Israel as the wife and Isaiah 53.

Hosea and Gomer form the love story in the Bible entitled Hosea. It has all the elements of a great novel, love, betrayal. Heartbreak, forgiveness and reconciliation. The added dimension of this book is that Yahweh takes it and uses it to explain His love for Israel. He also uses this analogy to express various truths for His followers today. In a world where marriage is being shredded by people with a Hollywood type of easy come easier go mentality. Among the truths are: loves mercy and forgiveness, God makes Himself an example of being a husband and father. He also gives a purpose for going Himself the title husband [Your Maker is your Husband’ Isaiah 54:5] and Israel the title ‘wife’.

According to Malachi 2:16 it was so that there would be godly offspring. Another reason for the Lord’s insistence through scripture, on not being unequally yoked (c/- 1Corinthians 7:14). There are very severe consequences for unfaithfulness in marriage. Adultery was a death sentence. How is it then that the nation termed Yahweh’s wife wasn’t stricken by stoning? For the people had gone after the gods of the surrounding nations. At the very least He could have divorce her. However, He hates divorce [Malachi 2:16, although He did condone separation, with the purpose of reconciliation. This is why we read in Hosea the effort Yahweh went to rekindle the nation’s love for Him. Love may forgive and restore, but God’s holiness and justice demanded their judicial rights, death!

Throughout the book of Hosea, the reader can sense the anguish of God. Speaking to one of the tribes, Ephraim, he says, “How can I give you up” [Hosea 11:8]. To another, Zeboim, “My heart churns within me”. He promises to heal their backsliding and turn away His anger, but how? Hosea 13:14, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death.” Redemption was understood through the Nation’s animal blood sacrifice which foreshadowed Isaiah 53 fulfilment. Only then could iniquity be removed and the people be restored to their previous relationship. Here will be expressed the reality of Calvary. Paul writes it up so well in Ephesians 5:25, ‘Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for Her.’  The husband took his wife’s condemnation. He died in her place! Has that made her a widow? Fortunately, no! The husband of Israel, the sinless Messiah embraced her guilt and took the sentence. Judgement consumed the sin but the righteousness and purity of the Husband prevailed unscathed. His victory clothed Him in a new, glorified, resurrected body. One day, known only to the Heavenly Father, the wife will also wear her glorified body.

Those insisting Yahweh has removed the nation from His promised program fail to understand this love. If it was true, what an indictment on His power, foreknowledge and grace. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, wrote the following. ‘Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah …and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’ [Jeremiah 31:31, 33].

Surely, that would have put a smile on Jeremiah’s heart and face.

Next. The land of Israel and Isaiah 53.

 

 

 

Healing: False guilt, Faith, and the Cross.

Guilt is able to be pardoned and atoned for. False guilt is another matter. It is that emotion of being told you have failed in some area over which you had no control. It is seen in some children of divorced parents. They have a sense of guilt that they caused the problem.  This is so untrue, yet when believed has tragic consequences, for they are haunted by such ‘ghosts’ most of their lives. Because there is nothing tangible to seek forgiveness about or make atonement over it cannot be remedied, Well, almost nothing. Knowing and taking to heart the truth that they are not to blame can evaporate the ‘ghosts’ over time.  

This also applies to sickness and healing. A false viewpoint by a person as to why he or she hasn’t been healed can strangle a Christian’s spirituality. They try and mask it in many ways with church attendance, prayer and good works. Still, their doctrine haunts and the Devil sprays his doubts about as to their spirituality.

Peter, in his first letter says, ‘Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from our sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed’ (1 Peter 2:24). This verse is used by certain groups to insist followers of Christ should not be sick or infirm. The reason for such conditions is placed strictly down to the individual’s lack of faith. What does such a doctrine produce? False guilt! What effects does it have? A loss of Joy, thinking of oneself as being second rate and trying all types of spiritual exercises to manufacture ‘faith.’

How then can this be remedied? Being a doctrinal matter it can only really be corrected by a proper understanding of the doctrine of healing. This has been the motivation and background to the previous studies. As the verse in Peter is used to promote all-inclusive healing (body, soul and spirit) we must examine it. What does he mean by healing? Can it be understood by the word ‘righteousness’ in verse 24 and in verse 25 ‘astray’ and ‘returned.’ ‘For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.’ The Bible insists that there is no one who is righteous, except Jesus the sinless one. It is by His achievements on the cross that Jesus dealt with our unrighteousness. Our going astray, wandering purposely or aimlessly in our own egos, made God irrelevant. That was until the Holy Spirit grabbed our attention and pointed us to the cross. Here began our return to the Sovereign Lord.

Both those verses by Peter are traced back to Isaiah chapter 53. If you have read the previous studies you will realise this is God’s specific answer to Isaiah chapter 1. There, the whole body, that is the Nation of Israel, is sick, diseased, terminal! God’s remedy? The suffering Servant which pointed to Jesus. The health there mentioned is to national redemption, forgiveness, wholeness,  refreshed covenant relationship and mission. It had no specific reference to individual ailments or infirmities.

Peter’s quoting of Isaiah 53 is particularly relevant when you realise the people to whom he was writing. They were Jewish believers in five countries of the nation’s Dispersion. It would appear Peter was explaining to these persecuted believers that they were in fact the first fruits of Isaiah’s prophecy to the Nation. Therefore rejoice despite being maligned, oppressed and rejected!

How then do we consider the indisputable fact of God’s acts of healing? Grace! He is the Sovereign Lord and His ways and purposes are higher, nobler and wiser than what we can conceive. There isn’t any reason why a sick person shouldn’t pray or be prayed for. The attitude that must underpin all prayer is the Gethsemane attitude,  'not my will but yours be done.’ This isn’t a cop-out. It is an act of faith in our Heavenly Father’s goodness, flavoured by a desire that regardless of personal healing or continued illness, infirmity or disability He will be honoured.

Only then will false guilt, brought on by a misunderstood or misapplied passage be ‘evaporated’ by the Truth of God’s word. Oh the joy of a conscience at peace and worship without doubt.

©Ray Hawkins Sept 2015.