“Vengeance is Mine, and recompense... (Deuteronomy 32: 35)

“Because My sword has been bathed and equipped in heaven, behold, it shall come down upon Edom [the descendants of Esau], upon the people whom I have doomed for judgment. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood [of sacrifices], it is gorged and greased with fatness -with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams.

For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah [capital of Edom] and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. And the wild oxen shall fall with them, and the [young bullocks with the [old and mighty] bulls; and their land shall be drunk and soaked with blood, and their dust made rich with fatness.

For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense, for the cause of Zion.

And the streams [of Edom] will be turned into pitch and its dust into brimstone, and its land will become burning pitch. [The burning of Edom] shall not be quenched night or day; its smoke shall go up forever.” (Isaiah 34:6-10a)

The clock reads 3:33 pm.

Smoke from burning ascending speaks of God's judgment. Over and over in the bible, it is used for this purpose. Genesis 19:28 says, “And he [Abraham] looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward the land of the valley, and saw, and behold, the smoke of the country went up like the smoke of a furnace.”

And in Revelation when Babylon the great, the “great harlot” (the mother of idolatresses), is judged, smoke arises from her for eternity. Revelation 19:2b-3 says, “And He has avenged (visited on her the penalty for) the blood of His servants at her hand. And again they shouted, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! The smoke of her [burning] shall continue to ascend forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities).”

Eternal judgment is represented by fire, brimstone and smoke ascending for eternity. In Revelation 14:10-11 it says, “He [the one who pays homage to the beast and takes his mark] shall [have to] drink of the wine of God's indignation and wrath, poured undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he shall me tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no respite (no pause, no intermission, no rest, no peace) day or night -these who pay homage to the beast and to his image and whoever receives the stamp of his name upon him.”

Edom, meaning red, was the name of the land that was given to Esau, Jacob's brother. The Edomites refused to let the Israelites pass through their land. Edom represents Israel’s enemies. Ps. 137:7 says, “Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites, that they said in the day of Jerusalem's fall, Down, down to the ground with her!” [1]

Another commentary notes, “Edom is representative of all those who hate Israel. The Edomites were descendants of Esau (Gen 36:1, 8–9), and throughout the history they practiced hostile intent toward Israel (Amos 1:11–12). The destruction of all those who oppose God and His people is implied in the destruction of Edom. It is interesting to note that when Jerusalem was destroyed, the Edomites sided with the captors and applauded the destruction of Israel.” [2]

One commentary notes that Edomites “were a particular illustration of Gentile self-sufficiency during the days of Isaiah, when their Nabataean Petra was thriving. (See J. I. Lawlor, The Nabataeans in Historical Perspective.)” [3]

Jeremiah 49:17-18 says about Edom, “And Edom shall be an astonishment and a horror; everyone who goes by it shall be astonished and shall hiss with horror at all its plagues and disasters. As [it was] in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, says the Lord, no man shall dwell there; neither shall a son of man live in it temporarily.”

Bozrah was the capital city of Edom. [4] Bozrah translates as sheepfold. Micah prophesies about the Lord delivering His people from figurative Borzah (a sheepfold that is in the midst of the land of Isreal's enemies).

Micah 2:12-13 (Darby) says, “I will surely assemble, O Jacob, the whole of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. One that breaketh through is gone up before them: they have broken forth, and have passed on to the gate, and are gone out by it; and their king passeth on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them.”

Commentary notes about this, “Bozrah was an area that had very rich pasture, and the sheep which grazed upon it must have been exemplary. God will ultimately restore His nation, now wracked by its sin; and great joy will be the lot of the restored and redeemed people.” [5]

Isaiah 14:30a says, “And the firstborn of the poor and the poorest of the poor [of Judah] shall feed on My meadows, and the needy will like down in safety;"

Commentary goes on to note about the verses in Micah 2:12-13, “The breaker is come up before them. The breaker of verse 13 is a reference to Israel’s Messiah (Jesus, our Lord) who will break down every obstacle between the people and their God. He will restore them, forgive them of their sins, and implant within them a new heart.

He will lead them to glorious restoration, and He will rule over them. No one will be able to hinder His messianic millennial work, for He is the Lord (Jehovah)! To date, this promise of restoration has not been realized; but there is coming a day when it will. What a glorious future lies ahead of Israel!” [6]

Isaiah paints a picture of the Lord coming victoriously out of Bozrah with crimson-stained garments.

Isaiah 63:1-7 says, “Who is this Who comes from Edom, with crimson-stained garments from Bozrah [in Edom]? This One Who is glorious in His apparel, striding triumphantly in the greatness of His might?

It is I, [the One] Who speaks in righteousness [proclaiming vindication], mighty to save!

Why is Your apparel splashed with red, and Your garments like the one who treads the winepress?

I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the peoples there was no one with Me, I trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I stained all my raiment. For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption [the year of My redeemed] has come.”

Commentary notes, “When the Lord returns to set up His kingdom, He must first destroy His enemies. That destruction takes place at different times and in different places. One stage occurs in the Valley of Armageddon (Rev. 16:16), another in the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:12), and still another in Edom. The latter is what we have here in chapter 63." [7]

In all three examples - Armageddon, the Valley of Jehoshaphat and Edom -the Lord was executing judgment against Isreal's enemies on thier behalf.

Commentary goes on to note, "The Messiah is marching up from Bozrah, a metropolis of Edom, in glorious garments that are red with the blood of Israel’s foes. When asked why His apparel is red, He uses the figure of a winepress to describe His trampling of His enemies. The time had come for Him to wreak vengeance on them and to redeem His people. In the absence of any merely human deliverer, He stepped in and won the victory.” [7]

It was by His own arm that Christ executed judgement and won the victory. Commentary notes, “The Lord answers the prophet’s question: I have trodden the winepress alone. The word used here for winepress is different and occurs only in this passage and in Haggai 2:16. It designates the place where the grapes were crushed or broken (Isa 53:5). Although the description of Christ in this passage refers to His coming in judgment, this opening statement implies the Crucifixion. Because Christ did go through the winepress alone, He has the legitimate right to return in righteous judgment upon the earth. This mighty deliverer now comes in vengeance.” [8]

Both the verses in Isaiah 34:6-10 and Isaiah 63:1-7 speak of the day of the Lord's vengeance and year of His recompense against His enemies (year of redemption in Is. 63:1-7).

Commentary notes about the day of the Lord's vengeance: “The word ‘vengeance’ is of crucial importance. It does not mean getting even with someone, as we use it. It refers to God’s action in carrying out the sentence which He as Judge.” [9]

The day of the Lord's vengeance is a day of reckoning and justice coming forth. Isaiah 59:14-20 also speaks of a time of a day of vengeance and recompense where God's own arm brought Him the victory.

“Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) stands far off; for truth has fallen in the street (the city's forum), and uprightness cannot enter [the courts of justice]. Yes, truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. And the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice.

And He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor [no one to intervene on behalf of truth and right]; therefore His own arm brought Him victory, and His own rightousness [having the Spirit without measure] sustained Him.

For [the Lord] put on righteousness as a breastplate or coat of mail, and salvation as a helmet upon His head; He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal [and furious divine jealously] as a cloak. According as their deeds deserve, so will He repay wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; on the foreign islands and coastlands He will make compensation.

So [as the result of the Messiah's intervention] they shall [reverently] fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight [for He will come like a rushing stream which the breath of the Lord drives].

He shall come as a Redeemer to Zion and to those in Jacob (Israel) who turn from transgression, says the Lord.”

Revelation 19 also speaks of an ultimate day of the Lord's vengeance against His enemies where he wages war and treads the winepress in His wrath.

Rev. 19:11-16 says , “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

The day of the Lord's vengeance and year of recompense is not something to be afraid of. God's wrath and judgment are not directed toward His children but towards the enemy of His people. It is to be welcomed with great joy as He is mighty to save and deliver His people.

Isaiah 35:3-7,10 says, “Say to those who are of a fearful and hasty heart, Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance; with recompense of God He will come and save you.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

And the burning sand and the mirage shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lay resting, shall be grass with reeds and rushes... And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

Commentary notes, “The prophet recognizes that his people, persecuted over these many centuries, will need to encourage themselves in the knowledge of the coming fulfillment of God’s promised blessings to them. To his downtrodden, elect nation the prophet urges valiance and vigilance, because your God will come with vengeance (naqam, revenge). Again, it should be noted that ultimately God’s acts of judgment are acts of mercy. For the great judgment of the Tribulation Period shall cut off the unrighteous and usher in a time of unparalleled blessing and prosperity on the earth for all mankind. The blind … deaf … lame … dumb shall all be restored.” [10]

The ultimate day of the Lord's vengeance refers to the Battle of Armageddon according to some sources. The Wikipedia notes about the Battle of Armageddon: “Armageddon … according to the Bible, the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location. The term is also used in a generic sense to refer to any end of the world scenario.

