Author: drthomasclothier

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Isaiah: The Song of Isaiah the Prophet.

“Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2  He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7  For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!” (Isaiah 5:1-7)

Of the many characteristics of the Prophet Isaiah, one thing that might not come to mind when thinking about the prophet is that he was a musician and a composer. Isaiah 5 contains the prophet’s love song on behalf of the LORD toward His people, Israel.

John Calvin explains that, “Isaiah composed this song that he might present to the people a clearer view of their wickedness. Undoubtedly, he handled this subject with magnificent and harmonious language for the highest skill is commonly exercised in the composition of poems.

Who are the subjects of this love song? First of all, there is the beloved. This is the LORD. He is the One who possesses a vineyard. The word vineyard is a metaphor symbolizing God’s people (Isaiah 27; Ezekiel 15; John 15:1-7). In the immediate context, the vineyard is Israel.

What does the text say about the vineyard, aside from being the object of the LORD’s love and affection? To begin with, the vineyard was located on a fertile hill. The LORD dug this ground, removed the stones and planted the vineyard with choice vines. The LORD also built a watchtower in its midst in order to be on the alert for any predators who might seek to damage or destroy the vineyard or steal its grapes. The LORD also constructed a wine vat fully expecting the grapes would yield fine juice, which when fermented would become excellent wine.

However, the vineyard did not produce fine grapes for wine, but rather wild grapes. The phrase “wild grapes” means sour, hard, stinking, rotten and worthless grapes.

As Isaiah composes this song, he speaks on behalf of the LORD. The prophet asks a series of rhetorical questions in vs. 3-4. “3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes” The answers are obvious. The LORD did everything He could in order to ensure the fruitfulness of His vineyard.

What will the LORD do in response to the vineyard producing rotten and unusable grapes? The answers are found in vs. 5-6. “? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.”

 The significance of the vineyard metaphor is finally clarified in vs. 7. “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!” The sour and rotten grapes of Israel is not justice and righteousness but rather bloodshed and the cry of injustice.

Dr. John Walvoord writes, “The vineyard in this song is identified as Israel and Judah. As elsewhere in Isaiah, “Israel” is sometimes a synonym for the Southern Kingdom (Neh. 1:6; 13:3). Delighting in His people, God wanted good fruit, that is, justice and righteousness (cf. comments on Isa. 1:21). Instead He saw only bloodshed (cf. 1:15) and heard cries of distress. Because of its “bad grapes” (injustice) most people would be killed or taken into captivity. Isaiah used two interesting cases of assonance (similarity in word sounds) to stress the contrast between what God expected in His people and what happened to them. “Justice” (mišpāṭ) was replaced with “bloodshed” (miśpoḥ), and instead of “righteousness” (ṣeḏāqâh) there was “distress” (se‘āqâh).”

Calvin comments that, “Isaiah does not illustrate every part of this metaphor; nor was it necessary. It was enough to point out what was its object. The whole nation was the vineyard, the individual men were the plants. Thus, he (Yahweh) accuses the whole body of the nation, and then every individual, so that no man could escape the universal condemnation. The same doctrine ought to be inculcated on us at the present day. Christ affirms that he is the vine (John 15:1) and that having been engrafted into this vine, we are place under the care of the Father.”

Let each of us examine the fruitfulness of our spiritual lives (Galatians 5:16-23) to see if each of us who are in Christ are yielding, and being, good fruit.

As one commentator explains, “We are not counted as righteous before the Lord because of our service to Him. Nevertheless, if we are not fruitful in serving Him, then we do not abide in His choice vine—the Lord Jesus Christ—whose work alone can save us. By the Spirit, we must continue to abide in Christ and bear fruit unto the Lord’s glory in the form of love for God and neighbor.”

Soli deo Gloria!

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The Belgic Confession: LORD’S DAY 20, 2020.

On each Lord’s Day this year, we will reproduce devotional articles taken from The Belgic Confession. The Belgic Confession, written in 1561, owes its origin to the need for a clear and comprehensive statement of Reformed Theology during the time of the Spanish inquisition in the Lowlands. Guido de Brès, its primary author, was pleading for understanding and toleration from King Philip II of Spain who was determined to root out all Protestant factions in his jurisdiction. Hence, this confession takes pains to point out the continuity of Reformed Theology with that of the ancient Christian creeds.

