A Song in the Night

Isaiah 30:29. “Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.”

Here we have the Millennial song of Israel after the deliverance at Armageddon when the captives will have been freed and all Israel gathered to the Lord at Jerusalem. It will be sung as they go up to Jerusalem to fulfill 2:2-4;  35:8-10.

This song was popular in Christian circles when I was a teen. I sang it with my mom and my sister.  It’s based on the words in today’s verse, although it doesn’t follow the Millennial theme. Still, it was a song of hope in the midst of trial.

Millennial Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

Isaiah 30:27-28. Behold, the Name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with His anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: His lips are full of indignation, and His tongue as a devouring fire. And His breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.”

God’s wrath is something to be feared.  Sadly, too many people want to focus only on His love, His grace and mercy. Those are also important attributes, but they are not the ONLY  attributes. Primarily, God is holy.  His holiness contains all His other attributes, which include grace, love, and mercy.  And justice. We must never forget that He is a God of justice, and the nations who persecuted Israel will experience the justice meted out by and angry and all-powerful God.

It was customary for captives from defeated nations to be led away with nooses, or bridles, around their necks. The bridles made it easy to control them.  I’m not sure if this last sentence in today’s passage is a reference to the people of Jerusalem being led into captivity, or if it is descriptive of Judah’s enemies when they are defeated. Nothing I read was completely convincing or definite. I tend to think, though, that it refers to the half of Jerusalem that will be led into captivity just before Armageddon (Zech. 14:1-5).

Tenfold Blessing

Isaiah 30: 23-26. ” Then shall He give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures. The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in that day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of the people, and healeth the stroke of their wounds.”

God promises prosperity and abundance when Jesus reigns. This is an amazing passage, going into detail on just exactly how things will improve materially for His people. I can’t imagine the moon being as bright as the sun, nor the sun like seven days of sunshine rolled into one. Combine all that light with an abundance of water flowing from the hills and mountains, and you have a desert that will indeed blossom as the rose.

Please don’t misunderstand this passage. It is not a promise for us today that if we obey God we will have health, wealth, and happiness. That is not a scriptural teaching, but one that distorts the reality of life in this fallen world.  God never promised believers that everything would go perfectly for them.  What He did promise is that He will walk with us through whatever  valley we must travel.

This passage is a Millennium prophecy,  specifically promised to Israel when they accept Jesus Christ as Messiah.

In the Millennium

Isaiah 30:20-22. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.”

How different things will be for Israel when they finally turn to Jesus Christ and accept Him as Messiah!  There will be no more adversity; no more affliction; they will accept the words of their teachers; they will follow the urging of the Lord in choosing the path to follow.

More, they will destroy all their idols and idolatrous ways, and they will never return to worshiping idols.  Idolatry was always the sin that led to the downfall of the nation, all throughout their history. They would be turned aside from following God by all the nations surrounding them, and especially when they married into those nations. That will all be over.  Jesus will be supreme, as He has always been. The difference is that during the Millennial period, His people will acknowledge His supremacy. And they will be blessed.

Sunday Morning Coffee: Grandkids

I have nine grandchildren. Three grew up in Germany; three are in South Dakota; three live about thirty minutes away. I will always be sad about all the years we missed with the six who live so far away.  You don’t really get to be part of their lives, and you miss seeing all the stages of change. My oldest grandchild is 20, and I find that almost impossible to understand!

 

I don’t think you really understand the emotion that goest with having grandchildren until you hold that first one, the first child of your first child.  Such a wave of amazement and tenderness, and it just keeps getting better as more babies are added to the family.

They are so much fun to have around because they aren’t your responsibility 🙂  You can enjoy them,  relax with them, and then send them back to their parents.

The three who live nearby stayed overnight with us on Thursday, stuffed with turkey and all sorts of other goodies. They bunk in the basement, in a semi-furnished room that holds a sofa, a twin-size mattress, and a couple of cots. They seem to enjoy themselves, and they always come back  upstairs hungry for whatever is featured at breakfast.

