Topics

Friday, April 29, 2022

Christ blessings, are they for you?

Christ will give the redeemed the most wonderful blessings imaginable when He returns to earth. But we must always remember this sad fact: not everyone is going to receive these blessings. 

Isaiah 32:1-20 TLB

Look, a righteous king is coming, with honest princes! 2He will shelter Israel from the storm and wind. He will refresh her as a river in the desert and as the cooling shadow of a mighty rock within a hot and weary land. 3Then at last the eyes of Israel will open wide to God; his people will listen to his voice. 4Even the hotheads among them will be full of sense and understanding, and those who stammer in uncertainty will speak out plainly.

5In those days the ungodly, the atheists, will not be heroes! Wealthy cheaters will not be spoken of as generous, outstanding men! 6Everyone will recognize an evil man when he sees him, and hypocrites will fool no one at all. Their lies about God and their cheating of the hungry will be plain for all to see. 7The smooth tricks of evil men will be exposed, as will all the lies they use to oppress the poor in the courts. 8But good men will be generous to others and will be blessed of God for all they do.

9Listen, you women who loll around in lazy ease; listen to me and I will tell you your reward: 10In a short time—in just a little more than a year—suddenly you’ll care, O careless ones. For the crops of fruit will fail; the harvest will not take place. 11Tremble, O women of ease; throw off your unconcern. Strip off your pretty clothes—wear sackcloth for your grief. 12Beat your breasts in sorrow for those bountiful farms of yours that will soon be gone, and for those fruitful vines of other years. 13For your lands will thrive with thorns and briars; your joyous homes and happy cities will be gone. 14Palaces and mansions will all be deserted, the crowded cities empty. Wild herds of donkeys and goats will graze upon the mountains where the watchtowers are, 15until at last the Spirit is poured down on us from heaven. Then once again enormous crops will come. 16Then justice will rule through all the land, 17and out of justice, peace. Quietness and confidence will reign forever more.

18My people will live in safety, quietly at home, 19but the Assyriansa will be destroyed and their cities laid low. 20And God will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant, bountiful crops will spring up, and their flocks and herds will graze in green pastures.[1] (Isaiah32:1–20 TLB

God made a wonderful promise to those who repented: they would triumph over all their enemies through the leadership of a coming king. This is a clear reference to the promised descendant of David, the promised Messiah-King who will establish God’s kingdom on earth. Jesus Christ is the Messiah-King who will return to earth to set up God’s kingdom (Is. 7:14; 9:6–7; 11:1–12:6; 16:5; 28:16; 33:17, 22;).

Note that Isaiah refers to the promised king as “a king” (32:1), then as “the king” (33:17), and finally as “our king” (33:22). Warren Wiersbe points out that it is not enough to claim that Jesus Christ is “a king” or “the king.”1 We must open our hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ and allow Him to be our king—the king of our lives. 

OUTLINE

SCRIPTURE

3. God’s promise of triumph: A coming king, Jesus Christ

a. His righteous kingdom

Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

 

1) He will set up just leaders

2) He will protect & provide for the people

• Shelter them from trouble

• Water their thirsty souls

• Cast His shadow over the afflicted & dying

3) He will enable everyone to see & hear the truth

• The spiritually blind & deaf: The hard-hearted

• The rash: The careless, reckless, & scornful

• The stammerers: The hesitant, the uncertain

2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.3 And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

4 The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

 

4) He will right all wrongs: Fools & scoundrels will no longer be respected

5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

• Because they talk about & focus on evil

• Because they live ungodly lives & spread error about the Lord

• Because they ignore the needs of others

• Because they use evil methods to take advantage of people: Scheming & lying to get their way & to fulfill their desires

6 For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

7 The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

 

5) He will allow only the noble & generous to stand & live in His kingdom

8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

b. His coming kingdom stands as a warning to complacent, careless women, 3:16–4:1

1) They must listen

9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.

 

• Because judgment is to begin soon: Within a year

10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.

