How do we find God’s Favor? How do we find his support and strength? The people of God were facing much and the worst was coming when God began to Speak through the Lord’s Prophet Isaiah. So much in this book even speaking to 100 years later when they would be in Captivity and 500 years later when the Messiah comes.

It still speaks to us 2500+ years later

This is the Lord’s declaration. I look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word.

New American Standard Hebrew says this word “declaration” – neum = utterance, whispering announcement – is from an unused word

My immediate thought was that response God lists as expected is often an unfollowed expectation.

We all want God’s favor, but where is the “favor” found? That word means “toward”. Where do we find God “toward” us?

this kind of person: one who is humble

• one who is humble –

Psalm 86:1 Listen Lord… answer… for I am poor and needy

I seem to remember reading “you have not because you ask not” – GUILTY – I have to admit that I am trying so hard to prove myself as “self-sufficient” that I won’t admit my need. And yet that is a Christlike Spirit. Philippians 2 says let this mind/attitude be in you that was in Christ Jesus… He emptied himself… he humbled himself

Solomon taught his sons in Proverbs 16:19 Better to be lowly of spirit with the Humble than to divide the plunder of the Proud

Jesus said in Matthew 11:29 take my yoke upon you and LEARN from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart

I need to learn to be humble to find the Lord toward me

• One who is … Submissive in Spirit

Not one who is forced into submission. Not one who is beaten down. Not One who is begrudgingly submissive, but submissive in Spirit

Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God

Yes, that word submissive is nakah = broken, crippled – but it is produced from knowing our need, releasing our desires to “be on top”

What did David say in Psalm 51? A broken spirit and contrite heart is what God desires. This isn’t being crippled and lame, but broken from our self-sufficiency and now being useful to our Sovereign.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit

Sometimes we get there because we have been knocked down, and other times because we are humble and lift our eyes… but either way, we must get there.

• One who… Trembles at my Word

This final statement is so powerful and many options are out there.

We are often frightened by the wrong things. This word, chared = anxious frightened. We are currently studying a series on “fear”. What scares us? Is it powerful? It is Temporal or Eternal?

Let me throw out a controversial statement – Fear is in many ways an “act of worship”. That may be good or bad but still worship. Fear is placing honor, stating our belief in the power of something or someone. Fear is submitting to that perceived power or potentate. So then the question in fear is who are you going to worship.

If you read on in Isaiah 66 as the prophet closes this prophesy, God says we all make choices as to what we fear or worship. God is speaking and he says “one slaughters an ox… another a person… one a lamb, another a dog… one grain another pigs blood… one incense another praises an idol” WOW

God says all of these have chosen their ways.

We can choose to whom or what we will surrender and worship, but God is still eternally the judge on the throne.

Then God says, “I called – no one answers… I spoke… did not listen… (they) chose what I did not delight

He says in v5 you who tremble at his word hear the word of the Lord

God’s final word then for this massive and important book of prophesy is a word for the true Remnant of Israel, but it is also for us as well…

v22 ‘For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will remain before me’ – this is the Lord’s declaration – ‘so your offspring and your name will remain.’

These are important words of reality and promise from God

I will look favorably on the one who is…

• humble

• submissive in spirit

• trembles at my word

Hear the Word of the Lord