Embracing Humility: God's Call to the Contrite
Summary
In Isaiah 66, God declares His sovereignty and majesty, reminding us that heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool. This imagery underscores the vastness of God and the smallness of human endeavors. God is not impressed by grand structures or religious rituals that lack sincerity. Instead, He esteems those who are humble, contrite in spirit, and who tremble at His word. This passage challenges us to examine our hearts and our approach to God. Are we more concerned with outward appearances and achievements, or do we genuinely seek to honor God with a humble and obedient heart?
The immensity of God is contrasted with the humility He desires in His people. God is not confined to buildings or rituals; His presence is with those who are humble and contrite. This humility is not just a social position but a spiritual posture before God. It involves recognizing our own weaknesses and our need for God's grace. Contrition, or a broken spirit, is a recognition of our spiritual inability and a dependence on God. This is not about self-deprecation but about acknowledging our need for God’s mercy and strength.
Furthermore, God values sensitivity to His word. To tremble at His word means to have a deep reverence and a desire to obey. It is not enough to be familiar with Scripture; we must be moved by it and allow it to transform us. This sensitivity leads to a life of obedience and faithfulness, even when it is not recognized or celebrated by the world.
In a culture that often values success and strength, God calls us to a different standard. He looks for those who are humble, contrite, and sensitive to His word. This is both a challenge and an encouragement. It challenges us to examine our hearts and our motives, but it also encourages us that God sees and values our faithfulness, even when it goes unnoticed by others.
Key Takeaways:
- The Immensity of God: God’s vastness is beyond human comprehension, and He is not confined to buildings or rituals. His throne is in heaven, and the earth is merely His footstool, reminding us of His sovereignty and our smallness. This perspective should humble us and lead us to worship Him in spirit and truth. [13:14]
- Humility and Contrition: God esteems those who are humble and contrite in spirit. Humility involves taking the lowest place before God and for God, recognizing our weaknesses and our need for His grace. Contrition is a broken spirit that acknowledges our spiritual inability and dependence on God. [22:10]
- Sensitivity to God’s Word: To tremble at God’s word means to have a deep reverence and a desire to obey. It is not enough to be familiar with Scripture; we must be moved by it and allow it to transform us. This sensitivity leads to a life of obedience and faithfulness. [26:58]
- God’s Priority on the Heart: God’s focus is not on outward appearances or achievements but on the heart. He values a humble, contrite, and obedient heart over grand structures or religious rituals. This challenges us to examine our motives and align our hearts with God’s priorities. [19:00]
- Encouragement in Faithfulness: Even when our faithfulness goes unnoticed by the world, God sees and values it. His gaze is on the humble, contrite, and trembling servant. This is an encouragement to remain faithful and obedient, trusting that God honors those who honor Him. [40:09]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - Introduction to Isaiah 66
- [00:31] - God's Sovereignty and Majesty
- [01:16] - The Futility of Empty Rituals
- [02:38] - Rejoice with Jerusalem
- [03:37] - Prayer for Guidance
- [04:06] - The Esteemed Servant
- [05:08] - Humility and Contrition
- [07:38] - God's Self-Revelation
- [09:49] - The Challenge of Modern Worship
- [12:18] - Basics of Faith
- [13:14] - The Immensity of God
- [19:00] - God's Priority on the Heart
- [22:10] - Humility and Contrition Explained
- [26:58] - Sensitivity to God's Word
- [40:09] - Encouragement in Faithfulness
- [41:15] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Isaiah 66:1-2
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#### Observation Questions
1. What does God declare about His throne and footstool in Isaiah 66:1, and what does this imagery suggest about His sovereignty? [00:31]
2. According to Isaiah 66:2, who does God esteem, and what are the characteristics of such a person? [04:53]
3. How does the sermon describe the contrast between God's immensity and the humility He desires in His people? [13:14]
4. What examples from the sermon illustrate the futility of empty religious rituals? [01:16]
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#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the imagery of heaven as God's throne and earth as His footstool challenge our understanding of God's presence and our place in creation? [13:14]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that humility and contrition are more than just social positions but spiritual postures before God? [22:10]
3. How does the concept of trembling at God's word go beyond mere familiarity with Scripture, according to the sermon? [26:58]
4. What does the sermon imply about the difference between God's priorities and the world's values, especially regarding success and strength? [19:00]
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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you prioritize outward appearances or achievements over a humble and obedient heart? How can you realign your priorities to match God's? [19:00]
2. Consider a time when you felt spiritually weak or unable. How did you respond, and how might acknowledging your need for God's grace change your approach in the future? [22:10]
3. How can you cultivate a deeper sensitivity to God's word in your daily life? What practical steps can you take to ensure that Scripture moves and transforms you? [26:58]
4. In what ways can you demonstrate humility and contrition in your interactions with others this week? Identify a specific situation where you can practice this. [22:10]
5. Think about a recent decision or action. Did it reflect a heart that trembles at God's word? If not, what changes can you make to ensure your decisions align with God's desires? [26:58]
6. How can you encourage others in your community to value faithfulness and humility over worldly success? Share a specific example of how you might do this. [40:09]
7. Identify one area in your life where you feel unnoticed or undervalued. How does knowing that God sees and values your faithfulness encourage you to continue in obedience? [40:09]
Devotional
Day 1: The Vastness of God and Our Humility
God's immensity is beyond human comprehension, as He declares that heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool. This imagery serves to remind us of His sovereignty and our smallness. In a world where human achievements and grand structures are often celebrated, God is not impressed by these outward displays. Instead, He desires a heart that is humble and recognizes its own limitations. This humility should lead us to worship God in spirit and truth, acknowledging our dependence on His grace and mercy. [13:14]
Isaiah 40:22-23 (ESV): "It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness."
