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Showing posts with label God will judge His people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God will judge His people. Show all posts

Sunday, March 5, 2017

God Will Judge His People

God Judges His People

Book of Isaiah 2


The world does not know what lies in the future but we can be sure if someone knew what the future held for them, they would change things before that time arrived.

The truth is, all people can know what lies in the future but the greatest future for any human being is rejected by most of the world.

The Lord gave Isaiah a glimpse of what lies in not only the future, "near and far" for Israel, but also a glimpse of the future of all human beings.

What is the truth?

Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Most of this world rejects this truth but the truth is always the truth and cannot be changed!

Why is Israel hated so much?

Because the Bible states emphatically that all nations and all people shall yet acknowledge the God of Israel!

We can also be sure that God will always preserve Jerusalem. Why do the Moslem have such a great desire to keep Jerusalem because they believe part of the Word of God and the Word of God says that Jerusalem will be the capitol city of this world one day in our future. They just think they can hold onto Jerusalem by force or deceit which will certainly fail and it will be they who will rule the world. They simply think it is man-made power that controls this world which is simply nor true. There is a supernatural force in control of His own creation!

There is only one way to be a citizen of the true Jerusalem and the Word of God explains it very well and without confusion.

Let's Begin:

*****Isa 2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
Isa 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Isa 2:3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

In chapter 1 we saw a vision given to Isaiah by the Lord and now in chapter 2 we see another vision, and though it may overlap with the first one it is still a new vision.

We have a tendency to use the phrase "the word of prophecy says" but we need to understand these are actually decrees that come from the mouth of God! A decree is God's unchangeable Words that are always true!

Psa 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

When the Word of God says "it shall come to pass" when we can depend on that thing being the truth and one day will certainly come to pass!

The Temple existed in the time of Isaiah so he was not talking about that Temple. Isaiah is looking far beyond what will happen to the Jews in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, far beyond the rebuilt Temple, and far beyond the first coming of the Messiah.

The nations that are set in place after the 7 year tribulation period are already in place at the time of this vision!

All those nations of this day are calling on the Lord and what do the people say? "Come ye, let's go to the mountain of the Lord". They still have that freedom to choose and they will encourage one another and they know that King Jesus is already there.

By this time, Israel again is the lead nation of this world.

What are three events we know of, according to the Word of God that lie in the future?

1) There will be the "Day of the Lord".

Isa_13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

2) There will be the future Kingdom of God on this earth and a new Temple.

Dan 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

3) There will be the restoration of Israel as the dominant nation of this world.

Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

God says it and that settles it!

There will be only one rule of government and the world will finally know peace but after every war there are people that need to be fed and their fears removed.

*****Isa 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

That word "judge" in verse 4 means the government of God will be in place.

A "Theocracy" is when this entire world will be under the direct government of God Himself!

There will be no councilor, there will be no three branches of government, there will be no Constitution and there will be no Bill of Rights, there will only be the Word of God, which by the way, we have a complete copy of already!

God will order "all" the affairs of this world and He will do so "judicially". God has never judged for destruction because He will only judge for correction! He will rebuke many people!

The world will have already witnessed the wrath of God!

The world will melt down all the weapons of war to be used to prepare the soil for food and much food will be needed.

Amo 9:13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

Eze 36:35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.

Isaiah was so excited about this vision, he not only said this to Judah but he spoke to all the tribes of Jacob.

*****Isa 2:5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Isaiah said to his people, since we can know all these things, then why not repent and return to the Lord "now".

The worldly ways of Israel would bring only destruction. As Judah followed in those same tracts of Israel, they would see that the ways of the world would only lead to destruction. It is only those that walk in the light of the Lord, who would see the things that God has reserved for His people!

This invitation to come to the Lord is still in place, at this time but there will be a time when God will say no to those that already been offered that chance to come.

Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Those that have rejected the Word of God will certainly see the "Day of the Lord"!

*****Isa 2:6 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

The most terrible statement in the Word of God is those words "thou hast forsaken thy people"!

