“Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever: which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: the LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: the LORD preserveth the strangers; He relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked He turneth upside down.
The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.” Psalm 146:1-10 (KJB)
Judgment
I Lift Up My Soul Unto God
“Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in Thy faithfulness answer me, and in Thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto Thee: my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not Thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee.
Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto Thee to hide me.
Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Quicken me, O LORD, for Thy name’s sake: for Thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of Thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am Thy servant.” Psalm 143:1-12 (KJB)
Wisdom, Judgment, Flattery, Snare, and Song
“Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.
The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.
A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.
In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.” Proverbs 29:3-6 (KJB)
The LORD Is Good; His Mercy Endures Forever
“Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? Who can shew forth all His praise?
Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.” Psalm 106:1-3 (KJB)
I Will Sing Of Mercy and Judgment
“I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto Thee, O LORD, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt Thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.” Psalm 101:1-8 (KJB)
Leadership, Law, and Judgment
“For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.
A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.
They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.
Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.” Proverbs 28:2-5 (KJB)
Man; Justice; Pride; and Diligence
“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.
The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.” Proverbs 21:2-5 (KJB)
His Name Is Great and He Is Awesome
“In Judah is God known: His name is great in Israel.
In Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion. There brake He the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.
Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.
The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.
At Thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
Thou, even Thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in Thy sight when once Thou art angry?
Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, when God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain.
Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about Him bring presents unto Him that ought to be feared. He shall cut off the spirit of princes: He is terrible to the kings of the earth.” Psalm 76:1-12 (KJB)
Understanding Righteousness, Judgment, and Equity
“For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.” Proverbs 2:6-9 (KJB)
Doubt It If You Will; Jesus Is Coming Again
“This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.’
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:1-9 (KJB)
Fulfill The Royal Law
“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,’ ye do well: but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For He that said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ said also, ‘Do not kill.’ Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” James 2:8-13 (KJB)
Full Of The Goodness Of The LORD
“Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto Him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
Sing unto Him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. For the word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.” Psalm 33:1-5 (KJB)
He Shall Judge the World In Righteousness
“I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Your marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You: I will sing praise to Your name, O You Most High. When my enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at Your presence. For You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat in the throne judging right. You have rebuked the heathen, You have destroyed the wicked, You have put out their name for ever and ever. O you enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and you have destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them. But the LORD shall endure for ever: He has prepared His throne for judgment. And He shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know Your name will put their trust in You: for You, LORD, have not forsaken them that seek You.” Psalm 9:1-10 (KJB)
Every Knee and Every Tongue
“For it is written, ‘As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:11-12 (KJB)
Originally written by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 45:23,
“I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” Isaiah 45:23
This chapter of Romans deals much with the art of judgment of one another; particularly that we are not to offend one another and that we are all accountable to God. In the end we must all be aware of what does offend God, and live accordingly
Live unto Jesus Christ. Die to self. Christ died for us that we might live with Him forever.
I will end with this thought from the apostle Paul and the Holy Spirit…
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” Philippians 2:9-11
The Judgment of The LORD
“The just LORD is in the midst thereof; He will not do iniquity: every morning doth He bring His judgment to light, He faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.” Zephaniah 3:5 (KJB)
The LORD is always good. There is never a time when He is not. If He were not also Holy, Just, Righteous, and Jealous He would not be good.
The people in the day of Zephaniah’s prophecy were feeling quite positive of God’s presence with them. Judah, Jerusalem was counting on the fact that God would not leave them, neither forsake them; and the prophet assures them that He is indeed in the midst of them.
The LORD in their midst did not excuse their iniquity, their sin, their rebellion against the LORD. It would rather magnify their grievous sin – at least it should have. It magnified iniquity for the prophet of God; and God used him to warn His people.
For the people of God in 2019, those who call themselves “Christian” this word is for you today. God truly is in our midst; He will not do iniquity, and He does not rejoice in it. While the judgment of sin has been paid for by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, He was buried, and He rose again; does not give you a license to sin; neither is it an excuse for sin.
It is a license to freely live for God, confessing our sin when we commit the grievous act of sin and iniquity against God (1 John 1:9).
God will judge those who refuse to accept the gift of grace through the cross of Jesus Christ. We must never forget as a Christian, that judgment must begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17).
O that the Christian today; from the pulpit to the pew, the preacher to the man or woman who professes Jesus Christ as Savior of their lives to fall on their faces before God confessing, and repenting of their sins. Also crying out to see their sin as God does. That would be the beginning of a great awakening in the Body of Christ.