The word Armageddon appears only once in the Greek New Testament, namely in Revelation 16:16. The word may come from Hebrew har məgiddô, meaning "Mountain of Megiddo"....

According to one premillennial Christian interpretation, the Messiah will return to earth and defeat the Antichrist (the "beast") and Satan the Devil in the Battle of Armageddon. Then Satan will be put into the "bottomless pit" or abyss for 1,000 years, known as the Millennial Age.” [11]

One viewpoint is that Armageddon is not a single battle but a series of battles that extend the tribulation period where God brings his judgment on His enemies. The Wikipedia quotes Dwight Pentecost who writes:

“It has been held commonly that the battle of Armageddon is an isolated event transpiring just prior to the second advent of Christ to the earth. The extent of this great movement in which God deals with "the kings of the earth and of the whole world" (Rev. 16:14) will not be seen unless it is realized that the "battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Rev. 16:14) is not an isolated battle, but rather a campaign that extends over the last half of the tribulation period. The Greek word "polemo", translated "battle" in Revelation 16:14, signifies a war or campaign, while "machē" signifies a battle, and sometimes even single combat. This distinction is observed by Trench, (see Richard C. Trench, New Testament Synonyms, pp.301-2) and is followed by Thayer (see Joseph Henry Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 528) and Vincent (see Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, II, 541). The use of the word polemos (campaign) in Revelation 16:14 would signify that the events that culminate in the gathering at Armageddon at the second advent are viewed by God as one connected campaign.
—Pentecost, p.340” [12]

Going back to the original scripture in Isaiah 34:6-10, one commentary notes that it is really referring to the Battle of Armageddon. They write, “The day of the Lord’s vengeance refers to the Battle of Armageddon. Though this particular name is only found in Revelation 16:16, throughout the Bible it is certainly descriptive of the final devastation that culminates at the end of the Tribulation Period (cf. “day of the Lord”: Joel 2:2; Zeph 1:15; Zech 14:1; Mal 4:5; “time of trouble”: Dan 12:1; “time of Jacob’s trouble”: Jer 30:7; “hour of his judgment”: Rev 14:7; “the wrath to come”: I Thess 1:10; “the wrath of the Lamb”: Rev 6:16–17). The fiery nature of this judgment is such that it cannot refer to any historic battle in ancient Israel. Pitch … brimstone … smoke are mentioned as lasting for ever. Attempts to view this as a local destruction in past history are futile in light of the severe, universal description given in this passage.” [13]

This ultimate day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of reckoning where the hour of great judgment comes is described in Revelation 14:6-20,

“Then I saw another angel flying in midair, with an eternal Gospel (good news) to tell to the inhabitants of the earth, to every race and tribe and language and people. And he cried with a mighty voice, Revere God and give Him glory (honor and praise in worship), for the hour of His judgment has arrived. Fall down before Him; pay Him homage and adoration and worship Him Who created heaven and earth, the sea and the springs (fountains) of water.

Then another angel, a second, followed, declaring, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She who made all nations drink of the [maddening] wine of her passionate unchastity [idolatry].

Then another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a mighty voice, Whoever pays homage to the beast and his statue and permits the [beast's] stamp (mark, inscription) to be put on his forehead or on his hand, He too shall [have to] drink of the wine of God's indignation and wrath, poured undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no respite (no pause, no intermission, no rest, no peace) day or night--these who pay homage to the beast and to his image and whoever receives the stamp of his name upon him.

Here [comes in a call for] the steadfastness of the saints [the patience, the endurance of the people of God], those who [habitually] keep God's commandments and [their] faith in Jesus.

Then I heard further [perceiving the distinct words of] a voice from heaven, saying, Write this: Blessed (happy, to be envied) are the dead from now on who die in the Lord! Yes, blessed (happy, to be envied indeed), says the Spirit, [in] that they may rest from their labors, for their works (deeds) do follow (attend, accompany) them!

Again I looked, and behold, [I saw] a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud One resembling a Son of Man, with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp scythe (sickle) in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple sanctuary, calling with a mighty voice to Him Who was sitting upon the cloud, Put in Your scythe and reap, for the hour has arrived to gather the harvest, for the earth's crop is fully ripened.

So He Who was sitting upon the cloud swung His scythe (sickle) on the earth, and the earth's crop was harvested. Then another angel came out of the temple [sanctuary] in heaven, and he also carried a sharp scythe (sickle).

And another angel came forth from the altar, [the angel] who has authority and power over fire, and he called with a loud cry to him who had the sharp scythe (sickle), Put forth your scythe and reap the fruitage of the vine of the earth, for its grapes are entirely ripe.

So the angel swung his scythe on the earth and stripped the grapes and gathered the vintage from the vines of the earth and cast it into the huge winepress of God's indignation and wrath. And [the grapes in] the winepress were trodden outside the city, and blood poured from the winepress, [reaching] as high as horses' bridles, for a distance of 1,600 stadia (about 200 miles).”

Lord, we are so grateful that your acts of judgment are ultimately acts of mercy. You demonstrated what your justice looks like when You died on the cross for our sins. We long to see Your judgments on earth. Come with vengeance against your enemies. With recompense come and save Your people. Open the eyes of the blind, open the ears of the deaf, let the lame leap, and the tongue that was stopped due to oppression sing for joy.



1. Radmacher, Earl D. ; Allen, Ronald Barclay ; House, H. Wayne: The Nelson Study Bible : New King James Version. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1997, S. Is 63:1

2-6, 8, 10, 13. KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994

7, 9. MacDonald, William ; Farstad, Arthur: Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995, S. Is 63:7, S. Is 34:5

11-12. Wikipedia. Armageddon. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armageddon Last Accessed: 2/28/12.

And on this Mount [Zion] shall the Lord make for all peoples a feast of rich things...

“O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things, even purposes planned of old [and fulfilled] in faithfulness and truth.

For You have made a city a heap, a fortified city a ruin, a place of aliens without a city [is no more a city]; it will never be rebuilt. Therefore [many] a strong people will glorify You, [many] a city of terrible and ruthless nations will [reverently] fear You.

For You have been a stronghold for the poor, a stronghold for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the ruthless ones is like a rainstorm against a wall.

As the heat in a dry land [is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so] You will bring down the noise of aliens [exultant over their enemies]; and as the heat is brought low by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless ones is brought low.

And on this Mount [Zion] shall the Lord make for all peoples a feast of rich things [symbolic of His coronation festival inaugurating the reign of the Lord on the earth, in the wake of a background of gloom, judgment, and terror], a feast of wines on the lees -of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

And He will destroy on this mountain the covering of the face that is cast over the heads of all the peoples [in mourning], and the veil [of profound wretchedness] that is woven and spread over all nations.

He will swallow up death [in victory; He will abolish death forever]. And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; and the reproach of His people He will take away from off all the earth; for the Lord has spoken it.

It will be said in that day, Behold our God upon Whom we have waited and hoped, that He might save us! This is the Lord, we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”
(Isaiah 25:1-9)

“Jesus, as I sit at your table, I feed upon Your love, Your suffering love for me... I think about Your love for me declared upon that tree. There is no greater love, I feast upon Your suffering” sings in the background.

Isaiah 25 is the Israels song of praise for kingdom blessings. Commentary notes about Chapters 25–27 that they “have been called 'the Book of Songs.' Here the restored Jewish remnant praises the Lord for its deliverance through the Great Tribulation. Enemy cities (not necessarily any particular city) have been pulverized, causing Gentiles to acknowledge Jehovah’s power. God has been to His people all that they needed.” [1]

In Isaiah 25, a fortified “city” is judged and made a ruin, no longer to be rebuilt. The song proclaims, “For You have made a city a heap, a fortified city a ruin, a place of aliens without a city [is no more a city]; it will never be rebuilt.” The fact that it was fortified, speaks of it providing a sense of protection and security.

A city in which people get their protection outside of God also speaks of self-sufficiency and pride. In Isaiah 26:5-6 it says, “For He has brought down the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city; He lays it low, lays it low to the ground; He brings it even to the dust. The foot has trampled it down -even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.”

One commentary notes that “'The city' ultimately refers to Babylon (Rev. 18:1–19:5), but it applies to anything man makes and uses to defy God. It does not take God long to wipe out a nation or destroy a city.” [2]

Revelation 18:1-2 says about Babylon, “Then I saw another angel descending from heaven, possessing great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his radiance and splendor. And he shouted with a mighty voice, She is fallen! Mighty Babylon is fallen! She has become a resort and dwelling place for demons, a dungeon haunted by every loathsome spirit, and abode for every filthy and detestable bird.”

