They are Dead...The Wayfarer...6/9/14

They are Dead
6/9/14

They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to Perish.

(Isaiah 26:14)

Today we go to the old prophet Isaiah once more, and the words of wisdom and warning left by him to not only the nations of the earth at his time, but those of this time as well.

Christ often quoted the words left by this old prophet and others as he reminded the people of His time of the need to remember the requirements given them by God, and the penalties paid before, debts due again to be paid when those requirements were ignored.

Those requirements have not changed in the millennia since Isaiah gave his prophesies, and, unfortunately, despite the Savior given to pay all those debts by all men of all time, they are still ignored by the majority who see no penalties  for having refused the requirements left us.

“In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.

Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.

(Isaiah 26: 1-4)

The previous two chapters were descriptive of what was to come to those nations in violation of God’s laws and intent, and a warning to Israel to depart from the ways and teachings of those around them else they too suffer the consequences of His wrath.

These opening verses of this chapter are verses of joy, and hope for the people of God so loved by Him, and who returned that love by retaining the memory of the fact that love came with requirements that had to first be met.

For many years, there has been the song that was sung, then, in places of safety, given by God in return for those remembering His love and the requirements.

Walls and bulwarks to protect the cities of those places became irrelevant and unnecessary when that protection was given.

Walls and bulwarks were built to keep people in rather than out by those who wished to indenture and enforce servitude on those they would lead by other means, through the leadership and understanding of men, led not by God, but in fact denying the very existence of God.

Gates were opened, by a people that remained true to the promise made to God to honor Him in their means of government and in the pursuit of their daily lives.

These, of that time, and still those of today who remember that promise keep the promised perfect peace that can exist only through the complete knowledge of and trust in God given by them. Their minds did, and a few still do are kept on what the requirements given by him both were and are yet.

That strength is not forgotten, nor shall it be as long as the few stay their minds on God, His mercies, His blessings, His COMMANDMENTS and the perfect sacrifice given by His Son so that those blessings and mercies might be eternal instead of a temporary reprieve from the wrath that had been promised in the event of having forgotten HIM.

As those gates were opened, and the walls and bulwarks removed, others found their way into those strong cities of safety.

Some, in fact, many, brought with them that same faith and obedience that were required to allow the continuation of that safety and care free peace that could be found within those cities and places. They brought with them the same trust in the Lord already to be found there.

Still others came, and brought with them only teachings and practices that denied the very reason for that protection, and its provider.

These multiplied rapidly, and continue to multiply far out numbering those still in remembrance of both the promise and its requirements.

 Forgotten or ignored was the continuation of that promise.

“For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.

The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy.

The way of the just is upright, and dost weigh the path of the just.

Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.

With my souls have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness

(Isaiah 26:5-9)

Forgotten is the promise to bring down again ay time those who continue to deny and ignore Him and deny thanks for the blessings given assuming them to be rights without requirement.

Forgotten is the fact that there continues a weighing and measuring of both that trust and that love shown through the remembrance of those requirements for what has been given.

Few wait and have that desire within their soul for the remembrance of that Provider of all given, and all that exists.

If sought at all, that remembrance is not sought early, but only after having seen the wrath that exists alongside the mercy and blessings.

Many live without fear of that wrath, laughing and going on in denial thinking that man, and men’s teachings provide the things they have and think they want as well.

“Let favor be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.

Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.

Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou hast wrought all our works in us.

O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.

They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.

(Isaiah 26:10-14)

Despite having been shown the favor of God, shown His magnificent mercy, shown the grace available, yet still a majority will not learn what has already been learned by those in the past who maintained that same denial of Him that is proliferated in all the nations of the world today.

Many mouth platitudes, and profess faith while continuing to deal unjustly, refusing to actually see the majesty of God, refusing to obey that single commandment left us by His Son, refusing to even recognize those who do as anything but gullible and easily taken for what little may be within their possession, envying only the riches seen worthy, never seeing the true riches held by them.

They are indeed dead. They may walk among us, make noise and create havoc, persecute and deny, but they cannot escape the fact, that, to God, they are dead, rotting and putrid: mere vessels of flesh containing souls that once could have been salvaged had they but simply paid attention and remembered that those souls, like all else belong to God and are at His pleasure in regard to final destiny and disposition.

“Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.

Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.

Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord.

We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind: we have not wrought and deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the earth fallen.

Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.”

(Isaiah 26:15-21)

The great strides of “progress” and “equality” and “justice” and all the luxuries enjoyed so much by so many will be called to account with their forgetfulness, with their denial, with their self-seeking self-righteousness that makes them strive all the harder to work for the teachings of man, and against those of God.

Nations have cried out in the past in times of chastisement, in times of war, in times of trouble, in times of famine, in times of turmoil and times of trouble.

Despite deliverance from all of those things, the promise to remember is forgotten, and what is brought forth from those pains and wretchedness remain but wind, empty air along with the empty promises delivered by men shunning God and clinging to their own means of “salvation” only to find that salvation none at all outside the favor of God.

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

(Revelation 2:5)

I close once more with reminder of those first works, in reminder of that required repentance, in reminder of the redemption promised in return for that repentance. I close in reminder that we have been given the teachings of a Savior, a commandment and a commission also given us by Him as well.

I remain yet and still the humble servant of God, the creator and provider of all on this earth, all blessings given and all yet to be received.

I remain also the soldier placed on guard, recalling completely the general order given to guard everything within the limits of my post and to quit that post only when properly relieved.

As I still draw the breath given me by my Lord, and have the ability to do so, I will be relieved only when He sees fit, and must continue to walk that post wherever and whenever he places me there.

No apology will ever be given for having done so, no corruption or reward can force me to desist in my efforts to bring both warning and promise to those arrayed against me.

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

(Revelation 22:12)

In anticipation of the rest that inevitably comes with that reward, the peace and promise of eternity spent with my Lord, even so come quickly, Lord Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
The Wayfarer