The Power By The Spirit
“But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.” Micah 3:8 (KJB)
The prophet of God is called to give the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) whether that be good and positive, bad and negative. The preacher of today if called by God is called to do the same.
At times the preacher is given a message of comfort, hope, encouragement, and strengthening of faith. At other times he is given a message of judgment, and can cause, by the Spirit of the LORD, great fear and trembling and should lead the people to repentance, and faith toward Jesus Christ.
Micah’s message seems to be a doom and gloom message at the beginning, but as you read on into the message there is hope, blessing, encouragement, and words to strengthen one’s faith.
If the prophet is only defying the truth of God’s word, leaving out the warnings, the judgments, the negatives; then that prophet/preacher is not worth listening to; and you better go somewhere else. They are not a man of God.
We can certainly judge what the preacher says and/or does not say when we read the Scriptures. The Bible is our guide; our only source for judging what is true and right; or what is lies and deceiving.
When in doubt you can trust the words of the Lord Jesus when He said, “Judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).
The Eyes of the Lord GOD
“Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.” Amos 9:8 (KJB)
“eyes … upon the sinful kingdom — that is, I am watching all its sinful course in order to punish it (compare Amo_9:4; Psa_34:15, Psa_34:16).
not utterly destroy the house of Jacob — Though as a “kingdom” the nation is now utterly to perish, a remnant is to be spared for “Jacob,” their forefather’s sake (compare Jer_30:11); to fulfil the covenant whereby “the seed of Israel” is hereafter to be “a nation for ever” (Jer_31:36).” From the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary
“The guilty will certainly be punished. If they enter the sacred place of worship, even that will not shelter them, Amo_9:1. Flight and concealment will be in vain. Let them climb ever so high, or burrow ever so deep; let them scale the loftiest hills, or dive into the deepest seas-the consequences of their sins will overtake them, Amo_9:2-3. How can sinners hope to escape from Him whose chambers are built in the heavens and whose voice governs the tides, Amo_9:6? The great desolations of the past prove the exactness and severity of His judgments, Amo_9:7-8. How remarkably Amo_9:9 has been fulfilled? Notwithstanding their scatterings, the Hebrew people have been preserved as a race.
The final paragraph, Amo_9:11-15, is very reassuring. It is a burst of noble anticipation, quoted by the Apostle James, Act_15:14-17. The promises made to Abraham and David are yet to be fulfilled. The derision of their foes, of whom Edom was the ringleader, will be silenced. Through the parted curtain, we descry the golden age of the future. There is a divine plan working to its conclusion, and Israel shall yet come again to the land given to their fathers.” From THROUGH THE BIBLE DAY BY DAY with F. B. Meyer for Amos 9:1-15
When and What GOD Has Spoken
“I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 24:14 (KJB)
From John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible on Ezekiel 24:14…
“I the Lord have spoken it; it shall come to pass,…. What God has said shall be accomplished; his word shall not return void and empty, or be without effect:
and I will do it; being God omnipotent and unchangeable:
I will not go back; from his word, or the thing threatened and denounced; nothing should prevail upon him to act such a part:
neither will I spare; show any mercy or compassion, or abate of the punishment due:
neither will I repent; or change the course and method of Providence; but abide by the decree gone forth, and the sentence pronounced, and thoroughly execute it; a heap of words ascertaining the truth of what is predicted:
according to thy ways and according to thy doings shall they judge thee, saith the Lord God; that is, the Chaldeans shall judge and condemn thee, and execute my judgments on thee in a just and righteous manner, as thy evil ways and works deserve.”
It seems the Christian of 2019 wants to live on the promises of God from the Old Testament; but we tend to forget about those promises or warnings of judgment for neglecting His word, and turning from Him. Every word God has spoken will be done.
Judgment of the Wicked
” There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD.
They shall howl, ‘How is it broken down! How hath Moab turned the back with shame!’ So shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him. For thus saith the LORD; ‘Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.” Jeremiah 48:38-40 (KJB)
The Moabites hated the Israelites. As Israel was traveling through the wilderness following their deliverance from Egypt the king of Moab hired a false prophet named Balaam to curse them (Numbers 22-25). When Balaam realizes that God will not allow the cursing of Israel he tells Balak, the king of Moab how to cause them to fall. Be sure you read the story. Moab hated Israel, and Israel’s God who is the LORD of Hosts – YHWH.
The judgment that was coming on Moab at this point in time was Babylon. The same one who was used by Holy God to judge His own people because they had turned their backs on Him.
While God desires that the world knows Him to be God, the LORD God, He still judges iniquity, and those who defile and hate His people.
At the time of Jeremiah’s prophecy it has been hundreds of years since Balak’s hatred has been displayed. That hatred had continued through the many years.
