October 1, 2023 – Isaiah in the New Testament – Seeking His Kingdom and His Righteousness

Seeking His Kingdom and His Righteousness

Isaiah 11:1-10 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
³ and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
    and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. 

Where will the shoot “come up from” (verse 1)?

Who will rest on the shoot (verse 2)?

In your opinion, how can you “delight in the fear of the Lord” (verse 3)?

How will He judge the needy (verse 4)?

What “will be his belt” (verse 5)?

Where will the wolf live (verse 6)?

What will the lion eat (verse 7)?

Where will the young child put its hand (verse 8)?

What will fill the earth “as the water covers the sea” (verse 9)?

Who will “stand as a banner for the peoples” (verse 10)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the importance of Christ’s righteousness in a Christian life?

Matthew 6:25-34 - New International Version (NIV)

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

What is life more than (verse 25)?

Who feeds the “birds of the air” (verse 26)?

In your opinion, “can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life” (verse 27)?

What don’t the flowers of the field do (verse 28)?

Who was not “dressed like one of these” (verse 29)?

What happens to the “grass of the field” (verse 30)?

What do pagans run after (verses 31 and 32)?

When are we to seek “his kingdom and his righteousness” (verse 33)?

What does each day have enough of (verse 34)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the importance of Christ’s righteousness in a Christian life?

In your opinion, how is not worrying about what we eat, drink or wear, as instructed by Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 a part of seeking the kingdom described in Isaiah 11:1-10?

Ephesians 6:10-20 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

How should we “be strong” (verse 10)?

Why should we “put on the full armor of God” (verse 11)?

Who are our struggles against (verse 12)?

What does putting on the full armor of God enable us to do “when the day of evil comes” (verse 13)?

Where should the breastplate of righteousness be (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what is the source of the righteousness?

How should our feet be fitted (verse 15)?

What can the shield of faith do (verse 16)?

What is the “sword of the Spirit” (verse 17)?

When should we pray (verse 18)?

What did Paul want prayers for him to ask for (verse 19)?

How did Paul want to declare the “mystery of the gospel” (verse 20)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the importance of Christ’s righteousness in a Christian life?

In your opinion, why are the things that the “Spirit of the Lord” will rest upon the branch in Isaiah 11:1-10 different from the things the believer is to put on to stand against the devil’s schemes in Ephesians 6:10-20?

In your opinion, how is equipping yourself with the whole armor of God to stand against the devil’s schemes as instructed by Paul in Ephesians 6:10-20 a part of the seeking “first his kingdom and his righteousness” as commanded in Matthew 6:25-34?

2 Peter 1:1-8 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

² Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Who does Simon Peter write the letter to (verse 1)?

How are the readers to receive “grace and peace” (verse 2)?

What has “His divine power” given us (verse 3)?

What can Christians participate in through “his very great and precious promises” (verse 4)?

What are we to add to faith (verse 5)?

What is the chain that connects faith to love (verses 5, 6, and 7)?   Faith, _____________, _____________, _____________, _____________, _____________, _____________, Love

In your opinion, why is righteousness not a part of that chain?

How do we keep from “being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 8)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the importance of Christ’s righteousness in a Christian life?

In your opinion, how does 2 Peter 1:1-8 help us understand why it is important that Isaiah 11:1-10 highlights the righteousness of the Branch?

In your opinion, how does having confidence in the promise that “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us” in 2 Peter 1:1-8 help us move away from the worrying that Matthew 6:25-34 instructs us to avoid?

In your opinion, how are the things that Christians are to put on in Ephesians 6:10-20 different from the things that Christians are to possess in increasing qualities in 2 Peter 1:1-8 different?  Why would Christians need both? 

In your opinion, what do these passages from Isaiah, Matthew, Ephesians and 2 Peter teach us about how seeking “his kingdom and his righteousness” is the beginning of the way that Christians escape the “corruption of the world caused by evil desires”? 

In your opinion, how is seeking “his kingdom and his righteousness” critical to balancing our standing against the devil’s schemes and being productive in our “knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”?

 

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

September 24, 2023 – Isaiah in the New Testament – Illuminated by the Light

 

Illuminated by the Light

Isaiah 9:1-7 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

² The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.
³ You have enlarged the nation
    and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder.
⁴ For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
    you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor.
⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
    will be fuel for the fire.
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.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

For who will there be “no more gloom” (verse 1)?

Where has “a light dawned” (verse 2)?

