(Isaiah 40:12-17)
Can anyone measure the ocean by handfuls
or measure the sky with his hands?
Can anyone hold the soil of the earth in a cup
or weigh the mountains and hills on scales?
Can anyone tell the Lord what to do?
Who can teach him or give him advice?
With whom does God consult in order
to know and understand and to learn
how things should be done?
To the Lord the nations are nothing,
no more than a drop of water;
the distant islands are as light as dust.
All the animals in the forests of Lebanon
are not enough for a sacrifice to our God,
and its trees are too few to kindle the fire.
The nations are nothing at all to him.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
30.4 God Is Slow In Anger
(Psalm 86)
Listen to me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am helpless and weak.
Save me from death, because I am loyal to you;
save me, for I am your servant and I trust in you.
You are my God, so be merciful to me;
I pray to you all day long.
Make your servant glad, O Lord,
because my prayers go up to you.
You are good to us and forgiving,
full of constant love for all who pray to you.
Listen, Lord, to my prayer;
hear my cries for help.
I call to you in times of trouble,
because you answer my prayers.
There is no god like you, O Lord,
not one has done what you have done.
All the nations that you have created
will come and bow down to you;
they will praise your greatness.
You are almighty and do wonderful things;
you alone are God.
Teach me, Lord what you want me to do,
and I will obey you faithfully;
teach me to serve you with complete devotion.
I will praise you with all my heart, O lord my God;
I will proclaim your greatness forever.
How great is your constant love for me!
You have saved me from the grave itself.
Proud men are coming against me, o God;
a gang of cruel men is trying to kill me—
people who pay no attention to you.
But you, O Lord, are a merciful and loving God,
always patient, always kind and faithful.
Turn to me and have mercy on me;
strengthen me and save me,
because I serve you just as my mother did.
Show me proof of your goodness, Lord;
those who hate me will be ashamed
when they see that you have given me comfort
and help.
Listen to me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am helpless and weak.
Save me from death, because I am loyal to you;
save me, for I am your servant and I trust in you.
You are my God, so be merciful to me;
I pray to you all day long.
Make your servant glad, O Lord,
because my prayers go up to you.
You are good to us and forgiving,
full of constant love for all who pray to you.
Listen, Lord, to my prayer;
hear my cries for help.
I call to you in times of trouble,
because you answer my prayers.
There is no god like you, O Lord,
not one has done what you have done.
All the nations that you have created
will come and bow down to you;
they will praise your greatness.
You are almighty and do wonderful things;
you alone are God.
Teach me, Lord what you want me to do,
and I will obey you faithfully;
teach me to serve you with complete devotion.
I will praise you with all my heart, O lord my God;
I will proclaim your greatness forever.
How great is your constant love for me!
You have saved me from the grave itself.
Proud men are coming against me, o God;
a gang of cruel men is trying to kill me—
people who pay no attention to you.
But you, O Lord, are a merciful and loving God,
always patient, always kind and faithful.
Turn to me and have mercy on me;
strengthen me and save me,
because I serve you just as my mother did.
Show me proof of your goodness, Lord;
those who hate me will be ashamed
when they see that you have given me comfort
and help.
30.3 God Waited Patiently. Now We Can Be Saved
(1 Peter 3:18-22)
For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually, and in his spiritual existence he went and preached to the imprisoned spirits. These were the spirits of those who had not obeyed God when he waited patiently during the days that Noah was building his boat. The few people in the boat—eight in all—were saved by the water, which was a symbol pointing to baptism, which now saves you. It is not the washing off of bodily dirt, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. It saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone to heaven and is at the right side of God, ruling over all angels and heavenly authorities and powers.
For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually, and in his spiritual existence he went and preached to the imprisoned spirits. These were the spirits of those who had not obeyed God when he waited patiently during the days that Noah was building his boat. The few people in the boat—eight in all—were saved by the water, which was a symbol pointing to baptism, which now saves you. It is not the washing off of bodily dirt, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. It saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone to heaven and is at the right side of God, ruling over all angels and heavenly authorities and powers.
30.2 Vineyard Song: What More Could I Have Done?
(Isaiah 5:1-7)
Listen while I sing this song,
a song of my friend and his vineyard:
My friend had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
He dug the soil and cleared it of stones;
he planted the finest vines.
He built a tower to guard them,
dug a pit for treading the grapes.
He waited for the grapes to ripen,
but every grape was sour.
Israel is the vineyard of the Lord Almighty;
the people of Judah are the vines he planted.
He expected them to do what was good,
but instead they committed murder.
He expected them to do what was right,
but their victims cried out for justice.
Listen while I sing this song,
a song of my friend and his vineyard:
My friend had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
He dug the soil and cleared it of stones;
he planted the finest vines.
He built a tower to guard them,
dug a pit for treading the grapes.
