[Q4. Perfect Peace]

1. Question 4  (Isaiah 26:3-4)
   1. According to this verse, what is the key to perfect peace?
      1. A Mind that is steadfast in trusting the Lord.

2. What happens when we get distracted from trusting in the Lord?
   1. We stopping being steadfast.

Why is the Lord called the "Rock eternal"?

1. Because HE is steadfast.

[Q3. The End of Death]

1. ^{Question 3  (Isaiah 25:7)}
   1. ^{Why does the promise that "he will swallow up death forever" provide such comfort to us when we grieve the death of loved ones?}
      1. ^{To be honest I didn’t come to God so I could see my departed loved ones. I came because of the contrast between God's HOLINESS and my fallen nature.}

2. ^{When we contemplate our own death?}
   1. ^{HE is able to redeem.}

^{What will we experience instead of death when Christ comes?}

1. ^{IF we are saved – Life.}

[Q2. The Great Supper]

1. Question 2   (Isaiah 25:6-8)
   1. Obviously this "feast of rich food for all peoples"  is a symbol of something more than just good food. What does this theme represent in Isaiah and the New Testament?
      1. The final consummation for the elect and God referred to as the ‘feast’.

2. What does it promise about the Last Days?
   1. That HE will be with me.

[Q1. Devastation]

1. Question 1    Isaiah 24
   1. What is the reason that Yahweh will devastate the earth (24:5-6)? 
      1. sin and rebellion against God – God is HOLY!

2. Why do we feel so threatened by this kind of prophecy? 
   1.  Because we are not HOLY.

Why is this kind of prophecy important to forming faithful disciples who "fear the Lord"?

1. So we don’t get complacent about God’s HOLINESS.

In what way does the glitter and glory of man (1 John 2:15-17) contradict this kind of prophecy?

1. Fallen Men believe that human understanding is limitless and therefore trust in themselves.  This was the trick that Satan played on our first parents – that they could go it alone.  Hebrew thought teaches that human understanding is subordinate to divine revelation.  Isaiah represents divine revelation, Israel represents human understanding.

[Q1. Identity Confusion]

1. Early Messages (Isaiah 1-6)     Question 1:    
   1. In what way is Judah confused about its identity, according to verses 2-4?
      1. They don’t know or care about being God’s people. The have turned away and rebelled against God. Wicked as Sodom & Gomorrah.

2.  What are the consequences when Christians today suffer from such identity confusion?
   1. Calls them murderers.

What injustices does God accuse his people of in verses 15-17?

1. We don’t study the Word and start believing things about God that are not true.

 In verses 18-20 God argues that their behavior is "unreasonable." Why is it unreasonable? What does God offer as an alternative?

1. Unreasonable because they are not fulfilling the purpose they were designed for.  Sin had rendered worship useless and downright offensive to God yet they persisted in the ‘religious’ activities. I would like to keep my sin (not repent) and still worship God – unreasonable.  Repent and obey.

[Q1. Identity Confusion]

Each respondent has given good answers. I tend to agree or like Ivory's the best. However, I would also add abortion to the list of grave and terrible evils as a sign or indication of a societies depravity.

 

God gave the Hebrews and the world His light. The world has willfully chosen lightlessness i.e. darkness. This of course requires an "act of the will." Therefore what we witness in the scriptures and in our own society is an active willfulness of disobedience, not only against natural law but against God personally.

 

As the Hebrews declared through word and deed "I will not serve", so too we witness the same today not only in the world, but even worse within the various faith-based homes and communities where people have indeed at one point or another declared themselves Christian whether Catholic or Protestant.

 

Just as we witness the Hebrews were indeed religious, so too today there are many who are religious today, but they have supplanted God and His Church with their own notions of what religion is all about. They have incorporated personal preferences, politics and their own conveniences into their brand of religion, thereby befouling God's true religion. In their hearts and minds and deeds they say good is bad and bad is good.  

SkinnyKenny, I enjoy your observation that today they have supplanted God and His Church with their own notions of what religion is all about. I heard it put this way - that scripture is being put away in favor of a shared spiritual experience regardless of the belief system. Basically experience has a higher authority than Scripture.