• Because their security is false: A day of siege & famine is coming

11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

2) They will tremble & mourn

 

12 They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

• Because the land will be devastated & overgrown with thorns & briars

13 Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:

• Because their happy homes & city revelry will be destroyed

• Because the palace & the noisy, bustling capital will be deserted

14 Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;

 

• Because the cities of Judah will become nothing but dens for animals

15 Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

c. His coming kingdom will bring great blessings: A picture of the Millennium

1) His Spirit, 44:3; Eze. 36:21–27; 39:29; Joel 2:28; Zec. 12:10

2) A restored, fruitful land

3) Justice & righteousness

4) Peace, quietness, & assurance

16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

 

5) Secure homes—undisturbed & free from trouble

18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

6) A restored land & city—restored from utter devastation

19 When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.

• Will have abundant farmland & water

• Will allow animals to roam freely

20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.


a. The coming king will establish a righteous kingdom on earth. In contrast to the corrupt rulers of Isaiah’s day—rulers who oppressed the people through unjust laws and greed—the promised king (the Messiah) will rule in righteousness and justice (vv. 1–8, 16; 9:7; 11:3–5; 16:5; 28:16–17; 33:5). 

1)         The promised king will be a good, noble ruler who will establish His government on the basic principle of righteousness. Moreover, all His officials—from those at the highest levels of government down to the most minor—will rule in true justice (v. 1). In the society of the coming king, the standard of all behavior will be the perfect righteousness and justice of the Messiah. He will fill all the positions of leadership throughout the land with good, noble, and just leaders. 

2)         The promised king will protect and provide for the people (v. 2). When the storm of trial or hardship strikes His people, the Messiah will be a shelter and refuge for them. When they become thirsty, either physically or spiritually, He will provide water for their bodies or souls. When they suffer under the scorching sun of affliction, He will cast His shadow over them like the shade of a huge rock. 

3)         The promised king will make radical changes when He establishes His kingdom on earth. He will enable everyone to see and hear the truth (vs. 3–4). He will open the eyes and ears of the spiritually blind and deaf. He will make the hearts of the insensitive and stubborn soft and tender, open to receive the Word of God. Those who have stammering tongues—who are uncertain and hesitant to confess and speak up for the Lord—will be bold, fluent, and clear in bearing strong testimony to Him. Even the rash—those who are reckless in their relationship with God and sometimes mock the Lord and His people—will know and understand the truth in that day

4)         The promised king will right all wrongs that have taken place down through history (vs. 5–7). Worldly society often honors the fools and scoundrels of society, people who live wicked, evil, and godless lives. They receive honor because they are famous, powerful, or wealthy. But the day is coming when wealth, power, and fame will not matter. The only thing that will matter will be what God values, and all fools and scoundrels—all who ignored, denied, and defamed the Lord’s name, living sinful lives—will no longer be respected or honored. 

Isaiah gives four reasons for the judgment that is coming upon fools and scoundrels:

Ø  They talked about and focused their minds on evil (v. 6).

Ø  They lived ungodly lives and misled others concerning the Lord (v. 6).

Ø  They ignored the needs of others, even when people were suffering desperately (v. 6).

Ø  They used evil methods to take advantage of people, scheming and lying to get their way and to fulfill their own lusts (v. 7). 

Fools and scoundrels often oppress people to increase their own wealth, positions, authority, power, or fame. Sometimes they even lie, steal, or cheat the poor and needy in order to satisfy their selfish lust for more and more. All that is going to change. 

5)         The promised King will ensure that only the noble and generous will stand in His kingdom (v. 8). Noble does not refer only to those in positions of leadership and authority. It includes all who trust and acknowledge the Lord, all who live godly and righteous lives. 

b. The coming King will establish His kingdom as a warning to complacent, careless women (3:16–4:1). In Isaiah’s day many women were living in wealth and luxury; they had become indifferent to sin and were ignoring the warnings of God. They were living at ease, enjoying the pleasures of the moment, not giving any thought to the Lord or the fact that things might change. Spiritual concerns seldom if ever crossed their minds. A spirit of lethargy and complacency gripped them. Isaiah issued a strong warning to these women: 

1)         They must arise and heed the warning of God because judgment would soon fall upon them (vs. 9–10). Note that Isaiah predicted the time frame in which the judgment would come: within a year. Although they were living in pleasure and luxury with plenty of everything they wanted, their feelings of security were based upon a false premise. A day of siege and famine was coming, a day of utter disaster. Very soon they would have nothing, not even food. 

