lesson 129 Isa 54-57 for Mon 3-21

Lesson 129: Isaiah 54–57

The Lord spoke of the latter-day gathering of Israel and of His mercy toward those who repent. The Lord also taught that His ways are higher than man’s ways and condemned the wickedness of the Israelites.

I. Isaiah 54:1–56:8  The Lord speaks of His mercy and of the gathering of Israel

---Read the following scenario, and ask students to think about how they would respond:

Your friend has committed some serious sins over the past several months and has stopped attending church. After several weeks, you tell him he is missed and needed at church. He says, “There is no way the Lord would want me back after what I have done.”

---Write in class notebooks how you would respond to this friend.

---You will have an opportunity to share what you wrote later in the lesson.

---Look for truths as we study Isaiah 54–55 that can help individuals who question whether they can return to the Lord after they have sinned.

---Refer to the handout “The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah at a Glance” (see lesson 102).

---During Isaiah’s life, he witnessed the scattering of the Northern Kingdom of Israel because of the wickedness of its people. He also prophesied that because of the wickedness of the kingdom of Judah, it too would be conquered.

---Isaiah 54:1–3 tells us that the Lord spoke of the growth of the house of Israel that would occur in the last days after being gathered from its scattered condition.

---Read Isaiah 54:4–5 aloud and look for what the Lord said gathered Israel would forget.

---What would gathered Israel forget?

(Its shame and reproach, or disgrace, caused by unfaithfulness to the Lord.)

---“The shame of thy youth” and “the reproach of thy widowhood” describe Israel’s condition of separation from her close covenant relationship with the Lord.

---How did the Lord describe His relationship with Israel?

(As a marriage in which He is the husband and Israel is the wife.)

---Why would it be comforting for Israel to know that her “husband” is the Redeemer and God of the whole earth?

---Read Isaiah 54:7–10 looking for a truth that would give the Israelites hope while they experienced the consequences of their sins.

---What would the Lord do for the Israelites? What words reflect His goodness?

---What truth can we learn from these verses about what the Lord seeks to do for those who sin?

On board: The Lord is merciful and seeks to gather back to Him those who have sinned.

---Display a piece of paper money that is wrinkled and dirty.

---What was this money like when it was first printed?

---Would you still be interested in having this money even though it is wrinkled and dirty? Why?

---How can this money be likened to us? Why would the Lord still be merciful and seek to gather us back to Him when we sin? (Because we are valuable to Him.)

---Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - Listen for additional insight about God’s merciful nature.

“Surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it.”

---Look at the responses you wrote to the scenario earlier in the lesson.

---How does what you wrote compare to the truth written on the board?

---How would understanding this truth help the young man in the scenario?

---In Isaiah 54:11–55:7 the Lord spoke of additional blessings the Israelites would receive when they are gathered back to Him.

---Read Isaiah 54:17 silently, looking for one of the blessings the Lord promised.

---Report

Isaiah 54:17. “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified of the Lord’s promise to the righteous:

“Yes, ‘the enemy is combined,’ but when we are combined with the Lord’s ‘chariots of fire,’ then ‘they that be with us are more than they that be with them’! (2 Kgs. 6:16–17.) Furthermore, the divine promise is that no weapon formed against the Lord’s work shall finally prosper. This ‘is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.’ (Isa. 54:17; D&C 71:9.) I so assure, I so testify”  (D&C 38:12)

---Read Isaiah 55:1–3 aloud looking for the invitations the Lord extended.

---Wine and milk were symbols of abundance.

---What did the Lord invite His people to do?

(He invited them to come unto Him to enjoy the eternal blessings He freely offers rather than waste their effort in worldly pursuits that do not provide true satisfaction.)

---Isaiah 55:4–5 says that after being gathered, the Lord’s covenant people will lead others, and nations will come to them because the Lord has glorified them.

---Read Isaiah 55:6–7 aloud and look for what we must do to receive the Lord’s mercy.

---What principle can we learn from these verses about what we must do to receive the Lord’s mercy?

 If we return to the Lord, then He will have mercy on us.

---Mark phrases in verses 6–7 that teach this truth.

---What do you think it means that the Lord “will abundantly pardon”? (Isaiah 55:7). (He will fully forgive.)

---What do you think it means to return to the Lord when we have sinned?

VIDEO 5:50 Isaiah 55:6–7.“The Savior Wants to Forgive” The Lord is merciful and seeks to gather back to Him those who have sinned, and if we return to the Lord, then He will have mercy on us.

---Look for evidence that the Lord sought to extend mercy to Mark (the man whose story is shown).

---Look for what Mark did to return to the Lord when he had sinned.

After the video, ask:

---What evidence did you see that the Lord sought to extend mercy to Mark?

---What did Mark do to return to the Lord when he had sinned?

---Elder Neil L. Andersen. Listen for what Elder Andersen taught about returning to the Lord.

“When we sin, we turn away from God. When we repent, we turn back toward God.

“The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to ‘re-turn’ toward God.

