Accepted in the Beloved - Day 271 Through the Bible

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My Lessons and Applications from Today’s Readings

(Ellipses are mine and are used for contemplation.)

THE BELOVED and His Beloved – Isaiah 49 and 50 (What It Says – Summarized) – Jesus is now speaking through the prophet Isaiah testifying: “The LORD has called Me from the womb….He has made My mouth like a sharp sword…in the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me…a polished shaft in His quiver…He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified...Then I said, “I have labored in vain.  I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain…yet surely my just reward…my work is with my God.”  The Christ knew that His first rejection by the Jewish remnant would ultimately be rewarded by God. “And now the Servant says…Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant…to bring Jacob back to Him…so that…Israel is gathered to Him. (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and My God shall be My strength).  Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be 1) My Servant to raise up…the tribes of Jacob, and 2) to restore…the preserved ones of Israel; 3) I will also give You… as a light…to the Gentiles, THAT You…should be My salvation…to the ends of the earth...In an acceptable time…in the day of salvation…I will preserve You…give You…as a covenant to the people…to restore the earth.  Sing…be joyful…for the LORD has comforted His people, and will have mercy on His afflicted.”  The remainder of chapters 49 and 50 are to remind the oppressed Israelites that their own sins have sold them into slavery (not God) and caused their mother (Israel) to be put away. God promises to never forget them…to contend with their enemies…to gather them…to restore them…to redeem…deliver…save them…”that all flesh shall know that I, the LORD am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”  For this purpose, the Messiah says, “For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set my face like a flint.”

 Praise to God / Blessings on the Upright – Psalm 112: 1-4 (What It Says – Summarized) “Praise the LORD!  Blessed…is the man who fears the LORD…who delights greatly in His commandments…his descendants will be mighty on earth…the upright will be blessed…wealth and riches will be in his house…his righteousness endures forever…”unto the upright…there arises light in the darkness.  He is gracious…full of compassion…and righteous.”

Blessings in the Beloved – Ephesians 1 – Paul is commending the Ephesian church for…”your faith in the Lord Jesus…and…your love for all the saints.”  The apostle reminds them – and us - that…”the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has 1) blessed us with every…spiritual…blessing…in the heavenly places…in Christ. 2) that He chose us…in Him…before the foundation of the world…THAT 3) we should be holy…without blame before Him…in love…4) having predestined us…to adoption as sons…by Jesus Christ to Himself…according to the good pleasure of His will…to the praise of the glory of His grace…by which…He made us accepted in the Beloved. 5) In Him…we are redeemed by His blood, 6) forgiven of our sins by His grace, 7) have made known to us the mystery of His will…in all wisdom and prudence…by His grace…THAT…”in the dispensation of the fullness of the times…He might gather together…in one…all things…in Christ…both which are in heaven and on earth – in Him. 8) In Him…we have also obtained an inheritance…being predestined according to the purpose of Him…THAT…we who first trusted in Christ…should be…to the praise of His glory. 9) In Him…you trusted…heard the word of truth…the gospel of your salvation…in whom…having believed…you were sealed…with the Holy Spirit of promise…the guarantee of our inheritance…until the redemption…of the purchased possession…to the praise of His glory.

My Lessons and Applications – Around 750 years before the birth of Christ, the Messiah and God spoke this Plan of God  - the gathering and salvation of the Jews and the Gentiles - in Christ – through the prophet Isaiah.  Over 800 years after the prophecy of Isaiah, Paul reminds us of what our blessings are as a result of the Messiah’s first earthly mission: our salvation...His blood sacrifice for us - imputing His righteousness on us that we as sinners may stand before holy God...His resurrection and intercession for us, even now, at the right hand of God...and the gift of His Holy Spirit within us every moment of our earthly pilgrimage as believers to seal us, guide us, empower us until our redemption.  Through His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit we are given the knowledge...the hope..."the riches of the glory of His inheritance in us, His saints"...the understanding of the "exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe" to prepare us, enable us to complete our Great Commission, to live in obedience and service to Him until his Second Coming - in judgment.  Soli Deo Gloria!

As Paul prayed for the Ephesians, so I lift up his prayer for you:

…”that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give…to you…the spirit of wisdom…and revelation in the knowledge of Him…the eyes of your understanding…being enlightened…THAT…you may…know…what is the hope…of His calling…what are the…riches…of the glory…of His inheritance…in the saints…and what is the…exceeding greatness…of His power…toward us who believe…Amen