The oldest of the doctrinal standards of the Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed Church in America is the Confession of Faith, popularly known as the Belgic Confession, following the seventeenth-century Latin designation “Confessio Belgica.” “Belgica” referred to the whole of the Netherlands, both north and south, which today is divided into the Netherlands and Belgium. The confession’s chief author was Guido de Brès, a preacher of the Reformed churches of the Netherlands, who died a martyr to the faith in the year 1567.

During the sixteenth century the churches in this country were exposed to terrible persecution by the Roman Catholic government. To protest against this cruel oppression, and to prove to the persecutors that the adherents of the Reformed faith were not rebels, as was laid to their charge, but law-abiding citizens who professed the true Christian doctrine according to the Holy Scriptures, de Brès prepared this confession in the year 1561. In the following year a copy was sent to King Philip II, together with an address in which the petitioners declared that they were ready to obey the government in all lawful things, but that they would “offer their backs to stripes, their tongues to knives, their mouths to gags, and their whole bodies to the fire,” rather than deny the truth expressed in this confession.

Along with The Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort, The Belgic Confession comprise what is collectively referred to as the Thee Forms of Unity. Article #24 of the Belgic Confession is as follows.

Article #24: The Sanctification of Sinners.

We believe that this true faith, produced in us by the hearing of God’s Word and by the work of the Holy Spirit, regenerates us and makes us new creatures,58 causing us to live a new life59 and freeing us from the slavery of sin.

Therefore, far from making people cold toward living in a pious and holy way, this justifying faith, quite to the contrary, so works within them that apart from it they will never do a thing out of love for God but only out of love for themselves and fear of being condemned.

So then, it is impossible for this holy faith to be unfruitful in a human being, seeing that we do not speak of an empty faith but of what Scripture calls “faith working through love,”60 which moves people to do by themselves the works that God has commanded in the Word.

These works, proceeding from the good root of faith, are good and acceptable to God, since they are all sanctified by God’s grace. Yet they do not count toward our justification—for by faith in Christ we are justified, even before we do good works.

Otherwise they could not be good, any more than the fruit of a tree could be good if the tree is not good in the first place. So then, we do good works, but not for merit—for what would we merit? Rather, we are indebted to God for the good works we do, and not God to us, since God “is at work in [us], enabling [us] both to will and to work for his good pleasure”61 —thus keeping in mind what is written:“ When you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done.’“62 Yet we do not wish to deny that God rewards good works—but it is by grace that God crowns these gifts. Moreover, although we do good works we do not base our salvation on them; for we cannot do any work that is not defiled by our flesh
and also worthy of punishment. And even if we could point to one, memory of a single sin is enough for God to reject that work. So we would always be in doubt, tossed back and forth without any certainty, and our poor consciences would be tormented constantly if they did not rest on the merit of the suffering and death of our Savior.

582 Cor. 5:17
59Rom. 6:4
60Gal. 5:6
61Phil. 2:13
62Luke 17:10

Soli deo Gloria!

 

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Isaiah: The Branch of the LORD.

2 In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. 3 And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, 4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. 5 Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. 6 There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.” (Isaiah 4:2-6)

Who, or what, exactly is the Branch of the LORD? The phrase “branch of the LORD” is a Messianic title which is also found in Jeremiah 23:1-5; 33:15; Zechariah 3:1-8 and 6:1-12. The concept behind the metaphor is that of spiritual growth. The Branch is the source of spiritual life for all believers. Therefore, the life of the Branch will bear spiritual fruit (John 15:1-5) in the lives of all true believers.

As one commentator explains, “Of special interest is the Messianic use of the word (Heb. ṣemaḥ) for the scion of the family of David who would come to rule Israel in righteousness. Explicitly prophesied in Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15, the expression looks back to Isaiah 4:2 (cf. Is. 11:1, Heb. nēṣer). Zechariah 3:8; 6:12 show that the title ‘branch’ was a recognized Messianic term after the Exile, used to incorporate the idea of a priest-king.”

 Isaiah describes the Branch as being beautiful and glorious. This means the Branch will be abundantly honored because of the substance of His being. Consequently, the fruit of the land will become a source of pride and honor for those who belong to the spiritual remnant of the Branch following the Babylonian Captivity.

