Live Now and Forever - Isaiah 49:1 - 57:21 - November 26, 2006

Sunday school Lesson – Live Now and Forever – November 26, 2006

This is lesson four (4) in our series, “Living Life to the Max.”

Our background scripture is Isaiah 49:1 – 57:21.

Our focus scripture is Isaiah 55:1-13.

This to me has been an exciting series of study. As we studied last Sunday, GOD gave prophesy that the Israelites would be defeated, carried off to Babylon and later released. GOD gave this prophesy to Isaiah about 700 BC. All happened just as GOD said it would. In 539 BC GOD used Cyrus, King of Persia to release them from captivity and freed them to return to rebuild Jerusalem. GOD told the Israelites about 150 years ahead of time what was going to happen to them and even who would deliver them from captivity. HE did this so they would know that the true, living, eternal GOD of Israel had revealed this to them. They had been exposed to the worship of idols and they needed something solid from GOD for them to reaffirm their faith in HIM. This shows the love of GOD.

This message is just as relevant to us today as the day GOD revealed it to Isaiah. As we read it today, we also see what GOD revealed came true. GOD wants us to know that HE is trustworthy and we can have confidence in HIM to do what HE says HE will do. HE reaffirms these facts in the scriptures and in our hearts through the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT. GOD is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. HE does not change and neither does what HE can do change. The scriptures tell us of HIS care for HIS children. HE always reaches out to HIS children in love and compassion. We have to suffer the consequences of our sin but HE never forsakes us. GOD calls all to HIM, even the thorn bushes and briers of life but HE is the only ONE WHO can change them into something of beauty.

Today’s study is exciting. First let’s look at the book of Isaiah. Do you know that the Book of Isaiah is a foreshadow of the very Bible most of us use today?

How many books does our Bible have? 66.

How many chapters are in the book of Isaiah? 66.

The book of Isaiah has 39 chapters which deal with GOD’S judgment for sin. There are 39 books in the Old Testament.

The remaining 27 chapters of Isaiah deal with forgiveness, comfort and hope that only the Messiah can bring to earth. There are 27 books in the New Testament.

How about that! Guess who wrote the Bible. GOD did!

Isaiah 49:1 – 57:21 is called, “The Gospel of the Servant of the LORD.” These scriptures are encouraging prophesy to the Israelites while they were captured in Babylon. The prophesy gives them hope for their deliverance from exile through Cyrus, King of Persia. GOD anointed Cyrus to be their deliverer. This prophesy is equally encouraging to us today.

Take this prophesy of the deliverance of the Israelites and compare it to CHRIST, WHO is our deliver from the bondage of sin and death.

The following prophesy focuses on CHRIST:

Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12 focuses on the person of CHRIST for forgiveness.

Isaiah 54:1-17 is GOD’S announcement of forgiveness through the grace of GOD.

Isaiah 55:1-13 is GOD’S invitation to experience forgiveness now. (Our scripture for today’s lesson.)

Let’s read Isaiah 55:1-5:

1 “Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters;[1] Rv 21:6; 22:17 and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost! 2 Why do you spend money on what is not food, and your wages on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and you will enjoy the choicest of foods.[2] Lit enjoy fatness 3 Pay attention and come to Me; listen, so that you will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the promises assured to David. 4 Since I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples, 5 so you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel, has glorified you.”

We could spend our entire lesson on this scripture alone.

JESUS told the Samaritan woman, also referred to as the woman at the well, that HE is the living water and those who drink of this water will never thirst again.

John 4:10-13:

10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would ask Him, and He would give you living water.” 11 “Sir,” said the woman, “You don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.” 13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again—ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well[7] Or spring of water springing up within him for eternal life.”
John 7:37-39: (The HOLY SPIRIT within each Christian provides streams of living water.)

37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me[6] Other mss omit to Me and drink! 38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said,[7] Jesus may have had several OT passages in mind; Isaiah 58:11; Ezk 47:1–12; Zch 14:8 will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” 39 He said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive, for the Spirit[8] Other mss read Holy Spirit had not yet been received,[9] Other mss read had not yet been given [10] Lit the Spirit was not yet; the word received is implied from the previous clause. because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

The beauty of this living water is that it is free. It is a gift to all who will ask CHRIST to forgive them of their sins and for HIM to come into their lives.

