3/27/2007

Isaiah 54:13 ......The Hope of Being Taught by God

Much of what we have noted in previous entries is proving helpful as we look at how Jesus fills up the hope given in this book. Isaiah 54:13 is an example of how the hope of Israel, and of the nations,is directed toward the one who fills it up; the God and Father of Jesus, the Messiah.

"All your sons will be taught of the LORD; And the well-being of your sons will be great (Isaiah 54:13)."

Wow, this is such a wonderfully hope-filled passage. The theme of hope through God's generous attention and intention is woven throughout a book that has also emphasized breath-taking disappointment.

disappointment floods the opening statement of Isaiah. "...The LORD speaks, 'Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me. An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its masters manger, but Israel does not know, My people do not understand. Alas, sinful nation'..."

Now this very book sets forth the sure hope that the LORD himself will attend to each person's learning. And it will be very much for their good!

To understand this hope even more clearly we can look to the Gospel of John where Jesus references this passage from the prophet Isaiah.

In the context of John 6, Jesus, a traveling Rabbi, says that those who believe in him will have the life of the ages, because it is God's will that they should have it. Jesus says that he is the one who fills up the meaning of "bread from heaven." These statements are so centered on him as God's provision of life that even some who would have hoped he was Messiah find it hard to accept.

Jesus answered and said to them, "Do not grumble among yourselves. "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. "It is written in the prophets, 'AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me (John 6:43-45)."

The "...all shall be taught of God...," in Isaiah 54 is is found in "all those who believe in Jesus," the Jew first and also the Gentile.

These passages remind me of Jeremiah 31:34 and Hebrews 8:11 which give a very similar perspective on who the recipients of the prophetic promises are.

3/12/2007

Teacher of the Gentiles

Isaiah 2:4-5 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war. (5) Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Would you say that one of the things Jesus clearly taught was that His Disciples should be non-violent and loving even toward their enemies?
Off the cuff, I would say that if Jesus taught anything clearly then He clearly taught His disciples to behave with non-violent love toward enemies.
Luke 6:27-29 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, (28) bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (29) "Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.

Luke 6:35 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

So did Jesus teach the Nations to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks? Or are His disciples from every Nation still learning war?

3/06/2007

Isaiah understood in Romans

In Romans chapters 9-11, there are 11 quotes from Isaiah. Why is Isaiah so important to the topic of Romans 9-11? Because here we have Paul, in some detail, explaining what sort of people it is who are the legitimate recipients of Isaiah’s hope for the Israel of God.


Parts of Romans with Isaiah quotes:

Romans 9:27–28....... Isaiah 10:22–23
Romans 9:29....... Isaiah 1:9
Romans 9:32–33....... Isaiah 8:14; 28:16
Romans 10:11....... Isaiah 28:16
Romans 10:15....... Isaiah 62:7
Romans 10:16....... Isaiah 53:1
Romans 10:20–21....... Isaiah 65:1–2
Romans 11:8....... Isaiah 6:9–10; 29:10
Romans 11:26–27....... Isaiah 59:20–21
Romans 11:27....... Isaiah 27:9
Romans 11:33–34....... Isaiah 40:13

These three chapters in Romans are certainly worth a carefull read and may generate some discussion.

I still think that neither those "baptised into Christendom,” nor those "of a bloodline traced to Abraham through Isaac and Jacob,” should think of themselves as entitled to the hope of the people of God; even though the invitation to participate is open to all...the Jew first and then the Gentile.

3/02/2007

One More "a few excerpts"

I did say "a few" so here is another one. This time from Joseph Tson. Some of you may remember his visist to Springs of Grace a few years back.

TSON: "The strange paradox is that God's method of solving the human problem of suffering, of pain, and of death is by suffering and pain and self-sacrifice to the point of death. God's special servant will execute this plan, but this servant of the Lord will be only the initiater, the spearhead, and the trailblaizer, because the remnant of god's people are called to follow the servant, to imaitate him, and to continue his ministry using the same method of suffering and of self-sacrifice. Before we start exploring how this particular message is developing in chapters 40-66 of the prophecey of Isaiah, we must be aware of the literary technique used by the author throughout the book. It is best described by Allan MacRae:
'The construction of this part of Isaiah is somewhat like a symphony. A theme is presented and briefly discussed. Then, a second theme is introduced which, in turn, may lead into a third. Again there is a felt need for reiteration of the first theme, and perhaps of the third again, and then the second. Thus certain basic ideas are presented, repeated, and stressed, not merely to state the ideas they contain, important as this is, but to make a profound effect upon the hearts and minds of people who are already in their imaginations suffering the horrors of the Babylonion exile'."
-Joseph Tson, "Suffering, Martyrdom, and Rewards in Heaven." Reprint 2000, The Romanian Missionary Society.