Monday, October 19,
2015, 3:13 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Your Grace Divine.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 62 (NASB).
For Zion’s Sake (v.
1)
For
Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
And
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet,
Until
her righteousness goes forth like brightness,
And
her salvation like a torch that is burning.
Zion is another name for the church, the body of Christ. Much
of the church of today, particularly here in the USA, is living in open
rebellion against God, or is living in spiritual apathy and/or adultery, and is
following after the gods of this world, instead of following their Lord Jesus
in obedience to his will for their lives. They go through the motions of having
a relationship with Jesus Christ, and of religious activities, but their hearts
are far from God. God gets little of their time, thoughts, energies, heart
and/or passion. They live primarily to do what they want and to please
themselves. Many who claim to know Christ are still in slavery to sin and are
walking in darkness. They are liars and deceivers, who profess one thing
outwardly, while they do the opposite when they think no one sees. Others, who
know Christ, have forsaken their Lord and have returned to a sinful course, and
are living as though they have not been cleansed from their sins. And, many of
these have, thus, chased after a false grace gospel, which gives free license
to continue in sin.
So, God is saying here, that for the sake of his people, the
church, the body of Christ, he will not keep silent, and his messengers will
not remain quiet until Zion’s (the church’s) righteousness shines out like the
dawn, and her salvation like a torch that is burning. Righteousness means,
“What is approved in God’s eyes” - http://biblehub.com/greek/1343.htm).
This has to do with not just being positionally righteous through faith in
Jesus Christ, but it has to do with living righteously, i.e. with walking
according to the Spirit and no longer persisting in conducting our lives after
our sinful flesh (See: Ro. 8:1-14). It has to do with death to sin and living
to righteousness, no longer living to please ourselves, but living to please
the ONE who gave his life up for us. And, it has to do with submission to the
Spirit of God, and walking in Christ’s holiness – set apart (unlike, different)
from the world, because we are becoming like Christ.
Appointed Watchmen (vv.
6-7)
On
your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen;
All
day and all night they will never keep silent.
You
who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves;
And
give Him no rest until He establishes
And
makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
A watchman is a person who keeps watch over God’s flock, who
confronts God’s people with their sins of idolatry and spiritual adultery,
warns of divine judgment, warns of wolves in sheep’s clothing and against false
doctrines, calls for repentance and holy living, but also promises restoration
and renewal to the repentant. Jerusalem, in this case, is heavenly Jerusalem,
i.e. those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior of
their lives. God has called some of his servants and messengers today to serve
as his watchmen and watchwomen to the church to do just what the prophets of
old did with regard to the children of Israel when they were living in adultery
against their Lord.
Those whom God has called to be his watchmen and watchwomen
are to be encouraged here to not give up, but to keep persevering in giving out
God’s messages, even in the face of much rejection, persecution, opposition and
much apathy in the people’s responses to the messages. We are to continue to
believe God to change the hearts of his people, and that he is going to revive
his church, even if it looks hopeless, sometimes, from all outward appearances.
We are to be diligent and dedicated to the call God has placed on our lives,
and we are to never give up hope. We are to stay the course until the church is
revived.
Clear the Way (vv.
10-12)
Go
through, go through the gates,
Clear
the way for the people;
Build
up, build up the highway,
Remove
the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples.
Behold,
the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth,
Say
to the daughter of Zion, “Lo, your salvation comes;
Behold
His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.”
And
they will call them, “The holy people,
The
redeemed of the Lord”;
And
you will be called, “Sought out, a city not forsaken.”
The message here, I believe, is that we are to break through
these barriers and obstacles that are keeping God’s people from obeying him,
i.e. we are to expose them for what they are, to confront the lies and
deceptions, and to reveal how, biblically, these deceptions are not supported,
and that, in fact, they are contrary to the teachings of scripture. Then, we
need to proclaim what the truth is, so that the people will know what the Bible
really says. We are to teach the way of holiness, and of walking in Christ’s
righteousness, teaching the people of God that his grace is not a free license
to continue in sin without guilt and without remorse, and teaching them, too,
that God does indeed require repentance and obedience.
