Re: Ecclesiastes - Quotes from GOOD NEWS BIBLE
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Hi Merlene, Every book in the Bible is precious, informative, and
instructive.? While I’m not sure that denouncing
personal sins and national sins; warning of God’s judgment and later restoration;
and ancient Jewish history is our greatest need today, Isaiah’s message of
salvation is timeless. Isaiah announced the coming of the Messiah who would die
for sinners and one day return to earth to establish His glorious kingdom.?? While large swathes of Isaiah are little
read or expounded upon today, the book’s position as the most quoted in all of
Scripture fortunately means that many important passages are familiar to most
New Testament readers.? Twenty of the 27 New Testament books include Isaiah quotations.? Paul, for
example, quoted from or alluded to Isaiah at least 80 times; it may have been his favourite
book.
Just one passage, Isaiah’s fourth “Servant Song” in verses 52:13-53:12, is quoted from or alluded to about forty times in the NT.? This is the passage in Acts 8 where the Ethiopian Treasurer asks Phillip if the song is about Jesus or someone else.? It describes how the victory of the Servant of the Lord will be achieved through suffering, which will lead to healing. You can get a good sense of Isaiah by reading his first
three songs in:?
Thanks for the suggestion.? Isaiah is on the R09 list, but as the third-longest?book in the Bible, its weight pushes it down near the bottom.  Blessings, Ray
On Tuesday, 29 September 2020, 05:13:54 pm AEST, Merlene <merlene@...> wrote:
Maybe we should also be studying the book of Isaiah – it has certain
similarities to today’s world ??
? From: Ray via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2020 4:28 PM
Subject: Re: [b4uc] Ecclesiastes - Quotes from GOOD NEWS BIBLE
#Term4 #Galatians ?
Hi Mandy,
?
I just finished listening to a Christian woman
from China speaking to an American radio program about life today in Communist
China.? She put her experience in religious terms, good versus evil, noting
that the persecution served to strengthen people's faith.? You're probably
aware to some degree of what's happening today in the USA*, something that I
follow closely; recently many more people other than just born-again believers
are phrasing that in biblical terms as well, as a battle of good versus
evil.? Evil is rich and powerful and has a lust for total control at any
price, even as more and more of their secret plans are exposed to the
light.? And the horrible prospect is that evil may win out, at least "under
the sun".
?
The Bible sums up one problem with this concept
of good versus evil while answering the young ruler (whom many think was Mark)
in Luke 18:18-23 when He said, "Why
do you call Me good? No one is good but?One,
that is, God. (Luke 18:19)"?
A
person may be well and truly evil and still consider themselves to be "good
people" or otherwise justified in their actions.? I daresay that some if
not many of the rioters have convinced themselves that they are righteous even
as they seek to tear down a representative democracy and replace it with
totalitarian fascist tyranny.? Most, as Mandy noted, suffer from
depression, substance abuse, cognitive dissonance, self-justification, and
self-hatred because they've been taught in expensive schools that life under the
sun is all that there is. A famous study of straight-laced German civilian
police drafted into the WWII German Army who slowly morphed into Nazi death
squads examines the human psychology of this in detail.
On
the other hand, most on the side of the "good" are aware that there are ways in
which they fall short. Life, as Solomon noted, is an adventure to be lived with
ups and downs, decisions to make, turns and round-abouts. Life can seem hard, as
hard perhaps as "for a camel to go through the eye of a needle."? Yet as
Solomon seemed to belatedly appreciate, there's more to life that just the
depressing doom and gloom that we see all around us under the
sun.
The
Bible notes that "things
which are impossible with men are possible with God” and that "nothing will be
impossible with God."? There is much, much more to life than merely that
found under the sun.? When one's worldview looks to God, three simple but
powerful concepts start making themselves known: faith, hope, and
love.
It
doesn't help much to remember that, while the specific details may differ,
pretty much everyone who ever lived has faced similiar pressures and
circumstances.? The Bible was written thousands of years ago as a guide to
life.? Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther was struggling with similar
issues when he discovered a simple Bible verse in the obscure book of Habakkuk,
"The just shall live by faith. (Hab. 2:4)"? 1,500 years earlier, Paul had
written a trilogy of three New Testament books on Habakkuk 2:4.? Romans
identifies "the just".? Hebrews tells how they should live.? Galatians
discusses faith.
?
Thursday week, we'll begin our study of the
books of Galatians and Hebrews.? As has happened so frequently during our
U3A studies, the timing seems to be somewhat providential.? When a person
believes in small miracles as I do, it's hard not to see them all around.?
Thanks for a perfect example, Mandy.
?
I'm often aware that our U3A course is not
religious and that I'm neither priest nor pastor nor rabbi nor imam nor
shaman.? Sometimes that seems to be a weakness and other times a
strength.? But our focus is and should be on the marvellous library of
books called the Bible.? It speaks for itself.? Through it, many
believe that God speaks, saying what He means and meaning what He says.? By
it, many learn about what He wants His Creation to know.? In it, many find
comfort.
?
Whilst enjoying the holiday, I look forward to
seeing you all again online.? In the meantime, please keep the emails
coming.
 ?
Blessings,
?
Ray
?
NOTE: * The USA may be facing the final
meaningful "election" in its 240+ year existence as a representative
republic.? One party has concluded that it can't win fairly and is pulling
out all stops to use election mechanisms, lawyers, lies and extortion to seize
power.? Nothing is off the table.? Midway into Term 4, we'll know if
they have succeeded.? We're lucky to live in Australia.
?
?
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Ray