Home thoughts from abroad.wordpress.com

“Listen to me, you who know right from wrong,
    you who cherish my law in your hearts.
Do not be afraid of people’s scorn,
    nor fear their insults.
⁸ For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing.
    The worm will eat at them as it eats wool.
But my righteousness will last forever.
    My salvation will continue from generation to generation.”

¹² “I, yes I, am the one who comforts you.
    So why are you afraid of mere humans,
    who wither like the grass and disappear?
¹³ Yet you have forgotten the Lord, your Creator,
    the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy
    and laid the foundations of the earth.
Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors?
    Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies?
Where is their fury and anger now?
    It is gone!
¹⁴ Soon all you captives will be released!
    Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate!
¹⁵ For I am the Lord your God,
    who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar.
    My name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
¹⁶ And I have put my words in your mouth
    and hidden you safely in my hand.
I stretched out the sky like a canopy
    and laid the foundations of the earth.
I am the one who says to Israel,
    ‘You are my people!’” (NLT).

”The only known antidote to fear is faith.” Woodrow Kroll.

This passage gives a number of reasons why God’s people should not fear:

1. The command of God: ”Do not be afraid…” (7);
2. The comfort of God: His comfort is real (12a). The Holy Spirit, ”the comforter”, is real. (See also 2 Corinthians 3:1-11);
3. The vision of God (13);
4. The ability of God (14,15);
5. The Word of God (7,16);
6. The protection of God (16);
7. The feebleness of men (7b,8,12; see also v.6). In this majestic chapter, the permanence of God (His Person, Word and Work) is contrasted with the transience of men- in particular opponents and oppressors.

 ”Faith, which is trust, and fear are opposite poles. If a man has the one, he can scarcely have the other in vigorous operation. He that has his trust set upon God does not need to dread anything except the weakening or the paralyzing of that trust.” Alexander MacLaren

Awake, awake, arm of the Lord,
    clothe yourself with strength!
Awake, as in days gone by,
    as in generations of old.
Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces,
    who pierced that monster through?
¹⁰ Was it not you who dried up the sea,
    the waters of the great deep,
who made a road in the depths of the sea
    so that the redeemed might cross over?
¹¹ Those the Lord has rescued will return.
    They will enter Zion with singing;
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

As the prophet prays here, he is not for one moment imagining that a ‘part’ of God has gone to sleep. This is essentially a prayer, an urgent request, that God will do again what He has done before. He has shown His power mightily in the past. ‘Do it again, Lord’ is the heartfelt cry. Here is how it reads in ‘The New Living Translation’:

Wake up, wake up, O Lord! Clothe yourself with strength!
    Flex your mighty right arm!
Rouse yourself as in the days of old
    when you slew Egypt, the dragon of the Nile.
¹⁰ Are you not the same today,
    the one who dried up the sea,
making a path of escape through the depths
    so that your people could cross over?
¹¹ Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
    They will enter Jerusalem singing,
    crowned with everlasting joy.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
    and they will be filled with joy and gladness.

Barry Webb writes regarding verse 11:

‘In the end there is only one people of God, the ransomed of the LORD, and when all God’s purposes for them have reached their goal they will all be together in one place – Zion, the city of God. They will enter it with singing, and joy will be their crown for ever (11).

As so often, Isaiah’s vision reaches far beyond the particulars of history to its end; beyond the return from Babylon to the consummation it foreshadowed. And he could hardly wait for the dawning of that final day. There were many obstacles in its way, but he was sure that the strong arm of the LORD had lost none of its ancient power (9).’ ‘Isaiah’, p.202.

The Lord will surely comfort Zion
    and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
    her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
    thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

⁴ ‘Listen to me, my people;
    hear me, my nation:
instruction will go out from me;
    my justice will become a light to the nations.
⁵ My righteousness draws near speedily,
    my salvation is on the way,
    and my arm will bring justice to the nations.
The islands will look to me
    and wait in hope for my arm.
⁶ Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
    look at the earth beneath;
the heavens will vanish like smoke,
    the earth will wear out like a garment
    and its inhabitants die like flies.
But my salvation will last for ever,
    my righteousness will never fail.

