For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
James 2
Are you ever guilty of favoritism? What kinds of people do you favor? What does the Lord want you to do instead? James confirms what I have come to see and have mentioned before. There is no mercy in the law. God is holy and cannot be defiled. Likewise, He is righteous and just and thus cannot tolerate unrighteousness. The Old Testament law shows us that we are neither holy nor righteous. However, God is also merciful. That is why He gave us a new covenant with a new law, written not on stone tablets but on our hearts. He sealed this new covenant and law with the blood of His own Son. Now, because of Jesus’ righteousness, we live under God’s mercy.
Thus, James says, “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgement without mercy” (that is, judgement under the old law) “will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (Jms. 2:12-13). If that doesn’t take a load off and leave you with a sense of grateful relief, you just aren’t getting it! And guess what? That feeling of mercy should permeate into everything we think, say, and do.
So James’ entire discourse about favoritism is about throwing out our old, selfish, standard of judgment. Instead of loving our neighbor based on our opinion of them or on what we think they can do for us, we are to love them as we love ourselves. And because God’s Spirit dwells in us and we claim to love God, that means we should love our neighbor the way God loves us – with much mercy! Mercy is an expression of love because it “keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor. 13:4b). Therefore, it does not matter how people treat us or what they can or can’t do for us, we are to treat them all the same with God’s mercy as our new standard of judgment.
Is. 9-10
Wow – these two chapters are really a sort of expansion of the previous two chapters. Chapter 8 ended with the darkness and distress of those who do not seek God. Chapter 9 opens with hope in the promise of a great light. This light comes in the form of a child, which is a reference back to the sign of the virgin birth from chapter 7.
In chapter 9, the prophecy turns to Assyria. God said, “I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder” (Is. 10:6b). This is a reference back to the sign of Isaiah’s second son, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, which means “quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil”. But Assyria became proud and tried to raise itself above God. Because of this and because of God’s promise to His people, He declares that Assyria’s destruction of the land of Judah will not be complete. We saw this in chapter 8. Assyria was the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates that passed through Judah, reaching up to the neck. Then God promises, “A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God.” (Is. 10:21). This was the sign of Isaiah’s first son, Shear-Jashub, which means “a remnant will return”
So it is all the same prophecy. Or I should say, prophecies. Because not only do these chapters tie in to each other, they also tie together the situation of the entire land of Israel at that time with the later fulfillment of God’s promise for the world. We really need to pay attention to the history of God’s people. Because God not only worked out His plan of redemption for the world through them, He also revealed that plan in them.
Ps. 105
This psalm of praise celebrates God’s wonderful acts in Israel’s history. Write a short psalm that celebrates what God has done in your life. “Let the hearts of those who seek the LROD rejoice… For He remembered His holy promise… He brought out His people with rejoicing, His chosen ones with shouts of joy; ….and they fell heir to what others had toiled for – that they might keep His precepts and observe His laws.” (From Ps. 105: 3,42-45). This is exactly why we need to pay attention to Israel’s history. Their story is our story! God has freed us from the chains of sin and death. He has kept His promise to us. Because of Jesus, we have been made heirs to what we did not work for and have been given the power to follow steadfastly in His ways. Let us rejoice and praise Him!