2)         Within the year the invading forces would make them tremble and mourn (vs. 11–14). Therefore, the women should strip off their clothes, put on sackcloth, mourn, and prepare to suffer the consequences of their sins. These complacent, lethargic women who had ignored the Lord and His warning of judgment would soon find themselves in dire circumstances:

Ø  The land would be devastated and overgrown with thorns and briars (vs. 12–13a).

Ø  Their houses and citiesthe central places of their joy and revelry—would be destroyed (v. 13).

Ø  The palace and the noisy, bustling capital of Jerusalem would be deserted (v. 14). 

Note that this prediction is a reference to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., which took place 115 years after Isaiah made this prophecy. Although the Assyrian invasion and destruction of Judah’s other cities would take place within a year, the Lord was warning the people of the future judgment that would fall upon the capital under the Babylonians. In that day the city of Jerusalem would become a wasteland inhabited only by animals. 

c. When the promised king establishes His kingdom on earth, He will pour blessing after blessing upon its citizens. These blessings will be entirely different from the blessings of salvation described in chapter 30. This is a clear picture of the Messiah’s kingdom and what life will be like when Christ rules upon the earth during His millennial reign (vs. 15–20). He will give the believers in His kingdom six of the most glorious blessings imaginable. 

1)         The Messiah will pour out His spirit upon all believers (v. 15; 44:3; Eze. 36:26–27; 39:29; Joel 2:28; Zec. 12:10). God’s Spirit will teach and lead the redeemed, guiding them as they walk day by day serving the Messiah. The redeemed will have a strong desire in their hearts to obey the Lord, a longing to accomplish the task He assigns them to do. Due to the Messiah’s presence on earth, the work of the Spirit will flow far more freely and be far more evident than it is today. He will demonstrate His power much more clearly. 

2)         In the Messiah’s kingdom the land itself will be transformed. The desert will become fertile, and the fertile fields will seem like forests (v. 15). Nature itself will be redeemed, brought completely under control by the Messiah. The earth will become another “Garden of Eden.” 

3)         Justice and righteousness will sweep the earth from one end to the other (v. 16). People will live righteously, obeying both the commandments of God and the laws of the land. No longer will lawlessness, immorality, and violence blanket the earth. To the contrary, people will rejoice in righteousness and justice and hold great respect for God and His commandments and the rights of others. 

4)         Due to the rule of righteousness and justice, peace will descend on earth (v. 17). All the redeemed in the Messiah’s kingdom will experience a spirit of quietness, assurance, and security. No longer will a spirit of restlessness, insecurity, fear, anxiety, and purposelessness grip the souls of people. Instead, people’s hearts will be filled with a deep sense of serenity and confidence. 

5)         The Messiah will provide a secure dwelling place for all the redeemed in His kingdom (v. 18). All people will live in their own homes undisturbed and completely free from trouble. 

6)         In the Messiah’s kingdom both the cities and countries will be transformed (vs. 19–20). Though the cities were leveled to the ground in the past and all the lands completely ruined, they will not remain so. Even in this present evil world both can be devastated, but the day is coming when both will be restored and transformed. In that day there will be an abundance of farmland and water for every citizen. The land will be so fruitful that the animals will be allowed to roam freely. 

Thought 1. The Word of God assures us: Christ will give the redeemed the most wonderful blessings imaginable when He returns to earth. But we must always remember this sad fact: not everyone is going to receive these blessings. People who reject the Lord and refuse to obey His commandments will be cut off from God. He will not bless them. Because they rejected Him, He will reject them. But again, this will not be the fate of the redeemed, the people who truly follow the Lord and seek to obey His holy commandments. They will be blessed beyond measure when Christ returns. 

V  “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Mt. 6:20).

V  “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (Jn. 14:1–2).

V  “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Ro. 8:16–18).

V  “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Co. 15:54).

V  “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Co. 5:1).

V  “For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Ph. 3:20–21).

V  “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:4).

V  “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Th. 3:12–13).

V  “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Th. 4:16–18).

V  “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Ti. 4:8).

V  “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (He. 11:8–10).

V  “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (He. 11:13–16).

V  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pe. 1:3–5).

V  “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1 Pe. 5:4).

V  “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 Jn. 3:2).

V  “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Re. 7:16–17).

V  “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Re. 21:4).[2] 


a 32:19  but the Assyrians, implied.

[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

1 Warren Wiersbe. Be Comforted, p. 82.

[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah (Chapters 1–35). Vol. I. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

No comments: