ESOCS Devotional 5 January 2023
TEXT: ISAIAH 49:1-6
MEMORY VERSE: “The Lord said to me, I have a greater task for you, my servant. Not only will you restore to greatness the people of Israel who have survived, but I will also make you a light to the nations – so that all the world may be saved”’ Isaiah 49:6 GNB
Our text contains the prophetic introduction of Jesus Christ, as well as His Messianic Mission on earth, to restore fallen man. In verses 1 – 4 of our text, Jesus, God’s suffering servant is introduced as He speaks to the whole world concerning His mission on earth. He is the One sent from God; the source of God’s glory. He goes forth to do only the will of God.
His primary mission was to restore Israel. However, His mission was viewed beyond the Jewish Nation, in that, He was also to call the Gentile Nations to repentance. It follows therefore that God’s work through spiritual Israel (The Church) is to bring the Gentiles into the fold of Christ.
How was this to be achieved? Israel would prove stubborn to His call to repentance. This would tend to render His efforts fruitless. God will make sure this does not happen, and then turn His attention to the Gentiles. In Acts 13:46-47, when Saint Paul preached to the Jews in Antioch, and they rejected his message, he told them that he would turn to the Gentiles with the Good News of salvation. Moreover, to prove to them that God had already prophesied in the Old Testament that this would happen, Paul quoted this text of Isaiah 49:6.
Recall God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 and 26:4, “…….in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Also in Acts Chapter 10, God extended His call to Cornelius, a Roman centurion, by sending Apostle Peter to go and minister the Good News to him and members of his household.
It follows therefore that God’s redemptive intention through Christ is not limited to National Israel, but to the whole world through the Church, which is present spiritual Israel. All evangelists, pastors and teachers are hereby called upon to blow the trumpet louder to all nations, to call the whole world unto repentance. Time is running out.
- Extensive soul-winning is the most essential project of Christian ministry. Do you agree?
- Lord Jesus, give us the grace to work harder in this direction.
FURTHER READING: Isaiah 42: 1-9; John 1: 29-34, John 2: 1-11.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
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ESOCS Devotional 5 January 2023
