Okay, we are continuing our series on the Decalogue or the Ten Commandments. So please turn with me to Exodus chapter 20. Exodus chapter 20, I will just read the section on the fourth commandment that is our subject this morning. The fourth commandment, we find that in Exodus 20:8-11.

Verse 8: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”. Now let us look to God in prayer.

“Our Father in heaven, we pray once again that You might be pleased to do good to our soul by helping us understand these words in Scripture. We pray that not only we might understand but we might indeed be obedient to the lessons that You want us to learn. So we commit this time unto Your hands, we pray and ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Alright, the Sabbath command is probably one of the most controversial of the Ten Commandments alright. And so we want to ask first of all the question whether there is such a thing as the Sabbath observance in the New Testament. Now whatever it might be alright, whether it’s in similar form as in the Old Testament, but still it begs the question: Do we find any of that in the New Testament? And so we shall investigate alright. Now please turn with me first of all to John chapter 20 alright- John 20:19.

John 20:19, which says, verse 19: “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.””. Think to take note here in this verse is that it’s mentioned here that that evening being the first day of the week. Now the question is: Is there a theology of the first day of the week in the New Testament, or is this just one incident that’s just kind of mentioned in passing in a New Testament, or is there a theology of the first day in the New Testament?

Is it of any significance? Now we look at verse 26, same chapter: “And after eight days (Meaning to say on the first day of the following week. That’s what after eight days mean alright. The first day of the following week) His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!””. Now Jesus came to the disciples on the first day of the week now two times here in this chapter.

So again is it kind of coincidence that Jesus came on the first day of the week? Now turn with me now to Acts chapter 20 alright- Acts chapter 20 and look with me now at verses 6 and 7 alright- verses 6 and 7. Now verse 6, it says here (Acts 20): “But we sailed from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.”. Now, why did Paul stay seven days? What was he waiting for?

Well, the following verse tells us in verse 7: “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread”. Now it seems that Paul was waiting to meet with the brethren, knowing very well that they would meet on the first day of the week to break bread. So there was a practice in the New Testament. In other words, there is a theology of the first day of the week alright- the first day of the week in the New Testament.

And so here in practice, now Paul seems to follow the example of our Lord in meeting with the disciples. Here he meets with the disciples here in Acts 20 to break bread now before he travels again. That is like an intentional waiting for that day. There is a day called the first day of the week in the New Testament. Turn with me now to First Corinthians chapter 16. First Corinthians chapter 16 (that is the last chapter of First Corinthians), and look at the first two verses.

First Corinthians 16, the first two verses. Now verse 1: “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.”. So verse 2 says “on the first day of the week”. So we find that in John, we find that in Acts, we find that in First Corinthians.

Now, therefore, seems that there is a pattern in the New Testament where the people, the disciples, the early church, the early Christians gathered on the first day. So there is a theology of the first day in the New Testament. Now I would like to conclude alright, I submit to you therefore that there is this kind of Lord’s Day observance in the New Testament although there is some modification. At least the day was changed from the last day of the week to the first day of the week.

Now it seems pretty obvious that has to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ alright because the Lord rose on that day and He met with the disciples on that day. And so every Lord’s Day (every Sunday), we are actually celebrating alright- celebrating the risen Lord. The fact that our Lord is a living, risen Lord, every Sunday is actually Easter Day. Now sometimes people ask me: Now don’t you observe Easter? Don’t you have some special meetings during Easter? Well, I say we have Easter fifty-two times a year alright. Every Sunday is a celebration of our risen Lord.

And so that’s what we are talking about alright- that’s what we are talking about the Lord’s Day observance or the Sabbath Day observance or here we have the first day of the week observance. And throughout the history of the church until today, we find that there seems to be a practice. Now, how come there is a kind of a universal understanding that on this day (the first day of the week), the churches gather together for worship, for you know the church gathers together and have fellowship on the first day of the week?

