The Last Days of Human History (Part 1), 65:1–25
The New Era of
Salvation
1 The Lord says, “People a
who never before inquired about me are now seeking me out. Nations who never
before searched for me are finding me.
2 But
my own people—though I have been spreading out my arms to welcome them all day
long—have rebelled; they follow their own evil paths and thoughts. 3 All
day long they insult me to my face by worshiping idols in many gardens and
burning incense on the rooftops of their homes. 4 At night they go
out among the graves and caves to worship evil spirits, and they eat pork and
other forbidden foods. 5 Yet they say to one another, “Don’t come
too close, you’ll defile me! For I am holier than you!” They stifle me. Day in
and day out they infuriate me.
6 See,
here is my decree all written out before me: I will not stand silent; I will repay. Yes, I will repay them—7
not only for their own sins but for those of their fathers too, says the
Lord, for they also burned incense on the mountains and insulted me upon the
hills. I will pay them back in full.
8 But
I will not destroy them all, says the Lord; for just as good grapes are found
among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, “Don’t throw them all
away—there are some good grapes there!”) so I will not destroy all Israel, for
I have true servants there. 9 I will preserve a remnant of my people
to possess the land of Israel; those I select will inherit it and serve me
there. 10 As for my people who have sought me, the plains of Sharon
shall again be filled with flocks, and the valley of Achor shall be a place to
pasture herds.
11 But
because the rest of you have forsaken the Lord and his Temple and worship gods
of “Fate” and “Destiny,” 12, therefore, I will “destine” you to the
sword, and your “fate” shall be a dark one; for when I called, you didn’t
answer; when I spoke, you wouldn’t listen. You deliberately sinned before my
very eyes, choosing to do what you know I despise.
13 Therefore,
the Lord God says: You shall starve, but my servants shall eat; you shall be
thirsty while they drink; you shall be sad and ashamed, but they shall rejoice.
14 You shall cry in sorrow and vexation and despair, while they sing
for joy. 15 Your name shall be a curse word among my people, for the
Lord God will slay you and call his true servants by another name. b
16 And yet, the days will come c when all who invoke a blessing or take an oath shall swear by the God of Truth; for I will put aside my anger and forget the evil that you did.
The Creation of a
New Heavens & Earth, An Eternal Universe
17 For
see, I am creating new heavens and a new earth—so wonderful that no one will
even think about the old ones anymore. 18 Be glad; rejoice forever
in my creation. Look! I will re-create Jerusalem as a place of happiness, and
her people shall be a joy! 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and in
my people, and the voice of weeping and crying shall not be heard there
anymore.
20 No longer will babies die when only a few days old; no longer will men be considered old at 100! Only sinners will die that young! 21-22 In those days, when a man builds a house, he will keep on living in it—it will not be destroyed by invading armies as in the past. My people will plant vineyards and eat the fruit themselves—their enemies will not confiscate it. For my people will live as long as trees and will long enjoy their hard-won gains. 23 Their harvests will not be eaten by their enemies; their children will not be born to be cannon fodder. For they are the children of those the Lord has blessed; and their children, too, shall be blessed. 24 I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! 25 The wolf and lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw as the ox does, and poisonous snakes shall strike no more! d In those days nothing and no one shall be hurt or destroyed in all my holy mountain says the Lord” (Isaiah65:1–25).[1]
The Last Days of
Human History (Part 1), 65:1–25
Many people are serious in their
pursuit to know the future or to see what the future holds for them. In fact,
psychics, fortune-tellers, and astrologers have gained popularity through the
years, not declined. Even in government, officials and other professionals do
all they can to anticipate future events. They try to study every conceivable
possibility and potential consequence when dealing with other nations and
businesses. If they could just know or see future events, they might be able to
prevent conflicts, economic slumps, and bad business dealings. If any
individual could see the future consequences of his actions, imagine how
radically he might change his behavior.
In the present Scripture, God allowed the prophet Isaiah to see into the future. What he foresaw was the most wonderful news imaginable. The Lord actually enabled the prophet to foresee the glorious consummation of human history. This consummation began when the Savior, Jesus Christ, came to earth. He launched a new age of human history. Isaiah foresaw both the coming age of salvation and the creation of a new heaven and earth, the eternal universe that has been promised by God and is yet to come. This is, The Last Days of Human History (Part 1), 65:1–25.
The New Era of Salvation (Vv. 1–16)
In The Latter Days of Human History, God Would Bring About a New Era of Salvation. Remember, This Is a Prophecy Being Predicted by Isaiah, But God Is the Spokesman. The Lord is speaking through Isaiah and sharing these facts about events yet to come, the wonderful hope that layout in the future for true believers. A new era of salvation would come to earth. And the new era would not be launched by man but, rather, by God Himself. A dramatic intervention into human history would take place. God would reveal Himself to man in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.
The New Era of Salvation
1 The
Lord says, People, a who never before inquired about me are now seeking me
out. Nations who never before searched for me are finding me.
2 But
my own people—though I have been spreading out my arms to welcome them all day
long—have rebelled; they follow their own evil paths and thoughts. 3 All
day long they insult me to my face by worshiping idols in many gardens and
burning incense on the rooftops of their homes. 4 At night they go
out among the graves and caves to worship evil spirits, and they eat pork and
other forbidden foods. 5 Yet they say to one another, “Don’t come
too close, you’ll defile me! For I am holier than you!” They stifle me. Day in
and day out they infuriate me.
6See,
here is my decree all written out before me: I will not stand silent; I will repay. Yes, I will repay them—7
not only for their own sins but for those of their fathers too, says the
Lord, for they also burned incense on the mountains and insulted me upon the
hills. I will pay them back in full.
8 But
I will not destroy them all, says the Lord; for just as good grapes are found
among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, “Don’t throw them all
away—there are some good grapes there!”) so I will not destroy all Israel, for
I have true servants there. 9 I will preserve a remnant of my people
to possess the land of Israel; those I select will inherit it and serve me
there. 10 As for my people who have sought me, the plains of Sharon
shall again be filled with flocks, and the valley of Achor shall be a place to
pasture herds.
11 But
because the rest of you have forsaken the Lord and his Temple and worship gods
of “Fate” and “Destiny,” 12 therefore, I will “destine” you to the
sword, and your “fate” shall be a dark one; for when I called, you didn’t
answer; when I spoke, you wouldn’t listen. You deliberately sinned before my
very eyes, choosing to do what you know I despise.
13 Therefore,
the Lord God says: You shall starve, but my servants shall eat; you shall be
thirsty while they drink; you shall be sad and ashamed, but they shall rejoice.
14 You shall cry in sorrow and vexation and despair, while they sing
for joy. 15 Your name shall be a curse word among my people, for the
Lord God will slay you and call his true servants by another name. b
16 And yet, the days will come c when all who invoke a blessing or take an oath shall swear by the God of Truth; for I will put aside my anger and forget the evil that you did” (Isaiah 65:1–16).[2]
A. God’s Salvation Would Be Offered to The Gentiles as well as to the Jews (V. 1; Also See V. 10; 15; Ro. 10:19–20).
The new era of salvation
a.
God’s salvation now offered to the Gentiles, Ro. 10:19–20
1) Revealed to them:
In Christ
2) Offered by God Himself
1 “I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.”[3]
Paul the apostle tells us that this verse applies to the Gentiles, to God’s offer of salvation to them (Ro. 10:19–20). Whereas the Jews had failed to be God’s witnesses to the Gentiles, God Himself would intervene and share the good news of salvation with the whole world. He would intervene by revealing Himself through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Where Israel had failed, Christ would succeed. Christ would become God’s witness to the whole world, the very revelation of God Himself. Through Christ, the Gentiles would turn to the Lord. Although the Gentiles had never sought after the true and living God, the day was coming when they would seek Him. God would be found by people who had never sought Him before. But note why the Gentiles sought and found the Lord. It was not because of the witness of the Jews. They had failed to be God’s witnesses to the other nations of the world. Rather, it was because of God’s intervention into world history. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to be His witness to the whole world. Through Christ, God offers salvation to every human being, both Jew and Gentile. Note God’s dramatic offer of Himself: “Behold Me, Behold Me” (KJV) or “Here am I, Here am I” (NIV). Christ came to earth to offer Himself and His wonderful salvation to the world. He launched the new era of salvation. Note the Scripture and outline:
V “And all flesh shall see the salvation of
God” (Lu. 3:6).
