Month: March 2018

“For God said, “Surely [Ben is] My [son], [a son] who will not lie [who will not deal falsely with Me]”; and so God was to [him] a Savior [in all Ben’s distresses]. In all [Ben’s] affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His presence saved [him]; in His love and in His pity He redeemed [him]; and He lifted [Ben] up and carried [him] all the days of [his life].” Isaiah 63:8-9 ->me: As you can see I have personalized these verses today. As I was reading this afternoon these truths out of Isaiah about how God feels about His people resonated with how He must feel about me. Here is what God does: He identifies with His people, He hopes the best of them, He commits Himself to them in saving action. He feels their sorrows, He lives savingly among them, and He bears their burdens perseveringly. I love the ‘Angel of His Presence’ -> literally of ‘Angel of His Face’ is the Lord’s very Own presence (Psalm 139:7). His LOVE…the noun ‘ahaba’ in Hebrew occurs only here in Isaiah – this love is the ‘Love’ that delights in the companionship of the loved one. So, this, in the context of how I have personalized the verse above is an overwhelming view of how God feels about me and what He does for me…for you.

ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE VERSES – For He said, Surely they are My people, sons who will not lie [who will not deal falsely with Me]; and so He was to them a Savior [in all their distresses].  In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:8-9

“I will recount the loving-kindnesses of the Lord and the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel, which He has granted them according to His mercy and according to the multitude of His loving-kindnesses.” Isaiah 63:7 ->me: Yesterday and today this verse very much rang true to me. Everyday I need to recount the loving-kindness of the Lord and His praiseworthy deeds…sometimes He allows a nice little reminder to turn me toward Him. His mercy on me is unmerited. My sin should commit me to the very worst consequences but He has stood in the gap and taken the brunt to secure me for Himself. Thank you Lord God for your love that surpasses understanding. I am so humbly thankful and grateful.

“I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the peoples there was no one with Me. I trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I stained all My raiment.” Isaiah 63:3 ->me: This entire passage gives me the picture of the redemption that Jesus brought through His death on the cross. There was no one else who could do the work of Salvation. Jesus alone had to go and pay the price and then through that sacrifice slayed the old me, my sin, and rescued my soul. It is the blood of my old self that is on the garments of Jesus. I am now clothed in white [Redeemed] and I now walk by His side seeing the blood of my slaughtered sin on His clothes as a reminder of what He has done for me. If the old me is dead then there is no way for that old man to come back to life; it is my responsibility to refuse the influence satan had on my old self and cling to the newness and strength I have in Christ alone.

“​WHO IS this Who comes from Edom, with crimson-stained garments from Bozrah [in Edom]? This One Who is glorious in His apparel, striding triumphantly in the greatness of His might? It is I, [the One] Who speaks in righteousness [proclaiming vindication], mighty to save!” Isaiah 63:1 ->me: The watchmen see the Son of God coming from afar off; from the land of Edom. Edom means ‘red’ and is the land of Esau. Bozrah means ‘vintage’ matching the winepress motif. The watchmen can only see generalities from their distance but they see a lot as he comes toward them. 1) His garments: some commentaries say they could not see that they were crimson-stained yet only that they were ‘sharp’ in color. Maybe vivid in color. 2) His Splendor: Not a bedraggled figure but entirely majestic. 3) His triumphant gait: The purposeful and energetic walk of One Who is confident. 4) His Strength: There is no weakness, not even withstanding that He comes, as we learn, from battle-tiredness. He is brimming with vigor. Who is He??? He is a speaker: He was first introduced in Isaiah as endowed with the word in vengeance and salvation. When He donned His garments He vowed not to keep silent. (Revelation 9:13,21) Now He speaks again, and does so as One whose Righteousness is intact and whose self-awareness is that He is Mighty to Save. Mighty greatness is ‘abundant’. Merely ‘great’ strength could rise to an occasion and then, perhaps, be spent; ‘abundant’ strength cannot be exhausted, and as abundant as His strength so is His Salvation, inexhaustible in it efficiency. This is my Savior Who goes before me. This is the one Who wielded His sword and cut down death and sin. Reading ahead, I can already tell my Quiet Time tomorrow is going to be a doozy.

“Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the Daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes [in the person of the Lord]; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work and recompense before Him. and they shall call them the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, a City Not Forsaken.” Isaiah 62:11-12 ->me: The ending of this chapter is so awesome! 3 “Beholds” are called out in verse 11 – 1) The invitation goes out with the Lord’s own authority. 2) Zion is alerted to her own salvation; Zion’s salvation is the world’s salvation. It is what the Lord Himself undertook and then committed to the Anointed One (59:16). The New Testament thinks here of the ever-imminent return of Jesus (Phil 3:20-21 & Heb 9:28). The completed task of the One Who comes. His reward and recompense are the “Holy People” (Heb 12:2). Then verse 12 tells us that on that day we will be called: “The Holy People” glorified and made righteous through the work of the Holy One. “The Redeemed of the Lord” Those who have been rescued from the world and bondage of sin. “The Sought Out Ones” Those whom the Lord has gone to great lengths to secure for Himself. “A City Not Forsaken” The City on a hill, the bride of the bride groom; the protected and Holy City of God.

