Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him
That there was no justice. – the problem!
16 He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor; – no answer.
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him. –
17 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head; – The answer, Christ came to save!
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay,
Fury to His adversaries,
Recompense to His enemies;
The coastlands He will fully repay. – Christ is coming again, as Judge.
19 So shall they fear
The name of the LORD from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. – God’s purpose in all this! but who is the ‘him’, here spelt without a capital ‘h’? The unjust (v1) or the Enemy/Satan?
20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”
Says the LORD. – God’s promise!
21 “As for Me,” says the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore.” – who are the ‘you’? What is the ‘word’?
Comment: Trying to tie it all together. Earlier chapters have clearly shown that Israel was a problem to God because of their sin and rebellion. This passage was relevant to them, the readers or hearers of Isaiah’s prophecy as he made it! But even for the agnostic skeptic, who knows a bit about the Bible, it is easy to see, if honestly read, that it is Messianic. Although its truth may be denied, the reference is easily seen! But for me the main question is, if we see the passage as Messianic, what is to be written on the heraldic banner-like standard, which is to be raised?
As we can see on the adjacent copy of a British royal heraldic standard there is much symbolically written. What are the symbols pasted on God’s standard and what are we to cry out as we stand underneath it? In a very real sense Jesus is the flag! He is God’s answer to our world’s problems. Maybe looking at the flag flying in the picture we might well paint a Lion? Jesus is pictured as a Lion in the Bible. Maybe even three lions as God is Triune? What about a lamb, possibly slain, but only one because only Jesus the Son is known as the Lamb of God? Thinking of what Jesus did at His coming to be the Lamb, what about a Cross in the opening into an empty cave? In the passage above we have the word ‘intercessor’. As He is our Intercessor in heaven and our High Priest in the very presence of God the Father sitting on His throne, are there symbols to indicate these aspects of the message to be put on the banner under which we stand? And what should we cry out for the world to hear? I think the message written in our passage above! In other words – the gospel! And it should be written on us, as well, in character, so that our lives and words tally!
Psalm 37; 1-3a – Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good.
Prayer: Please let me call out Your message clearly in a clear voice and an integrated good life, which reflects You, O Lord.
As I read it! 