The truth is, God will never forsake those that love Him, but in truth God will forsake all those that reject Him and God gives all of us His reasoning. "God forsakes all those that forsake Him"!

That word "therefore" means to look and understand the previous Scriptures.

God not only has total control of the life we have now, God has total control of life after the death of this life.

There will be a day that God will "judge" this world, "the day of the Lord" and in fact this is not even a time period but just as the Scripture says "a day". God does not need a great deal of time to defeat His enemies, it will only take a small part of "one day"!

God does not ever do these things for a lack of love!

The lost world and many false Christians keep saying that a Loving God would never do such a thing. God will simply remove all those who have rejected Him and His Words. It's just a matter of doing what He says He will do! God does not ever threaten but God will certainly "Warn"!

When this world becomes your god then you have rejected the truth of God!

Exo_20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Jer_25:6 And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.

The Jews of this day of Isaiah had turned to the East for the things they needed. They had turned to the land of Mesopotamia, the land of Nebuchadnezzar. They had turned to the world and walked away from their Redeemer!

In this Scripture a "soothsayer" is one who practices magic, a diviner, a sorcerer. These Jews had turned to the occult to get the answers of the future, ignoring the Word of Truth, the Word of God and His prophets of the truth of God.

We can see that the Philistines, the Palestinians of today, also practiced these same practices of the occult and still do today!

We also see that they had allowed the children of immigrants from other countries to bring in their false worship to influence the people of God and we see this happening today in our own nation.

When God forsakes as a Father and a Friend, He then becomes the "Judge"! God will always "Judge" by His written Word!

Lev 20:6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Lev 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.
Lev 20:8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.

We are fools to think that the Lord will ever change His ways!

*****Isa 2:7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots:
Isa 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
Isa 2:9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.

What is the sequence of idolatry?

1) Money in abundance, the love of money is the root of all evil.
2) Money buys horses, the horse stands for power, and the lust for power is truly an evil thing.
3) Horses require chariots. Power requires violence, ambition, more money and authority.
4) Then those under that authority need something to occupy their minds "spiritual adultery". Places of worship where there are religious rites and ceremonies. Nothing suits the world better than an idol that can be placed on a shelf and called upon only when needed and not expecting an answer and that requires no obligations. They worship the work of their own hands as this world does today!

An idol requires a degrading of human dignity!
When we can bow down to our own creations we have made our own life meaningless!
We have also made God's creation an accident!

At this point, God simply cannot forgive them and they will drink the wine of "Divine Wrath"!

What is the truth?

Psa 10:16 The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

We sometimes forget that we live in God's Creation and we are to abide by God's rules!

God will certainly "Judge" this bad behavior!

*****Isa 2:10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.
Isa 2:11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
Isa 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

To be honest, when the Lord returns, what else will those that have rejected Him be able to do but try to escape or hide.

All those who have been so arrogant to defy the Lord, will not want to face the truth of the Lord.
All those who have been so full of self-pride in their own accomplishments, will see that they have accomplished nothing.
All those who have denied and rebelled against the Lord all their days, will finally see that Jesus Christ is truly the Lord of all His creation.

It is the Lord alone who will be exalted in the "Day of the Lord"!

When the Lord returns, He will settle up with all those who have rejected Him in a small part of one day, thus the "Day of the Lord".

To the Jew any part of a day was considered a full day.

It can also be said that from the time period extending from the "Rapture" of the church, through the 7 year Tribulation period, the return of Christ and on through the Millennial reign of Christ Jesus, can be considered the "Day of the Lord" to Israel, and then on through the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth when all God's people will become One "Bride of Christ".

Book of Joel 2:18-3:21.
Zechariah 1:7-3:10.

During the Millennial reign of Christ, Israel will be the light to all nations which was God's original intent, when He called Abraham out of Ur.

Isa 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Then the Lord Jesus Christ will be the Divine Ruler of this world.

Zec 6:13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

Zec 9:10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

In that day, Holiness will be the rule on this earth!