What will mark the land will not be so much its material prosperity but rather its spiritual prosperity. In other words, the people of Israel and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be called holy. The LORD will wash away the spiritual filth which existed. He will cleanse Jerusalem of its sin by a spirit of judgment and burning.

When this is accomplished, the future inhabitants of Jerusalem will enjoy the LORD’s protective glory on Mt. Zion. His glory is likened to a cloud or smoke by day and a flaming fire by night. This resembles the glory of the LORD throughout Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness ((Ex. 13:21–22; 40:34–38).

John Calvin writes, “Though the Prophet confirms what we have already noticed, that God will be our perpetual guide till He has brought us to the end of our journey. Yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities. Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely. When they (believers) escape from one danger, they meet another. But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience the shadow of the LORD will be sufficient. For it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can injure or do them any harm. See Psalm 121.”

 What was true of the LORD towards the Nation of Judah is true today for all believers in Christ. Do you belong to the Branch?

Soli deo Gloria!   

 

 

  

 

 

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Isaiah: Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem.

18 “In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; 19 the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; 20 the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; 21 the signet rings and nose rings; 22 the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; 23 the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils. 24 Instead of perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty. 25 Your men shall fall by the sword and your mighty men in battle. 26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; empty, she shall sit on the ground. And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach.” (Isaiah 3:18-4:1)

In the fourfold principle of interpretation entitled the Interpretive Journey, there are four questions which must be asked and answered when studying a biblical text. The four questions are (1) What did the text mean to the biblical audience: (2) What are the differences between the biblical audience and people today; (3) what is (are) the theological principle(s) contained in the text; (4) how may the text be applied today?

Isaiah 3:1-26 continues the theme of the Day of the LORD of Hosts which is found in the previous chapter. The biblical audience were the people of Judah in the 8th century B.C. You might be wondering how these judgments upon these ancient people, contained in the biblical text, have anything to do with us today.

John Calvin wrote that, “What frequently happens is that those who do not venture to openly ridicule the judgments of God pass them by, as if they did not at all relate to them, or were still at a great distance. What is that to us they say, or if they shall ever happen, why should we be miserable before the time? Will it not be time enough to think of those calamities when they actually befall us?”

Perhaps that is what the Nation of Judah believed during Isaiah’s lifetime. However, the words of Galatians 6:7-8 ring true: 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

Judah would lose everything they trusted in, depended upon, committed to and worshiped instead of Yahweh. This would include the basic necessities of life (3:1-5), and social order (3:6-12). This is because God took His rightful place to judge His people (3:13-15).

Due to Judah’s pride, the LORD would humble them. All of the trappings of wealth and prosperity, which was so highly valued, the LORD would remove. Instead of the aroma of pleasant perfume, there would be the stench of rottenness. Instead of fine clothing, there would be rags. Instead of ornate hairstyles, there would be baldness. Instead of beauty marks, there would be the brand of slavery. Instead of life, there would be death (3:24-26). How is 21st century A.D. America any different than 8th century B.C. Judah? Not by much, if by any.

In that day of judgment, the LORD will even condemn the women who pursued wickedness. He will do so by allowing a slaughtering of men, thereby resulting in a shortage of husbands.

John Calvin concludes by writing that, “The reason why he (Isaiah) calls God the LORD of Hosts is that the majesty of God may terrify the drowsy and sluggish minds; for God has no need of titles, but our ignorance and stupidity must be aroused by perceiving His glory.”

Wake up America! Wake up oh church! Wake up oh sinner! Wake up indifferent and casual believer! Wake up now and repent. For the Day of the LORD of Hosts is coming. As judgment came in the past, so it will in the future.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

  

 

 

 

 

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Isaiah: The Day of the LORD, Part 3.

12”For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low; 13 against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan; 14 against all the lofty mountains, and against all the uplifted hills; 15 against every high tower, and against every fortified wall; 16 against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft. 17 And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. 18 And the idols shall utterly pass away. 19 And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. 20 In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, 21 to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. 22 Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?” (Isaiah 2:12-22)

The subject of the Day of the LORD has already been defined as an expression used by Old Testament prophets (as early as the eighth-century bc prophet Amos) to signify a time in which God actively intervenes in history, primarily for judgment. Thus “the day of the Lord” is also called “the day of the Lord’s anger” (Zep 2:2). Isaiah 2:12-22 also provides characteristics of the Day of the LORD.

