SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
11/5/2013 9:22 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
Light in the Darkness
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Isaiah
49:1-7
Message of the
verses: We come to the tenth chapter
in Warren Wiersbe’s book “Be Comforted” which is his commentary on the book of
Isaiah. He entitles this chapter “This
is God’s Servant” and it covers chapters 49-52:12 of the book of Isaiah. We must remember that the chapters and verses
were manmade in the Bible and I have heard it said that the biggest mistake
that was made in chapter divisions was in the book of Isaiah between chapters
52 and 53 so I suppose that is why he decided to end this chapter in the middle
of chapter 52. The first main point in
his chapter, which we will begin to look at this morning, is entitled “The
Servant and the Gentiles” which covers chapters 49:1-50:3.
Dr. Wiersbe writes the following words for us to help us
understand this chapter: “These chapters
present God’s Servant, Messiah, in three important relationships: to the Gentile nations (49:1-50:3), to His
Father (50:4-11), and to His people Israel (51:1-52:12).” Next we read the following as a preview to
the first main point “In this message, God’s Servant explains His ministry as
bringing light in the darkness (Isa. 49:1-7), liberty to the captive (vv.
8-13), and love and hope to the discouraged (49:14-50:3).”
Light in the
darkness (49:1-7): “1 Listen to Me,
O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called Me from
the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me. 2 He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In
the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; And He has also made Me a select
arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver. 3 He said to Me, "You are My
Servant, Israel, In Whom I will show My glory." 4 But I said, "I have
toiled in vain, I have
spent My strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice due to
Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God." 5 And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the
womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be
gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, And My God is My
strength), 6 He says, "It is too
small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and
to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My
salvation may reach to the end of the earth." 7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel
and its Holy One, To the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To
the Servant of rulers, "Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow
down, Because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has
chosen You.’”
I was wondering as I read over this section why God’s
Servant is called “Israel” in verse three and then I read the following from
Warren Wiersbe: “The Jewish nation was
called to glorify God and be a light to the Gentiles, but they failed in their
mission. This is why Messiah is called
‘Israel’ in Isaiah 49:3. He did the work
that Israel was supposed to do. Today
the Church is God’s light in the dark
world (Acts 12:46-49).” “46 Paul and
Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God
be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of
eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 “For so the Lord has
commanded us, ’I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY
BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.’" 48 When the Gentiles heard
this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as
had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was
being spread through the whole region.”
We will also look at Matthew 5:14-16 “14 “You are the light of the
world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under
a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
It is possible that some may wonder what right did
God’s Servant have to address the Gentile nations with such authority, but
before His birth He was called by God to His ministry and a part of that
ministry was to be a light to the Gentiles.
“"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were
born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.’” This is written of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5,
and the following was written by Paul who was called by God “15 But when God, who had set me apart even from
my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might
preach Him among the Gentiles (Gal. 1:15-16a).”
Let us again take a look at verse four of our text: “." 4 But I said, "I have toiled in
vain, I have spent My
strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice due to Me is
with the LORD, And My reward with My God.”
We see here that there were times in the life of Jesus while upon this
earth ministering that it looked like His work was done in vain, for He was
ridiculed by the religious leaders who opposed Him for most of His
ministry. Many people did not understand
Him either and so this too was a problem.
We see by this verse that it was God who gave Him success as He went
about doing the will of His Father even though at times it was very
difficult. 11/5/2013 10:05 AM 11/5/2013 5:54 PM
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: It is my desire
not to have to be like the children of Israel and to be faithful to the Lord in
fulfilling the thing that He has chosen for me to do.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Do better at my class this evening.
Memory verses for the
week: 2 Peter 1:1-11
1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus
Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the
righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the
knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3
seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to
life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own
glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and
magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
5 Now for this very reason also, applying
all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence,
knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control,
perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness,
brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these
qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor
unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks
these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification
from his former sins. 10 Therefore,
brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and
choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
11 for in this way the entrance into the
eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied
to you.
Answer to our last Bible
Question: “For Evermore” (Hebrews 728).
Today’s Bible
Question: “Who were the first four
disciples which Jesus called to follow Him.?”
Answer in our next SD.
11/5/2013 6:00 PM
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