Isaiah 51 & 52 | The Wolfe Notes

Welcome, Family! We're spending 2024 with the prophet Isaiah. While we claim no expertise, we're excited to sit with you as we both learn at the feet of Jesus. Each month, we offer a calendar that outlines daily exercises (adapted from Jenn Wilkin's Women of the Word Bible study process) to progress through Isaiah. Download October's calendar to begin with us and witness what we uncovered in our weekly "Wolfe Notes" postings.

A starry night sky viewed among trees. Text overlay quotes Isaiah 51:16.

Contents:

  1. Different Versions Noting and clarifying differences between KJV & ICB.
  2. Annotation My thoughts, connections, clarifications, and questions.
  3. Research on Rahab.
  4. Summary An approximately twenty-word overview of the chapter.
  5. Memorize Why I chose to memorize Isaiah 51:16.
  6. Cross References Of Isaiah 51:16.
  7. Respond Based on reflections on God's character and my own.

Different Versions

I read Chapter 51 in the King James Version (KJV) and the International Children's Bible (ICB). The KJV is a word-for-word translation while the ICB is a thought-for-thought translation.

Major differences I noticed (*My thoughts alone are in italics and designated with an asterisk.):
  • Isaiah 51:2
    • Comparisons:
      • KJV: Look unto Abraham (1) your father, and unto Sarah that bare (2) you: for I called him (3) alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
      • ICB: Look at Abraham, (1) your ancestor. Look at Sarah, who gave birth (3) to your ancestors. Abraham (3) had no children when I called him. But I blessed him and gave him many descendants.
    • Discrepancies: 
      1. Both "your father" and "that bare you" in the KJV feel more intimate than "your ancestor" and "to your ancestors" in the ICB.
      2. The KJV "called him alone" could be understood as he was the only one I called, while the ICB's "had no children" describes the condition in which he was called. 
    • Conclusion: *Both are true, but offer slightly different interpretations. The ICB seems to fit better with the overall text.
  • Isaiah 51:14 
    • Comparisons:
      • KJV: The captive exile (1) hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.
      • ICB: People in prison (1) will soon be set free. They will not die in prison. They will have enough food.
    • Discrepancies: The KJV provides insight into the dire hope of the captive who longs for freedom, life, and provision, while the ICB offers an assurance of fulfillment for these longings: "...will soon be set free...not die...have enough food." 
    • Conclusion: *Though the versions set different moods, the lesson is the same: Trust God. He cares for you and will see you through.
  • Isaiah 51:17
    • Comparisons:
      • KJV: (1) Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD (2) the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken (2) the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.
      • ICB: (1 - omitted) The Lord was very angry with you. Your punishment was (2) like wine in a cup. The Lord made you drink that wine until you stumbled.
    • Discrepancies: 
      1. The KJV presents this as a plea for Jerusalem to wake up, whereas the ICB focuses on the punishment.
      2. The KJV uses the terms "cup of fury" and "cup of trembling", but the ICB calls it wine in a cup.
    • Conclusion: *Overall, more emotion in the KJV. The ICB sets the tone of confusion and the KJV wrath.
  • Isaiah 52:11
    • Comparisons:
      • KJV: Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; (1) go ye out of the midst of her; (3) be ye clean, (2) that bear the vessels of the Lord.
      • ICB: You people, leave, leave; (1) get out of Babylon! Touch nothing that is unclean. (2) You men who carry the things used in worship, leave there and (3) make yourselves pure.
    • Discrepancies: 
      1. The KJV leaves the location undefined, whereas the ICB names it as Babylon.
      2. "That bear the vessels of the LORD" in the KJV helps me connect to this command, whereas the ICB rendering "You men who carry the things used in worship," makes me feel detached. I dismiss it thinking it only addresses the priests.
      3. "Be ye clean", (KJV) feels like something I can do by accepting the blood of Jesus and walking in His ways, but "make yourselves pure", ICB is something I can never do on my own.
    • Conclusion: *Overall, more open in the KJV making it easier for connections. The ICB's clarity makes spiritual interpretation harder, but historical understanding easier.

