Isaiah 8 Seal the Law Among My Disciples

Talk to God and Listen to God

Isaiah 8
1 Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.

2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.

3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.

4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

5 The LORD spake also unto me again, saying,

6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;

7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

9 Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.

10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

11 For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,

12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

17 And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.

22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

God Hath Spoken to us by His Son

Let's Reason Together
The theme of the book of Hebrews is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as revealer and as mediator of God's grace. God has put His Son Jesus above everything. Listen to Him and do not fall away from your Faith or you will have to face God's Judgement.

Hebrews 1
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

4 Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

5 For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?

6 And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him.

7 And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire.

8 But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.

9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.

10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands:

11 They shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

12 And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.

13 But to which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool?

14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Isaiah 7, Virgin Mother with Christ Child

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel

Isaiah 7
1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

2 And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.

3 Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;

4 And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,

6 Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:

7 Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.

9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.

10 Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,

11 Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.

12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.

13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

17 The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.

18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.

20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.

21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;

22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

23 And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns.

24 With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.

25 And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

Isaiah 6 Call to Ministry

Christ Calls Fishers of Men

Isaiah 6

1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

13 But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

Christ Ordains the Apostles


Go Forth And Teach All Nations

Isaiah 5 Parable of the Vineyard

Fruit of Labor

Isaiah 5
1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:

6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

8 Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

9 In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.

10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.

11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!

12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:

16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!

20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:

23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:

28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.

30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

Vineyard

Isaiah 4 Of Judgement and Glorious Hope

Glorious Hope

1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:

4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.

6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

Isaiah Visions Continued/Opression and Haughtiness

Isaiah Records Visions

Isaiah 3

1 For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,

2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,

3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.

4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:

7 In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.

8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

13 The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.

14 The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

16 Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,

21 The rings, and nose jewels,

22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,

23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.

24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.

26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

Isaiah Visions Continued/ Hope and Fear

Promise of Christ's Kingdom


Isaiah 2:
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

6 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots:

8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:

9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.

10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.

11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,

14 And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,

15 And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,

16 And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.

17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.

19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?

Jesus Calls Us To Repentance

Repentance, HE Forgives

"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32.

"And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations." Luke 24:47.

"By the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom. 3:20.

"We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin." Verse 9.

"Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these
things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." Eph. 5:6.

"When He [the Comforter] is come, He will reprove [convince, margin] the world of sin." John 16:8.

"Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Acts 2:37; 16:30.

"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 2:38; 16:31.

"I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin." Ps. 38:18.

"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation." 2 Cor. 7:10.

"The sorrow of the world worketh death." Same verse.

"For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." Verse 11.

"O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the
wrath to come?" Matt. 3:7.

"Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." Verse 8.

"And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil that H e had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not." Jonah 3:10.

"Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" Rom. 2:4.

Visions / Prophecies of Isaiah

White as Snow

Isa 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Isa 1:2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

Isa 1:3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: [but] Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Isa 1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

Isa 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head [there is] no soundness in it; [but] wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Isa 1:7 Your country [is] desolate, your cities [are] burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and [it is] desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

Isa 1:8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

Isa 1:9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, [and] we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Isa 1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

Isa 1:11 To what purpose [is] the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

Isa 1:12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

Isa 1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; [it is] iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

Isa 1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear [them].

Isa 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Isa 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

Isa 1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isa 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

Isa 1:20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].

Isa 1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Isa 1:22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:

Isa 1:23 Thy princes [are] rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

Isa 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

Isa 1:25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

Isa 1:26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

Isa 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

Isa 1:28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners [shall be] together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

Isa 1:29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

Isa 1:30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water. Isa 1:31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench [them].

GOD's Purpose of Prophecy

Light From Above

"Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he."
John 13:19

"And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe."
John 14:29

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Rom. 15:4.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God And is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" 2 Tim. 3:16,

"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21.

"Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them." Isa. 42:9.

"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, . . . and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done." Isa. 46:9,10.

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets." Amos 3:7.

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever." Deut. 29:29.

"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His majesty." 2 Peter 1:16.

"And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount." Verse 18.

