14 November 2015

Scriptures:

• John 8
• Isaiah 1
• 2 Kings 14:1-22
• Psalm 105

Observations:

In the John passage, first, we have the encounter with Jesus and the group of men who brought the adulterous woman to be stoned, eventually absolving her, saying, "Your sins are forgiven. Go and sin no more." Immediately thereafter, we see Jesus talking about himself as the light of the world and the veracity of his testimony, very boldly and publicly stating that he is God's son. He follows this up by talking to his followers, stating that the truth will set them free and explaining slavery to sin. Lastly, Jesus confronts the crowd, showing that they call themselves sons of Abraham, but they are more the sons of the devil. As the crowd became more and more irate, he pressed on the issue of his Godhood and connection to God, before closing with the statement, "Before Abraham was, I AM." Essentially, he said that he is God, which, to most of the Jews assembled was the worst heresy commitable.

In Isaiah, we see the Lord calling out how Israel has rebelled against God, how every facet of creation knows its place except Israel. He describes it almost as a sickness, a disease in Judah. The sacrifices and obeisances of the people have become as nothing. What God desires is not the empty performance of the law, but a willing obedience, a ceasing of evil, seeking justice, ending oppression, and advocating for the needy. God wants the works that stem from faith and love, not from a checklist or rote tradition. The whole point of the offerings and different celebrations was to acknowledge and remember God. The Lord also says, though, that he will work in Jerusalem and purify her people, making the repentant righteous.

In 2 Kings, we see the reign of Amaziah. He was a decent king, though a little foolish - picking a fight with Israel and getting routed and Jerusalem sacked. Like his father, he was assassinated.

The psalm today praises God for the establishment of Israel, telling of how God worked from Abraham through to Moses and the exodus.

Application:

I see, between John and Isaiah, a fairly strong example of how a believer should be living. In John we see Jesus calling out the Jews for not doing the works Abraham did, but instead following after the devil, whom he calls their father (alluding to what Paul was writing about in Romans, that the church are heirs through the promise, that blood is no guarantee of salvation). As we can see, one's actions provide insight into one's "lineage".

In Isaiah, we see God specifically stating what he values as worship. He doesn't want empty motions. This isn't to say he didn't want the offerings, sacrifices, and celebrations, but that he didn't want them as they were being performed - vainly, by rote and tradition, with no substance behind it. Rather, God wants action stemming from faith that gives glory to him. Doing good, ceasing evil, seeking justice, ending oppression, and advocating for the needy are actions that should be looked for in followers of God