Month: December 2019

134. An Everlasting Covenant

Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

When God makes a covenant we can be sure He will keep His end of the bargain. Of that there is no doubt. What is in doubt in a divine covenant is whether the “people” will keep their obligations to the covenant. And, of course, they didn’t keep their end of the bargain. A two-way (bilateral) covenant is thus annulled. Jesus, the Son of God, became one of the people and kept our part of the covenant for us. Therefore, by faith in Christ we have also kept the covenant, binding the Lord God to keep His part of the covenant. He must do what He says. He says blessing and life will be assured.

Here God promises to make a everlasting covenant with His people. This is a unilateral covenant, in which God binds Himself to keep the covenant, whether the other side keeps it or not. This is like the one-way covenant the Lord made with Abraham. In this verse, He says it is like the unilateral covenant He made with David (in 2 Samuel 7). This is the “sure mercies of David.” God fulfilled this covenant of a King from David’s line, who will rule on the throne forever: it is Jesus. This covenant is a guarantee that God will do what He promised: He forgives sins and grants eternal life and salvation. Jesus Christ seals the promise to us in Holy Communion when He said: “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. [Luke 22:21]” This covenant is binding forever; it is eternal; it covers all time and space and even beyond time and space. God made an everlasting covenant.

The Lord says: “Listen to me, come to me and hear, and I promise you your soul will live.” When we come and listen we hear the Gospel: your sins are forgiven, you have eternal life, and your soul shall live. The soul is not immortal; it does not live forever beyond the grave unless it is cleansed of sin. If the soul hears this message and believes it the soul is living now and will never die. Thus, when the soul separates from the body in physical death, the soul goes on to live with God forever: the soul will live eternally. And that life is ours now, today. The soul lives. And that is an eternal promise of the everlasting covenant. Come and hear.

133. Delight in Fatness

Isaiah 55:2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

“Hearken diligently” = Listen attentively = Believe in Jesus. This is the condition for the promise. The promise is eating what is good and delighting in fatness. Blessing comes from believing. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Faith comes by hearing, hearing the Gospel. Listening involves obeying and doing what He says. Keeping the Law of God will always result in blessings and good things. Disobeying the Law always results in curses and bad things. We sinners cannot hearken, that is, listen and obey. But the Messiah will keep the law perfectly in our place and do it for us. By faith in Christ we are accounted righteous, that is, in Christ we have perfectly kept the Law. Therefore, we enjoy the benefits and blessings of listening and obeying God. Jesus did it for us.

We try and try; we sacrifice and give money; we labor and struggle, we do good works and try to love God and our neighbor: but it is all in vain. We get nothing for all our effort and labor; it does not satisfy. Sincere effort and doing the best you can and getting an “A” for effort does not gain God’s favor and blessing. The good news is that good works are rewarded, that labor and hard work do earn a good salary, that you get what you pay for, that keeping perfectly the whole law does bring eternal life. The bad news is that none of us can do it. We utterly fail. We are frustrated. But the Good News of the Gospel is that Jesus did it for us and gave the benefits to us.

The blessings of Christ’s work that are given to us by faith include that which is good and it delights the soul. We get to eat what both tastes good and is good for you (a difficult combination to cook up in our culinary world). The forgiveness of sins, the life and love of God, and salvation from sin and evil is both nourishing and tasty. The soul delights in the fatness. This “fatness” tastes good and gives the added benefit of being healthy, nourishing, and good for you. Just think: eat the fat without clogging the arteries. This builds up and strengthens the soul as it gives delight. This wonderful promise makes us yearn to hear the Gospel in clear and sharp terms. The forgiveness of sins feels good. Enjoy it.

132. Wine and Milk without Money

Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

The Lord invites us to come and buy waters, wine and milk for free. God promises Grace: the blessings and gifts of God are free. You don’t need money to buy it, get it, and own in. No price is put upon it, for it is priceless, utterly free. That’s grace. You cannot earn it or work for it. You cannot receive it as a reward for toil and effort. You do not deserve it and you do not have it as right. It is free, given freely from the gracious and loving heart of God. He has determined that He would send His Son, who would earn it, and He would give it to us for free. Grace is unearned favor, but Christ earns it for us. So grace is “earned” favor, earned by Jesus, and free for us.

