SS Pentecost 12a

Context is King:

Second Half of Isaiah are mostly oracles of hope about a glorious future for Israel.

The “Glorious Future” will also be different that what was expected.

Suffering Servant: God’s victor conquers through being conquered and not through imposing his will with violence.

International Family: The family of God now will include all the nations, not just ethnic Israel

Monotheism: God is not one among many, he is the only God.

Focus on the International Family.

As for the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to become his servants

God addresses those from outside Israel who desire God to be their God.

Noah (God loves a man), Abraham (God loves a family), Jacob (God loves a Tribe), Moses (God loves a Nation), David (God loves a King to rule the nations), Jesus (God loves all people)

Genesis 6:13 “Then God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to every creature, for the earth is filled with wickedness because of them; therefore I am going to destroy them along with the earth.”

Exodus 19:3–6 “Moses went up the mountain to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain: “This is what you must say to the house of Jacob and explain to the Israelites: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine, and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.””

Deuteronomy 7:1–4 ““When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, and he drives out many nations before you—the Hethites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and powerful than you—and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you and you defeat them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy. You must not intermarry with them, and you must not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from me to worship other gods. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will swiftly destroy you.”

— all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold firmly to my covenant— I will bring them to my holy mountain and let them rejoice in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

Now their is a welcome to all the nations.

Genesis 17:4 ““As for me, here is my covenant with you: You will become the father of many nations.”

Ruth 4:13–14 “Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the Lord granted conception to her, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel.”

Isaiah 60:1–16 Nations will come to your light, and kings to your shining brightness. Raise your eyes and look around: they all gather and come to you; your sons will come from far away, and your daughters on the hips of nursing mothers. Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will tremble and rejoice, because the riches of the sea will become yours and the wealth of the nations will come to you. Caravans of camels will cover your land— young camels of Midian and Ephah— all of them will come from Sheba. They will carry gold and frankincense and proclaim the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth will serve you and go up on my altar as an acceptable sacrifice.

Daniels Mission to the Babylonians

Joel 2:28–29 “After this I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. I will even pour out my Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days.”

This is the declaration of the Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: “I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered.””

We see the fulfillment of this in Jesus’ ministry, in the book of Acts, and in Revelation

Jesus Ministry

Magi from the East.

Healing of the Canaanite woman’s daughter.

Feeding of the 4,000

Acts

Nations/languages at Pentecost (2:17)

Peter and Cornelius

St. Paul’s mission to the Gentiles (13:47)

Revelations: The multitude and the Tree of Life

Revelation 7:9–12 “After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb! All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, saying, Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Revelation 22:2 “down the middle of the city’s main street. The tree of life was on each side of the river, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations,”

Do we have any kind of exclusive tendancies?

Sabbath, sacrifice, altar, what does this remind you of?

How does a church participate in the work of gathering?