First, it is a day which belongs to the LORD of hosts. The title “the LORD of hosts” refers to Yahweh’s authority and His rule over a vast army of warriors. It is an Old Testament name for God found mostly in the prophets. The hosts are the heavenly powers and angels that act at the LORD’s command.”

Secondly, this Day of the LORD is about what Yahweh is against, vs. 12b-16. It is a day of judgment against those who by their attitudes and actions continually display rebelliousness against the LORD.

What is the LORD against or what He will ascend upon? The text says the proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up in worship instead of the LORD. He will be against all the cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bashan. These sources of wood were fashioned into idols of worship. The LORD will also be against the mountains and uplifted hills which were places of idolatrous worship. He will also be in opposition to high towers and fortified walls which represent man’s military power. Yahweh will also be against the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft representing commercial activity and a strong economy.

Thirdly, what will be the result of God’s judgment during the Day of the LORD of Hosts? Vs. 13-19 gives us clear descriptions of man’s response to God’s glorious judgment. Man’s pride will be brought low or humbled. There will be no more false worship of false gods. People will hide in caves and rocks when the glory and splendor of God’s majesty appears (Hosea 10:8; Luke 23:30; Revelation 6:16).

In 2:20-21, Isaiah provides a summary of what the Day of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish. “20 In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, 21 to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.” Precious metals will be forsaken for the normally detestable haven and caverns of moles and bats.

Isaiah 2:22 provides a solemn warning. “Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?” The believer must stop trusting in, being dependent upon, be committed to and worshiping man. Mortal man is but a breath.

It is time to return to the God of our salvation. It is time to repent and receive the LORD’s righteousness.

Soli deo Gloria!

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Isaiah: The Day of the LORD, Part 2.

6For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. 7 Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. 8 Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. 9 So man is humbled, and each one is brought low— do not forgive them! 10 Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty. 11 The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” (Isaiah 2:6-11)

Isaiah 2:6-22 concerns the subject known as the Day of the LORD. Often, prophecy of a near-future event and an end-time prophecy are merged—the immediate judgment being a preview of the final Day of the Lord. The prophecy of Isaiah against Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:6-22) and Babylon is an example (Isaiah 13:5–10).

Why did the LORD determine to judge the Nation of Judah and when did this historically occur? The reasons for the judgement are set forth in today’s text.

To begin with, God rejected His people because they chose to ignore and reject His revelation and opted to consult fortune tellers. The Hebrew word for fortune-tellers refers to those who practice sorcery, magic or conjuring the spirits of the dead to appear before the living. These behaviors were clearly prohibited in Scripture ((Levicitus19:26; Deuteronomy 18:10, 14; Judges 9:37; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chronicles 33:6; Isaiah 57:3; Jeremiah 27:9; Micah 5:11).

Secondly, they were consumed with material wealth. This led them into business dealings with non-Jews.  This was not done for the sake of fidelity but rather to amass great amounts of gold, silver, treasures and horses. They became obsessed with the trappings of wealth.

Thirdly, they were idolatrous. Instead of worshipping Yahweh alone, they chose to worship false gods. They perhaps concluded that these worthless and false deities were the source of their wealth. Idols were crafted images which were artifacts of worship (Leviticus 19:4; 26:1; 1 Chronicles 16:26; Psalm 96:5; 97:7).

Therefore, because of their self-exaltation God will humble His people by bringing humiliating judgement. God alone is to be exalted among the people.

Dr. John Walvoord explains that, “God had abandoned His people (on the house of Jacob see comments on v. 5) not because He no longer loved them but because they had become like the pagans around them. The people of Judah were as superstitious as the people in the East, that is, they were following the practices of the Assyrian Empire, which at that time was encroaching on the entire Syro-Palestinian area.”

Additionally, Dr. Walvoord comments that “At the same time Judahites were engaging in divination like the Philistines. The Philistines occupied the southwestern part of Canaan and had sought to control Israel. So Israel was influenced by pagan practices from several sources. That Philistines were involved in divination is evident from 1 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 1:2. Divination (from ‘ānan, “to practice sorcery”; cf. Lev. 19:26; Deut. 18:10, 14; 2 Kings 21:6; Micah 5:12, “cast spells”) was the attempt to control people or circumstances or to seek to know the future through power given by evil spirits (demons).”

