Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Isaiah - Day 26

versebyverse | June 04, 2008 17:56

Scripture:  Isaiah 1:26 (NIV):  "I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counsellors as at the beginning.  Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City."

Thought:  To me, God does all the work.  The only task we have is to yield ourselves up to Him and His work.

Question:  Have I allowed God to "restore" me?

Vital to any "city" are its leaders.  God zeroes in on the restoration of those who care for others--those in authority--the "judges" and "counsellors".  Then the people will follow and be cared for properly.  "As in days of old", to me, hails back to the days in Israel before kings ruled, back to the days of Samuel, Israel's great prophet before King Saul was placed into power.  During the era of pre-King rule, the people obeyed God much more directly, only seeking God's leadership through one, holy man.  Much like Moses, Samuel was a singularly authoritative leader, connected, as was Moses, very directly to God.  God seems to wish a return to this more pure system.

In a way, this can be applied to us as individuals.  God must restore the purity of our minds and hearts:  these are the "organs" of leadership and authority within us.  If our minds are renewed and turned and our hearts yielded and submissive, God can direct the rest of our behaviors.

God is the Restorer.  He does this after "turning" to discipline us.  (See Isaiah 1:25).  He has had our restoration in mind all along.  And He has had an "afterward" look to our future all along, as well; to establish a "city" that is "righteous" and "faithful."  The cities of this age were usually walled for protection.  Protected is what we will be when God is finished purging out sin and evil--protected with righteousness, the righteousness of Christ imputed, or set by God, within us.  When this is accomplished we become "the Faithful City" because God, Christ, in us cannot be unfaithful to Himself.  Thank goodness for that!

Prayer:  Great Restorer and Lover of my soul, bring me back to the righteousness and faithfulness of my original, more simple and pure relationship with You.  I need Your protection!  Amen. 

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