The Lord is Our God
Isaiah 41:8-10, 17-20
SS Lesson for 12/12/2010
Devotional Scripture: Heb 8:6-12
The major outline of the lesson came from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator. This week's lesson affirms that The Lord is Our God. The study's aim is to study how the work of the Lord brings assurance to His people. The study's application is to know that God always strengthens and provides for us and will never fail us.
Unneeded Gifts
Buying gifts for friends and family can be an unwelcome chore. Why is this? At least one reason is that we dislike giving a gift that may end up being unappreciated. When a gift fails to please its recipient, we feel we have wasted our time, money, and effort. Worse, we may feel that rejection of a gift is, in a small way, a rejection of us. I have a tongue-in-cheek personal rule for this: if I do not know what to get someone, I get something I like. That way, at least one person will like the gift! I learned this as a youngster from my friend Mike. He did not know what to get his sister for Christmas one year, so he gave her a left-handed baseball mitt he really liked. It helped that Mike was the only leftie in his family and that his sister didn’t play baseball. He knew that at least one person would use that gift! On the other side, we have all received unneeded gifts. A man might get another tie when he already has dozens. A woman might receive another kitchen gadget to add to her drawerful. The Bible teaches that our God is a giving God, and his gifts are never unneeded. They might be unwanted or underappreciated, but not unneeded. God is the giver of all good and perfect gifts (James 1:17). If we do not want or appreciate what God gives us, the problem lies with us, not with the gift. In today’s lesson, Isaiah presents this giving side of God in a twofold way. He sees God as the one who gives us a role, a task; in this, God gives purpose to our lives. Isaiah also sees God as the one who gives us the resources to fulfill our roles. He is both sustainer and provider for those who serve him. He is our Lord and Master, the one whom we serve. But he is also our source, the rock that anchors and supports us (Psalm 18:2).
Lesson Background
Isaiah’s ministry as a prophet of the Lord lasted more than 40 years. He prophesied under at least four kings of Judah (Isaiah 1:1). This was a period in Israel’s history dominated by the Assyrian menace from the north. Assyrian activities during Isaiah’s lifetime included an invasion in about 740 BC (2 Kings 15:19). Assyria eventually destroyed the northern kingdom, Israel, in 722 BC and deported her people (15:29). Jerusalem itself was threatened by the Assyrians, surviving only because of God’s miraculous rescue in 701 BC (19:36). The second half of the book of Isaiah, from chapter 40 onward, has the perspective of a nation that has been through terrible crisis and yet survived. The southern kingdom, Judah, knew what could happen because she had seen her sister nation to the north, Israel, wiped off the map. Judah had experienced the terror of foreign invasion firsthand. In this context, Isaiah began to reveal the future that God had planned for the nation of Judah. (Note: Sometimes the Bible uses the term Israel to refer to the totality of the Jewish people, and sometimes it uses Israel to refer only to the northern kingdom as distinct from the southern kingdom, Judah. Context usually makes clear which usage is intended.)
The Hebrew prophets were a diverse group. Some, like Amos, had no professional credentials—he was a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit (Amos 7:14-15). Others, like Isaiah, may have been of noble birth. Isaiah's ministry lasted some fifty years, preaching during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Tradition says he was sawed in half by King Manasseh (cf. Heb. 11:37). While all prophets spoke the word of God, some did more than their share of foretelling the future. This included both the immediate future and events that would relate to the coming Saviour. Not only did Isaiah denounce the sins of his day; he also foresaw the return of the Jews from Babylon, the suffering of the Messiah (Isa. 53), and the promise of "new heavens and a new earth" (65:17). While the prophets were to preach against the evils of their nation, they were also called upon to proclaim hope to those who were suffering. Hence, Isaiah continued to offer hope to those who would eventually return from the Captivity. Most of those who have had firsthand experience with other cultures or have had the opportunity to observe the worship of other religions will tell you that those practices of worship pertain to a god who is distant and has to be appeased in many ways. The God of the Bible, on the other hand, feels with us and desires to give us everything He has to offer to encourage and help us be more like Him. Our lesson this week shows us that our God truly wants us to know that when we have Him with us, we will never be disappointed. Throughout the Bible, God seeks to show us who He is. We often hear the comment "We all worship the same God." But that is not true. The character of the God of the Bible is very different from that of the gods of those who do not worship the God of the Bible. In our lesson this week, God wants us to see who He really is and continues to offer us the comfort that only He can give us.
(Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV)
8 "But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend.
9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." 18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
11 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah — how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"? 4 And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
5 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
9 There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. 2 For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.
10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
4 So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.
8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
15 You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, 16 to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it.
15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,
10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
28 For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
14 For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.
23 If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
116 Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
17 "The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18 I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water.
19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, The myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine And the box tree together,
20 That they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the Lord has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it.
22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him.
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
9 Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
14 "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.
In 1884, General William T. Sherman was being considered as a possible U.S. presidential candidate. This veteran of America’s Civil War had no interest in this, knowing that he had neither the skills nor the temperament to be a successful politician. Thus Sherman famously declared that if drafted, he would not run; if nominated, he would not accept; if elected, he would not serve. Sherman understood better than some of his contemporaries that election to public office was accompanied with the expectation of competent service. That was an era where some understood it differently. Many who were elected or appointed to office viewed it as an opportunity to enrich themselves through graft and other corrupt practices. They acted as if they were elected to be served. The ancient Israelites occupied a special place in God’s plans. They were intended to provide the moral and religious foundation for God’s revelation of his Messiah. The nation was to show the world that there is one God, not many. They were to be examples of service to the one true God. The record in this regard was mixed. There were kings like Hezekiah who “did what was right” (2 Kings 18:3), but there were many kings like Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, who “did evil” (2 Kings 21:2). Kings in the latter category forgot the covenant that Israel had with God. We, today, as the chosen people of God also have a covenant with him. This is the new covenant of grace and salvation purchased by the blood of Jesus our Savior. He has promised to protect and empower his people. Our status should not be abused. It should result in yielding to God’s will and serving him.
