LHC Midday Word

Friday, 17 September 2021

The Book of ISAIAH - Chapter Fifty Seven

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.

Those who walk uprightly

enter into peace;

they find rest as they lie in death.

‘But you – come here, you children of a sorceress,

you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!

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?

You burn with lust among the oaks

and under every spreading tree;

you sacrifice your children in the ravines

and under the overhanging crags.

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?

You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;

there you went up to offer your sacrifices.

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.

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!

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.

‘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?

I will expose your righteousness

and your works,

and they will not benefit you.

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.’

Comfort for the contrite

And it will be said:

‘Build up, build up, prepare the road!

Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.’

For this is what the high and exalted One says –

he who lives for ever, 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.

I will not accuse them for ever,

nor will I always be angry,

for then they would faint away because of me –

the very people I have created.

I was enraged by their sinful greed;

I punished them, and hid my face in anger,

yet they kept on in their wilful ways.

I have seen their ways, but I will heal them;

I will guide them

and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners,

creating praise on their lips.

Peace, peace, to those far and near,’

says the Lord. ‘And I will heal them.’

But the wicked are like the tossing sea,

which cannot rest,

whose waves cast up mire and mud.

‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Isaiah 57: “pondered” (v.11)

Pointed questions will often make us really think, think before (rather than after) we’ve done something totally foolish and self-destructive. God asks through Isaiah, “whom have you so dreaded … you have … neither remembered me nor pondered this in your hearts?” (v.11). A follow-up question offers one reason, “is it not because I have long been silent?” Silence isn’t golden, it’s a formula for error. when we use our own judgement alone, making spontaneous or impetuous choices, or just drifting into them. ‘Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.’

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READING

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The Book of ISAIAH- Chapter 57

- Read by David Suchet -

STUDY

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ISAIAH 57-Bible Study

Part 1

https://youtu.be/JhvnJMoFsWE

Part 2

https://youtu.be/wDRDJRfd00U

TEACHINGS

-=-=-

The Book of ISAIAH

Part 1 by David Pawson

https://youtu.be/XqNzGrYbFWg

The Book of ISAIAH

Part 2 by David Pawson

https://youtu.be/1VLLZ_6ZjiE

OVERVIEWS

-=-=-

ISAIAH Chapter 1 to 39

- Overview -

The Bible Project

https://youtu.be/d0A6Uchb1F8

ISAIAH Chapter 40 - 66

- Overview

The Bible Project

https://youtu.be/_TzdEPuqgQg

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Thursday, 16 September 2021

The Book of ISAIAH - Chapter Fifty Six

Salvation for Others

This is what the Lord says:

“Maintain justice

and do what is right,

for my salvation is close at hand

and my righteousness will soon be revealed.

Blessed is the one who does this—

the person who holds it fast,

who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it,

and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”

Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say,

“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”

And let no eunuch complain,

“I am only a dry tree.”

For this is what the Lord says:

“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,

who choose what pleases me

and hold fast to my covenant—

to them I will give within my temple

and its wall a memorial and a name

better than sons and daughters;

I will give them an everlasting name

that will endure forever.

And foreigners who bind themselves

to the Lord to minister to him,

to love the name of the Lord,

and to be his servants,

all who keep the Sabbath

without desecrating it

and who hold fast to my covenant—

these I will bring to my holy mountain

and give them joy in my house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices

will be accepted on my altar;

for my house will be called

a house of prayer for all nations.”

The Sovereign Lord declares—

he who gathers the exiles of Israel:

“I will gather still others to them

besides those already gathered.”

God’s Accusation Against the Wicked

Come, all you beasts of the field,

come and devour,

all you beasts of the forest!

Israel’s watchmen are blind,

they all lack knowledge;

they are all mute dogs,

they cannot bark;

they lie around and dream,

they love to sleep.

They are dogs with mighty appetites;

they never have enough.

They are shepherds

who lack understanding;

they all turn to their own way,

they seek their own gain.

“Come,” each one cries,

“let me get wine!

Let us drink our fill of beer!

And tomorrow will be like today,

or even far better.”

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Isaiah 56: “bound” (v.3)

It’s one thing for a person to be “bound”, and another entirely to have “bound himself” (v.3) [i.e. freely and voluntarily]. There is no virtue in being forced to be and behave rightly; what counts is making the correct choice. It’s true as well that for some such a decision is difficult. For a “foreigner” [i.e. an outsider] to commit to God is a lot harder than for someone brought up to honour him. Realise joining an organisation is merely horizontal, but one needs to link oneself vertically.

Folk need to “bind themselves to the Lord” (v.6) – that’s the real deal!

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The Book of ISAIAH- Chapter 56

- Read by David Suchet -

-=-

ISAIAH Chapter 1 to 39

- Overview -

The Bible Project

https://youtu.be/d0A6Uchb1F8

ISAIAH Chapter 40 - 66

- Overview

The Bible Project

https://youtu.be/_TzdEPuqgQg

STUDY - LINKS

-=-=-

The Book of ISAIAH

Part 1 by David Pawson

https://youtu.be/XqNzGrYbFWg

The Book of ISAIAH

Part 2 by David Pawson

https://youtu.be/1VLLZ_6ZjiE

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Wednesday, 15 September 2021

The Book of ISAIAH - Chapter Fifty Five

Invitation to the Thirsty

“Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and you will delight in the richest of fare.

Give ear and come to me;

listen, that you may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

my faithful love promised to David.

See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

a ruler and commander of the peoples.

Surely you will summon nations you know not,

and nations you do not know

will come running to you,

because of the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel,

for he has endowed you with splendor.”

Seek the Lord while he may be found;

call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways

and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let them turn to the Lord,

and he will have mercy on them,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower

and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

will clap their hands.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord’s renown,

for an everlasting sign,

that will endure forever.”

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Isaiah 55: “satisfy?” (v.2)

We’ve all heard the old saying ‘money can’t buy happiness.’ We know it’s true, but act as if it weren’t. God speaks to us through Isaiah, asking us these searching questions: “why spend money on what is not bread (i.e. things that feed neither body nor soul), and your labour on what does not satisfy?” (v.2). They leave us feeling empty, don’t they? But what’s the free alternative? “Come, all you who are thirsty” (v.1). If I do, what’s on offer? “Waters [slaking thirst] … wine [giving joy] and milk” [feeding]. And it’s “without cost”! Satisfactory?

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The Book of ISAIAH- Chapter 55

- Read by David Suchet -