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Second in a series of studies in Isaiah 54
“Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords. And strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited” (Isaiah 54:2-3). Furthering the assurance of the great increase in numbers that God has promised Israel, He tells her to make extensive preparation. The metaphor here goes back to the days of Israel as a nomadic tribe when she lived in tents. The “tent” is a symbol of her dwelling place; and the “curtains,” “cords,” and “stakes” are items used to make the tents functional and keep them stable. Having more tents will automatically require more curtains, cords, and stakes. The primary level of this prophecy continues to promote optimism. The prophet assures Israel that she will come out of the numerically depressed state she experienced in captivity and will rise to surpass those around her who do not have a relationship with God. She is to prepare for her blessing. The secondary level of this prophecy is its reference to the Christian Age when, not only Jews but also Gentiles, would be together in obeying the gospel and in planting the Lord’s church. Literally thousands left their former ways—some from Judaism and many from idolatry—and were born again as true children of God. First in a series of studies in Isaiah 54
“ ‘Sing, O barren. You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, And cry aloud, You who have not travailed with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 54.1). When Israel returns from the bondage of Babylon, she finds that her numbers have significantly decreased, leaving her with fewer than the number who had returned from Egyptian bondage so many years before. On the primary level of the prophecy, the “desolate” are Gentiles who do not have a relationship with God—they have been blessed and their numbers have increased. The “married woman” stands for the Israelites who experienced a devastating decrease in number during the captivity. But Isaiah here tells the Israelites they have reason to rejoice. He says they should break forth into song and express their gratitude to God because they are looking to a better future. The secondary meaning of the prophecy is about the church and the Christian Age. The "desolate" are those who do not have a scriptural relationship with God, but sometimes it appears they are abundantly blessed. The "married woman" represents those who have come to Christ but are not always blessed so much in this life: their real blessing will be in the age to come. “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:13-14).
The uncertainty of life is a reality that has been obvious in every age of divine history. Since the day that Adam and Eve violated God’s command and ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, mankind has never been certain about what tomorrow holds. James here refreshes our memory of this reality and warns about leaving God out of our plans for the future. God is, after all, in control; and our lives are but a passing moment in the overall picture. The warnings that come from this reality are that we should always keep God’s will in sight as we plan for the future and that we conduct our lives in such a way that we are always prepared to meet Him in judgment. Second of two studies in 2 Corinthians 10
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Paul moves from strategy in verse three to weaponry in this verse as he explains to the Corinthians that his way of dealing with the adversity being inflicted upon him is quite different from what they would have expected. The weapons he uses are those that come from God; and they are powerful, enabling him to be victorious in overcoming whatever comes his way. These weapons enable him to “pull down” even the mightiest of opposition. Paul, of course, is centering his defense upon his faith in God and his ability to use God’s word. As people attack us or try to hurt us today, we have these same two defenses: we have the assurance that God will never forsake us and we have His word as our constant guide. By using these weapons instead of the human weapons of anger or defensiveness, we can please God and, at the same time, demonstrate to the world what Christianity is all about. First of two studies in 2 Corinthians 10
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:3). Accusations had obviously been leveled against the Apostle Paul, resulting in his writing this strong defense of his life and actions. There was no place where Paul met stronger accusations than in Corinth. Using an obvious statement in his defense, Paul contrasts it with one the Corinthians may not have understood. They could testify to the fact that he was a flesh and blood human being; but he wanted them to understand that his reactions to life, even adversity in life, were not consistent with the behavior of an ordinary man. The apostle was fighting a spiritual battle, and his strategy was based upon spiritual principles. By this tactic, he left us a wonderful example about how we can deal effectively with life as difficulties come our way. Second of two studies about Paul’s experience in Philippi
“So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house “And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized” (Acts 16:31-33). Hearing the Philippian jailer’s inquiry about salvation, Paul and Silas teach him and all “in his house” what they need to know about obeying the gospel. As a result of this teaching, all who are capable of believing are immediately baptized. One cannot conclude that a simple verbal acknowledgement of the Lord was all that was necessary for them to be saved because they were taught “the word of the Lord” before being baptized. And we know the preachers taught baptism because as a result of the teaching, the jailer and his household were baptized. Baptism is not otherwise mentioned in this passage. Furthermore, we know this situation involved a comprehensive faith because verse 34 says the jailer rejoiced, “having believed in God.” This belief had to have been an active process, not just an isolated, one-time verbal confession because his believing included being buried in baptism. This passage is powerful and convincing as well as being parallel to other accounts of obeying the gospel. All such accounts conclude with the baptism of the believer. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:1).
Jesus is in the middle of some intensive teaching to His apostles when He comes forth with this statement about the ultimate expression of friendship. This statement is part of Jesus’ attempt to prepare the apostles for His departure. When the time comes, he wants them to be strengthened to the point that they will not give up and be discouraged. His coming action will be an assurance that He is their dear friend. The kind of friendship Jesus describes here was not just for the apostles: it was for all who would ultimately come to Him in humble obedience. He became and remains the best friend we could ever have when He gave His life on the cross for our sins, making it possible for us to go to heaven. “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law, and if I perish, I perish!” (Esther 4:16).
Of all the qualities of character that come out of this dramatic statement, determination and unquenchable faith are the two most prominent. Queen Esther has a plan: she knows exactly what needs to happen for its success, and she will carry it through to the end, regardless of the consequences. The entire Jewish nation, in captivity in Babylon, is under threat of annihilation, and Esther is the only hope of survival. Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, has challenged her to go before the king and make an appeal for her people. Even as queen of the Medo-Persian empire, Esther is not allowed to go before the king without being called for. Anyone who does so will be killed unless the king holds out his golden scepter to that person. This verse reveals her decision. God has always wanted servants who have the kind of determination and faith that Esther exhibits here. He wants followers who will have the undying faith to be what they ought to be, regardless of the consequences. He wants that of you and me today. “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?’ ” (Zechariah 3.2).
In this dramatic scene that occurs after the captivity of God’s people in Babylon, we see a verbal battle taking place between the forces of evil and the forces of good. As usual, Satan is working hard to cause problems for those who choose to do good. The Angel delivers God’s message: he rebukes Satan and points out to him that God has chosen Jerusalem—that is, God will once again favor His people. The “brand” refers literally to a brand that is placed into a fire before it is applied to an animal for branding. It is the Israelite nation that is the “brand plucked from the fire,” meaning Israel has completed the school of correction into which God sent her in Babylon and He will once again bless her. Satan has never tired of doing whatever he can to mislead and discourage God’s people as he did in this passage. We are blessed in the Christian Age in that we have an Advocate, stronger than Satan, standing at the right hand of God and pleading on our behalf. When we remain faithful to God, we, too, are a “brand plucked from the fire.” “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:16-18). The Apostle Paul here describes an action the Romans have taken so that they could move from one state to another: they moved from being a slave of sin to a slave of righteousness. To accomplish this move, the Romans have sincerely obeyed what Paul calls “the form of doctrine to which you were delivered.” That form is a reenactment of Jesus’ death on the cross, His burial in the tomb, and His resurrection from the tomb. Baptism is the reenactment to which he is referring. We become dead to our past sins when we are immersed in the watery grave and then are brought up out of the watery grave. This action completes our obedience to the gospel, and we are now a servant of righteousness, which is the same as being a servant of Jesus. |
Joe NortonArchives
June 2023
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