"And we have the word of prophecy made more sure." Verse 19, R.V.

"...Whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts." Verse 19, last part, R.V.

"Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you." 1 Peter 1:9,10.

"Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." Verse 11.

"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Dan. 12:4.

What assurance was given by the angel that these prophecies would be understood in the last days?

"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand)." Matt. 24:15.

"And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." Verses 9,10.

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him." Rev. 1:1.

"Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein." Verse 3.

Prophecy a Gift of the Holy Spirit

Light Unto My Path

1. How did God communicate with man in Eden?
"And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?" Gen. 3:9.

2. Since the fall, by what means has God generally made known His will to
man?
"I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets." Hosea 12:10.

3. What things belong to God, and what to us?
"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever." Deut. 29:29.

4. How fully and to whom does God reveal His purposes?
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets." Amos 3:7.

5. Can the wise men of the world foretell the future?
"Daniel answered before the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded can neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show unto the king." Dan.2:27, R.S.V.

6. Who did Daniel say could reveal secrets?
"But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days." Verse 28.

7. How did the prophet Daniel acknowledge the insufficiency of human wisdom?
"As for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart." Verse 30.

8. After revealing and interpreting the dream, what did Daniel say?
"The great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter."
Verse 45.

9. How does God show His foreknowledge?
"Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them." Isa. 42:9.

10. How does the Lord reveal Himself to His prophets?
"If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream." Num. 12:6.

11. Under what influence did the prophets of old speak?
"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21.

See 2 Sam. 23:2.

12. How are both the origin of prophecy and the means of communicating it
still further shown?
"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John." Rev. 1:1.

13. What angel revealed to Daniel his visions and dreams?
"Whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding." Dan. 9:21,22.

See also chapter 10, and Rev. 22:9,10.

14. What Spirit was in the prophets inditing their utterances?
"O which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Peter 1:10,11.

15. How were the Lord's words to the prophets preserved?
"Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters." Dan. 7:1.

See Jer. 51:60; Rev. 1:10,11.

16. By whom has God spoken to us in these last days?
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son." Heb. 1:1,2.

17. What was one of the offices to be filled by the Messiah?
"The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall harken." Deut. 18:15.

18. What was foretold through the prophet Joel?
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions." Joel 2:28.

19. When did this prediction begin to be fulfilled?
"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." Acts 2:16,17.

20. What were some of the gifts Christ gave to His church?
"When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. . . . And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers." Eph. 4:8-11.

21. By what means did God deliver and preserve Israel?
"By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved." Hosea 12:13.

22. When Moses complained of his slowness of speech, what did God say Aaron should be to him?
"And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God." Ex. 4:16.

23. What did God afterward call Aaron?
"And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet." Ex. 7:1.

24. What is one test by which to detect false prophets?
"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." Deut. 18:22.

25. What other test should be applied in determining the validity of the
claims of a prophet?
"If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not harken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him." Deut. 13:1-4.

NOTE.—From these scriptures it will be seen that, in the first place, if a prophet's
words do not prove to be true, it is evidence that God has not sent that prophet. On the other hand, even though the thing predicted comes to pass, if the pretended prophet seeks to lead others to break God's commandments, this, regardless of all signs, should be positive evidence that he is not a true prophet.

26. What rule did Christ give for distinguishing between true and false
prophets?
"By their fruits ye shall know them." Matt. 7:20.

27. What general rule is laid down for testing all prophets?
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:20.

28. How did God's prophets anciently use the words of former prophets in
exhorting the people to obedience?
"Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity?" Zech. 7:7.

29. What is the promised result of believing God's prophets?
"Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper." 2 Chron. 20:20.

30. What admonition is given regarding the gift of prophecy?
"Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 1 Thess. 5:20,21.

31. What will characterize the last, or remnant, church?
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:17.

32. What is the "testimony of Jesus"?
"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Rev. 19:10.

See Rev. 1:9.

33. What results when this gift is absent?
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Prov. 29:18.

See also Ps. 74:9.

Further Study of OT Prophecies About Christ

1. WHOM did Moses say the Lord would raise up?

"The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, unto Him ye shall harken." Deut.18:15. See also verse 18.

