5 Epiphany

5 Epiphany - Sunday (variable)

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Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13) – Isaiah's Call;
Psalm 85:8-13 – Oracle of Assurance;
I Corinthians 14:12b-20 – Upbuilding the Church;
Luke 5:1-11-- The Unexpected Catch;

Isaiah:

In the year of King Ussiah's death, 742 B.C., Isaiah had a vision of the Lord enthroned in heaven. His throne was lifted up above the floor, and his train (glory; presence) filled the temple. Above him were the seraphim, (traditionally the highest order of angel). Each had six wings: two covered his face, two covered his feet, and he flew with two. One declared to another that the Lord of hosts (a large multitude; army) is Holy, Holy, Holy (three times Holy, for emphasis). The thresholds (foundations) were shaken at the voice of the seraph, and the house was filled with smoke.

Isaiah recognized his sinfulness compared to the Holiness of God, and was afraid that he was spiritually lost. He confessed that he came from people of unclean lips, and that his lips were unclean. Then one of the seraphim took a glowing coal from the altar and touched Isaiah's mouth, saying that Isaiah's guilt had been removed and his sin forgiven.

Then Isaiah heard the Lord ask who would go (to speak for God) and Isaiah volunteered. Then the Lord told him to go to God's people and say that they hear over and over but do not understand, they see over and over, but do not perceive, otherwise their ears would hear, their eyes would see, their hearts would understand and they would turn (to the Lord) and be healed (compare Matthew 13:10-15).

Isaiah asked how long, and the Lord told him, “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without men, and the land is utterly desolate and the Lord removes men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains standing when it is felled.' The seed is its stump” (Isaiah 6:11b-13).

Psalm:

Listen to what the Lord will speak, to his people, his saints (those consecrated to God's service, to believers in Jesus Christ); to those who become obedient to him in their hearts, he will declare peace. Truly his salvation is near for those who fear God (have appropriate awe and respect for God's power and authority), that glory (honor, dignity; the perfect righteousness of God) may fill our land. Then our land will be characterized by steadfast love, faithfulness, righteousness and peace. Faithfulness will rise up from the earth and righteousness will look down from heaven. The Lord will provide every good thing and our land will prosper. “Righteousness will go before him and and make his footsteps a way (Psalm 85:13).

1 Corinthians:

To those who eagerly seek manifestations of the Spirit, our efforts should be in building up the Church. So those who speak in tongues (different languages) should pray for the power to interpret them. If one prays in an unknown tongue, one's spirit is gratified, but one's mind is unproductive. One should learn to pray so that both mind and spirit are engaged; so also with songs. Otherwise one may bless (praise; give thanks) by the spirit, but others without the gift of interpretation cannot say “Amen” (join in agreement; verbal assent). The one giving thanks may be edified (built up, spiritually) but not the other person. Paul testified to personal ecstatic experiences, but in corporate worship, he would rather say five words with his reasoning that would instruct others, than ten thousand in an unknown tongue.

Paul urged his fellow believers to grow in spiritual understanding. It is right to be innocent as babies regarding evil, but we should strive to become spiritually mature in our thinking.

Luke:

Jesus was standing on the shore of the lake of Gennesaret (the Sea of Galilee), and a large crowd gathered around him. There were two boats beached nearby and the fishermen were cleaning their nets nearby. Getting into one, which belonged to Simon (whom Jesus later named Peter; one of the Twelve original apostles), Jesus asked to be put out a short distance from shore, where he sat down and began teaching.

When he finished he asked Simon to take the boat into deep water, and put his nets in for a catch. Simon replied that he and his partners had fished all night and had caught nothing, but would do as Jesus said. When he let out the nets, they enclosed a great shoal (school) of fish. Because their nets were breaking, they called their partners to bring the other boat to help them. Both boats were filled to nearly sinking.

When Simon Peter saw what had happened he knelt at Jesus feet and acknowledged that because he was a sinner he was unworthy to be in Jesus' presence. Simon and the other fishermen, including James and John, Simon's partners, the sons of Zebedee, were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken. Jesus told Simon to not be afraid; from now on they would be catching men. When they landed on shore, they (Peter, James, and John) left everything and followed Jesus.

Commentary:

Isaiah was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom, Judah, of the divided monarchy, and Jerusalem, the capital city, between 742 and 687 B.C..* This was during the period of the virtual annihilation of the Northern Kingdom, Israel, of the ten tribes culminating in 721 B.C. with the fall of Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom.

Isaiah's prophetic ministry began with a vision of the presence of God. In God's presence he recognized his own sinfulness in comparison to the Holiness of God. He confessed his unworthiness and lostness. His unclean lips made him unworthy to speak for God so the seraph used a glowing coal from the altar to cleanse Isaiah's lips and then declared Isaiah's guilt removed and his sin forgiven.

Isaiah was prophesying to Judah at the time of the fall of the Northern Kingdom, because of Israel's apostasy, their idolatry and disobedience to God's Word. Everyone except the oldest, poorest and least healthy of the people were deported to other lands and other conquered people were brought in to pacify the land. The ten northern tribes intermingled with foreigners and effectively disappeared. Foreigners brought in to the Northern Kingdom intermarried with the remnant of Israelites and became the Samaritans, of mixed race and religion, at the time of Jesus' physical ministry.