For the poor, Jesus is a 'city' – a place of protection to those in distress, a shelter from the storm and shade from the heat against the blast of the enemy (Isaiah 25:4).

Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.” And Isaiah 26:1 says, “In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; [the Lord] sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.”

Commentary notes, “Notice that the walls and bulwarks are not physical, but spiritual. Salvation is God’s total provision for His people’s needs.” [3]

And Isaiah 4:5-6 it says, “And the Lord will create over the whole site, over every dwelling place of Mount Zion and over her assemblies, a cloud of smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a canopy (a defense of divine love and protection). And there shall be a pavilion for shade in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge and a shelter from storm and from rain.”

Another commentary notes, “God is Refuge... Tribulation is like a storm, but He is the Refuge; it is like desert heat, but He is the Cloud that blots out the hot rays. God silences the noise of the enemy and brings peace.” [4]

“That you would make your name known to your adversaries... let justice flow down like a river... make the wrong things right...” sings.

Judgment of the Lord is not to be feared by the righteous, but longed for. When He made the fortified city a ruin, Isaiah 15:3 says, “Therefore, [many] a city of terrible and ruthless nations will [reverently] fear You.” His judgments set things right, break down systems of oppression and bring His justice to the poor and needy.

“Bring deliverance. Open up the heavens Lord, let Your power go forth, to open up every prison door”

God's judgment should bring praise by His servants. When the great Babylon was judged and fell, Revelation 19:5 proclaims, “Then from the throne there came a voice, saying, Praise our God, all you servants of His, you who reverence Him, both small and great!”

Isaiah 26: 8-9 says, “Yes, in the path of Your judgments, O Lord, we wait [expectantly] for You; our heartfelt desire is for Your name and for the remembrance of You. My soul yearns for You [O Lord] in the night, yes, my spirit within me seeks You earnestly; for [only] when Your judgments are in the earth will the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God).”

Judgments is the Hebrew word mishpat, Strongs #4941. It means to execute justice. [5] Jesus showed us what judgment looks like when we were deemed guilty of sin and He came and died to pay the penalty for what we deserved.

Our sin is not overlooked. A just judge does not ignore the fact that there was an injustice done. God is a holy God and His judgments are right. Isaiah 5:16 says, “But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and God, the Holy One, shows Himself holy in righteousness and through righteous judgments.”

And when He brings His just judgments, it is good news to the poor, needy and afflicted – they are fed and ministered to. When Jesus cast out the money changers from the temple in Mathew 21:12-14, the blind and lame came to Him in the temple and He healed them.

Isaiah 5:17 goes on to say that when He brings his righteous judgments, “Then shall the lambs feed [among the ruins] as in their own pasture, and [among] the desolate places of the [exiled] rich shall sojourners and aliens eat.”

But to those doing the oppression and in unrepented sin, judgment brings punishment to the sin. Isaiah 5:18 goes on to say, “Woe to those who draw [calamity] with cords of iniquity and falsehood, who bring punishment to themselves with a cart rope of wickedness...”

While God is longsuffering, He does not forever overlook unrepented sin. For our benefit, there are natural consequences as a result of continued sin. Isaiah 5:19 goes on to say, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

Commentary notes, “Those who pervert God’s evaluation of what is good by calling evil good are heading down a dangerous path—one that leads to judgment.” [5]

However, He also has compassion on us when we repent. His mercies are new every morning. Our sin is acknowledged and when we repent, it is forgiven and washed away by the blood of Jesus.

Isaiah 1:16-19 says, “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes! Cease to do evil. Learn to do right! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.”

“Worthy is the Lamb slain, to receive all the power” sings.

Ceasing to do evil and making ourselves clean does not mean getting our actions right in order to look good on the outside. Rather doing right as proclaimed in Isaiah 1:17 is to “Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.”

James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

God considers giving to the poor as giving directly to Him. "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40). We are commanded to give freely and generously to the poor.

In Deuteronomy 14:28-29 Moses tells the Israelites every three years they are to bring forth a tithe of their increase from that year and lay it up within their towns for those who lack. Moses says to them, “And the Levite [because he has no part or inheritance with you] and the stranger or temporary resident, and the fatherless and the widow who are in your towns shall come and eat and be satisfied, so that the Lord your god may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.”

And Deuteronomy 15:7-10 says, “If there is among you a poor man, one of your kinsmen in any of the towns of your land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not harden your [minds and] hearts or close your hands to your poor brother; But you shall open your hands wide to him and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.

Beware lest there be a base thought in your [minds and] hearts, and you say, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand, and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and it be sin in you. You shall give to him freely without begrudging it; because of this the Lord will bless you in all your work and in all you undertake.”

We are not to force ourselves to give to others and try hard not to begrudge it. We can freely give because we have so freely received. We give openhanded to others because God is so generous with us -even in the midst of our sin.

The Israelites were sinning when Isaiah proclaims in 30:18, “And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show you loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship!”

God is extravagantly generous. He poured out His mercies and kindness on the Israelites. Isaiah 25:5-6 says God was not only was a refuge and protection to the poor, He brought low Israel's enemies and prepared a rich feast for His people.

Going back to Isaiah 25:6 it says, “And on Mount [Zion] shall the Lord of hosts make for all peoples a feast of rich things [symbolic of His coronation festival inaugurating the reign of the Lord on earth, in wake of a background of gloom, judgment, and terror], a feast of wines on the lees -of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.”

In the backdrop of gloom, terror and judgment during a period of great tribulation, God poured out His Spirit preparing afeast for His people and brought them through darkness and difficulty, providing them deliverance. (The clock read 3:33 as I wrote this.)

“And Your glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. And the earth will sing your praises, forever more Your kingdom shall be” sings.

In the midst of Israel's enemies and difficulty and tribulation on every side, God had prepared them a feast of rich things of wines and fat things full of marrow. Commentary notes, “A feast of wine on the lees refers to the best wine. Fat things full of marrow refers to the choicest food. The feast is similar to the one prepared by Wisdom in Prov. 9:1–6.” [6]

Proverbs 9:1-5 says, “Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out and set up her seven [perfect number of] pillars. She has killed her beasts, she has mixed her [spiritual] wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her maids to cry from the highest places of the town; Whoever is simple (easily led astray and wavering), let him turn in here! As for him who lacks understanding, [God's] Wisdom says to him, Come, eat of my bread and drink of the [spiritual] wine which I have mixed.”

David proclaims in Psalm 23 that though He was walking through the valley of the shadow of death, he would fear or dread no evil, knowing God was with Him, protecting and guiding Him through with His rod and staff. He proclaims in Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.”

And in Revelation 19 (Christ's coronation festival inaugurating the reign of the Lord on the earth), there is a backdrop of gloom and judgment. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb is in the mist of “darkness outside” where there is “weeping and grinding of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12)

Darkness is the Greek word skatos, Strongs #4655. It means blindness, a place of punishment, and/or metaphorically, “moral and spiritual darkness,” [7] And weeping and grinding of teeth speaks of deep anguish and despair.

In the midst of this, His judgment was directed at the enemy -not those in bondage, anguish and despair. Revelation 19:1-2 says, “After this I heard what sounded like a mighty shout of a great crowd in heaven, exclaiming, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! Salvation and glory (splendor and majesty) and power (dominion and authority) [belong] to our God!

Because His judgments (his condemnation and punishment, His sentences of doom) are true and sound and just and upright. He has judged (convicted, pronounced sentence, and doomed) the great and notorious harlot (idolatress) who corrupted and demoralized and poisoned the earth with her lewdness and adultery (idolatry). And He has avenged (visited on her the penalty for) the blood of His servants at her hand.”

“I believe heaven's coming down, Jesus will reign upon the earth, and the two will become one, forever united in the Son” sings.

In the midst of this darkness and judgment, God opened the heavens and provided a rich feast – the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Revelation 19:11-18 goes on to say, “After that I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse [appeared]! The One Who was riding it is called Faithful (Trustworthy, Loyal, Incorruptible, Steady) and True and He passes judgment and wages war in righteousness (holiness, justice, and uprightness.)

His eyes [blaze] like a flame of fire, and on His head are many kingly crowns (diadems); and He has a title (name) inscribed which He alone knows or can understand. He is dressed in a robe dyed by dipping in blood, and the title by which He is called is The Word of God.

And the troops of heaven, clothed in fine linen, dazzling and clean, followed Him on white horses. [a] From His mouth goes forth a sharp sword with which He can smite (afflict, strike) the nations; and He will shepherd and control them with a staff (scepter, rod) of iron.

