Crisis ConvertedSample

Theme: God speaks through his Spirit.

Crisis Converted Then:

There is an interesting ending to this passage. Though the prophet most often speaks as the voice of God, “thus says the Lord,” in this passage he finds his own voice, “And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me, endowed with his Spirit.” Early it was noted that in the Old Testament God’s Spirit is affiliated with his creative activity. Likewise, in the Old Testament, God’s Spirit is routinely affiliated with God speaking. For example, Ezekiel is routinely told what to speak by the Spirit. Also in Genesis 1, God’s Spirit is hovering over the waters and he speaks to activate the creative powers of the Spirit. 

Crisis Converted Now:

The apostle Paul refers to Scripture as being “God-breathed” in 2 Timothy 3:16. This word in the Greek is theopneumatikos, which can also mean God Spirited. The word for Spirit in both the Hebrew and the Greek is the same word for breath. God’s breath or Spirit speaks into the world. When we study Isaiah, we aren’t just reading an ancient text, we are listening to the Spirit of God. The same Spirit that is active with God in creation and endows the prophet Isaiah still speaks to us today. How can we be more attentive to God speaking?