V “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith,
whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference
between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that
call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved” (Ro. 10:9–13).
V “For this is
good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to
be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Ti. 2:3–6).
V “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation
hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking
for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Tit. 2:11–14).
V “That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs,
and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel” (Ep. 3:6).
V “The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pe. 3:9).
V “The people that walked in darkness have seen
a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them
hath the light shined” (Is. 9:2).
V “And now, saith the Lord that formed me from
the womb to be his servant, to bring
Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in
the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. And he said, It is a
light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to
the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (Is. 49:5–6).
V “Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader,
and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee, shall run unto thee
because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath
glorified thee” (Is. 55:4–5).
V “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light,
and kings to the brightness of thy rising” (Is. 60:3).
V “And there was given him dominion, and glory,
and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his
dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that
which shall not be destroyed” (Da.
7:14).
V “And I will sow her unto me in the earth, and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God” (Ho. 2:23).
B. God’s
New Era of Salvation Also Included
His Strong Indictment of The Israelites (Vv. 2–5).
Remember that
God had chosen Israel for four primary purposes:
Ø
to be His holy, righteous people, the people who
obeyed His holy commandments and worshipped Him, the only living and true God
Ø
to be the people through whom He would send the
Messiah, the Savior, into the world
Ø
to be the people through whom He would give His
Word, the Holy Bible, to the world
Ø to be His witnesses to the world, that He alone is God and that He alone can offer true salvation to the world
God’s
indictment of the Israelites: Five major reasons
1)
They rejected God & His invitation:
Walked in their own evil ways & thoughts, 53:6
2)
They turned to idols & false worship:
Insulted God
3)
They turned to the world of the occult:
Sought the spirits of the dead & ate forbidden food, 8:19; 29:4; 57:3;
66:3, 17; Le. 11:7
4)
They were prideful & self-righteous,
hypocritical: A stench to God
5) They excluded, and shut people out from God: Failed to be God’s witness
2 “I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; 3 A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; 4 Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth a of abominable things is in their vessels; 5 Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose b, a fire that burneth all the day.”[4]
In choosing Israel to be His people, God was bestowing upon the Jews the most wonderful privilege. Through them, He would send the Savior and His Word to the world. And these two purposes were irrevocable. God personally guaranteed that He would preserve the Jewish race down through the centuries so that He could send His Son and His Word to the world. But the responsibility for living righteous, holy lives and for being God’s witnesses to the world—lay with the people themselves. It was their duty to obey God’s commandments and to bear strong witness to the only living and true God. In these two purposes, the Israelites failed miserably. They failed because of five major sins. What follows are God’s accusations against the Israelites:
1) The Israelites Rejected God and His Invitation of Salvation (V. 2). All day long God had stretched forth His hands in love, tenderly pleading for the Israelites to trust and follow Him. With a heart that longed for a personal, loving relationship with His chosen people, God continually sought after them. But they rejected the Lord and His appeals. Their hearts were obstinate, stubborn, and stiff-necked against God. They chose to walk in their own wicked ways and evil thoughts, seeking to fulfill their lusts and sinful desires. Rejecting God, they turned away from Him and His commandments.
V “The Lord shall send upon thee cursing,
vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until
thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of
thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me” (De. 28:20).
V “And the Lord said unto Samuel, hearken unto
the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not
rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them” (1 S. 8:7).
V “But my people would not hearken to my voice,
and Israel would none of me. So, I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh,
that my people had hearkened unto me, and
Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies and
turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the Lord should have
submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured forever. He
should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of
the rock should I have satisfied thee” (Ps. 81:11–16).
V “Because I have called, and ye refused; I
have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at naught all
my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I
will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation and your
destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early,
but they shall not find me: For that, they hated knowledge, and did not choose
the fear of the Lord: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my
reproof. Therefore, shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled
with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and
the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall
dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil” (Pr. 1:24–33).
V “But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob;
but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel” (Is. 43:22).
V “Thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord, thou
art gone backward: therefore, will I stretch out my hand against thee, and
destroy thee; I am weary with repenting” (Je. 15:6).
V “O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters” (Je. 17:13).
