SUNDAY BIBLE STUDIES - TEXT:

Study prepared by: Brad Cowan

Date: 09/08/2020

Labor Day

Yesterday a national holiday was observed in the United States, called Labor Day. According to the U.S. Department of Labor:

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

There is a spiritual parallelism that has nothing to do with any political nation, but does have to do with the kingdom of God, which according to the Bible, is a “great nation,” where those who by God’s mercy are and were children of faith are to be likewise remembered and honored for their contribution to the strength, prosperity, and well being of that spiritual kingdom.

In Hebrews chapter 11, verses 13-16, God in speaking of those who have gone before, who died in faith declares:

13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

15  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

And in Deuteronomy chapter 4 verses 5-8 God declares:

5  Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

6  Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

7  For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

8  And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

This “great nation” refers to the kingdom of God, consisting of all true believers throughout time. It is not a political kingdom. Christ when he was on trial declared to Pontius Pilate:

John chapter 18 verses 36-37

36  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

37  Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

The truth that we declare is that all men everywhere are sinners and are to repent, and that Christ has come into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Of course, no one can or will repent except that God gives him the gift of repentance, which is part and parcel with the gift of salvation.

John chapter 6, verses 28-29

28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

God is the prime mover whenever anyone comes to a knowledge of the truth, and also in those who do become saved, energizing them to will and to do of God’s good pleasure.

Philippians chapter 2, verses 12-13

12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13  For it is God which worketh in [Greek: energeo, energizeth] you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Faith is work

First Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 3

3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

Second Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 11

11  Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

We who are believers are called upon to work, to labor in God’s harvest

John chapter 4 verses 32-38

32  But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

33  Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

35  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36  And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37  And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38  I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

Here God is giving us the Biblical definition of our labor, which is a labor of love. The labor that we enter into is that of sharing the gospel.

Luke chapter 4, verses 18-19

18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

In Deuteronomy chapter 11, verses 10-15 that follow, the “land” is the kingdom of God

10  For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:

11  But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:

12  A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

13  And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,

14  That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

15  And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.

These are wonderful promises that apply to us today. There is still a crop that is to be harvested out there among the billions in the world of today. The publishing of the word of God in its purity and undiluted by man’s ideas and traditions is absolutely essential in this labor of love.

Will you and I be a part of this labor of love as we pray and share of our wherewithal that those who are God’s elect might be harvested in these latter days, as God provides each of us with our spiritual needs?

May the LORD Richly Bless You

To share that the Gospel might continue going forth please use one of the following means:

• electronically, via PayPal send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• mail paper check to: Alameda Bible Fellowship, 1376 Water Lily Way, Concord, CA 94521

First Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 16-22

16  Rejoice evermore.

17  Pray without ceasing.

18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

19  Quench not the Spirit.

20  Despise not prophesyings.

21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

22  Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Date: 05/10/2020

Jerusalem above - the mother of us all.

In Galatians chapter 4, God discloses to us that the account that we read about in Genesis chapter 16 involving Abraham, Sarah, and Sarah’s handmaid Hagar, is an allegory, that is, an earthly story, absolutely true, that teaches us spiritual truth. In Genesis chapter 16, we read in verses 1-3

Genesis 16:1-3

1  Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

2  And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

3  And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

We know from the rest of the Bible that at this time, Abram was 85 years of age, and Sarai his wife as 75 years of age. Now the LORD had appeared to Abram ten years earlier in Genesis chapter 12 and promised him in verse 7, “Unto thy seed will I give this land: there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.” Then in Genesis chapter 13, the LORD again appeared to Abram after that he was separated from his nephew Lot, saying in verses 14-16

Genesis 13:14-16

14  And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

15  For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

16  And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

Now first of all, the “land” that God has in view is such that it extends to the furthest extent in every direction of the compass (north, south, east, west), implying that this is a vast all-encompassing body of land. But when the LORD said in verse 15, “For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and they seed for ever,” we must recognize that the “land” that God has in view cannot be speaking about the physical land. That is an impossibility. The Bible clearly teaches that this present universe will ultimately be completely destroyed by fire.

Second Peter chapter 3 verses 3-13

3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

5  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

We also read in Jude 1:5-7

5  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

6  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

7  Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Second Peter chapter 3 verse 13 speak about a new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. We also read in Isaiah chapter 65 verse 17

17  For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Therefore, when God told Abram in Genesis chapter 13 verse 15, “to thee will I give it [all the land that thou seest], and to thy seed for ever,” we can know assuredly that God is not speaking about the physical land. The only land God can have in view, is the kingdom of God, that Abram and his seed would inherit for an everlasting possession. God repeats this promise in Genesis chapter 17 verse 8

8  And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

In other words, this promise that God made to Abram has spiritual implications. Often in the Bible, God speaks of the kingdom of God using physical descriptions, such as a city or a vast piece of land, when in reality, God is speaking of a spiritual kingdom.

Therefore, returning to Genesis chapter 16, we see that Sarai, being 75 years of age, was convinced that the LORD had restrained her from bearing, and so she together with Abram came up with a plan whereby they together would force God’s hand, as it were. Sarah would give her handmaid to Abram to bear the promised seed on her behalf. And so, Hagar was given to Abram, and bore a son, whose name was Ishmael. Abram was 86 years of age, and Sarai 76 years of age, when Ishmael was born.

