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Isaiah

CHAPTER 51

1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. 2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. 3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

Notice to whom the prophet is speaking: to those who "follow after righteousness." It is not to those who follow self or idols, but to those who really desire a personal relationship with God.

Notice also what the prophet says to the saved. We should look to the "rock from whence we are hewn." Israel was chosen by the Lord from rock of idolatry. In the land of Ur of the Caldees, Abraham was literally "ripped out" of that land by the call of God. Further, Abraham and Sarah had no children; but God gave them Isaac through whom Israel would be born.

When we are saved we are literally "ripped out" of the land of sinful people and brought under the blood of Christ, sealed in His Spirit and taught by the Word of God, we are CHANGED.

His hope!

We as Christians should realize that God has ripped us out of evil and given us hope in Christ Jesus.

God has indeed made Israel's wilderness like "Eden." Today, many of the desert areas of Israel are rich with produce.

Taking that on a spiritual note, God has made Israel productive as a people also. Even though other nations have constantly tried to extinguish them, God has made them mulitply.

And it is also true with the "Israel" of today, the Christian people. Nations have tried to discount the truth of Christ's death, burial and resurrection; but Christianity keeps producing and multiplying.

When those who "follow after righteousness" in Christ pay attention to God, He will bless with the abundance of grace!

4 Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. 5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. 6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. 7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. 8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

"Hearken" means to pay close attention. Here God promises a "law" which will illuminate proper judgment to ALL people. God's Word in the Bible has been used as a basis for man's law for centuries. God's Word deals with SIN, and thus provides a basic structure for all law.

In verse 5, God says that He KEEPS His "righteousness." It is always NEAR - never removed from Him. It is this righteousness that demands salvation be offered to all mankind. The "isles" (or Gentiles) all must rely upon ONE GOD for salvation. There is NO other way.

Heaven and earth will fade away (verse 6), but two things remain forever. God's righteousness will never depart from Him, and His free gift of salvation is ETERNAL!

Many would mock the value of clinging to such hope as eternal salvation through surrender to Christ (verse 8). But God says we should "hearken" to Him, and know that the mockers will fade away to nothingness. Yet, God's righteousness and salvation is ETERNAL!

9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? 10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? 11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

It was the "arm of the LORD" which produced power to dry up the Red Sea and give Israel an escape from Egyptian forces. It was the "arm of the LORD" which gave the Egyptian forces death in that same Red Sea.

It is by the power of "the arm of the LORD" that HE HIMSELF will accomplish salvation and eternal glory for those who "hearken" to Him. HE ALONE will bring them into "Zion" for everlasting gladness and joy.

12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; 13 And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? 14 The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. 15 But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name. 16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

It is the same eternal, powerful God Who gives "comfort" to our souls when "bad things happen to good people."

All too often we forget that bad things (in our consideration) really do happen to good people. Sometimes God's plan allows for His people to endure very trying times. Stop and think a moment of just a few examples.

--David endured persecution from Saul.
--Shadrach, Meshack & Abednego and the fiery furnace.
--Daniel and the lion's den.

When I was a child, I heard someone say, "Well, ... must have been really sinning bad, or that wouldn't have happened to him/her..." For some reason, that just didn't set well in my heart. It didn't meet with the approval of my spirit, even though I was only 12 years of age at the time. Even at that young age, the statement made wasn't consistent with what I knew about God's character.

You see, my mother died of cancer when I was 11. And I KNEW her. I KNEW that there was no more Christlike person in my life than her. I could not believe that God (Who's characteristics included love, kindness, and mercy) would treat His people in such a manner.

There simply HAD to be a better explanation. My pastor, at that time, admitted it was a very difficult subject. But he graciously and patiently taught me about how God USES what WE do in HIS great master-plan.

Somehow, by His infinite wisdom, God is able to make the "way" for the saved through the "sea," or multitude of sinful men.

So, just remember, when "bad things happen to good people," GOD has a master-plan! The "LORD of hosts," Jesus Christ, will lead you through every difficulty if you will "hearken" to Him, and not forget "the LORD thy maker."

God will cover you with His hand, as He guides the intricate and complex "sea" of mankind to its ultimate end. The ultimate end of all God does is for His glory of course. But it also includes saying "to Zion, Thou art MY people!"

17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out. 18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up. 19 These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee? 20 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God. 21 Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine: 22 Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: 23 But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.

Therefore, God says, "AWAKE!!" And His call is to "Jerusalem." It is God's people who have suffered because of sin in the world. Sometimes they suffer because of their own sins, yes. But sometimes they suffer because of other's sins.

But all God's people can know this one thing:
The bitter cup of suffering for sin will NO LONGER be available to drink from in heaven!!

Even though we suffer "desolation, and destruction, and famine, and the sword.." we are COMFORTED by our Lord Who has CONQUERED sin and death. Christ Himself took that "cup" "out of thine hand" when He died to pay for all our sins (verse 22).

Suffering for sin will not stop after judgment day though. Look at verse 23. All the suffering for all the sins of eternity will eternally afflict those who refuse Christ!!!

Now friend, THAT is a fearful thought! God will place that "cup" of suffering ETERNALLY in the hands of those who refuse Christ.

But for those who have surrendered to Jesus, God REMOVES the "cup" of suffering ETERNALLY!!

Praise God for His MERCY!!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.