Isaiah 55 is filled with the LORD’s promises to His people, and of descriptions of His amazing grace, mercy, compassion and wisdom. The chapter has many quotable verses, nearly every one is worthy of our memorization! Let’s focus on this: 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV) As the heavens are higher than the earth…I have often thought about that statement. When we think we understand the LORD and His ways, we must always remember His thoughts are as high above ours as the heavens are above the earth! That means He is always simplifying everything for us so we can understand it. Just as we simplify things for our preschool-aged children, so the LORD must simplify everything He says and does for us. As He explains His great love and compassion in this chapter, I fast forward in my mind to Jesus. Jesus showed us in so many concrete ways what it means for the LORD to show us His love and compassion. No greater illustration exists of those qualities of the LORD than Jesus hanging on the cross to purchase our forgiveness from sin and death.
Isaiah 56 is divided into two distinct parts. In the first part, we read the good news that eunuchs and foreigners will be welcomed among God’s people. The requirements are to keep the Sabbath and to keep the LORD’s covenant. This is the same requirement as that of the people of Israel, so the LORD was using Isaiah to tell everyone of their welcome into the people of God, so long as they were willing to live as His child. Every “family” has rules of that family. While the father and mother will love the children unconditionally, belonging to the family requires following the rules. Otherwise, chaos develops. The LORD in a similar manner, promises any who are willing to follow the family rules of His people are welcome. The latter portion of the chapter is devoted to condemning the leaders of Israel who led the people away. They had been charged by the LORD with guiding His “sheep,” but they were false “shepherds,” and the LORD’s wrath and judgment would come upon them. This gives us an important reminder that when the LORD puts us in positions of authority in His family, we are held to greater accountability as we carry it out.
Isaiah 57 is also divided into two distinct parts. In the first, the LORD condemns those who continue to practice idolatry. In explicit terms, He identifies their sin, and tells them they will be held accountable. Then the chapter turns and the LORD promises to forgive and receive those who are contrite in heart. This is always the way with the LORD. He cannot look on sin, nor does He ignore it. Yet, when we repent and turn to Him, He does not hesitate to receive and restore us.
As we return to John 11, we come to one of the most powerful accounts in the entire gospel, the account of the raising of Lazarus. Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, are mentioned several times in the gospels. From the descriptions we find there, we know they were special friends of Jesus. Yet, when Lazarus became ill, and Mary and Martha sent for Jesus, Jesus didn’t come. He let Lazarus die before He came to their home. In one of the most powerful interactions recorded in the gospels, Jesus speaks with Martha. She tells Jesus if He were there her brother wouldn’t have died. As they talk Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever, believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Then Mary comes and is overcome with grief. We’re told in the shortest verse in the English Bible: Jesus wept. But it didn’t end there. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, which amazed everyone…everyone but the religious leaders. They realized eventually Jesus’ power was going to cause a conflict between Him, those who followed Him and the Romans. They decided then and there to sacrifice Him on behalf of the entire nation. They didn’t realize how that was the precise purpose for which He had come, and not only to be sacrificed for the nation of Israel, but for the entire world!