Bible Study on Romans 2, verses 1 to 16, part 2, the self-righteous Christian

 

Here, Paul seems to be talking about someone who thinks of themselves as one of God’s people, worthy to dispense judgement on the sinner when Paul suggests the self-righteous are simply engaged in self-deception. We know when God’s wrath and righteous judgment will be poured out and when every man and woman is held accountable for their deeds.

 

Revelation 20:11 ¶  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

For how can you truly have received Christ if the very things that God listed through Paul in Romans, chapter 1, are traits that identify who you are? Many of those who identify themselves as Christians have deceived themselves that a 1-2-3 repeat after me prayer is enough for salvation when there is no repentance in the heart.

 

While to some Paul here appears to be preaching a religion of works it is more likely, in my estimation based on the total body of his writings, that he is showing the religious minded person that there are behaviors that characterize the saved as well as the lost. If you are evil you are as damned without the Law if you don’t have it as you are judged by the Law if you have it, and no one is spared.

 

For how can you brag about your position in Christ as opposed to those who are not saved by Him; atheists, Muslims, Hindus, and the ubiquitous “other” of all types whom you hold in contempt when they, without God’s true Bible or standard, manage to behave more Godly than you do? If you have known many atheists, Muslims, Hindus, homosexuals, etc. etc. meaning anyone of whom you don’t approve you will have met many with a higher standard of good than many so-called Christians you have met. I’ve met Muslims that are more concerned about sin in their lives than many Christians and atheists with a perfect credit rating and a good reputation for kindness and charitable giving.

 

The conscience of every man or woman on earth bears witness to God’s standard and that has been the case since Noah and sons walked off the Ark. Every person in their heart of hearts knows what sin is, having some knowledge of God the creator’s standards. Notice my comments on a passage in Genesis 7. Long before the Law was given to Moses there was an understanding of God’s standard of clean and unclean animals just as Abram knew to honor God at an altar and Job understood sacrifices for sin. There was a knowledge of God’s standards which became corrupted and which understanding He renewed in the Law given to Moses. Clean animals were brought into the ark by sevens and unclean by twos.

 

For evangelicals who separate the Great White Throne judgment from the Judgment Seat of Christ as the former being of the unsaved and the latter for the saved understand that even at the Judgment Seat of Christ, if that is not the same as the Great White Throne judgment, our works are judged although we are saved from fire.

 

Romans 14:10  But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13  Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

 

1Corinthians 3:11 ¶  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. 14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

 

2Corinthians 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

 

However, keep in mind that historical commentators like Matthew Henry regarded the Great White Throne judgment as another phrase for the Judgment Seat of Christ. Remember there is little evidence in scripture itself for two judgments. See;

 

Daniel 12:1 ¶  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

 

Either way, the person who is judged, if they are trusting Christ, is saved and the person who rejects Christ is damned although we believe that the raptured Christian is judged at a different time, the Judgment Seat of Christ, and the Great White Throne is reserved for the unsaved dead, do we not?

Bible Study on Exodus 31, verses 12 to 18, part 2, the sabbath, a day of rest

 

Later in Exodus the command will be given by Moses that not a fire was to be lit in their dwellings on the Sabbath day. We can imagine how literally this command was not followed. In their wanderings God even commanded a person collecting sticks be executed for violating the Sabbath.

Numbers 15:32  And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. 33  And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. 34  And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. 35  And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. 36  And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

The command was fairly straightforward, perhaps one of the oldest labor laws known to man.

Deuteronomy 5:13  Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: 14  But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

 

So, why, you ask yourself, was God so strict with the Hebrews in the wilderness but Jesus, who was and is God in the flesh, not as strict with his Pharisee host on the Sabbath? What is the Holy Spirit trying to tell us? Jesus told a man to pick up his former bed and carry it on the Sabbath day in John 5:8 which greatly disturbed the Jews.