The boys spend time outdoors with Grandpa, working on one of his endless projects.  Their sister is out there too, for a while, but usually comes back inside looking for something domestic to do.  This time, she made some chocolate chip cookies.  She doesn’t need supervision any more, and she knows to clean up after herself.

We got some new neighbors earlier this year, and they have  a son and daughter close to the ages of our older grandson and his sister. They spent a few hours here yesterday, getting to know each other.

It’s a strong temptation, with your grands, to look at them and see your own kids.  I try not to do that. They are individuals in their own right, not clones of any of the rest of us. They will follow their own paths, and I pray  daily that those will be God-directed paths.

Well, I didn’t really have anything in particular to say today, I guess.  Just enjoying this part of my life, so thankful for all with which God has blessed us.

 

Weekend

Well, Thanksgiving Day has come and gone. We were left with three happy grandchildren who seem to think staying overnight with us is some kind of  a treat 🙂  We had a very good day with family and close friends, way too much food, and a definite turkey torpor.

Before we ate, we all shared a favorite verse about praise or thanksgiving, and then we sang Praise God From Whom all Blessings Flow.  I think it’s important for us to remember that Thanksgiving Day isn’t just about stuffing the turkey or our faces; rather, it is to take the time to remember how God has blessed us personally, and in our country, and in our freedom to worship God as we choose, and when and where we choose. There are those who would take that freedom away from us, as others who have their heads buried in the sand, trying to pretend we have no real enemies.

They’re going to be sadly surprised.

Well, I have a fairly calm day ahead. We’ll be eating yummy leftovers today, so my day will be a lot more lazy than it was yesterday 🙂

And I will NOT be out with all the other Black Friday shoppers. No way.

 

 

Blessed Thanksgiving!

I’ve always loved this painting of that first Thanksgiving.  May it reflect the celebration of a our gratitude to God for His blessings over this past year.

A Couple of Days Off

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in America.  I have lots of food prep to do today, and company coming tomorrow.  My heart if full of gratitude that, for the first time in over two years, I am able to host the gathering here.  I love my God, Who has blessed my life so richly.

Psalm 107 is a favorite of mine.  Here’s the first verse, which is repeated at intervals throughout the Psalm.  Read it.  You’ll be glad you did.

To all my American friends, and any others around the world who may be celebrating this day, best wishes for a warm and wonderful time with family and friends, and in remembering the God Who gave us our wonderful world.

 

In Zion at Jerusalem

Isaiah 30:19. “For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when He shall hear it, He will answer thee.”

The Jews, the people of Judah, including all the 13 tribes (the split tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh make make it 13) who will make up the Jewish nation under the Messiah, shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. This is proof again that Zion is a literal place in Jerusalem, and that it is not the church or some spiritual kingdom of God among men today.

Thou shalt weep no more is another point of identity with the Millennium and the new earth eternally (64:19; Rev. 21:3-7).

God will always hear when men (people) cry unto Him:  Matt. 7:7-11; I John 1:9.

Switch to Millennial Times

Isaiah 30:18. “And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will  He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him.”

This verse begins a section in which there are 18 predictions yet unfulfilled.  They will all be fulfilled beginning with the second coming of Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom on earth for 1000 years.

The doctrine of Jehovah waiting for man is prominent throughout the scriptures, not always expressed, but plainly implied. Here it is expressed that He waits for man and that He will wait for Judah to come  to acceptance, so He can fulfill with them the everlasting covenants made with their fathers; and then they shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem and weep no more.

If only His people had repented and returned from their idol worship, and met the terms of the covenant to fulfill righteousness so that He could bless them; but they refused while He waited. He has even waited over 2000 years since Jesus Christ died and rose again, and He will wait until Christ comes again (Is. 66:19-21; Zech. 12:10-14-21;Matt. 23:37-39; Rom. 11:25-28).