permanent joy

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

July 2015 (27)Isaiah 61:7-11

7 Because their shame was double, and insult was celebrated as their lot, therefore they will possess a double portion; permanent joy will be for them. 8 Because I, Yahveh, love justice, I hate robbery and violent crime; I will faithfully give them their compensation, and I will make a permanent covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them will acknowledge that they are a people whom Yahveh has blessed. 10 I will greatly rejoice in Yahveh, my soul will display joy in my God; because he has clothed me with the garments of deliverance, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom outfits himself with a head-dress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 Because as the earth produces its shoots, and as a garden causes what is planted in it to spring up, so the Lord Yahveh will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

permanent joy

Three times in his prophecies, Isaiah predicts that Israel will experience permanent joy.[1] This is the third time. He looks upon a nation whose shame was celebrated, and promises a day when their descendants will be glorified permanently. He describes their joy using two delightful similes. They will rejoice like an engaged couple preparing for the wedding. They will rejoice like a garden which has produced a beautiful display of righteousness and praise for all the nations to see.

The good news for you today is that you, too can be part of that wedding show. You can be part of the bumper crop of beautiful that God has planned. We who put our faith in Christ will also inherit this permanent joy. The angel who announced Christ’s birth said his coming was good news of great joy to all the people.[2] The fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy.[3] And we are part of that great crowd of believers who will rejoice on that wedding day.[4] Put your faith in Christ, and you will know that joy that can never be taken away.

LORD, enfold us into your plan to redeem and glorify your planet. We accept your offer of permanent joy.

[1] (שמחה עולם). 35:10; 51:11; 61:7.

[2] Luke 2:10.

[3] Galatians 5:22.

[4] Revelation 19:6-7.

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a head-dress instead of ashes

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

July 2015 (26)Isaiah 61:1-6

1 A spirit from my Lord Yahveh is upon me, because Yahveh has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the ones with broken hearts, to proclaim freedom to the captives, and liberation for the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of Yahveh’s favour, and the day of retribution from our God; to comfort all the mourners; 3 to set up those who mourn in Zion– giving them a head-dress instead of ashes, oil to enjoy instead of using it for mourning rituals, the mantle of praise instead of a tired spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, those whom Yahveh planted to display his glory. 4 They will build up the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations; they will repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. 5 Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, foreigners will till your soil and dress your vines; 6 but you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God; you will enjoy the wealth of those nations, and you will glory in their riches.

a head-dress instead of ashes

Their is a considerable Sikh population here in South Auckland, New Zealand, where I currently live. The Sikhs wear turbans. For them, that elaborate head dress conveys “royalty, grace and uniqueness.”[1] The Israelites in Isaiah’s day knew nothing of these concepts. They only knew oppression, slavery, devastation and shame. Isaiah’s words of comfort to these people challenged them to imagine a new day: a day when they become the “haves” instead of the “have nots.”

Jesus came preaching a message to this same people, and he carried the same anointing.[2] He looked upon this spiritually poor, oppressed and mourning people, and he told them that they are blessed by the Lord. The Lord has given them a turban to wear instead of the ashes of humility and mourning. He has proclaimed them part of his royal priesthood, his unique people.

The gospel proclaims this same message for everyone, everywhere. You do not have to live in the shame and bondage that you are living in now. God has a future for you that is totally different. Dare to believe in this restoration, and you will see it some day.

LORD, give us the insight to accept your challenge, and to believe in our future in Christ.

[1] http://fateh.sikhnet.com/s/WhyTurbans

[2] Luke 4:18-19.

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permanent light

Posted on July 25, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

July 2015 (25)Isaiah 60:18-22

18 Violence will not be heard in your land any more, nor devastation or destruction within your borders; you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. 19 The sun will no longer be your day light, neither will the moon give light to you for brightness by night; but Yahveh will be your permanent light, and your God will be your glory. 20 Your sun will go down no more, nor will your moon withdraw itself; because Yahveh will be your permanent light, and your days of mourning will have been completed. 21 All of your people will be righteous ones; they will possess the land permanently. They are the shoot that I planted, the work of my hands, to show my glory. 22 The smallest of them will become a clan, and the most insignificant one a mighty nation; I am Yahveh; when its time comes, I will do this quickly.

permanent light

Earlier in this chapter, Isaiah had challenged his people to be light in their dark world. Now, he promises a future day when that light will completely overtake the darkness. He encourages them to think of the future when there will be no more sun or moon to light the land, only the permanent light of God’s glory, shining through his people. In fact, he says that showing God’s glory was the very reason that he planted them. The particular darkness that Isaiah had in mind is described as violence, devastation and destruction, and its accompanying emotion: mourning. The light indicates that the mourning is over, and peace, fulfilment, wholeness and joy has come again. The Light is the actual presence of Yahveh himself.

That promise is the backdrop we need for an accurate understanding of the pictures of the holy city in John’s Revelation.[1] In the future holy city, nothing changes in regard to the source of our peace and righteousness. The source of our light stays the same. The presence of God in us and through us stays the same.

LORD, shine through us, and let our roughness never hide your glow. Shine through us, and may the dark world around us come to know that you are its permanent light.

