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Comprehending The “ will of god”. It is amazing and we should be in awe !. MANY TREAT GOD AS POWERLESS & UNIMPORTANT. Isaiah is reminding the nation that he will bring them down as a result of their unwillingness to serve him
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Comprehending The“will of god” It is amazing and we should be in awe!
MANY TREAT GOD AS POWERLESS & UNIMPORTANT • Isaiah is reminding the nation that he will bring them down as a result of their unwillingness to serve him • Isa 17:7-10 In that day a man will look to his Maker, And his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel. 8 He will not look to the altars, The work of his hands; He will not respect what his fingers have made, Nor the wooden images nor the incense altars. 9 In that day his strong cities will be as a forsaken bough And an uppermost branch, Which they left because of the children of Israel; And there will be desolation. 10 Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation,
God KNOWS man WELL • Jer 1:4-5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." • How can this be? • God’s infinite power allows him to know all about each of us
God looks into the heart • 1 Sam 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." • While man spends his time trying to figure out what each other is doing and is thinking, God already knows all about us and even what is going on in our minds.
From Dealing Directlywith heads of families • God’s plan was to go through Moses and the prophets • Why? His plan was to send Christ through the tribe of Judah as a fulfillment of his promise to Abraham • Gen 22:18-19 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." • God works through the decedents of Abraham but all nations will benefit from God’s plan to send his only son.
Gods Plan is Not derailed • Abraham’s decedents' do not continue to follow God as he had directed them. They instead served idols. • Did this change God’s plan? No, it just caused more grief and bitterness to encompass his people and cause them to go through much heartache and anguish. • God’s plan is carried out just as he had intended with the exception, that many Jews died during this time being eliminated from the promise
God’s Plan was Still in focus • If it were totally up to many of the Jews, God would not have sent his Son to save them or the Gentiles from their sinful past. • In spite of their arrogance, wickedness and rebellion against him, God’s love abounded not just to them but to all mankind • God’s plan to send his son to die for their sins had not been abandoned, like his own people had abandoned him. • God’s promise to Abraham would certainly be fulfilled in Christ.
God Sends John First • Matt 3:1-3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.'" • John would prepare their minds to accept God’s Son Jesus
If the Jews would listen • Matt 3:7-11 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. • The leaders of the Jews reject the teachings of John the Baptist
Christ came as a servant • Acts 3:13-16 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. • Some Jews did accept Jesus but the majority did not
Jesus came to his own • Mark 6:4-6 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. • Jesus loved them and wanted to save them but they said no!
Jesus Pleaded with them • Matt 23:37-39 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" • If they had only believed God and prepared their hearts to obey
Their hearts hardened • John 12:40-41 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.“ 41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. • Hardened hearts are the ruin of many people, I know Jesus was very disappointed in his people but be assured it did not change the fact that he was going to see this through for those who would accept him.
God’s Will, “will be done” • Matt 5:18-20 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus encourages us • Matt 7:7-12 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!