God says to you: Peace, peace, to those far and near... I will heal you.
Isaiah 57:14-21 (NIV)
CONTEXT: The first half of Isaiah 57 describes the fate of those who refuse to repent before the Day of the LORD. This second half speaks of God comforting the contrite.
14 And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”
15 For this is what the high and exalted One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 I will not accuse them forever,
nor will I always be angry,
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;
I punished them, and hid my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways.
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal them;
I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners,
19 creating praise on their lips.
Peace, peace, to those far and near,”
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire and mud.
21 “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Canons of Dordt
Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election
Articles 1-11
Article 13 & 14 - The Fruit of Our Assurance
In their awareness and assurance of this election,
God’s children daily find greater cause to humble themselves before God,
to adore the fathomless depth of God’s mercies,
to cleanse themselves,
and to give fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved them.
This is far from saying that this teaching concerning election, and reflection upon it,
make God’s children lax in observing his commandments or carnally self-assured.
By God’s just judgment this does usually happen to those who casually take for granted the grace of election or engage in idle and brazen talk about it but are unwilling to walk in the ways of the chosen.
By God’s wise plan,
this teaching concerning divine election was proclaimed through the prophets, Christ himself, and the apostles, in Old and New Testament times.
It was subsequently committed to writing in the Holy Scriptures.
So also today in God’s church,
for which it was specifically intended,
this teaching must be set forth with a spirit of discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place, without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High.
This must be done for the glory of God’s most holy name, and for the lively comfort of God’s people.
Summary
God provides an astounding insight into His character as He speaks to us in today's passage. We read that He is high and exalted and that He lives forever and His name is holy. These, of course are amazing statements in and of themselves, but they're not particularly surprising, since we read language similar to that so often in scripture. So it makes sense, then, that such a high and holy God would live in a high and holy place.
But what's so amazing about v15 is that we learn here that God has more than one address that He calls home. Not only does He live in the high and holy place we would expect, but He also lives with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit! It's no wonder Jesus said that the poor in spirit and the pure in heart are blessed, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven and they will see God!
The reason the LORD gives for His surprising second residence is even more endearing: He does so not to provide oversight in your life like an intrusive supervisor ready to tee off on your every mistake, but rather to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.
God is very aware of your sin; in fact, He has seen your ways and was enraged by your sinful greed and willful ways. But here He promises not to accuse you forever, nor will He always be angry... He will heal you and guide you and restore comfort, creating praise on your lips.
Dig Deeper
The Canons remind us here that God’s children daily find greater cause to humble themselves before God as you become more aware of God's election in your life and the assurance it brings. Today's article calls you to three additional imperatives, all of which rise out of passages like what we just read in Isaiah 57.
You are to:
1) To adore the fathomless depth of God’s mercies...
v18 - I have seen their ways, but I will heal them;
I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners
2) To cleanse themselves...
v14 - Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.
(In other words, get rid of anything that's getting in between you and God)
3) To give fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved them.
v19 - You must give expression to the praise the LORD has created on your lips.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the high and exalted One, who lives forever and whose name is holy;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that each day you will humble yourself in recognition of God's election in your life, adoring, cleansing and giving fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved you.
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Galatians 2
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