Today’s Reading: Isa 29:1–30:17, Luke 10:1–42, Job 7:1–10
Today’s Theme: God Our Teacher
Today’s theme is about God as our teacher, revealed most clearly through Jesus, the greatest teacher of all.
Isaiah 29:1–30:17
Empty dreams
As when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he is eating and awakes with his hunger not satisfied, or as when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he is drinking and awakes faint, with his thirst not quenched, so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion. Isaiah 29:8 (ESV)
The thoughts of man are impotent, they posses no creative power, unlike the one and only Creator, God. God alone can bring something to mind and it becomes a reality.
God teaches us a great lesson here, reminding us that dreams are not real and bring no satisfaction in the physical world. We can think about doing or not doing something all day long, but just dreaming or thinking about eating a nice meal will do nothing for our hunger other than make it greater.
Do not waste your life dreaming, fantasising and allowing your thoughts to drift away. Instead think on things that are pure and profitable for God’s pleasure and glory and for your joy.
Paul encourages us in Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
The spirit of slumber
For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers). Isaiah 29:10 (ESV)
God pours out the spirit of slumber, in judgement, on those who reject Him. This reminds us that even though God is our great teacher, we can only understand and receive the lessons taught by His grace and mercy.
The Prophets should have been in a place to correct the dead religiosity of Judah, but their hearts were not for the Lord and so were put under a spirit of sleep.
Let us not sleep like others, stay alive to God and His purposes, God has called us to be prophets in our generation, bringing a corrective word to a wayward world. 1 Thessalonians 5:6
Lip service
And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, Isaiah 29:13 (ESV)
We should not just pay God lip service or perform religious duties, with no heart or passion for God. God hates dead religiosity and so should we, we are called to a living relationship with God through His Son Jesus.
We should not fear God because of the teaching of any man or church, instead as we submit to God our teacher, we will reverentially fear Him in truth.
Crazy pots
You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? Isaiah 29:16 (ESV)
The arguments of naturalism and evolution are put in their true perspective here; can we, the pots, really turn to the potter and proceed to teach him? Can we the students turn and teach the teacher? Can we the created turn and instruct the Creator?
None of us can teach God anything, we need to throw away our crazy pride and submit to Him. He was there in the beginning and He has already seen the end, He knows how and why He made us, so turn to Him today for your answers, perspective, opinions, worldview and purpose.
Hope for the wayward
And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur will accept instruction.” Isaiah 29:24 (ESV)
God the teacher, declares those who go astray and those who grumble, will one day submit to instruction and have understanding.
This was certainly in context to Judah but we can take hope from it, for those who have fallen away or are in the grip of bitterness, that they will submit to the teaching of God and come to an experiential knowledge of the truth.
Don’t force it through
“Ah, stubborn children,” declares the LORD, “who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; Isaiah 30:1 (ESV)
In this passage, the plan to flee to Egypt was a plan that the people were forcing through despite God’s instructions, and it would only lead to pain and shame.
We need to be led by the Spirit, not every plan we make should be forced through. Ask God to help you discern which plans are of Him and should be pursued, and which ones will not profit.
Luke 10:1–42
Hear the teacher
“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” Luke 10:16 (ESV)
Jesus speaks through His disciples today, that’s you and me, but more specifically speaks through appointed leaders, like our Pastors.
Those who reject the teaching of the true church (as these accord with the bible), are actually rejecting the teaching of Jesus and so rejecting God.
Do not be discouraged when you are rejected as you share the truth of the gospel, that the Kingdom has come. They are instead rejecting God, who you have become an ambassador for.
We submit to Jesus our great teacher, we submit to His word and gospel, and like the 72, we go and proclaim His teaching to all the world.
Those who hear the teaching of Jesus and like the cities of unbelief, do not obey the gospel, will be under greater judgement than those who have never heard.
We have authority and security
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20 (ESV)
Jesus gives us authority over all the power of the enemy, but more importantly, gives us assurance of our salvation before God.
We can rejoice in our authority and security today.
Teaching for children
In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. Luke 10:21 (ESV)
God reveals His truth to those who humble themselves to be taught by Him. If our heads are filled with the so called knowledge of this world and our trust is in that, then how can we receive the revelation of God’s truth?
Be a child in heart today, to receive the teaching of the truth from God, do not be proud or arrogant, but be teachable.
It is God’s will, by His grace, to reveal His truth to simple people like us, for His pleasure and glory.
Revelation is a grace from God
All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Luke 10:22 (ESV)
If you know God, it is not through anything that you did or anything that made you worthy, it is Jesus who decides the ones He will reveal the Father to. Give thanks that you have been chosen.
Learn from the Master
And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” Luke 10:28 (ESV)
Jesus was the best teacher ever, when this man came challenging Him with a question, He turned the man back to the bible of his day and said what do you read, how do you see it? This is such a great way to teach the truth, to let the seeker read it for themselves.
Pastor Dennis has taught us this over the years, that the best thing to do in many situations, is to get someone to actually read the verse from the bible and ask them what they think it means.
The master story teller
He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” Luke 10:37 (ESV)
One of the best methods Jesus used as a teacher was to tell stories or parables, which had a lesson driving them.
Again, after telling the story of the good Samaritan, Jesus asks the man a question, which serves to assess his comprehension of the lesson taught and ensure that he engaged his mind with the message of the story.
We use this technique in training and teaching today and should use it as we share the truth of God too.
One thing is necessary
but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 (ESV)
We need to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from Him as He teaches us, everything else is secondary. Don’t be anxious and caught up in your day, stop and listen to Jesus.
Job 7:1–10
There is no specific note from today’s reading in Job, just a reminder that much of Job is discussion and ideas without understanding. Much of the book is useless for theology. This is why we need God as our teacher.
Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.
Additional resources
The Gospel Coalition on Luke 10