2) The Israelites Turned to Idols and False Worship (V. 3). In seeking to establish relationships with their neighbors, many of them joined their neighbors in the worship of false gods. Whereas they should have remained true to the Lord, worshipping Him and Him alone, they instead worshipped the idols and false gods of their neighbors. In open defiance of God’s clear commandment, they insulted the Lord. And they provoked Him to anger. Note that they continually provoked the Lord with this sin. They openly and shamelessly insulted Him over and over again.
V “Professing themselves to be wise, they
became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made
like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping
things” (Ro. 1:22–23).
V “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is
in the earth beneath, or that is in
the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve
them: for I the Lord thy God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the
third and fourth generation of them
that hate me” (Ex. 20:3–5).
V “And he received them at their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool after he
had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of
Egypt” (Ex. 32:4).
V “Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image,
neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down
unto it: for I am the Lord your God”
(Le. 26:1).
V “And they called the people unto the
sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat and bowed down to their gods”
(Nu. 25:2).
V “Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be
not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them” (De. 11:16).
V “And the children of Israel did evil in the
sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served Baalim and the
groves” (Jdg. 3:7).
V “For they served idols, whereof the Lord had
said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing” (2 K. 17:12).
V “There shall no strange god be in thee;
neither shalt thou worship any strange god” (Ps. 81:9).
V “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Is. 42:8).
3) The Israelites Turned To The World Of The Occult, Seeking The Spirits Of The Dead And Eating Forbidden Food (V. 4; Also See 8:19; 29:4; 57:3; 66:3, 17; Le. 11:7). Their sitting in cemeteries suggests that some of the people were attempting to make contact with the spirits of their dead loved ones. And spending the nights in secret places suggests participation in occult practices. Throughout Scripture, the world of the occult is condemned, and God’s people are forbidden to participate in occult practices. A number of Israelites were even eating pork and other meats that were considered unclean and were clearly forbidden by the Law (Le. 11:7; De. 14:3–21).
V “Now the works of the flesh are manifest,
which are these; Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft … of the which I
tell you before, as I have also told you
in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of
God” (Ga. 5:19–21).
V “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death” (Re. 21:8).
V “When thou art come into the land which the Lord
thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those
nations. There shall not be found among you anyone
that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination,
or an observer of times, or an
enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a
wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations,
the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect
with the Lord thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened
unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God
hath not suffered thee so to do” (De. 18:9–14).
V “And they caused their sons and their
daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and
sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger” (2 K. 17:17).
V “But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of
children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the
multitude of thy sorceries, and for
the great abundance of thine enchantments” (Is. 47:9).
V “For the idols have spoken vanity, and the
diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore,
they went their way as a flock, they were troubled because there was no shepherd” (Zec.
10:2).
V “And I will come near to you to judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 3:5).
4) The Israelites Were Prideful, Self-Righteous, And Hypocritical (V. 5). Many became super-spiritual, feeling they were more righteous, and more acceptable to God than others. But in reality, their profession was false. Although they claimed to be followers of the Lord, they were living disobedient lives by breaking God’s commandments and participating in false worship. Thus, they were insincere and deceitful, living out lies before the world. Note God’s comment about the self-righteous and hypocritical: they are a stench in His nostrils, and their behavior provokes His anger.
V “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be
abased, and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Mt. 23:12).
V “Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous
unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Mt. 23:28).
V “But and if that evil servant shall say in
his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and
drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he
looketh not for him, and in an hour
that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt. 24:48–51).
V “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in
the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their
conscience seared with a hot iron” (1
Ti. 4:1–2).
V “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled,
and unbelieving is nothing pure, but
even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but
in works they deny him, being
abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate” (Tit. 1:15–16).
V “Speak not thou in thine heart, after that
the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my
righteousness, the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the
wickedness of these nations, the Lord doth drive them out from before thee” (De. 9:4).
V “Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord” (Ob. 4).
