By Jeremy Bell
Psalms patterned and color coded can be found in my book, Psalms in Motif Visualization. During December, I take a break from the Psalms to focus on the birth of Jesus, the reason for Christmas. Jesus the savior, not just from death, but from separation from God forever. God is love and provides anything and everything good whether we recognize it or not. The day is coming when we will either be separated for all eternity from anything good and all love, or we will be found in Christ, Jesus, God’s one and only son and unite with love and everything good for eternity.
Christmas is on the way. For much of the developed world, this is a time of anxiety and materialism. It is also a time to focus on loved ones. But Christmas in fact is a Christian Holiday that celebrates the love of The Creator God for His people. This love realized through the human birth of a human without sin, Jesus. I take a pause from my routine to remember this love story and I hope it gives you a moment to pause to consider the meaning of this Holiday as well.
Prophetic Connection (Part 4 of my 6 part 2022 Christmas series)
Adam and Eve were made a promise by God. They would have offspring that would be many, they would have offspring that would be specific to end the deceiver. God renewed life on earth and delivered Noah. God expanded His covenant through Abraham to a people that would be born through him, through Isaac, and Jacob renamed to Israel where the nation of Israel was formed. As an ever-growing nation, God used Moses to deliver His people and eventually giving them a king. Through this, His covenant was further detailed and promised.
THE King, THE offspring, was coming to set up a kingdom for Israel that would last forever. Even for any stranger who would worship the God of Israel. A new ‘Adam’ would need to be born who would be raised from the dead. For since death came by man (Adam), the resurrection of the dead would come by this new ‘Adam’. For as in Adam all die, so also in the new ‘Adam’ all will be made alive.
We now we enter a time after many kings ruled Israel and Israel had even split into two territories. After hundreds of years of watching His people turn against Him, practice terrible deeds, and even turn against each other, He pronounced severe judgement against His people. They were taken into exile, away from their land and the land was taken by their enemies. It was severe but they were not completely destroyed. However, the destruction was so vast, God knit together hope in the messages of judgement. He wanted His people to know that even in the darkest hours, the darkest months, and the darkest years, He would call them back together. God would one day bring them salvation by His own hand, return them to their land and rule forever.
The following is taken from selections in Isaiah. Keep in mind, the people of Israel have done terrible things, things like sacrificing children to false gods like their neighbors did. God put an end to it and dispersed them. They have been humiliated and beaten. Israel is like a daughter who lives in darkness, gloom, and anguish.
Selections from Isaiah
[ Isaiah 9 ]
But there shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
The light has shined on those who lived in the land of the shadow of death.
3 You have multiplied the nation.
You have increased their joy.
They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the plunder. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian. 5 For all the armor of the armed man in the noisy battle, and the garments rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. 6 For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.
[ Isaiah 52 ]
52 Awake, awake! Put on your strength, Zion.
Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city:
for from now on the uncircumcised and the unclean will no more come into you.
2 Shake yourself from the dust!
Arise, sit up, Jerusalem!
Release yourself from the bonds of your neck, captive daughter of Zion!
3 For Yahweh says, “You were sold for nothing;
and you will be redeemed without money.”
4 For the Lord Yahweh says:
“My people went down at the first into Egypt to live there:
and the Assyrian has oppressed them without cause.
5 “Now therefore, what do I do here,” says Yahweh,
“seeing that my people are taken away for nothing?
Those who rule over them mock,” says Yahweh,
“and my name is blasphemed continually all day long.
6 Therefore my people shall know my name.
Therefore they shall know in that day that I am he who speaks.
Behold, it is I.”
7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace,
who brings good news,
who proclaims salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
8 Your watchmen lift up their voice.
Together they sing;
for they shall see eye to eye when Yahweh returns to Zion.
9 Break out into joy!
Sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem;
for Yahweh has comforted his people.
He has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 Yahweh has made his holy arm bare in the eyes of all the nations.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
11 Depart! Depart! Go out from there! Touch no unclean thing!
Go out from among her!
Cleanse yourselves, you who carry Yahweh’s vessels.
12 For you shall not go out in haste,
neither shall you go by flight:
for Yahweh will go before you;
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
13 Behold, my servant will deal wisely.
He will be exalted and lifted up,
and will be very high.
14 Just as many were astonished at you—
his appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men—
15 so he will cleanse many nations.
Kings will shut their mouths at him;
for they will see that which had not been told them,
and they will understand that which they had not heard.
[ Isaiah 53 ]
53 Who has believed our message?
To whom has Yahweh’s arm been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him as a tender plant,
and as a root out of dry ground.
He has no good looks or majesty.
When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised
and rejected by men,
a man of suffering
and acquainted with disease.
He was despised as one from whom men hide their face;
and we didn’t respect him.
4 Surely he has borne our sickness
and carried our suffering;
yet we considered him plagued,
struck by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions.
He was crushed for our iniquities.
The punishment that brought our peace was on him;
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray.
Everyone has turned to his own way;
and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed,
yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth.
As a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he didn’t open his mouth.
