The Savior’s Great
Promise to Israel—Restoration:
Repentant
Backsliders Would Return to Him, Isaiah 54:1–17
Sing, O
childless woman! Break out into loud and joyful song, Jerusalem,a
for she who was abandoned has more blessings now than she whose husband stayed!
2Enlarge your house; build on additions; spread out your home! 3For
you will soon be bursting at the seams! And your descendants will possess the
cities left behind during the exile and rule the nations that took their lands.
4Fear
not; you will no longer live in shame. The shame of your youth and the sorrows
of widowhood will be remembered no more, 5for your Creator will be your
“husband.” The Lord Almighty is his name; he is your Redeemer, the Holy One of
Israel, the God of all the earth. 6For the Lord has called you back
from your grief—a young wife abandoned by her husband. 7For a brief
moment I abandoned you. But with great compassion, I will take you back. 8In
a moment of anger I turned my face a little while; but with everlasting love, I
will have pity on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9Just
as in the time of Noah I swore that I would never again permit the waters of a flood
to cover the earth and destroy its life, so now I swear that I will never again
pour out my anger on you. 10For the mountains may depart, and the
hills disappear, but my kindness shall not leave you. My promise of peace for
you will never be broken, says the Lord who has mercy upon you.
11O my afflicted people, tempest-tossed and troubled, I will rebuild you on a foundation of sapphires and make the walls of your houses from precious jewels. 12I will make your towers of sparkling agate and your gates and walls of shining gems. 13And all your citizens shall be taught by me, and their prosperity shall be great. 14You will live under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away; you will live in peace. Terror shall not come near. 15If any nation comes to fight you; it will not be sent by me to punish you. Therefore, it will be routed, for I am on your side.b 16I have created the smith who blows the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy. 17But in that coming day, no weapon turned against you shall succeed, and you will have justice against every courtroom lie. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. This is the blessing I have given you, says the Lord.[1] (Isaiah 54:1–17)
The Savior’s Great
Promise to Israel—Restoration:
Repentant
Backsliders Will Return to Him, 54:1–17
To backslide means to revert to a worse
condition, to lapse morally, or to back away from one’s practice of religion.
When believers backslide, they turn away from the Lord and His holy
commandments, which demand righteous living. A backsliding believer
returns to the selfishness and sins of the world. A backsliding believer
ignores or neglects worship, the reading of God’s Word, prayer, witnessing, and
reaching out to meet the desperate needs of the world. A backsliding
believer sometimes slips into immoral, lawless, or even violent behavior. Backsliding
shames Christ by giving the world a chance to ridicule and mock His name. How?
By presenting a terrible testimony or impression of the Christian life.
Backsliding
Is the Practical Subject of The Present Scripture. The Israelites were a backsliding
people, a people who continually turned away from the Lord to follow the wicked
ways and the false gods of the world. Nevertheless, God loved His chosen
people, both the believers and the unbelievers. As seen in Isaiah 53, God sent
the Savior into the world to die for the sins of the entire human race. To the
world, the Messiah’s salvation means the offer of a great invitation (55:1–56:8).
To the hypocrites and the wicked of this earth, the Messiah’s salvation means a
strong warning (58:1–59:21). To Israel, the Messiah’s salvation means restoration (54:1–17).1
This is, The Savior’s Great Promise to
Israel—Restoration: Repentant Backsliders Will Return to Him, 54:1–17.
1.
The Repentant Backsliders Would Be Set
Free and Filled with Joy (vv. 1–3).
2.
The repentant backsliders would be delivered
from fear, shame, and disgrace (v. 4).
3.
The repentant backsliders would be
reconciled to God (vv. 5–10).
4. The repentant backsliders would be given a glorious future: a picture of the Savior’s kingdom (vv. 11–17).
The Repentant
Backsliders Would Be Set Free & Filled with Joy
Sing, O childless woman! Break out into loud and joyful song, Jerusalem,a for she who was abandoned has more blessings now than she whose husband stayed! 2Enlarge your house; build on additions; spread out your home! 3For you will soon be bursting at the seams! And your descendants will possess the cities left behind during the exile and rule the nations that took their lands.[2] (Isaiah54:1–3)
The Repentant Backsliders Would Experience Joy, and the
Nation Would Grow.