Now fast-forward 13 years. Abram is now 99 years of age, and Sarai his wife 89 years of age. Now God appears again to Abram in Genesis chapter 17 and says:

Genesis chapter 17 verses 1-16

1  And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

2  And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

3  And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4  As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5  Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

6  And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7  And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

8  And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

9  And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

10  This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

11  And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

12  And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

13  He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14  And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

15  And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

16  And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

Now as stated above, Sarai was 89 years of age at this point, and well beyond the age of child-bearing we would think. But God is not constrained by what we consider as being impossible. What was Abram’s reaction?

Genesis chapter 17 verses 17-18

17  Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

18  And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

Genesis chapter 17 verses 19-22

19  And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

20  And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

21  But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

22  And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

This, then, is the setting for what we read in Galatians chapter 4, where God tells us this account in Genesis, is an allegory. Let’s pick up the language of Galatians chapter 4:

Galatians chapter 4 verses 21-31

21  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Now these verses are exquisite in their teaching. God is teaching that Abram and Sarah’s attempt to force God’s hand by pairing Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid, with Abram, to produce the promised seed, is a figure of those who would enter into the kingdom of God by their own good works.

Notice, in verse 24, God is saying that this account of the birth of Ishmael by Hagar, and that of Isaac by Sarah 13 years later, is an allegory illustrating two covenants. The word “covenant” is a synonym for law or precept or gospel. God is saying effectively, this account is an allegory illustrating two gospels, two ways by which man would enter into the kingdom of God. One is a gospel of salvation by works, the other is a gospel whereby God does all the work of saving.

Notice in verse 24, God is associating Hagar with mount Sinai, which is the place where God came down in fire and gave the ten commandments to Moses. And notice God’s assessment of this “covenant,” as one that gendereth to bondage. To be in bondage to the law means to be in bondage to sin and subject to death. God is teaching that we cannot get into the kingdom of God by our own works. Our works, regardless of how well-meant, regardless of what others may think, are tainted by sin. They will never measure up to the perfection that is required to enter into the kingdom of God. This was typified by Sarai giving Hagar to Abram in an effort to force God’s hand in giving them the promised seed.

And then notice in verse 25, God again associates Hagar with mount Sinai, where the law was given, and states that this Hagar answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. The question is, what is “Jerusalem which now is” referring to? We know that Jerusalem in the Old Testament was where the holy of holies was, where the ten commandments were kept, a place where the priest offered up blood sacrifices to make an atonement for the sins of the people. And why the emphasis on Jerusalem which now is?

In speaking about Jerusalem which is now, God is speaking metaphorically about those who identify externally or outwardly with the kingdom of God, which in the New Testament once Jesus went to the cross, consists of the local congregations all over the world that identify with Christ. Spiritually, the New Testament equivalent of Jerusalem identifies with the place where the Word of God is revered and kept, where the ceremonial observances of water baptism and the Lord’s supper, are administered. That is Jerusalem which now is. But God says that Jerusalem which now is in bondage with her children. To be in bondage means to be shackled to sin, and to be subject to the wages of sin, which is death.

Then in verse 26 God contrasts Jerusalem which is now with Jerusalem above, which is free.

Galatians 4:26
²⁶  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

So now we get to the verse that brings into focus the spiritual application of mother’s day. What is Jerusalem above, which is free, and the mother of us all? Who are the “all” that this verse is speaking of? Is it speaking of every human being? The “all” that are in view can only be those who are chosen of God from before the foundation of the world, not on the basis of their works, but on the basis of God’s sovereign choice. God speak about election in Romans 9:

Romans 9:6-13
⁶  Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
⁷  Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
⁸  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
⁹  For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
¹⁰  And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
¹¹  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
¹²   It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
¹³  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Here in these verses God is teaching that salvation is in God’s hand altogether, and that it is decided and pre-determined on the basis of God’s sovereign and totally undeserved mercy. Those who are saved are not saved on the basis of their works, rather, they are saved in spite of their works. The good works that flow from the life of a believer is always the result, never the cause, of having become saved. It is the life of Christ – the spirit of Christ – that indwells the believer that causes that individual to do works that are pleasing to God. If on the other hand, we like Hagar of old would attempt to force God’s hand by doing what we and others consider to be good works in order to be worthy to enter into the kingdom of God, then by that action we are assuring that we are under bondage to the law, and subject to the judgment of God.

Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. May the LORD RICHLY BLESS YOU!

Study prepared by: Brad Cowan

Date: 04/21/2020

Precious from the vile. Part 1, based on Jeremiah 15:19

Recently a group of Bible students were discussing Deuteronomy chapter 21 verses 18-21

If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

Now this passage is very significant in that Our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ cited the above passage twice in the New Testament

Matthew chapter 11 verses 16-19 declares

But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,

And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.

The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

A parallel passage Luke chapter 7 verses 31-35 declares

And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?

They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.

The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

But wisdom is justified of all her children.

Our Lord in these two passages is pointing out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. On the one hand, they said of John the Baptist, who came neither eating nor drinking, He hath a devil. On the other hand, our Lord came eating and drinking, and of him, the Pharisees said, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

Now, first of all, there is no evidence in the Bible that our Saviour ever drank wine, as these verses seem to suggest, and in fact, the evidence is strongly to the contrary. The Bible declares emphatically, for example, in Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1 and chapter 4 verse 4 among others, that Christ is our great high priest, and according to Leviticus chapter 10 verses 8-10, a high priest was not to drink wine or strong drink in the performance of his high priestly duties.

