Chapters 65 & 66 Part 1 - The LORD, the Church, and the Jews: a relationship based upon jealousy.
In Chapter 65 The LORD begins to
answer the prayer of 63 & 64. The inspired prayer of Isaiah that the Jews would
be praying during the 70 year Babylonian captivity and the 7 year Tribulation.
Read Isaiah 65:2-5
65:2 - states that The LORD has spread out His hands unto the Jews, a
disbelieving and disobedient people whose way is described in verses 3-5. Verse
5 Their ultimate hypocrisy: then they say to others to stay away from them and
stand alone (apart from us) the rituals we follow make us holier than you. Their
ultimate blasphemy is telling The LORD, “we do not need your righteousness our
righteousness is what makes us holier that others. They slapped His hand away in
rejection of His righteousness. The LORD's response to those who slapped away
His hands of love: These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the
day.
The LORD spread out His hands offering the Jews the opportunity to be cradled as
a loving father spreads out his hand to hug his children.
Mt 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest
them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children
together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
not!
This was the covering of His Spirit they rejected ( Isaiah 30:1) and chose to
heap sin upon sin and thus they forced the Strong Arm of The LORD to bring His
wrath upon them.
Yet He has spread out His arms to them over and over again as a father spreads
out his arms so his child can run to him and be cradled in his love. This is
where the child feels the safest and loved the most.
"Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest." Who was He offering his spread out arms of forgiveness to? - The
Jews
Matthew 21:1-14 - We know this as the Palm Sunday story - His entry into His
City. Offering them another chance to come and worship Their King - They cried
“Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”; but soon they
cried crucify him!
*Why did The LORD offer His spread out hands to the Jews over and over again? -
1) The promise to Abraham 2) The relationship between the LORD and the Jews was
based upon jealously - The LORD's jealously for worship by His people
The LORD's Jealousy -
Ex 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD
thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children
unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Ex 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is
Jealous, is a jealous God:
De 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
De 5:9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD
thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children
unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
De 6:15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the
LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the
earth.
The outcome of their rejection of His spread out hands
Isaiah 65:1 ¶ I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that
sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called
by my name.
The nation of Israel was to worship only The LORD God Almighty who was jealous
of their worship.
De 32:1-3, 15-16, 20-21, 22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn
unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on
fire the foundations of the mountains. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that
burneth all the day. 65:5b The LORD seems to be saying to the Jews “if you will
not come to my spread out arms and worship me voluntarily out of love and
respect I will draw you to me through your jealous nature.
Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:20-22 and Isaiah 65:1-2 and in Romans 10:19-21 Paul
is saying these who are no people, a foolish nation are those who have accepted
Christ, Christians, the Church. In Romans 11:7-16 Paul further explains his call
as the apostle to the Gentiles. The blindness of Israel brought the gospel to
the Gentiles not to replace the Jews but to provoke them to jealously and so
some of the Jews would be saved.
Through the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ God offered His hand
of forgiveness of the Jews again. They again slapped His hand away. The Gospel
went to the Gentiles and the Church is being built, ready to be called out.
(Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock
I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it). We
Christians are really of no reputation and seen by the world as foolish. But God
sent the Gospel to us the provoke the Jews to turn to Him through being Jealous
of us - no people, of a foolish nation. Offering His spread out hands once again
and slapped away once again.
.
We call Matthew 28:18-20 the Great Commission. Why? When someone is commission
to perform a task there a price paid for their services. Their mission is to
perform the duties which they were hired to do. The Church was purchased by the
blood of Christ thus commissioning them (us) to perform a service. The service
which the Church was commissioned to do is taking the gospel through the world
offering the saving grace of God to all. So who so ever will, will be saved,
some of which are Jews. We should be living lives that provoke Jews to jealously
over the relationship with their LORD so some of them will be saved.
Romans 10:12-17 Who would believe report - The LORD Isaiah saw in chapter 6
would be the one seen in Chapter 53 as coming to the earth to die for the sins
of the world.
We know the Church is the bride of Christ - . It was said of the Christians 2Co
11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to
one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Remember
Matthew 22:1-10 the wedding for the kings son.
When the LORD returns with His saints (Rev 19:14) at the end of the Tribulation,
what could the Jews be thinking. Could they be provoked through jealousy to come
to The LORD.
Through the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ God offered His hand
of forgiveness of the Jews again. They again slapped His hand away. he Gospel
went to the Gentiles and the Church is being built ready to be called out.
(Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock
I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it). We
Christians are really of no reputation, we are not a nation called by His name
(as Israel is) and seen by the world as foolish. But God sent the Gospel to us
the provoke the Jews to turn to Him through being Jealous of us - no people, of
a foolish nation. Offering His spread out hands once again and slapped away once
again.