Israel is the backsliding
nation described throughout this passage. Isaiah called Israel a barren woman; she was unfruitful and
unproductive because she had been an unfaithful wife. Israel had turned away
from her husband, God Himself (50:1–3; 62:4; Je. 3:8; Ho. 2:1f; Eze. 16:1f;
23:1f). She had broken her vow to be faithful to the Lord, to belong to Him
and Him alone. The people had turned away from the Lord to live as they wanted
and to do their own thing, which meant embracing false gods and committing acts
of wickedness. So far as godliness and righteousness were concerned, the nation
had been drained. The people had become utterly barren. For that reason, the Lord had to abandon the Israelites.
Because of her sin, the nation was destroyed, and the citizens were taken
captive by Babylon.
However, the
day was coming when backsliding Israel would return to the Lord, experiencing
joy and great growth within the nation. As a result of the war and the hardship
of their exile, the Israelite population was greatly diminished. But when the
Israelites were set free from Babylonian captivity and allowed to return to the
promised land, they would grow in numbers. They would be fruitful and reproduce
their population. Although the immediate occasion for this prophecy was
Israel’s restoration to the promised land after their captivity in Babylon, the
prophecy will not be totally fulfilled until the Messiah returns to set up
God’s kingdom on earth. No expansion in the history of Israel has ever come
close to the population explosion described in these verses. Yet, when the Lord
Jesus Christ returns to set up God’s kingdom on earth, Israel will need to
enlarge her tents even more to make room for the growing population.
But just who is the population? Does this verse refer only to the true believers of Israel, or is it a reference to all believers of all nations? Clearly, the Scripture carries a double application. It refers both to the Jews who were returning from Babylonian captivity and to all the citizens who will live in the kingdom of Christ when He returns to earth. In fact, this is exactly what other Scriptures say. The apostle Paul applies this passage to all believers of all nations when he says that the heavenly Jerusalem is the mother of all believers (Ga. 4:26–27; also see He. 12:22). What is being described is the enormous number of Gentile believers birthed through the witness of the early church, which consisted of the apostles and the earliest Jewish believers. Through the centuries, the number of believers has grown significantly. And when Christ returns to earth, believers will do exactly what verse three says: they will spread out over the entire earth, settling in all the nations and cities of the world. Keep in mind that only believers will be allowed to live on earth when Christ returns to set up God’s kingdom.
Thought 1. God warns us against backsliding, against turning away from Him. Far too many of us have turned to this world and its wicked ways instead of remaining true to the Lord. Think how many of us have forsaken the Lord for the pleasures, power, fame, possessions, and wealth of this world. Think how many of us have worshipped so-called gods—the sun, moon, and stars; celebrities, heroes, and other public figures; television, movies, music, and so on—rather than the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only living and true God. God has given us His Holy Word in the Bible, and His Word is sufficient to meet every need we have. Still, far too many of us have backslidden by abandoning God, committing adultery with this world and its false gods.
I.
Listen To God’s Warning Against
Backsliding.
V “And because iniquity shall abound, the love
of many shall wax cold” (Mt.
24:12).
V “And Jesus said unto him, no man, having put
his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lu. 9:62).
V “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness” (Ro. 1:18).
V “And even as they did not like to retain God
in their knowledge, God gave them
over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being
filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness,
maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters,
haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,
disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without
natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God,
that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them” (Ro. 1:28–32).
V “But now, after that, ye have known God, or
rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements,
whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” (Ga. 4:9).
V “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no
pleasure in him” (He. 10:38).
V “They went out from us, but they were not of
us; for if they had been of us, they would no
doubt have continued with us: but they
went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us” (1 Jn. 2:19).
V “Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Re. 2:4).
V “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways” (Pr. 14:14).
II.
Listen to the Wonderful Promises God Makes
to Backsliders Who Repent and Return to Him.
V “Blessed are
they that mourn for they shall be comforted” (Mt. 5:4).
V “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be
in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just
persons, which need no repentance” (Lu.
15:7).
V “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name:
ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (Jn. 16:24).
V “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Ac. 2:38).
V “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord” (Ac. 3:19).
V “For the kingdom of God is not meat and
drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Ro. 14:17).
V “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to
salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Co. 7:10).
V “If my people, which are called by my name,
shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked
ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land” (2 Chr. 7:14).
V “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy
presence is fulness of joy; at thy
right hand there are pleasures for
evermore” (Ps. 16:11).
V “The Lord is
nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite
spirit” (Ps. 34:18).