He will tread the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath and indignation of God the Almighty Ruler (the Almighty, the Omnipotent). And on His garment (robe) and on His though He has a name (title) inscribed, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Then I saw a single angel stationed in the sun's light, and with a mighty voice he shouted to all the birds that fly across the sky, Come, gather yourselves together for the great supper of God, that you may feast on the flesh of rulers, the flesh of powerful and mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all humanity, both free and slave, both small and great.”

Ultimately, the victory belongs to Jesus. In Revelation 19:19-21, the beast and false profit were defeated and hurled into the fierly lake. And the rest were killed with a sword.

In the same way, the victory belongs to Jesus in Isaiah 25. He swallows up death in victory and, wipes away tears, and takes away the reproach of His people. Isaiah 25:9 says, "It shall be said in that day, Behold our God upon Whom we have waited and hoped, that He might save us!"

One commentary notes about Isaiah 25 that it proclaiming the triumphs of the kingdom age. [8] This commentary notes, “He is the One alone who has been a refuge from the storm of His own judgment. Thus, the proud nations of the world are brought low before the majesty of the mighty God. A great celebration shall take place in this mountain (Zion). All people refers to those nations that have survived the Tribulation Period and go into the blessings of the millennial kingdom...” [9]

While there are some conflicting views, this commentary goes on to note that the banquet described while symbolic of, “is not the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (see Archer, p. 626)” but rather a time of blessing where the kingdom prevails.

There is also conflict over what is meant by, “He will destroy on this mountain the covering of the face that is cast over the heads of all peoples [in mourning], and the veil [of profound wretchedness] that is woven and spread over all nations.”

One commentary notes, “He removes the covering of ignorance, the veil of Satanic blindness that has shrouded all nations.” [11]

Another commentary notes, “The veil is not a reference to the veil of the Temple that would be rent later, but the covering of death that hangs over all nations as a result of the recently completed devastations of the Tribulation Period. He will destroy (in verse 7) should read 'He will swallow up,' coming, as it does, from the same verb (bila˓) as the phrase in verse 8, He will swallow up death in victory (cf. I Cor 15:54).” [12]

Either way, it points to future hope as our God “takes away the reproach of His people” and people proclaim, “Behold our God upon Whom we have waited and hoped, that He might save us!” (Is. 25:8,9)

One commentary notes about this, “Isaiah intends to look to the distant future as he speaks of the time of unparalleled peace that shall occur during the millennial kingdom as a result of the intervention of God Himself. Thus, the people can rejoice in the fact that though they have waited through all these years of human devastation, it has been worth it because Lo, this is our God!” [13]

The millennial kingdom is referred to in Revelation 20 where the dragon, who is the devil and Satan is securely bound for a thousand years (Is. 20:2). Thus, the enemy no longer can accuse, enslave or deceive people during this time.

There are also differing views on when Christ returns as it relates to the Millennium. Each of the three major views is summarized below: [14]

Premillennialism - “Before the 1,000 year kingdom. Christ returns before establishing His literal kingdom on earth. He will reign with his saints in fulfillment of OT and NT prophecy. The reign on earth will last for 1,000 years.” [15]

Postmillennialism - “After a golden age on earth. Christ will return after the 1,000 years which represent a golden age of unspecified duration. This age is ushered in by the triumph of the gospel as the world converts, in large part, to Christianity through the efforts of the church.” [16]

Amillennialism - “(No literal earthly kingdom.) There is no literal reign of Christ over an earthly kingdom. Christ is presently reigning over a spiritual kingdom in either: (1) the hearts of men; (2) heaven, or (3) the church. The 1,000 years is a symbol representing an extended period of time. Many amillennialists believe that the fullness of the kingdom has already arrived on earth and we are presently in the age between the first and second resurrections. “Generally speaking, this view holds that Christ will return in His second coming and immediately usher in the new heaven and the new earth with no intervening thousand-year reign.” [17]

Lord, As the song sings, I want to be with You where You are. “Lead me outside these city walls that I have built to keep my self safe... I want to cry with You when the world starts falling, I'll die with you when the world starts falling.”

Where You are is the safest place to be. Be our shelter and refuge from the storm. I am in awe of Your generosity and love. In the midst of darkness, difficulties and troubles, You pour out an abundance and host a feast for Your people in the presence of their enemies.


[a] Another example of the armies of heaven is in 2 Kings 6:16-17 when Elisha told His servant, “Fear not; for those with us are more than those with them. Then Elisha prayed, Lord, I pray You, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the young man's eyes, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”


1. MacDonald, William ; Farstad, Arthur: Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995, S. Is 25:1

2, 4. Wiersbe, Warren W.: With the Word Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1991, S. Is 25:1

3. KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994, S. 1338

5. Strong, James: The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible : Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order. electronic ed. Ontario : Woodside Bible Fellowship., 1996, S. H4941

6. Radmacher, Earl D. ; Allen, Ronald Barclay ; House, H. Wayne: The Nelson Study Bible : New King James Version. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1997, S.

7. Vine, W. E. ; Unger, Merrill F. ; White, William: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1996, S. 2:145

8-10. KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994, S. 1338

11. MacDonald, William ; Farstad, Arthur: Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995, S. Is 25:6

12. Wiersbe, Warren W.: With the Word Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1991, S. Is 25:1

13. KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994, S. 1338

14-17. Garland, Tony. Millennium Kingdom. Located at: http://www.spiritandtruth.org/teaching/Book_of_Revelation/commentary/htm/topics/millennium.html. Last Accessed: 2/21/12.

“Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to envied) is the man who reverently and worshipfully fears [the Lord] at all times [regardless of circumstances]...

“All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God's providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Commentary notes, “To fear God is one of the major themes of this book [Ecclesiastes] and of wisdom literature in the Old Testament. To fear God is to respond to Him in awe, reverence, and wonder, to serve Him in purity of action, and to shun evil and any worship of anything else in His universe. keep His commandments: The commandments of the Law are in view here. Jesus summed them up as to “love the Lord your God” and “your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:34–40). man’s all: We are whole or complete only when we fear God and obey His commandments. What profit is there in living? If we follow what this book has said, we will have a relationship with God and find life in Him.” [1]

“Give me one glorious ambition for my life, to know and follow hard after you God” sings

It is only as we are rooted in and seeking God that we can have true satisfaction and contentment. Commentary on Ecclesiastes notes that the author, Solomon sees that man madly pursues one thing after another. However all of it is futility and chasing after the wind. [2]

Commentary notes, “In the end, faith teaches him that God has ordered all things according to His own purpose, and that man's role is to accept these, including his own limitations, as God's appointments. Man, therefore, should be patient and enjoy life as God gives it.” [3]

Wisdom, education, knowledge, pleasure, happiness, power, influence and religion are all temporary. They only have lasting value insofar as man relates all life to God. “Reverence and respect for God and a genuine devotion in serving God are essential in making life worthwhile.” [4]

Over and over, the Word of God makes it clear that we can not find our satisfaction in anything the world has to offer. What we are given in this world we are to hold loosely as a temporary gift. It is not to define us, fulfill us, give us life, or worth.

When we labor to gain fulfillment or significance, we will come up feeling disappointed. Every time circumstances fluctuate to our favor, we feel good and on top of the world, but then when they go against us, we feel discouraged. It is all futility and chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 6:7 says, “All the labor of man is for his mouth [for self-preservation and enjoyment], and yet his desire is not satisfied.”

Too often we crave and desire what we do not have. Rather than holding the gifts that God has placed in our hand with gratitude and enjoyment for their short term blessing and the love they represent, we are striving and chasing after wind to get what we think we think we need to satisfy us.

There is always something around the corner that will finally fulfill us. It is the title we always wanted, the pay, the new job, the recognition we have worked so hard for, the appointment that gives us significance, the public recognition / approval, the possession that shows everyone we are important and worthwhile.

Ecclesiastes 6:9 says, “Better is the sight of the eyes [the enjoyment of what is available to one] than the cravings of wandering desire. This is also vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility) and a striving after the wind and a feeding on it!”

Often our cravings and dissatisfaction comes from our comparisons with others. We see what others have and think that we must have this in order to be fulfilled and satisfied. We see someone else is important or significant because of their gifts, talents, abilities, position, recognition, and/or possessions. Then we think having this for ourselves will make us fulfilled and satisfied.

Once we obtain it, it makes us happy for a short time. But then we become used to having it and begin to compare ourselves again with others, seeing things that others have that we don't. We move quickly back into discontentment and competing with others for what might fill us. And as one of the elders at my church once noted, you cannot both love someone at the same time as competing with them. [5]

James 4:2-8 says, “You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask.

[Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it on your sensual pleasures. You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.

Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love?”

We can even neglect the gifts that are given to us because we are so busy looking around and craving something else. Sometimes people never really step into the giftings or calling that God gave to them because they are trying to get filled by what they do. They are trying to be someone that they are not because they envy someone elses' gifts.

Often what they are seeking is as sense of significance for themselves. They think that having specific gifts, a specific job or position in life, a specific career, a specific office, or a certain lifestyle will fill them in some way. They strive to obtain that which only turns out to be empty and vain – like chasing the wind.

Sometimes someone will become a workaholic, seeking fulfillment and significance in what they do. They never quite get 'there' (to the place of ultimate success, recognition, fame, and/or fortune that will fulfill them), but in the midst of it, they lose the precious gift of their family and friends who are right in front of them.

Sometimes our successes are our greatest enemy as they keep us striving, driving and seeking that which we can obtain by our own strength. Tim Kizziar notes, “Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.” [6]

Psalm 147:10-11 says, “He delights not in the strength of the horse, nor does He take pleasure in the legs of man. The Lord takes pleasure in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness.”

Usually people do not set out to be a workaholic but the longing to be filled drives them towards it. When one seeks to be filled by possessing something, it ends up being something elusive that is always slightly out of our reach. We find ourselves staying in a place of discontentment and striving after wind. The more one obtains, the more one wants and craves.

Ecclesiastes 6:2 says, “A man to whom God has given riches, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he might desire, yet God does not give him the power or capacity to enjoy them [things which are gifts from God], but a stranger [in whom he has no interest succeeds him and] consumes and enjoys them. This is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility); it is a sore affliction!

Even people with the best intentions can find themselves striving after wind. Sometimes pastors or ministry leaders will start out with a genuine heart to make a difference, but find at some point that they have become depleted and are now looking for their work to fill them in some way.

When one begins to invest in even what is good and noble at the expense of that which is most important in their lives, they need to check their motives. If someone is doing 'good' because they believe that it will somehow fill them or make them 'good' they will be left disillusioned. One is left tired, spent and unfulfilled in what they accomplished.

Ruth Haley Barton in her book, “Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership” writes, “It takes profound willingness to invite God to search us and know us at the deepest level of our being, allowing him to show us the difference between the performance-oriented drivenness of the false self and the deeper calling to lead from our authentic self in God.” [7]

She goes on to write, “There is an elemental chaos that gets stirred up when we have been in God's presence enough that we can recognize pretense and performance and every other thing that bolsters our sense of self. It is unnerving to see evidence that these patterns are still at work -perhaps just a bit more subtly -in our everyday lives.” [8]

Most people are filled with mixed motives. We desire to make a difference out of pure motives to serve and honor God but find ourselves at times seeking our own significance through what we do. This is especially true where one has underlying wounds resulting in a deep longing for a sense of significance/ validation of who we are. One can intend to go in one direction but find their deeper longings are drawing them in another direction.

Paul says in Romans 7:15-20 says, “For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled, bewildered]. I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe [which my moral instinct condemns].

Now if I do [habitually] what is contrary to my desire, [that means that] I acknowledge and agree that the Law is good (morally excellent) and that I take sides with it. However, it is no longer I who do the deed, but the sin [principle] which is at home in me and has possession of me.

For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out.] For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing.”

The good news is that God does not leave us in our places of striving after the wind. As we turn and repent from striving after wind, He is more than able to meet us in our places of need with His grace and provision.

Paul goes on to say in Romans 7:24-25, “O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death? O thank God! [He will!] through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”

And as James talks to the church about their seeking to fulfill their desires in the world, going astray like unfaithful wives, he goes on to promise the help of God's Spirit to meet us in our place of need. He says in James 4:6-10, “But He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it).

So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].

[As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins]. Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].”

It is not what we see in the world that will fulfill us or give us significance. All of it is vanity and chasing after wind. It is knowing God and allowing Him to satisfy our deepest needs and desires that frees us up to truly enjoy life and the gifts we are given. It is in freely receiving His love that we are set free to freely giving it away to others, giving our life meaning and significance.

Francis Chan writes “God's definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love.” [9]

Ecclesiastes 6:3-4 says, “If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years so that the days of his years are many, but his life is not filled with good, and also he is given no burial [honors nor is laid to rest in the sepulcher of his fathers], I say that [he who had] an untimely birth [resulting in death] is better off than he, for [the untimely one] comes in futility and goes into darkness, and in darkness his name is covered.”

Commentary notes, “The common lot of man is markedly different. They labor in the pursuit of wealth with such abandonment that they risk total failure in this life. The masses never rise above avarice; theirs is a grievous misery. For even though God allows them the acquisition of wealth and honor, he withholds from them the ability to enjoy their acquisitions. Surrounded by abundance, they are unable to enjoy even the smallest elements of the beauty that surrounds them. Their unrest is heightened as they view the evident satisfaction that others are able to derive from the fruits of their labor.” [10]

Sometimes it is not that we set out to pursue wealth or riches, but that as we are surrounded my so much abundance it somehow seeps into our hearts and hinders our walk with God. We become self-focused and self-indulgent as we allow the world to have a place in our hearts.

Francis Chan notes about lukewarm Christians that they do not live by faith because of the abundance of their surroundings. He writes, "They don't depend on God on a daily basis -their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.” [11]

Some days ago I had a dream that I was back in Haiti. In my dream, one of the women who served in the kitchen and cared for the children at the house had made us all cookies. As I went to take some, she told me that I too often feasted on the abundance that surrounded me and it was at the expense of my relationship with God. That in indulging, I was sacrificing what I could potentially have with God.

According to Ecclesiastes what makes life 'good' is not what we recieve or have, but how we live our lives. “Good” used in the verse in Ecclesiastes 6 (living a life filled with good) is the Hebrew word towb, Strongs #2896. It means bountiful, prosperous and/or loving. [12] Another source notes that the first time it is used in the bible is when God looked upon His creation as it was created and meant to be. Gen. 1:4 says, “God saw that the light was good.” This source also notes that it can be used in association with having a “glad heart.” [13]

When we are filled by God and allowing Him to satisfy our deepest needs, we are free from striving after wind. We are free to be as we were created. We are free to give ourselves away to others out of a “glad heart.”

Jon Foreman sings in the background, “Every thing I have I count as loss. Everything I have is stripped away. Before I started building I counted up these costs. There's nothing left for you to take away.”

In order to fully stand in a place of freedom, we need to allow God to strip away all that is self. Thomas a Kempis writes as the voice of Christ, “My child, you can never be perfectly free unless you completely renounce self, for all who seek their own interest and who love themselves are bound in fetters.” [14]

He goes on to write about those bound in self, “They are unsettled by covetousness and curiosity, always searching for ease and not for the things of Christ, often devising and framing that which will not last, for anything that is not of God will fail completely.” [15]

His answer to this: “give up your desires and you will find rest.” [16]

It is in surrender of our will, rights, self-preservation, and dignity that we find freedom. As a good Father, God confronts us in those places where we are holding onto life from the world. God sets us free as we let go of what we are holding on to for life and surrender ourselves to Him, receiving His love.

Jon Foreman goes on to sing, “Hello hurricane, you can't silence my love... Everything inside of me surrenders. You can't silence my love.”

It is in letting go and surrendering in the place of confrontation of our self life that we are set free. Trials, afflictions and hardships are producing in us an “eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17) as they cause us to let go of self. And as we do surrender our self-life, troubles and sufferings produce in us “patient and unswerving endurance” that matures us and grows us in the likeness of Christ (Romans 5:4).

Greg Boyd noted on Twitter, "You are FREE to the degree that you cling to nothing and nothing clings to you - Christ clings to you - that is what matters."

Too often we talk of surrender and rejoicing in suffering like it is something we have high regard for, but shy away from it when winds of adversity blow our way (okay speaking of me here). It sounds good in concept but we (I) fail to live it. When the 'rubber meets the road' and I face giving up what I thought was important (my dignity, my rights, my pride, my position, my possessions, and/or my power, etc.), I do not want to “sell all I own” to come follow Christ. At times I feel disheartened and cheated in some way. The truth is, I must be getting some sense of significance from it.

