Today’s Reading: Isa 44:1–45:13, Luke 17:11–18:8, Job 10:1–10
Today’s Theme: Faith in the incomparable God
No one can be compared to God, no one else is in His class or on His level. No one can take the “God Test” and pass. We also learn that we should have persistent faith in God and should avoid distorted pictures of God.
Isaiah 44:1–45:13
The God Test!
Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. (Isaiah 44:7, ESV)
God lays down the challenge for all eternity, He alone is God and worthy of worship. God lays down a test to all men, the idols men create and demons who all want to make a claim on being a god or on the same level as God. The challenge is this “tell the future with accuracy”.
The only one who can see the end from the beginning and actively brings His word to pass is God. It is a unique attribute that cannot be copied, we see God declaring His uniqueness over against the false gods throughout today’s Old Testament passages in Isaiah 44:8, 24-26, 28 and Isaiah 45:1, 3-7, 9, 11.
God demonstrates this unique ability with remarkable accuracy by calling Cyrus by name and in so doing declaring His sovereignty even over pagan kings to use them for His purposes and to bring glory to His name.
Rejoice in the proof of prophecy we have in the Bible which confirms the Bible as the word of God and our God as the only God who remains in sovereign control of His creation and has saved us by His great power.
Luke 17:11–18:8
Persistent Faith in God
And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:7–8, ESV)
Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow to encourage us to have persistent faith when we pray to God. We need to know that God will answer our prayers, granting us the justice we seek because we are his elect children.
This ties in with the previous chapter where Jesus explains the signs of the arrival of the kingdom which included His incarnation on the earth and events like the helping of the lepers. He goes on to explain the signs of the coming kingdom (future).
It all ties in, in the sense that Jesus does not want us to focus on the calendar trying to predict when He will return to bring the kingdom of God in its fullness, instead we should put our trust and faith in God and be persistent in that faith because when He returns that is what He is looking for.
Jesus is not retuning for His people who must have an understanding of eschatology (the study of the last days), no, He is returning for a people who in the middle of the last days put their trust in Him. As Paul said we are already in the last days so let’s put our faith, trust and focus on our incomparable God.
Job 10:1–10
A skewed picture
Does it seem good to you to oppress, to despise the work of your hands and favor the designs of the wicked? (Job 10:3, ESV)
Job has a skewed picture of God in this passage. The sheer pressure of his current situation is affecting his thoughts and causing him to accuse God of oppressing and despising him.
We need to hold onto our faith in God despite our circumstances and know that God does not change. We can appeal to Him like the widow in today’s parable and He will answer our prayers and deliver us.
From 17th until 23rd August the Daily Bible Reading notes will take a shorter summarised format for the summer break.
Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.