Zec 14:20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD'S house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
Zec 14:21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

We must always remember, those that reject the Lord cannot pray, if they do that pray will be rejected.

Thoe truth is those the reject the Lord, do not have the strength to overcome sin so they relish in it!

The truth of the "Gospel" will always seem weak to those that deny the "Gospel"!

To these people, the "Day of the Lord" will be like a world-wide crisis and all they can see is the end of mankind, when in truth it will be the beginning of what God has promised to those who love Him.

Then Isaiah, by the Holy Spirit describes some of these things.

*****Isa 2:13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
Isa 2:14 And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,
Isa 2:15 And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,
Isa 2:16 And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.
Isa 2:17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

The truth is, when mankind will not repent then mankind must suffer!

The truth is, all those who do not come to Christ in the time before the "Day of the Lord" will certainly flee from the doom of their own destruction on this day!

In truth, all God's created universe all mankind, all of nature, and everything in the heavens will be humbled at the site of the Lord!

Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Isa 34:4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

Act 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
Act 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

Those on the earth on this day will realize the end of their beliefs has come!

Those on the earth will cast away all their false gods who can do them no good!

*****Isa 2:18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.

According to, the Hebrew word "Elyil" which is translated "idol", this means "nothingness".

"Nothingness" means things that do not exist!

All those people who worship anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ will see that God will abolish those things! To abolish means to destroy!

A special feature of God's "judgment" will be the eradication of idolatry everywhere! Amen

This will also include the images of saints worshipped by certain groups.

1Co 8:4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, "we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one".

The truth is, there is nothing of this world that can represent the invisible God of Almighty Power!

Once this is realized by those who have rejected the true God, they will have nothing but fear to turn too!

*****Isa 2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Isa 2:20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
Isa 2:21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

Untold monies have been spent to protect the leaders of many nations from catastrophes but none can be protected from the wrath of God!

We must realize there is simply no means of escape from the "judgment" of God!

All those who have refused to repent will certainly suffer at the hand of God!

Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

There are simply no way for mankind to prepare for things that have not ever been seen!

*****Isa 2:22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?

As Christians, we must not participate in the wicked behavior of this world!

Who are the truly insane in this world? It is not those whose minds that have never developed!

It is those who trust in the humanistic, materialistic philosophies of this world and reject the truth of God!

Man, is not the supreme being in this universe and there are no such things as aliens from foreign planets!

As humans, we only possess the breath of life that God has given us and He can take that away at any moment!

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

This truth still remains, the only sin that can never be forgiven is the sin of rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ.

The truth of mankind is, that we are sinful, ignorant, lack the strength to do good, independent, rebellious and inclined to do evil, and this is just our nature!

God has provided the only means of escape from this life or what we call life, when most people still live in the misery of the unknown.

There is nothing in this world that is everlasting and worthy of our trust beyond the Word of God which gives us the truth of life!

1) As humans, we must cease from expecting perfection to come from this world.
2) As Christians, we must cease from expecting great things in this world.
3) As Christians, we must cease from expecting too much from fellow Christians, they to will sometimes fail us.
4) Therefore, we must not make fellow Christians our model or measuring faith by their faithfulness.
5) In reality, we must cease in expecting too much from Christian friendship, even Christ was forsaken by His own disciples.
6) Therefore, the only One to whom we can totally depend on is our Savior, our Redeemer, who knows us better than we know ourselves!

I have recovered from cancer, by the hand of God, so only in that sense am I better than those "who have not yet" recovered from cancer.

It is the same for the Christian! As Christians, we have recovered from our sinful lives by the Lord Jesus Christ and only in that sense "are we any better than those that remain", who refuse to repent of their evil ways and call on the Lord for salvation.

Charles Spurgeon wrote "Man is made up of soul and soil, and the soil terribly soils the soul".

Our flesh is simply so weak that if you cut off our air supply we will be dead in just a few moments no matter how strong we are physically!

We are simply fools to trust in what man can accomplish and ignore our Creator!

Questions?

Let's Pray!