“I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem, who will never hold their peace day or night; you who [are His servants and by your prayers] put the Lord in remembrance [of His promises], keep not silence, and give Him no rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her a praise in the earth.” Isaiah 62:6-7 ->me: What does it mean to be a Watchman? 1) I have been placed on the wall by God. I am here because He put me here. 2) I will be resilient day and night. 3) I am to pray unceasingly for God to bring His promises and purposes to fruition. 4) I am to be vocal; not silent. 5) I must stand watch and pray until He returns as if nothing would happen unless I did so. The fulfilment of the Lord’s purposes for Zion come through the prayers of His people. My prayers as I live here in the Zion of Hebrews 12:22, and wait for the Zion of Revelation 21:10, is my part in the guardian care of this city (I am to be a Watchman).

“You [Judah] shall no more be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land be called Desolate any more. But you shall be called Hephzibah [My delight is in her], and your land be called Beulah [married]; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married [owned and protected by the Lord].” Isaiah 62:4 ->me: After reading this passage today in Isaiah 62, I really want to take a deep dive into the traditions, ceremony, and courting of Jewish marriage in the time of Isaiah. I feel like there is so much more here in the details of marriage in this time period that I may be missing about the strength of the statements being make here. I know how I felt when I was given the honor of marrying Marianne. I still am blown away that she would give herself and take me. What is interesting here is that the groom delights in his bride, cares for and loves her but she, likewise, respects her husband, leans on him to provide and these actions are a big part of why the groom delights in his wife. Her dependence on him fosters even more the unconditional love he has for her. Understanding this helps me see God’s love for me and His desire to protect and delight in me, delight in the love and worship I give Him…this is the relationship. This is the thing that is different from all other earthly religions.

“And the nations shall see your righteousness and vindication [your rightness and justice—not your own, but His ascribed to you], and all kings shall behold your salvation and glory; and you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name. You shall also be [so beautiful and prosperous as to be thought of as] a crown of glory and honor in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem [exceedingly beautiful] in the hand of your God.” Isaiah 62:2-3 ->me: God holds us up a sign to the watching world that He is King. The Thompson Chain reference seems to think that the new name is “Christians” as Acts 11:26 talks about. When I have embraced His righteousness, vindication, and salvation, He holds us in His hand as a prized possession to share as a talking piece of pride. We are an accomplishment of His saving work and grace. Rather than puffing me up, this image of myself as a gem sitting in God’s hand as a favored item of His is incredibly humbling and convicting…that I don’t deserve that place or to be viewed that way. APPLICATION: I must accept in gratefulness this favor and put into practice the daily effort to reflect that place in my life. To ensure that the Anointed One’s saving work on me is loved and appreciated through my works through faith until He comes again.

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10 ->me: This passage is the Messiah, Jesus, speaking on His acceptance of His role, how He has been fitted by the Father to be Savior, and His commitment to seeing the work through. This is such a great model to follow in execution of our daily walk. The first is being excited for what we learn through God’s word; to taste the wisdom and virtues of God’s character; this should be what we rejoice in. (Jeremiah 15:16) Through the saving power of Jesus we have been clothed with Christ’s righteousness (that He received from the Father). Following on yesterday’s Quiet Time we then don or dress ourselves in the work of the Father as a Groom wears a tuxedo or a bride wears a beautiful dress and jewelry to announce their commitment to marriage; we then announce our commitment to the will and purposes of God. Lord God, help me to apply these 3 simple steps everyday as I strive to be the servant you delight in. Even with all of the pressures, senses, and input this world bombards me with, help me to stay focused on You and You will for my life.

“And their offspring shall be known among the nations and their descendants among the peoples. All who see them [in their prosperity] will recognize and acknowledge that they are the people whom the Lord has blessed.” Isaiah 61:9 ->me: The Lord continues to bring this forward to me in my quiet times -> My purpose is to be a mirror, reflecting the glory of Christ. That’s it! Everything I do must be executed with this in mind. 2 Thessalonians 2:10 says “When He comes to be glorified in His saints [on that day He will be made more glorious in His consecrated people], and [He will] be marveled at and admired [in His glory reflected] in all who have believed [who have adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him], because our witnessing among you was confidently accepted and believed [and confirmed in your lives].” Have you ever seen those solar farms where all the mirrors are pointing the suns energy at a boiler in a center tower. This is a rough vision I have in my head of when the Lord returns. Christ will be beaming because of His glory radiating from all His saints back on Him. It will be our witness that glorifies [lights up] Jesus. All I can do is sit here with my fingers resting on these keys thinking of the awesomeness of that……….