V “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy” (Ps. 126:5).
V “Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out
of the wells of salvation” (Is.
12:3).
V “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall
obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Is. 35:10).
V “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will
have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Is. 55:7).
V “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite
spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Is.
66:2).
V “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.
Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art
the Lord our God” (Je. 3:22).
V “But if the wicked will turn from all his
sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is
lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die” (Eze. 18:21).
V “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Eze. 18:31).[3]
Backslide (Forget, Give Up, Turn Away)
Reasons for Backsliding
What Causes People to Forget God’s Faithfulness So Quickly?
Bible
reading: Deuteronomy 8:10–20
Key Bible
Verse: But that is the time to be
careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and
disobey his commands, regulations, and laws. (Deuteronomy 8:11)
Pride Leads to
Backsliding. In times of plenty, we often take credit for our
prosperity and become proud that our own hard work and cleverness have made us
rich. It is easy to get so busy collecting and managing wealth that we push God
right out of our life. But it is God who gives us everything we have, and it is
God who asks us to manage it for him.
Bible
reading: Judges 2:6–19
Key Bible
Verse: Yet Israel did not listen to
the judges but prostituted themselves to other gods, bowing down to them. How
quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had walked in
obedience to the Lord’s commands. (Judges 2:17)
Selfishness Leads
to Backsliding. Why would the people of Israel turn so quickly from
their faith in God? Simply put, the Canaanite religion appeared more attractive
to the sensual nature and offered more short-term benefits (sexual permissiveness and increased fertility in
childbearing and farming). One of its most attractive features was that
people could remain selfish and yet fulfill their religious requirements. They
could do almost anything they wished and still be obeying at least one of the
many Canaanite gods. Male and female prostitution were not only allowed but
encouraged as forms of worship.
Faith in the
one true God, however, does not offer short-term benefits that appeal to our
sinful human nature. The essence of sin is selfishness; the essence of God’s
way of life is selflessness. We must seek Christ’s help to live God’s
way.
Bible
reading: Mark 4:1–20
Key Bible
Verse: The thorny ground represents
those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is
crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for
nice things, so no crop is produced. (Mark 4:18–19)
Distractions Can
Cause Backsliding. Worldly worries, the false sense of security
brought on by prosperity, and the desire for things plagued first-century
disciples as they do us today. How easy it is for our daily routines to become
overcrowded. A life packed with materialistic pursuits deafens us to God’s
Word. Stay free so you can hear God when he speaks.
Preventing Backsliding
How Can We Keep from Forgetting God’s Faithfulness?
Bible
reading: Luke 9:57–62
Key Bible
Verse: Jesus told him, “Anyone who
puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
(Luke 9:62)
Commitment to Jesus
Prevents Backsliding. What does Jesus want from us? Total
dedication, not halfhearted commitment. We can’t pick and choose among Jesus’
ideas and follow him selectively; we have to accept the cross along with the
crown, judgment as well as mercy. We must count the cost and be willing to
abandon everything else that has given us security. With our focus on Jesus, we
should allow nothing to distract us from the manner of living that he calls
good and true.
Bible
reading: James 5:15–20
Key Bible
Verse: My dear brothers and sisters,
if anyone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back again, you
can be sure that the one who brings that person back will save that sinner from
death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. (James 5:19–20)
Commitment to Other Believers Prevents Backsliding. Clearly, this person who has wandered away is a believer who has fallen into sin—one who is no longer living a life consistent with his beliefs. Christians disagree over whether or not it is possible for people to lose their salvation, but all agree that those who move away from their faith are in serious trouble and need to repent. James urges Christians to help backsliders return to God. By taking the initiative, praying for them, and acting in love, we can meet them where they are and bring them back to God and his forgiveness.[4]
Pics Provided by Bing, Paintings - Search (bing.com) © The Metropolitan Museum of Art
a 54:1
Jerusalem, implied. blessings, literally, “children.”
b 54:15
for I am on your side,
literally, “because of you.”
[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
1 Warren
W. Wiersbe. Be Comforted, p. 142. The
wording of these last three statements was gleaned from Warren W. Wirsbe.
a 54:1 Jerusalem, implied. blessings, literally, “children.”
[2] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters
36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible.
Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[4] Wilson, Neil S. 2000. In The Handbook of
Bible Application, 49–50. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc.
No comments:
Post a Comment