Secondly, Christ from everlasting past is the great king that is to rule over spiritual Israel, as Isaiah chapter 9, verses 6-7 and chapter 5 verse 2 teach, and a king is not to drink wine or strong drink, lest he forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted, as Proverbs 31 verses 4-5 teach.

Therefore, on both counts, we know that Christ would never have imbibed alcohol. But that is not the emphasis of the accusation that the Pharisees were bringing again Jesus in applying the formula of Deuteronomy chapter 21 verse 20, which declares

And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

The emphasis in this verse is that we have a son that is stubborn and rebellious, a son that will not obey, will not hearken to, our voice. God is associating stubbornness and rebellion with being a glutton and a drunkard. The Pharisees in their jealousy and hypocrisy applied this formula to Christ, not because Christ was a drunkard, but because Christ had made himself equal with God, which in their sight, was blasphemous and made Christ worthy of death, and also because Christ associated with publicans and sinners.

Significantly, in the two places where Christ makes this association with Deuteronomy chapter 21, in both cases, Christ ends with the statement, “But wisdom is justified of her children.” Now wisdom is a synonym for Christ himself, as we read in First Corinthians chapter 1 verse 30

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Christ is the epitome of wisdom. Therefore, Christ is declaring in a veiled way that He Himself is justified in judging those who are stubborn and rebellious.

Another very similar “formula” we might look at that really reinforces the stubbornness and rebellion on the part of natural man against God’s law, and is found 6 times all of them in the book of Jeremiah, is the phrase, “rising early and sending.”

For example, in Jeremiah chapter 7 verses 25-26 we read

Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:

Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.

In Jeremiah chapter 25 verse 4 we read

And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.

And in Jeremiah chapter 26 verses 4-5 we read

And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;

God is emphasizing in these verses, I have sent my servants the prophets, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened. To hearken means to listen with a view to being obedient to what we can learn. This is a terrible indictment of the local congregations which are typified by Jerusalem in the days of Jeremiah.

Now let us go back and examine Deuteronomy 21 verse 20 more carefully, where God associates stubbornness and rebellion with being a glutton and a drunkard.

The Hebrew word translated glutton is zālal (Strong’s number H2151), which is translated glutton, riotous, vile.

In Proverbs chapter 23 verses 19-22 we read:

Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

We find the Hebrew word zālal used twice, first as in the phrase, “riotous eaters of flesh,” and again as “glutton” in the phrase, “For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty.” When God commands in verse 22, “Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old,” spiritually-speaking God is referring to our heavenly father, and our mother is a reference to Jerusalem above, which is free, a reference to the kingdom of God, typified in Galatians chapter 4 by Sarah the wife of Abraham.

Now let us look at another verse where we find zālal used, Jeremiah chapter 15 verse 19:

Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.

In this verse the Hebrew word zālal is translated “vile” in the phrase, “if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth.” We are going to be spending a considerable amount of time on this verse, for a number of reasons.

We note something about this verse that raises questions, because if isolated from the rest of the Bible, God appears to be saying, If you return, then I will bring you again, and if you take forth the precious from the vile, then you shall be as my mouth. In other words, as it stands, this verse seems to convey the idea that it is left up to mankind to take the first action, in order for God to respond.

In the ISA this verse is translated as follows

A key word that really helps us to properly understand this verse is the word shûv (Strong’s number H7725) that is translated “return” and also as “bring again.” This word shûv is commonly translated “return” or “turn back” and is also translated “repent” in several places in the Bible. The question is, whose action is required for us to “return” or to “repent”? Once we understand that question, we can then look at the word zalal translated “vile” in Jeremiah 15 verse 19.

God declares in Jeremiah chapter 31 verses 18-19

I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

In verse 18, we read, “turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.” The phrase, “turn thou me,” and, “I shall be turned,” are both translated from the Hebrew word shûv (Strong’s number H7725). Note the sequence of action in this verse, “turn thou me, and I shall be turned.” This language is underscoring that it is God’s action that is required in order for man to turn, that is, to turn from sin, to turn toward God, to repent.

Similarly, in verse 19, God drives home this point even more forcefully. “Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, and son on. The Hebrew word shûv is translated “turned” and the Hebrew word nācham (Strong’s number 5162) is translated “repented.” Note once again the sequence, which we need to get clearly in our minds. God must give repentance, otherwise we will never repent on God’s terms.

The same idea is conveyed in Psalm chapter 80 where we find the Hebrew word shûv used three times. In verses 3, 7, 14 and 19 we read

Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;

Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

In each of these verses, the phrase, “Turn us again,” and “Return” is the Hebrew word shûv and each of these verses indicates that we are entirely 100% dependent on God to turn us from sin.

There is yet another very important verse where the Hebrew word shûv is used.

In Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 10 God declares:

For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

When God declares, “in causing you to return to this place,” the word “return” is again the Hebrew word shûv and God is saying, I will cause you to “return” to a right relationship with God. And there is a timing for this to take place. The seventy years refers to the period of captivity from the year 609 B.C. when Josiah was killed in battle to the year 539 B.C. when the Babylonians were conquered by the Medes and the Persians, and Israel was allowed to return to its homeland. This seventy year period is pointing to our present-day great tribulation, at the conclusion of which those who are the elect, a great portion of whom have become saved during the great tribulation as God uses sources outside the local congregations to bring the Word of God, shall literally return to where God is, when they are bodily resurrected at the last day.

