Year 6, Day 4: Isaiah 19-20

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Forgiveness

• Forgiveness: Forgiveness is when our sins are absolved by God.  We do not deserve this forgiveness, but God grants it to us anyway.  We cannot earn forgiveness, but God gives it to us anyway.  As we are forgiven by God, He also asks us to forgive others.  In fact, Jesus Himself teaches us to pray for our forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer when He says, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Do you recall all of the hatred between God, God’s people, and Egypt?  The Egyptians oppressed God’s people.  The Egyptians taught the Hebrew people to worship false idols.  The Egyptians taught the Hebrew people to depend more on human military strength – especially in horses and chariots – than on God’s power of salvation.  The Egyptians constantly lured the eye of the Hebrew people with all of their gold, impressive buildings, and cultured lifestyle.  From the perspective of the Old Testament, there are few greater nemeses to God than Egypt.

That is why the ending of Isaiah 19 is so profound.  As we get to the end of Isaiah 19 we hear about a time when Egypt will worship God.  In fact, we hear about a time when Egypt will worship God with Assyria!  This chapter is a great example of the true forgiveness of God.  God cares so much for humanity that He seeks the day when even His greatest adversaries come to Him for relationship.

What an incredible statement about God.  We cannot outdistance God’s love.  We cannot ever be unreachable by God if we are willing to listen to Him.  There is always an opportunity for forgiveness with God.

Naturally, I have to turn to myself and ask if I am this way.  Do I long for the day when my greatest nemeses come to me for relationship?  I suppose in a way I do, but I realize that it will be great struggle and it will be strange.  I wonder if I’d ever be able to trust my greatest nemeses even if they did come.  I might aspire to model God’s love and forgiveness, but I am convinced that I’d never be able to model it in such a genuine and easy way as God.  Not that this is a surprise, mind you.  I’m not God.  But I can aspire to be like Him in all ways – especially forgiveness.

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