TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 8:12-21
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TODAY IN THE WORD
One day in the late 1980s, when the ""Iron Curtain"" was still in place, evangelist Sammy Tippit traveled to a church in Romania to preach. He was scheduled to follow music by a youth orchestra.

Waiting to preach, Tippit experienced God's special presence in the worship, as told in his book, Worthy of Worship: ""My heart was thrilled as they played and sang about the great attributes of our God. I imagine that heaven must be similar to the experience of worship. I wanted to shout. I wanted to cry. Instead, I just sat there in silence, worshiping the Savior.""

God's people have always rejoiced to worship Him. And at certain times and places, as seen in today's reading, His presence is especially apparent to His people. God's glory and holiness filled the temple as Solomon prepared to dedicate it before the assembled people of Israel.

Before he offered his incredible prayer, Solomon pronounced a blessing upon the people. In it, he briefly reviewed the history of his father David's desire to build a permanent home for ""the Name of the Lord"" (v. 17).

This day had been a long time in coming. Not since the exodus from Egypt had God allowed His people to build Him a permanent temple. David had the desire to do so, but he was not God's choice for the actual construction. As he stood before the people, Solomon realized that he was witnessing the fulfillment of his father's dream. More importantly, this great day was the culmination of God's promise to David, another demonstration of the Lord's faithfulness to His people.

Solomon praised God as the great promise keeper. His words were true, and especially appropriate for this occasion. Contained in the ark, now housed in the temple, were the two tablets of the covenant God had made with Moses (see 1 Kings 8:9). This covenant was God's unchangeable, unshakable word to His people.


TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you need a word from our promise-keeping God at the start of this new work week? If so, you can't do better than the promise found in Hebrews 13:5: ""God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'""

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 8:22-30
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TODAY IN THE WORD
The Apostle Paul and Silas were once imprisoned in Philippi for commanding a demon to leave a young girl (Acts 16:16-40). The jailer threw them into a high-security cell and locked their feet into stocks.

Despite their suffering, in the middle of the night the pair began to sing and pray, worshiping and praising God. Suddenly the prison was shaken by a powerful earthquake, bursting open the doors and loosing the prisoners' chains.

Instead of fleeing, Paul and Silas stayed, witnessed to the jailer, and led him and his household to Christ! The two missionaries were then released from jail.

If a prison could not contain God's servants, how much less could any building contain God Himself! Solomon knew that the universe itself could not contain the eternal God. Yet the king also understood that of all places on earth, God had chosen to manifest His presence in a unique way in the temple.

We can and should imitate the beginning of Solomon's prayer. He opens with worship of God for His greatness, then flows over into praise to God for His loyal love.

It gets better with every verse! What an encouraging picture Solomon gives us in verse 24. The promises that God speaks with His mouth He is able to fulfill by His mighty hand. There is no question of God's ability or of His willingness to bless. The only variable factor is our obedience.

Solomon's words in verse 25 are ironic and tragic in light of his later failure and the collapse of his united kingdom. But Solomon spoke the truth when He reminded God of His promise to David.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One of the most profound truths of the Christian faith is also one of the simplest: God hears and answers prayer.

That changeless truth ought to put some new fire into our prayer lives today. Over and over again, God invites us to bring our needs and requests to Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 8:31-40
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TODAY IN THE WORD
In a bizarre story, health officials in South Africa are worried about plans to build a housing complex on the site of a long-closed hospital. The facility treated people with infectious diseases, and several thousand smallpox victims are thought to be buried somewhere on the site. Since burial records are not clear, the possibility of a bulldozer accidentally opening a smallpox victim's grave raises the disturbing question of whether the virus of the once-dreaded disease may still be alive inside a casket.

This perplexing situation gives us a very good picture of sin. In this case, there is no question that the ""virus"" of sin is alive and well, likely to show up anywhere to do its destructive work.

Because Solomon knew that his people were ever just one step away from committing a grievous sin against God, he dealt with this issue in his prayer of dedication at the new temple. The first plea Solomon made was for God's judgment in cases of personal sin. Solomon began where God's people must always begin if we want to see righteousness prevail. We must be right with God and with one another as believers before we can expect His blessing on our families and churches, let alone our nation.