Let us go back to Jeremiah chapter 15 verse 19

Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me:

To stand before me is language that is pointing to salvation. When we become saved, we may stand before the Word of God, our sins having been paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians chapter 6 verses 13-14 we read:

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Now what does it mean to take the precious from the vile? The word translated “vile” is the Hebrew word zālal that is also translated as “glutton” or as “riotous” in the Bible. The word “precious” is translated from the Hebrew word yāqār that is translated “precious” or “rare.”

When we think of that which is precious in the Bible, what New Testament verse immediately comes to mind?

First Peter chapter 1 verses 18-19

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

The life of the flesh is the blood, as we read in Leviticus chapter 17 verse 11.

So, then, what does it mean to take the precious from the vile? The vile has to do with the body, with the flesh. The precious blood of Christ, that is, the life of Christ, was shed in order that we might have the forgiveness of sins, and in order that we might be made in the image and likeness of Christ. But it is not the physical blood, or the physical body, that is the focus of the Bible, rather it is the life which is spiritual.

In John chapter 6 verse 63 we read:

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

God declares in Philippians chapter 3 verses 20-21

For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

The Greek word tapeinōsis translated “vile” in verse 21 is translated low, made low, humiliation, vile. For example, in Acts chapter 8 verses 32-33 we read:

The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

The word “humiliation” is the same Greek word translated “vile” in Philippians chapter 3 verse 21 speaking of our vile bodies.

In Philippians chapter 2 verse 8 God tells us, speaking of Christ: “Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Returning to Jeremiah chapter 15 verse 19,

Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.

The Lord willing, we shall examine the next phrase, “and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth” in our next study.

May the LORD RICHLY BLESS YOU.

Study prepared by: Brad Cowan

Date: 04/05/2020

Year of my redeemed is come...Part 2.

In this Part 2 we have been looking at Isaiah chapter 63 where we read:

Isaiah 63:1-6
¹  Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
²  Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
³  I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
⁴  For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
⁵  And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
⁶  And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

 The phrase, “the year of my redeemed is come,” carries very far-reaching significance and application to our day. The Bible speaks of the “acceptable year” in Isaiah 61:1-5 during which salvation is available.

Isaiah 61:1-5
¹  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
²  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
³  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
⁴  And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
⁵  And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

 Please note the remarkable similarity of Isaiah 61:2 to Isaiah 63:4, i.e., “To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God.” That is almost identical to Isaiah 63:4, “For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.”

Also notice in Isaiah 61:4, “And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.” This language relates directly to our day, when God has abandoned the churches and given them over to Satan to rule there, and is now saving people outside the local congregations.

We see this even more dramatically in Isaiah 61:5, “And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.” This language is very similar to that of Isaiah 60:10

Isaiah 60:9-11
⁹  Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
¹⁰  And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
¹¹  Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

In verse 9, the isles are a reference to the islands, that is, the furthest corners of the world. The ships of Tarshish first identify with the church age. The word “first” reminds us of Pentecost the feast of the firstfruits, which ushered in the church age in A.D. 33. Recall that the ships of Tarshish were sent out in the days of Solomon, bringing back silver and gold and ivory and apes and peacocks (1 Kings 10:22), which typified the Gospel going out into the world during the church age, bringing back gold and silver typifying those who were saved, and the ivory, apes and peacocks as unclean animals, typifying those who outwardly were very attractive and yet were not saved. Then verse 10 goes on to talk about the sons of strangers building up thy walls, which would be the walls of salvation.

Isaiah 60:18-19
¹⁸  Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
¹⁹  The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.

In the phrase, “sons of strangers” in Isaiah 60:10, the word “strangers” is translated from the Hebrew word nfikhar that is also translated “strangers” and “aliens” in Isaiah 61:5, “And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.” The terms “feed your flocks,” “plowmen” and “vinedressers” are all words that identify with shepherding and harvesting those who are being saved. For example:

The Hebrew word translated “feed” is translated as “shepherd,” or, “pastor”

Isaiah 40:9-11
⁹  O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
¹⁰  Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
¹¹  He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

 And who is doing this shepherding? The sons of the strangers, and the word nfikhar translated “strangers” can be used at times in a very negative sense, for example:

Psalm 144:5-8
⁵  Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
⁶  Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
⁷  Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
⁸  Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

Psalm 144:9-11
⁹  I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
¹⁰  It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
¹¹  Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:

 And yet these strangers are the very ones that are standing up and feeding, that is, shepherding the flock. Perhaps the following verses help us to understand how this might be brought to pass. In these verses David as a great type of Christ (the name David means ‘beloved’ and God frequently refers to Christ using the name ‘David’) declares the following:

Psalm 18:35-44
³⁵  Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
³⁶  Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
³⁷  I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
³⁸  I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
³⁹  For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
⁴⁰  Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
⁴¹  They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
⁴²  Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
⁴³  Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
⁴⁴  As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.

Please note in verses 43-44, “a people whom I have not known shall serve me…shall obey me…shall submit themselves unto me.” Please note how parallel this language is to the following verses:

Isaiah 65:1
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.

Romans 9:25-26
²⁵  As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
²⁶  And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

 These verses emphasize that a dramatic shift has taken place in God’s salvation plan, in which those who were previously in rebellion against God now are submitting to the LORD, to serve him, to obey him, and to be used of God to shepherd the flock and to till the field that is being harvested of those who are the elect of God.

In other words, the language of repairing the waste places, of the strangers submitting to the LORD, and of being plowmen, all point to this time that we are living in.