He waited for the grapes to ripen,
but every grape was sour.
So now my friend says, “You people who live in Jerusalem and Judah, judge between my vineyard and me. Is there anything I failed to do for it? Then why did it produce sour grapes and not the good grapes I expected?
“Here is what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge around it, break down the wall that protects it, and let wild animals eat it and trample it down. I will let it be overgrown with weeds. I will not trim the vines or hoe the ground; instead, I will let briers and thorns cover it. I will even forbid the clouds to let rain fall on it.”
“Here is what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge around it, break down the wall that protects it, and let wild animals eat it and trample it down. I will let it be overgrown with weeds. I will not trim the vines or hoe the ground; instead, I will let briers and thorns cover it. I will even forbid the clouds to let rain fall on it.”
Israel is the vineyard of the Lord Almighty;
the people of Judah are the vines he planted.
He expected them to do what was good,
but instead they committed murder.
He expected them to do what was right,
but their victims cried out for justice.
30.1 I Have Sent My Prophets Untiringly
(Jeremiah 7:24-28)
But they did not obey or pay any attention. Instead, they did whatever their stubborn and evil hearts told them to do, and they became worse instead of better. From the day that your ancestors came out of Egypt I have until this very day kept on sending to you my servants, the prophets. Yet no one listened or paid any attention. Instead, you became more stubborn and rebellious than your ancestors.
“So, Jeremiah, you will speak all these words to my people, but they will not listen to you; you will call them, but they will not answer. You will tell them that their nation does not obey me, the Lord their God, or learn from their punishment. Faithfulness is dead. No longer is it even talked about.
But they did not obey or pay any attention. Instead, they did whatever their stubborn and evil hearts told them to do, and they became worse instead of better. From the day that your ancestors came out of Egypt I have until this very day kept on sending to you my servants, the prophets. Yet no one listened or paid any attention. Instead, you became more stubborn and rebellious than your ancestors.
“So, Jeremiah, you will speak all these words to my people, but they will not listen to you; you will call them, but they will not answer. You will tell them that their nation does not obey me, the Lord their God, or learn from their punishment. Faithfulness is dead. No longer is it even talked about.
29.4 The Lord Is Our Refuge
(Psalm 46)
God is our shelter and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken
and mountains fall into the ocean depths;
even if the seas roar and rage,
and the hills are shaken by the violence.
There is a river that brings joy to the city of God,
to the sacred house of the Most High.
God is in that city, and it will never be destroyed;
at early dawn he will come to its aid.
Nations are terrified, kingdoms are shaken;
God thunders, and the earth dissolves.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come and see what the Lord has done.
See what amazing things he has done on earth.
He stops wars all over the world;
he breaks bows, destroys spears,
and sets shields on fire.
“Stop fighting,” he says, “and know that I am God,
supreme among the nations,
supreme over the world.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
God is our shelter and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken
and mountains fall into the ocean depths;
even if the seas roar and rage,
and the hills are shaken by the violence.
There is a river that brings joy to the city of God,
to the sacred house of the Most High.
God is in that city, and it will never be destroyed;
at early dawn he will come to its aid.
Nations are terrified, kingdoms are shaken;
God thunders, and the earth dissolves.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come and see what the Lord has done.
See what amazing things he has done on earth.
He stops wars all over the world;
he breaks bows, destroys spears,
and sets shields on fire.
“Stop fighting,” he says, “and know that I am God,
supreme among the nations,
supreme over the world.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
29.3 The Lord Will Forgive And Restore Israel
(Jeremiah 3:11-18)
Then the Lord told me that, even though Israel had turned away from him, she had proved to be better than unfaithful Judah. He told me to go and say to Israel, “Unfaithful Israel, come back to me. I am merciful and will not be angry; I will not be angry with you forever. Only admit that you are guilty and that you have rebelled against the Lord, your God. Confess that under every green tree you have given your love to foreign gods and that you have not obeyed my commands. I, the Lord, have spoken.
“Unfaithful people, come back; you belong to me. I will take one of you from each town and two from each clan, and I will bring you back to Mount Zion. I will give you rulers who obey me, and they will rule you with wisdom and understanding. Then when you have become numerous in that land, people will no longer talk about my Covenant Box. They will no longer think about it or remember it; they will not even need it, nor will they make another one. When that time comes, Jerusalem will be called ‘The Throne of the Lord,’ and all nations will gather there to worship me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts tell them. Israel will join with Judah, and together they will come from exile in the country in the north and will return to the land that I gave your ancestors as a permanent possession.”