The people of the Southern Kingdom saw what happened to the Northern Kingdom, but didn't return to obedience and trust in the Lord, didn't give heed to the warnings of Isaiah and other prophets, and ultimately suffered a similar fate.

God's Word is eternal and is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled by the Northern Kingdom's fall to the Assyrians. The Southern Kingdom fulfilled the prophecy by their exile in Babylon for seventy years. But the Lord preserved a remnant of Judah to be the root of Jesse (the father of David; Isaiah 11:10; Romans 15:12), from whom the branch of righteousness, the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Messiah and Christ each mean “anointed; in Hebrew and Greek), would come (Jeremiah 23:5). Jesus is the Son (descendant) of David (Matthew 1:1, 20; 21:9, 15).

A remnant of Judah returned from Babylon, but the people forgot the lessons they had learned in exile, and were thus unprepared for the coming of Jesus Christ. They again fulfilled the prophecy by refusing to see the signs and refusing to heed the prophets (Matthew 13:13-15).

We need to know, trust, and obey God's Word, given in the Bible, and in Jesus Christ, the “living Word;” God's Word fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-5, 14). Those who ignore and disobey God's Word are under God's condemnation to eternal destruction. They are enemies of God, and have no peace with God apart from obedient trust in God's Word in Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

America is, in one sense, the New Israel, the New Promised Land, but America has turned from obedient trust in the Lord to idolatry and disobedience. In many ways America is in the same situation spiritually as Judah was at the first coming of Christ. The priests were using Judaism as their own personal empire, using it to serve themselves instead of being faithful stewards on God's behalf.

In many instances today the Church, at least in America, is operating in the same way. Denominations train clergy to teach the denomination's theology, contrary to the Scriptural Apostolic doctrine recorded in the New Testament. They teach “Cheap Grace;” salvation by grace as a free gift (true) without the requirement of discipleship and obedience (wrong). Instead of making disciples they make “fair-weather members,” (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right).

Jesus is the righteousness of God made visible in human flesh in this world. Jesus came, in part, to show us how to live in obedient trust in God's Word and also to make it possible to follow his example by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

It is impossible not to know for certain for oneself, if one has been spiritually “born-again” (John 33:5-8), and yet mainline denominations are teaching that one receives the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit automatically with “water” baptism without personal awareness. The member must believe it by “faith,” because the Church says so, which is like wishing on a star. It reminds me of the folk tale of The Emperor's New Clothes (see False Teachings, Spiritual Rebirth, sidebar, top right.

Saving faith is not like wishing on a star, not like getting whatever one believes if one believes “hard enough.” Saving faith is obedient trust in Jesus Christ. It is learning to know, trust and obey Jesus' teachings. As we begin to trust and obey Jesus, he will reveal himself to us (John 14:21), and will demonstrate that his word is reliable and true. Jesus said that faith is like a mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32) our tiny “yes” to Jesus, which he will cause to grow to spiritual maturity, to supernatural proportions at the Day of Christ's return.

Paul was making disciples in the Church in Corinth. Discipleship involves spiritual growth. We must learn to hear, recognize and be guided by the Holy Spirit (John 10:2-5). We must begin to apply Jesus' teachings in our daily lives. We should learn to pray in the Spirit (Romans 8:26). The “baptism” of the Holy Spirit is not the culmination of spiritual growth but the beginning; new birth.

Simon trusted and obeyed Jesus' instruction to lower the nets, when Simon's worldly knowledge and experience told him a catch was impossible. When he saw the supernaturally large catch, he realized that he was in the presence of the Lord. He knelt and acknowledged his unworthiness, but Jesus accepted him and called him to be a “fisher” of men.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all who practice it” (Psalm 111:10). Until we recognize God's power and authority, we simply do not understand the concept of “God.” We don't fear that God will do something to us that we don't deserve; we rightly fear that he will give us what we rightly deserve. When we confess our sin and unworthiness, he calms our fears, forgives our sins, and removes our guilt.

The Lord forgives our sin and removes our guilt so that we can go and tell others, that they are also forgiven and cleansed through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Like Isaiah we need to warn them that those who don't want to hear and see what God is doing, and who refuse to acknowledge their sinfulness are perishing eternally.

The Lord gives us freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God's Word or not. By choosing to trust and obey Jesus, we will spend eternity in heaven filled with the glory of God, where the land will be filled with steadfast love and faithfulness, righteousness and peace. The Lord will supply all good things and we will prosper there eternally. Jesus is the righteousness of God, whose footsteps, in obedience of God's Word, are the way to know divine, eternal truth, to be reconciled in peace and restored to fellowship with God, and to have true eternal life (John 14:6).

The alternative is to reject the offer of peace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ, to refuse or fail to trust and obey Jesus, and to spend eternity in a wasteland of destroyed cities and ruined houses in utter desolation, separated eternally from the presence of the Lord (Isaiah 6:11-13).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Isaiah Introduction, p. 822, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.

5 Epiphany - Monday (variable)