Isaiah 42:5-9 ESV
See also Isaiah 61; Luke 4:16-21; Acts 26:18
“Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
‘I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them.’”
This was a prophecy first and foremost about Jesus Christ,
our God, our Lord, and our Messiah. Parts of it are repeated for us in Isaiah
61 which then Jesus quoted about himself, as is recorded for us in Luke 4.
Jesus Christ was given to us as our Sacrificial Lamb to take away the sins of
the world and to close the door to the Old Covenant and to open the door to the
New Covenant, and to make Jew and Gentile one in Christ, by faith in Christ.
Jesus Christ was given to us as a light (truth,
righteousness) for the nations, and his task was to open the eyes that are blind.
Now, Jesus did heal some people who were physically blind, but this is meant
more in a spiritual sense of opening spiritually blinded eyes which have been
blinded to the truth, and which have been blinded by sin’s deceitfulness and so
they are still walking in darkness (in sin) and they need to be brought into
the light (the truth).
He was not only to enlighten their spiritual eyes so that
they could see their spiritual condition, but he was to deliver them out of
their darkness (sin) and to bring them into the light (truth, righteousness);
to deliver them out of their bondage (captivity to sin) and to set them free
from those chains which had bound (imprisoned) them. And in this way they would
no longer be imprisoned (captivated, enslaved) to sin but now to God’s righteousness.
And Jesus accomplished this for us in his death and
resurrection. For, he died on that cross that we might die with him to sin and
live to him and to his righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for
ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. He shed his blood for us on
that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) so that we would now honor God
with our bodies. And all this is ours by God-given faith in Jesus Christ.
For, God’s grace (his favor), which brings salvation, trains
us to say “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts, and to live self-controlled,
upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s soon return. For Jesus “gave
himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a
people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14). Thus,
God’s grace frees us from our slavery to sin so we can now be slaves of God and
of his righteousness (See Romans 6).
And then Jesus gave the Apostle Paul a similar call “to open
their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of
Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those
who are sanctified by faith in me.” And that really is the gospel, in a
nutshell, and all of Jesus’ followers are called to proclaim the gospel of
Jesus Christ, to be a light to the world and the salt of the earth and to
proclaim the excellencies of God who called us out of darkness into his
wonderful light.
So, this is what we should be doing, too. We should be
awakening people’s minds and hearts, by the Spirit, to the truth of their
spiritual conditions. And then we should be calling them to repent (to turn
away from their sins) and to follow Jesus Christ in his ways, according to his
truth, and to obey his commands (New Covenant). For if they remain addicted (captivated)
to sin, and if they do not walk in the ways of God’s truth and righteousness,
they will not inherit eternal life with God and they will not be saved from
their sin.
[1 Pet 2:9; Matt 5:13-16; Matt
28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 26:18; Lu
9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet
2:24; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10, 15; Tit 2:11-14;
Jas 1:21-25; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 2:8-10; Php 2:12-13; Col
1:21-23; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; Heb 10:26-27; 1
Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Matt 7:21-23; Rev. 2-3; Rev 18:1-6; Rev
21:8, 27; Rev 22:14-15]
Give
Me Courage, Lord
An
Original Work / November 13, 2013
Based
off Various Scriptures
Do not let your hearts grow weary,
For your work will be rewarded.
Be strong; let your hearts take courage.
Do not fear but wait on Jesus.
Be strong and very courageous,
For your God will go before you.
Do not fear. He will not leave you.
Wait for Him. He’ll not forsake you.
Be careful to do what He says.
Do not turn away from your Lord.
Take courage! You’ll be His witness,
For God will guide and protect you.
So we are always encouraged.
We walk by faith and not vision.
We make it our aim to please Him,
So in Christ, we glorify Him.
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