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The LORD's Answer: Mercy for Israel
Isaiah 65 provides the response of the LORD to the prayer that has just been offered. (Isaiah 64) The message can be broken down to three main sections: the LORD's complaint of the rejection of His advances by a group of people who practice impure rites (1-7), a comparison of the destinies in store for the faithful and disloyal (8-16), and a detailed description of the happiness that is to reward the righteous (17-25).
The first section picks up the familiar theme: the abandonment of the LORD for pagan and superstitious practices and the retribution awaiting those guilty of it. It is the familiar theme of the sin of Israel in the Old Testament. Here is a final warning: if they continue to reject the appeals of the LORD, they will be utterly destroyed.
In the second section we see that the LORD will purge rebels (those in rebellion against the LORD) and prepare the remnant (those who righteously obey the LORD) for the consummation (the final completion and ultimate end of all things marked by the return of Jesus Christ and the full realization of the kingdom of God).
In the third section we see the LORD assuring His people of a glorious future in the new world He will create. This new world will consist of a new heaven and a new earth and a new Jerusalem. It will be characterized by security, prosperity, safety, and close communion with the LORD. Those that respond to God's call and serve Him faithfully are heirs of that new creation. Those that stubbornly refuse His call and go after false gods instead will face everlasting shame. Faithfulness to God's call, on the part of the believer, must be shown by their devotion; the unbeliever must turn to the truth by faith, abandoning all false beliefs and wicked practices.
The questions for today are…Where do you find yourself in the prophet Isaiah's message? Are you destined for a life in eternity fuller than you could ever imagine?
"In Light of this Advent Season, what is your heart longing for?"
- Jim Stiggins
About this Plan
Join us for the next 35 days as we discover the Christmas longing the prophet Isaiah felt as he waited for the Messiah to be born. Prepare your hearts, in expectation, anticipation, and gratitude for the coming of Christ, just as the Israelites who were in exile did years ago! This reading plan celebrates the season of advent and was designed to start the Sunday after Thanksgiving
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We would like to thank Cornerstone Community Church for providing this plan. For more information (with sermons that go with this plan), please visit: https://ccchowchilla.com
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