We are to teach that Jesus died that we might die to sin and
live to righteousness, not just so we can escape hell and go to heaven when we
die (1 Pet. 2:24). We are to teach that God has called us to be holy, set apart
(unlike, different) from the world, because we are becoming like Christ. We are
to share with God’s people that Jesus also died that we might no longer live
for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us, and so that the
righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us who walk, not
according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (2 Co. 5:15; Ro. 8:1-14).
We are to proclaim that faith in Jesus Christ means putting off our old lives
of sin, being transformed of the Spirit of God in heart and mind, and it means
putting on our new lives in Christ Jesus, “created to be like God in true
righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:17-24).
We must also proclaim to the ends of the earth that Jesus
Christ is coming soon to judge all things and to gather his people to him. This
is when our salvation will be complete. This is when we will receive our
rewards for the things done in this life (See: Rev. 22:12). If we have trusted
in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we will live eternally with
God in glory. If we have refused his voice, have gone our own stubborn way, and
have not followed him in obedience, and have not turned from our sins, and thus
have not be regenerated of the Spirit of God, what awaits us is eternal
punishment in eternal fire.
Those who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior
of their lives are called God’s holy people, set apart for God and for his
service. We are the redeemed of the Lord, because he bought us back for God
with his shed blood on a cross for our sins.
Your God Will Rejoice
(vv. 2-5)
The
nations will see your righteousness,
And
all kings your glory;
And
you will be called by a new name
Which
the mouth of the Lord will designate.
You
will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
And
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
It
will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,”
Nor
to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”;
But
you will be called, “My delight is in her,”
And
your land, “Married”;
For
the Lord delights in you,
And
to Him your land will be married.
For
as a young man marries a virgin,
So
your sons will marry you;
And
as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So
your God will rejoice over you.
As a result of the messages of these watchmen (and women)
going forth, and of God’s persistence in continually speaking to his adulterous
church concerning their sins and concerning the veil of deception which they
are presently under, exposing the lies, proclaiming the truth, and calling them
to repentance and renewed faith, the church, which presently in a spiritual
stupor, will be awakened, and will repent of her sins, and will return to her
Lord, and she will be revived and restored to fellowship with her God. Then,
the nations will see the light of Christ’s righteousness and holiness coming
forth from the revived church, and many people from all over the world will
come to faith in Jesus Christ.
No longer will God’s holy people be referred to as “adulterous”
and “idolatrous,” or as in a state of “spiritual stupor,” for they will be
revived, and will be called by a new name which will indicate that the bride of
Christ is now living in purity, righteousness and faithfulness to her Lord and husband.
Yet, this can take place only because Jesus paid the price for her sins so she
can be free, and only because she trusted in Christ to be her Savior and Lord,
and only in the power and working of the Spirit of God within her. The bride of
Christ, who was living in adultery, will return to her husband, and the Lord
will take delight in her, and she will now truly submit to him as her only Lord
and master. Amen!
Your Grace Divine
/ An Original Work / November 6, 2011
All I have is Yours, Lord.
You gave all to me,
When You died at Calv’ry
On that cruel tree.
Crucified for my sins;
You paid what I owe,
So I’d be forgiven;
My God come to know.
All I have is Yours, Lord.
You gave all to me,
When You died at Calv’ry
On that cruel tree.
Lord, I am so thankful
For Your grace divine.
I invited You, Lord,
In this heart of mine.
I have been forgiven
For all of my sins,
So I’d live with Jesus;
His grace flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful
For Your grace divine.
I invited You, Lord,
In this heart of mine.
Growing in Your grace, Lord;
Live for You each day;
How I love to worship
You throughout my day.
Sitting at Your feet, Lord,
List’ning to You speak,
Leads me to love You, Lord,
More throughout the week.
Growing in Your grace, Lord;
Live for You each day;
How I love to worship
You throughout my day.
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