NOTES on ISAIAH 55:1-4 (The cry of Jesus in Isaiah 55. Living Water that Satisfies the Soul)

NOTES on ISAIAH 55:1-4 

(The cry of Jesus in Isaiah 55. 

Living Water that Satisfies the Soul) 

(See the PDF File of this document here.)

Isaiah 55:1-4 

“[1] Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money ; come ye, buy, and eat ; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

[2] Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread ? and your labor for that which satisfieth not ? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

[3] Incline your ear, and come unto me : hear, and your soul shall live ; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

[4] Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.” [End quote]


Some Notes on the above passage from Isaiah 55 


 ➽ Verse 1 notes. Come to Jesus who gives the water of life freely. There is no price for His gift of the Holy Spirit, Who meets all our needs, both Spiritual and otherwise.


 ➽ Verse 2 notes. Why do people look to things which do not satisfy their souls and spirits? We need to diligently listen to and heed what Abba Father God says in His Word and to our spirits. Let us eat of what God gives us so that we will be filled with God and His goodness. In doing so, we will be satisfied. His goodness is an abundance. Let us delight (take great pleasure) in God’s Spirit, Who is abundant and life-giving. (Note: Fatness is abundance, in the King James Bible.) In John 7:37-39, Jesus said:

How Satan Is Like Joab in 2 Samuel 19 -- Applications from 2 Samuel 19 // FALSE ACCUSATION (David Weeps Over Absalom)

How Satan Is Like Joab in 2 Samuel 19 -- 
Applications from 2 Samuel 19

(King David weeps over Absalom.)

A short civil war erupted between men loyal to Absalom, a son of King David, and those loyal to his father. Absalom, using deceptive techniques, powerful public relations tricks, and charisma, drew many people in Israel into his goal of replacing King David with Absalom. David and many of his most loyal followers fled from Jerusalem and dwelt in the wilderness. 

Absalom sought counsel and then determined he would to fight against his father, and slay him. After King David crossed the Jordan river and entered a fortified city, Absalom, accompanied by thousands of armed men, crossed the river and attacked David's men in a forested region. 

The battle went poorly for Absalom and his men, and most of them were slaughtered or died due to falling into deep pits or chasms. Absalom, who had long hair, rode past an oak tree and his hair was ensnared in its branches. His mount, a mule, left him literally hanging. Joab, the captain of David's army, saw the king's son hanging in the tree and unable to escape. Ignoring David's orders not to kill Absalom, Joab brutally killed him in cold blood and Joab's armor bearers finished him off. It was not the first time Joab disregarded the king's wishes. 

Expounding the Deeper Meaning of the Names in Exodus Chapter 31, Verses 1 and 6 (Judah, Bezaleel, Uri, and Hur)

(Jabal al-Lawz. Mt. Sinai. Click for source.)

Expounding the Deeper Meaning of the Names in Exodus Chapter 31, Verses 1 and 6 (Judah, Bezaleel, Uri, and Hur)

(Print Document in a PDF Format)

Exodus 31:1-3

"[1] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [2] See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: [3] And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,"

The names Bezaleel, Uri, Hur, and Judah are full of deep meanings which Hebrew concordances and God's Spirit can reveal to us believers. There is a reason why the Holy Scriptures are God-breathed or inspired by God. They are full of rich meanings and truths. Some of these truths are deeper than the surface level and are discovered by God's Spirit and also with the help of Hebrew or Greek concordances. (Note: Concordances offer many definitions to a word. I recommend seeking God about which definition specifically applies to the Hebrew or Greek word you are viewing in the context of the sentence it appears in.)

Let's look at these names and find out the meaning of each name in Exodus 31:1-2. The meanings I have written down come from seeking God in prayer about each name. What He has shown me is based on the Hebrew derivation of each name. I recommend you seek God about these meanings I've given, if you want to know more about them.



◼ Name: Bezaleel is Betsalel (bets-al-ale') in Hebrew. 

Strong's # (Exhaustive Concordance Number): 1212.

Expounding Galatians Chapter 5, Verse 1 ― Stand Fast in the Liberty (Part 2 of 2)

Expounding Galatians Chapter 5, Verse 1 ― Stand Fast in the Liberty (Part 2 of 2)
[Print Document]

(Read part 1 here.)