Then the king broadened his appeal to the nation, pleading with God for forgiveness of sins that might cause Israel to be defeated in battle. For Israel, this was an ever-present possibility. Solomon knew of those occasions on which Israel had, because of her sin, fallen before her enemies.

In verses 35-40, Solomon proceeded to list a series of calamities that could come on the nation for sin. His choice of disasters, such as drought, famine, mildew and disease, was not accidental. Amos 4:6-13 reveals that these were specific catastrophes God promised to send in judgment if His people broke His covenant.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
On this earth, God's people will never outgrow their need to confess and forsake their sins.

Today's verse is the New Testament's classic statement of our need to allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal the sin that grieves God. This great verse also contains God's promise of cleansing and restoration of fellowship when we are honest before Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 8:41-53
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TODAY IN THE WORD
As the Korean War dragged into 1951, the United Nations proposed a ceasefire to the North Koreans and their Chinese Communist allies. Many points were discussed and agreed upon, but the Communists balked when the U.N. proposed that prisoners of war be allowed to choose whether they wanted to return to their own country. The repatriation issue became so divisive that it led to a breakdown of the talks.

In his prayer at the temple dedication ceremonies, Solomon also addressed the future ""repatriation"" of captives as one critical issue among others concerning his nation. His comments included an almost prophetic look ahead to a time when Israel would fall into sin and be taken captive to a foreign land.

In verses 41-43, Solomon revealed a missionary heart when he prayed for God to answer the prayers of foreigners who would come to worship Him. This is a concise summary of the missionary role that Israel was to have with surrounding nations.

As those people saw and heard of God's great fame and mighty acts on behalf of Israel, they would be drawn to the true God. Israel ultimately failed in this calling, but foreigners were still drawn to worship the true God. Solomon's desire was that God's answers on behalf of these ""aliens"" would cause His name to reach even farther.

The next two verses remind us that Solomon was commander-in-chief of Israel's army. His reign was peaceful, especially when compared to the many battles fought by David. But Solomon wanted to ensure that his troops would seek God should they ever go into battle.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Solomon's description of a captive is also an apt picture of those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior.

If you are honest with yourself and with God, would you admit that this describes you? If you doubt your relationship with God, you can settle the issue today. Admit to Him that you are a sinner (Rom. 3:23), and realize you can do nothing to save yourself. Believe that Jesus died for your sins, and receive Him by faith as your Savior (Rom. 5:8; John 1:12). Talk to someone who can help you understand more fully the great gift you have now received.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 8:54-66
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TODAY IN THE WORD
To honor one of Spain's most famous authors, a group of people in Madrid arranged the first known marathon reading of the classic Don Quixote. The reading was organized to commemorate author Miguel de Cervantes on the anniversary of his death in 1616. It took twenty-seven hours of nonstop reading to finish the story of a Spaniard who loses his mind reading and acting out books of chivalry.

The 815 participants who shared in the public reading of Don Quixote felt as though they were part of an historic occasion, and it appears that they were. But the number of people and the importance of the occasion pale in comparison with another historic gathering: the dedication of Solomon's temple.

Today's reading gives us some sense of the scope of this impressive event. We can imagine the sight of the great King Solomon, kneeling in humility before the Lord with outstretched hands, pouring out his heart before his people.

Then he stood up and turned toward the people to bless them. Here was the ""whole assembly of Israel"" before him (v. 55). Reading Solomon's blessing can cause a tingle to go down your spine as you realize the greatness of our God and His eagerness to bless His people. These words should also cause us to renew our commitment to love and serve God faithfully.

When Solomon had concluded all of his words, the endless stream of sacrifices began. The numbers here are staggering, but they are in keeping with the grandeur of Solomon's administration. This king did everything with a special, splendid touch. The celebration lasted, not for twenty-seven hours, but for two full weeks!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This chapter ends on an interesting note. The people were glad at what God had done ""for his servant David"" (v. 66).