Going back to Isaiah 60:10

¹⁰  And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

The phrase, “for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee,” is language that is definitely pointing to our day. This is parallel language to Isaiah 54:7-8

Isaiah 54:7-8
⁷  For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
⁸  In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

Note the similarity in the language. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee. This I believe identifies with other language of the Bible that indicates that at the beginning of the great tribulation, God turned his face away from the churches and from the whole world, which is characterized in Revelation 8:1 as “about a half hour of silence in heaven,” and in Matthew 24:22, “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved.” The silence in heaven indicates that virtually no one was being saved for about the space of half an hour, even as Matthew 24:22 indicates that except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. But then as Matthew 24:22 goes on to say, “But for the elect’s sake, those days shall be shortened,” indicating that a dramatic change has occurred, and that change is that the Holy Spirit has been poured out again the second time, except that this second pouring out of the Holy Spirit is happening outside the local congregations, whilst the wrath of God remains on the local congregations. This in turn helps us to understand that the tables have been turned upside down as it were, and that those who historically were counted as strangers and aliens to the gospel, are now submitting to Christ and being used of God to feed the flocks with the gospel of salvation.

The second pouring out of the Holy Spirit identifies with Ezekiel 39 where we read:

Ezekiel 39:23-29
²³  And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.
²⁴  According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
²⁵  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again [return or turn back] the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;
²⁶  After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
²⁷  When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
²⁸  Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
²⁹  Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

 This is referring to our day, when God’s blessing is being poured out upon the house of Israel, no not the literal nation of Israel, but the Israel of God spoken of in Galatians 6:16

Galatians 6:15-16
¹⁵  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
¹⁶  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

 And before we leave Isaiah 60, note verse 11

Isaiah 60:11
¹¹  Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

 Here we have an absolute proof text that God’s salvation continues right to the very end of time, for it is only then that the timekeepers, the sun and the moon, shall be darkened. This language also identifies with the feast of tabernacles. We read in Exodus 13:22

Exodus 13:21-22
²¹  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
²²  He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

 The pillar of the cloud typifies God as the judge of all the earth. The pillar of fire by night is speaking about the light of the gospel, as well as the fact that God is a consuming fire. Both of these identify with the law of God, which brings both judgment and salvation. We have an excellent illustration of this as the children of Israel are fleeing from Egypt and Pharaoh’s army and have their backs against the seemingly impassable Red Sea.

 Exodus 14:19-20 

¹⁹  And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
²⁰  And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

 We see in this passage that the pillar of the cloud was darkness to the Egyptians, and yet the pillar of fire gave light to the children of Israel. And that is exactly how the Word of God operates. It gives protection and light to the believers, and at the same time, darkness to those who are pursuing the believers.

 Incidentally, before leaving Isaiah 60:11, we should comment on the statement, “the gates shall be open continually; they shall not shut day nor night.”

 There are those who would have us believe, based on they believe is Biblical authority, that the sun and the moon were spiritually darkened on May 21, 2011, and that the gates of salvation were closed for ever at that time, never to be opened again.

 However, such a position violates a fundamental rule of Bible study, which is that we have to compare spiritual things with spiritual, and that any conclusion we arrive at must be harmonized with the whole Bible. If the position we are considering will not square with any part of the Bible, then that position must be modified or set aside.

 In the case of the final judgment, which coincides with the sun and the moon being darkened, we know that there are other events that must coincide with that event, namely, the true believers will be caught up (raptured) to be with Christ in the air, and shall instantly receive their glorified, spiritual bodies. The Bible teaches there shall be a great earthquake (Rev. 11:13; 16:18), and the graves shall be opened, as was prefigured in John 27:50-53 when the graves were opened, and the bodies of many of the saints arose and went into the holy city, which of course was heaven. We also know that the second coming of Christ will not occur very quietly so that only the true believers shall know about it. Quite the opposite is true. The Bible teaches, Christ comes “as lightning shines from east to west,” (Luke 17:24) and “every eye shall see him,” (Mat. 24:30; Rev. 1:7). The Bible teaches that the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when the unsaved shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and themselves thrust out (Luke 13:28).

 Now those who teach that all things are happening spiritually today do not understand how the Bible was written. True, Christ spoke in parables, and without a parable spake he not unto them. But that did not mean, for example, when God rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah, and Admah and Zeboim, that is not to be understood literally. God tells, “are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

Jude 1:7
⁷  Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Similarly, when we read of the final destruction of the earth and the heavens by fire in 2 Peter 3 and elsewhere, that is a very literal fire that shall consume everything and leave nothing. Only the true believers, who will be with Christ in the air having received a spiritual body shall remain.

 Moreover, when we get to the judgment of the last day, the only way the believers can be qualified to take part in the judgment of the unsaved is to have received their resurrected, spiritual bodies in which there shall no longer exist any taint of sin. Remember that as long as we are on this sin-cursed earth living in a sin-cursed body that is wracked by sin, as Romans 7 teaches, we are not qualified to stand in final judgment over our fellow-man. True, if we are a policeman, or a judge presiding over a civil or criminal court, we must act in obedience to the law of the land. But the final judgment of the unsaved is reserved for the elect who have received their resurrected bodies. Fact is, until we get to the last day, we have no idea who the elect are.