Reflection: In what ways can you cultivate a deeper sense of humility in your daily life, recognizing God's vastness and your own limitations?
Day 2: Embracing Humility and Contrition
God esteems those who are humble and contrite in spirit. Humility involves taking the lowest place before God, acknowledging our weaknesses and our need for His grace. Contrition, or a broken spirit, is a recognition of our spiritual inability and a dependence on God. This is not about self-deprecation but about acknowledging our need for God’s mercy and strength. In a culture that often values success and strength, God calls us to a different standard, one that values a humble and contrite heart. [22:10]
Psalm 51:16-17 (ESV): "For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to acknowledge your dependence on God and seek His grace?
Day 3: Reverence and Obedience to God's Word
To tremble at God’s word means to have a deep reverence and a desire to obey. It is not enough to be familiar with Scripture; we must be moved by it and allow it to transform us. This sensitivity to God's word leads to a life of obedience and faithfulness, even when it is not recognized or celebrated by the world. God values this sensitivity and desires that His people live in accordance with His word, allowing it to shape their lives and actions. [26:58]
James 1:22-25 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
Reflection: How can you actively incorporate God's word into your daily routine to ensure it transforms your actions and decisions?
Day 4: God's Focus on the Heart
God’s focus is not on outward appearances or achievements but on the heart. He values a humble, contrite, and obedient heart over grand structures or religious rituals. This challenges us to examine our motives and align our hearts with God’s priorities. In a world that often prioritizes external success, God calls us to prioritize the condition of our hearts and our relationship with Him. This requires a sincere and genuine approach to our faith, seeking to honor God in all that we do. [19:00]
1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV): "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'"
Reflection: What steps can you take to ensure that your heart is aligned with God's priorities, rather than being focused on outward appearances?
Day 5: Encouragement in Faithfulness
Even when our faithfulness goes unnoticed by the world, God sees and values it. His gaze is on the humble, contrite, and trembling servant. This is an encouragement to remain faithful and obedient, trusting that God honors those who honor Him. In a culture that often overlooks quiet faithfulness, God assures us that He values our commitment and dedication to Him. This should inspire us to continue living faithfully, knowing that our efforts are seen and appreciated by God. [40:09]
Hebrews 6:10 (ESV): "For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do."
Reflection: How can you find encouragement in knowing that God sees and values your faithfulness, even when it goes unnoticed by others?
Quotes
This is the one I esteem he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Or in the revised standard version which is the version that I first learned this in it reads as follows but this is the man to whom I will look he that is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. [00:44:16]
The heart of the message is God's self-revelation to a nation that did not call on my name. I said and of course we know this to be the case but it is good to affirm it that the Lord reaches out to people through his word. Isaiah understood this when in chapter six as you will recall he was confronted by the manifestation of God in all his immensity. [00:08:40]
The immensity of God the immensity of God heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool now we're not unfamiliar with the fact that God's footstool is described in various ways in the old testament in first chronicles it is the house that was built or the ark that was contained within the house this great picture of God's mercy with his feet as it were on the mercy seat in the ark. [00:13:14]
The focus of God today says Isaiah is not where men and women would expect it to be in the New York Times this morning I noted that there was a big presentation of the Greek Orthodox and the Roman Catholics and a number of people all going back into the church of the nativity in Bethlehem as if somehow or another this was an expression of a great answer to anything. [00:19:00]
This is the man to whom I will look he that is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word the focus of God is not where men and women might expect it to be but it is with the individual who has a trembling reverence for his word. [00:22:10]
Now this trembling at the word of God is nothing other than a sensitive desire to be obedient to it a sensitive desire to be obedient to it. So where are we well we're at nine minutes to five we noted the immensity of God that the very earth about which we make such a fuss is just his footstool. [00:26:58]
The priority of God is not on the structure but on the servant and a servant characterized by three things humility contrition and sensitivity that yields itself in obedience. Well then this provides for us two things first an examination and finally a word of encouragement doesn't this examine your heart take the test. [00:28:31]
When we find ourselves feeling that we're really at the bottom of the pile that the impact of others seems so so strong so influential that we need to remember that God's gaze the priority of God is on the humble contrite trembling servant. I say well at least I can make an attempt at that by God's enabling right and with the help of those who love us and care for us. [00:40:09]
We become so familiar with the bible don't we as part of our task the whole idea of a sensitive obedience to it is a different test than the question on the test are you familiar with it or are you able in it or are you able to preach from it that's not the test the test is am I sensitized to it. [00:36:24]
The test is am I sensitized to it I don't want to be unkind to any of you but I do want to say this that I do think that the way in which the scriptures are read publicly by an individual says something at least conveys something about the view of scripture which they hold. [00:36:24]
When I read verse 2 in the second part it describes the person I aspire to be when I read the second half of verse 2 it describes the person which essentially I'm not when I read the second half of verse 2 it describes the person that I so clearly need to be and when I read the second half half of verse 2 it describes the person that by God's grace I may be. [00:38:12]
We ask that at the very threshold of our hours together over these next few days that you will remind us of your vastness forgive us when our preoccupation with ourselves somehow clouds the greatness and the wonder of who you are we pray too that as we think on that that we might marvel again at your priority that we will be challenged before the three questions on the test. [00:41:15]
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