There are those in our government of the United States of America and other governments of men who want nothing more than to see the demise of the nation of Israel; and for that matter all those Christians also who love Israel.
A word of warning to you who hate Israel, and who hate Christians because of our faith in the God who loves us, and showed it by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins; if you continue in your hatred you will come to an end, and that end will be eternity in the fires of a burning Hell.
God who is the Creator of all things has loved you, offers you forgiveness, salvation, grace, love, and peace through the cross of Jesus, His death, burial, and resurrection.
Turn from your hatred to Jesus Christ and live.
When the LORD Reveals Your Sin
“Give glory to the LORD your God, before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.” Jeremiah 13:16 (KJB)
Jeremiah would appear to be the only prophet of God; and he was warning Judah of impending judgment due to their sinful, debaucherous, greedy, living. Committing spiritual adultery against the LORD God who had given them all things.
The false prophets were telling the people what they wanted to hear. Babylon would not come against them. Jerusalem would not fall. They were blessed, and would continue to be so. WOW! That is just the kind of stuff people in 2019 like to and want to hear.
Jeremiah’s words above are for God’s people today as well. Their sinfulness has been exposed to them. They are being called on to repent of their sins, “Give glory to the LORD your God…”
The idea is to confess your sins, and in doing so you turn to God in repentance, leaving the old sins in the muck and mire where it belongs. That will give glory to the LORD God.
If you do not, or will not, then there will be darkness, and not light, and His judgment will come upon you.
The way of genuine repentance is given to us through the cross of Jesus Christ. His life’s blood was shed for our salvation; our redemption; He was buried, and He rose from the dead. He is waiting to hear your plea for forgiveness and mercy. He will hear, and He will forgive. “Give glory to the LORD your God…” for He tells us that “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
He Is…
Far too many times we get the idea that we know our situation better than God does. May we never forget that “He Is” not only the All Wise, All Knowing God but He is also our Creator who made everything we see, and the things we do not see…
“Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being His counsellor hath taught Him? With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and shewed to Him the way of understanding?” Isaiah 40:12-14 (KJB)
Who am I to even question God? Who am I to even question why things are as they are? We all have doubts, fears, discouragements, and anguish, grief, and hostilities.
God has not asked for my help in how He directs and leads in the affairs of this world. He has called me to hear Him, to believe Him, to follow His Son Jesus who is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit; yet one GOD. I am not asked, neither commanded to explain the Tri-unity of God, neither to understand it.
I am called to believe that “He Is”, and that “He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Only through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is there life eternal in the presence of Holy God, there is peace, and forgiveness of all sin.
A Man Shall Look to His Maker
“Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel. At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.” Isaiah 17:6-8 (KJB)
God has spoken of the judgment upon Damascus; and also Ephraim (the northern kingdom also called Israel), and Syria. The word of this text is to Judah.
Christians can, and need to learn much from the discipline of God upon His people of the Old Testament. One is that He will not allow His children to continue living in sin without some form of discipline, even judgment of our sin, to turn our hearts back to Him. Remember what the writer of Hebrews has written,
“…If you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards (or illegitimate), and not sons” Hebrews 12:8
Commentary for Isaiah 17:6-8…
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary on verse 6 – 8…
“in it — that is, in the land of Israel.
two or three … in the top — A few poor inhabitants shall be left in Israel, like the two or three olive berries left on the topmost boughs, which it is not worth while taking the trouble to try to reach.”
Verse 7 – “look to his Maker — instead of trusting in their fortresses – (Isa_17:3; Mic_7:7).”
Verse 8 – “groves — A symbolical tree is often found in Assyrian inscriptions, representing the hosts of heaven (“Saba”), answering to Ashteroth or Astarte, the queen of heaven, as Baal or Bel is the king. Hence the expression, “image of the grove,” is explained (2Ki_21:7).
images — literally, “images to the sun,” that is, to Baal, who answers to the sun, as Astarte to the hosts of heaven (2Ki_23:5; Job_31:26).”
Look to your Maker today. He is the One who died on the cross for you, was buried, and He rose again. He is the soon returning King of kings, and Lord of lords. He is Jesus the Christ, Son of the Living God, God the Living Son.
The Light of Israel
“And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; and shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.” Isaiah 10:17-19 (KJB)
In this reading I want us to remember that the Light of the world is Jesus Christ the Son of God and God the Son,
These words of Isaiah were spoken by God to him of the judgment God was bringing on the nation He was using to judge His own people because they had turned from the LORD God. This judgment is against Assyria whose ruler thought he was in charge, he was no one’s servant, that he was so powerful he had done all the conquering on his own. God was set to show him other wise.