David was not even on the scene at this time, of course; but his godly influence was still felt because God blessed Israel on David's behalf.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 9:1-9
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Because the boyhood home of George Washington has a new protector and defender, the historic property apparently will not become the site of a major discount chain's new store. A preservationist group in Fredericksburg, Virginia, has taken possession of Ferry Farm, where Washington lived from the time he was about six until he moved away at age twenty-one to seek his way in the world.

Solomon's domain had the greatest Protector and Defender of all, the Lord Himself. As long as the king of Israel served and obeyed the Lord, Solomon had no need to fear the encroachment of any human power.

The covenant God made with Solomon after the dedication of the temple contained an astounding promise. If Solomon and his successors would walk before God with integrity. obeying His Word, God would establish his kingly line forever (v. 5).

Sadly, Solomon himself would later break that chain of blessing by his sin and idolatry. In doing so, he forfeited the great blessings that God poured out on him in fulfillment of His promises to David.

It's not as if Solomon did not know what his disobedience would produce. Verses 6-9 of God's covenant spell out the consequences of disobedience in terms no one could misunderstand. God's warning that He would send Israel out of her land and reject the temple if the nation disobeyed became a prophecy of future events.

Beginning with the division of Israel after Solomon's death, the rest of the Old Testament is a chronicle of Israel's downward slide into total defeat and exile. In verse 8, God cautions Solomon not to take false security in the fact that his temple was an imposing wonder. Israel's security was in the Lord, not in its architecture, wealth or any other visible benefit.


TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God's warning (v. reminds us of Mark 13:1, where Jesus' disciples expressed their awe at the size of Herod's temple. Jesus immediately warned His men that this temple, too, would be destroyed--and it was, in 70 AD. It is our human tendency to put our hope and confidence in things we can see, measure and hold. But faith in anything or anyone other than God is a dangerous substitute for the real item.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 9:10-28
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TODAY IN THE WORD
History is full of ironic twists. We are seeing one of those twists today in the Communist nation of Vietnam, where the government recently signed an unusual agreement with the United States. Although the Vietnamese Communists were victorious over the former nation of South Vietnam and the United States, the current Vietnamese government has agreed to pay the U.S. $146 million in debts accumulated in 1973 and 1974 by South Vietnam. Vietnamese officials hope the repayment will help wipe their slate clean with America and lead to a new era of cooperation.

Today's reading shows that this principle of ""payback"" operates in God's economy as well. The descendants of Israel's Canaanite enemies were still paying for their ancestors' sin and idolatry hundreds of years later during the reign of Solomon. This is one of the details we can glean from yet another description of Solomon's reign (vv. 20-21).

Verse 10 brings us to the midpoint of Solomon's 40-year reign. The king was still going strong at this point, having accomplished the two centerpieces of his building program: the temple and his own royal residence.

Dr. Charles Ryrie suggests that the reason Solomon paid his old friend Hiram in cities was that his treasury was depleted by his extensive building projects. Whatever the case, this section ends on an unusual note: the fact that Hiram found the area basically worthless.

We learned earlier this month that Solomon conscripted many thousands of men to complete the temple and his palace. Here we learn that many of these workers were Canaanites, as noted above. The size of Solomon's supervisory crew, 550 officials mentioned here plus 3괌 foremen (1 Kings 5:16), suggests the size of his labor force.

Israel's king was no slouch on the sea either. He used Hiram's expert Phoenician sailors to lead his fleet of ships in search of funds for the royal treasury.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Solomon walked faithfully with the Lord for much of his reign. But in the end, he fell and lost the race.

Perhaps you are in the middle of a trial right now, and you feel as though you've carried the load as far as you can. Or perhaps the ordinary wear and tear of life has you feeling as though you can't make it another day without stumbling.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 10:1-13
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TODAY IN THE WORD
As a boy, author Robert Louis Stevenson was standing in front of his house one evening, looking down the dark street. Suddenly he cried out, ""I see something wonderful. I see a man coming up the street and he is poking holes in the dark!"" What young Stevenson saw was the city lamplighter coming down the street, lighting the gas lamps one at a time.

God's people are like that lamplighter. We are called to ""poke holes in the dark"" by shining the light of God into the darkness of this world (Matthew 5:14). Solomon accomplished an Old Testament version of that calling when the queen of Sheba came to see him.