Now it seems that the church throughout the ages (including those of course in the Bible, in the New Testament) understood alright that there is a theology of the first day of the week, a day of worship in other words. A day of worship, a day to be together. However, let me also by way of introduction point out the two wrong attitudes towards this observance. So the problem is not about whether there is an observance of this day. The problem is the wrong attitude towards this day.

And the two wrong attitudes is like two extreme alright ends are these. Now number one, it is the attitude of Mark 2 alright. Let’s now turn to Mark chapter 2, an attitude that is pointed out in Mark chapter 2. Now in Mark 2:23-24, now this is what the Lord Jesus is saying about the wrong attitude towards the observance of this day alright. Chapter 2 verse 23: “Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful (or permitted) on the Sabbath?”.

Now, this is the first wrong attitude. Now Jesus responded to that in the following verses. Now basically the first wrong attitude towards the Sabbath observance is the attitude of the Pharisees or what I might call the “checklist attitude”. There are people who go around and have a checklist and why do you do that and why do you not do that? Now in the days of our Lord Jesus Christ, now the Sabbath, did that already?

This is not only passage we find them doing. The following passage in chapter 3 they did that again and in other passages. It seems that the Pharisees’ attitude is to go around in the legalistic manner and says why do you do shopping on Sunday? Why do you know eat out on Sunday, and why do you pump petrol on Sunday? Why do you take bus on Sunday? And we know that there are many of such people today. They go around with a checklist like the Pharisees, and we know very clearly in the New Testament that Jesus condemns that attitude.

Is it not true? That’s what Jesus is saying in this passage. How did Jesus respond to the Pharisees when His disciples plucked grains from the tree to eat? How did Jesus respond to them? Apologizing? You know oh, sorry, sorry. He scolded His disciples. Why did you do this? Why do you take bus on Sunday?

Now Jesus did not do that. In fact, Jesus corrected the Pharisees, said that is a wrong approach, wrong attitude towards this day. So at least we have that much alright in the New Testament, and we see that also today alright in many places. And if you come across people like that alright, then you should respond like the Lord Jesus Christ alright. That’s the first wrong attitude towards the Sabbath.

But there’s a second wrong attitude towards the Sabbath. Now, what is that attitude? Well, it’s the attitude pointed out in Isaiah alright- Isaiah chapter 56. Isaiah chapter 56, and here in Isaiah 56:2. And verse 2, now listen to what it’s said here. It says here: “Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”.

And then he repeats that alright. The prophet Isaiah repeats that in chapter 58. In chapter 58 and verse 13. Verse 13, and it says that: “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath”. And that actually means that if you turn away your foot from trembling (that’s in some translation) or stepping alright, defiling or profaning the Sabbath. Now so Isaiah is cautioning the other attitude. On the one hand, there are people who are trying to be so careful in the observance of the Sabbath by having a checklist and thinking that if they don’t do all these things means they have kept the sabbath. And Jesus says that’s wrong.

I said, on the other hand, is the Isaiah 56 and 58 attitude, and that is profaning of trembling on the Sabbath or treating the Sabbath as nothing. And we know that. I’m not sure which is the bigger problem in our days. Now I suspect- I suspect that the second attitude is the bigger problem in our days, that people are trembling on the Sabbath. They consider it as nothing. They despise it. They despise it. Now it is said that I say that seems to be the prevailing attitude today, and we can see that attitude by the way people refer to Sunday or to the Lord’s Day. How do they refer to it? How do people refer to this day? Today, how do people refer to it?

Now someone said this: That now there seems to be a kind of a change in the way that people refer to Sunday over the years alright- over the years. He said once upon a time that day is called the Holy Sabbath, and then it was called the Sabbath. Then it was called Sunday. Today, it is called weekend. Now so on Friday when people leave work alright, they say bye-bye to their colleagues in the office alright. Say bye-bye to you, see you next week, and have a great weekend.