Finally, Dr. Walvvord concludes that, “Isaiah’s irony here is strong, for Judah should have known what her future would be because of the Word of God; yet she was trying to discern the future by pagan means. No wonder Isaiah asked God not to forgive her (Isa. 2:9). Judah had great material wealth (silver and gold) and military strength (horses and chariots, v. 7) which they no doubt mistakenly thought came to them because of their worshiping idols. This probably led to pride and self-confidence because God said they would be brought low and humbled (v. 9; cf. vv. 11–12, 17). Their sinful condition made judgment a necessity.”

It is because of these sinful behaviors, that God would finally bring judgment upon Judah by the Nation of Babylon in 605 B.C. (2 Chronicles 36:1-21; Daniel 1:1-2). This captivity would extend for 70 tears (Daniel 9:1-2; Jeremiah 25:1-14).

We must be careful that we do not practice the same sinful behavior as the Nation of Judah in the 8th century B.C. To do so presumes upon the grace of the LORD and fosters the probability that God will judge our nation in much the same way. Let us resolve to be salt and light in a rotting and darkened culture (Matthew 5:13-16).

Soli deo Gloria!

Soli deo Gloria!

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Isaiah: The Day of the LORD.

6For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. 7 Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. 8 Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. 9 So man is humbled, and each one is brought low— do not forgive them! 10 Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty. 11 The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” (Isaiah 2:6-11)

Isaiah 2:6-22 concerns the subject known as the Day of the LORD. The Day of the LORD was an expression used by Old Testament prophets (as early as the eighth-century BC prophet Amos) to signify a period of time in which God actively intervenes in history, primarily for judgment. Thus “the Day of the LORD” is also called “the Day of the LORD’s anger” (Zephaniah 2:2).

Sometimes “the Day of the Lord” is used in the OT to speak of God’s past judgment (Lamentations 2:22). More often, the phrase describes an impending future judgment of a nation (Joel 2:1–11). However, the term most frequently refers to a climactic future judgment of the world (Joel 3:14–21; Malachi 4:5).

Often, prophecy of a near-future event and an end-time prophecy are merged—the immediate judgment being a preview of the final Day of the Lord. The prophecy of Isaiah against Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:6-22) and Babylon is an example (Isaiah 13:5–10).

Jesus Christ combined events described in Isaiah with other prophecies to explain his second coming (Mk 13:24–37). Another example is Joel’s prophecy of the Day of the Lord (Joel 1:15–2:11). Though the prophet initially spoke of God’s judgment on Israel by a locust plague, that judgment prompted further pronouncements about a final Day of the Lord far beyond Joel’s time (2:14–17, 31). That Day of the Lord extended even beyond the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost predicted by Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:16–21; Revelation 6:12–13). The New Testament uses the term exclusively to mean the end times.

The final Day of the Lord is described in the Scriptures as a day of gloom, darkness, and judgment. Along with God’s judgment, is the language depicting changes in nature, including a darkening of the sun, moon, and stars (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:31; 3:15; Matthew 24:29; Revelation 6:12).

All nations will be judged for their rebellion against God’s anointed people and king (Joel 3:19; cf. Psalm 2). Israel is counseled not to be eager for that day, because it will also include judgment on that particular people (Amos 5:18–20). However, the prophets promise that a believing “remnant” will be saved by looking to the Messiah they once rejected (Joel 2:32; Zechariah 12:10). Following the judgment, the future Day of the Lord will be a time of prosperity, restoration, and blessing for Israel (Joel 3:18–21).

The more explicit NT expressions—“the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:8), “the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14), and “the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:10; 2:16)—are more personal and more positive. They point to final events related to Christian believers, who will not experience the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 5:9). When the Day of the Lord comes, the earth will be renewed and purified through a judgment of fire (2 Peter 3:10–13). In the book of Revelation the final purging seems to come after the Millennium—that is, the 1,000-year reign of Christ (Revelation 21:1).

 As mentioned earlier, Isaiah 2:6-22 carries a near-far fulfillment regarding the Day of the LORD. When next we meet, we will examine Isaiah 2:6-11 to see why God chose to judge the Nation of Judah and when this judgment historically occurred.

Soli deo Gloria!

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Isaiah: The Light of the LORD.

4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” (Isaiah 2:4-5).

