Isaiah 10:20-34 – Where Hope is Found

Read Isaiah 10:20-34

Then at last, those who are left remaining after all is said and done, “will faithfully trust the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.” That was God’s hope at least. He didn’t want them to depend on the Assyrians or other powers. God wanted the people to trust him. God is also making a statement by allowing, if not orchestrating, the oppression that is to befall them. It is a definite “wake-up call” to see who is going to stay the course and represent the remnant.

Isaiah has done a great job of painting the picture of the destruction coming their way. As a result of their actions and behaviors, “the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, has already decided to destroy the entire land.” There was nothing that could be done to stop it. The people would see terror like their ancestors had at the hands of Egyptians. Those memories were no doubt kept alive and remembered each time Passover was celebrated. For those that listened to Isaiah, God had given them a hope to cling to.

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Galatians 1:1-5 – The Greeting

Read Galatians 1:1-5

As we walk through the book of Galatians, we will be focusing on the freedom we have as followers of Christ. When Paul wrote this to his first audience, he was trying to establish that salvation through Christ is for all, both Jew and Gentile. As you can imagine, the early church really struggled with the dynamic between Jews and non-Jews, feelings of entitlement and worthiness.

Even as this book begins, we see how Paul is using this letter to truly focus on reinforcing the authenticity of the gospel. You might think that all of Paul’s letters start the same way. But there are subtle differences in each, and we should not rush past it. There are some gems of beauty here.

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