With All People Who Repent and Turn to The Lord Immediately Upon Receiving God’s Salvation, New Believers Begin to Rebuild the Ruins of Their Lives. They Become Repairers of The Broken Walls and Lives Their Sins Have Destroyed. They Begin to Rebuild Their Paths and Lives with The Structure of Righteousness.
The Hypocrite Must Be Challenged with The Results of
Righteous Behavior (Vv. 8–12).
God makes some wonderful promises to the hypocrite who will repent and do the specific behavior He has spelled. Seven wonderful promises are given:
The Results of
Righteous Behavior: God’s Promises
8If
you do these things; God will shed his own glorious light upon you. He will
heal you; your godliness will lead you forward, goodness will be a shield
before you, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. 9Then,
when you call, the Lord will answer. “Yes, I am here,” he will quickly reply.
All you need to do is to stop oppressing the weak and stop making false
accusations and spreading vicious rumors!
10Feed the hungry! Help those in trouble! Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day. 11And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too; and you will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. 12Your sons will rebuild the long-deserted ruins of your cities, and you will be known as “The People Who Rebuild Their Walls and Cities.”[1] (Isaiah58:8–12)
A. Hypocrites
Who Repent Will Receive Light and Healing
from The Lord.
This refers to Salvation,
the light that broke forth, and the healing that was provided with the coming
of Christ, the promised Messiah (v. 8).
V “In him was life, and the life was the light
of men” (Jn. 1:4).
V “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I
am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life” (Jn.
8:12).
V “For God, who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ” (2 Co. 4:6).
V “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ep. 5:14).
B. Hypocrites
Who Repent Will Receive the Righteousness and Protection of God (V. 8b).
Righteousness is
the result of Salvation. Once people turn to the Lord, God covers them with His
Righteousness. As a result, they appear righteous in His eyes. Amazing! In
addition, they are guaranteed the presence and protection of the Lord.
V “For I say unto you, that except your
righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees [hypocritical religionists], ye
shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:20).
V “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him” (2
Co. 5:21).
V “Let your
conversation [conduct, behavior] be
without covetousness; and be content
with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (He. 13:5–6).
V “For the eyes of the Lord run back and forth
throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore,
from henceforth, thou shalt have wars” (2 Chr. 16:9).
V “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about
them that fear him, and delivereth them” (Ps. 34:7).
V “Fear thou not; for I am with thee be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I
will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Is. 41:10).
V “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Is. 43:1–2).
C. Hypocrites
Who Repent Will Have Their Prayers Answered.
When they call upon
the Lord, He promises to hear and answer. First, however, hypocrites must turn
absolutely away from their oppression and mistreatment of others. They must
also stop pointing fingers at people and engaging in wicked talk such as
malicious gossip and profanity.
V “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be
given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Lu. 11:9).
V “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that
will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything
in my name, I will do it” (Jn. 14:13–14).
V “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (Jn. 15:7).
V “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1 Jn. 3:22–23).
D. Hypocrites
Who Repent Will Become a Light, A Strong Witness to People in Their Dark Hour of
Personal Need (V. 10).
When faithful
believers minister to those in need, all the darkness and gloom surrounding
their lives will be swept away by the light of their witness.
V “Ye are the light of the world. A city that
is set on a hill cannot be hid” (Mt.
5:14).
V “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as
children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and Righteousness
and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ep. 5:8–11).
V “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain” (Ph. 2:14–16).
E. Hypocrites
Who Repent Will Receive God’s Guidance and Strength (V. 11a).
And God promises
that His guidance will be permanent.
He will faithfully direct those who have truly repented and who turn to Him in
faith and obedience.
V “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall
he speak, and he will show you things to come” (Jn. 16:13).
V “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the
meek will he teach his way” (Ps.
25:9).
V “For this God is our God forever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death” (Ps. 48:14).
V “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Ps. 73:24).
F. Hypocrites
Who Repent Will Receive the Provision and Strength of The Lord to Meet Every
Need (V. 11).
In fact, God will
give them abundant provision and
strength. Even in the drought of a sun-scorched land, the Lord will provide
whatever believers need to strengthen them as they walk through trials and
hardships. The reference to a well-watered spring that never fails indicates
that God will provide for every physical and spiritual need.
V “But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Ph. 4:19).
V “Wherefore in all things it behooved him to
be made like unto his brethren, that
he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the
people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to
succour them that are tempted” (He.
2:17–18).
V “For we have not a high priest which cannot
be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin. Let
us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need” (He. 4:15–16).
V “Casting all your care upon him; for he
careth for you” (1 Pe. 5:7).
V “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are
the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and
shall say, Destroy them” (De. 33:27).