In your opinion, what does it mean to rejoice “as people rejoice at the harvest” (verse 3)?

What has God shattered (verse 4)?

What “will be destined for burning” (verse 5)?

Who will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (verse 6)?

When will “the greatness of his government and peace” end (verse 7)?

How will He uphold His kingdom (verse 7)?

What will “accomplish this” (verse 7)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage help us understand about how “everything that is illuminated becomes a light”?

Matthew 4:12-22 - New International Version (NIV)

¹² When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. ¹³ Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴ to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵ “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶ the people living in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
    a light has dawned.”

¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

¹⁸ As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰ At once they left their nets and followed him.

²¹ Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

When did Jesus withdraw “to Galilee” (verse 12)?

Where was Capernaum (verse 13)?

Whose words would Jesus fulfill in Capernaum (verse 14)?

What have “the people living in darkness” seen (verse 16)?

What did Jesus begin to preach (verse 17)?

Who was “casting a net into the lake” (verse 18)?

What did Jesus tell them He would send them to do (verse 19)?

When did they leave “their nets” and follow (verse 20)?

Where were “James son of Zebedee and his brother John” (verse 21)?

What did they do when Jesus called them (verses 21 and 22)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage help us understand about how “everything that is illuminated becomes a light”?

In your opinion, what does Matthew intend for us to learn from the fact that Isaiah 9:1-7 followed the passage about people seeing a great light with a statement about enlarging the nation, shattering the yoke, and a description of the child that is to be born, but Matthew 4:12-22 follows it with that Child saying “repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” and calling fishermen to fish for men?

Acts 22:6-16 – New International Version (NIV)

⁶ “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. ⁷ I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

⁸ “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ⁹ My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

¹⁰ “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ ¹¹ My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

¹² “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. ¹³ He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

¹⁴ “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. ¹⁵ You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

Where was Paul when “a bright light from heaven flashed around” him (verse 6)?

What did the voice Paul heard say to him (verse 7)?

How did Paul respond (verse 8)?

How did the voice identify Himself (verse 8)?

What did Paul’s companions not understand (verse 9)?

What is Paul going to be told in Damascus (verse 10)?

Why did Paul’s companions lead him “by the hand into Damascus” (verse 11)?

How is Ananias described (verse 12)?

What did Ananias say (verse 13)?

Who chose Paul “to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth” (verse 14)?

What is Paul to witness to “all people” (verse 15)?

What is Paul instructed to do (verse 16)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage help us understand about how “everything that is illuminated becomes a light”?

In your opinion, what is the significance of the fact that Saul would have being walking in “darkness” when he left Jerusalem and traveled north and a little east and go through “the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali” where Isaiah 9:1-7 says they will see a “great light” and then continued to go to the north and east to get to Damascus when the “bright light from heaven” in Acts 22:6-16 flashed around him and blinded him?

In your opinion, what does it mean to us that Jesus called fishermen in Matthew 4:12-22 and a Pharisee on his way to persecute Christians in Acts 22:6-16?

Ephesians 5:6-14 – New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷ Therefore do not be partners with them.

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴ This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”

What kind of words were Ephesian Christians not to let anyone deceive them with (verse 6)?

Who does “God’s wrath” come on (verse 6)?

Where did the Ephesian Christians used to be (verse 8)?

How are they to live (verse 8)?

What does the “fruit of the light” consist of (verse 9)?

What are the Ephesian Christians to “find out” (verse 10)?

How are they to react to “the fruitless deeds of darkness” (verse 11)?

What is shameful to mention (verse 12)?

What happens to “everything that is illuminated” (verse 13)?

When will Christ shine on the sleeper (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage help us understand about how “everything that is illuminated becomes a light”?

In your opinion, how is the transformation of the land and kingdom that have seen the “great light” that Isaiah 9:1-7 prophesied about enriched by the transformation of the “children of light” that Paul is encouraging in Ephesians 5:6-14?

In your opinion, how does Paul writing in Ephesians 5:6-14 reveal that the repentance Jesus called for in Matthew 4:12-22 is just the beginning of the transformation for those who were in darkness but are now in the light?

In your opinion, how does Paul in Ephesians 5:6-14 fulfill the calling he received from Ananias in Acts 22:6-16 to “witness to all people what you have seen and heard”? 

In your opinion, what do these passages from Isaiah, Matthew, Acts, and Ephesians teach us about Jesus’s message to, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”?

In your opinion, how should we respond as God’s light today?

 

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)