The writer lets us know that this monarch from southern Arabia did not come to Jerusalem simply to be dazzled by Solomon's wealth and splendor. She had heard about his ""relation to the name of the Lord"" (v. 1). She may also have had trade and other issues on her agenda, but she went away praising the God of Israel (v. 9).

This incident seems to verify the claim made back in 1 Kings 4:34 that Solomon's fame was so great that people came from all over the world to see and hear him. This Arabian queen ruled a great kingdom herself, but she was overwhelmed by her visit to Solomon's court.

Israel's king answered all of the queen's questions to her satisfaction. We can only imagine what their dinner conversations must have been about! She came as a skeptic, but left convinced that Solomon was everything the ""tourist brochures"" said he was.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Verse 8 of today's Scripture reading is particularly interesting. The queen was sure that anyone associated with Solomon was blessed and happy.

That's a wonderful testimony to have, whether you're a king, a laborer, or an office worker. It's true that we can't give people what Solomon could offer in terms of material things or comforts. But we can live in such a way that the people whose lives we touch are better off for having known us.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 10:14-29
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TODAY IN THE WORD
In a dazzling display of gold jewelry, headdresses, royal staffs, and other adornments, thousands of well-wishers filed into a stadium in Kumasi, Ghana, last year to honor the king of the Asante, one of Ghana's largest ethnic groups. The opulent display of Asante wealth testified to an area rich in gold. The Asante king himself, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, was all but immobilized by the weight of the gold rings, bracelets, and other ornaments he wore to celebrate the twenty-fifth year of his reign.

Solomon also knew how to dazzle his subjects, the many visitors who came to see him, and the other nations and traders with whom he dealt. The king of Israel was so rich in gold and other possessions that silver meant nothing to him. It was like the rocks people stepped on in the streets of Jerusalem (v. 27). Solomon had entire cities just to house his chariots and horses!

At first glance, today's reading may seem like another catalog of Solomon's greatness. But there is more here than just description. Solomon's relentless accumulation of the trappings of power and wealth suggest that something was happening in the king's heart. How do we know this? Our verse for today says that trust in chariots and horses--that is, military might--and trust in God are mutually exclusive. The Mosaic Law made the connection more explicit. Looking ahead to the days of the monarchy, the Law prohibited the king from amassing horses, gold or wives (Deut. 17:16-17).

Now compare this list with the verses before us and 1 Kings 11:1, which we will consider tomorrow. The Law specifically said the king was not to deal with Egypt when it came to purchasing horses. But that's what Solomon did (1 Kings 10:28).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We've already had plenty of warnings this month against trying to amass earthly wealth as opposed to putting our trust in the Lord (see Matthew 6:24).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 11:1-13
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TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1986 angry Filipinos took to the streets of Manila and drove Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos from power. In her haste to escape into exile, Imelda left behind more than 1겨 pairs of shoes, 427 designer dresses, and 71 pairs of sunglasses.

In a country where two out of every three households lacked adequate food, this was extravagant to say the least! During their twenty years in power, the couple plundered nearly $12 billion from their poverty-stricken country.

Clearly, Imelda Marcos's heart was given over to material things: they became her god. Similarly, wealth and power displaced the one true God in the heart of Solomon.

In the early years of his reign, Solomon had a passion for the Lord that rivaled the passion of his father David. But as the splendor of his kingdom shone ever brighter, the king allowed his eyes and his heart to be lured away by the glitter. Solomon's desires led him to commit some fatal spiritual blunders, none of which was greater than his gross violation of God's ideal for marriage (Gen. 2:24).

There are so many violations of God's Word in these verses that it's hard to track them all. Solomon's many marriages to cement royal alliances flew in the face of God's prohibition against marrying foreign women.

Solomon also committed idolatry with the gods these women brought with them from home. The list here represents some of the most cruel, bloodthirsty, and sexually perverse pagan practices in existence--even including child sacrifice that was part of the worship of Molech.

