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July 13 - Isaiah 4 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello friends, it is Sean. Here it is.
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  Thursday, it is the 13th of July.
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  Boy, lucky it's not Friday the 13th.
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  Thursday the 13th sounds much less superstitiously scary, if
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  you're into that. But here we have a whole new day
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  where you and I get to take another step forward.
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  And this is a tinsy winsy step, a tiny micro shuffle, because
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  today's chapter is only 6 versus long.
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  It is tiny. And let not the short length
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  fool you, because today might be short.
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  But today introduces another one of the themes of the book of
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  Isaiah in this introductory phase of the book.
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  We have heard God calling to account Israel for her terrible
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  behavior, and today the focus changes tack and we hear about
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  the promise of restoration. Because just as God is trying to
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  call her people back, this is not just an angry God who wants
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  to punish, but this is a God who wants to draw his people back to
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  him to restore them. To being in perfect relationship
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  with Him. This is God's heart and God's
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  desire. So let us hear what God has to
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  say about wanting to draw his people back to himself.
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  Let's read about God's faithfulness as we read
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  together. Isaiah, chapter 4.
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  In that day so few men will be left that seven women will fight
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  for each man, saying, let us all marry you.
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  We will provide our own food and clothing only let us take your
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  name so we won't be mocked as old maids.
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  But in that day the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and
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  glorious. The fruit of the land will be
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  the pride and glory of all who survive in Israel.
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  All who remain in Zion will be a holy people, those who survive
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  the destruction of Jerusalem and are accorded among the living.
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  The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion and cleanse
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  Jerusalem from its bloodstains with the hot breath of fiery
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  judgment. Then the Lord will provide shade
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  for Mount Zion and all who assemble there.
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  He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day and smoke
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  and flaming fire at night, covering the glorious land.
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  It will be a shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place
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  from storms and rain. Ah, Lord, thank you for this
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  beautiful picture of your presence, just as you did in
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  your Tabernacle when you were present in a cloud during the
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  day and fire at night. Here you make the same promise
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  that you will be present with your people through cloud in the
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  day and flaming fire at night. Thank you.
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  That you promised That even when things go terribly wrong and
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  people turn their back on you, you will take them through the
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  refiners fire so that you can return to them and draw them
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  back to you. That when we go the wrong way,
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  when we turn our back on you, that there you are, waiting for
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  us, ready to reunite us with you.
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  Ready to come and make us holy and be present with us again.
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  And thank you that you do that through Jesus, and that we live
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  in this new agreement with you where you have given us your
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  Spirit and your Son, and all we need to do is say yes, yes,
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  come, Holy Spirit, yes, Jesus, we follow you and you take care
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  of the rest. What?
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  Cracking deal you give us. We are so grateful and we love
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  you, our holy and wonderful God, and it's in your name that we
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  pray Jesus. Amen.