Heart Attitudes and Actions That Please the Lord Isaiah 59-66

 We're studying Zechariah in BSF and got to read a familiar passage, 

 "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. - Isaiah 61:1-3

This got me reading Isaiah 59-66, I asked Claude to consolidate a list of heart attitudes and actions faithful believers can take that please the Lord:

Heart Attitudes

Humility and Contrition

• Being humble and contrite in spirit (66:2)
• Acknowledging we are the clay and God is the potter (64:8)
• Recognizing God as our Father and Redeemer (63:16; 64:8)

Reverence and Fear of God

• Trembling at God's word (66:2, 5)
• Revering His ways and remembering them (64:5)

Repentance and Acknowledgment of Sin

• Repenting of sins (59:20; turning from rebellion, treachery, lies)
• Acknowledging our iniquities and offenses (59:12-13)
• Recognizing our uncleanness and need for cleansing (64:6)

Delight and Joy in God

• Delighting greatly in the Lord (61:10)
• Soul rejoicing in God (61:10)
• Rejoicing and being glad in what God creates (65:18)
• Heart rejoicing when seeing God's work (66:14)

Trust and Waiting

• Waiting for Him (64:4)
• Looking to the Lord and seeking Him (65:10)

Actions and Practices

Prayer and Intercession

• Calling on the Lord's name (64:7; 62:6)
• Giving ourselves no rest in prayer (62:6)
• Giving God no rest until He establishes Jerusalem (62:7)
• Striving to lay hold of God (64:7)

Worship and Praise

• Telling of the Lord's kindnesses and praiseworthy deeds (63:7)
• Bringing acceptable offerings to God's altar (60:7)
• Proclaiming the praise of the Lord (60:6)

Righteousness and Justice

• Gladly doing right (64:5)
• Being clothed with garments of salvation and robed in righteousness (61:10)
• Not calling for injustice or relying on empty arguments (contrast to 59:4)

Response to God's Light

• Arising and shining when God's light comes (60:1)
• Looking and being radiant (60:5)

Solidarity with God's People

• Rejoicing with Jerusalem and being glad for her (66:10)
• Mourning over Jerusalem (66:10)
• Not keeping silent for Zion's sake (62:1)

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Abram demonstrates living by faith, Lot and Sodom a lifestyle of disaster (Gen 13-14)

Gen 13-14

Main Truth: Living with God brings true blessing, freedom, and friendship

A) Abram stays with God while Lot separates to Sodom (Gen 13)

13:1-4) wealthy Abram, moves from Egypt to Negev

3-4) between Bethel and Ai, the altar (Gen 12:7) he called on the name of Lord.

 - Calling on the name of the Lord is central to our faith (Gen 4:26, Romans 10:13, Acts 2:21)

 - Wisdom is understanding the will of the Lord and sacrifice (altar) are linked (Eph 5:15-17, Romans 12:1-2) leading us to honest humility (Romans 12:3)

5-7) wealthy Lot's herdsmen quarrel - land can't support them w/ Canaanites and Perizzites

8-9) Abram to Lot, don't quarrel, separate you choose

 - Wisdom and grace from calling on the name of the Lord (James 1:5, 3:17; Proverbs 3:13-18)

10-13) Abram Canann, Lot well-watered land east of Jordan, near Sodom - wicked, sinning people

14-17) Lord said Abram everything seen for your offspring, uncountable, so walk the land

18) Abram near great trees of Mamre, Hebron built altar to Lord

• What do Abram’s and Lot’s actions tell you about what they loved most?

• In what situation could you set aside selfish demands and respond with God’s grace?

Principle: God’s grace in us blesses others.

B) Abram rescues Lot defeating vast armies with few men (Genesis 14:1-16)

14:1-4) four kings war with Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah + three others, 12 years subjects of Elam - 13th year rebelled. 

5-7) 14th year Elam's king defeated them conquered whole territory Amalekites, Amorites

8-12) In the battle King's of Sodom, Gomorrah fled, winners carried away food, possessions including Lot (who lived in Sodom). 

