Immediately after the joy-filled promise of the Shining Son given in Isaiah 9:1-7, the prophet again turns to a message of judgment. He rehearses the many sins of which Israel was guilty in four stanzas, each concluding with the same refrain: “For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched […]
Most of us are familiar with Matthew’s explanation of the birth of Jesus, when he writes: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us)” (Matt. 1:22-23). However, many […]
Today, ministry ‘success’ is often defined by visible, tangible, quantifiable, and impressive results. But God’s Word is clear that “results” are up to God alone. We can plant the seed and water the soil, “but God gives the growth” (1 Cor. 3:6). So, if God alone is responsible for results (conversions, numerical growth, revival, etc.), […]
Isaiah begins chapter 5 singing a love song for his Beloved concerning his vineyard. Isaiah’s Beloved is the Lord his God; the vineyard is Israel (Isa. 5:7). But despite God’s loving care and faithful protection, his vineyard did not produce good fruit. Instead, they produced bitter grapes due to the corruption of their sinful hearts. […]
Ever since the Fall and the entrance of sin into the world, pride has characterized the heart of man. We refuse to submit to God’s rule and continue to believe the lie that we must exalt ourselves to find true joy and fulfillment in life. The prophets were sent to expose the various sins produced […]
Though the name ‘Zion’ is often used in Scripture to refer to the capital city of Jerusalem and the mount where the temple was located, it becomes a rich symbol for the dwelling place of God and his holy people from every nation. Ultimately, it refers to the new Jerusalem—God’s glorious temple-city that will fill […]
One of the central issues addressed by Isaiah and the rest of the prophets is that of justice—faithfully living according to the standard of what is right in our relationships with others. It’s only as we do justice, as we live righteously, that we will flourish as a society under God’s loving rule. But when […]
To worship God is to give him all honor and glory for who he is and what he has done. Yet this worship must be offered rightly, since God alone defines what worship is acceptable to him. Today, however, many understand worship to be nothing more than performance based on emotion. Worship is simply the […]
The true people of God have always been persecuted by those who oppose God. But, as the Bible tells us, “Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4). As we consider the death of Stephen, the first martyr of […]
