Dear Brothers and Sisters, Prayer will be held at the Burke home.

As we continue our study of Moab in Isaiah 16, we see again both hope for the repentant outcasts and the doom of the hard hearted Moabites. As we have seen, Moab, is desperate. She is reaping the consequences of hundreds of years of pride and lies and inviting others to sin with her that began in a cave in Zoar and never stopped. But now Moab is stopped in her tracks. In chapter 16 it becomes plain that Moab has decided to seek refuge in Judah, but only by sending tribute. She is weeping but unrepentant. She is at her wits end and wants relief. This is a challenging text from an interpretation standpoint. You will need to read this section very carefully in order to understand who is talking, who is being talked to, what the imagery is referring to, and what do the geographical locations have to do with the message. You will have to slow down and carefully consider the flow of thought. The imagery here takes us back to the children of Israel coming out of Egypt, Jesus the Son of God going down to Egypt, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, yet is rejected as it travels through the land (from Edom to Zion as it passes through Moab rejected). What Isaiah is saying here is that deliverance is only found in “David,” and His kingdom. As you are studying, look at Amos 9:9-14; Acts 15ff; 2 Kings 3. Notice that Sela is the city of Petra, in Edom, not Moab but rather a famous location, a city carved out of the rock (and the location of an Indiana Jones film). See Isaiah 63, “who is this who comes from Edom.” Bottom line: It is a tragic thing when the lamb passes through your land, and you do not know the time of your visitation. You feel the pain of your sin and the judgment you are receiving in your mind and your body, but you are really only interested in sending a little tribute rather than to bow down before the Lamb.

On another note…. “There was not much to it…” I was having lunch with one of the men in our church this week and he said something like, “I hope that in 25 years, our children don’t look back and say, “our parents wanted to do their families different, but there wasn’t much to it.” He was meaning that if our children grow up and see that we did not really do what we said we were wanting to do, regarding making Christ the center of our homes, then they will shrug their shoulders and write it off as a meaningless exercise. I pray that does not happen, but it could happen, and the seeds of it could be happening right now in your family. Here is a good short video clip of Sam Waldron,”Is Your Family Too Busy for Godliness.”

Remember the Hymn Sing at the Damings on March 28 at 7:00 pm. The song we’ll be learning parts for is When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, so if you’re wanting to learn to sing in harmony, be sure to practice your part before then! I’m attaching the recordings to this email. I’d recommend, if you’re learning a part, that you first practice it just listening to your part and then, when you think you’ve got it, see if you can sing it while listening to the soprano part. I’d also recommend trying to look at the sheet music at least some of the time while you’re practicing – it’ll really help you keep on track. If anyone wants copies of the sheet music or their part on a CD, gets confused, or wants to go over parts before the hymn sing, let me know and I’ll be happy to help.

If you’re not interested in learning parts please still come! You can sing the melody and most of the evening we’re just singing whatever is requested.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Note these calendar items: Fathers and Daughters, mark this in your calendars: Father Daughter Retreat, April 11-12. And, remember this: Anniversary Celebration – Sovereign Redeemer Church Plant, Saturday, May 10 for a Bar B-Q at the Brown farm. And, don’t forget to pray for Memorial Day on May 26.

The songs we will be singing on Sunday are below:

The Son of God Goes Forth to War
The Son of God goes forth to war,
A kingly crown to gain;
His blood-red banner streams afar;
Who follows in His train?
Who best can drink His cup of woe,
Triumphant over pain,
Who patient bears his cross below,
He follows in His train.

The martyr first, whose eagle eye
Could pierce beyond the grave,
Who saw his Master in the sky,
And called on Him to save;
Like Him, with pardon on his tongue
In midst of mortal pain,
He prayed for them that did the wrong;
Who follows in his train?

A glorious band, the chosen few
On whom the Spirit came,
Twelve valiant saints, their hope they knew
And mocked the cross and flame;
They met the tyrant’s brandished steel,
The lion’s gory mane;
They bowed their necks the death to feel;
Who follows in their train?

A noble army, men and boys,
The matron and the maid,
Around the Savior’s throne rejoice,
In robes of light arrayed;
They climbed the steep ascent of heav’n
Through peril, toil and pain;
O God to us may grace be giv’n
To follow in their train.

A Broken Spirit
A broken spirit and a contrite heart
You will not despise, You will not despise
You desire truth in the inward parts
A broken spirit and a contrite heart

Lord, my heart is prone to wander
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, Lord take and seal it
Seal it for Your courts above

Psalm 83:13-18 (83B)
O Thou my God, make them to be
Like whirling dust that flies,
Like stubble blown before the wind
When winter storms arise.

As fire a forest burns, as flames
That blaze on mountains high,
So with Thy tempest them pursue,
With Thy storm terrify.

With shame their faces fill, O Lord,
That they may seek Thy name;
Disgraced and terrified be they
And perish in their shame.

So they shall know that Thou alone –
Jehovah is Thy name –
That Thou are the Most High, the One
O’er all the earth supreme.

Irresistible Grace
I sought You, Lord, but now I see
You were the one who was seeking me
I found You, Lord, and then I knew
That I was found by You

You have called me with irresistible grace
This was Your eternal plan
Thank you, Lord, for saving me
On Your grace now I can stand

I took Your hand when I was weak
Sinking, yet always within Your reach
My feet were firm though on the sea
For You took hold of me

You have called me with irresistible grace
This was Your eternal plan
Thank you, Lord, for saving me
On Your grace now I can stand

I sought, I walked, because Your grace
Long before had fixed my place
And now I love – how can it be?
‘Twas You who first loved me

You have called me with irresistible grace
This was Your eternal plan
Thank you, Lord, for saving me
On Your grace now I can stand

Rise Up, O Church of God #433
Rise up, O Church of God!
Have done with lesser things
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
To serve the King of kings

Rise up, O Church of God!
His kingdom tarries long
Bring in the day of brotherhood
And end the night of wrong

Rise up, O sons of God!
The Church for you doth wait
Her strength unequal to her task
Rise up, and make her great!

Lift high the cross of Christ!
Tread where His feet have trod
As followers of the Son of Man
Rise up, O Church of God!