[1] Revelation 21:23; 22:5.

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second rate

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

July 2015 (24)Isaiah 60:11-17

11 Your gates will always be open continuously; day and night they will not be shut, so that nations will bring you their wealth, with their kings leading them. 12 Because the nation and kingdom that will not serve you will be destroyed; those nations will be totally laid waste. 13 The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the juniper, the elm, and the box-tree together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; yes, I will glorify the place where my feet stand. 14 The sons of those who exploited you will come bending low to you, and all who despised you will bow down at your feet; they will call you the City of Yahveh, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 15 Instead of you being abandoned and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you magnificent forever, a joy from age to age. 16 You will suck the milk of nations, you will suck the breasts of kings; and you will know that I, Yahveh, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Strong One of Jacob. 17 Instead of bronze I will bring gold, instead of iron I will bring silver; instead of wood, bronze, instead of stones, iron. I will set Peace as your sentry and Righteousness as your ruler.

second rate

Isaiah speaks to a people who have only known fear of other nations – a people who took their security from strong walls that keep invaders out. He promised a day when all the nations around will nourish and protect Israel. They considered themselves abandoned and hated. Isaiah promised a day when they would be sought after and cherished. They considered themselves the recipient of all the lower grade materials and workmanship – the second rate. Isaiah promised a day when everything second rate would be replaced by the finest and the most costly.

Jesus encourages his followers to pray, believing in a heavenly Father who does not want to give us second rate. He said “which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a rock? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give proper gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in the sky give good things to those who keep asking him!”[1] His point was not that there is some kind of divine loophole that believers can take advantage of to get more and better stuff. His point was that we have a Father in the sky who loves us, so we should not worry about asking him for more than we deserve. God’s people do not have to expect second rate.

LORD, transform our prayer lives. Help us to pray with a loving Father in mind, and expect first-rate answers to those prayers.

[1] Matthew 7:9-11.

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restoring the glory

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

July 2015 (23)Isaiah 60:6-10

6 A crowd of camels will cover you, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will herald the praiseworthy actions of Yahveh as glad tidings. 7 All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you, rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be acceptable on my altar, and I will restore glory to my glorious house. 8 Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows? 9 Because the continents will look eagerly to me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from a distance, their silver and gold with them, for the name of Yahveh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you. 10 Sons of foreigners will build up your walls, and their kings will serve you; because in my wrath I have struck you down now, but in my favour I will have had mercy on you then.

restoring the glory

Isaiah dares to challenge his people to imagine a restoration to glory and beauty. The restoration is to be so pronounced that all the continents of the planet vie for the opportunity to serve Israel. They bring their silver, gold and frankincense (!) to invest in the restoration of Israel. They proclaim the good news of what Yahveh has done for his land and people. The sons of the very foreigners who were now oppressing Israel would be rebuilding the walls that their fathers had torn down. The difference is that God’s wrath will have turned. God would choose to restore the glory of his own house.

God has chosen to restore what he was destroying. His wrath has been spent on the sacrifice of his Son on the cross. If you belong to him, you have no reason to fear Yahveh now. You have every reason to hope in his love. He wants to rescue his household, and he has invited you to be part of it. Come to the LORD now, before his day of permanent wrath comes.

LORD, restore the glory of your household, and grant us mercy that we may be a part of that restoration.

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be light

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

July 2015 (22)Isaiah 60:1-5

1 Stand up, be light; because your light has come, and the glory of Yahveh has shown upon you. 2 Watch, because darkness will cover the land, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahveh will shine upon you, and his glory will appear upon you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 Lift up your eyes and look around; they are all gathering together, they come to you; your sons will come from a distance, and your daughters will be carried on their nurses’ arms. 5 Then you will see and be radiant; your heart will open wide and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea will fall upon you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

be light

Centuries before Jesus challenged his followers to be light in their dark world, that same challenge came from the prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah’s time, and in Jesus’ time, and in our time, we are tempted to excuse ourselves from this challenge because there is so much evil and darkness, what difference can we make. But the challenge is from God, and because he gives it, we know it is possible. No matter how dark the time, no matter how deep sin is in society, no matter how much crime is embedded in the culture, God’s challenge to his people is: “be light.”

The promise that comes with the challenge is that if we dare to be the light, the nations who walk in darkness will come to us. No matter how wrong our society becomes, there will always be a hunger and thirst for the right. We must be the right for our society to see.

LORD, show us how to shine. Teach us how to display your righteousness in our dark time.

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permanent spirit, permanent words

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

July 2015 (21)Isaiah 59:17-21

17 He put on righteousness like a coat of armour, and Yeshua as a helmet on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in fury as in a mantle. 18 According to their deeds, so will he repay; wrath to his foes, recompense to his enemies; to the distant lands he will pay recompense. 19 So those in the west shall fear the name of Yahveh, and those in the east, his glory; for he will come like a pent-up stream that the wind of Yahveh drives on. 20 And he will come to Zion as Redeemer, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression, says Yahveh. 21 And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says Yahveh: my spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouths of your children, or out of the mouths of your children’s children, says Yahveh, from now on and permanently.

permanent spirit, permanent words

Isaiah returns to his role as foretelling prophet here. He says that Yahveh will put on his fighting clothes, and do warfare against his enemies. His particular means of warfare against his enemies is revealed here. Yahveh’s salvation, his Yeshua is going to come to Zion as Redeemer, but not to the whole political entity – only to those who turn from their transgression. His new covenant he makes with the repentant Israel is that his spirit (or Spirit) and his words will be coming from their mouths and the mouths of their children and grandchildren permanently, from then on.

