G O D
Put Israel O u t
of Palestine
C OME now, and let us reason to gether, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:18). In the very first verse of this book of Isaiah, we are told that this is a vision of Isaiah “concerning Judah and Jeru salem.” We shall keep this in mind as we consider this lesson which is for all who would forget God. Many Christians think that God has abdicated the throne of this universe. Isaiah was in a similar state of mind. King Uzziah had died, and Isaiah thought that the whole world was go ing to wrack and ruin. Disconsolate, he went into the temple, and there made the profound discovery that God was still on the throne. It was “in the year that King Uzziah died” that Isaiah “ saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple” (Isa. 6:1). God’s children need that vis ion today. On the authority of God’s Word, God is still upon the throne of the universe; Christians should not be discouraged. Circumstances may not be understand able. The prince of this world may ap pear to be in control. Yet, the program of Almighty God is' the one that is be ing followed, and His plan is the one that .will prevail. Do not let the patience of God deceive you. He is “ slow to anger.” He has eter nity before Him. Because He does not move directly and immediately, some have the false notion that He will do nothing about prevailing evil. This is the false position of the wicked. In Ecclesiastes 8:11 we read God’s declaration: “ Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” God will personally intervene in the affairs of this world. Some day He will place the Lord Jesus Christ upon the throne of this world, for God’s govern ment must prevail in the earth. In spite of what man might attempt to do, God says, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psa. 2:6). God will turn and overturn, until He comes whose right it is to rule when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Page Six
By J, Vernon McGee, D.D.
This world has not slipped from under God’s sovereign control. He is moving today undeviatingly and unhesitatingly toward the accomplishment of His high and holy purpose. In a storm-tossed hour, anchor your faith to that. The vision of the high throne is a courtroom scene where God is calling upon the created intelligences of both heaven and earth to come in order to see the righteous and just decisions of God. He does not judge secretly or in a cor ner. He calls upon heaven and earth to witness His wonderful fairness and righteous judgment. God never does, nor can He do, anything that is unfair. If you see about you gross injustices, be sure that some day God is going to rectify them to your entire satisfac tion. Even the lost in the darkness of eternity will have to admit that God is just. Isaiah must have recognized Jehovah’s salutation to Israel, “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth.” Five hundred years had passed since those words were spoken the first1 time. The Lord gave Israel, in Deuteronomy 32, the promise of a land of blessing. However, He stipu lated conditions under which this land was to be entered. The penalty for dis obedience and apostasy was dispersion and exile. But for the five hundred years they had been in the land, the Israelites failed to meet God’s conditions, to follow His command and to obey His laws. During fhat time He faithfully warned them by the prophets of the impending judg ment, but the people refused to heed the message. Before He put them out of the land into bitter exile, He called heaven and earth to witness that He was act ing justly. One can always depend upon the Lord to do what He says He will do, although there may be delay in His ac tion. You can trust implicitly in His Word. This is the accusation against His peo ple Israel: “ I have nourished and brought up children and they have re belled against me.” This is a serious charge. The law of Moses exacted the
death penalty upon a rebellious son. God had redeemed the Israelites from Egypt, brought them through the Red Sea and the wilderness, and placed them in the land. He had defended them from all enemies. He sent sunshine and showers, blessings innumerable. Everything they had and were came from Him, the Author of all good things. Yet in what manner did their ingratitude ex ceed our own? The Lord is the one and only Benefactor of our country, yet mil lions of Americans live today within sight of a church steeple and sound of a church bell who never give God a thought once a day. If some other per son than God were involved, we would call these folk the worst of ingrates. We cannot minimize the seriousness and sin fulness of indifference toward God; He has a claim upon us. The Lord states in verse 3: “ The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not con sider.” Here is a sample of biting satire in the Bible. The dumb ox knows who feeds him and provides him shelter. The ass is another animal who also suf fers from a low I.Q. But even though no T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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