Day 373 - Isaiah 65:17 - 66 & Psalm 1

 Julie

So I wonder if this is God telling them at that time that this is what his coming would look like or is this the coming of Christ that we can expect for ourselves? God explains what he plans to do to those that continue to condemn his name or that give themselves to their idols. He explains how he will save Jerusalem and how people can be a part of that. He talks about how he will come down to take care of all of this. It was that part that has me wondering if we should expect that same thing...

The righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer. The analogies in this psalm show how prosperous the righteous can be.

Michelle

I think you bring up some good questions and points about this reading.  It does sound like God is telling them what is coming, but is that what is still to come or what they already experienced?  It's titled New Heavens and a New Earth, like he is making it all new.  This also seems to be the time we have gotten away from sacrifices as in chapter 66, under Judgment and Hope, it speaks of those he will look upon with favor verses those with contempt and gives examples of those that sacrifice bulls and lambs and that present grain offerings, and it seems that God is unhappy with these people, which kind of makes sense as we previously read about how he felt that they were just going thru the motions and their heart wasn't in the sacrifices the were making to him and it all had no meaning anymore.  Maybe this is the turning point for the sacrifices.  Toward the end it also speaks of how the Lord will gather those of all languages, from distant lands, and they will also proclaim his glory and he will choose from among them to be priests and Levites.  

I feel like I should go back and see what I took from this psalm previously.  But what stood out today is verse 1-3 that basically says blessed is the one whose delight is in the law/word of the Lord and who meditates on it day and night, as that person is like a tree planted by water that is prosperous.  This is a reminder that we should be meditating on God's word day and night, that we should delight in it.