"An Old Testament Gospel" May 25 Readings: Isaiah 54-59

 

Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022

This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened." Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT. 

Bible Readings: Isaiah 54-59   

Background:   

The entire prophecy of Isaiah is filled with messianic prophecies, verses that are familiar because they are applied to our Lord and Savior in the New Testament. Isaiah 7's "Immanuel" prophecy. Isaiah 9 and the names of Jesus. Dozens of others.

But the pinnacle, perhaps, is reached in chapters 52 and 53, which give a remarkable prophecy of the death of Christ by crucifixion. Chapters 55-56, our readings for today, continue this theme by emphasizing, in a prophetic way, some of the elements of the gospel.

Daily Devotional: An Old Testament Gospel 

While the full glory of salvation by grace through in Jesus Christ is not revealed until the New Testament, and its full-orbed glory awaits the treatments of Paul in Romans, Galatians, Ephesians and other such passages, there are foundational passages in the Old Testament that lay a firm foundation on which the New Testament doctrine is built. Of course, yesterday's reading of the "Suffering Servant" is as plain as it gets, but as we read chapters 55 and 56 through the lens of the New Testament gospel, we can see a great and precious cornerstone for the gospel.

Isaiah 55:1 speaks to the principle of grace.

“Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!”

The root of the gospel is the recognition of sin. Jesus said that it was the poor in spirit who would be blessed. To experience the goodness of God, we must recognize our sin, our absolute inability to provide our own spiritual sustenance. We must recognize our thirst and hunger for God and come to him for what only he can give. 

This is a beautiful picture of grace. We buy what we need to survive, but we buy it "without cost." That which we need for righteousness and eternal life is ours in Christ - and it doesn't cost us a thing. Why? Because "Jesus paid it all!"

Verses 6 and 7 are an OT invitation. 

Seek the Lord while he may be found;

    call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake his way,

    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Throughout the New Testament, sinners are admonished to do two things - repent and believe. Here, sinful Israel is called on to seek God with all their hearts and to abandon their sin in repentance. Whether for sinners coming to faith in Christ or for believers who are seeking greater intimacy, repentance is a necessary part of the process of seeking God. 

The proverb says that there is a way that seems right to a man, but it ends in death. It seems to us that we should earn the favor of God, that our good works should contribute to things. We have all sorts of human assumptions about the way of the world that we make. But Isaiah 55:8-9 (one of my favorite passages) says, 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God is smarter than we are and has designed a system of salvation and sanctification based on his logic, not ours. My destiny is not based on my good works (or sins) as I naturally think it should be, but only on the grace of God, who does for me what I cannot do for myself. 

There is one more part of this passage we need to remember, extending to tomorrow's reading. Isaiah 56:10, which reveals the heart of God. 

“This is because my Temple will be called 

    a house for prayer for people from all nations.”

God's work in us always has an international focus. He saves us because of his love for us, but also because of his love for the entire world. The temple was supposed to be a house of prayer, but not just for me and mine - for the NATIONS! God has his eyes on the world. And our lives, redeemed and sanctified by the grace of God are called to reflect God's heart for the whole world. 

Father, I thank you that I am saved by your grace and made holy in it. May I live by your wisdom and let my life be a beacon to the world. 

Consider God's Word:

Have you received Christ as the Savior and Lord of your life?
If you have, give thanks for all that Christ has done for you.