Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? Where is the receiver? Where is he that counted the towers?
Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand. Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King; He will save us.
Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. And the inhabitant shall not say, “I am sick:” the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.
Isaiah 33:17-24
Beauty
Your eyes shall see the King in His beauty…
Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? Where is the receiver? Where is he that counted the towers? Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.
Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King; He will save us.
Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.
Isaiah 33:17-24
The Heavens Shall Declare His Righteousness
“The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people.
Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God is judge Himself. Selah.” Psalm 50:1-6 (KJB)
Beauty and Holiness
“Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” Psalm 29:1-2 (KJB)
For some folks they have a problem reconciling beauty and holiness. We probably have the idea of “Beauty” mostly wrong. Most of us marvel at the beauty of creation, all that God has made in the outdoors. I fear that some see more beauty in the things which Adamkind (mankind) has made. Some see beauty in city lights, and horizons of cities lit up in the night sky.
I see much more of beauty as I look at the stars above at night. The lights of cities I see as “Light pollution”, polluting the sky with man made conveniences. Now, please do not get me wrong; I do appreciate those conveniences just as much as others do.
What is beauty? There is an old saying which state, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”. That is probably true with some things, but not God things. If God states that something is beautiful, then we need to see it as beautiful as well. The heart right with God will see holiness as something of great beauty.
It anything is holy to the LORD, then, it is beautiful as well.
With God human life is holy. The blood that flows through our veins and most living creatures, is sacred and holy to the LORD. The LORD has stated in the book of Leviticus 17:11…
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
For one individual to haphazardly take the life of another individual that is that beauty, neither is it glory to the LORD. It grieves His heart. That is why He authorized human government the right of corporal punishment, or the death penalty. My life is no more important that another life. To intentionally kill for one’s own personal gain, or pleasure is plainly murder, and deserves to die equally.
God created Adamkind in His likeness and after His image. That has been tainted, and ruined by our sin. It is restored through the redemptive work of Jesus God’s Son by His death on the cross. That is holiness in its beauty. The Holy dying for the unholy, that we might be made the righteousness of God through Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Beauty and Holiness in Christ Jesus.
Day Three Hundred Thirty and Two
What do I want for Christmas?
If there is to be any boasting which comes from my mouth let it be of the power, wrath, love, grace, mercy, peace, awe, beauty, the cross, burial, resurrection power, etc. of the Almighty, Living God.
My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.” Psalm 34:2 (NKJV)
“In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever.” Psalm 44:8
“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galations 6:14
Day 51 – The Cornerstone
It has been said, that in the building of a building with stone that a “cornerstone” is needed. The size of the cornerstone determines the size of the building, the shape of the building and so forth. So without a cornerstone there is not much direction.
My reading this morning was Isaiah 21 – 34. In reading these verses there is much “Woe” presented to nations; Israel, and Judah included, but to them, also very much hope.
In chapter 28 God speaking through the prophet shows how the leadership has fallen. Where they had been known for their beauty they were seen as a “fading flower” (vv. 1, 4), and the day was coming when the LORD of hosts would “be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty…” (v. 5). The present leadership to whom Isaiah was speaking were drunken with wine and strong drink, making faulty judgment, and hating the word of the LORD.
The word of the LORD was not hidden to them. The prophet had made it known to them over and over again “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little there a little…” (v. 13) where it seems they had grown tired of hearing it. That did not stop the prophet. He kept on preaching. Go get ‘um Isaiah. Go get ‘um preacher.
We need to understand; God’s Word does not promote us, our comfort, our peace, even our salvation. The center, the promotion of the Word of God is God, His glory, His salvation. I do not want to burst your bubble… wait a minute – Yes I do. This world is not about you. This Word of God is not about you – it is not about us. It is about Him, and He tells us,
“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.'” Isaiah 28:16 (KJV)
These words are referenced in the New Testament describing the person of Jesus Christ (Romans 9:33; 1 Corinthians 3:11-13; 1 Peter 2:6; Matthew 21:42-44). This is truly a “precious corner stone”.
There are a couple of final verses I will leave with you today;
“Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for My mouth it hath commanded, and His Spirit it hath gathered them. And He hath cast the lot for them, and His hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.” 34:16-17
Though these words are spoken for the previous few verses; they are also true for the whole of God’s written Word. Particularly, “…No one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate…” God’s Word will come to pass just as He has said, not one word will fail.
Jesus is the Corner stone. He is coming. He will reign.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Worship the LORD
With the weekend coming up, and Sunday only two days away worship should be a fitting topic for today. Excitement, dancing, clapping of hands, jumping up and down, shouting words of worship are not necessarily worship. Especially, in a Christian setting where Jesus Christ is to be worshipped. (By the way, I know I am spelling “worshipped” wrong compared to the new spelling. I prefer the old way. With two p’s).
I want us to look at Psalm 96 today. It has much to say about worship. Particularly verse 9,
“O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before Him, all the earth.” Psalm 96:9 (KJV)
“Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” may have to do with garments the people of God wore as they attended the tabernacle, or the temple; however there is a much better understanding of that, which would be one’s life lived with love and adoration of the One we worship.
There is a reference in this Psalm to “gods of the nations” (vv. 4-5), and I believe that is for a reason. In the worship of the “gods of the nations” it involved much debauchery, and lewd practices with suggestive dancing and moving bodies. The worship of our LORD is “in the beauty of holiness”; with no sexually suggestive moves, or profane acts.
Now, please do not take me wrong. I think a little hand clapping to the timing of the music is okay; as long as it is done with the heart of praise to the Creator who alone is worthy of our praise, honor, glory and worship.
Remember what Jesus told the woman at the well,
“Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:21-24 (KJV)
God is holy, and His people must worship Him in the BEAUTY OF HOLINESS; not after the fashion of those attending a Rock concert. There is a “garment of praise” (Isaiah 61:3), and that garment must be holiness.
-Tim A. Blankenship
The Fire and Hammer 