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#DailyDevotion The Lord Is Still Gathering A Remnant Of Jacob To Worship Jesus

#DailyDevotion The Lord Is Still Gathering A Remnant Of Jacob To Worship Jesus

Isa 65:6-9  Behold, it is written before me: “I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their lap  (7)  both your iniquities and your fathers’ iniquities together, says the LORD; because they made offerings on the mountains and insulted me on the hills, I will measure into their lap payment for their former deeds.”  (8)  Thus says the LORD: “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,’ so I will do for my servants’ sake, and not destroy them all.  (9)  I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there.

When one has rejected the mercies, kindness and love of God that he has offered, there isn’t a neutral stance to be found. Such ones have opened themselves up to God’s alien work, his anger and his wrath. Such was the state of the Israelites and the Jews of Isaiah’s day. On the one hand, those who thought they worshipped the Lord didn’t worship him in the way that he prescribed. Everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes. They offered imperfect sacrifices. They did not offer him their best or their first. They also didn’t offer their sacrifices to him at the temple in Jerusalem where he had placed his name but offered them wherever they pleased. This was not pleasing to the Lord.

Secondly, many had also picked up the worship of other gods. They followed the ways of their neighbors instead of being a light to them. They offered up to these false gods what should have been offered up to the Lord. Somehow these people thought it didn’t really matter. Somewhere along the way they were deceived and/or were taught falsely. Both groups ended up falling into much sins, iniquities, and a barbarism like their neighbors. One could not tell them apart.

Because of this, the Lord was going to repay. He was not going to keep silent. The grace, mercy and love he wanted to offer them was being exchanged for his wrath and fury. The Lord had warned them time and again with great patience. But they would not listen. So in time, the Lord indeed poured out his wrath into their laps.  The Assyrians would come and wipe out the northern tribes. The Babylonians would come and decimate the southern tribes, leaving only a remnant for the sake of Abraham. When they rejected him as King before Pilate, the Lord pleaded with them another forty years through the apostles. From there preaching of Jesus a remnant of Judah was saved, but then the Lord brought down the Romans upon those who not listen and repent.

Yet, the Lord has always preserved a remnant for the sake of his promise. Here in Isaiah he makes the promise again that for the sake of the fathers he would not destroy them all but preserve some, he brings forth offspring from Jacob and Judah who would believe his word. We see it in the gospels and in the book of Acts. Wherever the Word of Christ is preached, the Lord gathered seed from the children of Israel who would believe in Jesus the Lord. Indeed he still does that today, bringing children of Israel to faith in Jesus through the Church, his chosen Israel.

On top of that, through the Word of Jesus, the message of the free gift of salvation, repentance and faith in Jesus’ name, the Lord, makes descendents of Abraham as through giving life to stones and joins us gentiles to Israel. He circumcises our hearts in baptism and makes us one is Jesus giving us the Holy Spirit. So there is then one holy people unto the Lord who calls on the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, continue to bring forth the Word of Jesus to the descendents of Jacob, so they with us, may have our hearts circumcised and be brought to your holy hill to worship you in spiriti and in truth. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Rev. Guillaume J. S. Williams, Sr.

The Reverend Guillaume Williams is the Pastor of Hope Lutheran Chapel of Osage Beach, Missouri. His pastoral ministry with Hope began in 2005 where he preaches the Christ crucified.

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  1. Thanks.

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