YEAR 2, WEEK 24, Day 4, Thursday, 15 June 2023

https://esv.literalword.com/?q=isa+40%3B+Galatians+2

Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Thursday, 15 June 2023:

Isaiah 40:3, 9, 10 — A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” …. Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40 and 41 proclaim the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ and the choice everyone will make in their lives, whether they realize it or not: Follow Jesus, The Son of God, The KING of Kings, the Good Shepherd, or follow an idol, a powerless substitute for God, the figment of a self-centered imagination, a foolish hallucination which offers no security, hope, or future. I would encourage you to spend extra time today meditating on today’s readings and praying that God would use them to further encourage you to rest on His sufficiency, remove any idols you might have in your life, and share the Gospel with others today and every day from this day forward – “Herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’”

You might recognize the statement in Isaiah 40:3 as having been referenced by John the Baptist as he prepared the people for the revelation of Jesus Christ – “He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said.’” (John 1:23; see also Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, and Luke 3:4) Jesus Christ is the “glory of the Lord … revealed” in the flesh as “the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:5) Jesus Christ is “the Word of God” everlasting – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.” (Isaiah 40:8; John 1:1) Jesus is the One and Only Son of God — “Behold your God!” (Isaiah 4:9) “…but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)

Jesus is the Good Shepherd –

- Isaiah 40:11 -- He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

 - John 10:11, 14-18 -- I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd.  I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.  And I have other sheep that are not of this fold.  I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.  So there will be one flock, one shepherd.  For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.  This charge I have received from my Father.”

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?” (Isaiah 40:12) The answer is Jesus: “He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:2, 3)

“Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?” (Isaiah 40:13) The Father, Jesus, and the Spirit are One: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26 RSV)

“Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?” (Isaiah 40:14) Jesus is the Path of Justice and the Way of Understanding: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” (John 14:6) “You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ (Acts 2:28)

“All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.” (Isaiah 40:17) Jesus is the King of Kings: “From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:15-16)

Isaiah 40:31 – …but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

“At times you may feel so worn out and stressed that you are not sure you can take another step. You may seem to spend all your time running from crisis to crisis and to be constantly giving your time and energy to others. Your Lord wants to renew your strength and enable you to enjoy the abundant life He intends for you. The key is to wait upon Him to do so.

Our generation does not enjoy waiting. We are harried by all the commitments we have made and the many responsibilities we hold. We rush through our lives without stopping to evaluate our activities. Sometimes in our haste to get on with our work, we race ahead of God. Part of God’s restorative process is to slow us down and make us listen to Him. As we wait on Him, God will remind us of our utter dependence upon His strength. When we slow down and seek His will, He will reveal His plans.

Biblically, waiting on the Lord is never passive; it is always active. Waiting requires us to cease our own pursuits and give God our complete attention. We may have to give up some of the activities we have allowed to inundate our lives. We may need to take an entire day to sit quietly before the Lord. If we ask Him, God will show us the resources He has provided to help with the work we have been attempting on our own. God may address feelings of guilt that have motivated us to do things that He has not asked us to do.

Jesus carried more responsibility than you do. More people needed Him than will ever need you. Yet He was never overwhelmed or inadequate for the task. Now Christ offers to guide you so that you will fulfill your heavenly Father’s will and gain the strength necessary for each day (Matt. 11:28).” (Henry T. Blackaby)

Galatians 2:11-13 — But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Faith and love promote moral courage and true leadership. A lack of faith and love promotes moral cowardice, bad leadership, and destructiveness.

Peter was a chief apostle and a very important leader in the church who was used mightily by God, but he had a character flaw – at times, when challenged by others, he lacked moral courage and didn’t act according to his stated convictions. In today’s readings, we hear about just such a case which occurred in Antioch:

Peter clearly understood that people are “justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law,” (Galatians 2:16) that the Gospel had been provided to both Jew and Gentile alike, and that the Gospel brought equality and unity to all in Christ:

• Acts 10:34-35 — So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”
• Romans 10:11-13 — For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
• Galatians 3:26-29 — …for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Therefore, Peter broke a deeply rooted cultural taboo and ate with Gentile Christians though he was a Jew. Jews separating from Gentiles to eat was never a requirement of the law, but many first-century Jews forbade the practice. However, Peter demonstrated the truth and power of the Gospel by tearing down those traditional social barriers – that is, until the Judaizers came to town, those false teachers who taught that salvation required faith in Jesus plus obedience to the Mosaic law and who treated Gentile Christians as second-class citizens. Fearing criticism from the “circumcision party,” Peter hypocritically separated himself from the Christian Jews, thereby visibly misrepresenting the Gospel before others; and because Peter was a key leader within the church, he caused this hypocrisy to spread rapidly, contributing to hurtful, destructive divisions within the body.

However, where Peter lacked the moral courage to lead, Paul didn’t. Paul “opposed him to his face,” which was no small thing to do considering that Peter was an unquestioned apostle and Paul’s authority as an apostle was being challenged by many. Paul was courageous because of his love for Christ and for others and because of his passion for the Gospel which tore down the barriers between those he so loved. Paul couldn’t stand idly by while the Gospel was being distorted in either word or deed.

Perhaps some would come to Peter’s defense and suggest that Peter was merely attempting to be “all things to all people,” (1 Corinthians 9:22) merely being sensitive to immature misunderstandings of the circumcision group. However, Peter’s actions were hurtful to others and divisive. He was essentially choosing one group over another and apparently validating a false hierarchy that had crept into the church –

• James 2:1, 9 — My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory…. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
• Romans 2:11 — For God shows no partiality.
• James 3:17 — But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Does your faith and your love for God and others empower you with the moral courage to be a Christian leader and to challenge the norms for sake of proclaiming the Gospel? While everyone else is taking sides and dividing, are you serving powerfully as a messenger and minister of reconciliation, an Ambassador for Christ entrusted with the Gospel? Is your prayer for God’s people the same as Jesus’ prayer – “…that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”? (John 17:22, 23) Leaders know the way, go the way, and show the way. The Way is Jesus! Know Him more and more each day, and have the courage to follow Him and to show Him more and more each day.

• James 2:4 — Have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
• James 2:9 — But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
• Revelation 7:9 — After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands….

Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

“The Christian life is an exchanged life. Jesus’ life for your life. When Christ takes control, your life takes on dimensions you would never have known apart from Him. When you are weak, then Christ demonstrates His strength in your life (2 Cor. 12:9-10). When you face situations that are beyond your comprehension, you have only to ask, and the infinite wisdom of God is available to you (James 1:5). When you are faced with humanly impossible situations, God does the impossible (Luke 18:27). When you encounter people whom you find difficult to love, God expresses His unconditional love through you (1 John 4:7). When you are at a loss as to what you should pray for someone, the Spirit will guide you in your prayer life (Rom. 8:16). When Christ takes up residence in the life of a believer, “all the fullness of God” is available to that person (Eph. 3:19).

It is marvelously freeing to know that God controls your life and knows what it can become. Rather than constantly worrying about what you will face, your great challenge is to continually release every area of your life to God’s control. The temptation will be to try to do by yourself what only God can do. Our assignment is to “abide in the vine” and to allow God to do in and through us what only He can do (John 15:5). Only God can be God. Allow Him to live out His divine life through you. He is the only One who can.” (Henrry T. Blackaby)

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 15 June 2023: Proclaim the Gospel today by loving courageously in the Name of Jesus while boldly proclaiming the Way, True, and Life while everyone else is talking issues. “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility….” (Ephesians 2:14)