We note in verse 3 God’s ability to wonderfully and beautifully and totally transform situations. But, not only will He do this for Israel (3); He will also do it for the world (4-6). ”These are the ‘other sheep’ Jesus spoke about who would one day hear the shepherd’s voice and be gathered into his fold. They have joined the pilgrimage because they are convinced that only the LORD, the God of Israel, can mend the world’s ills. And they are right! ‘Take one last look at the world you know,’ he says to them, ‘because it will soon pass away. A new age of righteousness – a new world – is about to dawn’ (6).” Barry Webb: Isaiah, p.202.

 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. John 10:16.

‘Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
    and who seek the Lord:
look to the rock from which you were cut
    and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
² look to Abraham, your father,
    and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was only one man,
    and I blessed him and made him many.

‘Recalling our origins should give us low thoughts of ourselves and high thoughts of God’s grace.’ Tom Hale.

Under God’s blessing, one person can become more than they ever thought they could be. God’s blessing multiplies the impact of a single life. The significant thing isn’t who/what Abraham is, but who God is, and what He does with Him. It was the Lord who ”called” him, ”blessed” him, and ”made” him into a great nation (Gen.12:1-3).

To the despised (7b) exiles in Babylon, few in number, God says in effect, ‘Your history is the key to your destiny. In looking back to the origins of your nation you will find the inspiration to move forward.

Those the Lord has rescued will return.
    They will enter Zion with singing;
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
⁶ As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
⁷ They go from strength to strength,
    till each appears before God in Zion. Psalm 84:5-7.

It has been pointed out that verses 1-11 of the fifty first chapter are coloured by the goal reached in verse 11. It is about pilgrimage to Zion. This was something every Israelite knew about. Three times a year, for the three great feasts – Passover, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles – pilgrims came streaming to Zion (Jerusalem) from all over the land (Dt.16:16,17; 84,122). They walked together as families and friends; they laughed, they sang; no doubt they told stories. Together, in Jerusalem, ‘the city of the great King’ (Ps.48:2), they rejoiced, remembered God’s goodness to them, and re-committed themselves to Him and to each other as His people. These times would constitute some of the happiest memories of childhood and family life. Of course, for those who were no longer able to make the sacred journey, because of age or illness or some other impediment, the memories must have been bitter-sweet. But what was it like for a whole generation, exiled in Babylon, who were unable to make pilgrimage during a period of 70 years? The sense of deprivation was intense (Pss.42, 43). Many had never seen Zion, let alone been able to travel there. They had been born in exile. No doubt some gave up the belief that it could ever happen again. But there were those who retained an unquenchable confidence in God and His promises. These people in particular are addressed in verses 1-11. ‘They have grasped the heart of true religion: holiness of life flowing from a personal relationship with God. Jesus said the only future that really matters (the kingdom of God) belongs to such people.’ Barry Webb: ‘Isaiah’, p.201.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6;

 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33.

Who among you fears the Lord
    and obeys the word of his servant?
Let the one who walks in the dark,
    who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord
    and rely on their God.
¹¹ But now, all you who light fires
    and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
go, walk in the light of your fires
    and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:
    you will lie down in torment.

Derek Kidner calls this ‘the pivot of life or death’. Here are the alternatives, you can have light from God or follow your own light; you can walk in His light or light your own fires. The latter route doesn’t lead anywhere good. Sorrow is always the ultimate end of unrepented/unforgiven sin. Kidner points out also, however, that these words may anticipate the New Testament teaching on punishment after death.

We are living in days when all too many theologians and preachers are lighting their own fires. They mean to warm themselves and their flocks by them, no doubt. But fire can devour as well as cheer. In 2 Peter 3:16, Peter writes about the apostle Paul, saying:  

”His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.”

