Motivation: Who is eligible for salvation? What is involved in salvation? Where do we obtain salvation? When should we ask for salvation?

Transcription

1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview May 3, 2009 "The Invitation is Inclusive" Background : Isaiah 55:1-66:24 Lesson: Isaiah 55:1-13 Motivation: Who is eligible for salvation? What is involved in salvation? Where do we obtain salvation? When should we ask for salvation? How is salvation given? Find the answers to all these questions in this Bible Study! Examination: I. Wondrous Invitations (55:1-56:8) A. Invitation to Salvation (55:1-13) Believer's Study Bible, p. 991: 55:1, 2 "In ch. 55 the Lord issues a general call to all who would call themselves by His name, to abandon the Babylons of this world and to find their satisfaction and their security in Him alone, and in that city of joy and peace that He will build. This passage is a call to revival for all who have wandered far from the Lord or from that grace which is the basis for our relationship with Him. It is also a call to salvation for any who have not known Him, promising a free but abundant and eternal life that is better than money can buy. The call is issued to the thirsty and the penniless - all who will recognize their need for spiritual blessing and their inability to meet the need themselves. Waters' and wine and milk' are symbols of abundant spiritual blessings." 1 / 18

2 1. An Invitation "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk without money and without price" (1) (Eph. 1:3-14) "Come" - An imperative verb signifying response. "come" - A second imperative in the plural; the invitation is open to everyone. "buy" - How can you buy if you have no money? God's gift is by grace. "eat" - Participation is through acceptance of God's salvation. 2. An Indictment "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance." (2) A major world problem is summed up in this one short verse. People everywhere are spending their substance on that which does not satisfy! People set in their minds that a person, place or thing will provide lasting satisfaction. (Haggai 1:5-7) 3. An Instrument "Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you - the sure mercies of David." (3) We must hear (spiritually) God's promise. "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ." 2 / 18

3 (Rom. 10:17 NIV) Believer's Study Bible, p. 991: 55:3 "The reference to the sure mercies of David' speaks of the Davidic covenant (2 Sam. 7), which promises that a descendant of David will rule eternally over a kingdom that will bless all the nations (cf. Luke 1:32, 33; 2:30-32). Verses 3-5 promise that all who respond to God's call will benefit from that covenant as members of the royal family, princes of the King. Furthermore, they will become witnesses to the nations of God's grace and power (v. 5; cf. Acts 1:8)." 4. An Inspiration "Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people." (4) The inspiration of verse 4 comes from our Witness, our Leader, our Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ! While King David was a warrior King, his descendant Messiah will rule over a spiritual kingdom. (Rev. 5:9-10) 5. An International Witness "Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you." (5) (Rom. 8:18, 30) Just as the invitation in verse 1 is "everyone", so here we see other nations coming to faith in Christ. a. Those who seek and call upon the Lord shall be answered. "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. (6) b. Those who repent shall be pardoned. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 3 / 18

4 (7) Believer's Study Bible, p. 991: 55:7 "The term thoughts' ( mahshavah, Heb.) refers to one's intentions, goals, or ambitions (cf. Gen. 6:5; Ps. 33:10). The term way' ( derek, Heb.) speaks of the schemes and methods by which a person tries to reach his goals apart from God. The verb pardon' ( salah, Heb.) in Scripture always has God as its subject (cf. Dan. 9:9). It is a synonym for various Hebrew terms referring to the forgiveness of God (cf. Lev. 4:20; 1 Kin. 8:30, 34; Ps. 86:5)." c. Those who trust shall be affirmed. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. &q uot;for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (8-9) Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (NIV). Man's way is to impress God with good deeds; God's way is to trust Him. (Eph. 2:8-9; John 6:28-29) 1. "For as the rain comes down..." (10) God's Word & work are predictable. Although one can't predict with assurance when, where and how the rain will fall, one can rely on the fact that God will give rain. 2. "And makes it bring forth and bud..." (10) God's Word is productive. 4 / 18