2. What use of this prophecy by the apostle Peter shows that it referred to Christ?
"For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me. . . . Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days." Acts 3:22-24.

3. In what language did Isaiah foretell Christ's birth?
"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Isa. 7:14.

4. In what event was this prophecy fulfilled?
"Now all this was done [the birth of Jesus of the Virgin Mary], that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Matt. 1:22,23.

5. Where was the Messiah to be born?
"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that
is to be ruler in Israel." Micah 5:2.

6. When was Jesus born?
"Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king." Matt. 2:1.

7. Under what striking emblem was He prophesied of by Balaam?
"There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel." Num. 24:17.

8. In what scripture does Christ apply the same emblem to Himself?
"I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." Rev. 22:16. See also 2 Peter. 1:19; Rev. 2:28.

9. What prophecy was fulfilled in the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem?
"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in
Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from: two years old and
under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not." Matt. 2:13-18.

10. How was Christ's first advent to be heralded?
"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Isa. 40:3.

11. By whom was this fulfilled?
"And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? . . . he said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias." John 1:19-23.

12. How was Christ to be received by His own people?
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted
with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." Isa. 53:3.

13. How is the fulfillment of this prophecy recorded?
"He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him
not." John 1:10,11.

14. What was predicted of Christ's preaching?
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord hath nointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." Isa. 61:1.

15. What application did Jesus make of this prophecy?
"And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His
custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. . . . And He began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." Luke 4:16-21. See Luke 7:19-22.

16. How, according to prophecy, was Christ to conduct Himself when on trial?
"He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth." Isa. 53:7.

17. When accused by His enemies before Pilate, how did Christ treat these accusations?
"Then said Pilate unto Him, Hearest Thou not how many things they witness against Thee? And He answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly." Matt. 27:13;14.

18. What prophecy foretold of the disposal of Christ's garments at the crucifixion?
"They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture." Ps. 22:18.

19. What record answers to this prophecy?
"And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast lots." Matt. 27:35.

20. What was foretold of His treatment while on the cross?
"They gave Me also gall for My meat; and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink." Ps. 69:21.

21. What was offered Christ at His crucifixion?
"They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink." Matt. 27:34. See also John 19:28-30.

22. With whom did the prophet Isaiah say Christ would make His grave?
"And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death." Isa. 53:9.

23. With whom was Christ crucified?
"Then were there two thieves crucified with Him, one on the right hand, and another on the left." Matt. 27:38.

24. Who took charge of Christ's body after it was taken down from the cross?
"A rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, . . . went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. . . . He wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock." Verses 57-60.

25. What experience in the life of a noted prophet indicated the length of Christ's stay in the grave?
"But He answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it,
but the sign of the prophet Jonas: for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Matt. 12:39,40.

26. What prophecy foretold Christ's triumph over death?
"For Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption." Ps. 16:10. See Acts 2:24-27.

Ps.91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God, in Whom I trust." Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling- even the Lord, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. "Because He loves me", says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for He acknowledges My name, He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation."

Isn't this a most beautiful promise of our Lord?!

Jesus tempted

Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, fasting and praying. He was prepared for Satan's attacks. Am I? Do I know that I would reply to the attacks of the devil with Words of God? I know that as long as I study Gods Word, meditate on them, and pray I will be able to do that. Let's read what Jesus did in that account of His life.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God", he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "He will command His angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' Jesus answered him, "It is also written; ' Do not put the Lord your God to the test."' Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give You, "he said, "if You will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from Me, Satan! For it is written; 'worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only." Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him.

This tempting of Jesus, which was divinely intended, has as its primary background
Deut.8:1-5 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the Lord promised on oath to your forefathers. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during the these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so theLord your God disciplines you.

Here at the beginning of His ministry, Jesus is subjected to a similar test and shows Himself to be the true Israelite who lives "on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." And whereas Adam failed the great test and plunged the whole race into sin, Jesus was faithful and thus demonstrated His qualification to become the Saviour of all who receive Him. It was, moreover, important that Jesus be tested/tempted as Israel and we are, so that He could become our "merciful and faihthful High Priest'.
Heb.2:17 For this reason He had to be made like His Father in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.
Also Heb.4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.


