Friday, 8th April 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-2 God Prepares
God knows this world is corrupted, but He wants to save His people. In Isaiah 4, God is giving us a hope, even in the latter days, the end days, God is telling us that He has given us an identity and we shall be saved.
V1 ‘And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, “We will eat our own food and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach.”’ The Bible does not tell us who these seven women are. we can see that they have their own food to eat and their own clothes to wear. They could provide for themselves but they still sough the man to cover for them. Do we see our reproach? For these women, they were ashamed of being homeless and nationless.
V2 ‘In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped.’ The Branch of the Lord has also been mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. Jeremiah 23:5-7 says, ‘Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’
The Branch of the Lord may be prophesying the coming of Jesus, it may also be representing the people of the Lord, the ones being called. The church is the bride of Jesus, but does the church really willing to be under the Name of Jesus? Churches nowadays may have lost the ability to influence the community, and forgotten the Great Commission to preach the Good News to the end of the earth. God wants our lives to influence lives, to disciple the nation, but are we willing? God is a righteous God, He wants to lift us up and He wants us to experience Him. We must focus on the treasures in Heaven, and see that God has already prepared for us.
Section Two V3-4 To Set Apart
V3 ‘And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem.’ The more we come close to God the more we will be like God. He wants to make us holy and He wants to restore the glorious images He created us to be. But first of all, He must cleanse us, and we must set ourselves apart for God.
V4 ‘When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning.’ Are we willing to be set apart for God? We must get rid of our sins and be fully committed in the vision of God.
Section Three V5-6 The Glorious Kingdom
V5 ‘Then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering.’ When we are willing to offer to God day and night, to give our thanksgiving offering, and to be passionate in the Word of God, then God will come to our rescue. He will bring us to His Glorious Kingdom.
V6 ‘And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.’ Do we have this faith to believe that when we following the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, then He will lead us the way? Do not doubt, just believe, simply follow; seek to stay in the fragrance of the Tree of Life, to deny ourselves and the benefit others. Give thanks to the Lord everyday, he will become our refuge, the storm is coming but we will stay safe.