Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

December 21
Friday



GOD'S
SURPRISING
ANSWER

READ:
Isaiah 42:1-9
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Oh, that You would
rend the heavens! That
You would come down!
__ Isaiah 6:4:1
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Rend the heavens!" and "come down!" pleaded the prophet Isaiah. Make Your name known by making the mountains shake and the nations tremble, he advised the Lord (Isa. 64:1-3).

Isaiah wanted God to behave as He had in the past. Recalling the Scripture about God's visit with Moses on Mt. Sinai, Isaiah longed for a repeat performance.

But God had already told Isaiah that He would be doing something new. "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them" (42:9).

The "something new" was Jesus! God did indeed come down. But not in Isaiah's lifetime. And not in the dramatic fashion he longed for. "He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nort cause His voice to be heard in the street" (42:2). He came in the unassuming form of an infant.

Many of us can remember a situation when God was amazingly timely in His response to our need. Like Isaiah, we want God to do the same thing again. But perhaps He has something else in mind. As you celebrate God's humble descent to earth, be aware that He came to change our hearts, not just our circumstances. __ Julie Ackerman Link
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~God's answer wasn't detected~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~When Jesus came to earth,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~For no one had expected~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~A Child of lowly birth. __ D. De Haan~~~~~~~~~~
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God's answers to our prayers may exceed
our expectations.

***************Today's Bible Reading __ Isaiah 42:1-9*************

1 "Behold! My Servant
whom I uphold, My Elect
One in whom My soul
delights! I have put My
spirit up Him; He will
bring forth justice to the
Gentiles. 2 He will not cry
out, nor raise His voice, nor
cause His voice to be heard
in the street. 3 a bruised
reed He will not break, and
smoking flax He will not
quench; He will bring forth
justice for truth. 4 He will
not fail nor be discouraged,
till He has established
justice in the earth; and the
coastlands shall wait for
His law."

5 Thus says God the LORD,
who created the heavens
and stretched them out, who
spread forth the earth and
that which comes from it,
who gives breath to the
people on it, and spirit to
those who walk on it; 6 "I,
the LORD, have called YOU
in righteousness, and will
hold Your hand; I will keep
You and give You as a
covenant to the people, as a
light to the Gentiles, 7 to
open blind eyes, to bring
out prisoners from the
prison, those who sit in
darkness from the prison
house.

8 "I am the LORD, that is
My name; and My glory I
will not give to another, nor
My praise to carved images.

9 Behold, the former things
have come to pass, and new
things I declare; before they
spring forth I tell you of
them."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Isaiah 42:1-9 is the first of four passages in Isaiah (42:1-9; 49:1-13;
50:4-11; 52:13-53:12) known as the "Servant Songs" because they
deal with a "servant of the Lord." Bible scholars say that "servant"
refers first to the nation of Israel and also prophetically to the
Messiah. __ SKT