Ephesians 6. Children: Obey your parents; bondservants (employees): Do everything as unto God, put on the whole armor of God and pray in the spirit always for all the saints. The Apostle Paul then added a final greeting, and so ends this inspirational letter to the Ephesians.
Isaiah 57. The LORD warned strongly against idolatry, especially the pagan god Moloch. There is peace for the contrite, but there is no peace for the wicked.
Isaiah 58 explains true fasting.
Ephesians 5. The Apostle Paul gave good advice: Walk in love, walk in light, and walk in wisdom, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” Then Paul gave Godly advice on marriage and likened it to the relationship between Christ and the church.
Isaiah 56. Salvation will be open to all. In Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial will be remembered “Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.” Yet, Israel still have wicked leaders.
Psalm 80, of Asaph. A prayer for restoration of Israel, mentioning the Shepherd of Israel, a heartfelt and urgent plea.
Ephesians 4:17-32. The Apostle Paul reminded the Ephesians they are children of light, do not grieve the spirit, and “do not let the sun go down on your wrath“.
Isaiah 54. After the gigantic chapter 53, writing about the sin-bearing, suffering servant the narrative switches back to God’s servant, Israel, and the Covenant of Peace. It ends with “no weapon formed against you shall prosper”
Isaiah 55 gives the invitation to abundant life. Remember this: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Psalm 79, of Asaph. A cry for help, for the heathens were devastating Jerusalem, the Temple and the people. The Psalmist confessed their collective sins and pleaded for restoration, always with praise and thankfulness.
Ephesians 4:1-16. The Apostle Paul urged the believers to walk in unity, because there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God, even though there are different spiritual gifts.
Isaiah 53. No other chapter in the Bible has so many prophesies fulfilled in the New Testament. Because of this it had been “proven” that it must have been written and added to the book of Isaiah around 400 A.D. As proof for this was cited that the rabbis used to read Isaiah 53 in synagogues, but after the chapter caused “arguments and great confusion” the rabbis of the 17th century decided that the simplest thing would be to just take that prophecy out of the Haftarah readings in synagogues. (Haftarah consists of selections of the prophets, read after segments of the Torah.) That’s why today when they read Isaiah 52, they stop in the middle of the chapter and the week after jump straight to Isaiah 54. See! That is proof enough that it is a later addition to fit with Christian tradition! Then around 1947 the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by some Arab Bedouins, and in them was a complete scroll of Isaiah and chapter 53 was in it, word for word identical with the Masoretic text! The find was announced in April 1948, right before the formation of the State of Israel. This had many years later a profound impact on me after having swallowed bible critical “truth” for many years. I came to realize that if all the book of Isaiah had been written centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ and has well over 50 fulfilled prophecies, both the book of Isaiah is true, and Jesus Christ, his death, burial and resurrection is true, and that changes things. Read it, think about it, and let it sink in!
Ephesians 3. “The meaning of the Greek word mysterion is a truth hitherto hidden from human knowledge or understanding but now disclosed by the revelation of God.” With that in mind this chapter reveals the mystery of Christ, its purpose and the appreciation of the mystery.
Isaiah 51 speaks of everlasting salvation out of Zion, via “the rock”. Wake up!
Isaiah 52. God prophetically redeems Jerusalem. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” Verse 13 and forward is the beginning of the prophecy of the suffering servant.
Ephesians 2:11-22). Christ is our peace and our cornerstone.
Isaiah 49. A chapter on the servant. Is it Israel or is it Jesus? Isaiah indicated it is both, and “a light to the Gentiles.” Read it and contemplate.
Isaiah 50 continues elaborating about the Servant. The two last verses has meant much in my life: “Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.”
Ephesians 2:1-10. This is the famous chapter explaining that we are saved by grace through faith and brought near by His blood, and, once saved, we are His ‘poem’ (ποιημα).
Isaiah 46 tells of the dead gods of Babylon and other useless idols. Compare that to the living God! “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”
Isaiah 47 prophesies the fall of Babylon.
Isaiah 48. God declared His plan for Israel, and the chapter ends with something quoted in a famous play. Which play?
Ephesians 1. This letter has a wonderful explanation of the Christian Gospel. The Apostle Paul stars out with a greeting, then explains what it means to get redemption in Christ and ends up with a prayer for spiritual wisdom.
Isaiah 44. Israel is the chosen nation, God is supreme, idols are worthless. Sing, for the LORD has done it. God is the one “That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.”
Isaiah 45. Cyrus was God’s instrument. God gave him “the treasures of darkness”, though he did not acknowledge Him. The Lord is the only savior, there is none else. God said: “I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”
Ephesians 6. Children: Obey your parents, bondservants (employees): Do everything as unto God, put on the whole armor of God and pray in the spirit always for all the saints. The Apostle Paul then added a final greeting, and so ends this inspirational letter to the Ephesians.
Isaiah 57. The LORD warned strongly against idolatry, especially the pagan god Moloch. There is peace for the contrite, but there is no peace for the wicked.
Isaiah 58 explains true fasting.
Ephesians 5. The Apostle Paul gave good advice: Walk in love, walk in light, and walk in wisdom, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” Then Paul gave Godly advice on marriage and likened it to the relationship between Christ and the church.
Isaiah 56. Salvation will be open to all. In Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial will be remembered “Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.” Yet, Israel still have wicked leaders.
Psalm 80, of Asaph. A prayer for restoration of Israel, mentioning the Shepherd of Israel, a heartfelt and urgent plea.
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 