Page 113 - Isaiah Student Worktext

Study Section 16: Chapters 54 - 57

16.1 Connect.

Have you ever really stepped out by faith to obey God in something He asked you to do? So
very many times, when we make plans for doing God’s work, we approach it with doubt. We
make big plans but we often doubt that they will come to pass. The first church building
project comes to mind, when we kept it relatively small and feared it would not be paid off for
years. It quickly filled, and was quickly paid off.

We learn that when we trust God to do what He asks, He takes care of all the details, including our
needs. Today we will learn that God is trustworthy.

16.2 Objectives.

1. The student should be able to recognize that Zion is pictured as both a woman (formerly barren,
now fruitful) and a city (formerly destroyed, now rebuilt). These are ultimately pictures of the New
Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, in eternal glory.

2. The student should be able to explain how God calls on poor, thirsty, hungry souls to a rich, free
banquet—salvation in Christ!

3. The student should be able to describe how the people of the world are mixed like wheat and weeds;
the humble ‘wheat’ will be gathered to live with God eternally; the idolatrous ‘weeds’ will be blown
away.

16.3 Chapter 54 - Main Idea: Zion is pictured as both a woman (formerly barren, now
fruitful) and a city (formerly destroyed, now rebuilt). These are ultimately pictures of the New
Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, in eternal glory.

Chapter 54 is a promise of an abundance of blessings. ‘Expect great things from God; attempt
Great things for God.’

V. 1-2 Of course this has a contemporary meaning, speaking to those who were barren, but the
greater picture is this: don’t underestimate God. Instead of limiting the scope of our plans…in
His name…enlarge the place of your tent. Prepare for a bountiful harvest.

This can be applied in many different ways, and again, as long as God is included in the plans through
prayer, it works. Building a building? Trust Him and make it bigger than you think you need. Planning a
revival? Trust Him and expect incredibly great things. Mission trip? VBS? Trust Him…you get the idea.

As this was written, it pointed to the restoration of the city of Jerusalem after the exile to Babylon. For
today, it points to the ever-enlarging kingdom…every person born again enlarges the heavenly Kingdom.

V. 3-4 continue the idea of making big plans. Zion will expand to the right and the left, places that were
formerly desolate will be inhabited. Nothing we do in the name of the Lord will come to shame.

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