 But now we should get back to our text in Isaiah 63:4

Isaiah 63:4
⁴  For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

 We have learned from Isaiah 63 that Christ comes from Edom and from Bozrah, mighty to save (verse 1), with his raiment stained red from the blood of those that he came to save, which in actual fact is Christ’s own blood shed on behalf of those he came to save (verses 2-3). The fact that Christ is coming from Edom, and from Bozrah – names that God identifies with those who are under the hatred of God, emphasizes two things – first that Christ had become a cursed on behalf of those he came to saved (cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree, Gal. 3:13), and second, that Christ came for sinners, not for the righteous (Mat. 9:13). The day of the vengeance of God has to do with the judgment that came upon Christ, as he paid the full unmitigated penalty for our sins, and guaranteed that the same punishment will come upon the wicked at the end of the world.

Now in regards to the phrase, “the year of my redeemed is come,” historically, there were three very significant feast days that bracketed the Jewish year, beginning with the feast of unleavened bread, when the Passover lamb was killed, and then followed fifty days later (after seven sevens or forty-nine years) with the harvest of firstfruits, which identified with the feast of Pentecost, and then the feast of ingathering, also known as the feast of tabernacles, which the Bible emphasizes, is in the end of the year (Exo. 23:16; 34:22).

In regards to the acceptable year, we can think of Enoch, of whom we read:

Genesis 5:21-24
²¹  And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
²²  And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
²³  And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
²⁴  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Jude 1:14-15
¹⁴  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
¹⁵  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

 Enoch lived 365 years, from 7106 B.C. to 6741 B.C. according to the Biblical calendar, and there are 365.2422 (roughly 365 ¼ ) days in a year. Enoch walked with God, and God took him. Enoch typifies the elect of God, who “walk with God” throughout what the Bible calls the “acceptable year.” At the end of the “acceptable year,” the elect shall be caught up to be God, and salvation shall be no longer. From that point of view, the acceptable year stretches from creation to the end of the world.

Enoch prophesied over 9,000 years ago, and yet Enoch prophesied of the Lord coming with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment upon the earth. How is this possible? This is possible because holy men of God spake as God the Holy Spirit moved them, as we read in 2 Peter 1:21.

2 Peter 1:20-21
²⁰  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
²¹  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

And incidentally, did we “see” the Lord coming with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment upon the ungodly back there on May 21, 2011? Of course not. That great event is reserved for the last day. But there are those who are teaching that this did happen. Really? Not only is that doctrine not supportable, it also leads to an even worse sin, that of failing to love our fellow-man as ourselves. That is the greater sin. We have no idea who the elect of God are, and we do well to be reminded that the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. This is a most ominous warning for those who think they have got it all figured out, and who have failed the most basic command, that of being an ambassador for the kingdom of God to our fellow-man.

Going back to our text in Isaiah 63, we have seen that Edom literally means “red” and is a name that God identifies with Esau, who was Isaac’s firstborn, who when he was born, came out red, all over like an hairy garment (Genesis 25:25). We saw that Esau, or Edom, typifies the firstborn who have despised their birthright, as exemplified when Jacob his younger brother, who typifies the elect of God who in God’s sight are made righteous by the blood of Christ, told his brother Esau, “sell me thy birthright,” when Esau being famished demanded a bowl of soup. To which Esau agreed, thus indicating that Esau despised his birthright. What does this birthright that Esau despised represent? It represents the relationship that we had with God being created in the image and likeness of God. In the Bible, the believers are called the church of the firstborn, because Christ is the firstborn from the dead, as we read in Colossians 1:18.

 Colossians 1:18 

¹⁸  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

We read in Revelation 13:8

Revelation 13:8
⁸  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He is the firstborn from the dead. When our first father Adam was created, he had no sin, neither his wife Eve. He from that standpoint was the first. But then Adam and Eve rebelled against God, and lost the life of Christ. Christ as the last Adam, came and offered himself up as a sacrifice to restore the life that we once had and lost in Adam.

Thinking once again to the acceptable year, we read in Deut. 11

Deuteronomy 11:11-12
¹¹  But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:
¹²  A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

As we read this statement, we are once again amazed that the cohesiveness of the Bible. The word “beginning” is the Hebrew word “reshith” which when we examine how that word is used, relates to Christ himself who is the firstfruits of the Old Testament, in that he came forth from the tribe of Judah, of the nation of Israel. Then the phrase, “end of the year,” we know identifies with what? With the feast of ingathering, or the feast of tabernacles, and this has to do with what? With harvest, which then leads us back to Matthew 13:39,40

Matthew 13:39-40
³⁹   The enemy that sowed them [the tares or weeds] is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels messengers [Greek: angelos].
⁴⁰  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

The messengers in verse 39 are the believers. Now, we said earlier that the believers are not qualified to stand in judgment over the unsaved, until we get to the last day when they shall receive a glorified, resurrected, spiritual body that is free of any vestige of sin. This is true. However, as we share the Word of God with the world, one of two things is happening. On the one hand, the unsaved are being bound into bundles to be burned, while the elect are being gathered into the barn. We have no idea as we witness whether we are witnessing to the unsaved or to the elect. That will not be known until the last day, and our focus will not be on who is saved and who is not saved. Our focus will be on the fact that we are now with our Lord and Saviour and are set free from our sin that so easily besets us and drags us down.  We will continue to develop Isaiah in Part 3 next time, the Lord willing. May the Lord richly bless you.

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Study prepared by: Brad Cowan

Date: 3/15/2020

Year of my redeemed is come...Part 1.