 

By the time that Jesus walked the earth in human flesh in the first century the Jews had developed hundreds of laws regarding work but, as revealed by the verses about Jesus being invited to a meal on the Sabbath, exceptions were made.

Many Christian faith traditions tried to call Sunday the Christian Sabbath all the while making it not a day of rest but a day of obligation. The truth is that early Christians, as history provides evidence, worshipped before dawn on Sunday and then went to work. Sunday was not a day off from work for three hundred years after Christ. If it were truly the Christian Sabbath then from sundown Saturday to sundown Sunday you would do nothing, not even light a candle in your home.

Moving on, the Ten Commandments were written with the finger of God.

 

Deuteronomy 9:10  And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.

 

Notice how it was apparent when God’s hand was directly on something that happened?

 

Exodus 8:19  Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

 

Psalm 8:3  When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

 

Daniel 5:5  In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the

candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6  Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another… 23  But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: 24  Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.

Luke 11:18  If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19  And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20  But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

Bible Study on Romans 2, verses 1 to 16, when you judge another you condemn yourself

 

Romans 2:1 ¶  Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2  But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3  And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11  For there is no respect of persons with God. 12  For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

 

At first glance, and bear with me please, and from reading various commentaries from different historical Christian leaders in Paul’s argument he now, after explaining the history of man’s willful depravity and those who take delight in evil, warns the reader of hypocrisy for judging people, condemning them, while doing the same things that are cursed by God.

 

Jesus passed judgment on such hypocrisy.

 

John 8:1 ¶  Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2  And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and  taught them. 3  And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4  They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5  Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6  This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7  So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8  And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9  And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10  When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

 

He also warned His followers on the dangers of judgment, the fact that when you point at someone with one finger that you have three pointing back at you. Unbelievers are not so stupid that they cannot see your hypocrisy and turn and attack you for your inconsistency.

 

Matthew 7:1 ¶  Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. 6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

 

The self-righteous hypocrite does not escape the judgment of God. Verse 4 asks if you lightly regard God’s mercy and patience, hold it in contempt, when that very thing gives you time and leads you to repent of your wicked ways.

A Psalm for Sunday, Psalm 82, how long will you judge unjustly

 

Psalm 82:1 ¶  «A Psalm of Asaph.» God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. 2  How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. 3  Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4  Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. 5  They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

In verse 6 it will become clear that the Psalmist is speaking of the rulers of Israel as gods. God makes it clear that no matter how powerful they think themselves to be it is He that judges them. He condemns their oppressions, their approval of their wicked associates, and their disregard of the poor and needy. The rulers of Israel walk in darkness and things are not right in the land.

John 10:34  Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

Exodus 22:28  Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

They are being accused of judging unjustly. We as followers of Christ are called to make a righteous judgment.

Matthew 7:1 ¶  Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

We are not to tolerate the awful behavior of the wicked.

Psalm 12:8  The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

We are to champion the cause of the needy and the fatherless.

James 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

We must defend the weak and powerless and defend them from the hands of the wicked.

Psalm 140:12  I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.

We don’t walk in darkness. We follow Christ.

1Thessalonians 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 

The foundations of the earth are out of course because of sin and Christ is the only solution that humanity has or ever will have for that problem.

Psalm 82:6 ¶  I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 7  But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. 8  Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

Note that verse 1 said God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

God gave these men the ability to exercise their offices in His place. One of the arguments for the pre-modern heresy of “The Divine Right of Kings” comes from this Psalm. The rulers of Israel acted as gods in God’s stead and were all His children and His representatives on earth but they were all too mortal and vain, doomed to die like all men. God Himself would inherit their heritage.

 

Christ will return to take the kingdoms of this world under His very real presence and authority.

 

Revelation 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

 

The rulers of this world, gods as they tend to think they are, better beware.

 

Psalm 2:1 ¶  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3  Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

 

    7 ¶  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

 

    10 ¶  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

 

Isaiah spoke of Christ’s reign over all things.

