Isaiah 9:6 (Amplified) declares that there was a Messiah coming Who would do away with the Law and begin a new covenant and Who would be called the Prince of Peace. He would be the One Who would bring forth a peace between God and man. There would no longer be this uneasy alliance between God and man. And, man would no longer need to concerned about being sent into exile or bondage to the enemy because of their disobedience.
God continued to speak of this Messiah throughout the old covenant books and the prophets. They waited for so long that it became almost fable-like to most of God's people (like Jesus' return is to some today). This new covenant declares that the Messiah would be the answer to all of Israel's problems. He would make them right in God's sight and without anymore sacrifice. No longer would they have to be afraid of the One Who punished their sins and trespasses. They would be free from all things and have peace with God Himself.
In Isaiah 53(Amplified), "The prophet wrote (by the Holy Spirit) who has believed (trusted in, relied upon, and clung to) our message (of that which was revealed to us), And to whom has the arm of the Lord been disclosed?" Not all of God's people understood the scriptures and not all of them could believe and take in all that it meant to them,. The old ways were familiar to them and change seemed so strange. They were more content to remain as they were rather than chance a new way (even if it was a better way).
Most of us today don't understand that when Jesus was here as a Man in the flesh, the people couldn't understand what He was saying. That's why He spoke so much in parables. These were Old Testament people without the Holy Spirit, without the benefit of the revelation that Paul had, and without the sacrifice that Jesus would later become.
They had a hard time believing in what the scriptures said and were afraid they would be brought into heresy by this new teacher. As a matter of fact, the Apostle Paul was in the process of delivering all the new converts to this new doctrine to prison.
Today, we find ourselves in the very same dilemma as they were in. We're having a difficult time believing the report that Isaiah spoke. When we speak about Jesus bearing all our sickness and disease, we meet opposition. When we speak about His grace covering all of our past, present and future sins, we meet opposition. And, when we speak about the peace between God and man we meet opposition.
It still seems that some people's eyes are blind to the glory of grace. We still expect God to punish us when we're wrong and to bless us when we're right. We still believe God to tempt and test us to determine if we'll succeed and resist us if we fail.
This was the way the old covenant worked for the people. All of the blessings were based upon their performance. When they were good, then God was good and when they were bad, then God was bad. They couldn't seem to get it in their spirits that this new covenant wasn't based on their performance and obedience, but on Jesus! If they could only believe that Jesus was obedient even unto death and that He is our obedience too.
Jesus came to do what we could never do for ourselves. Jesus didn't merely pay for our sins and iniquities, but for all our shortcomings. Yet, we still try to make up for all these things ourselves and expect punishment when we fail (as we always do).
If we will "believe the report" Isaiah said, then we can walk into a realm with God that we've always wanted and could never achieve. This promise concerning Jesus is that He would become what I was, so that I could become what He is. He would bear my sin and I would bear His righteousness. He would be cast out from God so that I could be reconciled to God. Jesus would have God turn His back to Him so that I could now see His face. Jesus would be forsaken so that I could become a son of the Father. He would bear my sickness and I was to walk in His healing. He became the curse so that I could receive the blessing. Jesus would be tormented so I could have His peace with God. He would call Him God so that I could call Him Father.
Whosoever the Son sets free is free indeed according to the Word. We struggle with all these scriptures and it keeps us from ever being at peace in our hearts because we always feel like we fall short of pleasing God. If we can "believe in the report" like Isaiah said, then we would understand what Jesus said that, "It gives the Father great pleasure to give the Kingdom to His children." Doctrines over time have kept us from ever being in peace or being comfortable in the presence of God. Yet, the scriptures tell us to "Come boldly to the throne of grace." In order to come boldly, we must first believe we have a right )because of Jesus) to be there.
In order to call God Father and stand before Him, we must first believe we are in right standing, righteous because of Jesus, before Him. To ever expect a righteous God to even hear our prayers we must first believe we have been justified (because of Jesus). If we are ever to believe we have peace and are at peace with God, then we must believe He gives us His peace through the Prince of Peace.
People have said for years that "you can't do anything without Jesus." That's a very true statement, but there's a statement just as true that we need to think about. Jesus said that "He will never leave you or forsake you and that He will be with you to the very end of the world and forever." You need to understand that whatever you do, God will live in you and walk in you. He will be our God and we will be His people and greater is He Who is in you than he that is in the world.
This same Jesus Who bore our sin also bore the rest of God's wrath and punishment for us. God will never be angry with you again according to Isaiah 54:9 (Amplified). No wonder Isaiah said these things were for he who has believed our report. To the old covenant people (without the Holy Spirit), this was almost impossible to comprehend. Eve today, in the unrenewed mind of the Christian, it still seems like "it just can't that simple and he needs to do something. Well, we are required to do something...Believe.`
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