5) The Israelites Excluded or Shut People Out from God (V. 5b). Down through the centuries, the Israelites failed to be God’s witnesses to the world. They failed to be the righteous people who would take the message of the only living and true God to the world. This was one of the Lord’s strongest indictments against the Israelites, for the message of salvation was always intended for the whole human race. Even when God called Abraham to be the founder of the Jewish nation, He made this statement to Abraham: “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Ge. 12:3). Abraham and his descendants were to take the blessings given them by God and share those blessings with everyone, no matter race, creed, or nationality. They were to be God’s witnesses far and wide, proclaiming the wonderful message of salvation and sharing the Word of God with the world.
V “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the
end come” (Mt. 24:14).
V “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost” (Mt. 28:19).
V “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15).
V “And that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Lu. 24:47).
V “But ye shall receive power, after that the
Holy Ghost has come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of
the earth” (Ac. 1:8).
V “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Ge. 12:1–3).
C. God Issued a Strong Warning to Those Who Rejected Him (Vv. 6–7).
God’s warning to
those who reject Him
1)
He has a written record of sin
2)
He will execute perfect justice—full
punishment for sin
3) He will punish the sins of all generations: Because of their idolatry & false worship
6 “Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, 7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore, will I measure their former work into their bosom.” [5]
He had recorded their sins and kept a written record of their misbehavior. Because God’s judgment had not yet fallen, it may have seemed that sin had no consequences, as though people could get away with their sins. But this is far from the truth. There is a record of sin being kept, a record of all wicked deeds. God will not always keep silent, not always remain passive with the wicked who commit their sins brazenly before His very face. God will repay every sinner in full! Every person who continues to reject Him will be held accountable for his misbehavior and disobedience. Perfect justice will be carried out against the wicked of this generation as well as their forefathers and ancestors. And the punishment will be measured out in full upon those who continue in their evil ways and their worship of false gods.
V For the Son of man shall come in the glory of
his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his
works” (Mt. 16:27).
V “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Ro. 6:23).
V “For if the word spoken by angels was
stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense
of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the
first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that
heard him” (He. 2:2–3).
V “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly
out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be
punished” (2 Pe. 2:9).
V “And [they] shall receive the reward of
unrighteousness, as they that count
it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots they
are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they
feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin;
beguiling unstable souls: a heart they have exercised with covetous practices;
cursed children” (2 Pe. 2:13–14).
V “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam,
prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his
saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of
all their hard speeches which ungodly
sinners have spoken against him” (Jude
1:14–15).
V “And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according
as his work shall be” (Re. 22:12).
V “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant” (Je. 1:10).
D. God Gave a Wonderful Promise to The Israelites Regarding the New Era of Salvation: Some Jews Would Be Saved. A Remnant Would Be Redeemed (Vv. 8-10).
God’s redemption
of a remnant of Jews: Assured by His Word
1)
He will not destroy all Jews: Just as men do
not destroy the good grapes found in a cluster of bad ones
2)
He will save a remnant of Jews to possess
His land, the promised land (a symbol of heaven)
·
They will be His servants
· They will have fertile land for nourishment & rest: From the western to the eastern edges of the promised land
8 “Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so, will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all. 9 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. 10 And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.” [6]
Note that this promise was spoken by the Lord Himself. It was His Word that assured the salvation of the remnant of Jews. Although many within the Israelite nation had lived wicked lives, there were still some righteous believers. The righteous would not be destroyed when the hand of God’s judgment fell upon the vast majority of Jews. Just as men do not destroy an entire cluster of grapes when there are a few good found among the bad, so the Lord would save His righteous and faithful followers within the nation of Israel. They would be His servants (v. 8), and they would possess the promised land (v. 9). Keep in mind that the promised land is a symbol of heaven, the perfect world that will be created by the Messiah when He returns to set up God’s kingdom on earth. The Jews would live from Sharon to the Valley of Achor, which were the western and eastern edges of the promised land (v. 10). This rich inheritance would provide nourishment and rest for the remnant and their livestock.
V “Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though
the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall
be saved” (Ro. 9:27).
V “Even so then at this present time also there
is a remnant according to the election of grace” (Ro. 11:5).
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, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for
he hath prepared for them a city” (He.
11:13–16).
V “And I will gather the remnant of my flock
out of all countries whither I have driven them and will bring them again to
their folds, and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up
shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be
dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord. Behold, the days come,
saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King
shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called,
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of
Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and
which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from
all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own
land” (Je. 23:3–8).
