26 September 2007

Today's Reading September 26

Good morning. Dark here, as it always is just before the dawn. A pattern that plays it in other ways as well.
This morning's reading continues in Isaiah with chapters 7, 8, and 9
Pay close attention throughout. For where but here do you find little bits like

7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Mt 1:23
Recognize that? Or
8:13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
1 Pet 3:15
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.
Rom 9:33 Isa 28:16 1 Pet 2:8
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.
Heb 2:13
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.
Perhaps you recognize this
9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Mt 4:16
Perhaps these words, either from study, or from Handel's Messiah oratorio,
9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

These are important words, the Lord did not arrange to have them in the Bible just to fill space. He put them there so that His people, from that time forth, could see them and be instructed by them. Please do not pass over them lightly. He thought it was important. So should we.
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This evening's reading is chapter 4 of Paul's letter to the Galatians. As was said before, it was in reading through this letter that Martin Luther became convinced of the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, not of work or of rituals. And from that came the Reformation. Ideas from the Lord always have the power to change the hearts of men, and turn the world upside down. He's been doing that for a long time now. Such wonderful concepts!
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
The LORD loves us! A more radical idea there could hardly be.
21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Isa 54:1
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gen 21:10
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

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