Although many of Isaiah's people had rejected the Lord entirely or had blended idolatry with their worship of the Lord, there were still people who trusted in His name, just as though there are still people on earth today who trust in His name. To those people the Lord says: "Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word: 'Your own people who hate you, and exclude you because of My name, have said, 'Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy!' Yet they will be put to shame. Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of the Lord repaying His enemies all they deserve." (Isaiah 66:5-6)
The people of Isaiah's day who were living wrong hated the people who were living right. They hated the Lord's prophets and they hated the citizens who remained faithful to Him. They didn't give them equal opportunities, they shunned them publicly, and even plotted to kill some of them (and in some cases were successful). The Lord's faithful ones were mocked and treated like outcasts. While mistreating the Lord's people, they'd say, "Let's see you glorify Him now! Prove to us He is with you! If He is with you, wouldn't He strike us down?" The enemies of Christ said the same type of things to Him. When they struck Him, they shouted, "Prophesy to us!" And when He hung on the cross, they mocked Him, saying, "Let the Lord rescue Him if He is pleased with Him."
Ah, but the Lord will avenge those who are His! He will judge those who have hated His Son and He will judge those who have hated those who are His children through faith. Our enemies are His enemies. That is why He says in verse 6 above that He will repay "His enemies all they deserve".
A day is coming in which the Lord will right every wrong. A day is coming in which His enemies must stand before Him to answer the charges against them. Jews and Christians have been persecuted time and time again and, according to the book of Revelation, the worst of this persecution is yet to come. People will socially exclude us for our faith. We will be passed over in our professional lives because of our faith. We may be mocked and ridiculed. We may be forbidden to openly practice our faith. We may be jailed for our faith, or worse. But a day is coming when we will hear the sound of uproar and alarm when the Lord comes to avenge us. Nothing wicked has ever been done to us that the Lord has not seen and that the Lord will not judge.
No comments:
Post a Comment