(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see how)
Focus Question:
What is modeled in Isaiah’s prayer on behalf of Israel?
Intro:
Hey, welcome to a new week. I’m feeling really blessed to be with you after this last week being rather intense emotionally for a few reasons. But it’s good to sit at Jesus’ feet with you and hear what He has to say.
Our focus question today is, “What is modeled in Isaiah’s prayer on behalf of Israel?”, but we’ll get to that after finishing up 1 Corinthians.
New Testament segment:
Passage: 1 Corinthians 16
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 24
Words: ~509
Factoid: Paul said to “submit” the good servants of Stephanas’ household. In my English NT, Paul uses the word ‘submit’ 16X, and 14X it is the word
5718 ὑποτάσσομαι (hypotassomai), ὑποτάσσω (hypotassō): vb.; ≡ Str 5293; TDNT 8.39—1. LN 36.18 (dep.) obey, be obedient (Lk 2:51; Eph 5:22 v.r.); 2. LN 37.31 bring under control, put in subjection (1Co 15:27; Eph 1:22; Php 3:21; Heb 2:5, 8)(1)
The other two times it’s a different word that’s used when ‘submit’ is negative…like ‘don’t submit to that lame philosophy.’ But it IS a word that connotes an act of willingness…the same word he uses when he talks about God bringing people into obedience, but also, like here, when it’s willingness on our own part to submit to an example or a boss — maybe in a way you’d call followership — which doesn’t connote lesser worth, obviously.
Today in
Old Testament segment:
Passage: Isaiah 63-64
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 31
Words: ~846
A Prayer for Deliverance (63:7–64:12). …(Along with) confession (in) 59…, this prayer forms a frame around the message of salvation in 59…–63… Once again the prophet represented the nation and provided a model response for God’s disobedient, exiled people.
The prophet recalled the Lord’s faithful deeds for His people throughout their history…(then) combines lamentation over the people’s current situation, confession of sin, statements of confidence, and petitions for God’s deliverance. …(he) asked that (God) might respond compassionately to their plight…lamented that the Lord had given them over to the hardness of their hearts and that the enemies of God had destroyed His temple…asked that the Lord might break through the heavens and judge the nations, demonstrating once more His ability to deliver those who trusted Him….acknowledged their punishment was well-deserved, for they had been totally contaminated by sin. Yet the prophet, confident that their relationship with God was not completely severed, begged Him to relent from His anger.(2)
All of this might sound familiar, of course, if you’ve ever heard of or used the ACTS model of prayer modeled in the NT…acknowledgement, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (which is a fancy word for ask).
Wisdom segment:
Passage: Psalm 70
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 5
Words: ~82
The bottom line:
So, whether acknowledgement and confession as modeled in Isaiah’s prayer, or even the idea of “submission” we heard Paul encourage to those helping out Stephanas’ household, note this one takeaway…interestingly we learn to humble ourselves before God when we’re humble with each other. Submission is self-sacrificial and others-centric. That’s a hard won, if not daily, lesson for all of us, no matter who you are.
Love you!
Roger
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(1) James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
(2) David S. Dockery, ed., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 406.