13-16) Escaped man told Abram the Hebrew, took 318 men pursued, attacked at night recovered everything and brought Lot back

C) Melchizedek and Abram give glory to God for victory (Gen 17-24) 

17-21) King of Sodom offers good in exchange for people and Melchizedek king of Salem bread, wine, blessing, and praise to God

 - Abram gives Melchizedek 1/10 of everything (Heb 7:4)

 - Tithe, what God gives return 1/10 (Gen 28:22) All from the land is God's (Lev 27:30-32), annual tithe (Deut 14:22) but every third year give it the Levite, foreigner, fatherless, widow (Deut 26:12)

 - Justice and love of  God must be first, yet don't neglect the tithe (Luke 11:42; Malachi 3:10)

22-24) to King of Sodom, I've sworn oath to LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, I won't accept anything belonging to you. You can never say I made Abram rich, let others have share.

• How do you see God’s grace at work through Abram to do good for many?

• How is God equipping you for spiritual battle in your life and others’ lives?

Principle: God’s grace equips us for spiritual victory.

Read Genesis 14:17-24.

Abram meets with Melchizedek and Sodom’s king.

• In what ways does the Bible say Melchizedek anticipates the person of Jesus Christ?

• How have you seen God’s grace (undeserved favor) in your life this week?

Principle: By God’s grace, Jesus is our priest and King.

Review Genesis 13-14.

• What from this week’s lesson is most impactful to you?

Main truth: The right response to God’s grace is thanksgiving and worship.

Scripture Memory Verse

“Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” – Genesis 13:17

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Offerings that won't spoil: Honey and Salt

I was reviewing my study of the life of Moses yesterday and was struck with the realization that honey is made by bees and that it never spoils. God's promise land for his people is flowing with milk and honey. If bees make honey from pollen and pollen is in flowers, I can only image the beauty of it (1 Cor 2:9). I was then thinking of Jesus who compared the people of God to the salt of the earth and how Jesus and Moses met each-other on the mount of transfiguration. Leviticus 2:11-13 ties honey, salt, offerings and God's eternal covenant together in an amazing way.

Do not use yeast in preparing any of the grain offerings you present to the Lord, because no yeast or honey may be burned as a special gift presented to the Lord. You may add yeast and honey to an offering of the first crops of your harvest, but these must never be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God’s eternal covenant. Never forget to add salt to your grain offerings.

• Offerings are a pleasing aroma to the Lord, but NO honey may be burned as special gift presented to the Lord
• "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" - Ephesians 5:2 
• Jesus, the Son of God, was the only One who could provide the eternally pleasing sacrifice (Psalm 40:6-8, Hebrews 10:1-18)
• God was pleased with Jesus (Mark 1:11;9:7; Matthew 12:18; 17:5;Luke 9:35; 2 Peter 1:17)

Jesus said to wretched sinners how God will bless them (Matthew 5:3-12), he then said to these, "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?" Mark 9:49-50 expands this with "Everyone will be tested (or salted) with fire" and "You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other." All of this teaching is in regards to the Kingdom of Heaven.

• We offer ourselves as living sacrifices, an aroma pleasing to God (Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 2:15-16)
• Prayer is set before the Lord like incense (Psalm 141:2; Luke 1:10; Revelation 5:8;8:3-4

In Exodus 3:8,16-17; 13:1-22 God tells Moses essentially, "now is the time I will bring you into the land flowing with milk and honey." We can see this is in fulfillment of the promise in Genesis 15:18. We know that God also gives requirements for his promises, we must faithfully obey all that he commands (Deuteronomy 28:1-68). Moses never made it to the promise land, but he saw it and appeared with Jesus and is in heaven (Deuteronomy 34:1-4; Hebrews 11:13-16; Matthew 17:1-9)

God's promise of heaven is certain for all who trust and obey.

When we walk with the Lord 

in the light of his word, 

what a glory he sheds on our way! 

While we do his good will, 

he abides with us still, 

and with all who will trust and obey. 

Refrain: 

Trust and obey, for there's no other way 

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. 

Not a burden we bear, 

not a sorrow we share, 

but our toil he doth richly repay; 

not a grief or a loss, 

not a frown or a cross, 

but is blest if we trust and obey. 

(Refrain) 

But we never can prove 

the delights of his love 

until all on the altar we lay; 

for the favor he shows, 

for the joy he bestows, 

are for them who will trust and obey. 

(Refrain) 

Then in fellowship sweet 

we will sit at his feet, 

or we'll walk by his side in the way; 

what he says we will do, 

where he sends we will go; 

never fear, only trust and obey. 

Land Flowing With Milk And Honey
Mark 9:50
Amazing-facts-honeybees
Why would the aroma of a sacrifice be important to God? 19 verses about Aromas Psalm 141:2
10 verses about The Beloved Son
Trust and Obey lyrics

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