 

Isaiah 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

 

God will judge the nations. See Matthew, chapter 25. Also;

 

Revelation 20:11 ¶  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

 

Christ will also judge His own.

 

Romans 14:10  But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

 

2Corinthians 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

 

Make note of what Paul affirmed.

 

1Corinthians 15:20 ¶  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Bible Study on Romans 1, verses 19 to 32, part 13, without understanding

 

Those who are without understanding have not submitted themselves to God’s word as the Holy Spirit gives those who do understand. Jeremiah defined those without understanding.

 

Jeremiah 5:20 ¶  Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, 21  Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see  not; which have ears, and hear not: 22  Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? 23  But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. 24  Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth  rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

 

    25 ¶  Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. 26  For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. 27  As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. 28  They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. 29  Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 30  A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; 31  The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

 

Covenantbreakers, mentioned as such only here, cannot be trusted to keep an agreement, a contract, or a truce. They are faithless persons. The trucebreakers of 2Timothy 3:3 who cannot be trusted to keep an agreement either and the implacable coming up who cannot be enticed to enter into any agreement or compromise are similar.

 

Those without natural affection, as Strong notes, are unsociable, unloving, and inhuman. They have no regard for the members of their own family, as they should, as typically is expected of a parent or child. They are cold to those natural affections. I think of the countless women who use abortion as birth control, so much so that at present more Black babies in New York City are aborted than are allowed to be born.

 

The implacable mind or spirit is unwilling and, as a result, incapable of mercy or justice by God’s standard or of having peace with God. He cannot be persuaded into a covenant with God. His case seems hopeless.

 

The unmerciful seems easy to understand. Jesus had noted one of the characteristics of those who would see and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and God.

 

Matthew 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

 

And James made the following very clear, that mercy is superior to judgment;

 

James 2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

 

Mercy is first defined in Genesis 19 in regard to sparing a person’s life.

 

Genesis 19:19  Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

 

The unmerciful will show no mercy although God is willing to grant him or her unlimited mercy. And although it is in God’s nature to be merciful and His mercy is long-lasting as per dozens of verses in the Psalms, the people whose lives are characterized by these character flaws listed here in Romans, chapter one, merit death. You see, they not only do these things but have pleasure in others who do them as well.

 

Isaiah 5:20  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

 

There is no shame in their hearts or conscience holding them back and they are at one with others as wicked as themselves. Next, Paul turns this condemnation of mankind around on the reader himself.

Bible Study on Isaiah 8, verses 16 to 22, they shall be driven to darkness

 

Isaiah 8:16 ¶  Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 17  And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. 18  Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. 19  And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? 20  To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 21  And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. 22  And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

 

God tells Isaiah to bind up, to take care of, the testimony, the prophecy, he has been given. Notice how in the previous passage broken in pieces is repeated three times to underscore the determination of God to see it happen. See how Jesus repeated verily to underscore the truth of a doctrine.

 

John 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

 

It is to be sealed, made apparent to the people of God but not understandable to unbelievers as we examine this passage from a Christian perspective rather than a first millennium BC Israelite perspective. Jesus spoke in parables which He explained to His disciples but left others clueless, those who had no understanding or wish to know the truth.

 

Matthew 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?...13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

 

Mark 4:11  And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12  That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

 

The people of God, whether they were Israelites in the Old Testament or Christians after Christ have a tremendous blessing in being entrusted with the oracles of God and we must be faithful to them, not like some of whom we were forewarned by Paul.

 

2Corinthians 2:17  For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

 

For verse 17 John Gill interpreted this as not only patiently waiting for the Lord God’s will to be done but actually awaiting the Messiah to come, the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah says that God has turned His back on Israel but Isaiah will seek Him out anyway. Christ will come to present Himself to Israel.

 

Isaiah 45:15  Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.

