God’s redemptive purpose
God’s redemptive purpose
Listen to me, O family of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and born into the family of Judah. Listen, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and call on the God of Israel. You don’t keep your promises, even though you call yourself the holy city and talk about depending on the God of Israel, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Long ago I told you what was going to happen. Then suddenly I took action, and all my predictions came true. Isaiah 47:12-15 NLT
God’s plan for the Israelites is to provide them redemption. But in order for this to happen, they have to listen to Him. This is what Isaiah conveyed to them from the text; “Listen to me, O family of Jacob.” Listening with understanding the word of God is the heart of faith that leads to salvation. “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ” (Romans 10:17). Listening to God is the only way that we can be redeemed. Once we listen to God, He expects that we keep our promises. “Listen, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and call on the God of Israel. You don’t keep your promises” (Isaiah 48:1b). When we do not keep our promises, we will miss growing in knowing Him, thus miss in understanding His ways. True faith leads to humility looking up to God who is Sovereign leading those that trusted Him to a life of surprises. “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” (Romans 11:33). The anticipation that God will work His ways in our lives is what will keep us humble and dependent upon Him. Though we do not understand His ways, yet we know that our lives are in His hands. This is why we give Him the lordship of our lives that we become willing to pray, “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). No matter how difficult life seemed to be, let us continue listening to Him and trust Him that He will keep His promises.
Blessings,
