October 3, Isaiah 26
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is
stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust
in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an
everlasting rock. - Isaiah 26:3-4
One of Charles Dickens' best known books is A Tale of Two Cities. In Chapter 26, Isaiah recorded the words of a song sung by the people in the land of Judah. Their song is also a tale of two cities.
The people in Judah sang of a strong, peaceful city, and contrasted it to a doomed lofty city. God protects and saves the city of his faithful ones. But he deflates the pride and destroys the city that had lifted itself up against the Lord. I do not believe that this is a reference to two specific cities, say Jerusalem in Judah and some capital city of one of their pagan enemies. No, these two cities stand for the division of the whole human family into the faithful ones who trust in the Lord, and the faithless ones who trust in themselves or their false gods. The two cities describe two ways to live. One city's inhabitants live in peace that cannot be disturbed because their trust is firmly fixed in God, the everlasting Rock. The other city is humbled, left in the dust and trampled. God revealed himself and his will to his people through his word. Through that word, God taught his people righteousness. Apart from God's rules about how to live, people live without restraint with no sense of accountability.
With God's divine revelation of himself and his will for their lives, the Lord's people could live with perfect peace as they trusted in their God.
Their peace was not broken by adversity, because of their confidence that God is in control. He ordains peace for his faithful people. God was not blind or insensitive toward their hateful adversaries. They are ordained as well, but for punishment, not for peace.
God's people need to know and rehearse what the Lord has done and is doing for them. The distress the people of Judah suffered from their adversaries was painful, but they endured because they relied on God and not themselves. In their suffering they called out to God, expressing their trust. They confessed their inability to save themselves and their dependence on the Lord. Their prayer was a blend of appeal and praise.
We need to point out two other major doctrines of the Bible the people mentioned in their prayer. One is a clear reference to God's plan to expand the kingdom to include Gentiles: “But you have increased the nation, O LORD, you have increased the nation; you are glorified; you have enlarged all the borders of the land.” The Jews in the early decades of the church were reluctant to accept Gentiles into the fellowship of their people. It had been in their Scriptures for centuries, but they resisted God’s will about Gentile inclusion.
The other big doctrine that shines is one of the clearest teachings in all the Old Testament about the resurrection. It is wrapped in beautiful poetic language: “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.”
Which of these two cities would you choose for your dwelling place, the city of peace and security, or the city of fallen pride that is doomed to destruction? Let's choose peace and security. Let’s trust God!
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—October 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
Yorumlar