Francis Chan writes, “When we put it plainly like this -as a direct choice between God and our stuff- most of us hope we would chose God. But we need to realize that how we spend our time, what our money goes toward, and where we will invest our energy is equivalent to choosing God or rejecting Him. How could we think for even a second that something on this puny little earth compares to the Creator and Sustainer and Savior of it all?” [17]

Thomas a Kempis goes on to write as the voice of Christ, “I have said: exchange what is precious and valued among men for that which is considered contemptible. For true heavenly wisdom -not to think highly of self and not to seek glory on earth- does indeed seem mean and small and is well-nigh forgotten, as many men praise it with their mouths but shy far away from it with their lives. Yet this heavenly wisdom is a pearl of great price, which is hidden from many.” [18]

Paul knew where his treasure resided. He looked not at the troubles that were around him, rather He fixed His gaze “on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” When He was in prison He wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

As we surrender, we learn to praise and rejoice in our sufferings as well as when the winds blow in our favor. As we sell all that we own, we have treasure in heaven. It is not our circumstances that are the issue, but our willingness like Paul to surrender to God and keep our heart tender towards Him in the midst of our difficulties and disappointments.

Proverbs 28:14, “Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to envied) is the man who reverently and worshipfully fears [the Lord] at all times [regardless of circumstances], but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”

Lord, You love me so well. Forgive me for not loving You the same way. I do not want to be like the rich young ruler who went away very sad because he was unwilling to give up what he had in the world to come follow You and be with You. Forgive me where I have spoke this by my reaction to adversity!

You are our treasure and the pearl of great price. Empower us to live our lives for you. Help us not to be caught in the the world or the abundance that surrounds us on every side. Empower us to sell all that we own and come follow You that we might have treasures in heaven.


1. Radmacher, Earl D. ; Allen, Ronald Barclay ; House, H. Wayne: The Nelson Study Bible : New King James Version. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1997, S. Ec 12:13

2-4. Commentary. The Amplified Bible. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI. 1987.

5. Hougen, Judy. Church of the Open Door.

6-8. Barton, Ruth Haley. Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Il. 2008.

9, 11, 17. Chan, Francis. Crazy Love. David C. Cook Distributions, Colorado Springs, CO. 2008.

10. KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994, S. 126

12. Strong, James: The New Strong's Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1996, S. H2896

13. Vine, W. E. ; Unger, Merrill F. ; White, William: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1996, S. 1:61

14-16, 18. Kempis, Thomas a. The Imitation of Christ. Dover Publications, Mineola, New York. 2003.

"Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up"

“He who heeds instruction and correction is [not only himself] in the way of life [but also] is a way of life for others. And he who neglects or refuses reproof [not only himself] goes astray [but also] causes to error and is a path toward ruin for others.” (Proverbs 10:17)

What we do and say has influence on others around us – even when we don't intend it.

Proverbs 10:29, “The way of the Lord is a strength and a stronghold to the upright, but it [walking in the way of the Lord] is destruction to the workers of iniquity.”

“The [consistently] righteous man is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked causes others to go astray.” (Proverbs 12:26)

How we use that influence has real impact beyond ourselves. By what we say and do we can lead others more onto a path of righteousness or cause others to go astray.

One significant way we have influence on others is through what we speak. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].”

We can chose to encourage or discourage others by the words we speak to them.

“The tongues of those who are upright and in right standing with God are as choice silver; the minds of those who are wicked and out of harmony with God are of little value.” (Proverbs 10:20)

“The lips of the [uncompromisingly] righteous feed and guide many, but fools die for want of understanding and heart.” (Proverbs 10:21)

“There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18)

Dan Reiland, an author on leadership, writes that encouragement is over 50% of a leaders job. He notes that even the most inspiring vision does not take hold in people's hearts without some form of encouragement towards it. [1]

People need affirmation and to know that others believe in them and their ability to contribute and make a difference. I know for myself, my first boss made a huge difference in my life because he encouraged and believed in me. I would not be where I am today without his encouragement in my life. He saw potential in me and then made room for me to use it.

He didn't give me the answers or tell me how to go about doing things. What made the huge difference in my life is that he believed in me. Then he empowered me and made room for me to use my gifts. When I did well, he affirmed me and when I didn't, he gave me grace (affirming who I was) while still holding me accountable to his expectations.

He often gave me very difficult and challenging responsibilities. But at the same time, they were where he saw I had gifts and could contribute. Because he was such an encouragement to me, I found myself accomplishing and meeting significant challenges that I never imagined I could. It was because of him that I decided I wanted to go into leadership myself, hoping that someday I could possibly make this same difference in other people's lives.

Dan Reiland writes, “Encouragement is a core component of hope. It helps people believe they can have and contribute to a better future. It bolsters their courage when they would otherwise shrink back. It builds their confidence to do things they never thought they could accomplish.” [2]

Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”

However, encouragement is different than flattery. Encouragement is seeing God and His purposes in others and calling it out. It is affirming and strengthening others in the truth. Flattery, on the other hand is exaggeration of the truth.

Flattery looks to lie and manipulate others for ones own gain. When we flatter others, it is because we want their approval or something from them. It does not come from a heart that loves and wants the best for the other person.

Proverbs 26:28 says, “A lying tongue hates those it wounds and crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin.”

Encouragement always speaks life and is grounded in the truth. Because encouragement and affirmation is valuable, however, does not mean we should avoid correcting anyone.

Proverbs 27:5-6 says, “Open rebuke is better than love that is hidden. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are lavish and deceitful.”

Greg Boyd noted this last weekend about parenting that when disciplining our children, we can both affirm who they are and at the same time speak the truth to help them correct their behavior. [3]

An example of a statement that is both affirming and correcting is: I notice that you are gentle, kind and generous with others. It didn't fit who you are when you took the toy away from your little brother. That made me sad.

This same style of correction can be used in any type of situation. Many years ago when I ventured out into leadership, the first advice I received about giving corrective feedback was to, “Focus on the behavior not the person” as I described what needed to change.

The focus of correction is about what a person is doing and not who they are as an individual. So it is completely congruent to both affirm who someone in the truth and at the same time correct their behavior. While correction may feel uncomfortable and painful, it comes from a heart that wants and hopes the best for the other person.

Proverbs 9:8-9 says, “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man (one upright and in right standing with God) and he will increase in learning.”

What we speak to others not only impacts others, but our own life. Proverbs 18:20 says, “A man's [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil].”

Commentary notes about this that true satisfaction comes out of the words we speak. [4] What we see and call out in others around us has impact on who we are becoming ourselves. Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” People who continually speak life to others and call it out of them, also radiate this life themselves.

The gift of encouragement reflects a deeper interdependence. The Wikipedia defines interdependence as “a relation between its members such that each is mutually dependent on the others. This concept differs from a simple dependence relation, which implies that one member of the relationship can't function or survive apart from the other(s).” [5]

Steven Covey notes that people move in stages from:

- dependence, where one cannot function without the help of others, to

- independence, where one functions by making all their own decisions and relying solely on themselves for their care, to

- interdependence where one cooperates with others to achieve a greater good than could be achieved independently. [6]

Steven Covey basically notes that one starts out their life deeply dependent on others for survival. As one gains skills and abilities, using their gifts, they find themselves coming into greater and greater independence. [7]

As people do their own thing living independently, it is not long before one realizes that they have unintended impact on others. We live in a world where life is very interdependent. For instance, as I noted a few weeks ago, rice subsidies in America have had devastating unintended consequences to the people of Haiti. People who were already hungry, were undercut on the one item they could produce.

Proverbs 13: 23 says, “Much food is in the tilled land of the poor, but there are those who are destroyed because of injustice.”

Whether we intend it or not, our choices can cause others to experience greater life or greater harm. If someone steals a car out of their own desire for gain, they cause difficulties to someone else's life. In the same way, if someone gives away their car to another, they can cause the other significant benefit.

Throughout the Proverbs, God's wisdom speaks of consequences for our choices and actions – positive and negative. Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the willful contrariness and crookedness of the treacherous shall destroy them.”

And Proverbs 11:17 says, “The merciful, kind, and generous man benefits himself [for his deeds return to bless him], but he who is cruel and callous [to the wants of others] brings on himself retribution.”

As I mentioned, these outcomes impact not only ourselves but often others as well. What we do may have intentional impact on others and/or unintended consequences that impact others.

The word of God continually directs us to become more and more aware of this interdependence, moving away from a mindset of independence. Philippians 2:21 says, “For the others all seek [to advance] their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ (the Messiah).”

Paul instructs us to live life in a way that considers others – living in interdependence with those around us. He says in Romans 12:10-18, “Love one another with brotherly affections [as members of one family] giving precedence and showing honor to one another. Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.

Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of God's people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief].

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits.

Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

In our relationships with others, the Word of God guides us toward moving towards others and seeking to have a positive impact on them. Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others.”