Because it is free, without money and without price; therefore, we can afford it. We are impoverished and bankrupt. But Jesus, though He was rich, for our sakes He became poor so that through His poverty we might become rich.

The promise is free grace and blessing. The promise is called “waters.” Waters are the fresh flowing of the Spirit of God. Jesus has dug the well of living water. These waters are spirit and they are life. Come to the waters and imbibe. You have no money; you are a poor, miserable sinner, but you may buy and enjoy. The promise and gift is “wine and milk,” metaphors for spiritual fertility and abundance. The life of God that He gives us is abundant nourishment for spiritual life and health. We need it desperately but we can’t get it. God has mercy, so He gives it to us free and without cost to us. The abundant life we have been given is inexhaustible and forever available. As the water is living water, so the wine symbolizes not only needed spiritual nourishment but also a luxurious spiritual feast. Jesus exhibited this luxurious abundance by turning the water into wine at a wedding feast.

The promise is for everyone, for everyone is thirsty, dry and empty. We have the kingdom of God: “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” The poor are blessed because they have a generous and extremely rich Savior and Lord.

131. Enemy Weapons will Fail

Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

Sin, Death, and the Devil fashion many weapons against the people of God, but the Lord promises that these weapons will fail. The primary weapon at Satan’s disposal is The Lie. The Lie takes many forms and he uses many lies against us, our peace and our joy. But we can be assured that our life and peace and joy cannot be removed from us or taken away by any lie. Tongues rise against us inspired by the Enemy, but these false accusations cannot condemn us.

Jesus is the Truth, and the Truth is on our side, fighting for us and providing us with undeniable and unmovable peace and joy in the Lord. This is our heritage and that heritage is unassailable in any earthly or heavenly court. The inheritance of the Lord is solid in heaven, and it cannot be snatched from us. 

Then this amazing declaration rings through the ages: our righteousness is of God, the Lord Himself. We have no righteousness of our own and we will never be able to establish it. The righteousness of God is frightening to us and it strikes terror into our hearts when we understand that same level of righteousness is demanded of us. This leaves us unquestionably lost and rightly condemned. But the righteousness is God’s and it is of God. It belongs to God alone, but He has graciously and freely given it to us by faith in Christ. The Gospel announces that this righteousness is now ours, and God treats His freely granted righteousness as though it is ours. This “alien righteousness” is a strong bulwark against all spiritual weapons formed against us. We may be frightened and intimidated, but we will never be overcome by threats and accusations. We can confidently confess and proclaim: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” We can stand on this promise; we can thrive; we can live; we can rejoice; we can be at peace. Enemy weapons have no power whatsoever.

130. Established in Righteousness

Isaiah 54:14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

Oppression, fear and terror will not come near to us for we have the promise from the Lord that we shall be established in righteousness. Being justified by faith brings many blessed consequences. One blessing is: No Fear. A common greeting from Jesus to us is, “Fear not!” Do not be afraid of the terror that flies by day or by night. The Lord commissions angels to watch and guard. 

A sub-category under fear is worry and anxiety. Jesus says, “Do not be anxious about your life.” Paul says, “Be anxious for nothing.” Anxiety is a constant companion for most mortals, since sinners are subject to death and dying. Death is the Enemy: under death is the fear of death; under fear is unspecified anxiety and specific worries. Under the curse of death are also stress, toil, and the “sweat of your brow.”

From without, underneath the Curse, is war, intimidation, threat, kidnapping, slavery, extortion and many other evils that use the threat of death to force one’s will over others; included here is terror and violence used throughout history to steal, kill and destroy. 

