Lesson Five • Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9:1-7
Gary Wright
I have to admit that I have a hard time trusting people. My friend, Mike, however, is the most trustworthy person that I know. When he tells me he is going to do something, it is done. If he tells me he is going to be somewhere at a certain time, he is there. I totally trust Mike because he has been so faithful to his word.
On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus. When I look back at Old Testament prophecy and see how many hundreds of prophecies Jesus fulfilled, it really has helped me realize how much we can trust God and His Word.
There are also prophecies written about the second coming of Jesus. One of these prophecies is from Isaiah 9:7, “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”
Isaiah tells us that Jesus will return again someday, taking His rightful place on the throne of David in Jerusalem, which God promised David in 2 Samuel 7:16, “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” Jesus will not only reign on David’s throne during the Millennium, but forevermore. He will rule in fairness (justice) and will do what is right according to God’s standards (righteousness). There will be no war or conflict (peace). I love how the verse ends, “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” God will do this from His passionate commitment (zeal). We know we can trust the passionate commitment of God because He always does what He says. Knowing that God always does what He says, not only we can trust Him when it comes to the future, but we can also trust Him and His Word right now.
Here are a few of the many promises that God has made that we can depend on right now:
- God promises salvation to those who believe. Romans 10:9 says, “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
- God promises that as believers our lives have a purpose. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
- God promises comfort in our trials. In 2 Corinthians 1:3, we read, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.”
I do not know about you, but I am thankful for a God that keeps His promises. Hebrews 10:23 adds, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”