Isaiah 29:17-19 – The Faithful Exalted
Lebanon in verse 17 is not talking about the country. It is talking about a mountain range to the north of Israel in modern day Lebanon and Syria. Back then it was heavily forested with great oaks and its famous cedar trees. The Israelites normally thought of forested areas as being areas where no food could grow. What God is saying through Isaiah is that which is nearly barren, as far as providing food for man, is turned into rich grain fields. And that which had been the granary of God is turned to dark and forbidding forest. And what’s this got to do with anything? Well, here is a picture of Israel being made useless by its own wickedness, and the nations becoming the place of rich reward.
To Israel had long been preached the gospel. They had been able to see the gospel by the symbols of the Temple, and the sacrifices, and the priests, their holy days, their holy times, and their holy procedures. All this was demonstrated to them. But they not only got to see, they got to hear, because God gave His Word to them through the patriarchs of old, through Moses, through the prophets, who explained the meaning of the symbols. They had opportunity to hear, they had opportunity to see. But they’d made themselves deaf and blind. (Isaiah 6:9-13).
But there will yet remain the true Israel of God, the remnant. And we go on to see that in verse 18 the deaf shall hear the words of the book. The eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The humble also in verse 19 shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the holy one of Israel. Though Israel had heard and rejected, others would, by the grace of God, see the Messiah of God. They would hear the joyful sound, as we sometimes sing from Psalm 89. And they would believe. And we first see this happening in the book of Acts as the gospel goes forth, not only in Jerusalem, not only in all the rest of Judea, it goes to Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. Will you remain blind? Will you remain deaf? Will you shut your eyes? Or will you hear the good news that God has come to save sinners?
Questions
- How did Israel respond to the Gospel?
- What does the book of Acts tell us about the spread of the Gospel?
Prayer Points
- Pray that the Gospel would go out to all nations.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.