“Unfaithful people, come back; you belong to me. I will take one of you from each town and two from each clan, and I will bring you back to Mount Zion. I will give you rulers who obey me, and they will rule you with wisdom and understanding. Then when you have become numerous in that land, people will no longer talk about my Covenant Box. They will no longer think about it or remember it; they will not even need it, nor will they make another one. When that time comes, Jerusalem will be called ‘The Throne of the Lord,’ and all nations will gather there to worship me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts tell them. Israel will join with Judah, and together they will come from exile in the country in the north and will return to the land that I gave your ancestors as a permanent possession.”
29.2 God Forgives All Sins
(Isaiah 43:22-25)
The Lord says, “But you were tired of me, Israel;
you did not worship me.
You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you by demanding offerings
or wear you out by asking for incense.
You didn’t buy incense for me or satisfy
me with the fat of your animals.
Instead you burdened me with your sins;
you wore me out with the wrongs you have committed.
And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins,
and I do this because of who I am.
I will not hold your sins against you.
The Lord says, “But you were tired of me, Israel;
you did not worship me.
You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you by demanding offerings
or wear you out by asking for incense.
You didn’t buy incense for me or satisfy
me with the fat of your animals.
Instead you burdened me with your sins;
you wore me out with the wrongs you have committed.
And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins,
and I do this because of who I am.
I will not hold your sins against you.
29.1 God Will Save Even If Only 10 Are Just
(Genesis 18:20-31, 32b)
Then the Lord said to Abraham, “ There are terrible accusations against Sodom and Gomorrah, and their sin is very great. I must go down to find out whether or not the accusations which I have heard are true.”
Then the two men left and went on toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. Abraham approached the Lord and asked, “ Are you really going to destroy the innocent with the guilty? If there are fifty innocent people in the city, will you destroy the whole city? Won’t you spare it in order to save the fifty? Surely you won’t kill the innocent with the guilty. That’s impossible! You can’t do that. If you did, the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That is impossible. The judge of all the earth has to act justly.”
The Lord answered, “If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the whole city for their sake.”
Abraham spoke again: “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. I am only a man and have no right to say anything. But perhaps there will be only forty-five innocent people instead of fifty. Will you destroy the whole city because there are five too few?”
The Lord answered, “I will not destroy the city if I find forty-five innocent people.”
Abraham spoke again: “Perhaps there will be only forty.”
He replied, “I will not destroy if there are forty.”
Abraham said, “Please don’t be angry, Lord, but I must speak again. What if there are only thirty?”
He said, “I will not do if I find thirty.”
Abraham said, “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. Suppose that only twenty are found?”
He said, “I will not destroy the city if I find twenty.”
… “What if only ten are found?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if there are ten.”
Then the two men left and went on toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. Abraham approached the Lord and asked, “ Are you really going to destroy the innocent with the guilty? If there are fifty innocent people in the city, will you destroy the whole city? Won’t you spare it in order to save the fifty? Surely you won’t kill the innocent with the guilty. That’s impossible! You can’t do that. If you did, the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That is impossible. The judge of all the earth has to act justly.”
The Lord answered, “If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the whole city for their sake.”
Abraham spoke again: “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. I am only a man and have no right to say anything. But perhaps there will be only forty-five innocent people instead of fifty. Will you destroy the whole city because there are five too few?”
The Lord answered, “I will not destroy the city if I find forty-five innocent people.”
Abraham spoke again: “Perhaps there will be only forty.”
He replied, “I will not destroy if there are forty.”
Abraham said, “Please don’t be angry, Lord, but I must speak again. What if there are only thirty?”
He said, “I will not do if I find thirty.”
Abraham said, “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. Suppose that only twenty are found?”
He said, “I will not destroy the city if I find twenty.”
… “What if only ten are found?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if there are ten.”
Saturday, January 23, 2010
28.5 Trust In God Alone
(Psalm 62)
I wait patiently for God to save me;
I depend on him alone.
He alone protects and saves me,
He is my defender, and I shall never be defeated.
How much longer will all of you attack a man
who is no stronger than broken-down fence?
You only want to bring him down from his place
of honor;
you take pleasure in lies.
You speak word of blessing,
but in your heart you curse him.
I depend on God alone; I put my hope in him.
He alone protects and saves me; he his my defender,
and I shall never be defeated.
My salvation and honor depend on God;
he is my strong protector; he is my shelter.
Trust in God at all times, my people.
Tell him all your troubles, for he is our refuge.
Men are all like a puff of breath;
great and small alike are worthless.
Put them on scales, and they weigh nothing;
they are lighter than a mere breath.
Don’t put your trust in violence;
don’t hope to gain anything by robbery;
even if your riches increase,
don’t depend on them.
More than once I have heard God say
that power belongs to him
and that his love is constant.
You yourself, O LORD, reward everyone
according to his deeds.
I wait patiently for God to save me;
I depend on him alone.
He alone protects and saves me,
He is my defender, and I shall never be defeated.
How much longer will all of you attack a man
who is no stronger than broken-down fence?
