Today’s Reading: Isa 45:14–47:15, Luke 18:9–19:10, Job 10:11–22
Today’s Theme: Eternal Security
Saved and carried by God
even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. (Isaiah 46:4, ESV)
Our OT passage opened with God declaring that all Israel will be saved in Isaiah 45:17, this is prophetic in one sense as we read in Romans 11:25-27 which speaks of the salvation that will come once the full number of Gentiles have been saved.
Later we read in Isaiah 45:22, God’s appeal to the entire world to turn to him from worthless idols so that he can save them. We go on to read in the middle of Gods declarations of sovereignty, victory and power that God will carry his chosen people even until old age.
Later in Isaiah 46:7 we read the contrast between those who trust in Yahweh for salvation and those that trust in idols, the idol worshippers have to carry the burden of their chosen god whereas the true God carries his people.
The conclusion is this, God who created the world to be inhabited has a great desire to save the Jewish people and people form every nation, tribe and tongue. When he saves his elect people he carries and keeps them, giving them the assurance of eternal security because he, The God of all creation has saved them.
We should rejoice in the sure salvation we have be given today.
The Mission of Jesus
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10, ESV)
Our NT reading begins with Jesus illustrating that it is through humility that forgiveness and salvation is received by men with his example of the tax collector and the Pharisee. Next Children are used as the example of the type of faith we need to enter God’s kingdom.
Next Jesus tells us about the cost and reward of true discipleship and encourages us that with God nothing is impossible, God can save even those trapped by their own riches.
Jesus goes on to remind the disciples of the reward they can expect in the age to come which is eternal life. For the third time, he also reminds the disciples that he will die and rise again.
As he drew near to Jericho he shows his power in healing the blind beggar and then finally gives us an insight to his entire mission which the events of today’s reading have all pointed to with his encounter with Zacchaeus where Jesus declares he has come to seek and save that which was lost.
It is Jesus that seeks and saves us, he is sovereign even over our salvation, we should stand in awe of his desire, mercy, grace and power to save and keep us.
God is not vindictive
Yet these things you hid in your heart; I know that this was your purpose. (Job 10:13, ESV)
Our God is not vindictive, on the contrary he seek sot bestow his mercy, grace, love and salvation to all men. Job again has a great misunderstanding of the nature and purposes of God.
Don’t let circumstances skew your view of who God is, know that he is the God who seeks and saves the lost.
“For the week commencing Sunday 17th August the Daily Bible Reading notes will take a shorter summarised format while the author is away on vacation with the family, notes will return to the usual format on Sunday 24th August.”
Thank God! And thank God we have our eternal Bridegroom and our inheritance; an eternity with Him. The humiliation and desolation to come for those who run after false gods is a deep, dark, great void.