And New Things Do I Declare...the Wayfarer 7/1/14

And New Things Do I Declare
 7/1/14

Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
(Isaiah 42:9)

Isaiah foretold the coming of Christ, foretold of a new covenant to come through Him, and even foretold that the judgment brought by Him applied to both Jew and Gentile, as well as the fact that so many would remain blinded and completely without understanding of what was given us by God.

This 42^nd and the following 43^rd chapter are full of both promise and warning of what was, at that time, yet to be given, and the rejection of what was given as well.

He spoke both of the gentle, loving, qualities of Christ, and the wrath to come because of the rejection that was foreshadowed here as well.

Promise, comfort, and warning that was written for the benefit of His people, yet included the remainder of the world as well.

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.”

Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;”

(Isaiah 42:1-6)

He continues to prophecy the reason for Christ’s coming, and the purpose of His ministry while He walked among men:

 “To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

(Isaiah 42:7-9)

 He goes on reminding us that far too many would remain in blindness, without recognition of this most precious gift, beginning with the promise that all that was required was to hear and see that gift for what it was and is. The 18^th verse bids that we hear and look, going on to remind us of the blindness to our sin, of a willing Sacrifice to correct our own blindness if only we can heed what was supposed to be easily heard and seen through the very perfection of that Sacrifice.

The 20^th verse speaks loudly of all those still and yet in denial of Him:

“Seeing many things, but thou observes not: opening the ears, but he heareth not.”

(Isaiah 42:20)

Isaiah goes on to remind us that God is well pleased with the righteousness of Christ: and that Christ would in fact magnify the law, and once again make it honorable if what he came to bring was heeded.

Then he goes on to bemoan the fact that despite the gift having been given, this people remain callously, and deliberately ignorant of it.

“But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith Restore.

Who among you will give ear to this? Who will hearken and hear for the time to come?

Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.

Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.”

(Isaiah 42:22-25)

Look about us, looking at the condition of our world and tell me that that fire has not been kindled, that this people of this day have not been robbed and spoiled of all the promise given by simply rejecting it for their own devices, plans and teachings instead of taking to heart what was taught by Christ Jesus.

The 43^rd chapter begins with  the comfort and promise for those who have heeded those teachings stating once more that because of that gift, fear and desperation need not be the condition of mankind. Redemption is still possible if repentance is given, and God will stand by, and, with us, as we go through the tribulations of this world that remains in denial of Him. Once again we are asked to forsake the blindness for the sight and the light that has been given in its place:

“Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.

Let all nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witness, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say it is the truth.

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no savior.”

(Isaiah 43:8-11)

There is no other name by which we may ever be saved, except that of Jesus, who is one with the Father, and who came to show us the Way through the Truth that that 9^th verse speaks of.

The 22^nd verse through the end of this chapter serves as reminder that there is still a penalty for those who refuse to open ears and eyes to what has been given and taught us by Christ, by God himself through that precious gift of His Son!

“But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.

Thou hast not brought mw the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.

Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. I even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.

Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed before me.

Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and given Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproaches.”

(Isaiah 43:22-28)

The time has come to declare where we stand! The time has come to put God in our remembrance, and, plead with Him for the justification of what He gave us through that precious gift.

 God is indeed weary of the iniquities, as we have continued to ignore what was given, and listen to the teachers transgressing daily against that very gift, teaching abomination instead of redemption through repentance.

“And the Lord said, Wherefore unto shall I liken the men of this generation? And to what are they like?

They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say He hath a devil.

The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

But wisdom is justified of all her children.”

(Luke7:31-35)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life: and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

(John 1:1-5)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought of God.”

(John 3:16-21)

“Jesus saith unto him, I and the way the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him and have seen him.”

(John 14:6 & 7)

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them into the fire, and they are burned.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”

(John 15:6-8)

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

(John 13-35)

“Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.”

(John 14:1)

“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

For I have not spoken of myself: but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”

(John 12:46-50)

“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

(John 13:15-17)

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

(Matthew 28:19&20)

“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches, I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

And the spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come, and whosever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

(Revelation 22:16 &17)

I close once more, simple sinner saved by grace through faith in that Savior, my Lord and God, bidding all who have ears to hear and all who have eyes to see, and, that they recognize the need to come through repentance to the offered redemption.

 I remain also, always that simple soldier proclaiming the Truth, Way, and Life yet and still available even on this seemingly endless battlefield where the outcome has long ago been determined and the victory yet awaits.

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