2008-06-13
Good Morning Cherished of God,
We've been looking at cross-references to Christ's words on judgment in His Sermon on the Mount, MT 7. Today, the Holy Spirit directs me to discuss IS 42: 1-4, "The Lord says, ‘Here is My Servant, Whom I strengthen-the One I have chosen, with Whom I am pleased. I have filled Him with My Spirit, and He will bring justice to every nation. He will not shout or raise His voice or make loud speeches in the streets. He will not break off a bent reed nor put out a flickering lamp. He will bring lasting justice to all. He will not lose hope or courage; He will establish justice on the earth. Distant lands eagerly wait for His teaching.'" When we look at what we already know from the NT that by Christ's life and His Atonement, He is the perfect Fit for this prophecy, the only One Who is. Christ's promise to save those who believe in Him is prophesied in IS 49:10. "They will never be hungry or thirsty. Sun and desert heart will not hurt them, for they will be led by One Who loves them. He will lead them to springs of water." We know that God is pleased with His Son because of His expression of that after Christ's baptism in the Spirit, in MK 1: 9-11, and again at His transfiguration, in MT 17: 5. As for Christ leading people "to springs of water," how can we forget Christ's words in JN 7: 37b-38? "Whoever is thirsty should come to Me and drink. As the Scriptures [EZK 47:1; ZECH 14: 8] say, ‘Whoever believes in Me, streams of life-giving water will pour out from his heart.'"
Having established that the Servant discussed in IS 42: 1-4 is Jesus Christ, we can now look at His approach to justice. He hasn't yet brought justice to every nation, but we have a real hope that He will. That hope lies in the New Jerusalem, the place of His eternal Kingdom. REV 21: 27, "But nothing that is impure will enter the city, nor anyone who does shameful things or tells lies. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of the living will enter the city." It's hard not to see the consistency and connections between these passages. Note PS 146: 6b-7, "He always keeps His promises; He judges in favor of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry." Remember in IS 42: 2 where it says "He will not shout or raise His voice" and in (4) where it says "He will not lose courage?" Now, look at IS 53: 7 about the suffering Servant, "He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly; He never said a word. Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheared, He never said a word." Later, IS 58: 6, the Lord discusses fasting. "The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice and let the oppressed go free." One of those injustices is our inheritance of original sin. Belief in Christ releases us from this yoke of injustice and sets us free. JN 8: 32, "You will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." Only Jesus Christ has the power to do this for us.
Once we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit [JN 15: 16-18]. Wherever we go, we find ourselves blessed with God's presence. PS 139: 7-10, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast." The lasting peace and justice will come when the New Jerusalem is established [REV 21: 1-3].
The first time I read and understood Christ's His precious words in REV 20: 3, shivers of awe went down my back. "Listen! I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into his house and eat with Him and he will eat with Me." Life without faith in my Yeshua, the Lord Jesus, had been a burden of oppression for me. There had been trouble and plenty of it, trouble without hope, trouble for which I never asked, in my past. There was confusion about God. There was pain and sorrow without anyone to turn to who understood my plight. Frustration and pain were finally placed on His ample shoulders, shoulders that God had equipped for this purpose. I opened that door, hesitantly at first, and later, wide. I poured out my troubles in Him, and He opened my heart to His direction. Becoming a believer meant dealing with opposition [still on-going] from my family and going in a zigzagged path through four denominations until God placed me where I am. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever guess before it happened that God would call me to the ministry I have today. God's justice for the innocent is being given to me, and I'm grateful beyond measure for that. Yes, I'm still a sinner, and I openly take responsibility for my part in sin I haven't yet discovered. But, I know that my Lord Yeshua is here for me [MT 11: 28-30]. I can feel God still chipping away at the sins that remain in my life, and I love Him for that. It's okay for me to use the words "God" and "Yeshua [Jesus Christ]" interchangeably here, because they are two personalities of the same Entity. The Holy Spirit encourages me to invite anyone reading this devotion to examine his own life for the justice that the Lord is working in it. If he is a true believer, he will be amazed and in awe of it.
PRAYER: O Most Holy Lord, we come before Your throne as sinners who are deeply grateful for the justice and freedom You are granting us. We praise and thank You for that. You are a Promise-keeper, not a promise-breaker. The pathway to eternal life is indeed the hard path that leads from the narrow gate [MT 7: 13-14]. In order for us to travel that path, we recognize our need for Your intervention in our lives [MT 5: 3]. You reach down and take our hands when we can't move forward. Your lessons for us in the Scriptures [2 TIM 3: 16-17] are designed to help us look at our troubles and learn how to overcome these challenges to our faith. All the while, You protect us by never allowing the intensity or length of a challenge to be greater than we can remain firm in our faith [1 COR 10: 13]. How can we not see that is justice for the oppressed? You have asked us not to judge others harshly, keeping in mind that we will be judged as we judge them [MT 7: 1-2]. This isn't easy for us, but we have a model in the Lord Jesus You have given us to follow. There are times when the adversary tempts us to lose self-control and be very judgmental. Yet You have, through Christ, given us the same power You used to raise Christ from death to life eternal to be victorious against the evil one in this or any kind of spiritual warfare [EPH 1: 18-20]. There are indeed distant lands that await Your Son's teaching, places like the Arab, east Asian countries, and Europe. And there is a need for more of it in the hearts of all the lost right here at home. How we must praise and thank You that Your Son didn't lose courage, and that He gave His life on the cross, so that the adversary could be vanquished, thus saving those who will repent and believe in Him [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25; HE 2: 14-15; REV 12: 7-10]. We thank You and praise You for His presence in our lives and His fair judgments. In Christ's mighty and holy name, we pray. Amen.
Next week, I am led to continue looking at cross-references from the Scriptures that support Christ's words on judgment in MT 7 [the latter part of His Sermon on the Mount]. We will look at IS 61: 1-2. In the meanwhile, we should be feeling really blessed with God's justice in our lives. If trouble happens, things like a death of a loved one, serious illness, marital trials, problems with addiction, child-rearing, and the whole gamut of issues the adversary brings into our lives, we can rest assured that we don't have to deal with them alone. Our Lord Jesus is right here for us, eagerly hoping that we will turn to Him, and planning only the best for those who endure in faith. JER 29: 11-13, "I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you not to bring disaster, plans to give you the future for which you hope. Then you will call to Me. You will come and pray to Me, and I will answer you. You will seek Me and You will find Me because you will seek me with all your heart." Hopelessness and futility can be things of the past when we are true believers in Jesus Christ. There are some people who are forced to die physically for their faith. However, we know that God will honor these martyrs in heaven at exactly the perfect time [REV 6: 9-11]. Therefore, we can obey God's directive in JS 1: 9, "Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go." We can obey this directive without hesitation. Praise be to the Lord Jesus!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn