SOAP 02/01/2016; Isaiah 56:6-7

Today's reading: Exodus 30, 31, 32; Acts 8*

S) "⁶ Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
To minister to Him, and to love the name of the Lord,
To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath
And holds fast My covenant;
⁷ Even those I will bring to My holy mountain
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar;
For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples."

Isaiah 56:6-7 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Isaiah 56

O) God has always had a heart for Gentiles, as well as the Israelites. His chosen people had a covenant with Him, to be His people and He would be their God. That covenant really had the purpose of bringing the Messiah, to bless all nations. Along the way, there were many, many people who were not descendants of Abraham, who would come and join that covenant, making this nation Israel a mixed multitude. In the passage here, we see that the Gentiles who were among God's people were not forgotten in the exile and return. God still saw their faithfulness, and would bless them as they remained in covenant with Him.

A) These passages always encourage me, that God always had a plan of redemption for the entire world. I am so thankful to be in covenant with God. It's not the same as it was, since Jesus Christ brought a new covenant, a better one, but it's still the same at its core. I put my faith and trust in God. I love Jesus Christ, and therefore choose a life of submission to His authority, and obedience to what He says. In turn, I am allowed to worship Him, and He hears my prayers. This cannot be mistaken for a transaction, though. I need to resist the temptation to see this in that way. No, this is about a relationship with God. I love being in His presence, spending time in His word. That happens through covenant relationship, and it is my joy to keep it.

P) Father, thank You for this plan of redemption. Thank You for setting this plan into motion thousands of years before Jesus Christ was even born. Thousands again before I was conceived. Still, You planned this long ago. In Your sovereignty, You chose to love me. Let me dwell on that today. Help me to consider, carefully and frequently, just how amazing it is that You and I are in a covenant relationship through my faith in Jesus Christ. This is humbling and astounding to me, if I make myself dwell on that. It almost seems surreal, but I know that it really is just... real. Thank You, God, for saving me. Thank You, God, for loving me. In Jesus' name. Amen.