Promise in the Prophets 103: Not Forget

103. God will not Forget

Isaiah 49: 15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, she may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Every mother, except a few mentally disturbed women, has compassion on the son of her womb. This is a universal fact to which every person on earth will agree and bear witness. Yet it is still possible for a woman to forget; unlikely, but possible because of human frailty.

But we have a promise from God the Father (parent of all): I will not forget you. From time to time we may feel alone, forgotten and worthless. Everyone at some time goes through a “dark night of the soul.” But even then the promise is sure: God will never, never, no, not ever, forget you. You cannot be left forsaken or abandoned, like Jesus on the cross. Don’t believe the feelings; believe the Word of God.

In the deepest despair God still knows where you are and who you are; He remembers you; and He cares for you and loves you. And, like a mother, He will never forget. He will have compassion.

God, by His genius of Creation, has designed, formed, made, and birthed you. You have left Him and forsaken your home by your sins. But the Lord God, Creator and Owner, Father and Mother, chases and hounds you until He finds you. He forgives you, loves you, takes you in His arms, and has a party over you. He remembers and has compassion. If you think a mother has compassion, you are right, but your Father in heaven has infinitely much more. Amazingly, God remembers you but forgets your sins.

Promise in the Prophets 102: Comfort and Mercy

Isaiah 49:13 Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

The heavens sing: the angels sang Glory to God and peace on earth when announcing the birth of the Savior of the world. There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. Every time a sinner repents, which happens daily in our lives, heaven is singing and rejoicing.

The earth is joyful: Joy to the world, the Lord has come. When God entered human history the gloomy and despairing earth rejoiced and was exceeding glad. Jesus was born and brought joy and peace to all who would believe in Him.

The mountains break forth into singing: He makes Lebanon skip like a calf and, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The creation itself is eagerly awaiting the redemption of the sons of God. We don’t see the angels of heaven rejoicing; we don’t normally see the joy of the earth; and we don’t hear the mountains singing for joy. But it happens.

Every time we repent and believe; every day we hear the Gospel and believe it; every week the Lord ministers the Gospel to us; every year we celebrate joyful remembrances like Christmas and Easter. When we do God rejoices and holds a party along with the visible and invisible creation. Repentance and faith makes God happy, for He loves us and He is happy when we return to Him daily. He is happy, of course, when we do good works and kind things, but that is because it is the evidence of repentance and faith.

Joy comes because the Lord comforts His people and has mercy on the afflicted. This promise is for us, for we are His people and we are afflicted. God made us a people through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Comfort comes daily in the midst of fear and worry. Affliction happens. It happens to all human beings because we are all sinners and live in a world of sin. Sin causes affliction of all kinds: physical, mental, emotional, relational, earthly, financial, societal, and much evil. Without mercy we will die; and God has mercy to the afflicted. Trust in and rest upon the mercy of God.

Promise in the Prophets 101: Lead and Guide

Isaiah 49:10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. His leading and guiding is unerring and true; He is always guiding us to the right place. We need to trustingly place ourselves in His loving hands when we don’t know where we are going or what we doing. After we entrust ourselves to Him we need to believe He will not mislead or misguide us. And we believe that His goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life.

He guides us by the springs of water. Water is Spirit and Life which sustains and nourishes all through our life. The springs of water are within us, in our very bellies, and if we are listening to the Word of God we will always find ourselves being refreshed from the well of water springing up to everlasting life. The promise is that we have access to the springs of water. The Shepherd has guided us there and gives us to drink freely.

No matter what is happening to us, what troubles we find ourselves in, what difficulties are are groping with, what problems we are dealing with, what worries we are facing, the Promise is that the Lord Jesus and His tender Holy Spirit will always be with us; He will always lead us and guide us to the right place. If you don’t know where you are, ask Him and He will guide you to the springs of Spirit and Life. Wherever you are it is no accident, and there beside you will be springs of water.

Promise in the Prophets 100: Out of Prison and Darkness

Isaiah 49:9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

The Servant, the Messiah, will say to the prisoners, “Go forth.” Jesus did just that. He came to set the prisoners free. This is a promise that applies to each believer. Jesus could and did say with authority, “You are free.” We have come out of the prison of Sin and Death; we are now righteous and alive. This declaration of the Servant resounds through all the ages and throughout the visible and invisible worlds. All created beings in heaven and earth and under the earth have heard the Proclamation: “You are no longer in prison; You are free!”

