Humility, Contriteness, and Trembling at God’s Word

February 19, 2017 / By

In looking for those He will use greatly; God looks for those who are poor in spirit and who worship from poorness of spirit and in truth.

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. Isaiah 66:1, 2a

Israel’s pride regarding their Temple is nonsensical.  Creator God has no need of a man-made residence.  The best we can do is to rearrange and create from what God has already created.

Material goods and exteriority do not attract God’s attention, favor, or blessing.

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.  Isaiah 66:2b

God reveals that He will look (notice, favor, bless) upon the person with three qualities: humility, contriteness, and trembles at God’s word.

Why is God attracted to humility?  God’s humility of spirit is attracted to human humility of spirit.

  • Jesus is the Word. John 1:14
  • Jesus is Creator John 1:1-3
  • Jesus is the Humility of God. Matthew 11:29

Why is God attracted to those who tremble at His word?

  • Those who tremble respect the exceeding and glorious majesty of God.
  • Those who tremble fear what God’s word reveals about them.
  • Those who tremble fear the eternal outcome of breaking God’s word.
  • Those who tremble fear that they might miss the promises of God’s word.

Consider potential opposites of humility, contrite, and trembles.

  • Humility’s opposites include arrogant, conceit, vanity
  • Contrite’s opposites include unremorseful and unresolved to solve the problem, no sense of guilt
  • Tremble’s opposites include unfearful, non-reverential, steady

Listen – My Story

  1. Please share your Beatitude memory work with your Life Group. :0)
  2. When one of your friends places their faith in Christ for salvation, what emotions do you feel?
  3. Do you have a favorite Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames experience?

Learn – Digging Deeper

  1. Isaiah 66:1-2 speaks of the greatness of God as Creator and of His Word. Read Psalm 19.

 

  1. Talk about the greatness of God’s creation in verses 1-6.

 

  1. Talk about the greatness of God’s creative Word in verses 7–11.

 

  1. In view of God’s creation and God’s word, what are the author’s requests for his life? Verses 12-13

 

  1. Upon what should the author’s words and meditations be based? See answers to question 2, 3, and 4.

 

Life – Taking it Lift – Prayer

  • Please share your 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer experiences. Pray for each other to keep the fast until Sunday, February 26.
  • Please pray for each other to walk in humility, contriteness, and to tremble at God’s word.
  • Please pray for God to reveal to you your role in our upcoming Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames ministry.

Taking it Home

  1. In response to this teaching, what action steps do you need to take this week?
  2. Would you like the members of your Life Group to help you with applying a component of this lesson?