Centuries later, a young man named Yeshua walked around the land of Isaiah and taught God’s words, coming from God’s Spirit. From then on, that covenant, and those witnesses to it, have been a permanent mountain on the world’s spiritual landscape.

LORD, thank you for your Son, Yeshua, who gave us your Spirit and your words of truth, permanently.

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beltless

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

July 2015 (20)Isaiah 59:12-16

12 For our crimes before you are many, and our sins testify against us. Our transgressions indeed are with us, and we know our iniquities: 13 transgressing, and denying Yahveh, and turning ourselves away from following our God, talking extortion and revolt, conceiving lying words and proclaiming them from the heart. 14 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands at a distance; for truth stumbles in the open plaza, and honesty cannot enter. 15 Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil is plundered. Yahveh saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. 16 He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm brought him victory, and his righteousness backed him up.

beltless

Paul’s “armour of God” in Ephesians 6 reflects the wording of this chapter of Isaiah. Isaiah pictured the whole nation without this essential item. When I was in the army, I learned how important it was to have a harness around me, giving me a place to hang all the essential items I might need in combat. This L.B.E. (load bearing equipment) was necessary for my survival, because everything else literally was hanging on it. So it is with truth as a believer.

Isaiah was pointing to the fact that his people had become as corrupt as the nations around him. When God looked for honesty and truth, he found no one, so he had to be honest with himself. His own righteousness had to back him up. May this not be the case today. May the Lord’s church wrap itself with integrity and honesty. It is essential for spiritual warfare, and life as a Christian.

LORD, forgive us for our dishonest living in the past. Make us a people belted with integrity.

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twisted roads

Posted on July 19, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

July 2015 (19)Isaiah 59:7-11

7 Their feet scurry to evil, and they rush to spill innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, desolation and destruction are in their highways. 8 They do not know any peace road, and there is no justice in their paths. Their roads they have twisted; no one who walks on them knows peace. 9 Therefore justice is far from us, and fairness does not reach us; we wait for light, and instead there is darkness; and for brightness, but we walk in shadow. 10 We grope like the blind along a wall, groping like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon just like in the twilight, in the graveyards as though we were dead. 11 We all growl like bears; like doves we moan mournfully. We wait for justice, but there is none; for Yeshua, but he is far from us.

twisted roads

Did you notice the shift in pronouns? After mentioning the twisted roads in verse 8, everything else relates to those who walk those twisted roads. These are the not-so-evil masses, who simply follow the leaders onto those twisted roads. Even if the masses seek for justice and the coming Messiah, they cannot find him. The roads they have been led to are too twisted for arriving at one’s intended destination.

We have to stop thinking inside the box, and seek new roads. Otherwise, our entire generation will be lost to Christ and his coming sky kingdom. We need to get back to the word, because that is the road the LORD wants us to take.

LORD, we seek your straight road. Guide us to it.

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our real problem

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

July 2015 (18)Isaiah 59:1-6

Watch, Yahveh’s hand is not too short from delivering,[1] nor his ear too dull from hearing. 2 Instead, your iniquities have caused a division between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, keeping him from listening. 3 Because your palms[2] are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters malice. 4 No one brings suit fairly, no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak worthless words, conceiving mischief and giving birth to iniquity. 5 They hatch vipers’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web; whoever eats their eggs dies, and the crushed egg hatches out a viper. 6 Their webs cannot serve as clothing; they cannot cover[3] themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are hidden in their palms.

 

our real problem

 

Our generation thinks that God is broken, or that he has somehow vanished.  God has not changed, but we have.  Our sins have defiled us so much that God can no longer stand to even listen to us.  A division has occurred, creating, in effect, a new species of animal, who thinks he can cover up his own evil and violence.  We still need God’s grace, and we have to come to him in repentance, or else our sins will keep him away.

LORD, forgive us for thinking you have changed.  Open our eyes to see how much we have changed.  Restore us to you.

 

[1] 17:10; 19:20; 25:9; 30:15; 33:22; 35:4; 37:20, 35; 38:20; 43:3, 11f; 45:8, 15, 17, 20ff; 46:7; 47:13, 15; 49:25f; 51:5; 59:1, 16; 60:16; 61:10; 62:11; 63:1, 5, 8f; 64:4.

[2] 1:6, 15; 28:4; 33:15; 36:6; 37:25; 38:6; 49:16; 55:12; 59:3, 6; 60:14; 62:3.

[3] 6:2; 11:9; 26:21; 29:10; 37:1f; 51:16; 58:7; 59:6; 60:2, 6.

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