Where interdependence begins to lead us, as noted by Steven Covey, is on a journey to think about other's interests besides our own (think win-win) and seek to understand other's first rather than focusing on making ourselves understood (seek to understand, then be understood). [8]

And as we move further away from independence and into interdependence, we realize that we can achieve much more by including others. The Wikipedia notes, “In an interdependent relationship, participants may be emotionally, economically, ecologically and/or morally reliant on and responsible to each other.” [9]

When one functions effectively independently, they discover that they can only achieve limited outcome by themselves. But as one begins to relate in interdependent relationships, they realize how much more can be accomplished with the efforts of others.

Ultimately, where it leads us is to synergy. “Synergy is the ability to create more together with others than we can by ourselves.” It is a mindset of unlimited potential as the sum of the parts multiplies the potential of positive outcome exponentially. [10]

One example would be a team of horses. One article notes, “If one horse can pull 700 pounds and another horse can pull 800 pounds, how much weight will they pull yoked together? The answer may surprise you. The two-horse team will pull their own weight plus the weight of their interaction. Therefore, yoked together, the horses can pull 3000 pounds!" [11]

Synergy is the sixth of seven habits that Steven Covey defines that are utilized by the most highly effective people. One source notes about synergy, “If there’s something you have to do to get the most out of this habit, it’s acknowledging that there are differences between people, and that these differences are there to celebrate!” [12]

This source goes on to note, “The paradigm shift in this habit focuses around differences, they’re not annoying, they’re very precious. The moment you realize this is wonderful, and you recognize the hidden value in it. It makes you wonder why you burnt all that energy on fighting differences, when there’s so much to gain from acknowledging them.” [13]

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” sings.

1 Corinthians 12 says that we are all given different gift for the good and profit of all. It is the same God who distributes gifts which distinguish Christians from each other. And these gifts are used in distinctive varieties of service and ministration – but all serving the same Lord.

Ultimately, the body functions by each person coming fully alive to who they are, using their individual gifts to bless and serve the greater common good. While each person operates uniquely based upon how they are wired and the gifts they operate in, each gift is needed to make up the whole. And the whole is much greater than the sum of the individual parts as each person contributes what they have to offer.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 says, “For just as the body is a unity and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).... For the body does not consist of one limb or organ but of many...

If the whole body were an eye, where [would be the sense of] hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where [would be the sense of] smell? But as it is, God has placed and arranged the limbs and organs in the body, each [particular one] of them, just as He wished and saw fit and with the best adaption.

But if [the whole] were all a single organ, where would the body be? And now there are [certainly] many limbs and organs, but a single body.... So there should be no division or discord or lack of adaption [of the parts of the body to each other], but the members all alike should have a mutual interest and care for one another...

Now you [collectively] are Christ's body and [individually] you are members of it, each part severally and distinct [each with his own place and function].”

This verse goes on to say that God has appointed some in his body to be the leaders (apostles, prophets, pastor-teachers, etc.). And Ephesians 4:12 notes that in this, “His intention was the perfecting and full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body (the church).”

A significant role of the body is ministering to others and building them up in Christ. Romans 12:5 says, “so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” And Romans 14:19 says, “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”

Romans 15:2 goes on to say, “Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”

A significant role of leadership is helping people find their place in the body, equipping them, and empowering them to use their gifts to benefit the common good - doing the work of ministry in a way that builds others up in Christ.

Dan Reiland notes that effective leaders appreciate who people are and discover who they can become. They look for the potential in each person. He writes, “As a leader, you have the opportunity to bring out a person's best and help him to tap into his potential. The cool thing about this process is that you may see and appreciate someone's potential even before he does.” [14]

He notes that it is important to accept people the way they are, value all people as part of God's creation, and see them as a blessing rather than an interruption to what one is trying to accomplish. Typically, as Dan Reiland notes, “You find what you look for. If you look for flaws, you find them; if you look for a person's best, you find it.” [15]

Dan Reiland mentions that the best kind of leader is one who is quick to encourage and invest generously in others. It is through others that leaders can truly make a significant contribution. [16] When a leader invests a significant amount of their time in equipping and empowering others to accomplish ministry efforts, they multiply what can be accomplish exponentially and achieve synergy.

An example of someone who struggled in stepping into this role of leadership at times was Moses. After he led the Israelites out of Egypt, he thought he had to carry everything himself. He would spend all day judging between the people on their disputes The result was that he exhausted himself and people sat around waiting for him from morning to evening while Moses judged them one by one.

His father-in-law, Jethro, saw this and told him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out both yourself and this people with you, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it all by yourself.” (Exodus 18:17-18)

Instead, Jethro encouraged Moses to delegate the primary responsibility for judging to able men. By setting up leaders and delegating to them the primary work, it freed Moses up for teaching the people, representing the people before God, and judging the most difficult cases. (Exodus 18:19-26)

A truly effective leader, rather than trying to accomplish everything themselves, will see the opportunity to multiply efforts and change lives through engaging others in the work of meaningful ministry. They will see the need and benefit of investing themselves in others and engaging the people in a work of higher purpose.

Dan Reiland writes, “An invitation to engage in meaningful ministry is an opportunity to change lives.” By inviting others to share in your vision, you are calling them to share in a higher purpose in a way that has meaningful impact. For those who accept the invitation, putting their hands to what their heart prompts and becoming part of a greater cause in advancing the kingdom, it has life altering impact. [18]

“ O God,
make me of some nourishment
for these starved times,
some food
for my brothers and sisters
who are hungry for gladness and hope,
that, being bread for them,
I may also be fed
and be full.”

- Ted Loder [19]

1-2, 14-18. Reiland, Dan. Amplified Leadership: 5 Practices to Establish, Influence, Build People, and Impact Others for a Lifetime. Charisma House, Lake Mary, Florida. 2011.

3. Boyd, Greg. DTR... We Need to Talk – about the kids. Sermon 2/5/11. Upper Room. Located at: http://urminneapolis.org/mediaSermons.php

4. MacDonald, William ; Farstad, Arthur: Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995, S. Pr 18:20

5, 9. Wikipedia. Interdependence. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interdependence. Last Accessed: 2/7/12.

6-8. QuickMBA. Management. Summary of Steven R. Covey's 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,' Located at: http://www.quickmba.com/mgmt/7hab/. Last Accessed: 2/7/12.

10, 12-13. Covey’s habit 6: Synergize. Be an Original. Located at:http://beanoriginal.net/coveys-habit-6-synergize/. Last Accessed 2/7/12.

11. Two Horse Rule. Snopes. Locate at: http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=35697. Last Accessed: 2/7/12.

19. Loder, Ted. Guerrillas of Grace: Prayers For The Battle. Innisfree Press, Inc. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1984.

I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy. (Ps. 140:12)

Psalm 146:5-9
“Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is he who has the God of [special revelation to] Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,
Who keeps truth and is faithful forever,
Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets free the prisoners,
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind,
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
The Lord loves the [uncompromisingly] righteous...

The Lord protects and preserves the the strangers and temporary residents, He upholds the fatherless and the widow ans sets them upright, but the way of the wicked He makes crooked (turns upside down and brings to ruin).”

Over and over, the Psalms speak about the Lord being a God who sets captive free, heals, restores, and binds up the broken. Commentary notes that He is the one “who executes justice: The descriptive phrases in v. 7 remind us of the praise of God in Psalm 103:3–6 and Psalm 107:8–10. These are the regularly recurring acts of God in response to the needs of His people (113:7–9).” [1]

Psalm 103:3-6 says about the Lord, “Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring] The Lord executes righteousness and justice [not for me only, but] for all who are oppressed.”

Psalm 107:8-10, says, “Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good. Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and irons... “

Psalm 107:13-16 goes on to say, “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke apart the bonds that held them. Oh that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron apart.”

And Psalm 113:7-9 says, “[The Lord] raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap and the dung hill, that He may seat them with princes, even with the princes of His people. He makes the] children barren women to be a homemaker and a joyful mother of [spiritual] children. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)”

The Lord is so good. And He cares deeply about justice for the poor!! He went to the cross so that we might be set free from oppression and taste of His life. He poured out that which sustained His own life for the hungry and satisfied the need of the afflicted (Isaiah 58:10).

Isaiah 58:10 says, “And if you pour out that with which you sustain your own life for the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in darkness, and your obscurity and gloom become like the noonday...

Then Isaiah 58:12 says, “And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;[a] you shall raise up the foundations of [buildings that have laid waste for] many generations; and you shall be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Street to Dwell in.”

Jesus is that light that dawns on us and raises up those destitute places that have been laid to waste! Out of the tender mercy and loving-kindness of our God, we were given a Light from on high that -dawns upon us. “To shine upon and give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.” (Luke 1:78-79)

Malachi 4:2 says, “But unto you who revere and worshipfully fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings and His beams, and you shall go forth and gombol like calves [released] from the stall and leap for joy.”