Many of these oppressions, fears and terrors are physical and earthly. It ranges from organized war and organized crime to daily domestic struggles and arguments between friends and families. However, the essence and central point of the promise is spiritual oppression, fear, and terror inflicted by the Enemies of the soul. These spiritual threats, scares and attacks come frequently and unexpectedly. But the promise says they will stay far from us and not come near. God does this for us by establishing us in righteousness. This promise is highly useful for us in our daily struggles since the Enemy is always close by; but the Enemies cannot come near to inflict eternal damage. The Lord delivers us from the evil of the fear and terror by establishing us in righteousness. On account of Jesus Christ the Lord declares us righteous. We are established in God’s righteousness by faith. Faith is the assurance and evidence of the Truth not seen. When we are securely established nothing evil can actually touch us to destroy and instill terror.

However, there is the just and sure “fear of God,” or the terror that arises from the prospect of eternal suffering and death in hell. This spiritual fear is proper and is used to bring us to repentance and faith in the Gospel. The gospel establishes us in righteousness, so established that we cannot be moved or intimidated. All we need to do is turn to the cross and behold the glory.

129.  Children of Peace

Isaiah 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

The promise for our children simply means that the promises of peace from God will be for infinite generations to come, as long as the earth stands. The Gospel will go out to all the world for all generations: they will be taught of the Lord. The prophecies, revelations, and preaching of the Gospel will be carried on to the next generation after ours, and for succeeding generations afterward. We, in our time, have believed the Gospel and so are saved and we are at peace. The Lord hears our prayers and knows our concerns for our children and grandchildren and so on. They shall all have great peace. The Good News of salvation does not stop with us; it will go on for many years after we are gone. The same peace we enjoy is promised to our children and their children, and we may rest in peace.

This prophecy directly concerns the coming of Messiah with the Good News and then the spread of that message to the entire world through all time. The promise includes us who pray for our families and the generations following. We pray with confidence for our children and grandchildren, and we are confident that God hears and answers because of promises like this. We pray for our descendants’ families to hear the Good News of peace. The fear is that the Gospel is in danger of stopping and losing out, but we have no fear for God promises.

128. Strong and Beautiful Temple

Isaiah 54:11, 12 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

This prophecy of a grand New Jerusalem of the eternal presence of God will be graphically fulfilled in the Book of Revelation chapter 21-22. The stones, foundations, windows, gates and borders will be beautiful, grand and glorious beyond human description. This prophecy is a promise that will kept in wonderful fullness after Christ returns to earth to judge and set up the eternal state.

The Temple is a building designed to house the Presence of God on the earth. The revelation of God’s earthly presence was a progressive revelation throughout Scripture. The presence of God was evidenced at certain altars, shrines and holy places; then it was contained in the Tabernacle of Moses; then in the Temple of Solomon; then in the Second Temple; then in the body of Jesus Christ; and finally in the body of Christ, the invisible Church on earth and in heaven. The body of Christ and the body of the individual believer is the dwelling place of the Presence of God, and it is beautiful, grand, and glorious. This glorious “building” that houses the Holy Spirit of God is the physical body of the believer in Christ.

The promise and revelation of the Spirit through Isaiah describes something that we cannot see by using words describing something we are familiar with. Precious stones are often used in Scripture to reveal the beauty and wealth of the glory of God and what His presence is really like. Therefore, we may hold our human bodies in the highest respect and honor. God has beautified the human body by determining to dwell in it. The One who indwells there has graced our bodies.

This beauty and grace of God’s Presence dwells in the midst of a life that is afflicted, tossed with tempest, and left uncomforted. At the same time and place that we undergo affliction, trials and troubles God has built a glorious dwelling place for His glory and grace. We don’t see it, so we need a revelation like this to see how beautiful life is even while we experience suffering. Each human body was built to become a dwelling place for the Lord. God promises the believer that He is there.

127. Kindness and Peace

Isaiah 54:10 For the mountains shall part, and hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee; neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

Jesus says, “Though heaven and earth shall pass away, my words shall never pass away.” The mountains and the hills will be removed: what looks strong and permanent is not so. Everything visible and created in the universe will be destroyed and pass away. Nothing endures except the invisible things of God. Our reliance and hope will be on the Word of God, which endures forever and will never pass away.