And what does that mean? What do they mean when they say: “Have a great weekend”? Of course, by that, they mean that have a great time over weekend. Maybe what’s in their mind is shopping, golfing, swimming, go to country club, and obviously not church because church will spoil your weekend. Now great weekends never includes church in people’s mind. Now that is the attitude, the prevailing attitude we find today. I said not just among the non-Christians but among Christians as well that for them, Sunday is weekend and great weekend is not church. It’s something else other than church.

So what is it called in the New Testament? What is Sunday called in the New Testament? You see we do have to correct our terminology in order to reflect a proper and right attitude towards the fourth commandment. So what is that day called in the New Testament? Revelation chapter 1 alright- Revelation 1:10. Now, this is what it is called in the New Testament. Revelation 1:10, and here is John’s writing saying: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day”.

Sunday is not great weekend; Sunday is the Lord’s Day. It’s not your day, it’s not your great weekend. It is the Lord’s Day. It is as in the fourth commandment, it’s a holy day. Not holiday, it’s a holy day. You know that twice is mentioned in the fourth commandment in Exodus that it’s called “holy day”. You see we changed the terminology. Why? Because we changed our, you know, our perspective and understanding and attitude towards Sunday.

So I say that of the two wrong attitudes towards the Sabbath, I suspect the second is more the problem in our day and age where people despise the Lord’s Day. They don’t understand that it is the Lord’s Day. They think that it is their day. You know how Isaiah just now in 56 and verse 2 says or 58 and verse 13 say if you do not tremble and not do as what? As you please. That is the problem. We do as we please. It is to please us. It’s not to please God. Now that is the problem.

And so come back to the fourth commandment. So what then is the fourth commandment about? Now I said kind of those are the caveat. It’s not those two things. Those are the wrong attitudes towards the Sabbath. So what then is the Sabbath command or the fourth commandment about? And I want to put it this way. The fourth commandment is remember one of the elements of true worship.

Remember the other elements that we learned from the first four comments about true worship? That for there to be true worship, there must be love for God. If you do not love God, you can come and do all your things but not for your love for God, then it is useless, meaningless worship. True worship has to be according to truth, truth revealed in the Scripture. True worship has to be sincere, not taking the name of the Lord in vain, not vain worship.

And true worship means what? What is the fourth element of true worship? It is time for God. It is priority. It is priority. Do you have time for God? Is God important? And now that is what the fourth commandment is about. On this day, what is important? And so let me now point out the three issues of the fourth commandment. The three issues of the fourth commandment, and I submit to you the first issue is this. The first issue of the fourth commandment is that it is a question of priority. It is a question of priority. The second, it is a question of trust, and third, it is a question of delight.

Now let’s look at priority. It is about priority. That is the first issue here in the fourth commandment. Remember what Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew 6:33? “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”. That is the issue- the kingdom of God and His righteousness, whether God is first in your pursuit, whether God is first in your life as you begin the first day- the first day of the week.

What comes to mind first? Now you see that is what this commandment is about. In fact, as you begin your day, as you rise up and begin your day, what is in your mind first and foremost? Money? Going to make more money or other kinds of priorities? No, it ought not be. The first day of the week, and you rush off looking for what? For the things of this world? No, that is the point here. That is what this commandment is addressing: Where is your priority? What is number one in your life?

Or whether Psalm 63 resonates with you? “O LORD, You are my God; Early (or earnestly) I will seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You as in a dry and thirsty land”. Is that what this day is all about as you begin the first week? You are crying out to God. God, You are first in my life. I’m seeking after You and Your righteousness. I long for You. My soul thirsts after You as in a dry and thirsty land.

Now how many of us come and begin this week that way and come together with that longing? God, I want You, more than anything else. More than anything else. And that’s what we are saying. We are making a statement in what we do on this day. Either God is last in our life, maybe on Saturday we begin to think about God after making all the money that we have from Monday or from Sunday to Friday. Now that is the issue here: Is God number one in your life?

