AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Tuesday – December 21, 2021, Tevet 17, 5782
MORE ON THE ROCK OF OFFENCE
Greetings to all of the dear and precious saints who follow this blog and welcome back to this Tuesday edition of The Three Minute Word teaching on the Book of Isaiah. Wow, Christmas, a wonderful day to celebrate the birth, the coming of the Messiah, our Lord and Savior, the only way to God, period is but a few days away. Please don’t get hung up on whether it is the actual day of Jesus’ birth or whether we or you should have a tree, just be thankful and rejoice, we have a Savior which all of mankind needed desperately. Please take a moment to share these teachings as widely as possible to increase the reach of this Ministry. Thank you for sharing. If you did not share, ask yourself, why didn’t I share? The beautiful featured picture today was graciously provided by our friend and man of God, Joe Getchell Jr. Thank you, Joe, you have a good eye for excellent photographs. As we move forward in our Isaiah text, we will start by talking some more about the “rock of offence”. Note that the spelling “offence” is an alternate, older spelling for offense (today). Now, let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible text continuing to read our loud. Yes, out loud, you know why.
Isaiah 8:13-15 (KJV)
13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
Are we sanctifying the Lord in our day to day walk? Is there any question in the minds of our families and others around us Who is first by far in our lives? Jesus is not just first on Sunday morning (unless something or someone else comes up [tongue in cheek]) but 24/7/365. Do we truly trust in God, our Lord? Is He our Sanctuary or do we have many sanctuaries we value equally? Is the Sanctuary He is, He provides, adequate to provide all natural manifestations needed? Of course, it is, but do we trust (have faith) Him? Walking victoriously into and in the Promised Land and partaking of the milk and honey is far different than just squeaking through into Heaven. Recall what Jeremiah wrote.
Jeremiah 17:5-8 (KJV)
5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
Ponder once again what the Apostle Paul wrote to the saints at Rome in his day, which applies equally to our day.
Romans 9:30-33 (KJV)
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
“Sion” is the Church. See (behold) what the Psalmist wrote.
Psalm 118:19-23 (KJV)
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:
20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.
21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
23 This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
The Jews, the established Church of that day, for the most part rejected Christ the Messiah and right along with the gentiles (the Romans ruling at that time) crucified Jesus. Jesus is “the head stone of the corner” now for Jew and Gentile alike, we are one body in Christ. Jews must accept Jesus just as we Gentiles do, they do not have a separate pathway to God, the Father.
I do not think we are quite done with this so will pick up right here tomorrow, Lord willing.
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Until our next publication, as your Bible Teacher and a Prophetic Voice in your life I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it, believe it, doubt it not, and speak over yourself and your family by faith in Jesus’ name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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