Reassurance for God’s People

January 16, 2011

Background Scripture: Isaiah 48
Lesson Passage: Isaiah 48:12 – 22

It is comforting to know that everything will turn out alright when one is in the midst of difficult times. Even though the difficulties may have been brought on by disobedience or bad decisions in general, no one wants to endure trouble forever. But sometimes it is difficult to see how things will work out for the best. It is at times such as this that children of God receive what they need the most—His assurance. Even the song Blessed Assurance is a reminder that Christians have much to be thankful for. Sometimes future promises can brighten even the darkest of days.

In our lesson today, God continues to remind Israel that their stay in Babylon would not last forever. Israel certainly had plenty of reasons to be discouraged. They were suffering at the hand of their enemy because of their own errors or sins. They had been removed from their homeland—the land of promise. They were called to be a nation of priests but instead they had become slaves and foreigners. And all of this was their fault. To make matters worse, their captors were pagans and much more wicked than they were but yet God was using them to punish His own people. Yes they had plenty to discourage them but in the midst of their gloom, God was providing them a word of reassurance. God, indeed, may raise up the wicked to punish the just but when that punishment has run its course, God will then deal with the wicked. Even though God might have used them for His own purpose, this does not vindicate the unrighteous. Babylon will receive her just reward. Israel’s situation was temporary and God wanted them to see it that way. All situations happen in time and are temporary. A relationship with God is what should be viewed as permanent. God is eternal. God created time but He is not governed by or subject to it. God’s instructions are given for the benefit of His children. God teaches His children to do well and He directs their steps in the right path. He teaches them to do well so that He can bless them in unimaginable ways. Their blessings are not limited by God’s ability to deliver or perform but rather by their disobedience to the instructions that he provides them. It is this disobedience that often brings about punishment after repeated warnings. But after punishment has run its course, God again assures His children of His unfailing love towards them. He says that they should rejoice after they have endured His righteous judgment for they will again bask in the blessings that he has in store for them. God is our savior, redeemer, and protector. He will redeem His children out of all of their troubles. He will take care of them and they shall see their enemy punished because their enemy is also God’s enemy. Righteousness will prevail and God’s children can rejoice in the midst of troubles because they will be redeemed and restored.

Robert C. Hudson

January 3, 2011

Salvation for God’s People

January 9, 2011

Background Scripture: Isaiah 45
Lesson Passage: Isaiah 45:14 – 25

God’s people have been called to eternal salvation. God’s people will receive eternal salvation. God gives the blessed assurance that He will bring His promises to pass. To those who live today as well as those who have died in the faith, eternal salvation has and always has been a promise that God has allowed His people to embrace. In the text of our lesson today, God declares that He will bring the promise to fruition. God creates, moves, and speaks with purpose. God does none of these things in vain or with emptiness of purpose. What God has declared, He will bring to pass. In the background passage of this lesson, God gave Israel an assurance that was so absolute that He called their deliverer by name over one hundred and fifty years before He raised him up to perform it. God challenges His people to not question His purpose. They were created to fulfill His will and therefore their purpose is intertwined with His. It is not the place of the created to question the creator. Here, God refutes all of the scientific theories of evolution and declares that everything that exists was created by Him. Not only was the earth created by Him but all of the heavens as well. The earth did not evolve to become an inhabitable planet with a sterile environment as a result of happenstance. God declares that He made the earth to be inhabited. In other words, God created earth’s atmosphere as it is. Afterwards, He created man to live on the earth. The earth is no accident and neither is mankind. They were both created by God with a purpose. Mankind’s purpose can only be realized as he seeks out God and receives directions from Him. The time is coming when God will destroy what He has created and recreate it anew. Mankind will only be saved from destruction by turning to his creator, God, and trusting in Him for deliverance. God declares that there is no other god. All that man may create to worship is utterly useless. Neither the work of man’s hands, those things found in nature, nor the heavenly bodies have any saving power in them. If a person is to be saved, they will be saved through God and God alone. There is no other hope for salvation outside of God. God describes everyone who turns to idols as being without knowledge or ignorant. They have no concept as to what God has done, what God is doing, or what God is going to do. But God has revealed many of these things to His people that they may know and seek after Him. God uses prophecy to inform His people far in advance of things that He will bring to pass in time. Therefore, He invites us to look to Him and Him alone for salvation. Whether one chooses to turn to God or not, one day everyone will bow down and acknowledge God. God’s people will be blessed and made happy in Him and those that are not His will be ashamed and afterwards destroyed. God is salvation for His people.


Robert C. Hudson
December 27, 2010