But the greatest commandment Solomon broke was exactly that--the great commandment, stated in Deuteronomy 6:5 and repeated in today's verse by Jesus Himself. Solomon allowed his love for the Lord to be compromised and diluted.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Jesus' statement that to love God wholeheartedly is the greatest commandment is all the encouragement we need to deposit this word forever in our hearts and minds.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 11:14-28
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Former French prime minister Georges Clemenceau fought many duels with various rivals. On one occasion, he surprised his second by asking the attendant at a Paris railroad station for a one-way ticket to the duel. ""Isn't that a little pessimistic?"" asked the second.

""Not at all,"" Clemenceau replied. ""I always use my opponent's return ticket for the trip back.""

Hadad the Edomite probably thought he had bought a one-way ticket to oblivion as he grew up in exile in Egypt. He was the son of Edom's king, an enemy of Israel in the time of David. The hostility between Israel and Edom had ancient roots, since the Edomites were the descendants of Esau, Jacob's twin brother who had thought little of the things of God (Heb. 12:16).

Hadad had barely escaped the slaughter in Edom led by Joab, David's military commander and a bloodthirsty man whom we have already met this month (1 Kings 2:28-34). But when God's time had come, He Himself provided for Hadad's ""return ticket"" to Edom.

No doubt Hadad had a heart filled with revenge toward the house of David, and he became one of the enemies God raised up against Solomon to judge him for his disobedience. Hadad evidently caused problems for Solomon for an undetermined amount of time.

Rezon was another adversary God sent against Solomon. He and his band of rebels took Damascus, the capital city of Aram in the northern part of Solomon's kingdom. Rezon settled in and also became Solomon's entrenched enemy.

These two men must have caused Solomon a lot of trouble, especially after his fall into sin and idolatry. But it was a man in Solomon's own court who would prove to be his most troublesome enemy.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you ever noticed that when things aren't right between you and God, none of your other relationships seem to be right either?

That's a lesson we can take with us from today's study. Of course, not every human conflict can be traced back to our relationship with God. But if you seem to be knocking heads with everybody lately, it might be a good idea to step back and assess your walk with the Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 11:29-43
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Thomas Nast was one of the most famous political cartoonists in American history. In the late 1860s, Nast began his famous cartoon attack on the corrupt Tammany Hall ring that ruled New York City. The head of Tammany Hall, William ""Boss"" Tweed, was so pressured and exposed by Nast's powerful cartoons that he fled to Europe. But Nast's cartoon caricatures of Tweed had become so internationally famous that the former New York kingpin was recognized and arrested in Spain in 1876.

This fascinating story illustrates a very old, but still valid, principle: when God decides it is time for judgment, there is no place to run and hide. Solomon's successor would soon learn the reality of this.

God did not use a cartoonist to relay His message concerning Solomon's kingdom, but He did employ a graphic object lesson. God had told Solomon He would ""tear"" the kingdom from his hand (1 Kings 11:11). Now He vividly demonstrated that by sending the prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam. The prophet's torn cloak said all that needed to be said about what would happen to Israel after Solomon's death. Even in judgment, the king benefited from the wholehearted devotion of his father David. Solomon would not have to witness the division of the kingdom himself, but he was made to know that it would surely happen.

God promised to keep one tribe for David's house. This was actually made up of two tribes, Judah and Benjamin. But the latter was so small that it was considered part of Judah; thus ""Judah"" became the name of the southern kingdom.

God then made an astounding promise to Jeroboam (vv. 37-38), similar in language to the promise He had made to David. History would prove, however, that Jeroboam did not remain faithful to God and that he squandered this opportunity.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The effects of Solomon's sin on his son's kingdom reminds us of the tremendous power we have as parents and grandparents to affect the generations that come after us.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 12:1-15
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TODAY IN THE WORD
Someone has calculated the economic impact of good and poor parenting on the American people. An expert estimated that good parenting of one child yields $1 million in benefits to society because that child is equipped to become a productive, useful citizen. On the downside of the ledger, every poorly parented child costs society $2 million through items such as crime, welfare payments, and other burdens that must be borne by society.

We can't really say that Rehoboam was the product of poor parenting. Nothing is said of the way Solomon brought up his son. But Rehoboam seems to have possessed little of his father's early spiritual insight and wisdom and too much of his later pride and foolishness.

