Look at the title! Now is
Contents
about:blank
1. The Ephraimites gathered together and went to the north, and said to Jephthah, "Why did you not call us to go with you when you went over to fight the Ammonites? We will surely burn you and your house with fire."
2. Jephthah said to them, "When I and my people had a great quarrel with the children of Ammon, I called you, because you did not save me from their hand.
3. When I saw that you were not saving me, I did not look back on my life, but went over and struck the Ammonites, and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why do you want to come up to me today to fight with me?
4. Jephthah gathered all the Gileadites and fought against Ephraim, and the Gileadites defeated Ephraim and destroyed it, because Ephraim said, “You Gileadites were originally those who fled from Ephraim, and are among Ephraim and Manasseh.
5. When the Gileadites seize and guard the Jordan Narutuk before the Ephraimites, and the Ephraimite fugitive says, “Please let me cross over,” he asks him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he says no,
6. Say to him, "Shipbolet." If the Ephraimite was not able to speak correctly, and if it was Chebolet, the Gileadites immediately seized him and killed him at the port of the Jordan. At that time the Ephraimites died forty-two thousand.
1. As co-workers with God, we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.
2. He said, "I heard you in your favor, and I helped you in the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
3. Let nothing hinder anyone, so that this office may not be hindered.
4. But in all things commending yourself as God's servants, to endure much, in tribulation, in want, in distress,
5. The beatings, the imprisonment, the noise, the toil, the inability to sleep, the inability to eat,
6. Purity, knowledge, long-suffering, kindness, the influence of the Holy Spirit, unfeigned love,
7. In the word of truth and in the power of God, swaying as an instrument of righteousness,
8. Of glory and dishonor, of evil and beautiful names, as deceivers, yet true.
9. As unknown, yet famous; as dying, and behold, we live, and as disciplined, yet not put to death.
10. As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things.
Content
Title: Look! Now is
Text: Isaiah 12:1-6, 2 Corinthians 6:1-10
‘If you can’t find happiness in the Now Here, there is no happiness anywhere.’ Today’s Old Testament text (Isaiah 12:1-6) is a prophecy of the Messianic Age prophesied by Isaiah in the 8th century B.C. (about 732 B.C.). The expression ‘in that day’ appears twice in the text (verses 1 and 4). The ‘day’ is clearly a day related to the coming of the Messiah. The days when he was angry with the people of Israel were expressed as 'before'. “Now” is the day of comfort for your people. It is the day when the promised salvation will be fulfilled (verses 2, 3). The fulfillment of the promised salvation is not only for Israel, but for all nations (verses 4 and 5).
When was the ‘day’ given through the prophet Isaiah? The day when there was a song of angels and angels in the night sky of Bethlehem? (Luke 2:14). The day God cast out demons by the hand of God and said that the kingdom of God had already begun? (Luke 11:20). The day Jesus died on the cross saying “It is finished” (John 19:30). As the Lord said, He overcame sin and the powers of death and rose again on the third day? (Luke 24:1-12). The day he appeared to his disciples, who were trembling with fear at the disturbing rumors about the empty tomb, and said to his people, ‘Peace be with you!’ (John 20:19,21,26). The day he ascended into heaven speaking of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter? (Acts 1:6-10). The day when the descent of the Holy Spirit took place on the day of Pentecost? (Acts 2:1-4). The day the new community began? (Acts 2:43-47).
Today's New Testament text (2 Corinthians 6:1-10) presents the biblical answer. This is a quote from Isaiah's prophecy, "I heard you in your favor, and I helped you in the day of salvation" (Isaiah 49:8) and Paul's commentary on it (2 Corinthians 6:2a). "Purple! Now is the time to receive grace. Purple! Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2b). Here, ‘now’ refers to the time from the fulfillment of the work of redemption through Jesus Christ on the cross (John 19:30) to the final judgment. In short, an individual's survival time. In a shorter way, ‘be reconciled to God’ (2 Corinthians 5:20) refers to the time period during which Paul’s exhortation was practiced. It refers to the time period during which the second letter was sent to the church in Corinth to be read. ‘God’s grace’ is the work of reconciliation that God works through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). “To receive grace in vain” means to reject this kind of saving grace. It is still a life lived according to the body.