Monday, March 25, 2013, 8:08 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Have Thine Own Way, Lord,” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Jeremiah 30 (quoting vv. 4-9, 12-15, 17 NIV):
A Time of Trouble
The time of trouble to come upon God’s people may have had an immediate fulfillment in some respects, yet it is clear that there is also prophecy here concerning the time of tribulation at the end of time prior to Christ’s return. Whereas the false prophets had been prophesying (and still are) a time of peace, Jeremiah had been prophesying judgment on God’s people for their many sins against God. It would be (and will be) a time of terror. The distress of that time will be like that of a woman in labor (cf. Matt. 24; Mark 13), “unequaled from the beginning of the world until now” – “no other will be like it.”
Break the Yoke
God’s people at the end of the age (and since Christ died and was resurrected to purchase our redemption) are those who have accepted God’s invitation to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior via repentance (turning from sin) and obedience (turning to God) – see Luke 9:23-25; Eph. 2:1-10; 4:17-24; Rom. 3; 6; Gal. 2:20; 1 John, et al. Those who were once non-Jews by birth were excluded from citizenship in Israel, but now in Christ Jesus we are able to be brought near to God through the blood of Jesus Christ. God destroyed the barrier that once stood between Jew and Gentile and we, by God’s grace and through faith, have become one in Jesus Christ. So, we who have trusted in Jesus Christ are now fellow citizens with God’s people, and both Jew and Gentile have access to God by one Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ (see Eph. 2).
Isaiah 2 (and most of the book of Isaiah) is a parallel prophecy concerning the last days to that of Jeremiah 30. The mountain of the Lord and the temple of God are clearly synonymous with Jesus Christ, as the embodiment of the kingdom of heaven – his life, death, resurrection, gospel of salvation, life of the true church, etc. Jesus Christ is exalted above all and all nations are and will stream to him, to his eternal kingdom and to his gospel of salvation, thus becoming one with Christ and with his Body, the true church. Jesus Christ is also synonymous with the law and the word going out from Zion and from Jerusalem, initially from these literal locations and then and now from spiritual Zion and spiritual Jerusalem, i.e. from Christ’s body, his followers - the true church.
The picture painted for us in Isaiah is that God’s people (the church of the last days) who are rebellious, idolatrous, spiritually adulterous and unrepentant will be judged by God during this time of tribulation (cf. Rev. 2-3). She will thus repent of her sins, be revived, and as a result all nations will flock to Jesus Christ, to his gospel and to his eternal kingdom, of which we are a part. Then God will restore her and she will dwell with him in safety during the time known as the millennium and also for eternity with God in glory.
Jeremiah painted a similar picture here in Jeremiah 30. Although this would be a terrible time for God’s people to have to endure, she would be saved out of it. How? For those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord in word only but not in heart, their salvation will truly come through new birth, yet to those who had trusted in Christ as Savior but had forsaken their first love or who had become lazy, complacent and/or rebellious, idolatrous and spiritually adulterous, even refusing the idea that they need to repent, their salvation will come through judgment because it will open their eyes to the reality of what they have been doing against God, they will repent, and God will revive and renew them. As revived and renewed followers of Christ they will thus go forth with the gospel of Jesus Christ and many will flock to Christ and to salvation as a direct result.
This breaking off of the yoke, thus, for the church of today, I believe has to do with breaking off the yoke of slavery to sin via divine discipline and correction and also the yoke of slavery to men, man-made religion, false gods, et al. In other words, many are following the ways of men instead of the ways of God, so through judgment God will get their attention and they will realize their sin, they will repent and thus they will be delivered of those yokes of slavery and their desire will be for their Lord God alone; for Jesus Christ. May that be so in our lives without us having to be divinely disciplined by God Almighty.
Have Thine Own Way, Lord / Adelaide A. Pollard, 1862-1934
George C. Stebbins, 1846-1945 / Tune: ADELAIDE, Meter: 54.54 D
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!
A Time of Trouble
The time of trouble to come upon God’s people may have had an immediate fulfillment in some respects, yet it is clear that there is also prophecy here concerning the time of tribulation at the end of time prior to Christ’s return. Whereas the false prophets had been prophesying (and still are) a time of peace, Jeremiah had been prophesying judgment on God’s people for their many sins against God. It would be (and will be) a time of terror. The distress of that time will be like that of a woman in labor (cf. Matt. 24; Mark 13), “unequaled from the beginning of the world until now” – “no other will be like it.”
Break the Yoke
God’s people at the end of the age (and since Christ died and was resurrected to purchase our redemption) are those who have accepted God’s invitation to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior via repentance (turning from sin) and obedience (turning to God) – see Luke 9:23-25; Eph. 2:1-10; 4:17-24; Rom. 3; 6; Gal. 2:20; 1 John, et al. Those who were once non-Jews by birth were excluded from citizenship in Israel, but now in Christ Jesus we are able to be brought near to God through the blood of Jesus Christ. God destroyed the barrier that once stood between Jew and Gentile and we, by God’s grace and through faith, have become one in Jesus Christ. So, we who have trusted in Jesus Christ are now fellow citizens with God’s people, and both Jew and Gentile have access to God by one Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ (see Eph. 2).
Isaiah 2 (and most of the book of Isaiah) is a parallel prophecy concerning the last days to that of Jeremiah 30. The mountain of the Lord and the temple of God are clearly synonymous with Jesus Christ, as the embodiment of the kingdom of heaven – his life, death, resurrection, gospel of salvation, life of the true church, etc. Jesus Christ is exalted above all and all nations are and will stream to him, to his eternal kingdom and to his gospel of salvation, thus becoming one with Christ and with his Body, the true church. Jesus Christ is also synonymous with the law and the word going out from Zion and from Jerusalem, initially from these literal locations and then and now from spiritual Zion and spiritual Jerusalem, i.e. from Christ’s body, his followers - the true church.
The picture painted for us in Isaiah is that God’s people (the church of the last days) who are rebellious, idolatrous, spiritually adulterous and unrepentant will be judged by God during this time of tribulation (cf. Rev. 2-3). She will thus repent of her sins, be revived, and as a result all nations will flock to Jesus Christ, to his gospel and to his eternal kingdom, of which we are a part. Then God will restore her and she will dwell with him in safety during the time known as the millennium and also for eternity with God in glory.
Jeremiah painted a similar picture here in Jeremiah 30. Although this would be a terrible time for God’s people to have to endure, she would be saved out of it. How? For those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord in word only but not in heart, their salvation will truly come through new birth, yet to those who had trusted in Christ as Savior but had forsaken their first love or who had become lazy, complacent and/or rebellious, idolatrous and spiritually adulterous, even refusing the idea that they need to repent, their salvation will come through judgment because it will open their eyes to the reality of what they have been doing against God, they will repent, and God will revive and renew them. As revived and renewed followers of Christ they will thus go forth with the gospel of Jesus Christ and many will flock to Christ and to salvation as a direct result.
This breaking off of the yoke, thus, for the church of today, I believe has to do with breaking off the yoke of slavery to sin via divine discipline and correction and also the yoke of slavery to men, man-made religion, false gods, et al. In other words, many are following the ways of men instead of the ways of God, so through judgment God will get their attention and they will realize their sin, they will repent and thus they will be delivered of those yokes of slavery and their desire will be for their Lord God alone; for Jesus Christ. May that be so in our lives without us having to be divinely disciplined by God Almighty.
Have Thine Own Way, Lord / Adelaide A. Pollard, 1862-1934
George C. Stebbins, 1846-1945 / Tune: ADELAIDE, Meter: 54.54 D
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!