Of all the many familiar verses from the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah 2:4-5 falls into this category. The LORD will have an extensive ministry of judging and settling disputes throughout the world. It will be the LORD who will require nations and peoples everywhere to abstain from warfare and be at peace. A world at peace, instead of a world at war with no military conflict or training, will prevail because the implements of warfare (swords and spears) will be turned into implements of agriculture (plowshares and hooks; cf. Joel 3:10).

At this time of worldwide peace all nations will go to Jerusalem to learn from God (Isa. 2:2). Peace will come not by human achievement or government, but rather because of God’s presence and His work in Jerusalem. At that time Israel will be filled with God’s Spirit (Ezekiel 36:24–30) and her sins will be forgiven (Jeremiah 31:31–34).

Isaiah closed this brief section with an exhortation for his Jewish readers to walk (live) in the light of the Lord. All believers in Christ are encouraged to do the same (Ephesians 5:1-21). To walk means to obediently live and behave in response to God’s revelation of Himself in the Scriptures.

When Isaiah called the Nation of Judah the house of Jacob, this was a reference to Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s descendants. Isaiah used this term eight times (vv. 5–6; 8:17; 10:20; 14:1; 29:22; 46:3; 48:1) whereas it is used only nine times by all the other prophets.

Dr. John Walvoord explains that, “When great truths about the future are given in the Scriptures, readers are often reminded of how they should live in the present (e.g., 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 5:1–8; 2 Peter 3:10–14; 1 John 3:1–3). In view of the fact that in the Millennium all nations will stream to Jerusalem to learn God’s Word, it would be sensible for Israel, already knowing that Law, to follow it (walking in its “light”) until the Lord sets up His glorious kingdom. It would be sensible for believers in Christ today to do the same.”

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

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The Belgic Confession: LORD’S DAY 19, 2020.

On each Lord’s Day this year, we will reproduce devotional articles taken from The Belgic Confession. The Belgic Confession, written in 1561, owes its origin to the need for a clear and comprehensive statement of Reformed Theology during the time of the Spanish inquisition in the Lowlands. Guido de Brès, its primary author, was pleading for understanding and toleration from King Philip II of Spain who was determined to root out all Protestant factions in his jurisdiction. Hence, this confession takes pains to point out the continuity of Reformed Theology with that of the ancient Christian creeds.

The oldest of the doctrinal standards of the Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed Church in America is the Confession of Faith, popularly known as the Belgic Confession, following the seventeenth-century Latin designation “Confessio Belgica.” “Belgica” referred to the whole of the Netherlands, both north and south, which today is divided into the Netherlands and Belgium. The confession’s chief author was Guido de Brès, a preacher of the Reformed churches of the Netherlands, who died a martyr to the faith in the year 1567.

During the sixteenth century the churches in this country were exposed to terrible persecution by the Roman Catholic government. To protest against this cruel oppression, and to prove to the persecutors that the adherents of the Reformed faith were not rebels, as was laid to their charge, but law-abiding citizens who professed the true Christian doctrine according to the Holy Scriptures, de Brès prepared this confession in the year 1561. In the following year a copy was sent to King Philip II, together with an address in which the petitioners declared that they were ready to obey the government in all lawful things, but that they would “offer their backs to stripes, their tongues to knives, their mouths to gags, and their whole bodies to the fire,” rather than deny the truth expressed in this confession.

Along with The Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort, The Belgic Confession comprise what is collectively referred to as the Thee Forms of Unity. Article #22-23 of the Belgic Confession is as follows.

Article #22: The Righteousness of Faith.

We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him.

For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then those who have Christ by faith have his salvation entirely.

Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well
is a most enormous blasphemy against God—for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior.

And therefore we justly say with Paul that we are justified “by faith alone” or “by faith apart from works.”54 However, we do not mean, properly speaking, that it is faith itself that justifies us—for faith is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ, our righteousness. But Jesus Christ is our righteousness in making available to us all his merits and all the holy works he has done for us and in our place.

And faith is the instrument that keeps us in communion with him and with all his benefits. When those benefits are made ours, they are more than enough to absolve us
of our sins.

54Rom. 3:28

Article #23: The Justification of Sinners. 