Galatians 5:1

“[1] Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

This is the second part of our article expounding Galatians 5:1. In the first part we learned about what God’s grace is, and what it isn’t. We saw how false teachers, mentioned in 2 Peter 2, would teach excessively about grace (or liberty), and ignore the teaching about true repentance from sin.

In this article, we will see how Aaron, out of fear of the people (i.e. peer pressure), compromised his standards and built an idol for the people. And, we will see how false teachers are building golden calves of false doctrines, which are destructive to those deceived by them.

The Golden Calf

In Deuteronomy 9, Moses was speaking to the Israelites that had come through 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Moses reminded them of the golden calf that they worshiped after he had gone up to Mount Sinai. Listen to what he said:

Deuteronomy 9:9-12

“[9] When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:

[10] And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.

[11] And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant. [12] And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.”

After Moses went up to the mount, the people began to remember the idols of Egypt. Many of them did not desire God. The reason many came up with Moses was to escape the bondage of slavery in Egypt, but not really to serve God. Their hearts were not really toward God. When their spiritual leader left to get the Ten Commandments, and had been gone for over a month, they began to speak of building and worshiping a golden idol.

Exodus 32:1 ― “[1] And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.”

Aaron Built the Golden Calf (but Later Repented)

Expounding Galatians Chapter 5, Verse 1 ― Stand Fast in the Liberty… (Part 1 of 2)

Expounding Galatians Chapter 5, Verse 1 ― Stand Fast in the Liberty... (Part 1 of 2)
[Print Document]

 Galatians 5:1

“[1] Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

The very first words we read in Galatians chapter 5 give Christians a command to stand fast in the liberty purchased by Jesus at the cross of Calvary. What is this liberty from? Is is liberty from the Levitical laws of the Old Testament, such as burnt sacrifices and offerings, observing feast days, not eating pork, etc.? Indeed, Jesus fulfilled the law, and purchased our redemption at Calvary. But, what kind of liberty is God giving us in Galatians 5:1? Is it the liberty to live for selfish reasons?

God does give us liberty from the Old Covenant of works, such as the Levitical laws and duties. God does give us grace each moment so that we can live in fellowship with Him, and not be under the bondage of sin. God’s grace gives us the power to overcome sin and to triumph over it, not be overcome by it (1 Cor. 15:56-57).

Sin itself is made strong by the law, but when we give place to sin, God has grace so that we can be forgiven and turn back to Him.

Romans 5:20-21

“[20] Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: [21] That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Grace ― What It Is and What It Isn’t

Is it wrong for Christians to watch anime or cartoons with magic powers?

Is it wrong for Christians to watch anime or cartoons with magic powers?

Some Christians online have wondered if it is wrong to see cartoons with magic powers or anime cartoons that demonstrate magic powers or supernatural powers. 

The authority or foundation of all that is true and right is the Bible, God's holy Word, that He gave to man by inspiration of God's Spirit.

The Bible has the solid structure for all that we know to be right. It is the foundation on which a Christian should build his or her life (Matthew 7:24-27). It is our instruction book and source of understanding what is right and what is wrong. Psalm 138:2 says, in part, that God "... hast magnified thy word above all thy name." Psalm 12:7 says of God's words: "Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." God preserves His Word, the Bible, forever.

So, is it wrong for a Christian to see supernatural powers demonstrated in cartoons (or other forms of entertainment, such as comic books, movies, video games, etc.)? 

2 Corinthians 6:14 says: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6 that Christians are to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. This is another way of saying that we must not be in agreement with the ways of the world. A yoke of oxen (two oxen) plowed a field together in ancient times. They were in agreement, in other words. Communion, fellowship, closeness, intimacy, working together, or playing with the world's ways is not the lifestyle that God has for His people.  

2 Corinthians 6:14-17

"14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."

(A demonic character from the Ben 10 cartoon.)

God is saying in verse 16 that we, who are temples of God's Holy Spirit, must not have idols. We must forsake idols and the ways of the world. God desires to have intimate, close fellowship with us, His children (1 Corinthians 1:9, 1 John 1:5-7, Jeremiah 31:3).