V “At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.… For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God. For thus saith the Lord, Sing with gladness for Jacob and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither” (Je. 31:1, 6–8).
E. While The Righteous Would Be Spared in The New Era of Salvation, God’s Judgment Would Fall on Those Who Had Turned Away to Worship the Gods Fortune (Good Luck) And Destiny (Vv. 11–12).
God’s judgment
upon those who turn away to worship the gods of Fortune (Good Luck) &
Destiny: These two pagan gods were also known as Troop & Number
1) Their
fate: Death
2) Their
closed minds, stubborn wills
• Would not listen
• Continued to do evil
11 “But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop c, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. 12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.”[7]
These two pagan gods were also known as Troop and Number. Wishing or hoping for good luck or fortune is as common today as it has been down through the ages. Many people even avoid doing things that are thought to bring bad luck. But as God’s people walk through life, they are to trust the Lord for guidance, provision, and security. In fact, no person should trust good luck or good fortune. So, it is with destiny. A person’s fate and future must be placed into the hands of the Lord not pinned to some false belief that looks to the stars or psychics or to a false god called Destiny. The Lord alone is the living and true God. Any other god is false and exists only in the minds of unbelievers. A person who places his fate in these false gods—whether people or things or ideas—is destined for judgment (v. 12). Despite all the Lord’s warnings through the years, many of the Israelites closed their minds. Sadly, in a spirit of stubbornness, they did not listen to the Lord’s warnings. They continued in their evil ways, placing their hopes in Good Luck and Destiny, two empty, powerless, and lifeless gods that have been worshipped down through history.
V “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart
and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Ac. 7:51).
V “For the time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Ti. 4:3–4).
V “Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a
rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear,
and hear not: for they are a
rebellious house” (Eze. 12:2).
V “Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which
have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest
they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall
be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him
about” (Ps. 32:9–10).
V “Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them
again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but they would not give
ear” (2 Chr. 24:19).
V “Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness” (Is. 46:12).
V “Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass.… There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked” (Is. 48:4, 22).
V “To whom shall I speak, and give warning,
that they may hear? behold, their ear is
uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto
them a reproach; they have no delight in it” (Je. 6:10).
V “And they have turned unto me the back, and
not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to
receive instruction” (Je. 32:33).
V “As for
the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not
hearken unto thee” (Je. 44:16).
V “But they refused to hearken, and pulled away
the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear” (Zec. 7:11).
V “If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart” (Mal. 2:2).
God’s assigned
destiny for the saved & the rejected
The Saved will …
Eat
Drink
Rejoice
Sing
for joy
Receive
a new name or character
Ask for blessings & take oaths only in the Name of
the Lord
Live in perfection: No trouble or sorrow
The Rejected will …
Hunger
Thirst
Be
sad, ashamed
Cry
out in agony & brokenness
Be cursed to die (spiritual & eternal death)
13 “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: 14 Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation d of spirit. 15 And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name: 16 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.” [8]
This is obviously looking ahead to the time when God’s kingdom will be established on earth. Much of what is said in these verses is not suffered by those who reject Christ. Many of the wicked do prosper and have excellent health throughout their lives. And although the righteous receive the gifts listed here to a certain extent after being saved, they do not experience the fullness of the gifts until they go to be with the Lord eternally. The Scripture and outline clearly show the two lines of destiny that run parallel to each other, but the two are worlds apart.
1)
The Destiny of Those Who Are Truly Saved
Includes the Most Wonderful Blessings of God:
Ø
God’s
gracious provision of food, drink, and a spirit of rejoicing
Ø
hearts that sing for joy over the rich blessings
of God
Ø
a new name, which means a new character of
righteousness that is stirred by God’s Spirit
Ø
a spirit that asks for blessings and takes oaths
only in the Name of the Lord. The suggestion is that the person would no longer
seek blessings and swear oaths by false gods. The person’s spirit would be pure
and righteous, wishing only to edify the Lord.
Ø a perfect state of being in which there is no trouble or sorrow. All sin and evil are forgotten and hidden from God’s eyes because Jesus Christ has brought God’s kingdom to earth. Hence the earth itself—God’s kingdom—is in a state of perfection.
V “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and
his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33).
