“O LORD, in distress they sought You; they poured out a whispered prayer when Your discipline was upon them. Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of You, O LORD; we were pregnant, we writhed, but we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen. Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. For behold, the LORD is coming out from His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.” Isaiah 26:16-21
Devotional Thought For The Day
Such considerations have often come to God’s people of all times and places. We experience the discomfort of God’s discipline – and it is a tremendous blessing to be taught and shaped by God Himself, through His Word – even though we are devoted God, His will, His ways of love, and His great will that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. People of the world are not devoted to God, care nothing of His ways, are devoted to doing whatever they please, and are completely resistant to His gift of salvation and renewal in Christ Jesus. Our desire to fulfill the will of God is described as the pangs of childbirth – so eagerly do we desire God’s good and gracious will to prevail, and how difficult the task to “birth” new Christians. And yet we look around and it seems as if we have only “given birth to wind.” Isaiah laments: “We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth.” And in spite of God’s warnings to the unbelieving world around us, it often seems that “the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.” Not that we will their fall, but rather their salvation. However, in the face of recalcitrance, incorrigibility, and continued commitment to evil, all of which impedes salvation, and in view of God’s threats to destroy the wicked, we would like to observe more destructive punishment of the enemies of God’s kingdom. The world would be a much better place.
Isaiah reminds us that our hope is ultimately beyond this life – “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.” Those “who dwell in the dust” shall indeed awake – and they shall sing for joy. This is unnatural to us – we have so much to hope for and enjoy in this life. We can see the potential, and yet at every turn there is evil, people who hate and hurt and destroy what could be beautiful and pleasant, and when they cannot utterly destroy what is good they do all that they can to pervert and corrupt what is good. So the church is under constant attack and even this greatest good appears to be disorganized, utterly conflicted, and even cannibalistic. It is no different in our personal lives – evil people cannot help themselves; they simply have to behave in ways that are calculated to bring others into their own malevolent misery. Still we try and strive – and it is as painful as childbirth, and often seems fraught with futility. So we must learn to embrace the whole of God’s plan, understanding what was lost in the fall into sin, and the obvious evil of sin, that it cannot be reformed or held on to in any way. The judgment is right, and it will be good, for those who repent and cling with joy to God’s salvation in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah assures God’s people that the time for this judgment and destruction is coming, and he advises us as to our proper preparedness: “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by.” There are many times of “smaller fury” that God inflicts upon the earth – all of which point to the final day of judgment which is inevitable. In these times there is nothing wrong with “ducking and taking cover.” In fact, it is here advised by God’s Word. Such retreat is by no means capitulation! Rather it is strategic, knowing the times, saving and renewing our strength and energy, regrouping for the time when there will be greater opportunity to serve and minister God’s grace and love to others. Perhaps then we will accomplish greater deliverance in the earth, and will produce more than wind. But ultimately this is God’s decision and His will; He kills and makes alive [Deut. 32:39] and it is Christ Who builds His church [Matt. 16:18]. We are privileged to participate in “making disciples” by true Christian baptism and teaching Christ’s Word – and it is important that we retain the proper and necessary encouragement to remain committed to this ministry.
So as we observe the continued violence and bloodshed upon the earth – not only direct murder and atrocity, but all of the malice which embitters and shortens life in this world – we have the assurance that “the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.” We take refuge in the “safe chamber” that God has provided for us, the precious blood of Christ and the fellowship of His church. For everything there is a time and a season, for bold witness and unbridled enthusiasm, and also for hunkering down under cover, for times of peace and also times of God’s fury. Our pessimism must be overcome by the promises of God – both in regard to His present deliverance and salvation, and also in regard to judgment, destruction of the wicked, resurrection, and a new heaven and earth, the home of righteousness. It has always been this way for people of God, those who know and believe His great love for us, a struggle with evil and with a sense of futility. But this is also God’s struggle, and we enter into His blessed being and consciousness when we persevere and remain steadfast. May He bless us with steadfast endurance and unfailing love like His.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, have mercy and compassion on us in our daily struggles with sin, with faith, and with perseverance in our commitment to You. Grant us steadfast faith and joy, and also wisdom to weather all circumstances, including the storms of Your fury. Keep us mindful of Your whole eternal plan for our great blessedness and joy, that we not falter in the difficulties and tribulations of this earthly life. Keep us safe in the chamber You have prepared for us until all danger is past. Amen.