TOPIC: God Will Distinguish The Righteous From The Wicked
OPENING PRAYER: Grant me depth of insight, revelation and knowledge as I meditate on this passage, O Lord.
SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 57:1-21
1 The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.
2 Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!
4 Who are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not a brood of rebels, the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your children in the ravines and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion; indeed, they are your lot. Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings and offered grain offerings. In view of all this, should I relent?
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; there you went up to offer your sacrifices.
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love, and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.
9 You went to Molek with olive oil and increased your perfumes. You sent your ambassadors far away; you descended to the very realm of the dead!
10 You wearied yourself by such going about, but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’ You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint.
11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have not been true to me, and have neither remembered me nor taken this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But whoever takes refuge in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.”
14 And it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”
15 For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of me— the very people I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways.
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners,
19 creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the LORD. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud.
21 “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Question(s) for Reflection
* Q 1: What does the passage teach about God the Father, or God the Son or God the Holy Spirit?
* Q2: Is there any example for me to follow or not to follow?
* Q5: Is there any warning for me to heed?
We can all remember righteous people, some of them our loved ones, who, in our own estimation died too early. How does vs.1-2 speak to us about this (cf. Philippians 1:21-23)? God deliberately took away some righteous people in Israel so that they would not experience God’s judgment on the nation. Similarly, He will take the righteous away in rapture before the final judgment on the world.
In vs.3-13a, God rebuked Israel for their sins. Go through these verses again and carefully identify the sins of Israel. What do these mean for us today? V.3 is a summary of Israel’s sin. They committed spiritual adultery, turning away from God to worthless idols and engaging in abominable practices (vs.4-7), c (v.8), and trusting in idols rather than in God (vs.9-10). Aren’t we also guilty of all these?
What do vs.13b-19 teach us about the character of God? God punishes but not forever (v.16). He distinguishes, forgives, restores, and heals the repentant and abides with the humble (vs.15, 18-19). But the wicked will not have peace, no matter how prosperous they are in worldly wealth (vs.20-21).
Practice/Word Application
And so? True righteousness is more than the things we do outwardly, it is about the nature of our hearts and our priorities. How is your heart? What are your priorities?
* Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, let my daily priority be to live for you and your glory. Grant me permanent deliverance from all modern idols that are competing for attention with you in my heart.
Offer a prayer of faith in line with Romans 8:32
One Year Bible Reading Plan Daily Bible Reading Plan: Day 134 – Psalms 32, 51, 86, 122
NATIONAL PRAYER BULLETIN Mon May 13, 2024
PRAYER FOCUS
SU FAMILY WEEK STARTS TODAY
‘All your children shall be taught by the Lord…’
Isaiah 54:13
THANK GOD FOR:
* Raising godly families to represent him in this perverse generation.
* The love, peace and unity we enjoy in our families.
PRAY FOR:
* Families where Jesus is both Lord and teacher.
* The healing of our families by God’s word, and for our children to learn to serve the Lord in spirit and truth.
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