Thursday, February 28, 2019

Isaiah 12 - Thanksgiving of the Remnant


Chapter 11 reflects on the reactions and responses of the people for the works of the Lord in chapter 12.

First there will be Thanksgiving. (12:1) The thanksgiving is that God had turned away His anger from the sins. It's a thanksgiving with gratitude.  God "forgets" their sin in a just manner, having paid for the sins through the death of His son.

"For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jer 31:34)

It doesn't mean that a believer's sins have no consequences, for sin is a cancer that destroys our spiritual body and affects our whole being. But Christ's work on the cross is effective to forgive any and all our sins we repent of, and a believer can have the same gratitude and thanksgiving.

The second reaction is the complete Trust in God. (12:2). They used to trust in man, on themselves, in their allies to save them. But now they realise that it was God all along who planned their salvation, even while they turned their backs on Him. The salvation is more than saving the nation, but also in giving the eternal life of individual believer.

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” (12:2)

The third response is the Testimony to His works of salvation to all people. (12:4) It's a proclamation of the good news with much joy and rejoicing. It is not a "commandment" we think of, but a natural reaction to what had happened to us. This is the most effective way to be contagious in our gospel.

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