and new things I now declare -Advent 1

A background to prophesy

God’s chosen people defeated and the LORD’s city of Jerusalem faces destruction. The kingdom of glory won by the LORD for David and the Temple of King Solomon destroyed centuries prior, Isaiah cries out to the people 700 years before Christ, repent! “The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.” – Isaiah 24:5 

Yet Isaiah offers hope for his people and on an appointed day in the future the Lord God will save them.

Isaiah 25

8 He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.

9 It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

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John the Baptist answers his critics, “I am a voice in the wilderness proclaiming the way of the Lord as predicted by the Prophet Isaiah.” John openly confesses he is not the promised Messiah.

What else did Isaiah have to say generations before John preached by the Jordan about the Messiah, Savior of Israel? In fact, Isaiah describes the Messiah as a righteous king.

A King Will Reign in Righteousness

[ctt title=”Isaiah uses the Hebrew צֶדֶק (tsedeq) meaning righteousness 25 times & צָדַק (tsadaq), \’to be righteous\’ 7 times.” tweet=”Who IS righteous redemption for our sins? Only the One Messiah, Jesus.” coverup=”907aE”]

Isaiah 32

Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,
and princes will rule in justice.

3 Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will give attention…

5 The fool will no more be called noble,
nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.

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A Righteous Savior

Which King of Israel or leader of any country was ever righteous? Is it not power we seek in a king to save us from our enemies?

Isaiah and John the Baptist wanted a king with power to rule in justice, a man to defeat their oppressors and followers of the Lord sought a man to place on the throne of their own self-righteousness. The word of Isaiah about a righteous savior may remain hidden to eyes too busy to read scripture.  Warnings to have ears to hear the Lord ring familiar to our 21st century ears filled with the distractions of our everyday sins.  Do we not choose between fools and scoundrels to lead the future of our nations? Yet none have ears to hear such prophesy.

Fear Not

You know the greeting of the angels to man: “fear not;” for fear would be our most immediate reaction to Almighty God. The Lord comforts his beaten-down and dispersed people and He speaks a declaration of His own righteousness through Isaiah:

Isaiah 44:

2 Thus says the Lord who made you,
who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant…

Yes, of course the Lord made us from the womb, and the Lord promises to help. Yet to whom is this promise? ‘Jacob, my servant,’ the people Israel, specifically; yet even moreso the Lord’s word is to those of Jacob who have repented and are now willing to become servants to the Lord.

⁶ Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel
    and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
“I am the first and I am the last;
    besides me there is no god.
⁷ Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.
    Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
    Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
⁸ Fear not, nor be afraid;
    have I not told you from of old and declared it?
    And you are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
    There is no Rock; I know not any.”

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and new things I now declare -Advent 2 – 2016 – To be continued..