The land of Israel and Isaiah 53.

There’s something strange about the land called Israel. In area so small, it’s difficult to see on a world map, yet it is desired by many nations. Many wars have been fought on it across the centuries. Satan longs to sit enthroned on the Temple mount and the surrounding Nations covet it. The prophesied final conflict between Christ and Satan is centred in Jerusalem whilst the invading hordes encounter the judgement of God on the plains of Armageddon. So much of what is taking place in the World today shrinks in importance with events surrounding what many term ‘The holy Land.’

 

 At this moment the ‘Promised Land’ seems locked into a cursed prison. Many consider it forsaken by God. The greater portion of the people are agnostics or atheists and although a lot of the country has been made productive, much more needs to be done. Still, we need to remember it has a destiny. It’s a land unique and a country mentioned by scripture with words which make it ‘alive and with feeling or sleeping and waiting.’

Abraham and his descendants were promised to inherit this land, with blessings and consequences. The reason stemmed from the fact that the Lord claimed the land as His own. Israel were tenants of the land, not owners. Obedience to their covenant with Yahweh meant prosperity, disobedience brought on them, judgement, and ultimately captivity in a foreign land. There were certain specific expressions of immorality and lawlessness which Yahweh abhorred. Shedding of innocent blood placed a burden of guilt on them [Deuteronomy 19:10]. King Manasseh drowned the land in innocent blood and much more, 2 Chronicle 33:1-18, and the Nation and land suffered. Jeremiah quotes the Lord about how the land ‘felt’ and said it ‘mourned [12:10-13].

Centuries before the Babylonian captivity King Solomon built a temple. When it was dedicated his prayer mentioned the time when the Nation would go into captivity. Solomon, based his prayer on a prophesy by Moses in Deuteronomy 28-31 that repentance would pave the way to return [2 Chronicles 6:19- 42]. However, sin against the Holy One of Israel required retribution [Jeremiah 51:5]. Jeremiah also recorded the land was cursed [Jeremiah 44:22]. How could the curse be lifted? When the penalty is paid, the period of the curse passes. But it is only by the shedding, the covering of a poured- out life, symbolised by the blood of sacrifice! Christ Jesus we are told was cursed by being crucified on a ‘tree’. This was based on Deuteronomy 21:23 in the mind of the Jews. The blood of innocents cried out for justice and it was the blood of an unblemished innocent that responded. Christ's shed blood paid the prices justice demanded, cleansed the land an delivered a far greater threat of judgement. Reject His substitutionary act of grace and the wrath and justice of the Father falls without respect to persons.

Zechariah spoke and wrote about the cleansing of the land, 3:9, in one day. This would be achieved by the Promised One known as ‘My Servant, the branch.’ Later, in 13:1 Zechariah points to ‘in that day’ when a fountain will be opened for the cleansing from sin and uncleanness. This would also have far reaching consequences for the land. Throughout this book are references to Jesus and various deeds fulfilled in the Gospels. For the Land of Israel, the prophets foresee a future of vitality, beauty, safety and the centre of the Kingdom of God. Isaiah writes , it will be a time when the wolf and lamb get along, the leopard and the young goat lie side by side by side as will the calf and young lion [Isaiah 11:6].

Ezekiel sees it a time when no famine will occur, fruit will multiply and the fields will increase their yields. The people and the land will be free of uncleanness [Ezekiel36:25-32]. A most glorious picture of this coming time is recorded in Isaiah 62. The people will be the delight of the Lord and the land is Beulah, that means it is married.

Is it any wonder that the Servant unveiled in Isaiah 53 will be exalted, extolled and lifted high [Isaiah 52:13].  As the apostle Paul said, He has a Name above every name, and before whom all will bow the knee.

©Ray Hawkins August 2019

 

wisest king - saddest fool

 

The wisest of men became the saddest of fools.

His judgement in the case of a paternal dispute is legendary (1 Kings 3:16-28). His sword provided the ‘DNA’ evidence for who was the real mother. His wisdom exceeded that of the wise men of the East early in his reign and with it he compiled many proverbs. Given the honour of building the first Israelite temple and being blessed by a promise by God, Solomon had it all.

But he blew it!

How? By failing to remember God’s requirements for a king who sits on the throne of Israel. In Deuteronomy 17:14-20 Moses recorded the Lord God’s expectations for those who rule over His people. They needed to have their own copy of the Law, and read from it every day. The reason was to learn to fear the Lord. Nor were they to hoard excessive wealth and marry numerous wives, a custom prevalent in surrounding cultures. Because the Almighty had promised to be the Nation’s defender, kings were forbidden to rely upon the army of Egypt or the power of horses and chariots. Added to that the king must not consider himself as superior to his people.

In 1 Kings 11 is the sad list of this wisest of men sliding down the moral and spiritual slope into spiritual stupidity and ignominy. I would suggest he stood on the top of the slippery slope when he ignored reading and obeying God’s word. This is evident by the fact he took to himself wives (probably politically expedient) from nations Yahweh had specifically said “no” too! The result was they turned his heart to pander to their idols, and more than likely to their loose morals. Solomon appears to have been a collector of horses, chariots and gold. He also knew how to tax his people. All of this would destroy his reputation, his spiritual life and damage the character of his son Rehoboam.

In his book ‘Bible Characters’, Alexander Whyte says of this king the saddest of statements. ‘There is no repentance anywhere in Solomon’. His father messed up big time but recognised his error and Psalm 51 is a beautiful and humble expression of repentance. No such psalm or comment can be found from the pen or mouth of Solomon. What a warning this is for us all. When we begin the slide downhill from the Lord’s calling, the way to get off is for the Lord to yank you out. Trouble is, He will not, cannot do it until you call out as a sign of repentance, “Lord help! Lord forgive! Lord have mercy!”

Solomon didn’t practice what he wrote. Consider: ‘trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight’ (Proverbs 3:5). ‘The end of the matter; … Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.’ There is so much more that could be added here. Even that beautiful love poem ‘Song of Solomon’ is tainted. If he wrote it, did he have multiple copies made for his numerous wives? How terribly, terribly sad for the poem is so beautiful. Again there is a warning for us. What we write, what we say, may be lovely and true but its power and meaning will be lessened by personal insincerity and hypocrisy.

The apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 it isn’t how you start the race God calls

you to enter, but how you finish. That’s the danger in senior years. We can know God’s word and will, yet think we’ve enough ‘merit points’.  When we imagine there isn’t more to discover from God’s word, more reasons to serve and worship, more awareness of our spiritual weakness, we are hitting the slippery slope. When we do not fear the seductive power of the World or recognise we have taken the wrong track and therefore no need for repentance, the promised winner’s garland is fading.

Solomon is a warning best expressed in his father’s lament about King Saul, ‘How the mighty have fallen.’ Saul died most noble in battle. Solomon withered into a most ignoble departure into the presence of the Lord he had disappointed.

Lord, kick us, me, off the slippery slope! Keep me focused on the race set before us, before me! Let me not be a stumbling block to other runners, or would be runners! Lord, hear our - my plea. Amen!