5 3. "So shall My word... it shall not return to Me void" (11) God's Word & work are positive. (cf. 13) 4. "It shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it" (11) God's Word & work are purposeful. 5. "For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." (12) God's Word & work are praiseworthy. B. Invitation to All (56:1-8) 1. Sabbath Blessing (1-2) The Sabbath day was a testing day of faithfulness to God's Law. Although the Pharisees of Jesus day lost the spirit of the Sabbath in insisting on the letter of it (Mark 2:23-28), God blesses those who value the spiritual over the physical and are willing to set one day a week aside for rest and worship. Christians have observed Sunday as a worship day beginning with the early church (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:2) 2. Sheltered Outcasts (3-6) Refuge in God's Salvation is not restricted to healthy Jews. Eu nuchs, foreigners and sons of foreigners, generally regarded as outcasts, are welcomed by God. 3. Salvation Available (7-8) "My House shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations" (7) (cf. Matt. 16:18, 21:12-16; Luke 19:45-49; John 2:13-16; Mark 1:12-17). 5 / 18

6 a. The church is God's. It doesn't belong to the preacher, the deacons or the members. The church is to be a theocracy. b. The church is to be a house of prayer. Prayer demonstrates our trust and dependency upon God. c. The church is to be open to all people. "Outcasts" and "all nations" leave no question that God invites everyone to His house. (Titus 2:11-14) II. Woeful Sins (56:9-57:21) A. Characteristics of Unwise Leaders: (56:9-12) "Come to devour" (9) Unwise leaders use people to build their careers rather than using their careers to build people. "blind...ignorant" (10) Unwise leaders are shortsighted. (1 Cor. 15:32) "greedy...who never have enough" (11) Greed is associated with immorality in 1 Cor. 5:10, 5:11, 6:10; Eph. 5:5. "shepherds who cannot understand" (11) Unwise leaders never understand that God's ways are best. "They all look to their own way...everyone for his own gain" (11) Unwise leaders are selfish and self centered. "We will fill ourselves with intoxicating drink" (12) Unwise leaders get drunk. "Tomorrow will be as today and much more abundant" 6 / 18

7 (12) Unwise leaders presume upon God's goodness by assuming everything will continue to go well. (Matt. 6:33-34; Jas. 4:13-17) B. Futility of Idol Worship (57:1-13) Isaiah blasts the idolatrous worship of Israel. Especially condemned is the child sacrifice to Molech "Slaying the children in the valleys" (5) One can certainly imagine God's displeasure with child killing today by abortion. C. God's Desire to Restore Sinners (57:14-21) 1. God Desires Humility. "I dwell in the high and holy place with him who has a contrite and humble spirit" (15) Pride is the enemy of every Christian. If you want to dwell in heavenly places, rebuke pride and approach God in humility and repentance. Believer's Study Bible, 993: 57:15 "God comes down to many in mercy and grace, in order to comfort and revive those who are contrite and humble' in spirit. God never loses His exalted position but reaches down to lift man up through the Mediator, Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:5; Ps. 51:17)." 2. God Desires Mercy "For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry." (16) Gen. 6:3 3. God Desires Healing "I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners." (1 8) 7 / 18

8 4. God Desires Peace " I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,' says the Lord, And I will heal him.'" (19) " There is no peace', says my God for the wicked.'" (21) Believer's Study Bible, 994: 57:19 "The phrase him who is far off' refers to Gentiles, and the phrase him who is near' to Jews (cf. Eph. 2:17)." (Heb. 13:15-16; Eph. 2:11-18) III. Wretched Religion (58:1-59:21) A. Ruled by Ritual (58:1-14) 1. Blind Obedience is not Enough "Yet they seek Me daily and delight to know My ways...they take delight in approaching God" (2) Put in modern day language, these Jews had a regular quiet time. To all outward observation, they were seeking God and desiring to know His ways. Yet God saw through their ritual to their "transgression" and "sins" (1). 2. Fasting is not Enough " Why have we fasted,' they say, and You have not seen?' Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?'" a. Wrong motivation - "you fast for strife and debate" (not) "to make your voice heard on high" (4) Their fasting was all about appearance with no life change evident. (Matt. 6:16-18). 8 / 18

