Our previous car lasted us a good decade. Well, strictly speaking it lasted a good seven years. Then things started to go wrong. Every time the car went in for service, it would come back with a big bill to pay and a significant bit of work. Then there were the times when we had… Continue reading When patching up no longer works
Tag: Isaiah
Death of death
Death remains our greatest fear and the last enemy. Death is the just consequence and punishment for sin. Exile from the land was going to be a death like experience for God’s people. With that in mind, I want to suggest that what comes next is perhaps one of the most significant passages in the… Continue reading Death of death
Idols (Isaiah 6)
You can listen in to the sermon I preached on Isaiah 6, part of a whistlestop tour of the book on Sundays, here Idols (Isaiah 6)
Everyone
Perhaps as God’s people heard Isaiah prophecy against different nations and cities, they were tempted to nod along in agreement. “I’m glad that he mentioned Babylon, I knew they had it coming.” “Oh I’d never really thought about Trye and Sidon before … but he has got a point you know.” Then there’s that shocking… Continue reading Everyone
Something different
We’re in the middle of a section of Isaiah that takes the wider sweep of world politics and announces judgement on the nations and their capital cities. Notice that Jerusalem is included in with the wicked nation, God’s people had joined the world in its sinfulness. They had become like the Gentiles. There is a… Continue reading Something different
Those around
What does it mean to live in this world as part of the church. We know that we are sinful and that the church has its faults. At times it seems that the church is weak, half asleep, luke-warm. Do we really have anything to say to unbelievers? But then we can look at a… Continue reading Those around
Light in the darkness
Chapter 8 finishes with a sobering prophecy, all that the people will see if they look away from God is gloom and darkness. Without God, all there is for us is hopelessness. Read Isaiah 9 Whilst the present situation seemed pretty hopeless and Israel were about to face judgement, shame and destruction, Isaiah looks ahead… Continue reading Light in the darkness
It shall not stand
Imagine that you have an uneasy relationship with a close family member. You have your differences, your squabbles and fights but at the end of the day you are family. Then one day you discover that they have been working with someone else, a rival, an enemy of yours to bring you down. Imagine the… Continue reading It shall not stand
The idols must go
The things that we fear and the things that we put our trust in are the things that become our idols. They become our idols because we give power and authority to them. We think that they have control and influence over our lives. We are scared that if we do not do what they… Continue reading The idols must go
The limits of persuasion – when explaining doesn’t help
If only people knew what was really going on, they’d quickly change their minds and behaviour. If I could just sit down face to face and talk with them, then they would see that I was for them, they’d understand the decisions I’d made and the actions I’d taken. They might not like it but… Continue reading The limits of persuasion – when explaining doesn’t help
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