The God who restores
Soon—and it will not be very long—the forests of Lebanon will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book, and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness. The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord... That is why the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the people of Israel, “My people will no longer be ashamed or turn pale with fear. For when they see their many children and all the blessings I have given them, they will recognize the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob. They will stand in awe of the God of Israel. Then the wayward will gain understanding, and complainers will accept instruction. Isaiah 29:17-24 NLT
The spirit of the culture in these modern times is the spirit of autonomy ignoring the existence of the Sovereign God. Though there is a strong defiance yet God’s grace could not be deterred and is creating something new. These are the ingredients He use building His kingdom and its appearance is near. This is what Isaiah is describing from the text. The image he is depicting as forests of Lebanon is a description of human superiority and might to which God will cut down and humble so it “will become a fertile field.” When we look around us, the value system of human society does not make sense. God’s promise is that He will change things around. “The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord… the ruthless shall come to nothing” (vv. 19, 20). Fresh joy in Christ will flood the world. This “fresh joy” will fulfill God’s covenant in the beginning with Abraham and is continually moving in this direction. This is salvation which began in God’s sovereign grace. He continues with this sovereign grace and God will complete it in sovereign grace. We should be dependent upon Him and trust Him no matter how difficult and perplexing are His ways. What He wants from us is humility and submission to His will. “The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD.” This is what God wants for us. We might not understand how He will get us there but we will. Let us trust Him and submit to Him in wherever He leads.
Blessings,