You only want to bring him down from his place
of honor;
you take pleasure in lies.
You speak word of blessing,
but in your heart you curse him.
I depend on God alone; I put my hope in him.
He alone protects and saves me; he his my defender,
and I shall never be defeated.
My salvation and honor depend on God;
he is my strong protector; he is my shelter.
Trust in God at all times, my people.
Tell him all your troubles, for he is our refuge.
Men are all like a puff of breath;
great and small alike are worthless.
Put them on scales, and they weigh nothing;
they are lighter than a mere breath.
Don’t put your trust in violence;
don’t hope to gain anything by robbery;
even if your riches increase,
don’t depend on them.
More than once I have heard God say
that power belongs to him
and that his love is constant.
You yourself, O LORD, reward everyone
according to his deeds.
28.4 Return To Your Redeemer
(Isaiah 44:21-23)
The LORD says, “remember this;
remember that you are my servant.
I created you to be my servant,
and I will never forget you,
I have swept your sins away like a cloud,
Come back to me; I am the one who saves you.”
Shout for joy, you heavens!
Shout, deep places of the earth!
Shout for joy, mountains, and every tree of the forest!
The LORD has shown his greatness
by saving his people Israel.
The LORD says, “remember this;
remember that you are my servant.
I created you to be my servant,
and I will never forget you,
I have swept your sins away like a cloud,
Come back to me; I am the one who saves you.”
Shout for joy, you heavens!
Shout, deep places of the earth!
Shout for joy, mountains, and every tree of the forest!
The LORD has shown his greatness
by saving his people Israel.
28.3 God Is The Only Savior
(Isaiah 43:3-8)
For I am the LORD your God,
the holy God Of Israel, who saves you.
I will Give up Egypt to set you free;
I will give up Sudan and Seba.
I will give up whole nations to save your life,
because your are precious to me
and because I Love you and give you honor.
Do not be afraid- I am with you!
“From the distant east and the farthest west
I will bring your people home.
I will tell the north to let them go
and the south not to hold them back.
Let my people return from distant lands,
from every part of the world.
They are my own people,
and I created them to bring me glory.”
God says, “Summon my people to court.
They have eyes, but they are blind;
they have ears, but they are deaf!”
For I am the LORD your God,
the holy God Of Israel, who saves you.
I will Give up Egypt to set you free;
I will give up Sudan and Seba.
I will give up whole nations to save your life,
because your are precious to me
and because I Love you and give you honor.
Do not be afraid- I am with you!
“From the distant east and the farthest west
I will bring your people home.
I will tell the north to let them go
and the south not to hold them back.
Let my people return from distant lands,
from every part of the world.
They are my own people,
and I created them to bring me glory.”
God says, “Summon my people to court.
They have eyes, but they are blind;
they have ears, but they are deaf!”
28.2 God Saves Us From Pain Or Suffering
(Isaiah 25:1-9)
LORD, you are my God;
I will honor you and praise your name.
You have done amazing things;
you have faithfully carried out
the plans you made long ago.
You have turned cities into ruins
and destroyed their fortifications.
The palaces which our enemies built
are gone forever.
The people of powerful nations will praise you;
you will be feared in the cities of cruel nations.
The poor and the helpless have fled to you
and have been safe in times of trouble.
You give the shelter from storms
and shade from the burning heat.
Cruel men attack like a winter storm,
like drought in dry land.
But you, LORD, have silenced our enemies;
you silence the shouts of cruel men,
as a cloud cools a hot day.
LORD, you are my God;
I will honor you and praise your name.
You have done amazing things;
you have faithfully carried out
the plans you made long ago.
You have turned cities into ruins
and destroyed their fortifications.
The palaces which our enemies built
are gone forever.
The people of powerful nations will praise you;
you will be feared in the cities of cruel nations.
The poor and the helpless have fled to you
and have been safe in times of trouble.
You give the shelter from storms
and shade from the burning heat.
Cruel men attack like a winter storm,
like drought in dry land.
But you, LORD, have silenced our enemies;
you silence the shouts of cruel men,
as a cloud cools a hot day.
Here on Mount Zion the LORD Almighty will prepare a banquet for all the nations of the world- a banquet of the richest food and the finest wine. Here he will suddenly remove the cloud of sorrow that has been hanging over all the nations. The sovereign LORD will destroy death forever! He will wipe away the tears from everyone’s eyes and take away the disgrace his people have suffered throughout the world. The LORD himself has spoken.
When it happens, everyone will say, “He is our God! We have put our trust in him, and he has rescued us. He is the LORD! We have put our trust in him, and now we are happy and joyful because he has saved us.”
When it happens, everyone will say, “He is our God! We have put our trust in him, and he has rescued us. He is the LORD! We have put our trust in him, and now we are happy and joyful because he has saved us.”
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