The poison of vipers is on their lips. (Psalm 140:3)
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. (Psalm 10:7)
There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Psalm 36:1)
....ah, but enough about our President and our politicians!!!
Yes, I believe that most of us in this country right now are feeling betrayed and disturbed by the many lies and deceptions we have been fed. Paul said "Let God be true, and every man a liar." But he preceded that statement with this one, "What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true and every man a liar." (Romans 3:3-4). He did not say this to make the point that all people might as well just do and say whatever they like and lie as much as they want; he said it to show that even when we cannot trust one single person, we can still trust God, who is always faithful, always true. He further states in Romans 3:19: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are within the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God."
Isn't that a grand idea, friends? Perhaps you are as ready as I am for every mouth on TV and radio to be silenced, and the whole world held accountable to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! On this quiet Shabbat day, set apart to our God, I am repenting for even listening to men and seeking them for wisdom. We are living in an age of much increased deception, and unless we are hearing clearly from the Lord, through the Voice of the Holy Spirit, we cannot trust or believe what men are saying, including (perhaps especially) those in the highest seats of government!
And so this past week I purposed to seek God and His wisdom and counsel regarding the days ahead of us. There are indeed wars and rumors of wars, greatly increased numbers of earthquakes (seven of them in Israel in the past 2 weeks!) horrific storms, prediction of totally incurable diseases (pestilence) and certain food shortages (famine) on our horizon. I can hear the hoofbeats of the four horses approaching. Yet we cannot live in fear - because we know we CAN trust and believe our God and His Word. And this is the word He gave me this week. I hope it will bless you and increase your faith as it did for John and me. As YHVH did before, so He will do again!
Isaiah 4:2-6:2 In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a Spirit of judgment and a Spirit of fire. 5 Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. 6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.
The term "in that day" of course refers to the Day of the Lord, the time period of Messiah's return. "The Branch" in Hebrew is netzer, and refers to Messiah Himself. And this entire passage refers literally to Israel, making reference also to "those who are left in Zion and remain in Jerusalem." This speaks of the time following the ransacking of Jerusalem and the captivity of the people. There is a remnant who remain, and they have been cleansed, as spoken of by the prophet Zechariah: "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from their sin and impurity." (Zec. 13:1).
Over this God-fearing, believing remnant, YHVH will do what He did with the Israelites in the wilderness: He will shield them with a cloud by day and keep them warm and sheltered with a fire by night. The One who was in the cloud and fire of the wilderness will be with His people again at the end time - Yeshua/Jesus, who IS our refuge, our Rock! And the Scripture says "over everything the glory will be a canopy." This canopy refers to the Hebrew word "chuppa," the wedding canopy! It is a picture of the Bridegroom keeping His Beloved Bride safe and bringing her into His wedding chamber.
We must let this beautiful truth comfort us and calm our fears. Let God be true and every man a liar. Come, Lord Jesus!
