Category: Isaiah
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isaiah 7… the virgin birth…immanuel and the assyrian
Isaiah 7 Isaiah, son of Amoz, is a towering figure in biblical history. His prophetic voice spans four Davidic kings (1:1). His prophecies, marked by great rhetorical power, command a book of 66 chapters. The prophecies, while grounded on the period C8-C6 BC, span from creation to a new heavens and new earth. Isaiah is…
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revelation ch 21:1-2:5… an introduction (1)
an introduction How do you encourage a church bedevilled by heresy or seduced by the world or threatened by persecution to stand firm in faith? One answer is to give it the book of Revelation. Couched in the vivid often bizarre imagery of Revelation that may enthral or chill lie truths that when received create…
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a bruised reed
Isa 42:3,4 A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; Do you ever feel vulnerable? Do you have times when you. feel like a bruised reed? Perhaps the only thing more vulnerable than a reed blowing in the wind is a bruised reed. And the only thing…
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isaiah, the preface… judah and jerusalem, (ch1-5)
Isaiah’s vision concerns ‘Judah and Jerusalem‘ (1:1). For while the glory of God himself in both judgement and salvation lies at the heart of the book, integrally associated with this glory in both aspects is the destiny of Israel and Jerusalem. Judah and Jerusalem matter to God. People and place are central to his creatorial…
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isaiah 65… a new heavens and new earth
17 For behold, I create new heavensand a new earth,and the former things shall not be rememberedor come into mind.18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I createfor behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,and her people to be a gladness.19 I will rejoice in Jerusalemand be glad in my people;no…
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isaiah 55… attention all who thirst’
Which of us has not heard a gospel appeal based on Isaiah 55. Those of us of a certain vintage and background have certainly. And the preacher was not misguided for this chapter is just that – a gospel invitation from the Lord. It is the Lord who appeals. While the whole of the OT…
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isaiah 54… jerusalem and her children
Anyone commenting (even on a blog) on the OT comes up against a number of difficulties. Firstly for many of us, and certainly for me, a generally poor grasp of the OT makes it difficult to comment with certainty. Secondly, distinguishing between fused immediate and distant horizons in fulfilment can be challenging. Thirdly, although the…
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isaiah’s suffering servant… the fourth song 52:13-53:13 (2)
(A fairly long post. Thank you to all who persevere in reading it.) Ch 40 begins a new section in Isaiah’s prophecy. The first 39 chapters address pre-exilic Israel and although they contain some bright spots the tone is largely critical with many announcements of impending judgement. In the second half of the book Isaiah…
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isaiah’s suffering servant… the fourth song 52:13-53:13 (1)
An introduction We have reached the fourth and final servant song. (at least those where he is designated servant). We have previously noticed the ambiguity of the servant in Isaiah. It is clear that Israel, the nation, is God’s servant, his chosen one (41:8-10). Yet Israel is a disobedient servant, a rebellious servant, blind and…
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isaiah 50:4-11… the servant who gives his back to those who strike him
Isaiah 50:4-11 The third servant song Kidner, commenting on the song writes: After the display of patient gentleness in the first ‘Song’ (42:1–9) and the acceptance of frustrating toil in the second (49:4, 7), here the Servant faces the active spite and fury of evil. It is only a step, the reader feels, to the…
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isa 49…. the servant a polished arrow
Intro In previous posts we reflected on some of the themes in Isaiah 40-55. These chapters are addressed to Israel in exile. Isaiah prophesying many years earlier anticipates the Judah’s exile in Babylon and her return some 70 years later. God will raise up a Persian King, Cyrus (the Great), to overthrow Babylon, Israel’s captors.…
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behold my servant… isaiah 42
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and…
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israel… the rebellious servant
The previous servant post reflected briefly on the two servants found in Isaiah 40-55, one named and one usually unnamed. Our contention was that while both servants evidently share some form of common identity – both are the Lord’s ‘chosen servant‘ and both are designated ‘Israel‘ – yet distinctions exist that sharply distinguish between them.…
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isaiah’s servant(s)
God has many in the OT whom he calls his servants. Examples include, Abraham (Gen 26:24), Moses (Ex 14:31), David (2 Sam 7:5) and Job (Jn 1:8). He refers to the prophets as ‘my servant the prophets‘ (2 Kings 17:13). In the first half of Isaiah (1-39), the title ‘servant‘ is used of Isaiah (20:3)…
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the israel of god… gal 6:16
a benediction Gal 6:15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. Paul’s letter to the Galatian churches (modern day Turkey) contains a benediction that has been the subject…
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isaiah 40… comfort, comfort, my people
Intro Isaiah was a prophet primarily to Judah and Jerusalem in the 8th and probably early 7th century B.C. His message divides into two halves joined by a largely narratival bridge (Chs 36-39). The first half (1-35) focuses on Judah before her exile to Babylon. Here, although there are bright moments, with lavish future blessing…
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isaiah 36-39
It seems to be common to see Isaiah Chs. 36-39 (Cf. 2 Kings 18-20) as a bridge between the two halves of the book. These chapters are largely narrative with three main episodes all involving Hezekiah. Episode 1 The first two chapters, 36 and 37, record God’s miraculous rescue of Jerusalem from the Assyrians. The…
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the shoot from Jesse’s stump… the nations judged… and converted… isaiah chs 11- 25
I have been reading Isaiah. It’s sheer length and the vista it covers make it a difficult book to grasp. Having said that the big issues of the book are clear. Human rebellion, leads to two responses from a Holy God – judgement where there is no repentance and salvation where there is a heart…
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following the star and finding the king
Isa 60:1-22 (ESV) Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and…
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imputed active obedience (IAO), a must or a misdirection? (10)
The Bible and IAO. My intention in the next few posts is to demonstrate that the Bible locates justification in the infinitely valuable death of Christ and his subsequent resurrection without reference to IAO. Indeed, I hope to show that IAO is not only absent but does not fit as presented into the biblical contours…
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God’s righteousness in Isaiah
God’s righteousness is a big theme in the NT. However, it is not limited to the NT, it is a recurring theme in the OT too. Isaiah stands out as the prophet who preaches about righteousness. The word righteousness alone is mentioned over 50 times as a rudimentary concordance check will confirm. The fundamental problem…
Cave Adullam 