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Day 194, or July 13. Just give it some thought. Our thoughts today are rooted in Isaiah chapter

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1 verse 18. Come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord.

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Here's the big picture surrounding this verse. Isaiah is the longest of all the prophetical

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books, and is often referred to as the Shakespeare of the prophets, because of his particularly

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clear prophetic statements concerning the coming Messiah. It splits into two unequal

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sections. The first contains 39 chapters, like the Old Testament has 39 books, and is

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dominated by the groaning of prophetic denouncements on Judah and her surrounding neighbors. The

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second part has 27 chapters, as the New Testament has 27 books, and they declare the glory of

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the coming Messiah. These numbers have resulted in many calling Isaiah the mini-Bible, with

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its 66 chapters, which is the same as the 66 books of the Bible. Some scholars have

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suggested that more than one author was involved, which could explain why the two parts have

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such different emphases. However, there is enough evidence for only one Isaiah being

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the writer, and a considerable number of scholars are convinced of this. The most important

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point, of course, is that the whole book is inspired by God, and can powerfully speak

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into our lives in the 21st century.

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And now today's action step. The Bible reveals to us a God who wants us to think for ourselves.

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He doesn't want blind obedience but thoughtful devotion. These lovely words to Isaiah are

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applicable to all of us today. God wants His people, those who trust in Him, to debate

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with Him. It's part of the intimate relationship God longs to have with His followers. Jesus'

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contemporaries questioned Him throughout His life, and He reveled in justifying His arguments.

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We also said that if we have seen Him, we have seen Father God, so we have confirmation

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from Jesus that God loves to be questioned too. He knows what He asks of us is in our

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best interest, and when we consider things with Him, we'll see that too.