Day 194, or July 13. Just give it some thought. Our thoughts today are rooted in Isaiah chapter
1 verse 18. Come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord.
Here's the big picture surrounding this verse. Isaiah is the longest of all the prophetical
books, and is often referred to as the Shakespeare of the prophets, because of his particularly
clear prophetic statements concerning the coming Messiah. It splits into two unequal
sections. The first contains 39 chapters, like the Old Testament has 39 books, and is
dominated by the groaning of prophetic denouncements on Judah and her surrounding neighbors. The
second part has 27 chapters, as the New Testament has 27 books, and they declare the glory of
the coming Messiah. These numbers have resulted in many calling Isaiah the mini-Bible, with
its 66 chapters, which is the same as the 66 books of the Bible. Some scholars have
suggested that more than one author was involved, which could explain why the two parts have
such different emphases. However, there is enough evidence for only one Isaiah being
the writer, and a considerable number of scholars are convinced of this. The most important
point, of course, is that the whole book is inspired by God, and can powerfully speak
into our lives in the 21st century.
And now today's action step. The Bible reveals to us a God who wants us to think for ourselves.
He doesn't want blind obedience but thoughtful devotion. These lovely words to Isaiah are
applicable to all of us today. God wants His people, those who trust in Him, to debate
with Him. It's part of the intimate relationship God longs to have with His followers. Jesus'
contemporaries questioned Him throughout His life, and He reveled in justifying His arguments.
We also said that if we have seen Him, we have seen Father God, so we have confirmation
from Jesus that God loves to be questioned too. He knows what He asks of us is in our
best interest, and when we consider things with Him, we'll see that too.