9 b. Wrong emphasis - "A day for a man to afflict his soul...bow down his head...to spread out sackcloth and ashes" (5) Isaiah condemned their feasts as a public spectacle of false humility. Rather than emphasizing their relationship to God, they tried to impress others with false piety. c. Wrong result: While the fasts of the people resulted in pleasure, exploitation, strife, debate and wickedness (3b-4), God desired the following results: 1. Repentance: "to loose the bonds of wickedness" (6a). 2. Mercy: "to let the oppressed go free" (6b) Micah 6: Generosity: "to share your bread with the hungry" (7a) 4. Hospitality "you bring to your house the poor who are cast out" (7b) 5. Benevolence "When you see the naked, that you cover them" (7b) (Matt. 25:31-46). 3. Business as Usual is not Enough Isaiah declared that "Light shall break forth like morning" (8) and & quot;the Lord will answer" (9) only if their behavior changed: 9 / 18

10 a. Oppression ceased "take away the yoke" (9). b. Accusations ceased "the pointing of the finger" (9) c. Wicked speaking ceased "the speaking of wickedness" (10) d. Hard heartedness ceased "extend your soul to the hungry" (10) If these conditions were met, God promised blessings in verse & 14. (Col.2:14-23) 4. Empty Sabbath Observance is not Enough The people had perverted the Sabbath for their own "pleasure" (13) instead of delighting in the Lord. (14). B. Separated by Sin (59:1-21) 1. Separation (59:1-8) Throughout scripture we learn to obey God and turn from sin. That sin affects our fellowship with God. While our relationship is secure in Christ, our fellowship has its ups and downs because of our choices. "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (Psalm 66:18; 1 John 1:5-10; Dan.11:37) 2. Symptoms (9-15a) 10 / 18

11 a. Lack of Direction "we walk in blackness" (9b) Eph. 5:6-17 b. Lack of Vision "we stumble at noonday" (10) c. Lack of a Consistent Message "we growl like bears and moan sadly like doves" (11) Matt 10:16 d. Lack of a Clear Conscience "our transgressions are multiplied before You" (12) e. Lack of Honesty "In transgressing and lying against the Lord...uttering from the heart words of falsehood" (13)..."truth is fallen in the streets" (14) "truth fails" (15) 3. Salvation (16-21) a. Combat "For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing." (17) Compare God's armor to the Christian's armor in Ephesians 6: God leads the charge against sin in spiritual warfare. (1 Thes. 5:8-9) 11 / 18

12 b. Covenant "As for Me," says the Lord, "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants," says the Lord, "from this time and forevermore." (21) Believer's Study Bible, 996: 59:21 "The covenant is not dependent upon the merits, i.e., good works, or demerits, i.e., disobedience, of Israel. It is an act of the sovereign will and grace of God (cf. Gen. 9:13, note). Israel, the custodian of God's Word, is destined to remain forever His witness, whether in obedience or disobedience." Rom. 10:8-13 IV. Welcome Future (60:1-66:24) A. Graced by Glory (60:1-62:12) 1. The New Jerusalem (60:1-22) Chapter 60 deals with God's faithfulness to His people. Satan's greatest weapons against us are discouragement and despair. Coming home to a ruined Jerusalem, the people needed hope. We see this prophecy partially fulfilled today. Its complete fulfillment will only come when Christ restores His kingdom. The contrast between darkness and light (vss. 1-3) may be contrasted with 1 John 1:5-10. Jerusalem's new names signify her new status in God's plan: The Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord, Sought Out, A City not Forsaken. (14-15) John 3: Praise for Israel's Great Messiah (61:1-11) Jesus applied this passage to Himself in Luke 4: Notice the ministry of the Messiah and by extension, our ministry in verses 1-3: " Spirit controlled" 12 / 18

13 - power and direction come from the Holy Spirit. " Lord anointed" - we are all called to ministry. " Preach good tidings to the poor" - everyone we meet is spiritually poor and needs to hear the good news. "Heal the brokenhearted" - only God can heal the broken hearted. "Proclaim liberty to the captives" - Rom. 6:6 "that we should no longer be slaves to sin..." "Opening of the prison to those who are bound" - What binds people today & keeps them in prison? Often people are bound by their past and by their sin. "Proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God" - Good news and bad news. "Comfort those who mourn...console those who mourn...beauty for ashes...oil of joy for mourning. The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" - God gives a ministry of consolation. "that He may be glorified" - 1 Cor. 10:31 tells us that all we do should be to God's glory. 3. Zion to be Honored as God's Bride (62:1-5) Israel is called Beulah land meaning "married to God." In her redeemed state, Jerusalem is called the "bride of the Lamb" (Revelation 21:2, 9, 10). 4. Watchman over Jerusalem (62:6-9) The responsibility of the watchman is elaborated in Ezekiel 3:17. We are all appointed by God to be watchmen over our families, friends and work associates. (Ezek. 33:3-20, esp.10) 13 / 18