---According to Elder Andersen, what does it mean to return to the Lord when we have sinned?

---How is the invitation to repent a manifestation of the Lord’s everlasting kindness?

---Reflect silently on times when you have repented and experienced the Lord’s mercy.

---Testify that if we repent, the Lord will have mercy on us.

---Respond to the following question in your class notebooks:

---What is one thing you will do to return to or come closer to the Lord?

---Commit to do what you wrote.

---To prepare students to identify an additional doctrine taught in Isaiah 55, write the following events on the board. (As an alternative, you could write these events on pieces of paper before class. Divide the class into three groups. Give each group one of the papers, and ask them to briefly act out their assigned event. Invite the other students to guess which Old Testament event is being depicted.)

The Israelites crossing the Red Sea to be delivered from Egyptian bondage (see Exodus 14).

The walls of Jericho falling down and its inhabitants being conquered by Israel (see Joshua 6).

Gideon’s army defeating the Midianite army (see Judges 7).

---In what unique ways did the Lord accomplish His purposes in these events?

---What are some ways the people involved in these events could have tried to bring about these same outcomes on their own?

---Have you ever thought about doing something differently than the way the Lord directed or if you have wondered why the Lord directs His children to do things in a certain way?

---Read Isaiah 55:8–9 aloud and look for what the Lord taught about His ways compared to man’s ways.

---What did the Lord teach about His ways compared to man’s ways?

---What do you think it means that the Lord’s thoughts and ways are higher than man’s thoughts and ways?

---Why are the Lord’s thoughts and ways higher than man’s thoughts and ways?

(on the board: The Lord is all-knowing and His ways are perfect.)

---Remind students of the events listed on the board, and ask:

---How do these events show that the Lord is all-knowing and that His ways are perfect?

---To help students understand how this doctrine and Isaiah’s teachings relate to their lives, divide students into groups of two or three. Provide each group with a copy of the following chart. Instruct them to work in their groups to list the Lord’s ways and man’s ways for each of the topics listed. (You could select different topics that are more relevant to your students.)

(click to view larger)

	The Lord’s Ways	Man’s Ways
Choosing entertainment and media
Dating
Language

---Report what your group discussed.

---How can we use the knowledge that the Lord is all-knowing and that His ways are perfect to help us when we must decide between the Lord’s ways and man’s ways in these and other situations?

---What blessings come from trusting and following the Lord’s ways in these situations?

---What experiences have helped you learn that the Lord is all-knowing and that His ways are perfect?

Isaiah 55:8–9. The Lord is all-knowing, and His ways are perfect

To further help students understand the content of Isaiah 55:8–9, consider doing the following:

---Invite students to imagine being assigned to help a friend drive from one end of a big city to the other end in the safest and timeliest way possible. In this city, some roads are dead ends and some are dangerous to travel on.

---What advantage would come from being able to provide your friend instructions from an elevated position, such as from a nearby mountain or from inside a helicopter?

---How is this similar to the perspective from which the Lord provides guidance for our lives?

---Invite a student to read aloud the following statements from the Prophet Joseph Smith.

---Listen for reasons the Lord’s thoughts and ways are higher than man’s:

“The past, the present, and the future were and are, with Him, one eternal ‘now’” “We are looked upon by God as though we were in eternity; God dwells in eternity, and does not view things as we do”

---What is the difference between the Lord’s perspective and our perspective? What is the Lord able to see that we cannot?

---How does this perspective contribute to the perfectness of His ways?

VIDEO Trial of Your Faith (2:04)
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles tells about two people who understand that the Lord’s ways are higher than man’s ways. To help students understand how the Lord’s ways are different and higher than the world’s ways, consider showing this video from time codes 6:38 through 8:42. Ends on: my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth give I unto you.

---Isaiah 55:10–56:8 says that the Lord assured His people that His words would be fulfilled. He promised that He would also gather and bless individuals who were not members of the house of Israel but who would love and serve the Lord and take “hold of [His] covenant” (Isaiah 56:4, 6).

II. Isaiah 56:9–57:21  The Lord speaks against the wickedness of the people

---In Isaiah 56:9–57:21, the Lord spoke against the wickedness of the people. He also taught about blessings the righteous would receive.

---Read Isaiah 57:13–15 aloud looking for the blessings that those who trust the Lord will enjoy.

---The word contrite in verse 15 means sorrowful.

---What blessings will those who trust the Lord receive?

---What do you think it means that the Lord will “revive the spirit of the humble, and … the heart of the contrite”? (Isaiah 57:15).

---Review and testify of the truths discussed in today’s lesson. Invite students to share any additional insights they might have.

Elder Jeffery R. Holland:

“Surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it”

Elder Neil L. Anderson:

“When we sin, we turn away from God. When we repent, we turn back toward God.

“The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to ‘re-turn’ toward God”

Elder Dale G. Renlund

“Even if we’ve been a conscious, deliberate sinner or have repeatedly faced failure and disappointment, the moment we decide to try again, the Atonement of Christ can help us.”