Do you still say, "Oh no, I blew it; God is going to kill me?" Or, do you now say, "Oh no, I blew it; I need to run to my Father God. He will know what to do."

God Longs to Restore Any of Us Who Have Gone Astray or Have Denied or Rejected Him.

If We Will Repent of Our Unbelief and Denial, Turn Away from Our Sins, and Trust the Lord, He Will Have Compassion, Grace, and Mercy Upon Us. 

The Holy City Will Be the Center of World Trade & of Worship

⁴ Lift up your eyes and see! For your sons and daughters are coming home to you from distant lands. ⁵ Your eyes will shine with joy, your hearts will thrill, for merchants from around the world will flow to you, bringing you the wealth of many lands. ⁶ Vast droves of camels will converge upon you, dromedaries from Midian and Sheba and Ephah, too, bringing gold and incense to add to the praise of God. ⁷ The flocks of Kedar shall be given you, and the rams of Nabaioth for My altars, and I will glorify My glorious Temple in that day.

⁸ And who are these who fly like a cloud to Israel, like doves to their nests? ⁹ I have reserved the ships of many lands, the very best, to bring the sons of Israel home again from far away, bringing their wealth with them. For the Holy One of Israel, known around the world, has glorified you in the eyes of all.

¹⁰ Foreigners will come and build your cities. Presidents and kings will send you aid. For though I destroyed you in My anger, I will have mercy on you through My grace.^[1] (Isaiah60:5–10 TLB) 

The Holy City Will Be the Center of World Trade & of Worship. 

I.                   When The Messiah, The Lord Jesus Christ, Sets Up God's Kingdom on Earth, Jerusalem Will Become the Economic and Financial Capital of The World (V. 5). It will be the center of all commerce shipped by sea from all parts of the world. In addition, the Holy City will be the center of all trade in products transported over land. The latest method of transportation will carry goods around the world, just as caravans of camels and other animals transported the products of ancient history (v. 6). The world's financial system will operate under the leadership of the Lord of glory, Christ Jesus Himself. The implication is that the world will know economic prosperity. No one will be homeless, unclothed, or hungry. Everyone will prosper under the world leadership of the Messiah. 

II.                Equally important, Jerusalem Will Become the Center of Worldwide Worship (Vv. 6–7). People of every nation will worship and praise the Lord together. All people will present their offerings to the Lord, and He will accept their gifts.

Using the gifts to adorn His temple, He will be honored and glorified through their praise. Jesus Christ will be acknowledged as the true Messiah, the Savior, and the Redeemer of the human race. 

III.             On That Day, Jerusalem Will Become the Entire World's focus (Vv. 8–10). Everyone, even the people in the islands and the distant parts of the world, will look to the Lord and the Holy City. The ships of Tarshish will travel to the nations of the world to secure their gifts to the Lord and to bring the Jews back to the promised land (v. 9). Through the gifts of wealth and the return of His people, the Lord will be honored as the Holy One of Israel. Note also the tremendous promise to God's people: they will be endowed with the glory or splendor of the Lord (v. 9c). 

IV.             One of the Reasons So Many Foreigners Will Travel to Jerusalem is to Rebuild the Capital (V. 10). When the city is established as the financial center of the world, businesses from far and near will construct their headquarters or administrative offices there. The sheer number and enormity of building projects in Jerusalem, along with their subsidiary businesses and services needed worldwide, simply explode the imagination. Under the leadership of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the light and glory of God will come to Jerusalem. The ancient city will be the capital of the world, the center of the world's economic and financial institutions, as well as the center of worldwide worship. 

V.                Note How the Lord Closes the Prophecy of These Verses (V.10). Due to the terrible sins of His people, God had executed His wrath, His judgment against them. However, ultimately, He would show them mercy and compassion. Today is the day of God's mercy, the day in which He will have compassion on us, whether Jew or Gentile. In the future, God will restore Israel because of His mercy. However, he has not forsaken the entire nation, for there are some who genuinely trust and believe in the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. These believers, whether many or few, will be saved and restored to the favor of the Lord. 

VI.             In The End-Time, When Jesus Christ Returns to Set Up God's Kingdom on Earth, Many Will, At Last, Recognize That Christ Is the True Messiah. These people will then believe and turn to the Lord for salvation. Because God is merciful, He will accept them and allow them to enter the promised land of His kingdom. Nevertheless, even now, there is wonderful news: God longs to restore any of us who have gone astray or have denied or rejected Him. If we repent of our unbelief and denial, turn away from our sins, and trust the Lord, He will have compassion upon us. 

Listen To What God's Holy Word Says About His Abundant Mercy and Favor:

V  "And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation" (Lu. 1:50).

V  "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Ep. 2:4–8).

V  "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Tit. 3:5–7).

V  "Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever" (Ps. 106:1).

V  "The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes" (Ps. 119:64).

V  "I have seen his ways and will heal him: I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners" (Is. 57:18).

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  "For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, this is Zion, whom no man seeketh after" (Je. 30:17).

V  "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness" (La. 3:22–23).

V  "I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for mine, anger is turned away from him" (Ho. 14:4).

V  "And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil" (Joel 2:13).

V  "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy" (Mi. 7:18).

V  "He will turn again; he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" (Mi. 7:19).^[2] 

For Though I Destroyed You in My Anger, I Will Have Mercy on You Through My Grace.^[3]

The simple definition of God's Mercy is, not giving us what we deserve, specifically, judgment. Grace is giving us what we do not deserve, specifically, pardon from our sin against God, we deserve judgment and punishment but God who is rich in His Love, Grace, and Mercy, displays His compassion toward us in not giving us what we deserve. 

God's Grace Is Our Only Hope! Israel was devastated by times of intense rebellion and sin. Yet when the people repented and returned to God, he delivered them. God puts no limit on the number of times we can come to him to obtain mercy, but we must come in order to obtain it, recognizing our need and asking him for help. This miracle of grace should inspire us to say, "What a gracious and merciful God you are!" If there is a recurring problem or difficulty in your life, continue to ask God for help, and be willing and ready to make changes in your attitude and behavior that will correct that situation.^[4] 

Prayer: Father God, we praise you for Who you are. You are a God of compassion who knows our weaknesses, our failures, our trials, hopes, and dreams. Father God, you came to earth to live as one of us, so you know what it is to live in this body of flesh. You understand our daily struggles, needs, and anguish of heart mind, and soul. Again, Father God, we praise you because you do understand what it is to live in this sinful world. We praise you that you have provided a way for us to live beyond this life with you eternally in heaven. We thank you, Lord. We thank you, Father God, for the ability to say, "Oh no, I blew it, I need to run to my Father God, He will know what to do." We thank you Father God that we no longer need to say, "Oh no, I blew it, God is going to kill me." Lord, we have moved beyond the position of fear of your wrath to the position of fear to disappoint you. The difference between the two positions, Father God, is night and day, and for that, we praise and thank you. May we continue to live honoring you with our lives in all that we think, say, and do.

In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen. 

Do you still say, "Oh no, I blew it; God is going to kill me?" Or, do you now say,

"Oh no, I blew it; I need to run to my Father God. He will know what to do."

 

God Longs to Restore Any of Us Who Have Gone Astray or Have Denied or Rejected Him.

If We Will Repent of Our Unbelief and Denial, Turn Away from Our Sins, and Trust the Lord, He Will Have Compassion, Grace, and Mercy Upon Us.

---

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

^[4] Wilson, Neil S. 2000. In The Handbook of Bible Application, 261. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.