”The Servant is not simply to be admired or wondered at; he is to be obeyed (10). In short, describing his own discipleship the Servant has shown them what God requires of all his people: not empty profession, but wholehearted, costly obedience…The Servant and the challenge that he brings force a separation between the true and the false, the righteous and the wicked, the saved and the lost – among those who profess to be God’s people!” Barry Webb: ‘Isaiah’, p.199.

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
    I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
    and I know I will not be put to shame.
⁸ He who vindicates me is near.
    Who then will bring charges against me?
    Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
    Let him confront me!
⁹ It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.
    Who will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
    the moths will eat them up.

The Servant’s confidence is not in Himself; not in His own strength, but In God who will vindicate Him in the end (8; see 1 Peter 2:21-23).

Charges were brought against Jesus, but, as we know, they were false and couldn’t stick. Jesus ‘took His case to a higher court’ and ”the Sovereign Lord” vindicated Him. It has been pointed out that the language of verse 8 is that of the court room. The Servant expects to be the victim of false accusation (see Mark 14:56).

Gloriously, according to Romans 8:33,34, this vindication applies to those who are in Christ:

”Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

We most certainly are guilty, but in Christ we are declared ‘not guilty’!

‘Amazing love, how can it be? That thou, my God, should’st die for me.’ Charles Wesley.

The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears;
    I have not been rebellious,
    I have not turned away.
⁶ I offered my back to those who beat me,
    my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
    from mocking and spitting.
⁷ Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
    I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
    and I know I will not be put to shame.

‘He is a skilled counsellor because he himself has been taught by the LORD. He is a disciple before he is anything else, and as such his outstanding characteristic is attentiveness to God: morning by morning God instructs him, and morning by morning he listens (4b). This, as we recall from chapter 48, is exactly what Israel had failed to do. In stark contrast to Israel, too, he is not…rebellious (5). His whole intent is to translate the instruction he receives into obedient action, no matter what the cost… No weary one could say that this Servant speaks from a vantage point of lofty and serene detachment. Far from it. No-one has felt the struggle more intensely, or paid a bigger price for obedience. He is the perfect disciple.’ Barry Webb: ‘Isaiah’, pp.198,199.

We are drawing close to the fourth and final ‘Servant Song’ where we will see the full extent of Jesus’ suffering, but here is preparation for it. As Kidner says, the reader feels it is but a step to the Cross. C.R.North made the comment that verses 6,7 contain ‘a startling anticipation of the mistreatment of Christ on the morning of the crucifixion’ (see Mt.26:67; 27:26; cf, Lk.9:51). Yet again we have to marvel at the remarkable fulfillment of prophecy.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you so much for your willingness to listen, obey and suffer. Thank you for the pattern of discipleship you have laid down. Help me, by your power, to follow in your steps.

The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,
    to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
    wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.
⁵ The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears;
    I have not been rebellious,
    I have not turned away.

Many years ago, when I was a pastor at Bridge Street church in Leeds, I was asked to put together a leadership course with a view to training lay-leaders within the church. After I moved on, a good friend and colleague transposed it into a course entitled ‘Training to Serve.’ For a number of years I was given the privilege of going back annually and delivering one session, and my talk was based on the ‘Servant Songs’ in Isaiah. Although these were fulfilled in Jesus, I believe they have much to teach servant-leaders in today’s church. Jesus is much more than our example, but He is our example. He has laid down a pattern for ministry.

Here is something important about Jesus’ speaking ministry (whether to crowds or individuals), and His walk with God. Note the link between the two. Derek Kidner says that the ”morning by morning” suggests ‘a lifelong attentiveness to God’s unfolding will.’

”For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken” John 12:49.

We note Jesus’ walk with God in prayer/communion (4b), and in obedience (5).

What beautiful words:

”The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,
    to know the word that sustains the weary.”

I am reminded of Jesus saying:

” “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

We are reminded of the ‘bruised reed’ and the ‘smouldering wick’ of 42:3. There were many such in Israel, and the words of the Servant in this third ‘Servant Song’ are for them first of all. But, as part of Scripture, they are also for us.

We are grateful.