We can be sure of this promise: God’s kindness will never depart from us, and the covenant of God’s peace will never be removed. “Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” The Lord who has mercy is eternal; His mercy endures forever; His promises will last into eternity; His kindness will ever and always be with us; His promise of peace will be immovable. The words of man will disappoint and the promises of people will not be kept, but when God speaks peace and does kindness we can be sure that we will have it forever.

Everything we can see is temporal; seasons come and go; and things constantly pass from one thing to another. In the midst of temporal distress we can stand on something positive and certain. Look to the invisible things of God, for the things not seen are eternal. Whatever afflictions we experience here and now will not last long, no matter how long it seems. Momentary afflictions are transient and each one is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. Included in the eternal weight of glory are things like kindness and peace. We may experience kindness once or twice, but we can be sure that we will forever be recipients of His kindness. We may experience peace from time to time, but the enduring peace that comes through justification by faith will endure forever and no one can take it away. You will not lose your peace, ever. God will be kind, always.

126. Great Mercy and Kindness

Isaiah 54:7, 8 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from them for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord, thy Redeemer.

God’s mercy is great and His kindness is everlasting. On account of Jesus Christ God can promise us exceeding great mercy. His mercy is new every morning. His mercy is deep and wide and all encompassing. No sin or shame could be hidden from the wide expanse of mercy. The blood of Jesus cleanses every great sin. 

The mercies of God gather us, all of us together and each of us individually. Just like the father of the prodigal son gathered him into his arms, so God’s great mercy welcomes us back. Showing mercy expresses the nature of the Lord God; God shows His power by extending mercy. Mercy is always given either from the offended one or from one who is higher up. God is both.

God will have mercy with everlasting kindness. Our Lord is the kindest person you will ever meet. And His tender kindness is everlasting: it will never end. Just like God’s mercy covers all of our past so it also covers all of our future forever. His goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life and then even beyond. His mercy and kindness is inexhaustible. He may have had mercy on us 490 times already, and He will still show mercy the next time, too. And His mercy and kindness cannot be taken back; He doesn’t change His mind. And mercy and kindness is always available and ready to be extended. He doesn’t wait for our good works, our repentance, our prayer, or even our faith. Mercy is first and always. “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance [Romans 2:4}.”

In dark times, remember: “This, too, shall pass.” For a small moment the Lord forsakes us, and in a little wrath He hides His face from us for a moment. While we are in the valley of the shadow of death He is with us. Even if it seems long and dark to us, in reality it is only a moment. In the light of everlasting kindness the times when God seems absent are very short. Wait it out with patient faith in mercy. We can have the patience that Jesus had when He was forsaken by the Father because of our sin being on Him.

125. God is a Husband

Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of host is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

In the Old Testament Yahweh takes Israel as His wife and marries her. Unfortunately, she was unfaithful to Him. In the New Testament the Lord is engaged to His Church; Jesus is committed to the believer; He will definitely marry us and make us His own intimate wife forever (“’til death do us part,” but there will be no more death). We are invited to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in His Kingdom (and we will live happily ever after). 

The metaphor may be confusing: Are we married? Or are we engaged? When is the Wedding? Are we invited as spectators to the Wedding? Or are we the star, the Bride? Does Jesus marry all billions of us collectively, or are we individually wedded to Christ? God is our father and Jesus is our brother; how can each also be our Husband? What’s the role of the Holy Spirit? 

We may not understand the details, but the Truth is clear. The relationship we have with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is more intimate than any intimate human relationship we can experience. God uses metaphors to reveal spiritual things we could never understand with a limited brain. If God spoke in a straightforward manner to us about Himself, His love, and His relationship with us it would just sound like babble and gobbledygook. Figures of speech break down, but the husband-truth remains: the God of the whole earth, the Holy One, is our Redeemer and Husband. Take the promise and enjoy it: you cannot dream of nor imagine a greater love.