V “Then shall the King say unto them on his
right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world” (Mt.
25:34).
V “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and
to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10).
V “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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn.
14:2–3).
V “And God is
able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all
sufficiency in all things, may abound
to every good work” (2 Co. 9:8).
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 “But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Ph. 4:19).
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 shall deliver me from every
evil work, and will preserve me unto
his heavenly kingdom: to whom be
glory forever and ever. Amen” (2
Ti. 4:18).
V “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give
diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye
shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly
into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pe. 1:10–11).
V “Thou hast also given me the shield of thy
salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made
me great” (Ps. 18:35).
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 [gray] hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you” (Is. 46:4).
2)
The Destiny of Those Who Reject the Lord Will
Be Both Tragic and Terrifying:
Ø
They will suffer hunger and thirst.
Ø
They will be sad and ashamed (v. 13).
Ø
They will cry out in agony from broken hearts
and tormented spirits (v. 14).
Ø They will be cursed to die, which for the unbeliever is both physical and eternal death (v. 15). Sadly, the name of the wicked will become a curse among the righteous because of the evil they have committed.
V “And this is the condemnation, that light is
come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil” (Jn. 3:19).
V “And as it is appointed unto men once to die,
but after this the judgment” (He.
9:27).
V “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly
out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be
punished” (2 Pe. 2:9).
V “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam,
prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his
saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of
all their hard speeches which ungodly
sinners have spoken against him” (Jude
1:14–15).
V “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Re. 20:11–15).[9]
God Has Assigned Two Different Destinies
for Those Who Are Living in The New Era of Salvation.
One Destiny Is for The Saved and The Other Is for Those Who Have Rejected Him.
13 Therefore
thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, My
servants shall eat,
But
you shall be hungry;
Behold, My
servants shall drink,
But
you shall be thirsty;
Behold, My
servants shall rejoice,
But
you shall be ashamed;
14 Behold,
My servants shall sing for joy of heart,
But
you shall cry for sorrow of heart,
And
wail for grief of spirit.
15
You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen;
For
the Lord God will slay you,
And call His servants by another name;[10]
The Contrasts of The Religious with The
Irreligious Life.
The Prophet Notices Three Main Contrasts.
I.
God’s
Servants Are Fed with A Food That Satisfies; His Adversaries Are Tormented by A
Ceaseless Craving.
Man is so
constituted that nothing short of his highest good contents him. Earthly
blessings, health, wealth, success, fame, power, glory, leave a void in the
heart which nothing earthly can fill up. The worldling is always dissatisfied,
always desires more than he has, craves some fresh excitement, desires some “new
pleasure.” “Hungry and thirsty, their souls faint in them” (Ps. 107:5). With
God’s servants the case is different. A Divine contentedness fills their
hearts. They have been given to drink of a water of which “whosoever drinketh
shall never thirst,” but it “shall be in him a well of water springing up into
everlasting life” (John 4:14). They have God for their Saviour; they are at one
with him; and in this communion they rest satisfied; they neither hunger nor
thirst.
II.
God’s
Servants Sing for Joy of Heart; His Adversaries Howl for Vexation of Spirit.
“The voice of joy
and thanksgiving is in the dwellings of the righteous” (Ps. 118:15). The love
of God, which “casts out fear” (1 John 4:18), reigns in their hearts, and
elevates them above the troubles and anxieties of ordinary human life. They
“know whom they have believed;” they know in whom they trust. All their care
they have cast upon God; and hence they are without care; their souls are full
of an ineffable joy and satisfaction; they want nothing, unless it be to have
their communion with God complete (Rom. 8:23; 2 Cor. 5:2, 4; Phil. 1:23, etc.).
But the adversaries of God are always vexed in spirit. Worldly cares trouble
them; worldly disappointments annoy them; doubts and misgivings with respect to
the future weigh on them; an awful fear lest they have entirely mistaken the
true end and aim of life broods over them. In the expressive language of
Scripture, they “howl” through anguish of heart—complain, murmur, proclaim
themselves pessimists. The world, to their thinking, is the worst of
conceivable worlds; the scheme of the universe, if there be any such scheme, a
gigantic fraud and mistake.
III.