Annotation

Notes on my process*Denotes my thoughts alone. ! Denotes a connection. Researched quick answers are in italics. *Indicates a topic with more extensive notes under the research heading.
  1. Hope for Jerusalem (Isaiah 51:1-3)
    1. If your goal is to live righteously and obey God, pay attention!
    2. Consider where you came from: Abraham and Sarah - the beginning of your heritage.
      1. 🎵All throughout my history / Your faithfulness has walked beside me.🎶("Evidence" performed by Josh Baldwin)
      2. ! I'm a rock. (See more thoughts on this.)
      3. Does "hole of the pit" (Isaiah 51:1 KJV) hint at being saved from eternal torment? Isaiah 14:19 ICB: But you are thrown out of your grave, like an unwanted branch that is cut from a tree and thrown away. You are covered by bodies that died in battle. You have been thrown into a rocky pit. And other soldiers walk on you. (Read research on Satan's fall.)
    3. When I called him, he had no one, but now look at the multitude of blessings which come from him.
    4. As I've done for him, I will do for you. I will show mercy to all who live in the wreckage. Your wastelands will bloom. You will know JOY.
  2. Hope for the Gentiles (Isaiah 51:4-8)
    1. Listen and pay attention to me. My way lights the path for everyone to see.
    2. Soon, my righteousness, salvation, and judgment will cover the whole earth. Even people who were once far removed from Me will trust Me.
    3. If you set your hopes on what you see, you will pass away as quickly as they do. 
      1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 KJV
    4. Trust, instead, in Me. My salvation and righteousness are eternal.
    5. You are Mine, so listen to Me. Don't let the words of man affect you.
      1. Isaiah 51:1 KJV Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
    6. Men pass away, but I am forever.
  3. A Cry for God's Saving Power (Isaiah 51:9-11)
    1. Wake up, God! We need you. Wield Your power as you have before. 
      1. ? Who is Rahab: "With your own power, you cut Rahab into pieces." (Isaiah 51:9 ICB)? *R
    2. The power that restrains the darkest evil.
    3. The power that dries the deepest ocean.
    4. The power that there, in the ocean's deep, lays a highway where Your ransomed walk in safety.
    5. Then, we Your chosen, ransomed people, will return with everlasting JOY and gladness in our hearts. We will know sorrow no more.
      1. Like the highway to heaven of Isaiah 35:8-10 KJV "And an highway shall be there...and it shall be called The way of holiness...the redeemed shall walk there...and come to Zion with songs and everlasting JOY and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."! (See our annotation, especially section three.)
  4. God's Faithfulness to His People (Isaiah 51:12-16)
    1. I, the Eternal, comfort you. Stop fearing man who is but a vapor.
      1. Echoes Isaiah 51:7 ICB: "...Don't be afraid of the evil things people say. Don't be upset by their insults."
      2. ! Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? Isaiah 2:22
      3. What is meant by "son of man" in KJV, or is it just poetic and nothing more?
    2. You've forgotten where you came from and whom you serve.
      1. Resonates with Isaiah 51:1 KJV: "Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged."
    3. You constantly live in a needless state of fear.
    4. Show me a man who can stand against Me.
    5. You worry about freedom, death, and provision.
      1. ! So don't worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries. Matthew 6:34 ICB
    6. But, you shouldn't. The one you call your God controls the sea and commands heaven's army. 
      1. ! She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. Proverbs 31:19 KJV (See our notes.)
      2. ! The power of angels is certainly something to fear! - Chuck Missler
    7. I promised and I will fulfill. My hand is stretched out to protect and no one can turn it away. With you, my people, Zion will be restored.
      1. ! When the Lord of heaven's armies makes a plan, no one can stop it. When the Lord raises his hand to punish people, no one can stop him. Isaiah 14:27 ICB (See cross-references.)
      2. ? What does it mean to plant the heavens? Repopulate Zion? 
      3. ! And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heave and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1 KJV
  5. God Awakens Jerusalem (Isaiah 51:17- 23)
    1. Awake, Jerusalem! You have undergone affliction and trembling by the Lord's hand - but it's over now.
    2. Yet, there is no one to guide you.
      1. ! But Jerusalem said, "The Lord has left me. The Lord has forgotten me." Isaiah 49:14 ICB
      2. ! They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be for nothing. Isaiah 34:12 KJV
      3. ? Am I taking care of my 'Jerusalem', the people and purpose God's entrusted to me?
      4. *Sounds a lot like our current state. Jerusalem is under siege and we leave her to defend herself - some even go so far as to take up the cause of her enemies.
    3. Who will show you compassion after all the agony you have endured?
    4. Your people are weak and lost after enduring my fury and hearing my rebuke.
    5. Hear me all you who are lost and broken in Jerusalem.
    6. I will always fight for what is good for you. Even though you have suffered under my fury, I am removing it and promise to never again unleash it on you.
      1. ? Meaning of "cup"? 
        1. Your God will fight for his people. This is what the Lord your God says: "The punishment I gave you is like a cup of wine. You drank it and could not walk straight. I am taking that cup of my anger away from you. You will never be punished by my anger again. Isaiah 51:22 ICB
        2. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Luke 22:42 KJV
        3. In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup and said, "This cup shows the new agreement that God makes with his people. This new agreement begins with my blood which is poured out for you. Luke 22:20 ICB
      2. I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth...And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. Genesis 9:13-15 KJV
