LET GOD SPEAK Desire of Nations Lesson 12, First Quarter 2021
This week we will look at sin and it’s effect on mankind (Isaiah 57:7 and Isaiah 59). More importantly however, we will investigate the cure for our sins, a cure which came through the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah 50:1–3, and 61:1–2. Please join us for these important Biblical insights.
Q1 Through Isaiah (Isaiah 55:7), the following plea is made: ‘let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him return to the Lord,’ and God will then ‘have mercy upon him,’ ‘for God will abundantly pardon.’ What does this plea tell us about how God identifies sins in people?
A Isaiah 55:7 asks ‘the unrighteous man to forsake his thoughts,’ here we learn that God registers sins in the mind before we turn them into physical actions. A characteristic of those who don’t walk with the Lord (and are therefore separated from God) is described in Isaiah 59:7; they “think thoughts of iniquity.” Jesus expanded upon this important concept in Matthew 5:21–22, there He classified as murder being angry with a brother without cause. Furthermore Matthew 5:27 registers having lust in the heart is as adultery. For this reason, God pleads with us in Isaiah 55:7, and He tells us that we need to forsake unrighteous thoughts, because sin begins with our thoughts.
Q2 Read Isaiah 59:1. This whole chapter summarises the major issues in the book of Isaiah. What is God saying in this opening verse?
st A Speaking to ancient Israel—and to us in the 21 Century—it is not because of any lack on God’s part to save His people when they fall into sin. God’s ears are ready to hear our prayers, and His hands are ready to act on our behalf. The problem of God’s people sinning and rebelling stems from their refusal to come near to the Lord through prayer, asking Him to save them from their sins.
Q3 Read Isaiah 59:2. What does this verse tell us about the seriousness of sin?
A Only with the recognition that God is the true source of life and happiness, can we really understand the full destructiveness described in Isaiah’s statement “sin separates us from God.”
Q4 Is the separation from God that Isaiah writes of a result of us running away from God?
A It is. That began in the Garden of Eden with our first parents, Adam & Eve. God told them not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When they disobeyed God and ate of the fruit, we are told in Genesis 3:8 that they did not joyfully go out to meet the Lord God as they previously had always done, but rather Adam and Eve “hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God” when they heard God calling them.
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LGS LESSON 12, First Quarter 2021 – DESIRE OF NATIONS
Q5 When Adam & Eve chose to disobey God, Paul says in Romans 7:12, 14 that the law is holy, just, and good, but Adam and Eve sold the human race into sin. We are naturally sinful and no longer Godly like God. We can see how this sinful condition makes us hide from God, but does God also flee and hide from sinful mankind?
A Read Habakkuk 1:13, God’s eyes are too pure to behold evil, and He cannot look on wrongdoing. Therefore God does have to look away when we choose to sin. By choosing to sin, we are making a choice between an evil companion and the presence of God. Thankfully God has not abandoned mankind to this condition. God sent Jesus Christ, who atones for our sins, so that any of us who believe in Jesus can be saved.
Q6 Read Romans 3:23, this verse expresses the result of Adam’s disobedience. The Good News Bible translates that verse as “everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence.” Seeing that we have been separated from God’s presence, how can somebody restore their relationship with God?
A The very next verse, Romans 3:24. All of us are all in the same condition, we all lack God’s saving presence, consequently we can only be justified—accounted as righteous—by believing what Jesus promises, and accepting His gift of eternal life. That is, having faith in Jesus.
Q7 If all we need to do is believe and accept, what is the purpose of the Law of God—the Ten Commandments?
A Galatians 3:24 (in the NKJV) says “the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The purpose of the Law is to point out sin in our lives. Similar to a mirror that can reveal dirt on our face, the law has no power to make us clean. The power to cleanse us from sin comes from Jesus Christ, who offers us the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is able to cleanse us from all sin.
Q8 So is the Holy Spirit able to help us overcome sin, and separate us from sin in this life?
A As new and ‘baby’ Christians, at the point our walk with Christ begins, we are justified apart from the Law. In Romans 6:4, however, Paul says that we should walk “in newness of life.” This walking in newness of life is what Christians call “sanctification,” and sanctification is the work of a lifetime.
Q9 Looking back at Isaiah 59, after initially complaining about his people who separate themselves from the Lord, what does Isaiah continue to write about throughout the rest of the chapter?
A In Isaiah 59:2–14 Isaiah reveals the attributes of those who fail to walk with the Lord and are separated from Him. Isaiah 59:3,4,13 repeatedly state that these people is speak lies, utter perverse things, trust in vanity, & conceive mischief. Isaiah 59:7 says these people are quick to do evil, have thoughts of iniquity, oppress and revolt, are departing from God, and as a consequence justice cannot be found with them.
