Bible Study - Looking Forward to Peace (2) - Isaiah 8:20-9:7 - December 8, 2024

 

Bible Study – Looking Forward to Peace (2) – December 8, 2024

Our focus scripture is Isaiah 8:20-9:7

We have peace when we have CHRIST.

Our study continues to reveal the path leading up to the First Advent, the coming of GOD’S promised Messiah, JESUS.

Enjoy and be blessed!

Let’s read Isaiah 8:20-22:

²⁰ Go to God’s instruction and testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no dawn for them.

Study GOD’S Word for guidance and truth. Truth is truth and withstands the test of time. Since the Advent of JESUS, those who have asked JESUS to forgive them for their sins and for JESUS to come into their hearts, have the Holy Spirit WHO confirms they have been “born-again” in their spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit-born person’s guarantee of eternal life, instructor, and revealer of truth according to GOD and HIS Word.

So, study GOD’S Word to discern truth.

²¹ They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. ²² They will look toward the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness.

When we walk according to our own fleshly desires and understanding, there is nothing but gloom and doom.

But rejoice, a new day is coming. GOD and JESUS are ONE, therefore the only True Light in the midst of Spiritual darkness. GOD, JESUS, and The HOLY SPIRIT are ONE. There is only One Light and that light is JESUS WHO willingly came to earth to pay for the sin of every person. All who place their faith and trust in JESUS as their Savior, are Spiritually born into GOD’S eternal Family, never to be Spiritually unborn. That is a truth all people can trust and count on.

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 3: ¹² If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he/she will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience^[e] loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.

We cannot fool GOD because HE knows our hearts. Truth survives and anything other than truth will be burned up.

As we study the truth of GOD’S Word, know that JESUS is coming a second time to rapture the true church and all who have been Spirit-born. It will happen in the twinklingly of the eye.

How do we know that the second coming of JESUS is true?

Did the first Advent take place according to GOD’S Word? YES!!!

So will the second Advent of JESUS!!!

When was Isaiah 9 written? Some Bible Scholars think it was written between 701 and 681 BC. Whenever it was written, GOD was telling the Jews in particular and the world at large, HE was sending the promised Messiah WHO WOULD BE THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS.

JESUS came into the world as foretold in the scripture and the Prophets.

Let’s read Isaiah 9:1-5:

Birth of the Prince of Peace

9 Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future, he will bring honor to the way of the sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations.

A new day is coming. Gloom and doom will be replaced by hope and light because GOD’S true light will be revealed to all people through the birth of JESUS and life of JESUS, GOD’S only SON, WHO will take away the consequence of the original sin, which is eternal death.

Since JESUS has come and we know GOD’S mission through the life and passion of JESUS, GOD’S redemptive plan becomes clear. JESUS is the second Adam and is the perfect acceptable sacrifice for all sin, including the original sin of Adam. Thus, JESUS is the second Adam who was faithful to GOD’S redemptive plan for all humanity.

Have you ever been in a cave and turned off your light source? At first you think you can see your hand in front of your face, but it is only the lagging memory. Wait awhile, and you realize what utter darkness is like. You realize you need light.

My young son and I along with his Scout Troop had the experience of exploring a wild cave with a guide. Our guide told us that he carried three sources for light because light was an absolute necessity when exploring a wild cave. In addition to the three sources of light some wild cave explorers also tie a string at the entrance of a wild cave and release the string as they penetrate the cave just in case their light sources fail.

JESUS is our light source in a dark world. GOD knows that and HE sent HIS only SON, JESUS, to be the eternal light for all who will place their faith in HIM.

There are three sources of light – GOD, THE FATHER, JESUS, HIS SON, and THE HOLY SPIRIT – the three are ONE – SAME LIGHT -DIFFERENT MANIFESTATIONS and purpose.

JESUS lived in the flesh, tempted in all ways humans are tempted, yet without sin. HE understands temptation and when we call upon HIM to deliver us from temptation, HE does.

We live on a battlefield. There is a war between GOD and Satan. Humans must have GOD’S light because we live in darkness.

Let’s continue to explore!

² The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
a light has dawned
on those living in the land of darkness.
³ You have enlarged the nation
and increased its joy.^[a]
The people have rejoiced before you
as they rejoice at harvest time
and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
⁴ For you have shattered their oppressive yoke
and the rod on their shoulders,
the staff of their oppressor,
just as you did on the day of Midian.
⁵ For every trampling boot of battle
and the bloodied garments of war
will be burned as fuel for the fire.

A new day is coming because GOD’S promised Messiah will bring light into the midst of Spiritual darkness and that light will guide those who seek true Spiritual light to its source. You will know the true light by HIM doing only what GOD can do. Now to the heart of the prophecy ---- You may want to sing it out loud ----

Let’s read Isaiah 9:6-7:

⁶ For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.

The Prophet Isaiah was led to conclude this revelation from GOD with the fact that, “The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.”

It is the zeal of the LORD that seeks all who are lost in sin and unless they are born-again, through faith in JESUS, they will stand naked before the judgement seat of GOD.

However, all who have been born of the Holy Spirit through faith in JESUS immediately have a new eternal body.

We read in 2 Corinthians 3: Our Future after Death

1 For we know that if our earthly tent (human body) we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. ² Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiring to put on our heavenly dwelling, ³ since, when we are clothed,^[a] we will not be found naked. ⁴ Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

Have you asked JESUS to forgive you for your sins and for JESUS to come into your heart? If not, pray that prayer now.

Dear JESUS thank YOU for giving YOUR sinless life by the shedding of YOUR Blood to pay for all my sins, in full. I ask to come into my heart.

Thank YOU for saving my soul and making me whole through the miracle of Spiritual birth.

Now, you need to grow Spiritually. Read and study GOD’S Word, exercise by putting into action what you are learning. Ask GOD to lead you to a Bible teaching church or fellowship where you can fellowship and have a support group.

Blessings!!!