V “The Lord is
my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he
leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the
paths of Righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they
comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever” (Ps. 23:1–6).
V “Oh,
how great is thy goodness, which thou
hast laid up for them that fear thee, which
thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” (Ps. 31:19).
V “Fear thou not; for I am with thee be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I
will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Is. 41:10).
V “And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you” (Is. 46:4).
G. Hypocrites
Who Repent Will Receive an Honorable Name (V. 12).
Although this is a
direct reference to the Israelites, it applies to every generation of
believers. Isaiah predicted that when the Babylonian exiles were set free and
returned to Judah, the nation would still be lying in ruins due to the
Babylonian invasion. It would therefore be necessary for the exiles to rebuild
their nation. While carrying on the construction of the city, the Israelites
would be called the Repairer of the Breach,
or the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
That is, they would receive honorable mention as a people who were committed to
the reconstruction of their nation. So it is with all hypocrites, with all
people who repent and turn to the Lord. Immediately upon receiving God’s Salvation,
new believers begin to rebuild the ruins of their lives. They become Repairers of the broken walls and lives their
sins have destroyed. They begin to rebuild their paths and lives with the
structure of Righteousness.
V “In him was life; and the life was the light
of men” (Jn. 1:4).
V “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I
am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life” (Jn.
8:12).
V “If any man serves me, let him follow me; and
where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serves me, him will my Father honour” (Jn. 12:26).
V “For God, who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ” (2 Co. 4:6).
V “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that
sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ep. 5:14).
V “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in
the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him
the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my
God: and I will write upon him my new
name” (Re. 3:12).
V “He shall call upon me, and I will answer
him: I will be with him in trouble; I
will deliver him and honour him” (Ps.
91:15).
V “And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name” (Is. 62:2).[2]
Prayer: The Results of
Righteous Behavior: God’s Promises
Father God, we
thank and praise you for revealing to us what we need to do to have our lives
restored. We thank you for making possible our Salvation through the death of
your Son, Christ, Jesus. We thank you for making us new creations in you
because of our faith in what Christ did on the cross. Because of what you have
done for us, we have received the honor of your light cast upon us as your
children. We love you, Father God, for your healing and leading of our lives every
new day. You are our shield before us and our protection behind us.
Father God, we
are grateful that now, when we call to you, you hear us and respond to our cry
for help. Because of our repenting and turning aside from our sins and looking to
you for guidance, we can walk boldly in this world knowing that you will care
for us. All our protection and the meeting of our needs, Father God, is because
of our faith in you alone. Father God, may we live honorable lives before you
treating others as you expect us to and leading others to you that need the Good
News of your Salvation.
Father God,
your Word says, “17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
– It is in our becoming new creations Father God that we do glory in. We no longer
need to submit our lives to our old sinful nature; we are free from the bondage
of sin and death. May we honor and walk worthy of this gift that Christ paid
for by the death of his life on the cross.
Moreover,
Father God, your Word says, “18 Now all things are of God, who
has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry
of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and
has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” – Bringing us into your
family Father God, is what Christ did through his death on the cross. Now, we
have the honor of sharing with others that they, too, can receive adoption into
your family as you have adopted us. So again, Father God, may we live lives of
honor before you as we share this Good News.
Finally, Lord,
your Word says, “20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be
reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin
for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2
Corinthians 5:17–21).[3] – Father
God, as ambassadors, which means we represent you in what we say and do. When
others see us, that means we are to stand for your will, your desires, your
thoughts, motives, and intentions here on earth. We are to lay aside any of our
own selfish pursuits now that we are your ambassadors. It is no longer I who
live, but it is Christ who dwells in me, doing and fulfilling your will. When
we see those hungry, in trouble, or in need of necessities of life, we are to
help meet those needs even as you meet ours. We could never do this on our own,
Father God, so we again plead with you to help us be and remain faithful to
your will. Help us, Father God, rebuild the lives of those around us as you
have and are rebuilding ours daily.
We thank you,
Lord, for restoring our health and for supplying the things we need in this
life that restored us to right standing in our community as we contribute back to
our society. We could not do anything good, Lord, without your working in and
through us; may we be grateful for this. Father God, thank you for rebuilding
our lives of ruin. May we walk in the love, grace, and mercy of our Salvation
provided for us through the life, ministry, death, resurrection, and hope given
to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord, and Savior.
Amen
With All People Who Repent and Turn to The Lord Immediately Upon Receiving God’s Salvation, New Believers Begin to Rebuild the Ruins of Their Lives.
They Become Repairers of The Broken Walls and Lives Their Sins Have Destroyed.
They Begin to Rebuild Their Paths and Lives with The Structure of Righteousness.
Are You a Repentant Repairer Restorer and Rebuilder of Lives?
[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[3] The New King James
Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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