Let’s look at a few passages where we get insight into Edom

Genesis 25:19-28
¹⁹  And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac:
²⁰  And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
²¹  And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
²²  And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
²³  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
²⁴  And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
²⁵  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
²⁶  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
²⁷  And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
²⁸  And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

v25 we see that Esau came out first, and that he was red all over. Esau = Edom = “red”

v23, the elder (Esau) shall serve the younger (Jacob).

v27, Jacob was a “plain” man, the word “plain” is a poor translation, it is always translated “perfect” or “upright” or “undefiled” e.g., Job 1:1,8; 2:3; 8:20; 9:20,21,22; Ps. 37:37; 64:4

Genesis 25:29-34
²⁹  And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
³⁰  And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
³¹  And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
³²  And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
³³  And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
³⁴  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Hebrews 12:15-17
¹⁵  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
¹⁶  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
¹⁷  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Now the blessing that he would have inherited is the blessing of the firstborn.

Exodus 4:22-23
²²  And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
²³  And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

Exodus 13:2 (KJV)
²  Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.

Exodus 13:13 (KJV)
¹³  And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.

Deuteronomy 21:15-17
¹⁵  If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:
¹⁶  Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:
¹⁷  But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Going back to Hebrews 12 and Genesis 25, we see that Esau for one morsel of meat sold his birthright, shewing thereby that he despised his birthright.

Malachi 1:1-5 (KJV)
¹  The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.
²  I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,
³  And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
⁴  Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.
⁵  And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.

Now you see, this is the attitude of all the churches in our day. Notice v4, “We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.” This ties directly into Matthew 24:2, “there will not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.”

In Romans 9 God makes reference to Jacob and Esau in developing the teaching concerning election and predestination

Romans 9:6-13
⁶  Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
⁷  Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
⁸  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
⁹  For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
¹⁰  And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
¹¹  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
¹²   It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
¹³  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Romans 9:14-18
¹⁴  What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
¹⁵  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
¹⁶  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
¹⁷  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
¹⁸  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

John 1:12-13
¹²  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
¹³  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Romans 9:14-24
¹⁴  What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
¹⁵  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
¹⁶  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

God is under no stricture or obligation of any kink to save any one on the basis of our works.

Isaiah 64:6-8
⁶  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
⁷  And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
⁸  But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. 

Isaiah 64:9-12
⁹  Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
¹⁰  Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
¹¹  Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.
¹²  Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?

This is speaking of the situation in the churches that have been destroyed. Is there no remedy?

Romans 9:25-33
²⁵  As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
²⁶  And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
²⁷  Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
²⁸  For he will finish the work [Greek: logos, proclamation of the gospel], and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work [Greek: logos] will the Lord make upon the earth.
²⁹  And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

³⁰  What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
³¹  But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
³²  Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
³³  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

1 Timothy 3:15
¹⁵  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Who is the pillar and ground of the truth? The church???

1 Corinthians 3:9-10
⁹  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
¹⁰  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
¹¹  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
¹²  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
¹³  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

The Greek word [oikodome] translated “building” in v9 is translated “buildings” in Matthew 24:1

Matthew 24:1
¹  And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings [Greek: oikodome] of the temple.

to which Jesus replied:

Matthew 24:2
²  And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Is Jesus making reference to what would take place in A.D. 70 when the Roman Titus destroyed Jerusalem? No. In the very next verse God places the spotlight on what Jesus is talking about.

Matthew 24:3
³  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

In this revealing verse, God is setting the stage for the verses that follow in Matthew 24, and the same is true in the parallel chapters Mark 13 and Luke 21. The context of these chapters is the days in which we are presently living, as we approach the end. Recall in Matthew 13:39-40

Matthew 13:39-40
³⁹   The enemy that sowed them [the tares] is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels [Greek: angelos, messengers, believers].
⁴⁰  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

In 1 Corinthians 3 verses 11 through 15 God teaches that this spiritual building consists of two kinds of materials. The gold, silver, precious stones, are those who are truly saved; the wood, hay, stubble, are those who are identified corporately or externally with that spiritual house, and yet are not saved. The day of judgment, the fire of God’s wrath, will determine which kind of the two groups each one is. And from Matthew 24:2, there shall not be one stone left upon another that will not be thrown down, when the external temple will be destroyed, and all that remains are those whose identification is with heaven itself.

In Genesis 27, we see the attitude of the unsaved toward their brethren.

Genesis 27:41
⁴¹  And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

And yet, God commands the true believers, typified by Jacob, not to fight with their brethren the children of Esau.

This was exemplified when the children of Israel fled from Egypt and wandered through the wilderness for 40 years, a portrait of our great tribulation. As they were led through the wilderness, destroying every city they encountered, God had strictly commanded them not to meddle with Esau, not to meddle with Moab, not to meddle with Ammon. Why? Because God is using Esau, Moab, and Ammon as pictures of the brethren in the congregations who are not saved. Esau, Moab, and Ammon were all blood descendants of Abraham. As the children of Israel in their wilderness sojourn came to the lands occupied by Esau, Moab, and Ammon, they were not permitted by God to meddle with them. This is documented in Deuteronomy chapter 2

Deuteronomy 2:1-5
¹  Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days.
²  And the LORD spake unto me, saying,
³  Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.
⁴  And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:
⁵  Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.

The same instruction was given to the children of Israel concerning Ammon and Moab.

