DAILY TEXT, Today Tuesday, February 20, 2024, They are a rebellious people, they do not want to hear the law of Jehovah (Is. 30:9).

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Tuesday February 20, 2024

They are a rebellious people, they do not want to hear the law of Jehovah (Is. 30:9).

Because of their disobedience, Isaiah predicted that Jehovah would allow a terrible calamity to befall the Jews.​—Isaiah 30:5, 17; Jer. 25:8-11. And so it happened, because the Babylonians took them into exile. But there were also some faithful Jews, and the prophet Isaiah told them that one day Jehovah would grant them his favor again (Isa. 30:18, 19). And those words were fulfilled. Jehovah delivered them from Babylon, but it was not right away. The phrase “Jehovah waits patiently to show them favor” implied that some time would have to pass before the faithful Jews would be released. In fact, it took 70 years before Jehovah allowed some Jews to return to Jerusalem.​—Isa. 10:21; Jer. 29:10. When they returned to their homeland, the tears of sadness turned into tears of joy. w22.11 9 para. 4.

What does Isaiah 30:19 guarantee us?

Today, we are also very encouraged by these words: “When you cry for help, he will surely show you favor” (Is. 30:19). Isaiah assures us that Jehovah will listen carefully to our prayers and that he will respond quickly. The prophet adds: “he will answer you as soon as he hears you.” These comforting words remind us that our Father is not only willing to come to the aid of those who ask him for help, but that he desires to do so with all his heart. Doesn't it mean that keeping this in mind allows us to endure with joy?

How do Isaiah's words indicate that Jehovah hears the prayers of each of his servants?

This verse also confirms that Jehovah listens with interest to the prayers of each of us. Why do we say this? In the first part of Isaiah chapter 30, Jehovah speaks of “you,” in the plural, because he is speaking to the people as a whole. But in verse 19 he speaks of “you,” in the singular, because he is speaking to his servants individually. Isaiah says: “you will surely cry no more”, “he will surely show you favor”, “he will answer you”. Because Jehovah is a loving Father, when one of his children is discouraged, he does not say, “You must be strong like your brother.” Rather, he cares about each of us and personally attends to our prayers (Ps. 116:1; Is. 57:15).

How do Isaiah and Jesus show the importance of praying insistently?

When we pray to our God about something that worries us, the first thing he may do is give us strength to endure the situation. And, if the trial doesn't go away as quickly as we would like, we may have to ask Him many times to give us the strength to endure. In fact, that is what he himself encourages us to do. This is the message conveyed by these words of Isaiah: “Give no rest to him,” that is, to Jehovah (Is. 62:7). What does this mean? That our prayers have to be so insistent that, so to speak, we do not let Jehovah rest. This reminds us of something Jesus said about prayer that we read in Luke 11:8-10, 13. Using several comparisons, he encouraged us to pray “insistently and boldly,” and to continue asking for holy spirit. We can also ask Jehovah to guide us in making good decisions.

How were the words of Isaiah 30:20, 21 fulfilled?

(Read Isaiah 30:20, 21). The Babylonian army surrounded Jerusalem for a year and a half. During that time, the Jews suffered so much that anguish became as common as bread and water. But, according to verses 20 and 21, Jehovah promised them that he would save them if they repented and changed their ways. Isaiah said that Jehovah was the “Great Teacher” of his people and promised them that Jehovah would teach them to worship him as he wants. These words were fulfilled when the Jews were liberated from Babylon. Jehovah demonstrated that he was his Great Teacher. Thanks to his guidance, the Jews managed to restore pure worship. Today, Jehovah is also our Great Teacher, and that makes us very happy.

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