Come buy wine and milk. Wine is used for healing and milk for nourishment. CHRIST heals the broken hearted and CHRIST in us nourishes our born-again spirit to grow and mature into what HE wants us to be.

Why do we spend our time, effort, money on the things of the world which are meaningless? Come to the FATHERS table to eat spiritual food that sustains us here upon earth and for all eternity.

I will make a new covenant with you. Can you trust ME? Can you believe what I promise you? YES!!! Because I have proven to you through the scriptures that I do what I say I will do.

Come to GOD and you will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. When we ask CHRIST to come into our lives, it is a new everlasting covenant that GOD promises us.

Who is the nation you do not know? It is the Gentiles.

Who is GOD making this offer to? It is to all who are thirsty for spiritual truth and those who want to know GOD.

When CHRIST died, HE paid the penalty for sin and death. This obedient act of CHRIST opens the opportunity for each believer to go directly to GOD THE FATHER. It opens the opportunity for rebirth into GOD’S family and for each believer to call GOD, FATHER or even the most intimate Daddy!!!

What a heritage!!!

Let’s read Isaiah 55:6-7:

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found; call to Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked one abandon his way, and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, so He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will freely forgive.

GOD is urging all to seek HIM while the opportunity exists.

Now think with me on this for a minute. GOD is telling the Israelites you can have this relationship with ME now because the prophesy I am giving to you through Isaiah, although about 700 years in the future, is a fact. CHRIST will come into the world, live a sinless life, give HIS life for the forgiveness of sin, be resurrected, ascend into heaven and send the HOLY SPIRIT to dwell in each believer.

They were looking forward to the coming of CHRIST, whereas we are looking back 2000 years to HIS coming. Their faith to the coming of CHRIST is the same as us looking back to the fact.

GOD calls all to repentance and to receive the forgiveness of their sins. It is GOD WHO calls every human to repentance. Every human has an opportunity to make a decision to come to GOD for forgiveness or to reject HIM.

We may say, “How is this possible?” Our next scripture tells us.

Let’s read Isaiah55:8-13:

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord’s declaration. 9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven, and do not return there without saturating the earth, and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, 11 so My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and will prosper in what I send it [to do]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. .” 12 You will indeed go out with joy and be peacefully guided; the mountains and the hills will break into singing before you, and all the trees of the field will clap [their]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. hands. 13 Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will come up, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will come up; it will make a name for the Lord as an everlasting sign that will not be destroyed.

GOD tells us HIS thoughts and ways are very different from ours. GOD is all knowing, all powerful and Omni-present. HIS vantage point and perspective is such that HE sees all existence and situations against the backdrop of HIS ultimate plan and purpose.

GOD is sovereign and it is very difficult for us as humans to accept this unless we have an intimate relationship with HIM. Even then we do not like the turn of events that come to us in life but HE is sovereign.

GOD then tells us about the miracle of rain and snow that produces a result which sustains life upon earth. HE compares this to HIS WORD that when it is presented to every human it will bring forth a result. GOD tells us it will never, not produce a result. HIS WORD will always accomplish what it is intended to accomplish. It will result in people being drawn to HIM and will be nourished by it. Some will reject it.

The next time you take a walk among the trees and nature, listen you may hear all of nature break into singing and the trees clapping their hands. All of nature waits for the day it too will be redeemed.

To me, this next statement is so special.

Only GOD can take a thorn bush or a brier and make it into something of beauty.

Are you a thorn bush or a brier? Give your life to our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST and HE will transform your life from a thorn bush or brier into a life of beauty. Plus what HE does in us is eternal.

I hope each had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. The greatest Thanksgiving is CHRIST in us the hope of glory!

Rejoice if you know HIM as your SAVIOR and LORD. If you do not know CHRIST as your SAVIOR, ask HIM to come into your heart now.

JESUS tells us HE has come that we might have life more abundantly. Live life to the max now and for all eternity!!!