14 day plan

The coming King & His Kingdom

Day 1 of 14

GNT

Isaiah 2:2-4

2In days to come

the mountain where the Temple stands

will be the highest one of all,

towering above all the hills.

Many nations will come streaming to it,

3and their people will say,

“Let us go up the hill of the Lord,

to the Temple of Israel's God.

He will teach us what he wants us to do;

we will walk in the paths he has chosen.

For the Lord's teaching comes from Jerusalem;

from Zion he speaks to his people.”

4 He will settle disputes among great nations.

They will hammer their swords into plows

and their spears into pruning knives.

Nations will never again go to war,

never prepare for battle again.

The season of Lent is a key time in the church calendar as Christians around the world walk with Jesus to the cross and the resurrection, as he inaugurates the Kingdom of God.  The Old Testament anticipates the Lord Jesus, painting a picture of the kind of King that Jesus will be and the kind of Kingdom that Jesus is bringing in. This series explores the vision of deliverance and redemption for those in need, the humble servant King and the dawning reign of God.

Today we begin a new series, The Coming King and His Kingdom, with Jessica Smith from Common Grace.  Common Grace is a movement of Australian Christians passionate about Jesus and justice. They are also passionate about the Australian Church being unified in together declaring the
good news of Jesus and embodying his mercy and compassion in the world.

Reflection:  In this season, Christians all over the world are preparing their hearts for Easter. Jesus did not come out of nowhere, but his life, death and resurrection were the climax of a long story and anticipated in the Old Testament scriptures. Over the next 14 days we’ll be exploring the prophetic expectations around a coming King and his kingdom.  Today’s reading presents a picture of God’s house established as a place for all nations and a place of teaching and knowledge of God and his
ways. It presents a vision of a transformed world where war is replaced by peaceful farming.

Question: What do you find attractive about Isaiah’s vision of God’s future?

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for a vision of a world where everyone is streaming to you to learn and walk your ways. Thank you for the hope of peace in your Kingdom. Amen.

We are reading the Bible with Jessica Smith until 24th March.

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Bible text from the Good News Translation (GNT) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (www.americanbible.org). LICENSEE shall reproduce the following trademark and trademark notice on the copyright page of each copy of the Licensed Products: ®

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Isaiah 2:1-22

Everlasting Peace

(Micah 4.1-3)

1Here is the message which God gave to Isaiah son of Amoz about Judah and Jerusalem:

2In days to come

the mountain where the Temple stands

will be the highest one of all,

towering above all the hills.

Many nations will come streaming to it,

3and their people will say,

“Let us go up the hill of the Lord,

to the Temple of Israel's God.

He will teach us what he wants us to do;

we will walk in the paths he has chosen.

For the Lord's teaching comes from Jerusalem;

from Zion he speaks to his people.”

4 He will settle disputes among great nations.

They will hammer their swords into plows

and their spears into pruning knives.

Nations will never again go to war,

never prepare for battle again.

5Now, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light which the Lord gives us!

Arrogance Will Be Destroyed

6O God, you have forsaken your people, the descendants of Jacob! The land is full of magic practices from the East and from Philistia. The people follow foreign customs. 7Their land is full of silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses, and there is no end to their chariots. 8Their land is full of idols, and they worship objects that they have made with their own hands.

9Everyone will be humiliated and disgraced. Do not forgive them, Lord!

10 They will hide in caves in the rocky hills or dig holes in the ground to try to escape from the Lord's anger and to hide from his power and glory! 11A day is coming when human pride will be ended and human arrogance destroyed. Then the Lord alone will be exalted. 12On that day the Lord Almighty will humble everyone who is powerful, everyone who is proud and conceited. 13He will destroy the tall cedars of Lebanon and all the oaks in the land of Bashan. 14He will level the high mountains and hills, 15every high tower, and the walls of every fortress. 16He will sink even the largest and most beautiful ships. 17-18Human pride will be ended, and human arrogance will be destroyed. Idols will completely disappear, and the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.

19People will hide in caves in the rocky hills or dig holes in the ground to try to escape from the Lord's anger and to hide from his power and glory, when he comes to shake the earth. 20When that day comes, they will throw away the gold and silver idols they have made, and abandon them to the moles and the bats. 21When the Lord comes to shake the earth, people will hide in holes and caves in the rocky hills to try to escape from his anger and to hide from his power and glory.

22Put no more confidence in mortals. What are they worth?

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Bible text from the Good News Translation (GNT) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (www.americanbible.org). LICENSEE shall reproduce the following trademark and trademark notice on the copyright page of each copy of the Licensed Products: ®