servant will gather the people of Israel and be a light to the nations. He will be both despised and honored. He will be a covenant for the people.

And around 600 years later, Jesus comes. His words are like a sword that pierce the heart. He lived for God’s glory. He labored among the people, but many didn’t understand or accept him. He gathered many in Israel, and his gospel has spread to the nations. He was despised by rulers, and yet will one day be honored by all. He is a new covenant through whom we can have a relationship with God.

God predicts and brings it to pass – that we might believe.

Cyrus and Jesus came just like God said they would, and they did just what God said they would do. And because God predicts and brings it to pass, our faith is strengthened. We have reason to believe in the one true God. We need not doubt. We need not chase after idols. We can trust Him with our lives. We can trust Him with our future.

God predicts and brings it to pass – that we might believe.

Who Carries Who?

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah, Idolatry

In Isaiah 46, the Babylonians must carry their gods around. And still today people carry their gods around. It might be money. It might be a technological gadget. It might be anything that we live for, that we trust in, that we center our lives around, that we look to for significance and satisfaction and security. And we carry it.

In contrast, the one true God carries us. He carried us in the womb. He has carried us through life through the good and the bad. He will carry us in old age. At death, he will carry our souls to Himself. And at the resurrection, he will carry us to the new earth.

You can carry around a man-made god or you can rest in the God who carries you.

Bruised and Fainting

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench.
– Isaiah 42:3

This verse about the Servant of the Lord is quoted in Matthew 12 in reference to Jesus.

Jesus will not break a bruised reed.
Jesus will not quench a faintly burning wick.

Jesus came not to break, but to bind up.
Jesus came not to snuff out, but to save.
Jesus came not to harm, but to heal.

Perhaps you are bruised this morning.

You may be bruised by your own sinful actions.  Jesus invites you to come to Him and find mercy, forgiveness, cleansing.

You may be bruised by chasing idols that have left you empty, without meaning, without hope. Jesus invites you to come to Him and find a new life with a new meaning and a new hope.

You may be bruised by what others have done. Jesus invites you to come to Him and find refuge, rest, comfort, and peace.

Perhaps you are a faintly burning wick this morning.

Faint and weary, you may be flickering, smoldering – and you are not sure you can go on. Jesus invites you to come to Him and relight your flickering wick in the flame of his fire. He invites you to look to Him to renew your strength.

Are you bruised? Are you faint? Jesus invites you to draw near to Him.