Isaiah 51
Today's Passage: Isaiah 51
You ever feel as if God is not listening to you? Like your prayers are just words floating around in your mind and then quickly drift away with the wind?
Isaiah describes the people of Israel this way. They believed God was “asleep”. He was distant and not around. Verse 9 says, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago.” The people of Israel are discouraged and begging God to move for them like He did for the previous generations. They even recall how God delivered Israel from Egypt during Moses life (v. 9b-10). Repeating the word, “awake”, gives sense to their urgency.
God responds to their claims for help (and I just love the irony of it). Verse 12, God responds by saying, “I, I am he who comforts you.” The repetition of “I” is responding to their “Awake, Awake”. But God reminds them of why they are oppressed: (they) have forgotten the Lord, your Maker… because of the wrath of the oppressor.” Israel stopped worshipping and seeking God during their oppression, meanwhile, God ordained the oppressor so Israel would come back to Him. And God responds (ironically again): Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem (v. 17). God is calling Israel to wake themselves. They need to see their wrongdoings, how they’ve rejected Him and turned to other things. Unfortunately, God’s response by the end of the chapter does not bring a promise of redemption (you will see it tomorrow), instead, God wants them to see the realization of their sin and the consequences for it.
Israel didn’t feel as if God was listening to them. In reality, their sin was damaging their relationship with Him.
Is there something hindering your relationship with God? How will you go about getting rid of it?
Written By: Brice Stockton
You ever feel as if God is not listening to you? Like your prayers are just words floating around in your mind and then quickly drift away with the wind?
Isaiah describes the people of Israel this way. They believed God was “asleep”. He was distant and not around. Verse 9 says, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago.” The people of Israel are discouraged and begging God to move for them like He did for the previous generations. They even recall how God delivered Israel from Egypt during Moses life (v. 9b-10). Repeating the word, “awake”, gives sense to their urgency.
God responds to their claims for help (and I just love the irony of it). Verse 12, God responds by saying, “I, I am he who comforts you.” The repetition of “I” is responding to their “Awake, Awake”. But God reminds them of why they are oppressed: (they) have forgotten the Lord, your Maker… because of the wrath of the oppressor.” Israel stopped worshipping and seeking God during their oppression, meanwhile, God ordained the oppressor so Israel would come back to Him. And God responds (ironically again): Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem (v. 17). God is calling Israel to wake themselves. They need to see their wrongdoings, how they’ve rejected Him and turned to other things. Unfortunately, God’s response by the end of the chapter does not bring a promise of redemption (you will see it tomorrow), instead, God wants them to see the realization of their sin and the consequences for it.
Israel didn’t feel as if God was listening to them. In reality, their sin was damaging their relationship with Him.
Is there something hindering your relationship with God? How will you go about getting rid of it?
Written By: Brice Stockton
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