In Handel’s Messiah the opening song says Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people saith your God. We will /should comfort one another with God’s word. Amen!

A message of encouragement.

We all want to be comforted and we all want to be encouraged.

 Isaiah a major prophet was sent to tell Israel remnant of God’s people to harken unto me! A message of encouragement. This message given to him by God. To be given to his people to have them change the way they were living and the direction they were going. Isaiah was to encourage them to trust in God for their deliverance.  Amen!  We all need to hear the message God is sending to us. Seems like the same message to us too!  A message of obedience and

A message of encouragement.

Hearken= Hebrew-shaw-mah’(shawmah) = hear me or listen to what I have to say.. diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear.

Why can’t we Harken unto the Lord?

Obedience is better than sacrifice!

Isaiah 51:1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, And to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

Hear the Lord, follow after his righteousness, seek the LORD, Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn. The Lord wants us to follow after his righteousness.

Have you ever heard the saying he is a chip of the old block. We are cut from the same stone as our God. We are made in his image. Each one of us, has the ability to follow after our God. Jesus is part of us, and we are part of him. We must choose it.

      We often get ourselves in trouble and dig our own hole that we need rescuing from. Because we do not harken or listen to what is being said.

Proverbs 15:9 The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: But he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.    Each of us must make a choice and no one else can make that choice for you either.

way of the wicked = way of the world

abomination =something God cannot tolerate.

When Jesus return we see in revelation a picture of an angry God , it speaks of wrath & vengeance & judgement being poured out. Largely because of our own disobedience.

Which do you choose? Way of the world!

Obedience or disobedience? Jesus’ way!

We show we love God when we are obedient to him.

Isaiah 51:2 Look unto Abraham your father, And unto Sarah that bare you: For I called him alone, And blessed him, and increased him.

Look unto your father and mother, I called them and I blessed them and I can bless you as well.

Abraham & Sarah our father and mother of faith. The were obedient to God and he called them and blessed them, and he led them. Just what god wants for you and me.

Isaiah 51:3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; And he will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness shall be found therein, Thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

The LORD shall comfort Zion ₌ (Israel) & (the Christian Church), comfort all her waste places=(mistakes) make her wilderness=(struggle) like Eden=(paradise) her desert= (dryness) like the garden.  Joy and gladness shall be found therein, Thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. The first part of this prophecy was in the restoration of the Jews from their Babylonian captivity; but this is also a promise to the Christian Church. This world sojourns in a wilderness, as the Israelites had done before they entered their promised land. And God offers us paradise forever. But we must believe.

The LORD watched over them as he did us. He protected them through it all.  We are just like them, there is no difference. They turn away from Him. We turn away from him if he does not answer us. We need to Harken Unto The Lord & follow his leading us to help us with our obedience. Then and only then will he answer, yes no, maybe and wait.  Amen! We need to be thankful for him being in our lives and helping us. All praise honor and worship should go to him.

Isaiah 51:4 Hearken unto me, my people; And give ear unto me, O my nation: For a law shall proceed from me, And I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. All law came from God. It was given to Moses & Israelites people as a guide to live by not to rule over them. God is our ruler. It was for moral living.

Hearken unto me, my people, give ear unto me, my nation, law shall proceed from me and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.

God is telling them he was in charge, and he would judge, not man.

Isaiah 51:5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, And mine arms shall judge the people; The isles shall wait upon me, And on mine arm shall they trust.

Notice the reference here:  It is that of a ship coming into a port after a storm, a welcomed port of call. The Islands wait. Waiting for the ship to come in.

God’s righteousness is near, and His salvation is gone before him, his arms shall judge the people.  Jesus = Lord of Salvation.  In whom we put our trust.

Trust only in the Lord for salvation.

God’s salvation

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We need to Hearken unto the word of God, my people.

Do you believe?