“Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry. Behold, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. Behold, My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. Behold, My servants will shout joyfully with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart, and you will wail with a broken spirit.’” (Isaiah 65:13-14)We like to think of God as being fair, for He certainly “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45) But there are some cases where God does make a distinction. There are the broad and general blessings of God that fall upon all mankind, the rising of the sun and the rain for the crops, but there are other blessings that God reserves for His chosen ones. For example, when God was sending His judgments upon Egypt, He made a distinction between the people of Egypt and the decedents of Abraham who inhabited the land of Goshen. God told Moses about the plague that He was about bring upon the livestock in Egypt, yet God was going to spare the Israelites’ livestock. “But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.” (Exodus 9:4) The next day it happened just as it had been told to Moses. All the livestock in Egypt died, yet “there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead.” (Exodus 9:7) While God was poring out His judgment on some, God’s blessing was still upon His people.
In this scripture, God declares that there will be some in Israel who will suffer lack while others are blessed. Some who thought they had the Kingdom would be found outside while others, even foreigners, would possess the Kingdom of God. Why would God seek to make such a distinction between one man and another? Paul gives us a clue when he writes to the Romans, “But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.” (Romans 11:13-14) Paul wanted the world to see what God was doing through him that, if somehow, some of his fellow Jews would be moved to jealousy and, out of their jealousy, return to God.
God wants to bless us in a way that other might become jealous, that they may see and desire what we have, and that their jealousy might motivate them to seek and find what we have already found. Our lives are to be a living advertisement for the Kingdom of God. People should be able to see in us the goodness and lovingkindness of the Lord. They should be able to see in us the very things they truly desire in the depths of their hearts. Our lives should make them want to be reconciled to God, to return to Him and to enjoy the benefits of fellowship with God. This is why Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 5:14-16) Are you living your life out in the open? Are you letting your light shine so others may see it? Do not hide your light; let the world see it, shine it forth for all to see!
David Robison
Great Post David,
ReplyDeleteYou are right The Lord has never been fair. Job pointed this out. He knew that it was the Lord who bought this calamity upon him even though the wise men were trying to say it was because of something he had done. The Lords rebuke came heavily upon them.
Yes we are to be the light of the world. The Lord has given us the gospel namely "Christ and Him crucified" and it is in the preaching of this worldly foolishness that the Lord uses to accomplish the full work of salvation.
when I said never fair, I meant as Man sees what fair is. For example if he was fair then no one would be saved.
ReplyDelete