Isaiah Chapter 65 Verses 1 – 5

 Isaiah is talking essentially about his own people’s rejection of God.

And we know this because Paul quotes him in Romans 10:19-21

saying, “But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: ‘I will

provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you

to anger by a foolish nation.’ But Isaiah is very bold and says: ‘I was

found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those

who did not ask for Me.’ But to Israel he says: ‘All day long I have

stretched out My hands, to a disobedient and contrary people.”

 Paul says “disobedient and contrary people.” Isaiah says, “rebellious,

who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts.”

These are the same statements. Contrary to walking with God is

walking in the way we naturally see and think about things. This is

why we study the Word of God. It’s not intuitive to the human

condition or experience. In many ways, it is contrary. And that’s why

following Jesus is a choice… It's not just going to naturally happen.

By my own understanding, I’m naturally going to be contrary to the

Spirit of God…

 So, these verses are an indictment against the nation of Israel and a

revelation of the Lord opening the Kingdom to the gentiles. Isaiah,

check this out, is saying, “Stop sleeping soundly! Stop being ok with

the way you are! Because in the midst of all your self-protection and

self-affirmation, you are not right with God!” Which would infuriate

the Jew!

 Isaiah was killed by his own people for what he wrote… According to

the Talmud, (a collection of Jewish texts that record the oral tradition

of the early rabbis), Isaiah was fleeing from Manasseh, the wicked

king, son of Hezekiah, who wanted to kill him for what he had

written. In hiding from Manasseh, he hid himself in a hollowed-out

cedar tree where he was captured. Manasseh had his men saw the tree

in two, vertically, while Isaiah was inside of it… Hebrews 11mentions

Isaiah and then in Hebrews 11:37 we read, “They were stoned, they

were sawn in two…”

 Check this out, this is crazy, according to the Talmud, King Manasseh

said to Isaiah, “Moses, your master, said, ‘No man may see God and

live,’ but you have said, ‘I saw the Lord seated upon His throne!’” To

which Isaiah replied, “I know that he will not accept my explanations;

why should I increase his guilt?”

 Here’s the thing though… And this is the craziest most ironic part for

me! Isaiah writes here, these are the people, “who say, ‘Keep to

yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you!” The ironic

part is that folks that truly live after their own ways with the title of

Christian, when faced with reality…, it’s a simple deflection! Or a

deaf ear! Or a deaf heart! And then what can you do? Isaiah, man I

feel you!!

 What if Manasseh and Israel as a nation had instead stopped fighting,

stopped defending, stopped deflecting and just accepted humility and

took accountability for their own wrongs and the wrongs of their

fathers!? Just think for a moment what that nation could and would be

like today?!? But no…, the prophet of God ends up tortured! This is

why I KNOW the coming Kingdom will set everything right because

God will have His vengeance!!

Isaiah Chapter 65 Verses 6 – 8

 There is a promise of preservation as a result of the righteous. And I

just want you to see that. The idea here is that in the midst of a bunch

of rotten grapes, there are a few that are good and for the sake of those

few, the vine is preserved. I think that’s an important point to make

because its easy to lose heart when you are the last one that cares

about doing what is right…

Isaiah Chapter 65 Verses 9 – 11

 Gad and Meni are the false gods of fortune and destiny. The idea here

is that their lives are lived for money and success rather than for

worship. And this is a tough one because this one can cut pretty

deeply. Not the fact that you yourself prize possessions or worldly

success over Jesus but that friend you have, that child you have that

could do so much with their lives or just can’t seem to make wise

financial decisions even though you have given them sound advice,

and yet when you think of them, that’s what comes to mind and not to

love them without restraint, criticism and condition… ouch!

 We forget the holy mountain of God. Heaven as it were. And that their

eternal condition is far more important than their carnal fortune and

worldly destiny…

Isaiah Chapter 65 Verse 12

 That’s also a revelational statement! Did you know, have you

considered, do you even care to compute that evil isn’t only outright

sin like we are so quick to judge in others? Evil as described in this

verse is any thought, reaction, attitude, way in you that does not draw

the delight of God! That’s huge because I would say that a very small

percentage of Christians ever graduate to this level of discernment and

alignment with Jesus because most just simply don’t care…

 I’m saved. I’m learning the Bible or I have learned the Bible. I go to

church. I don’t smoke, chew or run with girls that do! HA! So, sit

back, relax and let me do me… Fine, you can do that…, you are saved

by grace through faith…, but that’s evil. Paul wrote to the Romans

that it is the will of God and the command from the Kingdom that we

be transformed into the image of Christ…

 Well, I’m not mean, and its good for them that I’m not telling them

what’s really on my mind…! Oh my, what kind of worship is that!?

Worship has no mixing ability with the evil that is in your heart that

you hide!? Come on now! Don’t ponder why you have such hostility

towards others, ponder why you don’t have love towards them! That’s

the problem!

 It’s simple to understand why we are critical of others… We have sin!

But to understand why we are not agapers of others, that’s a bit more

stingy to consider!? And we wonder where God is in our mornings,

nights, days and conditions… It’s like expecting God to be there when

you wake up but you have set your home up two doors down!

 Can you imagine! Can you just imagine waking up in the morning and

there in your bedroom is your neighbor from two doors down!? HA!

You’d freak out! Doesn’t belong there… And so, when God DOES

show up, it’s such a big deal for you! WHY? Jesus said in John 15:7,

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what

you desire, and it shall be done for you!” I don’t want to party like its

1999 with you when God shows up in your life… What I want is for

you to get to a life where its totally normal and expected!!

 How!? Live a life that isn’t concerned with offending God but

concerned with delighting God! And the issue isn’t for the

effortizing… It’s for the repenting. Great faith doesn’t come from great

striving. It only comes from great surrender! Set out to live a life that

delights God. It just simply happens when your heart is right before

Him. Fruit doesn’t muscle out of the vine…, it just manifests…