To Worship and Glorify God: Isaiah 66 (3)

Pray Psalm 26.1-3.
Vindicate me, O LORD,
For I have walked in my integrity.
I have also trusted in the LORD;
I shall not slip.
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.
For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have walked in Your truth.

Read Isaiah 66.5-13.

Reflect.
1. To whom are these verses addressed?

2. Whose childbirth does this passage have in view?

Meditate.
The Lord knew that, among those unrepentant people soon to be trooped off to Babylon, a remnant of faithful believers could be found. It is to them these words of comfort and promise are addressed. They are the ones who trembled at His Word (v. 5, cf. v. 2) – both with fear for God’s judgment, and eager hope for His promises.

The people of Judah and Jerusalem despised the faithful remnant. They mocked their prophets, put the faithful out of the synagogues, and taunted them to glorify their God and rejoice, and thus show their true faith (v. 5). This sounds a lot like what happened to believers during the time of Jesus and in the early days of the Christian movement. God’s faithful remnant should expect to know opposition, even among those who consider themselves true worshipers of God.

But God will repay the enemies of His people (v. 6). How will He do that? By bringing a male Child, by means of an unusual birth, such as no one had ever heard of before (vv. 7, 8; cf. Is. 7.14). 

Verses 7-13 are difficult, because it’s not immediately clear who is giving birth and who is being born. Revelation 12.1-6 picks up on Isaiah’s language (“male Child”) and so clarifies God’s meaning in our verses. Christ is the male Child Who delivers God’s remnant and destroys their enemies. John shows us how to think about verses 9-13, when it seems that more children are being born to this woman. He mentions “the rest of her offspring” and thus makes the woman to represent three things at once: She is mother of the Christ, consummator of the promise of Israel, and the Church as the mother of all believers (Rev. 12.5, 1, 17). The big difference between John’s account and God’s Word through Isaiah is that, in Isaiah 66.7 the birth of Christ is painless, whereas John has Mary crying out in pain in Revelation 12.1, 2. But, as Paul reminds us, all who are born among the offspring of the Church must enter the Kingdom of God through many trials (Acts 14.23). There is always pain involved in being born into the true remnant of God’s people.

Zion is in labor and giving birth in verses 8-11. Here, Zion stands for the faithful remnant (cf. Ps. 48.1-3). God has promised that she will deliver many children – a promise that goes all the way back to Abraham (Gen. 12.1-3). It takes time to get to that point, but once the fullness of the time for delivery comes, God’s promise will not fail (cf. Gal. 4.4-6). Zion will delight in her children, and nurture them into “the abundance of her glory” (v. 11). 

And God Himself will cause His peace to abound for His all-inclusive remnant (vv. 12, 13). His people shall feed and grow and rejoice and know the comfort of the Lord, present with them in their midst.

Those faithful believers heading off the Babylon would cherish these words, think of them often, and live toward them – like Daniel and his friends – even as they endured the trial of captivity. And so, as if to fulfill the taunt of their enemies, they would show the glory of God, and would rejoice in Him, and thus prove themselves to be His true and faithful children.

Prepare.
1. In what ways is being born again like being born as a baby?

2. Why should God’s faithful children expect opposition, even from those who consider themselves believers? How should they deal with that opposition?

3. Why is God’s peace “like a river”? Is this your experience of His peace? Explain.

Zion therefore gave birth, that is, the remnant of Israel and the faith of the believing apostles gave birth to the male Lord and Savior, who was generated at once throughout the entire universe. No one has either heard or told his story or taught it to anyone, so that all the nations might come to believe in a very short time and that there might be formed one Christian people from all the various peoples. Jerome (347-420 AD), Commentary on Isaiah 18.23

I want my call and election to be sure, Lord – not just to me, but to all who know me; so today, help me to…

Pray Psalm 26.
This psalm leads us to hold fast to the Lord and our calling, even in the face of adversity. Let it guide you into the day ahead, trusting in the Lord and the promises of His Word.

Sing to the Lord.
Psalm 26 (Aberystwyth: Jesus, Lover of My Soul)
Vindicate me, Lord on high; I have walked within Your Word. 
Never wav’ring, though I sigh, I have trusted You, O Lord! 
Prove me, Lord, prove even me! Test my heart and try my mind. 
Let Your steadfast mercy be in the path for me to find. 

Men of falsehood will not sit in my presence, nor will I 
suffer any hypocrite to find favor in my eye. 
All the wicked I abhor; ‘round Your altar let me stand, 
loudly singing evermore of Your gracious, mighty hand. 

Lord, I love Your dwelling-place, there where all Your glory shines, 
Keep my soul before Your face, lest for sinful ways it pine. 
As for me, in righteousness, I shall walk on level ground.
Save me, Lord, renew and bless! Let me with Your Church be found!

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006).All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).