Quick \u2013 tell me everything you know about Isaiah 29.<\/p>\n
Ok, take your time and think about it.<\/p>\n
Not much better, eh?<\/p>\n
Interesting. As you know, I’m teaching through Isaiah in Sunday School this year and last week I taught chapter 28. I told the class from the start that I didn’t plan to teach every chapter (and I did skip a few like 15-18, 20-21). But I really thought I’d skip a bunch in 24-35, especially since I couldn’t really tell you what went on there and thus it must not be important.<\/p>\n
So I was thinking about skipping chapter 29. No need to keep repeating the same stuff. And I don’t want to spend forever in Isaiah (besides not wanting to kill the class, I also want to teach some other books). <\/p>\n
But I had a vision. I was in heaven, and I was talking to Paul. And he asked me why I skipped Isaiah 29. I was taken aback. How did he know? He kindly but forcefully boxed my ears for not bothering to spend 30 minutes in class on a chapter that he quoted multiple times (Rom 9:19-21; 11:7-8). I repented. <\/p>\n
But later that afternoon I was talking to John. He asked if I was the guy who skipped Isaiah 29. Didn’t I know that Revelation 5 just came alive if I understood Isaiah 29 (besides the scroll in vv11-12, note ariel\/lion and “Root of David”)? In a place where there is to be no shame, I was ashamed.<\/p>\n
I was so glad that evening when I saw Jesus. He was so wonderful and gracious. He was telling me stories about when he was a boy and how in school he memorized Isaiah 29. Didn’t I know that he was thinking of this in Luke 19:43, quoted it directly in Matt 15:7-9, and alluded to it in Matt 11:25 (among others)?<\/p>\n
I woke from my vision, incredulous that I even considered skipping a chapter that was so well known to the NT writers.<\/p>\n
I wonder how differently we would understand the New Testament if we were saturated in the Old as the apostles were. Maybe “differently” isn’t exactly the word I want. But certainly the “wow” factor is lessened when you don’t read Romans (or Revelation) for the first time and see God working out his purposes planned and revealed long ago.<\/p>\n
Maybe I would say it this way: we don’t marvel at the wisdom of God displayed in the New Testament because we don’t know his plans revealed in the Old.<\/p>\n
But maybe that’s just me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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