As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” Isaiah 66:13 NIV
The Context:
In reading the entire chapter where today's extract is taken from, you see yet again the effect of sin. It does not matter who you are, what you have or where you have been; sin will reduce you to a piece of bread. God's verdict on sin has not changed all through the dispensations he has worked, and what He called sin in the days of Adam, Enoch, Isaiah, Daniel and Judas Iscariot is still sin today. No amount of bleach, radio jingles, popular culture, motivational speaking or grammatical manipulation can change sin into anything else. The wages of sin from the days of Adam has always been death, and nothing I do can change it. I can only come to God in true repentance and accept His final solution to the problem of sin, which is the blood of Jesus.
Israel had sinned against God and of course, the punishment for sin followed. Nations that could not look them in the face before now took them captive and a few even burned down the temple that so much fanfare had accompanied the dedication. You can never replace a personal experience of God with an adherence to religion. Men can call you a man or woman of God; does that God know you as His own? The punishment for sin came; exile and destruction followed. Even other nations of the world knew that God was punishing Israel for its sin. But before I point the finger at another, have I taken stock of my own life also? If God were to apply the due consequences of my present actions now, what would they be? The same God who punishes is the same one who is quick to mercy.
The Message:
But for all who tremble at God's Word, there is a message of hope and deliverance. For all who come to God seeking His mercy and grace, He promises an abundance and an overflow. Today's extract is for those who have come to the realisation that they are better off on the side of God's mercy, not judgment. Even though Israel had sinned, for as many as would come to Him, He will forgive and restore. You see, the physical Israel is a nation loved by God and all who love her will also enjoy God's favour. We can relate this to us who are the spiritual Israel.
Am I born again? Does God know me as His own? If I am, God is able to restore to me all that sin had taken away from me. This is the basis of the comfort that God promises in today's extract. Israel was blessed by God and even though it sinned, when God forgave, all that it lost was restored in full. The same applies to the spiritual Israel too: if God is able to forgive, He is also able to bless beyond that which our minds can fathom. The comfort God promise here makes sense when there has been affliction. If I have never been through the valley of the shadow of death, how can I ever appreciate the value of God's comfort? He does not comfort me so that I become so comfortable that I become careless; his comfort leads me to totally depend on Him for daily help to live right and do right.
A mother's comfort knows no bounds. A mother's love is not subject to popular acceptance. A mother's comfort does not wait for reciprocity. A mother's comfort also does not excuse indiscipline. All of the above show the importance of a mother's love. Unless the parent is careless and nonchalant, no parent will permit or excuse indiscipline. A mother's love will discipline, but it will also embrace. That is the picture of perfect parenting. The same applies to God too: don't think for a moment that God would love a man so much that He will overlook sin. God forbid.
The Response:
With all that I have known today about God, what steps do I need to take? With all of God that I have known, what do I need to do to take hold of the comfort that God promises? Those who love Jerusalem will also partake in its joy and restoration, and as I take steps to seek restoration of my own spiritual Israel, people who come in contact with me will also enjoy the comfort that God gives. Don't forget: God does not excuse sin. He does not close his eyes to sin. But when a man repents and returns to God, the comfort of God is fully and freely available.
God, just like an earthly mother, cannot rejoice in the destruction of his own creation, but like an earthly mother, He will do all He can do for the child, but the child has a choice of reaction and response. He has done all He needs to do so I can enjoy the fullness of all He is; the choice is now mine to sort out. Eternity lies at the end of they choice. His time of favour is here.
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