In other words, how would you like to begin the week? Or where would you like to begin the week? Where? The clubhouses, that’s where you’ll like to begin the week? Or back to your office, that’s where you want to begin the week? Where? Or how do you’ll like to begin your week? Pursue other things, or here seeking after God in His Word, fellowshipping with the people of God, taking care of our soul? How do you want to begin the week? What is the chief problem with the Lord’s Day today? What is the chief problem with the Lord’s Day today?

Again if you look at Exodus 20:8, what does it say? It says remember. Remember. That is the chief problem in you know with the Lord’s Day that we have forgotten. We have forgotten that this is the Lord’s Day. And therefore, there’s this commandment to remember, to take note of that. This is not your day; This is the Lord’s Day. There’s a reason for it. There’s a reason for it. Remember.

Now turn with me to Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10, and look at what Jesus said and the problem that He is pointing out here, which I say is exactly the problem that we have today in regards to the Lord’s Day. Luke chapter 10, and look with me beginning in verse 38. Here’s a familiar story.

It says here: “Now it happened as they went that Jesus entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But (one thing is necessary). One thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Now, what is the problem with the Lord’s Day today? The problem is this, verse 41: “Jesus said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.”.

That’s the reason why we remind you as you come into this hall and as we begin to worship to leave your cares behind. You are worried about your work, about your exam, about many things. That’s what the Lord Jesus said. Martha, you’re worried about many things. The things that you have been worried from Monday through Saturday, and you’re still worried about them. And that is a problem that Jesus is pointing out.

And so what does Jesus say to Martha? It’s exactly as the fourth commandment in Exodus 20. Remember (verse 42) that one thing is needed. Remember. Remember in other words your priority. Everything else you can do without, you realise that? In the sense, finally speaking, eternally speaking, everything else you can do without. But this you cannot. You can gain the whole world, but if you lose your soul, everything is gone.

Didn’t Jesus say that in Luke chapter 9? So what if you gain the whole world? So what if you have everything that you want, but you do not have God? That’s exactly what Jesus said later on you know in the following chapter- in the following chapter in Luke where He tells the men in verse 13 (Mistakenly mentioned “verse 13”, supposedly “verse 15”). He says to this man and says: “beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things.”.

No, that is not what life is all about. It’s not all about things, but that is what many people is about. To them, life is about possessions, abundance of possessions. You know what Jesus said? At the end of the day, what counts? Because He says in verse 21: “So he who lays up treasure for himself is not rich toward God.”. Finally, it is God. Do you have God in your life? Do you pursue after God? That is what the Sabbath commandment is about.

Where is your priorities? What are you thinking about today? Still those other things I’ve been thinking every day? Oh come on, Jesus said: Martha, Martha, you are just too anxious about many things. You don’t realise? Do you not realise only one thing is necessary, and Mary has chosen the good part. Have you? Have you chosen the good part which Jesus says shall not be taken away?

I will not bother Mary, Jesus said. I would not tell her: Why lazy Mary? Why are you in church whole day? Why can’t you be out there doing something else? She has chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her. Indeed heaven and earth will pass away, Jesus said, but My word will not pass away. Remember. Remember what Jesus said again and again in the Bible.

Remember what the Apostle Peter said in Second Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter 3:10-11, now listen to what Peter says here. He said in verse 10: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”. Everything will be burned up.

Everything you see, everything that you treasure, everything that you spend your energy and your time pursuing after every day in your life. Remember, everything will be burned up. So what? “Therefore (verse 11), since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and of godliness”. That is the important thing. Your life, your spiritual life, your holiness, your conduct, that is the issue of the fourth commandment- priority. What is first in your life? What do you really pursue? What do you really want? What really matters?