Now significantly, if we go to 2 Chronicles 20, the setting there is that the children of mount Seir, of Ammon, and Moab, the very tribes that the children of Israel were commanded not to destroy, are coming to fight against the children of Judah, typifying the true believers, and king Jehoshaphat, a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. In that setting, we read in Jehoshaphat’s prayer:

2 Chronicles 20:10-13
¹⁰  And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;
¹¹  Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
¹²  O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
¹³  And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

2 Chronicles 20:15-17
¹⁵  And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
¹⁶  To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
¹⁷  Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

2 Chronicles 20:20-21
²⁰  And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

²¹  And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

God really develops the relationship with Esau [churches] in Obadiah.

Obadiah 1:1-4
¹  The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.
²  Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.
³  The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
⁴  Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

Obadiah 1:10-14
¹⁰  For thy violence against thy brother Jacob [true believers] shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
¹¹  In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.
¹²  But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.
¹³  Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;
¹⁴  Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.

a remnant shall be saved from Edom

Amos 9:8-12
⁸  Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.
⁹  For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.
¹⁰  All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.
¹¹  In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
¹²  That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this. [to be called by my name = salvation]

Amos 9:13-15
¹³  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine [blood of the slain], and all the hills shall melt.
¹⁴  And I will bring again [return] the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
¹⁵  And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God. 

Isaiah 63:1-6
¹  Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
²  Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
³  I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
⁴  For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
⁵  And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm [strength] brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
⁶  And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

Edom literally means “red” and God is focusing a spotlight on the fact that Christ’s garments are stained “red” with the blood of the elect on whose behalf Christ endured the wrath of God, as the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. And from what land is Christ coming? From Edom, from Bozrah, names that identify with those that are under the hatred of God, that are in opposition to the kingdom of God. As Christ hung on the cross, it was a demonstration not only of redemption but of judgment, the judgment that came upon Christ, who is the judge of all the earth, who was made to be sin for us, who was made a curse on our behalf, the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world on behalf of all the elect, and the judgment that Christ as the judge of all the earth will execute on the non-elect at the end of the world.

Galatians 3:13
¹³  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Zephaniah 1:7-9
⁷  Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.
⁸  And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
⁹  In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.

Jeremiah 49:17-22
¹⁷  Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.
¹⁸  As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.
¹⁹  Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
²⁰  Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.
²¹  The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea.
²²  Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

Isaiah 34:6-8
⁶  The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
⁷  And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
⁸  For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

Ezekiel 35:1-9
¹  Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
²  Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
³  And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.
⁴  I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
⁵  Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end:

⁶  Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.
⁷  Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth.
⁸  And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword.
⁹  I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 35:15
¹⁵  As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Hebrews 12:23
²³  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Colossians 1:18
¹⁸  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Isaiah 14:1-6
¹  For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.
²  And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

Isaiah 63:7-9
⁷  I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
⁸  For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.
⁹  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

Christ is eternal God, he knew the elect before the foundation of the world, he carried them [bore their sins] all the days of old. His raiment was stained with their blood, with his own blood shed on their behalf. This is the understanding of Isaiah 63:1, Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah. This why Romans 6:3 teaches that when we were baptized – which means to be washed – into Jesus Christ, we were baptized – washed – into his death?

This is the year of my redeemed that is come. Again, we think of the feast of tabernacles, which is in the end of the year, as a major focus of our day.

Zechariah 14:16
¹⁶  And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

The feast of tabernacles has everything to do with the law of God being lifted up and glorified, as a protection for the believers. Every one that is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem are the remnant of those who were in opposition to Christ, who were captives of Satan, and yet who were taken captive by Christ.

Deuteronomy 11:8-12
⁸  Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;
⁹  And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
¹⁰  For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:
¹¹  But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:
¹²  A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

The end of the year identifies with the feast of tabernacles, and with the year of release.

Deuteronomy 31:9-13
⁹  And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel.
¹⁰  And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,
¹¹  When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
¹²  Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:
¹³  And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

the year of release identifies with the Gospel of salvation and with harvest

Deuteronomy 15:9
⁹  Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

Recall when we studied Jeremiah 34 we learned that in the siege, the situation was desperate, and the princes of Judah decided to obey the law of release, and to set free the Hebrew servants. But when the Babylonians departed to go fight the Egyptians, the princes of Judah reversed their decision and brought their Hebrew brethren again under bondage, which is very parallel to what took place when Christ delayed his coming beyond May 21, 2011, and the gospel began to be pinched off by those claiming Biblical authority for teaching that salvation had ended.

no rain for those who do not keep the feast of tabernacles    

Deuteronomy 32:1-2
¹  Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
²  My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

Deuteronomy 11:13-17
¹³  And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
¹⁴  That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

¹⁵  And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
¹⁶  Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
¹⁷  And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.

In Zech. 14 God reinforces that the rain – the gospel – will be withheld from those who do not come up to keep the feast of tabernacles

Zechariah 14:17-19
¹⁷  And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
¹⁸  And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
¹⁹  This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

What does it mean to keep the feast of tabernacles? Recall that the feast of tabernacles, in addition to emphasizing the protection of the law of God, is also called the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the [acceptable] year, and that has to do with harvesting. In the absence of rain, the crop will die. In order for the land to yield her fruit, i.e., produce believers, requires the water of God’s blessing on the gospel. In Deut. 15 God associates the feast of tabernacles, i.e., the feast of ingathering, with the year of release. What does the year of release have to do with? It has everything to do with the proclamation of the gospel through Christ.

The Hebrew word shemittah that is translated “release” in Deut. 15:1,2,9 & Deut. 31:10, is derived from the word shamat and literally means “release from obligation,” or, “release from debt.” And this has everything to do with sharing the true Gospel of salvation in Christ.

More on this next time. May the LORD richly bless you.