Tuesday – December 26, 2023, Tevet 14,5784
Donna and I are hopeful that all of you had a wonderful Christmas Celebration yesterday and have come away with a renewed thankfulness for the Savior, the Christ. Before I move into our Isaiah text, please take a moment and share this teaching as widely as possible to expand our reach with the Truth, the Good News. The end of the year is upon us and we invite you to consider this Ministry as part of your yearend giving and perhaps joining yourself to this Ministry as a regular financial partner. With our new website (link below) you can instantly donate electronically with very little effort. If you give the old-fashioned way, remember that the envelop must be post marked no later than 31 December. The difference between a friend to this ministry and a partner with this Ministry is that a partner contributes financially. What we are all about is easily found on the website. As a partner we pray for you daily and you become a partaker of our Grace (Phil 1:7).
Now, let’s listen to our primary Bible text from the Book of Isaiah continuing to read out loud.
Isaiah 48:16-19 (HCSB)
16 Approach Me and listen to this. From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time anything existed, I was there.” And now the Lord GOD has sent me and His Spirit.
17 This is what the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: I am Yahweh your God, who teaches you for ⌊your⌋ benefit, who leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention to My commands. Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants would have been as ⌊countless⌋ as the sand, and the offspring of your body like its grains; their name would not be cut off or eliminated from My presence.
As you can see, today I am using the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) which is a balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought published in 2004, reading level 7.5. I tend to prefer the word-for-word translations like the King James Version, American Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible and others. All of us have filters of the flesh and biases and therein lies the problem with thought-for-thought translations. Remember, we are to study not casually read.
2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Who is talking in verse sixteen? This is a Messianic Scripture and the Messiah Himself is speaking and, in a way, out of time. He is speaking to this ancient people of Isaiah’s day but He is clearly speaking to us as well. At the end of the sixteenth verse, we see the Trinity. The Lord GOD is the Father, the me is Christ Jesus, and his Spirit is the Holy Spirit. Why does the Lord repeatedly come to us? This passage tells us it is for our benefit to lead us in the way we should go. The word translated as benefit in the HCSB is translated as profit in the KJV. This Hebrew word is transliterated to English as yāʿal, is found 23 times in the Old Testament. It is translated as profit 19 times, at all 1, set forward 1, good 1, profitable 1 for a total Count of 23. This word yāʿal means to ascend, to be valuable, to do good, and (be, have) profit (-able) according to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. As much as the Church embraces poverty, I can’t seem to find that to be the will of God in Scripture. Everything in God is to continually be on the increase.
Lord willing, I will pick up right here tomorrow.
Authored by: Dr. David R. Wood, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (KJV)
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
PRAYERS AND QUESTIONS – please contact us and we will respond. Our goal is to build a solid foundation upon which children of God can become sons of God, stand and do exploits in Jesus’ name.
PARTNERSHIP AND GIVING – Those of you who are not Partners of this Ministry and you find this ministry to be of value to you and perhaps others with whom you share it, we ask you to consider becoming Partners. A Partner is one who prays for the Ministry on a regular basis and contributes to the Ministry on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, annually). Thank you and may the Lord be pleased with your decision.
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