We take this promise to heart by faith every time we hear and remember the Gospel. Satan tries to put us back under the prison of Sin and Death. “Jesus canceled the record of debt that too against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. [Colossians 2:14]” By the authority of Jesus Christ, we proclaim our freedom. We assert that we are no longer in prison.

The Servant will say to those that are in darkness, “Show yourselves.” They may come out of darkness and into the light. This is what Jesus has called us from and to. Enjoy the freedom and light; live in the new place to which you were called. Jesus shouts to you and me: “Lazarus, come forth!”

Promise in the Prophets 99: Light and Salvation

99. Light and Salvation

Isaiah 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thous shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

This prophecy about the Servant, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, plays on the word “light.” It would be light, not heavy, thing to restore only the faithful Jews from Exile. The servant will do the heavy and hard thing by being a “light” to the Gentiles: He will bring His salvation to the ends to the end of the earth. God loves all people ever created, and He will be Salvation for everyone. There is no one for whom Christ did not die.

When Jesus was born He was declared to be the Savior of Israel and a light to the Gentiles. We, all of us are included in that light. The Servant has come to bring us out of darkness into light. Our sin has put us into darkness; our Savior has put us into the light. We were blind and could not see, although we thought we could see. The Holy Spirit is needed to shine the light of the Word into our dark hearts, convince us of sin and darkness through the Law, and then convince us of forgiveness and light through the Gospel. Then we see, by faith. This “conversion” needs to happen every day. Daily we need to hear the gospel, and repent and believe. All believers are groping in darkness and walking in light at the same time. We need.a regular dose of Law and Gospel to see and resee the Servant Savior who brings light and salvation.

Promise in the Prophets 98: Glorious in the Lord

Isaiah 49:5 And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.

This is a prophecy about the Servant, the Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. He shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and His God shall be His strength. This Servant was formed from the womb of the Virgin Mary to bring the people of God back to Him. The purpose of the Virgin Birth was that God should become a human being, so that in His Person He could died for the sins of the people to redeem them from Sin, Death, and the Devil. He will bring us back to God where we belong.

We who believe in Jesus Christ are viewed in the same way. By faith, we also will be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and God will be our strength. At Jesus’ Baptism and Transfiguration He was declared by the Father to be His Son, in whom He is well pleased: He is glorious. Listen to him: hear the Gospel of Jesus and be glorified in Him. This declaration is startling: “I am glorious to the Lord.” The Father is well pleased with me; the Lord delights in me; and I am glorious. I reflect the glory of the Lord in my body; and it looks like love. It is the love of God for people.

The second promise is that my God will be my strength. I am weak, but according to the promise I don’t need to be strong. The Lord Himself, and the joy of the Lord, is my strength. In Christ, I am strong to overcome the Enemies who are at war with my soul, to destroy me. For me Christ has defeated all enemies and His resurrection guarantees for me the victory. In this way, the Servant has served me. Implicit in this prophecy is that He promises that I shall be glorious and strong all the days of my life and forever. I don’t see it, but I believe it.

Promise in the Prophets 97: Peace Like a River

Isaiah 48:18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.

This is a conditional promise: if you obey the commandments, then you will have peace like a river and righteousness like the waves. The implication of this warning, of course, is that you did not keep the Commandments of God; therefore, you are missing out on peace and righteousness. Because you are sinners, you cannot find peace and you do not have righteousness. The Lord wishes His people had kept the commandments for then they would have peace and righteousness. That would be good for them and God would be pleased.

But we did not obey; therefore, the promises cannot be fulfilled and we will never enjoy peace and righteousness. However, one man did hearken to God’s commandments. That man is enjoying peace like a river and righteousness like the waves. God is pleased with that man.

The only hope for all the rest of mankind is to identify with The Man, Christ Jesus, by faith. If you believe in Jesus you, with Him, have kept the Law perfectly; therefore, you have peace like a river. “Since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And, since we are justified by faith we have righteousness like the waves of the sea.