We believe that our blessedness lies in the forgiveness of our sins because of Jesus Christ, and that in it our righteousness before God is contained, as David and Paul teach us when they declare those people blessed to whom God grants righteousness
apart from works.55

And the same apostle says that we are “justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”56 And therefore we cling to this foundation, which is firm forever, giving all glory to God, humbling ourselves, and recognizing ourselves as we are; not claiming a thing for ourselves or our merits and leaning and resting on the sole obedience of Christ crucified, which is ours when we believe in him. That is enough to cover all our sins and to make us confident, freeing the conscience from the fear, dread, and terror of God’s approach, without doing what our first parents, Adam and Eve, did, who trembled as they tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. In fact,
if we had to appear before God relying—no matter how little—on ourselves or some other creature, then, alas, we would be swallowed up. Therefore everyone must say with David: “[Lord,] do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.”57

55Ps. 32:1; Rom. 4:6
56Rom. 3:24
57Ps. 143:2

Soli deo Gloria!

 

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Isaiah: The Mountain of the LORD.

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” (Isaiah 2:1-5).

 In the immediate aftermath of the LORD’s harsh judgment of the Nation of Judah’s wickedness, the Prophet Isaiah introduced a doctrine which was to be a significant part of his prophetical ministry. Isaiah’s oracle from God revealed that Jerusalem would hold a lofty position in the world.

Paralleling today’s text is Micah 4:1-3. It says, “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, 2 and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 3 He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

A key expression contained in both prophecies is the phrase “the latter days.” It may also appear as the phrase “the last days.” It is used in Scripture to describe the final period of the world.

In the Old Testament (OT) the last days were anticipated as the age of messianic fulfillment (see Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1). In the New Testament (NT) the writers regarded themselves as living in the last days, the era of the gospel.

Therefore, Peter explained that the events of the Day of Pentecost were the fulfillment of Joel 2:28: “In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy” (Acts 2:17–18).

Additionally, the author of the letter to the Hebrews declares, “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son” (Heb. 1:1–2).

The last days is the period of evangelical blessing in which the benefits of the salvation obtained by the virgin birth, perfect life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and glorification of Jesus Christ are freely available throughout the world. They are the days of opportunity for unbelievers to repent and turn to God, and of responsibility for believers to proclaim the gospel message throughout the world.

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary explains, “The last days, then, are the days of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are preliminary to and preparatory for the last day of final judgment of unbelievers and the dawn of eternal glory for believers. For Christ’s faithful followers they are days of joy and blessing, but still days in which the fullness of redemption is awaited. They are days, too, of trial and affliction for the church of Christ. But God has given us the assurance of his Spirit in our hearts, the foretaste that guarantees the full banquet hereafter, the down payment that pledges the payment in full (Rom. 8:23; 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14). Meanwhile, we should be assured with the apostle Paul that the sufferings of these last days are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Rom 8:18). They are days, moreover, of responsibility and opportunity: responsibility because Christians are under orders to proclaim the gospel throughout the world (Mt 28:19–20; Acts 1:8) and all people everywhere are commanded by God to repent (Acts 17:30).”

The mountain of the house of the LORD is the mount where the temple was built (and where the millennial temple will be built, Ezek. 40–43). Often in the Scriptures mountains can refer to civil government (Dan. 2:35; Amos 4:1). Here God’s rule from His temple will be preeminent. The theme of the importance of the temple mount in Jerusalem is repeated often in Isaiah’s prophecies all the way to the end of the book (Isa. 11:9; 25:6–7; 27:13; 30:29; 56:7; 57:13; 65:11, 25; 66:20). Isaiah clearly wanted his readers to be aware that God will protect His covenant nation despite their spiritual rebellion and even though they would go into captivity by the Babylonians. When these “latter day” events take place many nations will be attracted to Jerusalem (cf. 14:1; 27:13; 66:23; Zech. 8:23; 14:16) and to God’s house (the temple, Isaiah 2:2a).

Dr. John Walvoord writes that, “The attraction will be the Lord’s ways … paths … Law, and Word which will be made known from that place. In fact the Lord Himself will give forth the Law (51:4). (Zion, referred to dozens of times by Isaiah, more than by any other author of Scripture, is here a synonym of Jerusalem; cf. 4:3; 40:9; 52:1; 62:1. See Zech. 8:3.) In the Millennium, people everywhere will realize that God’s revelation is foundational to their lives. They will want to know it (He will teach us) and to live according to it (walk in it).”

 More to come from Isaiah 2:1-5.

Until then, Soli deo Gloria!