The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 27:4-5,
"I am not angry.
If only there were briers and thorns confronting me!
I would march against them in battle;
I would set them all on fire.
Or else let them come to me for refuge;
let them make peace with me,
yes, let them make peace with me."
This very interesting passage has in view a time when the Lord's judgment against Israel is past. It is a picture of a later date. The Lord anticipates threats against her, the "briers and thorns". Those "briers and thorns" may not be enemies external to Israel, but internal ones, as Geoffrey W. Grogan says in his commentary on Isaiah, "they may represent internal rather than external enemies, paganizers rather than pagans."
In any event, the briers and thorns can attempt to undue God's handiwork in Israel and face him in battle and get burned up or they can instead seek the Lord for refuge and make peace with him. Here is a wonderful invitation to those facing the Lord's judgment to make peace with him!
God invites those who are his enemies to make peace with him! This is reminiscent of Romans 5:6-10 to me, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"
"I am not angry.
If only there were briers and thorns confronting me!
I would march against them in battle;
I would set them all on fire.
Or else let them come to me for refuge;
let them make peace with me,
yes, let them make peace with me."
This very interesting passage has in view a time when the Lord's judgment against Israel is past. It is a picture of a later date. The Lord anticipates threats against her, the "briers and thorns". Those "briers and thorns" may not be enemies external to Israel, but internal ones, as Geoffrey W. Grogan says in his commentary on Isaiah, "they may represent internal rather than external enemies, paganizers rather than pagans."
In any event, the briers and thorns can attempt to undue God's handiwork in Israel and face him in battle and get burned up or they can instead seek the Lord for refuge and make peace with him. Here is a wonderful invitation to those facing the Lord's judgment to make peace with him!
God invites those who are his enemies to make peace with him! This is reminiscent of Romans 5:6-10 to me, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"
The inscrutable love of God is an amazing thing! He invites us, his enemies, to himself!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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