14 5. Jerusalem's Inhabitants Invite the Exiles Back (62:10-12) Believer's Study Bible, 999: 62:11 "The Lord has come to Zion, together with a great multitude. Some consider this a reference to His triumphant entry into Jerusalem (cf. Matt. 21:1-9). In any case, the nations announce God's salvation to the daughter of Zion." B. Weakened by Wrath (63:1-64:12) 1. Purpose (63) a. Judgment (1-6) Strains from the Battle Hymn of the Republic may be heard in verses 2-4. b. Mercy (7-14) Lovingkindness (7) in the Old Testament is analogous to grace in the New Testament. c. Repentance (15-19) A prayer of penitence. 2. Prayer "Oh, that you would rend the heavens! That you would come down! (6 4:1) a. Purity "As a fire burns brushwood" (2). 14 / 18

15 b. Patience "Who acts for the one who waits for Him" (4b). c. Personal Confession "And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" (6). d. Pliability "We are the clay, and You are our potter" (8). C. Saved by Submission (65:1-66:24; Micah 6:6-8) 1. God's Answer to the Prayer (65:1-25) Two major themes dominate this chapter: a. God deals with His people in justice and mercy. b. God's people must have a long-term perspective, looking toward the final age. Verses describe the Millennium (cf. Revelation 21) Note the characteristics: joy (18-19), health (20), security (21-22), productivity (23), and peace (24-25). 2. Terrible Judgment and Great Salvation (66:1-24) Condemnation is pronounced especially upon empty religious practices without a "contrite spirit." Ps. 51:17 (2) God declares that such practices appeal to man rather than God and are an abomination (3b). True worship of God involves resulting changes of lifestyle. Isaiah's contemporary, Micah, summarized requirements for true worship: 15 / 18

16 "With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (6-8) Many see an allusion to the rebirth of the modern state of Israel in Isa. 66:8 "Shall a nation be born at once?" Verse 19 alludes to a future missionary work by the Jews perhaps in parallel with Rev. 7. Following God's terrible judgment (15-17) we see universal worship of God in verse 23. (Phil 2:9) Application 1. God expects His Church to expand and multiply. 2. God's offer of salvation is available to everyone. (1 Tim. 2:1-6) 3. God offers pardon for genuine repentance. (Eph. 4:32) 4. God expects us to share our faith. (Jude 3) 5. We are to continue the ministry of the Messiah here on earth. 16 / 18

17 6. God has prepared a glorious future for His children and a terrible judgment for those who reject Him. Leader Pack - Item 14: Poster: The Spiritually Hungry Biblical Illustrator: p. 38; "A God for all Nations" Notes: **You may access David's Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: y.org/ ; Dates: 1/14-5/13 - Midlink; 5/1 - First Things First; 5/3 - High Five Choir Concert, 4:00 in WC; 5/5- FBI Memorial Service; 5/7 - National Day of Prayer; 5/16 - Share Your Faith Workshop; 5/16 - Oxygen, Summit/Women's Ministry; 5/17 - Robin Roewe Concert, 4:00 WC; 5/20 - FBA Lower School Awards Program; 5/24 - Memorial Day Weekend, normal schedule; 5/26 - Pre-K Graduation & Lunch; 5/27 - FBA 5 th Grade Graduation; 5/28 - FBA 8 th Grade Graduation; 6/4-8/6 - Metro Bible Study, WC; 6/5-6 - SBTC College/Single Ad Leaders Conf.; 17 / 18

18 6/ Vacation Bible School; 6/ Middle School & High School Camp; 6/17 - Midsummer's Night Thing; 6/ Children's Camp. 18 / 18