Can Judgement Be Hopeful? | Isaiah
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- Опубликовано: 2 ноя 2024
- Isaiah 6 contains a famous vision of the prophet being touched on the lips with a lump of burning coal, culminating in his famous declaration, ‘Here am I; send me.’ But it’s the puzzling, less comfortable latter part of the chapter that is quoted by Jesus and Paul. Like Jesus’s message to a generation turned away from God’s will, God’s word to Isaiah is one of judgment. Fortunately for us, God’s judgment is never about scrapping the whole project but rather the hope of a New Thing happening on the other side.
What circumstances do you need courage for right now to trust that God is doing a new thing?
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That was great, especially for me as an Iranian. My country is passing through to dark days, but this message gives me hope, because it's reminds me that something new is becoming out of it. God bless you.
Thank you for sharing this.
May God bring you courage and confidence, and hope to sustain you in the dark times. We're glad you're here and prayerful that God will bring something new out of great difficulty.
i have been a man under the judgment of God.... and like a great tree I have been brought to nothing. And I am thankful that Jesus allowed me to hear his word thereafter....that he cleared the thicket...and showed me the path to life....and I pray that his word grows in me, and that I am good soil. And that I never have closed ears again. Jesus has been merciful to me, a great sinner. And as I walk in sanctification, and holding to his promises....he gives me endurance.... But I am certainly weak -The only source of life in me, is his word. His pruning was the greatest I have yet to experience. May I bring forth his fruit. May I abide now in the true vine.
Thank you mr. Wright for sharing the word.
What a humble and honest reflection. Thank you! May you be given strength as you abide in him and bear fruit for God's Kingdom!
Well, this Scripture really hits home. Twelve days ago, our part of the world in SW Florida, was hit by a terrible hurricane. I, somewhat stupidly, chose not to evacuate and as a result sat in a dark closet praying for the wind to stop before the house was destroyed! Good news is the house survived and so did my husband and I and our dog - the bad news is that our giant oak tree, much loved by the birds and other creatures, is now laying toppled over in the canal behind our house. So, when you read about the Oak Tree being cut down and only the stump left, it seemed personal! The funny thing about a storm is that within days of the devastation new growth is starting to return. In Isaiah the metaphor is the Holy Seed that will bring forth new life coming from what looked like a giant destroyed tree. Jesus is the Holy Seed, and it is out of his suffering and death that a new seed of the Kingdom is born for all of us. Not only are we personally restored but the entire earth is in transformation. The thing is we have to wait, and we are not so happy waiting. I want my tree back; I have to wait for a new tree - I might never live to see it grow as big as my old tree. But someone will see it and enjoy it. My, I am going on - must be what 4 hours in a dark closet does to one! Have a great week.
So glad to hear you and your family survived the hurricane, Autumn. How scary! We are grateful your house made it, and yet, there is also sadness for the losses in your community and your own backyard. Thank you for the reminder about waiting for new growth, for both your precious oak tree and for other areas where we all long for God's new creation.
Z
Thank you for explaining these verses in Isaiah 6. I now see the connection to Isaiah 11. I've read this alot over the years but now it makes sense. Thank goodness you're never too old to learn.
Thank you for this commentary, it helped me understand what I read in the passage. It also brought me to tears. I realize the things that dull my senses away from the Word of the Lord. Things like social media (Facebook, Instagram etc). I must admit, it’s a difficult sacrifice and discipline to give up social media, but the Conviction of the Holy Spirit prompts me to do so in order to restore my walk with Christ.
Spiritual practices of abstaining from certain things, for a time, in order to reorient our focus and devotion can be nourishing. May God give you all joy on this journey.
This is such a beautiful picture of our God. A grand plan for blessing the whole earth, some rerouting and breaking down needed at times after years of patience with people getting off track- but only so the plan of goodness and blessing can get back on track with renewed vigour.
Yes! The faithfulness of God to his promises.
You break down the scriptures so understandably. Thank You. God bless🇯🇲
Thank you for this. When I look at the Church today I can't help but feel that God is removing branches and applying heat. So glad that God's judgement is so tied to redemption. Blessing to you for this ministry.
Yes, the connection between God's judgment and his grace to bring new creation is so important.
Not a message you hear, at all really, in the general church service... yet a message we all need to hear and hear MORE of.
Thank you, Mr. Wright
Yes, some find it can be challenging to talk about judgment.
Was there a certain point of the message that you think should be emphasized more in particular?
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The part that is imprinting on my soul at the moment, from many men of God, is the Redemptive nature of our God. He is and always has been focused on redeeming us from the power of the evil one that enthralled us way back in the beginning… and having redeemed us, He then delivers us from our sinfulness. What a wonderful Saviour and Redeemer!
The passage of Isa.6:13 brings me back to this passage in Jn.4:23-24 New Testament for Everyone
"23 But the time is coming - indeed, it’s here already! - when true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and in truth. Yes; that’s the kind of worshippers the father is looking for. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.’"
The Holy Seed are people called by his name and saved by the blood of HIs son Jesus.
I like the emphasis that God's judgment is restorative. He's burning away all that holds us back.
Good words. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you … these short Bible readings with exposition are so enriching 🙌
A wonderful message so clearly and lovingly articulated. ✔️
Thank you.
So helpful!!
I love reading from Isaiah. Thank you so much for this video.
Thank you so much for this message. When looking out around me, sometimes all I see is selfishness, pain and despair ‘…looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our (my) faith’ always gives me great hope. Thanks again.
