Tuesday, September 04, 2018

2018.09.04 Hopewell @Home ▫ Isaiah 35

Questions for Littles: What will happen to the wilderness, wasteland, and desert for God’s people (v1-2)? What ultimate glory and excellency will they see (v2)? What should His people do while they wait (v3-4)? Who will come with a vengeance? What will He do to His people? How does He describe this salvation in terms of their eyes (v5)? Their ears? Their ability to walk (v6)? Their tongue? Into this picture of new life from v7, what do we see appear in v8? What is the highway called? Who cannot pass over it? What will not be there (v9)? But who will walk there? What will the ransomed be doing as they return to Zion (v10)?  What will be on their heads? What will they obtain? What will flee away?
This week’s Call to Worship, Invocation, and Confession of sin came from Isaiah 35.

This chapter uses colorful imagery to describe the salvation that Jesus Christ brings to His people.

Surely, without Him, it feels like we are in a wilderness, a wasteland, a desert of parched ground. But once His salvation is completed in and for us, we shall find that He has made our experience one of eternal, lush, vibrant life.

Surely, without His Spirit, we are blind, deaf, lame, and mute. Is this not the great reason for Jesus performing miracles on such physically afflicted people during His earthly ministry? He was declaring Himself to be the Savior-Redeemer-God of Isaiah 35. Therefore, He points to these exact things, when John the Baptizer’s disciples come and ask if He is the Christ. Only Christ adds, “and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”

Look at the reward that He has in store for us—to be perfectly safe forever, to view the glory and excellency of our God, to have only singing and joy and never sighing or sorrow!

Therefore, we heed the instruction in vv3-4. Trusting in Him, and knowing that He will finish His work, we strengthen the weak hands and straighten the wobbly knees, and determine to be strong and not fear.

Our God will surely save us, and bring us into everlasting life and joy!!
In what current situation do you need to remember that Jesus is saving you?
Suggested songs: ARP16A “Keep Me, O God” or TPH170 “God in the Gospel of His Son”

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