Our text for this week is found in the context of the continuation of Isaiah's very long, final section, much of which deals with the coming of Messiah. This final section stretches from the beginning of chapter 40 to the end of the book (cf. 66:24). Our text specifically appears just following the prophecy about the mighty conqueror from the East (whom most biblical scholars identify as the Persian king Cyrus), whose armies have been granted virtual invincibility by the Lord Himself so that they might become His instrument of wrath to bring judgment upon all the lands that the Lord deemed ripe for it and deliverance for His people. Isaiah paints a rather tragic as well as a comical picture of all the other nations of the earth as they prepare for this conqueror's coming. Even though they are terrified and sense their own doom hanging in the air about them, they bravely reassure themselves, seeking comfort by having their craftsmen hurry and bustle at the business of making new idols for them to worship (cf. 41:7). We can sense the Lord's amusement at their futile efforts. They are merely heaping up ever higher the mountain of sin that has prompted their judgment in the first place! Their lack of understanding is astounding—but also, sadly, common among the human race. They seek solace in the very things that will eventually bring about their destruction. Then the Lord's attention is fully turned toward the plight of His covenant people (cf. Isa. 41:8-20). He makes it plain that His relationship with them is not like His relationship with the idolaters. The Lord is the Champion and Defender of His people. He will not allow them to be conquered and humiliated like the idolaters. Instead, they have nothing to fear as long as they trust and serve Him only. Through Isaiah, God declares His special presence with those who are faithful to Him (Isa. 41:10). They have no reason to fear the enemy who lays waste the nations around them; His people do not need to feel desperate, resorting to the worship of idols. Their God is not some impotent, silent stone or woodcarving. No! Their God is living, all-powerful, and mighty in battle on His people's behalf! Their God does not abandon His own (cf. Isa. 41:11-13). He is faithful to the people He has chosen to be His own special treasure. For His people's sake He will confound and put to shame any enemy who stands against them. The Lord will slaughter their enemies before they can harm His people; none of them will be found alive. Their devastation will be complete! Today, no matter what you are tempted to fear—hostile enemies, economic collapse, sickness, loss of employment, or even death itself—the Lord is with you. You need not be beset with panic or confusion. Rest your soul in the Lord's presence; call upon His name and mighty power to save. He has not abandoned you. He will not ignore your cries. He will graciously aid you in your trouble, grant you His special peace and assurance, and uphold you by the strength of His power.
1. When God chooses a people, He remains loyal to them to the end (Isa. 41:8)
2. God always keeps His promises and His people (Isa. 41:8-9; cf. Gen. 12:1-3; Deut. 7:6)
3. The answer to fear is to focus on the promises of God and not on our circumstances (Isa. 41:10)
4. God provides for all mankind but especially for those who recognize themselves as poor and needy (Isa. 41:17; Matt. 5:3)
5. Whatever we need, our omnipotent God can do (Isa. 41:18)
6. God's miraculous acts are meant to draw us to His glory and majesty (vs. 19-20)
At all times, but especially when times are difficult, God's people can experience His amazing comfort. This is so in part because of God's possessive nature. This week's lesson text highlights God's jealous, possessive character in relation to His people, Israel. During a difficult time in their history as a nation, God reminded His people through Isaiah the prophet that they were His unique, singular possession.
In many secular contexts, the concept of servanthood is denigrated. Servants are considered lowly, second-class individuals whose sole purpose in life is to meet the needs of another individual. In God's economy, though, the concept of servanthood is elevated to a dignified and exalted position. Israel was handpicked by God to be His peculiar possession. Israel was God's choice, and He exerted tremendous energy to unify His people into a singular nation for the purpose of glorifying His name. As a result, Israel was commanded to put aside her fears and receive God's enabling strength that He freely gives to all who trust and follow Him. There is a dark film available for putting on glass that is used to cover the inside of windows. The effect of this light-absorbing covering is that people looking out the window from the inside can see everything, while people outside the window cannot see anything that is inside. Scripture reveals to us that God always sees His children and cares for us even though we cannot see Him (cf. Ps. 34:15). Nothing escapes His attention. He is patiently waiting for His children to come to Him in trusting faith and enjoy His marvelous protection and loving care.
God's people did not always desire to be close to God as much as He desired to be close to them. As a result, Israel experienced times of desperation. God used the Prophet Isaiah to reveal one specific group of desperate people—the poor and homeless. They craved water, but no water was to be found. Their tongues were parched. In the face of their desperation, God reassured His people that He was always available. He wanted to be their unique source of nourishment. He promised to provide life-giving water from places that were barren and baked. He promised to turn desert wasteland into fertile, refreshing places filled with trees and shade. In doing this, He would also provide the world with unavoidable, indisputable evidence of His personal care of His people, His precious possession. The writer of the following is unknown, but it is a wonderful thought: "When you have nothing left but God, you begin to learn that God is enough" (www.elbourne.org). The historic and consistent problem with God's people is that they often fall into the terror of believing that they themselves are sufficient to provide their every need. The curse of Adam's sin still takes its heavy toll on mankind—we foolishly fall for the lie that we can find life apart from a relationship with our Creator. Despite our sinful belief in our own personal adequacy, God continues to pursue His people with amazing love. As we submit to the truth that He is our only source of provision and protection, He receives the glory!