    7. Instead, my fury will be unleashed on those who caused you pain. Those who pushed you down so they could climb higher.
      1. *It's human nature to use others for our own gain. I Samuel 24:5-7 ICB (*paraphrased): When Saul came into a cave where David and his men were hiding. David's men immediately encouraged him to kill Saul so David could be king. Instead, David cut off a piece of Saul's robe [*which was an insult given the significance of robes in those days]. Immediately, David regretted his actions and stopped his men from attacking Saul by reminding them that Saul was God's anointed.
      2. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Luke 6:28 KJV
  6. Walk in Freedom, Jerusalem! (Isaiah 52:1-7)
    1. Take action. Restore yourself. You are free from the ones who defiled you, who captured you.
    2. No one owns you. You're free, so act like it.
      1. What does Isaiah 52:3 mean, that redemption will be easy because there is no claim on them? "This is what the Lord says: 'You were not sold for a price. So you will be saved without cost [money].'"  Isaiah 52:3ICB
        1. ! For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. I Corinthians 6:20 KJV
        2. ! My brothers, you are God's children because of his promise, as Isaac was then. The son who was born in the normal way [after the flesh] treated the other son [born of the spirit] badly. It is the same today. But what does the Scripture say? "Throw out the slave woman and her son! The son of the free woman will receive everything his father has. But the son of the slave woman will receive nothing." So, my brothers, we are not children of the slave woman. We are children of the free woman. We have freedom now because Christ made us free. So stand strong. Do not change and go back into the slavery of the law. Galatians 4:28-5:1 ICB
      2. ! You are Free: Be Who You Already Are. By Rebekah Lyons
    3. Yes, you've been enslaved, mistreated, and surrounded by people who constantly insult Me.  
      1. ! The second Pharoah, after Joseph, was actually an Assyrian. - Missler (~1:01)
    4. You had to experience this so that when I speak, You will know that it is Me.
    5. And how precious it will be when you hear your freedom proclaimed. When you hear that I, your God, reign.
  7. Look to My Servant and Be Saved (Isaiah 52:8-15)
    1. Listen! Those who watch for Me shout JOYfully. They see Me coming.
      1. Rapture watchmen? Guardian angels?
    2. Rejoice, though you are currently broken. Rejoice! I have come to comfort and save you.
    3. I promised I would, and I fulfill what I promise. My hand is stretched out to protect you and no one can turn it away. With you, Zion will be restored. For you are My people.
    4. I will fully unleash my power. All the earth will witness My salvation.
    5. Leave your sin. Purify yourselves with the blood of Jesus.
      1. *We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We must not touch any unclean thing! I Corinthians 6:18-19 KJV: Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body? What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and are not your own. 
      2. *Come to Jesus! Be sprinkled by the blood of the lamb. Isaiah 1:18 ICB: The Lord says, "Come, we will talk these things over. Your sins are red like deep red cloth. But they can be as white as snow. Your sins are bright red. But you can be white like wool. 
    6. Don't make rash decisions, follow Me. Don't worry, I have your back!
      1. ! But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. Psalm 3:3 KJV
      2. ! Because of these things, this is what the Lord God says: "I will put a stone in the ground in Jerusalem. This will be a tested stone. Everything will be build on this important and precious rock. Anyone who trusts in it will never be disappointed. Isaiah 28:16 ICB
      3. 40 days in the ark (Genesis 8:6); Wandering in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2); Tempted by the devil (Luke 4:2); For Nineveh to repent before destruction (Jonah 3:4). 
      4. ! Thou has beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Psalm 139:5 KJV
    7. Look to My servant. He is wise above all.
      1. Jesus = Wisdom. (See notes.)
        1. ! But Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God to those people God has called - Jews and Greeks. I Corinthians 1:24 ICB
        2. ! He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:11 KJV
      2. "...exalted and extolled, and be very high." Isaiah 52:13 KJV 
        1. ! "Moses lifted up the snake in the desert [See Numbers 21:4-9]. It is the same with the Son of Man. The Son of Man must be lifted up too. Then everyone who believes in him can have eternal life. John 3:14-15 ICB 
        2. Brass = Judgment; Snake = sin. - Missler (~15:40
        3. ! For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV
    8. His face is marred and His form disfigured beyond recognition.
      1. ! I offered my back to those who beat me. I offered my cheeks to those who pulled my beard. I won't hide my face from them when they make fun of me and spit at me. Isaiah 50:6 ICB
      2. ! And when she [Mary Magdalene] had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. John 20:14 KJV
      3. ! Jesus said to them, "Come and eat." None of the followers dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. John 21:12 ICB
      4. ! But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. Luke 24:16 KJV
    9. Yet, it had to be so He can cleanse the nations. So that all who look on Him will see and know the Truth.
      1. ! Then the priest will sprinkle the blood from those animals on the Lord's altar. It is near the entrance to the Meeting Tent. And the priest will burn the fat from those animals on the altar. This smell will be pleasing to the Lord. Leviticus 17:6 ICB
      2. ! I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Isaiah 45:23 KJV
      3. God wants every knee to bow to Jesus - everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. Philippians 2:10 ICB
      4. ! Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. John 20:29 KJV

