Thursday, January 14, 2016

THE MAN OF SORROWS

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 53-54

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

The sun casting a shadow of a cross inside the ruins of the ancient Colosseum in Rome. A cross, the instrument used throughout the ancient Roman Empire for the most painful and gruesome form of capital punishment ever devised by man, became the greatest symbol of hope and eternal life.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verses: Isaiah 53:6

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

 

Chapter 53 should be read two or more times today in a quiet and reflective atmosphere. It would be good to back up to 52:13-15 for today’s reading. When the chapters divisions were chosen to make it easier to find specific Scriptures, they could have started Chapter 53 three sentences earlier with the words about the One Whose “Visage was marred more than any man.” There are 41 personal pronouns, “He” and “Him.” “He” is the subject of our attention. The object of God’s plan of Salvation is “Him.” One might almost think that Isaiah was standing there with Mary, Peter, John and the others at the foot of the cross, but Isaiah’s description of events was written hundreds of years earlier, long before crucifixion was used as a means of prolonged dying and death. Meditate on those pronouns! A pronoun takes the place of a noun. A noun is the name of a person, place or thing. A personal pronoun takes the place of a person. Ask the question: “What person’s name, of all people who ever lived, could be put there in place of those pronouns?” If our answer is “Jesus,” then let us read this powerful prophecy by substituting “Jesus” for each pronoun. For example, 53:5, “Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, Jesus was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Jesus, and by Jesus’ stripes we are healed.”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

O Lord Jesus! O my Saviour and Lord Jesus! I give You all of me once again. I am not my own. You have purchased me with the blood of Your suffering! Fill me with as much of Your passion as You know I can bear. May I never be so selfish as to keep this to myself. Please equip me, Lord Jesus, with a greater passion for lost people for whom You “were led as a lamb to the slaughter” and for whom You were “numbered with the transgressors,” bearing all our sins. In Your Name (His name stands for all He is and has done) I pray. Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I’ve just read Acts 8:26-39. It was Isaiah 53 that brought this treasurer of the Queen of Ethiopia to Jesus. The “pronouns” of Isaiah brought a Jewish medical doctor to Jesus. He was first violinist in a symphony orchestra. The full story is in the book, This Far By Faith (pages 113-116). If you don’t have this volume containing powerful stories of God’s love and grace, click here for ordering information. I had the privilege of teaching public school as an 18 year old. I would visit the homes of my students and ask if I could read Isaiah 53 and have prayer with them. I was never turned down. I could hardly see the keys of my computer through my tears as I typed the first part of this blog. I’m gaining my composure now, and I realize that I’ve not mentioned our other chapter in today’s reading. Here is the prophecy of the “children of the desolate” (that’s us, the Church). The “married woman” to whom Isaiah refers is Israel (Isaiah 54:1). Both the Church (made up of Jews and Gentiles) and Israel have glorious futures under the rule of Messiah!

Yours for sharing Jesus, the Name to which the personal pronouns of Isaiah refer,

David

P.S. The centrepiece in The Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem is Isaiah 53 from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Isaiah was the only book of the Bible found complete in those scrolls, which were stored in clay jars and hidden in caves along the shores of the Dead Sea before the birth of Jesus! They were found by an Arab shepherd boy in 1948. How special is that?! Would you agree that God wants this message communicated to the whole world? Check out “Crossroads 360.com” with lots of videos that share Jesus in very creative ways. It is amazing to think that this content is available to at least 4 billion people all over the world. About 4,000 videos are there and searchable by some 250 topics.

10 thoughts on “Thursday, January 14, 2016

  1. Oh, amen for Isaiah and his book of prophetic scriptures, buried in clay jars and found in tact in the Dead Sea Scrolls! Today’s reading, your message, and links to scripture was amazing, David–so in love with the Word, this morning! The caption under today’s photo says it all: “A cross, the instrument used throughout the ancient Roman Empire for the most painful and gruesome form of capital punishment ever devised by man, became the greatest symbol of hope and eternal life.” The paradox of greatness being manifested from evil brings glory to our God. Isai 54:17: “‘No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.” 53:5: “Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, Jesus was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Jesus, and by Jesus’ stripes we are healed.” All praise to You, our everlasting King, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen, amen, and amen! Blessings fellow saints and may angels be with all, affected by the blanket of snow.

    Thank You Lord, For Saving My Soul, JSM © Clips by JoVie DiNo Jansen 2014
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t2zK2LaPRk

  2. God planned the Dead Sea Scrolls; the writing of them, keeping them safe and then a shepherd boy finding them at a certain time which God planned! I believe this is a miracle!
    God bless everyone, I pray thankfulness for healing for all those who have had surgeries. I also pray that everyone has a very good day! AMEN

  3. I don’t pay much attention to prophecies that are predicted in todays’ times. I am ready to receive the second coming of my Lord at any time. It may be in my lifetime here on planet Earth or it may not. Only God knows when…

    Having said that however, I deeply value old testament prophecy in which there is no doubt about it’s interpretation. Isaiah 53 is such a prophecy.

    Have a great day blog friends in Christ. God Bless

  4. Four years ago, my husband Richard went to Heaven. About three weeks after he left, I was up pacing the floor in the bedroom, crying out to God…”Oh Lord, what am I going to do now, without him?” I opened my Bible and my eyes fell on Isaish 54. What a comfort! What a God we serve! Just when I needed His strength, His promise, He provided! He is my all!

  5. What a tremendous picture!!! thank you Reynold!!!!

    He was despised!! He was wounded!! He was rejected!! YET We esteemed Him not…JESUS took it all for us, because of HIS GREAT LOVE FOR US!!! ALL our transgressions!! ALL our in iniquities!! ALL our diseases!!
    HE REDEEMED IT ALL!!! JESUS SET US FREE!!! HE SET US FREE TO RUN TO HIM; TO THE FATHER: HE SET US FREE TO DANCE, TO LOVE HIM; HE HAS ENGRAVED US ON THE PALM OF HIS HAND!!
    WE CAN GO ON AND ON…HE DID IT ALL FOR US, BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE!!!
    HOW AMAZING, ALL WE HAVE TO RECEIVE IT!!!
    THANK YOU, THANK YOU, JESUS!!!! LORD OF ALL AND KING OF KINGS!!!! MY REDEEMER!!!
    Chorus from the song “Calvary Covers It all!” “Calvary covers it all, my past with its sin and stain; my guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there, and Calvary covers it all”!!! Amen and Amen!!!

  6. Thank You Jesus. Praise You Mighty God. Thank You for miracles, especially the Bible. I pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and that You will select and send labourers into the many diverse fields. Amen.

  7. I have a very similar picture in my files which inspired this poem.It is not one of my favorites:
    A Shadow Cross

    As the sunlight on the Cross reveals,
    There is a ‘shadow cross’ that conceals
    The reverse of our Savior’s ideals,
    Where Satan blinds with what he steals.

    Satan’s cross will be inverted,
    And hidden in truth are evil lies,
    To make fools of those he’s perverted,
    Bu using truth as sin’s disguise.

    What may appear right unto a man,
    May be against God’s holy plan,
    For Satan deceives where’er he can,
    As was his plan since time began.

    So,as the sun’s light reveals deceit,
    Know the Son’s light is true and replete
    With a love that does not know conceit,
    Like the demon who will deplete.

    The holy Cross is in rock so strong,
    Unlike the shadow that sins prolong,
    Where you are led down a path so wrong
    Instead to His home where you belong.
    G W(Bill) Marshall / January 14, 2014

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