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LGS LESSON 12, First Quarter 2021 – DESIRE OF NATIONS
Q10 There is, however, a new element introduced from Isaiah 59:15 onwards, what is this element?
A From Isaiah 59:15 onwards, Isaiah focuses on a small minority who seek to depart from evil and want to be faithful to Yahweh. Sadly this small minority fall prey to the majority who live in disobedience. This displeases the LORD because there was no true judgment. True judgement would find favour for those who depart from evil, not against them! As a result of this, we see injustices throughout in the land.
Q11 What does God do about this situation?
A Isaiah 59:16–20 talks of God Himself taking vengeance upon this injustice. Some highlights: Isaiah 59:16 mentions God’s arm bringing salvation unto those who trust in Him; and His righteousness sustaining them. Isaiah 59:20 paints a beautiful picture of the Redeemer coming to Zion (His people), and helping those who turn from transgression to obedience in the land of Jacob.
Q12 Isaiah 59:18 states that God will repay persons according to their deeds; it mentions fury & recompense toward His [God’s] adversaries. Talking of God’s New Testament church, Revelation 2:23 also says that he will give to each church member according to his deeds. There seems to be an apparent contradiction between being saved by faith through grace, and judged by works. Is this so?
A This is not a contradiction. Having faith in the Lord (Old Testament terminology), and having faith in Christ (New Testament) are both displayed through obedience, not disobedience. Read James 2:12, we should Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law, the law that gives freedom. James 2:17 states that “Faith without works is dead, being alone.” So James seems to be saying that a solid faith will express itself in works of obedience.
Q13 Read Isaiah 60:1-2, what is Isaiah talking about here?
A Continuing on from Isaiah 59:16–21 (the last six verses of the chapter), Isaiah 59:21 states that God’s Holy Spirit is with God’s people who keep his covenant, the following verse (Isaiah 60:1) is referenced by Matthew 5:16, which says to “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Take note: God’s people reflect His true light, they do this by working with the Holy Spirit to perform works of righteousness which Jesus would have done Himself if he were living in their place.
Q14 Read Isaiah 60:3, what is attracted to God’s light reflected in His people?
A That verse states that Gentiles (New Testament terminology for non-believers) are attracted to God’s light being reflected in His people. The verse also says that “mighty kings will come to see Your radiance.”
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LGS LESSON 12, First Quarter 2021 – DESIRE OF NATIONS
Q15 Isaiah 61:1–2 contains very special promises. What—or who—are these verses referring to?
A This is a Messianic Prophecy, which means it pointed to (and was fulfilled by) Jesus Christ. Jesus quoted most of these two verses in Luke 4:18-19.
Q16 Interestingly, when Jesus quoted Isaiah 61, he stopped half way through verse 2. Jesus finished with the phrase “to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” What does this refer to?
A That is a reference to the Jewish festival of Jubilee (see Leviticus 25:25-55). God commanded the Israelites to proclaim liberty in the 50th year. Those who had been forced to sell their ancestral land— or to become servants—in order to survive hard times would reclaim their land and their freedom. Mankind lost our birth right of eternal life in fulfilment of this Old Testament Jubilee festival, back in Eden when Adam and Eve sold mankind under sin to Satan as slaves (Rom 7:14). Thankfully Jesus came to this earth so that each one of us may reclaim our birthright today, and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour.
nd Q17 What ideas do we have as to why Jesus didn’t include the 2 half of Isaiah 61:2, reading “the day of vengeance of our God” when He preached His sermon in Luke 4:19?
nd A It is important to recognize that this period of time before Jesus’ 2 Coming is a time of grace—or ‘an acceptable year of our Lord.’ This means that there is no reason to worry about not being good enough. No-matter how sinful we are, God will accept us as we are and be our Lord and Saviour! However, if we neglect this short opportunity, there will not be a second chance for repentance in our next life. At the resurrection we will receive the results of our choices in this life. Eternal life with Jesus to those who have come to Him, but those who have neglected this opportunity will not have that privilege, they will not live eternally. Those who neglect the opportunity will themselves have to pay the penalty for their sins, and that will happen on the ‘day of vengeance of our God.’
Q18. Ok. What is the take-home message in light of Isaiah 61:2?
A The appropriate take-home message can be found in Isaiah 55:6-7. “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
Q19 How long can we tarry? When is it still safe to seek God, to call on the Lord, forsake our evil thoughts that seem so exciting and return to the Lord?
A Let’s read Hebrews3: 7-8. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the day of rebellion. Respond to Him today, because tomorrow might be too late.
CONCLUSION We have discussed how mankind has been affected by sin. Importantly, Jesus told us we live in ‘the acceptable year of the Lord,’ when we all can freely accept Jesus as our personal Saviour no matter how deep our sinful condition is. Then Isaiah 60:1–3 tells us the wonderful blessings that await us.
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