Finally as the one who remained faithful in temptation He became the model for all believers when we are tempted. God surely tests His people, but it is the devil who surely tempts to evil.
Gen.22:1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.
1John 3:8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinnning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

Let us stay in the Word so that we will be always be ready to reply with the Word of God to fight off Satan, or to minister to others in need of Hope, Grace and Mercy.

Fasting

We will go back to the prophecies, but since this is the season of Lent, when you may be hearing a lot of talk about "fasting", let's look at what the Lord has to say about Fasting. First of all, why does the Christian church obvserve a Lenten Season? The Lenten season precedes the observance of the suffering, death, and burial of our Saviour, and the celebration of His Resurrection on Easter. Lent is a season used to prepare your hearts and minds to realize your need for a Saviour from your sins. It is a time for you to reflect on your life and the fact that you can not keep the Law of God perfectly. You can not love God above all things, nor can you love your neighbor as yourself. You NEED a Saviour.
First of all what does Jesus Himself say about fasting? Matt.6:16-18 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Jesus wants us to be humble, not stand out and say "look at me and what I am doing, aren't I good!" He wants us to live a God pleasing life so others see GOD not us! The greatest reward a Christian can feel is seeing how God uses the witnessing He does through us.

Now here is what the prophet Isaiah says in Is.58 "Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins. For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they are a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. Why have we fasted, they say, and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves andyou have not noticed? "Yet on the day of your fasting you do as you please, and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarlling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing ones' head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and the malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sunscorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient riuns, and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob" the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Do you see the Gospel in this OT reading? Do you see Jesus telling us to live as His Children, loving God above all things, and our Neighbors as ourselves? Do you hear Him telling you not to be proud of yourselves for what man calls a sacrifice? Fasting should be a lifestyle, not just a once in a while thing! Let us humble ourselves before our GOD, love Him first and our neighbors as ourselves.

Prophecies

The Old Testament is not just history. It is FULL of prophecy and promise of a Saviour. Many of the prophets foretold the coming of the Saviour, and in some cases His Second coming was also foretold. Our God is a just God. He punishes wrongdoing. God is also a Merciful God. He shows mercy on all those who call to Him for mercy and accept Christ as their Saviour. Read and see and believe.

Is.7:14 Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel. Matt.1:22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose oiripgins are from of old, from ancietn times. Matt.2:6 "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel."

Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my Son." Matt.2:15 And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my Son."

Jer.31:15 This is what the Lord says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more." Matt.2:18 A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

Mal.3:1 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me" Is.40:3 A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Mark 1:2,3 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"--"a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"

Is.7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel. Is.9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Luke 1:31,32 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

Why does God tell us all of this before it happens?
John 13:19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am He.
John 14:29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

It's a gift, it is for building our faith.

Jesus Christ

The Old Testament is the history of the Creation, the Fall of Man into Sin, and the Promise of the Saviour. The geneologies are very important, though they may be hard to read. They show the line of the Saviour, coming through Adam, the first man, through Abraham, and on through King David, right until the time HE was born of Mary. Jesus was with the Children of Israel in the wilderness. He was The Angel of the Lord through all the Old Testament. He was in and with God from the Beginning and through all Eternity. The hope of the Children of Israel was for the Saviour. The sacrifices that God commanded them to make pointed to the coming of the Saviour. They are well worth studying. Let's read some of these promises and prophecies.

God said to the Serpent:
Gen.3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers. He will crush your head and you will strike His heel.
Rom.16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The Grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. 1John 3:8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

Gen.12:2-3 I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Acts 3:25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'

Gen.22:15-18 The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by Myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your decendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me. Heb.11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. " Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Matt.2:1-6 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teacher of the Law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a Ruler who will be the Shepherd of My people Israel."

Zech.9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gently and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Luke 19:30-37 "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' Tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' " Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as He had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They replied, "The Lord needs it." They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When He came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to priase God in loud voices for all the miracles that they had seen. "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!

More prophecies will be posted tomorrow. Search the Scriptures for in them you find Eternal Life!