God’s
Servants Bring a Blessing Upon the Earth; His Adversaries Leave Their Name as A
Curse to It.
“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (1 Cor. 5:6). God would have spared Sodom if it had contained “ten righteous” (Gen. 18:32). It is the existence of his servants upon the earth that especially commends the earth to his care, and causes him to watch over it, to sustain it, and to bless the increase of it. Moreover, the servants of God are a blessing to mankind at large, (1) as an example to them; (2) as a real help to them if they desire to amend their ways; (3) as in many respects ameliorating and elevating their condition. God’s adversaries, on the contrary, are in every respect a curse to the earth. They debase its moral tone; they stir up strife in it; they are the authors of war, bloodshed, enmities, calumnies, uncleanness, variance, sedition, heresy, blasphemy, and the like; they caused God once to “repent that he had made man on the earth” (Gen. 6:6), and they cause him continually to look upon the earth with more or less of disfavour. Their presence pollutes the earth, and makes it necessary that “the first heaven and the first earth” shall “pass away” (Rev. 21:1), and be superseded by “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:13).[11]
Prayer: Father God, our
prayer is that you would sustain us in the days as they grow darker. We see the
evil besetting this world, and we beg you to take us home to be with you soon.
We do not want to be here watching the decay of our physical lives, the death
and destruction of this world, and the ease with which our family and friends reject
us because of our faith in you. We do not want to be here anymore, experiencing
the grieving of our souls because of the evil in this world seemingly ruling
and reigning. Father God, we know that you are the one who is KING of kings and
LORD of lords, but evil has so permeated every area of our lives that we cannot
live without the feeling of being suffocated as we desire to stand up for you
and your righteousness.
Father God, we hunger and thirst
for righteousness because of these dark, evil days. We often are ashamed of our
behavior. We compromise our walk and faith because we do not want to be
rejected by our friends and family. We feel broken and cry out for you to make
things in this life right. When, Lord, will you come again and restore your
world to the way you originally intended? When, Lord, will you return? Lord, we
praise you for our salvation and long for the day of going home to heaven.
Until then, Father God, we need you to take care of us. We need you, Father God,
to provide for our needs, to sustain us with our daily provision.
Father God, we want to sing for
joy and rejoice in you in all you have done for us, but we need you to renew our
strength by manifesting your love in our lives. Please, Father God, we are
begging you to display the new character you have given us so we can stand up in
these times of trial. Help us, Father God, to remain faithful to you so we can
enjoy that time of perfection with you in the new heaven and earth where there
will be no death or sorrow.
We are looking forward to those days, Father; please come quickly. In our Lord and Savior’s name Jesus, we pray, Amen.
“The Lord Says, People Who Never Before Inquired About Me Are Now Seeking Me Out. Nations Who Never Before Searched for Me Are Finding Me. But My Own People—Though I Have Been Spreading Out My Arms to Welcome Them All Day Long—Have Rebelled; They Follow Their Own Evil Paths and Thoughts.”
DS
Deeper Study
a 65:1 People, literally, “those.” Also, Nations.
Some believe this verse as well as the next applies to Israelites rather than
to the nations. But see Romans 10:20-21.
b 65:15 by another name, i.e., “Christians”? See Acts 11:26.
c 65:16 the days will come, implied.
d 65:25
snakes shall strike no more,
literally, “dust [not men!] shall be the serpent’s food.”
[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
a 65:1
People, literally, “those.”
Also, Nations. Some believe this
verse as well as the next applies to Israelites rather than to the nations. But
see Romans 10:20-21.
b 65:15
by another name, i.e.,
“Christians”? See Acts 11:26.
c 65:16
the days will come, implied.
[2] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
[3] The Holy Bible:
King James Version. 1995. Electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of
the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
a broth: or, pieces
b nose:
or, anger
[4] The Holy Bible:
King James Version. 1995. Electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of
the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
& and
[5] The Holy Bible:
King James Version. 1995. Electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of
the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[6] The Holy Bible:
King James Version. 1995. Electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of
the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
c troop: or, Gad
[7] The Holy Bible:
King James Version. 1995. Electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of
the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
d vexation: Heb. breaking
[8] The Holy Bible:
King James Version. 1995. Electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of
the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[9] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[10] The New King James
Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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