Second, trust. The fourth commandment is also a question of trust. It’s also a question of trust. I ask you: Can you stop working? For some people, they cannot. They cannot you know leave all these cares behind. They cannot. They’re still like Martha alright, anxious and worried about many things. So that’s the question. Can you stop? Can you not stop working? If you cannot, it means that you are not trusting God because not being able to observe the Sabbath alright, being able to stop working is an act of trust. It’s an act of trust.

Now come back with me again to what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6. I quoted that just now, but I want to see now in its context here now what really Jesus was trying to point out. Now in Matthew 6:33- in verse 33, and Jesus said this: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”. Then He said what? Say you seek first, but you say I can’t because I have many needs.

Jesus said seek first, seek God first. But you said I can’t because I’ve got other responsibilities. Seek first the kingdom of God, and you say I can’t. But why can’t you? That’s what Jesus is saying. Why can’t you? Why can you not stop worrying about these many other things? Why can’t you? Listen to Jesus, you “seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.”.

Can’t you not see, Jesus said, that you are not. You are not keeping the world running, God is. You are not the one providing for your own needs, God is. You are not providing for your family, God is. Trust in Me, that’s what Jesus is saying. Trust in God. You know that this is set in that context of Jesus telling these people not to worry.

Verse 25: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life”. And verse 28: “So why do you worry about clothing?”. And verse 31: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ and ‘What shall we drink?’ and ‘What shall we wear?’”. Lord, if I do not work, if I come to church, I have nothing to eat, I have nothing the wear. I don’t have this, I don’t have that. Do not worry. Come, seek after God. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Do you believe that? Do you believe what Jesus says here? You see, it is a question of trust. You don’t believe. You think that you are the one holding the world up. You think that you are the one keeping everything running. It’s not you, Jesus says. It’s not you. Come. Come, Jesus says. Come and leave the cares behind. Come and trust that God is in charge. Come and trust that God will provide for your needs.

That is what the fourth commandment is about. The quote for me is an act you know in that sense an act of liberation. You’re free. See people are so burdened, so brought down. Even on Sunday, they are not liberated. They are still very much you know doing their things, trying to keep everything running. If you’re not, you’re still a slave.

Someone said if you cannot say no to your work, you cannot say no to your boss, you cannot say no to your company, you’re still a slave- slave to your hope, slave to your ambition, slave to your self-image because it’s all what this is about. Liberation or being able to say no to all these things is saying that I’m not defined by my work or how much money I make or my exam result. All these things, they do not define me. My life is not about all these things.

Finally speaking, trust. Thirdly and finally, the Sabbath command (the fourth commandment) is about delight. It is about delight, and here I quote someone here. He said: Why many people think of Sabbath a burden? Why do many people think of the Sabbath as burden? Answer, because not many people really enjoy what God intended us to enjoy on the Sabbath, namely Himself.

Many professing Christians enjoy sports and TV and magazines and recreations and hobby and games far more than interaction with God in His Word or in worship. Therefore inevitably, people whose hearts are set more on the pleasures of the world than on enjoyment of God will find the Sabbath a burden. Why is the Sabbath a burden? Because here is not where your joy is. God is not your delight. That is the problem.

And so the fourth commandment is asking this question: Where is your pleasure? What is your real joy in life? Is it God, or is it other things? Is it God? Is it the worship of God? Is God your delight? What is missing here? What is missing here? You know for a lot of people, when we come to the fourth commandment, it is this. It is as the psalmist points out in Psalm 42. Psalm 42, and this is what is missing. Psalm 42 and beginning in verse 1: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.”.

Now that is what is missing. Where is the panting, the thirsting after God? Verse 2: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before my God?”. That is what is missing. What is the question? When do people ask the question: “When shall I come?”? Is there that eagerness to come and appear before God, to seek after Him, to thirst for Him? Verse 3: “My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, “Where is your God?””.

