Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

The Suffering Servant (Jesus) suffered and died for us (or would from Isaiah’s point of view). He did it to bring us into a New Covenant – the one between Him (Jesus) and the Father. We didn’t do the work, He did, but we get to benefit from it by Grace and Mercy. It produces MORE. More space. More nations. More cities. It is a productive covenant. It eliminates fear. It enables us to reject fear, shame, and disgrace. Jesus broke all those evil altars. He becomes our husband, the Lord of Hosts (Jesus), the One who will be called the God of the Whole Earth (Jesus). We have been set apart. Called into this covenant relationship. He is no longer angry at us (Psalm 103:8). His kindness is with us FOREVER. His peace is with us FOREVER. Goodbye anxiety. Goodbye depression. The Lord has mercy on us and this is what we can walk in. Our children will be taught by Him. We will be FAR from oppression. FAR from fear. They will NOT come near us. Weapons whetted for use against us will NOT be used. The Lord has a smith that creates fire to make an instrument to PREVENT weapons used against us. The weapons will break and NOT come to fruition. This is our heritage because of the Suffering Servant. These are the covenant RIGHTS we have as children of God. This is our family inheritance in Jesus.

Who can benefit? EVERYONE. All are called to the Waters – first the Jew, and then the Gentile, which makes up everyone there ever has been or ever will be. If we are thirsty, we are called to come to the Waters (Jesus). We will eat what is good. We will delight in the abundance of His Spirit in ours. This will be a covenant with no ending. If we will listen diligently to Him, we will have ALL that He is offering. Ours for the taking and the enjoyment. Jesus is a witness to all people. A leader and commander for us. He is the Holy One of Israel, the Lord our God, who glorifies us in Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21). We need to seek Him. He is near enough to hear us. We need to call to Him. To give up wicked and ungodly ways and rest in Him BEFORE judgment comes on the unrepentant. To help others see Him. The Lord’s thoughts are HIGH ABOVE the wicked, not even able to be perceived, much less understood. But to those who seek Him? The mind of Messiah is open to us. As rain and snow come down, His thoughts come to the godly – AND WE UNDERSTAND THEM. We will walk in JOY. We will walk in PEACE. Creation will sing with us. Thorns and briers will NOT come up for us anymore, but our work will PRODUCE and produce ABUNDANTLY (John 10:10). With Him, we will work and not toil. We will be an EVERLASTING sign before the Lord and we will NEVER be cut off from Him or from His LIFE.

Through Isaiah, the Lord prophesied that His Salvation (Jesus) and His Righteousness (Jesus) was about to be revealed. Those who saw Him and those who trusted He was coming? They would be blessed. They could preserve justice and do righteousness. He would separate His people. He would dwell in them. He would make them a memorial. A name better than just son and daughter. An everlasting name that would NEVER die. Whoever would join themselves to the Lord (Jesus) to serve Him – no matter what nation or people they came from – to love Him and to be His servants, everyone who chose to take a-hold of His covenant would be made to come into His holy mountain. They would be accepted on His altar. They would be joyful in the House of Prayer. They would be gathered together with those already there. The ones who could NOT come are the greedy, the lazy, those who numb their ignorance with drinking and feasting, assuming all days ahead will be like the day they are in. A foolish and DANGEROUS attitude that the Lord warned them against.

“When you cry, let your collection deliver you, and the wind will carry all of them away; a breath will take them away. But he who takes refuge in me shall take possession of the land, and he shall inherit my holy mountain.” (Isaiah 57:13)

No one was paying attention to the righteous. They were living and they were dying, and no one was seeing them entering into the Peace of the Lord. Here the Lord asks for the attention of the adulterers, the prostitutes, the witches, and those who practised sorcery. They inflamed themselves with idols and abominable practices. They were wearied by their lives and the road they were walking. They saw no hope. They had loved their pleasures and tasted of the best of the world, but they had shown no reverence for Him. They lied and refused to even think of Him. It would do them no good. All that they were trusting in and counting on were ashes in the wind. They would cry out, but their idols would not help them. Only those who chose to trust in Him would enter the Mountain of Peace. But if they were repentant and truly contrite? He would heal them. He would be merciful. The High and Lofty One (Jesus) would come and dwell with them. He would lead them and restore them to comfort. He would be peace to them and grant them peace. For the wicked, there would be NO peace.

The Lord calls to humanity: cry out and fast! Separate yourselves to Me. Seek Me and find me. If they (and we) would seek Him daily and delight in knowing more about Him, if they would humble themselves and submit to Him (Matthew 11:28-30), they would have rest. They would have their voices heard. Light would fill their lives. Healing would QUICKLY spring forth. The glory of the Lord – which is God’s GOODNESS – would be their reward. They had to seek Him truly from their heart. But He would answer them. He would say HERE I AM. What was dark, would be bright. The Lord would guide them as they helped the oppressed and the hungry and the afflicted. He would SATISFY them. He would STRENGTHEN them – they wouldn’t have to strive for it, but it would be a GIFT. They would be a watered garden. Plants by an ever-flowing stream. They would be the foundation of GENERATIONS. The Repairer of the Breach (Jesus) and the Restorer of Paths in which to Dwell (Jesus) would rebuild the waste places for them to inhabit. If they would enter His Sabbath Rest (Jesus), if they would delight themselves in the Lord, He would bring them to the high places of Earth and feed them with the heritage of their ancestors in Him. From the mouth of the Lord it was spoken – and if He speaks it, He brings it to pass (Jeremiah 1:12). It could be wholly TRUSTED.

Summary

Key Players: God, Jesus, Isaiah

Key Verse(s): Isaiah 54:1-8, 13-17; 55:1-7, 12-13; 56:4-7; 57:11-13, 18-21; 58:1-5, 13-14