 

2Timothy 1:10  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

 

The promises made by God to Israel are to be fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ and God, at that time, gives Israel and the entire world of men the opportunity to reconcile with Him.

 

See verse 18. Are not these the words of Christ Himself as reported by Paul?

 

Hebrews 2:10 ¶  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12  Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13  And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

 

See how this can be viewed forward in prophecy as Isaiah laments the then condition of Israel but the Holy Spirit makes it clear that this can be applied to Christ.

 

Christ, as Immanuel, God with us, has spiritual offspring that declare God’s glory and mercy through Him. They are, we are, signs and wonders given by God. See in the Psalm Jesus quoted the first verse of from the Cross.

 

Psalm 22:30  A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

 

Galatians 3:26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

 

But, essentially, in context Isaiah declares that he and his children are declarations from God for the proof of His promise. They are signs and wonders.

 

12  Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

 

So, while this has an immediate application, commentators have moved it forward and applied it to Christ.

 

Why do the people seek after these wizards who make unintelligible noises (perhaps like charismatic “tongues” of today”) who pretend to communicate with the dead and not after the living God? Familiar spirits is an interesting topic. This calling of the dead that God hates has a root in mankind’s developed religion and turn from God before the Flood of Noah. This began with Cain, Adam and Eve’s son.

 

Cain’s wife, who would have been his sister as genetically humanity had just begun its slow deterioration that lent deleterious mutations to every generation and made sexual union between brother and sister very dangerous today for their offspring, gave him a son named Enoch, whose name was given to the first city.

Here is the birthplace of ancient religion as the ancient city was a religious entity, a type of church, started all at once with invited families who would share in the same worship and the same gods, although the individual family would have its own singular worship and gods which represented their lars familiaris or familiar spirits (see Leviticus 20:27), the guiding divinities of ancestors dead.[1]  It is likely that Cain’s false religion was carried on and evolved through his city.

For the sentiment expressed in verse 20 see this;

 

John 11:10  But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

 

Jesus is the light of mankind, the light of salvation, the light that fills the universe.

 

John 1:1 ¶  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  The same was in the beginning with God. 3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

 

5 ¶  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

By comparison, in type, we can think of Christ as we think of physical light, whose basic particle the physicists presume is a photon. The universe is bathed in that light. For every estimated proton around the nucleus of an atom they say there are a billion photons.[2] Of course, photons might not even exist except as theoretical entities to explain things that can be seen by mathematical constructs.

Psalm 19:1  « To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. » The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

We can safely dismiss theoretical entities, as said previously, which exist only as having explanatory power to envision a universe without God, and understand that this is the Word of God working in our universe. And, He holds it together, not non-existent Dark Matter or Dark Energy, but God Himself, as the Word, Christ.

Colossians 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Evidence of God is everywhere so they have no excuse and those who reject Christ and His gospel have no light in them. They are willfully ignorant and blind. Christ is the Word of God, by whom all things were created and His gospel is our salvation and if humans do not walk in the light of His Word and His words there is no light in them.

 

The context here, though, is the Law given to Moses, the Law that bound a disobedient Israel to God, the Creator of all things.

 

Disobedient Judah and Israel will pass through a time of great trouble. This prophesies immediate trouble for the people of Israel and Judah and the long term consequences for the Jews in general. Commentators say they will be hungry not only for food but for God’s word, and they shall be anxious and worried and disquieted and will defy God and then, by extension, their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Looking toward heaven they will seek another Messiah but there is no other, not in any personage or the false prophet that will come from the desert centuries after Christ. Rejecting their Messiah they will have trouble and anguish for two thousands years.

 

Matthew 27:24  When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 25  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

 

John 19:15  But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

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[1] Numa Denis Fustel De Coulanges, The Ancient City: A Study of the Religion, Laws, and Institutions of Greece and Rome (1864, repr. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2006), 134.

[2] Lee Smolin, The Trouble with Physics: The Rise of String Theory, and Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next (New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2006), 75.