e martë, 5 shkurt 2008

Isaiah 29:15-24

Passage:
15 Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?"
16 You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?
17 Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?
18 In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.
19 The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
20 For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off,
21 who by a word make a man out to be an offender, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right.
22 Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall no more be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale.
23 For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur will accept instruction."

Journal: Paul echoes verse 16 in his letter to the Romans, as he emphasizes that God's election in Christ is for His good pleasure. There is great resistance here, as it is human nature to place a human perspective on the sovereignty of God. Calvin's advice on fighting against the Biblical perspective of the sovereignty of God was "it will do us no good to proceed farther . . ." That is, our human limitation of thought is too restrictive to grasp all that is God.

It appears that in Isaiah's time the people were actively planning against God. The futility of this quest will be illuminated by the victory of Christ on the cross. [Isaiah 29:17-19 -- Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest? In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.] Isaiah drives home the point on fruitless rebellion by reminding the people that their patriarch is ashamed of their actions. [Isaiah 29:22 -- Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall no more be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale."]

The nation of Israel [Judah] has become corrupt. But Isaiah is seeing a time of spiritual renewal. Isaiah is seeing the time of Christ and His church. It is His church that is the new Israel, the spiritual descendants of Abraham. Give thanks to God that He gave you eyes that see and gave you ears that hear. [Isaiah 29:24 -- "And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur will accept instruction."]