Research

*Thoughts that are mine alone are marked with an asterisk and italicized.
Who is Rahab? Isaiah 51:9

Historically

  • Rahab is a sea monster of chaos that Biblically symbolizes Egypt.
    • They go to Egypt whose help is useless. So I call that country Rahab the Do-Nothing. Isaiah 30:7 ICB
    • Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm. Psalm 89:10 KJV
    • God says, "I will put Egypt [Rahab] and Babylonia on the list of nations that know me. People from Philistia, Tyre and Cush will be born there. Psalm 87:4 ICB
  • This "Rahab" has no connection to the "Rahab" in Joshua, an ancestor of Jesus. The Hebrew spellings are different.
  • Leviathan here represents the Pharoah.
    • Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. Psalm 74:13 KJV
    • Say: 'This is what the Lord God says: I am against you, king of Egypt. You are like a great crocodile that lies in the Nile River. You say, "The Nile is mine. I made it for myself." Ezekiel 29:3 ICB
    • He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud. By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. Job 26:12-13 KJV
Spiritually
  • Egypt's spiritual symbology is sin. (See Bible Hub article.)
  • The Hebrew meaning for Rahab is pride or arrogance.
    • Which God vehemently opposes:
      • Pride leads to destruction. A proud attitude begins ruin. Proverbs 16:18 ICB
      • Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord GOD of hosts: for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee. Jeremiah 50:31 KJV
      • But God gives us even more grace, as the Scripture says, "God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble." [Proverbs 3:34] James 4:6 ICB 
    • And Satan vehemently abuses (Isaiah 14:13-14) KJV:
      • "I will ascend into heaven,"
      • "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:" 
      • "I will sit also upon the mount of the congregations, in the sides of the north:" 
      • "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;"
      • "I will be like the most High." 
  • Originally, leviathan represented Satan.
    • The Lord God said to the snake, "Because you did this, a curse will be put on you. You will be cursed more than any tame animal or wild animal. You will crawl on your stomach, and you will eat dust all the days of your life. Genesis 3:14 ICB
    • And there was a war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelations 12:7-9 KJV
    • The angel grabbed the dragon, that old snake who is the devil. The angel tied him up for 1,000 years. Revelation 20:2 KJV

Prophetically

*God's victory over Rahab, reminds us that God will win in the end. Though Satan (Leviathan) tries to win by encouraging us to feed our pride and arrogance. Inevitably, worship of self leads us into sin, and away from God. Thankfully, God will shred to pieces chaos, pride, and sin. He will triumph victoriously. God always has another move. He will dry out the seas of chaos and guide you on paths of righteousness. (Isaiah 51:10-11). Never underestimate the power of His love for you. (Isaiah 51:12-13)

Sources: 
  1. Bible Hub commentaries. Especially Ellicott & Pulpit.
  2. Got Questions article "Who was Rahab in the Bible?"

Summary

Awaken! Look to your mighty God who saves you. He guides and saves you still.

Memorize

I chose to memorize Isaiah 51:16.
And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

*He guides me, commits to me, covers me, has a purpose for me, calls me His. This verse summarizes the relationship between God and His people. Consider it both collectively and individually.


