Home Free
One Year Bible (Sep. 29)
Isaiah 59:15-59:21
Home Free
“I freed thousands of slaves. I could have freed thousands more if they had known they were slaves.” (Harriet Tubman, the great emancipator)
The book of Isaiah has moved from judgment to slavery to freedom.
God is telling his people that he will not forget them forever and that He only withdrew from them for a season because they stubbornly went their own way. It was at that point that He removed his hedge of protection and let them be taken into captivity by their enemies. Now, God will deal with their enemies, and He calls the people who are “called by His name” to be REBUILDERS of walls and RESTORERS of homes.
What are the things that God is looking for from His people?
There are FIVE THINGSFIVE THINGS stand out to me in this passage. God is looking for the Contrite, Crushed, Courageous, Comforted, and Centered.
Let’s take a closer look at each area.
“I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are CONTRITE and humble.” (57:15)
A humble person is teachable and willing to bow down rather than be arrogant, proud, and unteachable. A CONTRITE heart comes when one is willing to express remorse and repentance. This is the essence of salvation. Acts 2:38 says, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” We also have learned in scripture that “God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud.” (I Peter 5:5-6)
The fall of man came from pride, and God is looking for the opposite of that…
God doesn’t need us to be happy and put together to come to him. The people in exile were broken and in desperate need. Look at what God says about them, “I restore the CRUSHED spirit of the humble”…(57:15)
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
That is why Jesus came. He was CRUSHED for our iniquities and took on our sins and burdens.
God is also looking for COURAGE. In fact, He is the source of COURAGE. Do you ever feel lacking in this area? Look at how God gives this and to whom He gives it, “I revive the COURAGE of those with repentant hearts.”.
Revival comes after Repentance.
The next thing that God is looking for is to COMFORT His people. He wants us to find COMFORT in HIM, not in things, people, or idols that fill our emptiness. “I will COMFORT those who MOURN, bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far, says the LORD, who heals them.” (57:18-19)
We see this teaching in the New Testament also, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Mt. 5:4)
How are those that mourn comforted by the LORD? Ps. 34: 18 says that "the LORD is NEAR to the brokenhearted.”
Lastly, God is looking for His people to be CENTERED. God wants His people to Remember the Sabbath Rest. He tells them, “Then the LORD will be your delight.” (58:14)
What does it mean to keep the Sabbath Day holy, and what does this teaching mean for us today?
In Old Testament times, they worshipped on the Sabbath and had very strict rules. Some religious leaders in the New Testament tried to put these narrow rules on Jesus without keeping the purpose or the heart of the Sabbath.
Look at what Jesus said about this, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)
God created the Sabbath as a day for people to not pursue their own interests but to instead pursue their relationship with their heavenly Father. They were to enjoy the Sabbath and speak with delight on this day. They were to Honor the Sabbath, and then God promised to Honor them. (Isaiah 58:13)
Jesus was healing the sick on the Sabbath, and the religious leaders tried to nail him for that. Was He doing what honored His Father? Absolutely! However, they had long lists of rules and a short memory of what God was looking for regarding HONOR.
What does this mean to us as New Testament Christians who worship God on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) rather than the Sabbath?
When I was growing up, malls, restaurants, and many other stores were closed on Sundays, and that entire day was spent focused on God and meaningful time fellowshipping with other Christians. We had morning worship services, evening worship services, youth group, and Sunday School. There were no sports events on Sundays. It was quite common for us to eat with groups of other friends who were believers on Sunday. It was a good day for rest.
The focus was God, family, and fellowship. It seemed so simple. Families were very connected at that time. All I can say is that I have seen a huge decline in the family structure and in the effectiveness of the church since society has gone to the “One hour Sunday mentality.”
Recently, I finished a study challenging us to consider the “Sabbath Rest.” What does it mean to push “pause” and breathe? Stop work. Stop chores. Stop going, going, going. Use that time to rest and fellowship with God and other Christians.
As a teacher, I often did lesson plans or graded on Sunday afternoons because my week seemed so short, but in doing so, I was “shortchanging” God, my family, and burning myself out!
To be HOME FREE, we must live like FREE people, CENTERED in God, who REST in HIM!!
