Sunday Scripture

 

Time for another Sunday Scripture!  This is part of an ongoing series on my simple study of Rachel Wojo's Everything Beautiful.  You can read about the plan here if you are interested in it for yourself: Everything Beautiful Bible reading plan. My answers and input on this series are a combination of what I learned back in 2018, and what I found in looking over the Scriptures now, six years later.  I'm attempting to SOAP the passages too, though some of them are longer. [Quick reminder that S stands for Scripture; O stands for observation; A stands for application, and P stands for prayer.]  Today's study is from Isaiah 29:13-16. 

S= "Wherefore the LORD said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men;
"Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.
"Woe unto those who seek deeply to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us?  And who knoweth us?
"Surely, your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay; for shall the work say of him who made it, he made me not?  Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?"  (Isaiah 29:13-16)

O= Scofield titles Isaiah 29:9-16 "God's reasons for the discipline" (of Judah and Jerusalem".

Cross-references for "with their lips" (v.13) -- "Nevertheless they did flatter Him with their mouths, and they lied unto Him with their tongues."  (Psalm 78:36)

"And they come unto thee as the people come, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness."  (Ezekiel 33:31)

"Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
"This people draweth near unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
"But in vain they do worship Me,  teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."  (Matthew 15:7b-9)

Cross-reference for "marvelous work" (v.14) -- "Behold among the nations, and regard, and wonder marvelously; for I will work a work in your days, which you will not believe, though it shall be told you."  (Habakkuk 1:5)

Cross-references for "wisdom of their wise men"  (v.14) -- "Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD of hosts.  Is wisdom no more in Teman?  Is counsel perished from the prudent?  Is their wisdom vanished?"  (Jeremiah 49:7)

"Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Edom?" (Obadiah 8)

"For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the  prudent."  (1 Corinthians 1:19)

Cross-references for "seeth us" (v.15) -- "[The wicked] has said in his heart, God hath forgotten; He hideth His face; He will never see it."  (Psalm 10:11)

"Yet they say, The LORD shall not see; neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.
"Understand, ye stupid among the people; and ye fools, when will yet be wise?
"He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?  He who formed the eye, shall He not see?"  (Psalm 94:7-9)

"For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness; thou hast said, None seeth me.  Thy wisdom, and thy knowledge,  it hath perverted thee, and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me."  (Isaiah 47:10)

"Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery?  For they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth."  (Ezekiel 8:12)

Cross-references for "understanding" (v.16) -- "Woe unto him who striveth with his Maker!  Let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth.  Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?  Or thy work, He hath no hands?"  (Isaiah 45:9)

"But now, O LORD, Thou art our father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter, and we are all the work of Thy hand."  (Isaiah 64:8)

"O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter?  saith the LORD.  Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in Mine hand, O house of Israel."  (Isaiah 18:6)

"Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?  Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?"  (Romans 9:20)

A= For this Scripture, there were also a number of ways to apply it as prompted in the journal.  

"When I question the details of God's work in me, I am not appreciating His beauty." -- Rachel Wojo

This thought of course fits with verse 16, which asks, "Shall the thing formed say of Him that formed it, He had no understanding?"

 
Rachel also shares a "focus word" in each of the devotional pages.  For this lesson the focus word is "trust". 

 

We definitely do need to trust what God is doing in our lives, whether or not we understand it or whether or not we even see Him working. 

The question was asked: How can I realign the eyes of my heart to see the Father's gift of everyday elegance?

My response in 2018: By taking a different perspective on this season I am in.  I understand God is giving me time to rest, but I have questioned somewhat the involvement of pain.  I need to trust Him with the details of my life and to accept the fact that pain is sometimes necessary.

Answering this same question in 2024:  We're in what could be a very terrifying place as a country.  Teetering on the brink it seems.  Looking to God, even to the gifts of everyday elegance He sends our way, reminds us that He is in full control of our situation and is in it with us.

This prompt was given, along with a list: Today I will keep my eyes open for God's beauty in one or more of these places.

These are the places I circled: The words I read; the places I go; the music I hear; the people I encounter; the food I eat;  the air I breathe; the weather I experience; the rest I receive.

In 2024 I can note that for the music I hear,  I had the opportunity to watch and listen to a concert our granddaughter and friends played in, from an amazing venue in Sweden.  It was a delight to be able to watch this performance after the fact, with her safely home again and watching it with us.

For the food I eat, I recalled the gorgeous red strawberries we picked fresh from the field.

For the people I encounter, I noted the glowing smile of a friend I bumped into in the grocery store.

For the air I breathe, I mentioned cool breezes wafting through the window at our camp.

A journaling prompt was this:  Everything God made is beautiful.  Where have I noticed God's beauty in the last 24 hours?

My response in 2018: In blue skies and warmer temperatures.  In precious memories as I've recently completed a blog post concerning my recollections of maple sugaring.  In my husband's concern and loving kindness.

For my response in 2024, I added: At dusk and dawn at our little camp, the varied and beautiful songs of many birds.   (We have them here at our house too, but many of the birds are different.)  In glorious orange lilies and yellow primroses.  In clouds of fireflies dancing in the woods.

P= "Lord,  I am thankful for Your working in my life.  I ask Your forgiveness for questioning the details of that work.  I know that You have a plan and that Your plan is good.  You are all wise and all knowing, and I am not.  You know exactly what is necessary and best for me, as well as for our world and country, and I trust You to accomplish it.  I thank You for  all You are doing and  for all You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

 And there is this week's Sunday Scripture!  I pray it's a blessing to someone.