In order for the season of blessing to come, the ground needs to be prepared. Satan the Leviathan has been destroyed. After this God’s vineyard can flourish. Isaiah describes how by using the analogy of the farmer.
Isaiah 27: The Redemption of Israel
1 In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.
2 In that day, "A pleasant vineyard, sing of it!
3 I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone punish it, I keep it night and day;
4 I have no wrath. Would that I had thorns and briers to battle! I would march against them, I would burn them up together.
5 Or let them lay hold of my protection, let them make peace with me, let them make peace with me."
6 In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit.
7 Has he struck them as he struck those who struck them? Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain?
8 Measure by measure, by exile you contended with them; he removed them with his fierce breath in the day of the east wind.
9 Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to pieces, no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing.
10 For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness; there the calf grazes; there it lies down and strips its branches.
11 When its boughs are dry, they are broken; women come and make a fire of them. For this is a people without discernment; therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them; he who formed them will show them no favour.
12 In that day from the river Euphrates to the Brook of Egypt the LORD will thresh out the grain, and you will be gleaned one by one, O people of Israel.
13 And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.
Isaiah 28: Judgment on Ephraim and Jerusalem
1 Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, he casts down to the earth with his hand.
3 The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot;
4 and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer: when someone sees it, he swallows it as soon as it is in his hand.
5 In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,
6 and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment.
8 For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left.
9 "To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast?
10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."
11 For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people,
12 to whom he has said, "This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose"; yet they would not hear.
13 And the word of the LORD will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
A Cornerstone in Zion
14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!
15 Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter";
16 therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'Whoever believes will not be in haste.'
17 And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter."
18 Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it.
19 As often as it passes through it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be sheer terror to understand the message.
20 For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.
21 For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim; as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused; to do his deed---strange is his deed! and to work his work---alien is his work!
22 Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord GOD of hosts against the whole land.
23 Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my speech.
24 Does he who ploughs for sowing plough continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?
25 When he has levelled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmer as the border?
26 For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him.
27 Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.
28 Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever; when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it.
29 This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.
Things to think about…
1. Isaiah 27 speaks about the future glory of Israel. This is not the church folks, but literal Israel. The context is Israel and the Middle East – not the entire earth as it is stated elsewhere. There will be a time when Jacob (Israel) will embrace Jesus (Yeshua) as their Lord and Saviour. The land will flourish and there will be peace for those who were exiled by Assyria and Egypt, Isa 27:13. The two places Israel was exiled to because of rebellion against God in Assyria, 722BC and Egypt, 1500BC. Their guilt will be atoned for, vs 9. Iran (Euphrates) to Egypt (the Brook – Nile) will be fertile, not a desert wasteland as it is today.
2. Isa 27:13 may refer to the resurrection of the dead in Christ, who will rule and reign with their Saviour. I believe ‘in that day’ means when Christ returns and raises all believers who had faith in the God of Israel and His Messiah Jesus. Egypt and Assyria will be woken spiritually in Christ and worship in Israel. In today’s context it seems impossible. Buit we know with the Lord all things are possible.
3. Look at Isa 28:1-13, Israel will be taught to worship and know the Lord ‘by a people of strange lips and a foreign tongue’, vs 11. Israel will learn about their Saviour from the Gentiles. That’s us. At the moment their eyes are blind to the truth of the Saviour. But organisations like “One for Israel” have been raised up in our day to teach Israelis about their Saviour. The knowledge of the Lord is ‘precept upon precept and line upon line’, Isa 28:13. The Jews will have to have open hearts and minds to understand who Jesus truly is. The same goes for our children whom we are raising in Christ. They are taught the fear and knowledge of God over years as we build upon a solid theological foundation over the years.
4. Who is He that we teach? Who is it that Israel needs? ’a precious Cornerstone, a sure foundation’, Isa 28:16. We know Him as Jesus. He makes ‘justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line’, vs 17. Then the covenant with death is destroyed, vs 18. Christ conquers death.
5. There are seasons for everything. The farmer doesn’t always plough, or always sow, or always thresh, or even reap the same way with every crop, Isa 28:24-28. Everything has a season and a purpose. The Lord knows best and ordains the season and the purpose. Isaiah tells us the reason ‘he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom’, vs 29. This requires faith to accept it as truth. Listening to the Lord’s counsel above all others is the point. Whose counsel are you listening to above all others today?
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Life groups Wednesdays. Ric Benson will be looking at the life of Christ in the church.
Pastor Jay has started the young adult’s life group after Sunday mornings café time. Open discussion around difficult topics and defending our faith is the focus.
Prayer Points
1. Pray for Easter season and this weekend’s Palm Sunday service
2. Conflict in Israel and Ukraine.
3. This week’s Working Bee on Saturday
4. Those who are considering baptism.
5. Church finances to cover all expenses.
6. Pray for of Kids@Church, Life groups and church community days.
7. Mathys has a prayer time at church on Monday afternoons. He would be happy for you to join him and to send prayer requests.
8. That we be bold in our witnessing for Christ. Pray for a heart to see those around you to be saved. Pray for the blessing over the new pastoral care and hosting program.
9. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Good attendance and discussion at Young Adults BBQ lunch
2. Wonderful spirit around church and Café yesterday – praise God for joy in His children.
3. Kids@Church ministry – Thankyou Hannah for teaching on Zacchaeus – the wee little man.
4. Continue to pray for Tad to gain strength at home. Good to see him at church yesterday. Continue to pray for Glenys as she now has a splint to gain full use in her left arm. Any encouragement you can give will be greatly appreciated.
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Working Bee – this Saturday March 23rd 8am to 12pm.
2. Palm Sunday Service – Sun, 24th Mar
3. Easter Friday service 9:00am 29th Mar. Easter Sunday 31st Mar.
4. Life Groups Wednesday night at Church – 6:30pm.
5. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
6. Tune in again this week on our YouTube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for March...
Q. 18. What did God give Adam and Eve besides bodies? A. He gave them souls that could never die.