Cross References

*Thoughts that are mine alone are marked with an asterisk and italicized.

Of  Isaiah 51:16.

And I have put my words in thy mouth,...
  • Exodus 4:15 ICB: I will tell you what to say. Then you will tell Aaron. I will help both of you know what to say and do.
  • Isaiah 50:4 KJV: The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
  • Isaiah 59:21 ICB: The Lord says, "I will make an agreement with these people. I promise that my Spirit and my words that I give you will never leave you. They will be with your children and your grandchildren. They will be with you now and forever.

...and I have covered thee...

  • Psalm 91:4 KJV: He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
  • Deuteronomy 33:27 ICB: The everlasting God is your place of safety. His arms will hold you up forever. He will force your enemy out ahead of you. He will say, 'Destroy the enemy!'
  • Ezekiel 16:8 KJV: Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

...with the shadow of mine hand...

  • Isaiah 49:2 ICB: The Lord made my tongue like a sharp sword. He hid me in the shadow of his hand. The Lord made me like a sharp arrow. He hid me in the holder for his arrows.
  • Exodus 33:22 KJV: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will but thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by.
  • Isaiah 4:6 ICB: This covering will be a place of safety. It will protect the people from the heat of the sun. It will be a safe place to hide from the storm and rain.
...that I may plant the heavens,...
  • Isaiah 45:18 KJV: For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
  • Isaiah 60:21 ICB: All of your people will do what is right. They will receive the earth forever. They are the plant I have planted. I made them with my own hands to show my greatness. 
  • Isaiah 61:3 KJV: To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
...and lay the foundations of the earth... 

  • Isaiah 48:13 ICB: I made the earth with my own hands. With my right hand I spread out the skies. When I call them, they come together before me. 
  • Isaiah 49:8 KJV: Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; 
  • Psalm 75:3 ICB: The earth with all its people may shake. I am the one who holds it steady. Selah

...and say unto Zion...

  • Isaiah 60:14-15 KJV: The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.
  • Isaiah 51:11 ICB: The people the Lord has freed will return. They will enter Jerusalem with joy. Their happiness will last forever. They will have joy and gladness. All sadness and sorrow will be gone far away.
  • Psalm 132:13 KJV: For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.

 ...Thou art my people.

  • Jeremiah 31:33 ICB: "I will make this agreement with the people of Israel," says the Lord. "I will put my teachings in their minds. And I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
  • Zechariah 13:9 KJV: And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
  • II Chronicles 7:14 ICB: Then my people, who are called by my name, will be sorry for what they have done. They will pray and obey me and stop their evil ways. If they do, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.
  • Revelation 18:4 KJV: And I heard another voice from heaving, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (See also Isaiah 52:11)
  • Hosea 2:23 ICB: I will plant my people in the land. I will show pity to the one I had called 'not shown pity.' I will say, 'You are my people' to those I had called 'not my people.' And they will say to me, 'You are our God.'" (See also Romans 9:25)

*Conclusion: His words have power. They guide us in what to say and remind us that He's committed to us. He claims, defends, comforts, and shelters us - keeping us at every moment - so that He has seeds for His vineyard. This planting of the Lord will inhabit the earth (which He made and secures) forever to bring Him glory. Everyone will see the truth of who He is and His chosen - His people - will know eternal JOY as they dwell with Him.

Respond

  • God saves.
  • My efforts cannot.
  • I must trust God's plan in all things, no matter how grim the current situation, I must KNOW that He is good and He will save me. And because I believe it, I live in freedom from fear, doubt, and pride, but full of JOY because I'm secure in the hope that is always within us (I Peter 3:15).
Father God, Your plans have always been for us. We run into trouble when we choose not to believe it. That's when fear and doubt creep in. Father, teach us to live always looking toward the hope You have for us. Train us to look beyond the dismal reality of this world to the eternal reality of Your glory.

Learning with You,


Sample these related posts:

Suggested daily activities to guide you through Isaiah 51-54.

Research on Judah's divorced mother. Thoughts on living a resolute life guided by God.

Research on your involvement in fighting with worship. Thoughts on God's counsel and blessings.

You are a precious stone in God's collection, see how. Includes activity suggestions.
 
Includes an investigation into blessings and a multi-resource delve into the word "arise".

 

Interested in more faith-related blogs? Then you're looking for Faith Food. At Faith Food, you'll find links to all our faith-related blogs and a short description of each.


Image Credit: Beautiful Dark Evening by Pexels at Pixabay

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