Yes, the tension of living in the now and not yet can be very difficult, often discouraging. We hope our content offers encouragement, and that this space invites reflection or sharing with others as one way to help carry one another's burdens.
AMEN!! Sir, I must say what an encouraging message!! I h absoLUTELY live how your messages includes history, Jewish traditions, & how the times were when the passages were written .... but mostly looking at the Bible as a whole ... Genesis to Revelation is ALL God not that was back then ... we only look at 2000 years & up. Jesus is all through the Bible and I love how you bring it all together for His children to understand the mystery of God ... Jesus. God richly Bless you Mr Wright with more of Him. Then you can share with us. I pray for you EVERY day!!
Love to you sir in Christ Jesus our Lord
Grandma Sherry ❤️ 🙏💕💖(your messages excite me so!!) Mondays are far apart now ... 🤭🤭🤗 JK 😜 (just kidding)
Thank you so much for your prayers for our ministry, Grandma Sherry!
I appreciated Prof Wright’s discussion of this difficult Scripture. What was new to me was how Prof Wright demonstrated that this passage linked judgment to forgiveness and ministry if there is confession and repentance. This was shown by God’s interaction with Isaiah. It also reminds me of Isaiah 55:6-11. Truly God is a God who prefers mercy (Hos 6:6; Matt 9:13), and that is a very comforting truth. Thank you!
Good words, Mike. Thanks for the reflection.
What a powerful elucidation. Thank you for your ministry - all the books which so enhance my understanding, the Ask N T Wright Anything podcasts, the RUclips lectures and now this Monday address.
We're glad you've joined us! If you're interested in more in depth online teachings (15-20 minutes) check out www.ntwrightonline.org/courses .
Thank you so much!
This good sir is a Genius.😁
We're grateful you're encouraged. Genuine understanding of God is refreshing and liberating!
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@@NTWrightOnline It truly is
Wow! Amen. This offers us hope on days that are angry and uncertain. Thank you.
Yes, there is a seed of hope!
Thank you for your prayer at the end of the message. Amen indeed. These prayers bless me each week and I am grateful for them and for your ministry to us all. Thank you.
Thanks for being here each week!
incredible passage of hope
My heart and spirit rejoices with each promise! It’s truly amazing to see how God’s word weaves in and out of history to now and beyond! We have hope!!
Rejoice always! We agree!
It's important to remember that hope, restoration, are on the other side of the mountain. About that, I wonder, is that a word we can apply to our everyday life or is it just meant to be accomplished at His second coming?
Good question. Perhaps, there is both a present and future hope in God's judgement and mercy out the other side of that and the seed that dies and then bear much fruit. How do you see that at work in your life? What do others think?
@@NTWrightOnline great point to ponder- , that's my question (abov'e) what you said here "future hope in God's judgement and mercy out the other side of that [judgment]" do you think it (hope after judgment) has any application to the afterlife? i.e. the imagery of burning and/or destroying/lopping off unfruitful trees seems to be a repeated theme in Scripture (i.e. Nebuchadnezzar) but then hope arises out of and after that judgment, the second Adam (Jesus) is the Holy Seed and remains after God has judged sin and shoots forth bringing hope. I've been a pastor/preacher and church planter evangelist for several decades but since 2018 have been studying the nature of Hell/Gehenna/Hades/Sheol etc. in depth, was raised believing Eternal Conscious Torment but that was based upon what I was taught but hadn't ever studied it before, so your video here caught my eye.
This passage is so fascinating and I think I need to read and re-read over and over so I can grasp the meaning. I think the part that I’m still a bit puzzled over is verse 9: “Keep on listening but do not understand. And keep on looking, but do not gain knowledge”
I guess I’m going to have to do just that; keep on listening and hopefully I WILL understand haha!
You're right, that statement can be quite puzzling! Perhaps, it might have something to do with a warning against becoming so hard-hearted that ultimately, and regrettably, the judgement must follow where the people will listen but not understand, or will seek only to end up in chaos, confusion, or darkness. It was also one of the explanations Jesus gave for speaking in parables.
What do others think?
@@NTWrightOnline Yes definitely! I also think that being so hard-hearted and along with the judgement COULD, if they accept it, bring them back to Jesus and his mercy. Sort of a, “let me become so desperate to meet with me again. To put their pride aside.” That way, they’ll come back to his waiting arms? Perhaps?
Yes, and as one scholar has so aptly described, it is a movement from 'exclusion to embrace' (M.Volf).
Powerful message of hope Dr N T Wright! what applications if any do you see this passage of judgment and hope in Isaiah 6 applicable to the final judgment?
Stump, seed, word, Christ-indeed they are all talking about the same thing. But there's another dynamic happening in the context-parables. Mysterious obscure parables. What did it take for the disciples to understand them? Inquiry-interaction with "the word," (Christ) not just hearing with the ears. Parables provoke inquiry.
Exodus 33 describes how Moses used to set up a tent of meeting. "Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp." But only two (Joshua and Moses) are named as entering the tent to get "face time" with God. Most however, "stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent." In fact, the people at large resisted engaging with God at all. “'Speak to us yourself and we will listen,' they said to Moses. 'But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.'” (Ex. 20:). We can understand then why the soon-to-be-crucified Jesus overturned the merchants' tables in the Courtyard of the Gentiles. "‘My house will be called a house of prayer (inquiry?) for all nations’’, but you have made it a den of robbers." This was a long-time in coming.
lásrtima que sean en inglés, porque parece interesante el estudio y solo coger alguns frases que dice.
Es lastima, verdad. Algunos des sus libros se venden por Amazon en traduccion.