The judgment of God is always for the cleansing of His people.
I am going to close with the words of the Matthew Henry Commentary…
“How this destruction is represented. It shall be, First, As a consumption of the body by a disease: The Lord shall send leanness among his fatnesses, or his fat ones. His numerous army, that was like a body covered with fatness, shall be diminished, and waste away, and become like a skeleton. Secondly, As a consumption of buildings, or trees and bushes, by fire: Under his glory, that very thing which he glories in, he will kindle a burning, as the burning of a fire, which shall lay his army in ruins as suddenly as a raging fire lays a stately house in ashes. Some make it an allusion to the fire kindled under the sacrifices; for proud sinners fall as sacrifices to divine justice. Observe, 1. How this fire shall be kindled, Isa_10:17. The same God that is a rejoicing light to those that serve him faithfully will be a consuming fire to those that trifle with him or rebel against him. The light of Israel shall be for a fire to the Assyrians, as the same pillar of cloud was a light to the Israelites and a terror to the Egyptians in the Red Sea. What can oppose, what can extinguish, such a fire? 2. What desolation it shall make: it shall burn and devour its thorns and briers, his officers and soldiers, which are of little worth, and vexations to God’s Israel, as thorns and briers, whose end is to be burned, and which are easily and quickly consumed by a devouring fire. “Who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? They would be so far from stopping the fire that they would inflame it.
I would go through them and burn them together (Isa_27:4); they shall be devoured in one day, all cut off in an instant.” When they cried not only Peace and safety, but Victory and triumph, then sudden destruction came; it came surprisingly, and was completed in a little time. “Even the glory of his forest (Isa_10:18), the choice troops of his army, the veterans, the troops of the household, the bravest regiments he had, that he was most proud of and depended most upon, that he valued as men do their timber-trees (the glory of their forest) or their fruit-trees (the glory of the Carmel), shall be put as briers and thorns before the fire; they shall be consumed both soul and body, entirely consumed, not only a limb burned, but life taken away.” Note, God is able to destroy both soul and body, and therefore we should fear him more than man, who can but kill the body. Great armies before him are but as great woods, which he can fell or fire when he pleases.
[3.] What would be the effect of this great slaughter. The prophet tells us, First, That the army would hereby be reduced to a very small number: The rest of the trees of his forest shall be few; very few shall escape the sword of the destroying angel, so few that th ere needs no artist, no muster-master or secretary of war, to take an account of them, for even a child may soon reckon the numbers of them, and write the names of them. Secondly, That those few who remained should be quite dispirited: They shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth. When he either falls or flees, and his colours are taken by the enemy, this discourages the whole army, and puts them all into confusion. Upon the whole matter we must say, Who is able to stand before this great and holy Lord God?” MATTHEW HENRY COMMENTARY
Turn to Jesus Christ the Light of the world. Without Him there is no light. He died for you, He was buried, and He rose again; and He forever lives and hears us when we pray trusting Him.
Redeemed With Judgment
“Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, ‘Ah, I will ease Me of Mine adversaries, and avenge Me of Mine enemies: and I will turn My hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness…” Isaiah 1:24-27 (KJB)
Even though there were some kings who did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, there was still wicked hearted people. So it is in every age, and every nation.
God redeems His people through Judgment. I am so thankful that Jesus Christ took the judgment of God for our sins upon Himself, and suffered hell; that we might be redeemed unto God the Father.
God’s Righteousness
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Romans 10:1-4 (KJB)
Righteousness. What is it?
True righteousness is defined by God, displayed by God according to His word. According to His word, the Bible, there is only one who is righteous, and that is God. Jesus even said,
“There is none good but one, God” Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18
and that is a fair thought for the word righteousness; one who does what is good and right. Do not put yourself on a pedestal thinking this describes you. Keep in mind that truly only God is good.
The Jews down through the years sought righteousness through the obedience to the law. The religious leaders even made it more and more complicated by adding loopholes, to ease the way for themselves while condemning the people.
God displayed His righteousness and holiness as He judged His only Son Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. The righteousness of Jesus Christ was on display there as He became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), taking the full judgment for our sin; becoming unrighteousness; and then He gives to us His righteousness.
This would all mean nothing though if He had not risen from the dead. Because of the work of the righteous Son of God on the cross, His burial, and resurrection when we call on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13) He declares us righteous and just (Romans 5:1-2)
We have no righteousness of our own. We, by good living, doing good to others, even going to church or our places of worship cannot be made righteous. We are only righteous as we call on the name of the Lord, and trust only in Him.
The Fire and Hammer 