What is missing here? The tears. If you are not in church, how do you feel? How do you feel? But this is what the psalmist is expressing here. They were not able to go to worship, and they were in tears. Not tears of joy. For some people, no need to go to worship, it’s tears of joy. This is tears of sadness. This is crying out, say I miss church, I miss God, I miss worship. Where is that missing element? Why is it missing? Because God is not your delight. God is not what you really want. God is what you want in order to get other things, but God is not what you really want. You want Him to help you to get other things.

Delight. Do you delight in God? Or in Psalm 84 alright- Psalm 84, again here another psalmist. Psalm 84, and here’s the expressions. Verse 1 and 2- verses 1 and 2: “How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”. Where is the crying out for the living God? Where is the longing?

Or verse 10: “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. (In other places) I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”. I’d rather be a doorkeeper here than anywhere else in this world, anywhere else. That is the attitude of the psalmist, and that is what is missing. That is what is missing in a lot of Christians. Now sadly, and that is what the Bible is saying here about the fourth commandment, about the Lord’s Day. It’s about priorities, it is about trust, it is about delight.

Now let me conclude by drawing attention back to Isaiah 58 because there’s a context again to what Isaiah is saying there. Isaiah 58- Isaiah 58:13-14. Verses 13 and 14, it says: “If you turn away your foot from (trembling or profaning) the Sabbath”. If you do that “from doing (as you please or) your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight”. If you do all these things, the “day of the LORD honourable, and shall honour Him, and not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words”.

Then verse 14: “Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”. This is a promise, that’s what Isaiah is saying. If you keep My Sabbath, if you honour that day, My holy day, if you on that day seek after Me, if I am your priority, if I am your delight, if you do not do it as you please but what as I please, then here’s the promise.

Verse 14 says that “I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with” what? “The heritage of Jacob your father”. Now, what does that mean? It means this. You see Israel at this time was at a very low point in their spiritual life. They were spiritually gone, and God is saying: You know what? There is a correlation between your spiritual life and the keeping of the Lord’s Day. There is a correlation between your spiritual life and skipping church.

In fact, Don Whitney says: “When a person misses church, it is an indication of a decline of the person’s spiritual life.”. And that is what Isaiah is saying that there’s a relation, and he’s saying to the nation of Israel: Why are you in this spiritual state? It’s because you have trembled upon the Sabbath, on the Lord’s holy day, because you have not seek after God, because God is not your delight, and that’s why you are in this state.

It is not that God cannot lift you up, that’s what verse 14 is saying. I will lift you up, you will triumph in your spiritual life. You’ll be fed with the heritage of Jacob as it were. It means you’ll be like those great saints. You’ll be like the Puritans. You’ll be like the Reformers. Why are we not like these?

We can think of the days of the Puritans, of the great saints of God. We will read of them, we read about them, we read what they teach us. But where are the saints today, and why are there so few to be found today? Why are there so few godly, biblical, God-honouring churches today? Is it because God is not our delight that trampled upon the holy days? You prefer to have holidays?

Now chapter 59 and verse 1: “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.”. Now remember this is a continuation of chapter 58, and Isaiah is saying now it’s not that God cannot bless us. It’s not that God cannot raise up another Martin Luther or another John Calvin or another John Wesley.

It’s not that God cannot raise up these people in our generation. God, he says, it’s not that His hand is shortened that He cannot save or that His ear is heavy that He cannot hear. The problem is not God, the problem is us. It’s us, misplaced priorities, going after the things of the world than the things of God. The problem is here. Let us pray.

“Our Father in heaven, we thank You again for this day as we come and hear Your truth. And we pray that indeed You’ll speak to us. Help us O Lord indeed to remember, to pause as You’ve commanded one day in a week to be refreshed and to reorient ourselves, to set our priorities right that we might live each day right with you.

Grant to us O Lord joy- the joy of the Lord. Grant to us great delight in You to know that indeed You’re our true treasure. And help us that we might not be distracted like Martha by the many responsibilities and the affairs of this life, the pursuit of life. Help us to learn O Lord to leave these things behind and to trust in You, knowing that You will provide as we seek You, for all these, we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.