The book of Isaiah is full of prophecies, including the Babylonian exile, fall of Babylon, the suffering servant Jesus, and the future of Zion. There is much to glean from these passages. This post is full of verses that stood out to me when reading Isaiah. Flipping through my highlights and pen marks, I realized these verses connected to each other.
Big Ideas
God's character: great, just, and loving
Our hopelessness without divine intercession
The Gospel is God's will
Fear God and not man
Our Merciful God and our position
Our Lord desires to be merciful. Time after time, Israel falls short. Time after time again, the Lord makes a way for His children to come back to Him.
The Lord longs to be gracious to you. And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. Isaiah 30:18a
Isaiah 59 begins with: "Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and you God." Our sins separate us from His presence. We are wicked, and we are hopeless, and God is aware of all of this.
God's Desire for His people
Now the LORD saw, and it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him... v15b-16a
"A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declared the LORD. v20
These are the very words of the Lord. This is what He desired to do for Israel. This is what He desires to do for us. This was no accident. Isaiah 53:10 gives us a shocking, but true statement: "But the LORD was pleased to crush Him." God made a way for salvation by His Son paying a gruesome price for our sins. It is God's will for us to turn from our wickedness and hopelessness. It is God's love that made a way for us to return to Him.
the same God
This is the same God who says, "Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me" (43:10b). In that same verse, God makes it clear that He has chosen Israel to witness His greatness... that He pays attention to mortal man. This is the same God who actually uses countries as His instruments of judgment. Our God does not grow weary. Instead, He gives strength to the weary [40:27-31]. Thus, we shall wait for Him. After all, He is our Maker, and we should not question Him [45:9]. It simply would not make sense knowing who God is [55:8-9]. He is a lot smarter, and His way prevails.
Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God"? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power... Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. 40:27-31
Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker - an earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands'? 45:9
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 55:8-9
Yes, this should put fear in our hearts, but Isaiah 51 says this should also bring us comfort.
I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies and of the son of man who is made like grass, that you have forgotten the LORD your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, as he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor? 51:12-13
Much like people today, Israel let the fear of man get to them. Remember the story of the twelve spies? Not trusting in God's plan has its consequences. Instead of focusing on one "who is made like grass," we need to remember our Maker. He is the one we should fear. We need to remember our hopeless position. We are doomed without intercession. We should remember His mercy and character. As a result, we should worship God.
Let the Gospel message speak to you. It is life giving.
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