Love & Lambs

It's been awhile since I've written. Several things have gone through my mind to write, but I just haven't taken the time to write them down. However, over the past week a couple significant things have stood out to me from Isaiah. I've decided to stay in Isaiah through advent and Christmas. There is so much prophesy about Jesus and so much insight into God's character in the book of Isaiah! I'm always finding some new nugget to chew on.

The first one was a re-discovery. It was a section that I'd found over a year ago and marked it in the Bible I was using at the time. Since then I've gotten a new Bible so when I came across Isaiah 54: 9-10 and read it again I just had to mark it in my new Bible. Go ahead and read those two verses, I'll wait..... Ok, now let me explain why they are so significant to me. I, like many others grew up with a healthy dose of Old Testament "wrath of God" teaching. My father insists that his generation had a much bigger dose of it than I grew up with - which is probably true.
When you read Isaiah 54 you have to understand the context. Back up and read Isaiah 53, the passage that talks about Jesus, "He was despised and rejected....the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.....He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels." Then onto chapter 54 - the future glory of Jerusalem, then verse 9 and 10 which says that He is establishing a new covenant, "Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never be angry and punish you." God poured out his wrath on Jesus - it's all there in Isaiah 53. We get the benefit - no more wrath. Jesus has done what we could never have done for ourselves! "For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken," says the Lord who has mercy on you. Is 54:10. I think I hear the Hallelujah Chorus! Go ahead sing it! Hal-le-lu-jah, Hal-le-lu-jah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Halle-lu-jah :)

OK, now the second nugget. Turn with me to Isaiah 40 another passage that prophesies about Jesus; particularly verse 10. "He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young." What a picture of the Lord's heart for us! Doesn't sound vengeful, angry and ready to zap you with lightening does it? Sounds downright nurturing, caring, loving. Who knew?!

Someone recently said that if you want to understand the Father's heart for us, study what Jesus says about his Father. Good advice.

until next time,

....and the greatest of these is love