Peace - Isaiah 66

Isaiah 66:13 "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem."

Basically, this chapter says, I the Lord started it and will finish it. In the end Jerusalem will be a place of rejoicing.

v9 "Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD; shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God."

Remember what we have studied, how the Lord took Abraham on a journey from his home to the land of Canaan. Then, how he multiplied his family after he was old and Sarah was old. Then in travail, he forged a nation from slaves out of the land of Egypt and marched them to victory in Canaan.

The sad part is that after all they they rebelled against Him and worshipped idols. Thus the punishment, but victory will still come.

v15 "For behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire."

We cannot pass this chapter with mentioning verse 12 which I believe the great song "It is Well with my Soul" came. V12"For thus saith the LORD, Behold I will extend peace to her like a river, ..." I Heard a story about the writing of that song which I hope is a true account: A man lost his family on a voyage to America. He journeyed back across the ocean and the captain told him when he reached the spot where his family went into the deep. He then penned the words to the song upon receiving peace in his soul that only God can give in such a tragedy.

"When peace like a river, attendeth my soul and shadows like sea billows roll..."

v23 "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD."

Job on plight of Wicked Job 21

Job 21:13-14 "They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways."

The 'friends' of Job paint a picture of the wicked which is quite different from what Job says here. The friends have been telling Job that hard times on earth are a result of wickedness. Job tells them that that is not necessarily true as from his observations, the wicked are not disturbed on earth but live a life of luxury until they face their judgment day.

v7 "Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea are mighty in power?"

Then in verse 9 Job talks about the rod of God not being on the wicked. We all know that it is our own children that we correct, sometimes with a spanking. But we do not correct children that we do not know. So God does not exact punishment on those he does not know, not until their judgment.

v9 "Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them."

That is not to say that a wicked man will not reap some rewards here on earth. It is not, though, the gentle correcting of a father to a son. I always told my sons take correction from someone who loves you, don't wait to get it from people who do not know or love you. It will be worse.

Some will remember the story in the New Testament of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar at the gate. The rich man seemed untouched by the cares of the world but his end result was terrible, while the beggar had only what people left him, yet his end was glorious.

Remember Abraham's answer to the rich man in Luke 16:25" But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented."

Job continues: v29-30 "Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens, That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? the shall be brought forth to the day of wrath."

The friends or comforters may have told Job some truth in their speeches but as Job pointed out in the next verse, their truth is mixed with falsehood making their whole argument null.

v34 "How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?"

Remember how Satan twisted the truth when he was talking to Eve. He put just enough truth in his words to make them sound legitimate. So did he try to do it with Jesus when he had been fasting. It is a trick that has been passed down through the ages. It pays to listen well.

Genesis 3:4 "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:"

A bold lie for it went directly against what God had said. This lie is more subtle: Genesis 3:3 "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." It wasn't highlighted for Eve. Read what God really said: Genesis 2:17 "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Notice the highlighted part is missing in the original statement made by God.

Why would Satan change a few seemingly meaningless words? I believe it was to set Eve up for the bigger lies that followed. Eve was told the rules by Adam because she was not there for the original statement, so not only did Satan cast doubt on what God said but her husband as well.

So back to Job, next time Eliphaz has a few things to say it seems to me that he is running out of steam.

Psalm 146:17 "The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. v18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth."

Job talks about the wicked.

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