THE HOLY SPIRIT  - (PART 6)       

 

Memory Verse:  “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”

 Isaiah 55:1 .             

 

Bible Passage: Isaiah 55: 1-13

 

LESSON OBJECTIVE  

To be able, at the end of the lesson, to

i). See who is blessed of the Lord;

ii). Know the reward of being genuinely thirsty for God and righteousness; and

iii). See the analogy between God’s word and water.

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

2000 years ago, a pilgrim traveling from one end of the land of Israel to worship God at the temple in Jerusalem needed to drink water along the way if he was to survive the harsh sunshine. Otherwise he could die of dehydration.

Similarly a pilgrim on the journey to heaven needs water, or spiritual refreshment, to keep his spiritual life refreshed and alive. This is what we shall be looking at in today’s lesson.

 

LESSON OUTLINE 1: BLESSED ARE THE THIRSTY

 

Genuine believers down the ages and up to today thirst for the living God, Ps. 42:1-2; 63:1.

 

i). What is involved in thirsting for God?

See Philippians 3: 9-10; 13(b)-14; 2 Peter 3: 18; I John 3: 2-3.

It involves a strong desire to know God, not just intellectually, but even more so experientially. It includes earnestly wanting to be like the Lord Himself in the purity of our lives.

 

ii). There is so much evil, injustice and unrighteousness around us. Why insist on, or why pursue after, personal righteousness, and righteousness in the world around us? What is there for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness? Matth. 5: 6

God wants us to act as the salt of the earth and light to our world. So He expects us to seek after righteousness, and He declares such people, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, as blessed. He promises they will be filled, or satisfied.

 

iii). The Lord is willing to give us living water, or spiritual refreshment, for our souls & lives. How much will it cost us to buy these “waters” to quench our spiritual thirst?

See John 4:13-14; 7: 37-38; Isa. 55:1.

 

 LESSON OUTLINE 2: THE WATER AND THE WORD

 

We shall now look at some analogies between water and the word of God.

i). A man is born again by water (which here represents the word of God) and the Spirit.

See John 3: 5-7.

ii). The word of God sanctifies (i.e. washes, cleanses and sets apart) the believer for the Master’s use. See John 17: 17.

iii). Having been cleansed “by the washing with water through the word”, the believer becomes “radiant, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless”, ready for his Bridegroom. See Eph. 5: 25-27.

 

SUMMARY

Those who genuinely thirst for God will be filled, and by the “drinking” of His word, the believer will be made fit for his Master’s use and ready for His eventual return.