Commentary notes that this picture is a “figurative representation of the rays emanating from the sun, indicating the swiftness with which the healing will be applied to the righteous that need it. As the result of the healing …” [2]

And Isaiah 60:1-5 says, “Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you -rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about you and see! They all gather themselves together, they come to you. Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried and nursed in the arms.

Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and tremble with joy [at the glorious deliverance] and be enlarged; because the abundant wealth of the [Dead] Sea* shall be returned to you, unto you shall the nations come with their treasures.”
* Commentary notes that the Dead Sea was considered a place of death and destitution.[3]

Psalm 147:1-6 says about Him, “Praise The Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God, for He is gracious and lovely; praise is becoming and appropriate. The Lord is building up Jerusalem; He is gathering together the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].

He determines and counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names. Great is our Lord and of great power; His understanding is inexhaustible and boundless. The Lord lifts up the humble and downtrodden; He casts the wicked down to the ground.”

One of the significant reasons why Jesus was sent by the Father and went to the cross was to bind up and heal the brokenhearted and set captives free who are in bondage. Isaiah 42:6-7, it says about Jesus, “I will give You for a covenant to the people [Israel], for a light to the nations [Gentiles], to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness from the prison.”

Freedom and healing is the good news of the gospel!! Isaiah 61:1-3 says, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and the afflicted;”

He has sent me to:
“- to bind up up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes of those who are bound.

- To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

- To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion -to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of morning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit- that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Jesus was and is passionate about bringing justice to the poor. It is deeply in His heart. Isaiah 42:1-4 says about Him, “Behold My Servant, Whom I uphold, My elect in Whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice and right and reveal truth to the nations. He will not cry or shout aloud or cause His voice to be heard in the street.

A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not quench; He will bring forth justice in truth. He will not fail or become weak or be crushed and discouraged till He has established justice in the earth; and the islands and coastal regions shall wait hopefully for Him and expect His direction and law.”

Over and over, the Word of God speaks about God's heart of compassion for the poor and afflicted. He hears their cries and answers them with awesome deeds of righteousness (Ps. 65:5). He is our hope to the ends of the earth (Ps. 65:5).

Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.”

At the same time, I know that God sometimes does not heal and set free those who are struggling in oppression and bondage. So is Jesus always willing?

In Luke 5:12-13, a man with leprosy came to Jesus, “fell on his face and implored Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cure me and make me clean. And [Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed! And immediately the leprosy left him.”

Sometimes perhaps He does not heal because one refuses to turn to Him and receive healing In Matthew 13:58 it says that Jesus could not do many miracles for the peoples lack of faith or unbelief. The people took offense at Him and refused to accept His authority (Matthew 13:57). Because of this, they could not receive His healing.

Psalm 91:14 says, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understand My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness -trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no never]. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him...”

Other times, perhaps it may take some time for a person to see their need and then humble themselves to come and receive His healing. Naaman was an example of someone who saw their need, but it took awhile for him to come to the Lord and humble himself to receive healing.

Naaman was a leper who did not know the Lord. He came to Israel expecting to be healed by a prophet because a young slave girl who waited on his wife told them that the prophet in Samaria could heal him. Then when the prophet told him to wash himself in the Jordan seven times, he refused. He was insulted and went away angry. Later, after some encouragement from his servants, he humbled himself and followed his directions. When he did humble himself and come for healing the way he had been instructed, he was healed and came to believe in God. (2 Kings 5:1-15)

Psalm 147:6 says, “The LORD lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.”

Sometimes people are in sin and rebellion and have not yet come to a place of repentance so that they could be healed. Matthew 13:15 says, “For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'”

Psalm 34:18 says that he saves those who are “humbly and thoroughly penitent.”

In Psalm 107:10-16, people were in bondage and afflicted due to their rebellion against God. Because of this, their hearts were bowed down with hard labor and there was none to help. Yet, when they “cried to the Lord in their trouble,” it says “He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke apart the bonds that held them.”

Sometimes, it seems that healing may come a small amount at a time rather than all at once. Healing may occur over a period of years as the wounds heal, the mind is renewed and one learns new realities.

As an example, fear of disaster is something I struggled with for many years and has been deeply rooted. 1 John 4:18 says that perfect love expels all fear. As much as I desired it, God did not completely heal me of this all at once. My thought patterns needed to be changed over time by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2).

As I have come to receive and trust in His love more and more over time, the way I think has changed. Rather than anticipating disaster when things go wrong, I have come more and more to trust in and expect God's goodness. His continuous love towards me has expelled my fear of disaster. I am learning that I can trust Him to always protect and care for me, even in my sin and shortcomings.

My Savior loves, my Savior lives, My Savior's always there for me” sings in the background.

Absence of healing may not have anything to do with someone's lack of faith, sin, timing, or humility in receiving. Sometimes God does not heal because it somehow demonstrates His glory in a greater measure through one's weakness.

Paul had a 'thorn in the flesh” that kept him from being haughty. He prayed three times to be delivered from it. However, God did not set him free. Instead God spoke to him, “My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your weakness].

One of my close friends struggles with a great deal of physical disabilities. She is a deeply humble woman of prayer who trusts and depends on God to get through her daily activities. While she has received some physical healing over the years, the greatest gift is that God has given her is strength and inner joy in the midst of her struggles with her physical limitations. In this, she has ministered deeply to me and others in ways that no one else could (who didn't have severe physical limitations).

James 2:5 says, “Listen, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and in their position as believers and to inherit the kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him?”

Not only does God passionately pursue us and has poured out His life to bring us freedom from prison, affliction and oppression, but it was for freedom that we were set free (Gal. 5:1). We are not to use our freedom to sin again but to serve others in love (Gal. 5:3).

As Steve Hanson mentioned this past weekend in his sermon, if we were asked what true religion looked like in action we would come up with many answers. James 1:27 cuts through all the things that we make religion about to that which matters most to God's heart.

It says in James 1:27, “External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.”

Caring about the least, the poor and uncared about matters deeply to God. Much more than any religious practice we can enter into. True religion is serving the poor. And as Mother Teresa noted, “Only holiness perfects the gift.” We don't serve the poor in our own strength, but as we abide in Christ and serve the poor from a place of worship, we radiate His love to others.

It says about Mother Teresa, “Radiating love, joy hope, peace, and enthusiasm, and with her habitual concern for the individual sufferer, she would make one feel loved and special even in one short meeting. The reason for this extraordinary effect on people was not because of any special qualities or talents she had.

Rather, it was to be found in the radiance of her personal holiness, of the power and attraction of a soul totally given to God. She was so united with God, that through contact with her, people felt that God was listening to them, helping them, caring for them, loving them.

The prayer, 'Radiating Christ,' which she prayed daily with her sisters after Mass, had become a reality in her own life. She asked in this prayer: 'Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus,' and, indeed, it was the light of His love His love that she radiated to others.

Mother Teresa reached an eminent degree of holiness through her unwavering 'yes' to God and His loving will, despite the hardships it involved.” [4]

Isaiah 62:1,4 says about Gods people, “For Zion's sake will I [Isaiah] not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest until her imputed righteousness and vindication go forth as brightness, and her salvation radiates as does a burning torch...You [Judah] shall no more be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land be called Desolate any more. But you shall be called Hephzibah [My delight is in her], and your land be called Beulah [married]; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married [owned and protected by the Lord]."

God is raising up a people who, like Him radiate His glory and also are deeply passionate to see the poor set free from captivity, to raise up those who are broken down and see His justice established on earth. Isiah 61 4 says about His people, “And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former desolations and renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.”

And what God starts, He sees through to the end. Isaiah 61:11 says, “For as [surely as] the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring forth, so [surely] the Lord god will cause righteousness and justice and praise to spring forth before all the nations [through the self-fulfilling power of His word].

Lord, sometimes I think that I have to convince you to come and bring your justice. I forget that You are the one that put the desire in my heart. You deeply long to see restoration in places of destitution. You poured yourself out that we might have that life and freedom.

I am ever so grateful for that work in my own life. You have given me more than I could have asked or even imagined. I still remember you speaking to me that I didn't know just how destitute I was. And You execute justice not for me only, but for all who are oppressed! We long to see your justice poured forth on the earth and the devastations of many generations raised up. Let Your kingdom come, Your will be done!!


a. Commentary notes, “The coming of Christ rebuilt the house of David (Amos 9:11, 12; Acts 15:15–17).” [5]

1, 5. Radmacher, Earl D. ; Allen, Ronald Barclay ; House, H. Wayne: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1999, S.

2. KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994, S. 1862

3. The Amplified Bible. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI. 1987.

4. Mother Teresa. “Where There Is Love, There is God.” Random House, Inc. New York, NY. 2010.