Friday, April 10, 2009

Established in Righteousness

Isa 54:1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

I think of Hannah travailing in prayer before the LORD because she was barren, unable to have children. Her husband had another wife who bore children. The other wife became her adversary, making her life miserable. She was symbolic of our adversary, the devil.

1 Sam 1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
1 Sam 1:7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

Hannah promised, that if she bore a son, that she would give him to the LORD's service. This prayer was answered and Hannah was full of joy. She kept her promise to God.

1 Sam 1:26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
1 Sam 1:27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
1 Sam 1:28 Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

Isa 54:2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

Because of Hannah's keeping her promise, God blessed her with more children. Those that obey God and seek him in prayer in time of sorrow, shall be rewarded. God is faithful and merciful to His people.

Isa 54:3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Let's apply this to Israel in the promise land and spiritually to those who are faithful to do all that God calls them to do. We are called by Jesus to witness, first where we live and then throughout the world. The result of this will be many people brought to the LORD, those who were lost shall be found in Christ Jesus. Those who sow the word faithfully, shall have an abundant harvest.

Isa 54:4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

No way am I ashamed of Jesus, nor is he ashamed of me. He took my shame upon himself when he went to the cross. My sins are forgiven and I am counted as a righteous son of God. Amazing grace in our life comes as we respond to the call of God and come to Jesus Christ his son. Those women who are without a husband have Jesus as a husband, and provider.

Jesus is our kinsman redeemer, as the widow Ruth was redeemed by Boaz. To redeem someone requires something valuable as a ransom. Silver and gold and precious metals and are valuable. However, we were redeemed with something even more valuable—the precious blood of Christ.

1 Pet 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1 Pet 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1 Pet 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1 Pet 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

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

The LORD thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; God the Father and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel, God the Son; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. The only act that I know where Jesus acted separate from the Father was to take on the form of a man, to shed his blood on the cross, to die, to be buried and to be risen again to redeem mankind from sin and the devil. God is one God of the whole earth; Elohim, God the Father, God the Son and the God the Holy Spirit.

Isa 54:6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.


Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

When we were sinners in the world, it seemed as if we were without hope. Israel in captivity felt lost and forsaken, but her redeemer lives. Your redeemer lives and knows you by name.

For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. Jesus felt forsaken on the cross that brief time when Jesus took our sins upon himself and the father looked away.

Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Though the body died, the soul continued and he arose by the life giving Spirit within him. We also shall arise, soul and spirit to be with our Lord.

Isa 54:9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

God makes a promise to never punish his people again. In Christ Jesus there is no wrath upon the children of God.

John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Isa 54:10 For the mountains shall depart, and the 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.

This is looking forward the New Covenant in Jesus' blood. He is our peace and our rest. When we come to him by faith, we cease from our labors.

Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

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

This sounds like New Jerusalem, a city of beautiful transparent jewels and gold.

Rev 21:18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
Rev 21:19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
Rev 21:20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
Rev 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

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

Oh that all of our nation were taught of the LORD. How far we have fallen from our foundation of faith in the LORD and his Bible. Only in the Kingdom established on earth by Jesus will these things happen.

Isa 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.

Israel returning as a nation in 1948, had times of abundance and safety and the teaching of the law, but righteousness comes by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This will not happen until his return to reign on earth for a thousand years.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Oh thank God for counting the faithful as righteous in Christ, they shall not experience the wrath of God.

Isa 54:15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
Isa 54:16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

Satan will be bound for a thousand years when Jesus returns. After this he is loosed, he becomes an instrument by which men are tested. Even in a perfect environment with Jesus as King, some will rebel against God. The old sin nature of Adam remains until all are judged.

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Isa 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.

In Jesus we are in God's covenant family, he is Father, King, warrior and protector. They may kill the body, but our soul belongs to God. If they speak against us, they are speaking against the Lord. He will judge them by his word.

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

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