8 He was taken away by oppression and judgment.
As for his generation,
who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living
and stricken for the disobedience of my people?
9 They made his grave with the wicked,
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him.
He has caused him to suffer.
When you make his soul an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring.
He will prolong his days
and Yahweh’s pleasure will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light and be satisfied.
My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself;
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion with the great.
He will divide the plunder with the strong;
because he poured out his soul to death
and was counted with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sins of many
and made intercession for the transgressors.
[ Isaiah 54 ]
54 “Sing, barren, you who didn’t give birth;
break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who didn’t travail with child:
for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,” says Yahweh.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations;
don’t spare: lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread out on the right hand and on the left;
and your offspring will possess the nations
and settle in desolate cities.
4 “Don’t be afraid, for you will not be ashamed.
Don’t be confounded, for you will not be disappointed.
For you will forget the shame of your youth.
You will remember the reproach of your widowhood no more.
5 For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name.
The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer.
He will be called the God of the whole earth.
6 For Yahweh has called you as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
even a wife of youth, when she is cast off,” says your God.
7 “For a small moment I have forsaken you,
but I will gather you with great mercies.
8 In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting loving kindness I will have mercy on you,” says Yahweh your Redeemer.
9 “For this is like the waters of Noah to me;
for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart,
and the hills be removed;
but my loving kindness will not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace will not be removed,”
says Yahweh who has mercy on you.
11 “You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted,
behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colors,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by Yahweh;
and your children’s peace will be great.
14 You will be established in righteousness.
You will be far from oppression,
for you will not be afraid,
and far from terror,
for it shall not come near you.
15 Behold, they may gather together, but not by me.
Whoever gathers together against you will fall because of you.
16 “Behold, I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame,
and forges a weapon for his work;
and I have created the destroyer to destroy.
17 No weapon that is formed against you will prevail;
and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of Yahweh’s servants,
and their righteousness is of me,” says Yahweh.
[ Isaiah 55 ]
55 “Hey! Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters!
Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat!
Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which doesn’t satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat that which is good,
and let your soul delight itself in richness.
3 Turn your ear, and come to me.
Hear, and your soul will live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander to the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you don’t know;
and a nation that didn’t know you shall run to you,
because of Yahweh your God,
and for the Holy One of Israel;
for he has glorified you.”
6 Seek Yahweh while he may be found.
Call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts.
Let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him,
to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways,” says Yahweh.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky,
and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth,
and makes it grow and bud,
and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 so is my word that goes out of my mouth:
it will not return to me void,
but it will accomplish that which I please,
and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do.
12 For you shall go out with joy,
and be led out with peace.
The mountains and the hills will break out before you into singing;
and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn the cypress tree will come up;
and instead of the brier the myrtle tree will come up.
It will make a name for Yahweh,
for an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.”
AMEN
God states, ‘For a small moment I have forsaken you, but I will gather you with great mercies. In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting loving kindness I will have mercy on you,” says God your Redeemer. For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. Turn your ear, and come, hear, and your soul will live.’
Isaiah faithfully writes from God’s words, ‘For a child is born to us. A son is given to us. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever.’
Jesus grew up as a tender plant, He had no good looks or majesty. When people saw him, there was no beauty that any should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, pierced for men’s transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. God laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Because His soul was an offering for sin, he sees His offspring; His days have been prolonged. Jesus bore the sins of many and made intercession for transgressors.
Call on God While He is Near
God has made an everlasting covenant with His people, even the sure mercies of David. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, publishes peace, proclaims salvation, and says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” God has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Seek God while he may be found. Call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to God, and He will have mercy on him, to our God, for He will freely pardon.
The hope that God gives is the nature of faithfulness, the nature of love. He judges the nature of sin and the nature of rebellion with perfect justice. He also offers the nature of mercy to those who will accept it from Him by trusting in Him; in His son. This nature for the one who would repent begins an eternity in the very Nature of Joy.
Resources and Notes
All scripture in this article is from the WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE (WEB). The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.
For more related to this blog, check out my post on Practical Steps to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
This is a reliable translation, but it is always good to read other translations as well. Biblegateway.com has a multitude of translations to read from. It is a great resource.
Another great resource is Biblehub.com. There are multiple translations, commentaries, and so much more. Great research can be done on this platform.
One more I use regularly is Gotquestions.org. This is a great site to answer questions and find threads of related questions.
There are many resources. The key is that God wants relationship directly with you, the individual. His primary source for revealing who He is and growing in intimacy is His word, the scriptures. Don’t just read for instruction. Analyze and read for understanding. Explore, ask questions, and be transformed in Jesus every moment you possibly can. There is no dispute this is a key desire of God. People are brough to the Father, in the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. This… This is the Nature of Joy.
Jeremy is an author, musician, and business intelligence manager. His mission is to equip and encourage those in Christ, to equip and encourage others in Christ. Jesus, Christ, is the Nature of Joy and melody of the heart. Jeremy unites business analytics (business intelligence), songs, and Scripture for Christian living in the power of the Holy Spirit.