By faith we may claim peace like a river. Jesus gives it to us. When our sins are forgiven we have peace with God for sins no longer separate us from Him; we have inward peace for our sins no longer accuse us and produce guilt; we have peace with others for we forgive them their trespasses as God has forgiven ours.

Our faith is counted to us for righteousness, as the waves of the sea. The waves of the righteousness of God wash over us, cleanse us, refresh us, and drive us forward. Repentance and faith gives us peace and calm every time we hear the Gospel. The world cannot give that kind of peace

Promise in the Prophets 96: Teaching and Leading

96. Teaching and Leading

Isaiah 48:17 Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

God promises to teach us to profit and to lead us in the way we should go. Jesus promises us the Holy Spirit who will be our teacher and our guide. We need to be taught facts and truth, but more importantly we need to be “taught to obey.” Knowing the Commandments is one thing; doing them is another. God, the Holy Spirit, comes to teach us to obey all that Jesus taught. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability, desire, motivation, and power to actually live according to what we know is right and good. He “teaches you to profit,” for living according to the will of God will definitely be profitable.

We desperately need to be led in the way we should go, in the “paths of righteousness,” because we easily and quickly wander off the good path, the strait and narrow. Not only do we wander off, we get so lost we don’t even know where the path is. The Good Shepherd goes off to find us and gently pick us up and put us back on the path, which is the way that we should go.

We have this promise from the Redeemer: He Himself teaches to profit and leads by the right way. It is easy for us simple sheep to lose the way. We need to hear the Gospel and see the Spirit lead us back again. The Spirit is God Himself sent by Jesus to teach and guide. Listen to Him!

Promise in the Prophets 95: Refined in the Furnace

95. Refined in the Furnace

Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

Refining doesn’t sound like a promise, but it is glorious to know that the afflictions we endure are refining furnaces. We all need a furnace of affliction, even, and especially, when we don’t think we need refining. Job is an example of one of the most righteous men who ever lived, but even Job needed the furnace of affliction. He finally learned this lesson and he repented in dust and ashes, just because he was mortal. Being mortal, he was a sinner. All sinners need refining.

Thank God, He knows what we need, and so He allows the furnace of affliction in order to refine us. The only way to remove impurities out of gold or silver is to turn up the heat. The same thing works for us. We don’t usually see the log in our own eye, much like Job, but the Lord sees and knows, and He loves. Therefore, God refines. When the heat is on and we go through the furnace we can be thankful instead of complaining, because God is doing something, even though we don’t see it or even have a clue.

God chooses us in the furnace. God chose His people Israel before and while they endured the affliction in Egypt. Jesus went into the furnace in order to refine us, and so He did. However, impurities remain in us, and the Lord loves us so much He desires to refine. So we thank God for the refining furnace. It is extremely difficult to praise God while we are in the fiery furnace, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survived, and so will we. Refining is a promise, and we need to believe it: God will provide a way out; and when we are out we know we have been refined again.

Promise in the Prophets 94: Righteousness and Salvation

Isaiah 46:13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

God promises righteousness and salvation throughout the Bible. These blessings will come near and shall not delay. God’s righteousness came to us, to Zion, for the people of God, who are called God’s glory. When the Church receives God’s righteousness the Church is the glory of God. The Church, all believers in Jesus Christ, show forth the glory of God: God’s character shines forth from the people who believe. The character of God is immense love. For this reason the disciples of Christ are called to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

This righteousness that believers receive by faith is the righteousness of God. This righteousness we receive is from God, by God, and it belongs to God. For us it is an “alien” righteousness, but God shares it with us: it becomes ours as a gift and we enjoy it. And we enjoy all the benefits of God’s gift of righteousness: life, love, peace, joy, hope, grace and blessing, and all such consequences. It will not be far off: it is as near to us as our own mouth and heart, both of which confess Jesus Christ. This faith confession comes by hearing the Word of God.

The salvation that God placed in the Church is God’s Salvation, for salvation belongs to the Lord. It is all the doing and working of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Since God does it all we can have no doubt about it whatsoever. We may doubt God because of rampant unbelief in the human soul, but it is easier to doubt if we thought anything about righteousness and salvation depended upon us. Salvation does not depend even 1% upon us. If so, then we would have reason to wonder. But if it is God’s, there is no room or excuse for doubting, wondering, “hoping,” or wishful thinking. It is certain and it is near.