The incident described in today's text happened during Rehoboam's coronation in Shechem. This city was a good setting for the event. God had appeared to Abraham at Shechem and promised to give him the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:6-7). Later, Jacob settled in Shechem (Gen. 33:18-20), and that same tract of land which Jacob purchased became the burial place of Joseph (Josh. 24:32). Shechem's intimate association with these great patriarchs would have been a great reminder to the Israelites of their status as a divinely chosen nation.

Rehoboam's installation as successor to his father Solomon was still under way when a delegation of Israelites led by Jeroboam arrived. Their request is one that most of us can identify with: ""Ease up on the taxes!""

Rehoboam asked for three days in which to consider the request. That gave him time to consult with the two groups of advisors gathered around him. He listened, unfortunately, to the ""young Turks"" in his administration and threatened to treat the people much more harshly than Solomon had done.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Our decisions may not have national or international implications. But if the choices we make--or that we advise someone else to make--affect even one life, today's illustration shows us one small part of how much can be at stake.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 12:16-24
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TODAY IN THE WORD
In the last fifty years our world has witnessed the birth of scores of new nations. One of the newest is the Republic of Palau, a string of 200 islands in the Pacific Ocean, comprising an area about two-and-a-half times the size of Washington, D.C. The nation has rich marine resources, including 1군 species of fish and 600 corals. The islands played a key role in World War II, since Japan had fortified them as a naval stronghold.

We witness not one but two new nations being born in today's reading-but the occasion was not a happy one. This is the realization of God's prophecy concerning the division of Solomon's kingdom. Solomon sinned grievously, and not just through his multiple marriages. He committed the sin of apostasy, a departure from the one true God.

Rehoboam was the king who inherited Solomon's throne-and his judgment. At the start of his reign, he helped bring disaster on his own head by an unwise decision. But to his credit, Rehoboam did submit to God; he abandoned his plans to make war against the northern kingdom.

Rehoboam almost didn't survive long enough to lead an attack. He made another poor choice, sending Adoniram to represent him before the rebellious northern tribes. To say that this man was not welcome is an understatement. As the overseer of forced labor, Adoniram stood for everything these people despised about Rehoboam's regime.

The people promptly stoned Adoniram to death. Rehoboam barely got out alive and made it back to Jerusalem, from where he mustered an army from the two tribes loyal to him, Judah and Benjamin. But after the word of the Lord came to him, he relented (vv. 22-24).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It would be worth your time to go back through these twelve chapters and find that text. Review the truth God taught you and renew your commitment to obey Him in whatever His Word has called you to do, to avoid, or to know.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 42:1-2
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TODAY IN THE WORD
The late Vance Havner was one of the most popular Bible teachers and conference speakers in America for a number of decades. Known for his plain-spoken, no-nonsense style of teaching God's Word, Havner was equally as straightforward and unpretentious when it came to the epitaph he wanted on his headstone: ""Just a preacher.""

One of the greatest portions of the Bible begins in a similarly unpretentious way. Isaiah 42 begins with the phrase, ""Here is my servant""--a simple declaration, but one that carries with it infinite meaning.

Today's passage describes a Figure identified as the ""servant"" of the Lord. This is a Person so amazing, so anointed by God, and so righteous that only the Lord Jesus Christ could fit the description, as Christian interpreters have generally agreed.

At least four times in his prophetic book, Isaiah describes this One called the Lord's Servant. These passages, which include Isaiah 42:1-9; 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12, have come to be known as the ""Servant Songs.""

The context surrounding the Servant Songs is Isaiah's message of comfort to Judah's exiles in Babylon (Isa. chapters 40-66, see 40:1). Although Judah's exile and return would take place 150 years in the future, God prophesied the nation's coming judgment and return under a Gentile king(Isa. 41:25-29), later identified as Cyrus.

Ultimately, however, God's Servant is the one who will establish justice on earth. The two comings of Christ paint the picture of an unassuming Servant who brings justice. In His earthly ministry, Jesus was the meek Servant. At His Second Coming, however, He will boldly bring righteousness to the world in His millennial kingdom.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Any time we open God's Word, we are on holy ground. That sense of being in God's holy presence is intensified as we read about God's Servant and the great work He accomplished and will accomplish for us.