Isaiah 24 v 12 to 15
B. C. 718.
13 When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.
14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
Here is mercy remembered in the middle of wrath.
In Judah and Jerusalem, and the neighbouring countries, when they are overrun by the enemy, Sennacherib or Nebuchadnezzar, there shall be a remnant preserved from the general ruin,
And this method God usually observes when His judgments are known; He does not make a full end, ch. 6.v 13.
Or we may understand it as:-
Though the greatest part of mankind have all their comfort ruined by the emptying of the earth, and making it desolate, yet there are some, only a few who understand their interests better, who have laid up their treasure in heaven and not in things below, and can keep up their comfort and joy in God even when the earth mourns and fades away.
The small number of this remnant, v. 13.
When all goes to ruin there shall be as the shaking of an olive-tree, and the gleaning grapes, here and there one or two will escape the common calamity (as Noah and his family when the whole world was drowned), that will be able to sit down on a heap of the ruins of all their creature comforts, and even then rejoice in the Lord (Hab. 3.v 16-18),
These few are dispersed, and at a distance from each other, like the gleanings of the olive-tree; and they are concealed, hid under the leaves.
The Lord knows those that are His; the world does not.
The great LOVE of this remnant, which is greater for them having so narrowly escaped this great destruction (v. 14):
They shall lift up their voice; they shall sing.
1. They shall sing for joy in their deliverance.
When the celebrations of the worldly people ceases, the joy of the saints is as lively as ever; when the merry-hearted do sigh because the vine suffers the upright-hearted do sing because the covenant of grace, the fountain of their comforts and the foundation of their hopes, never fails.
Those that rejoice in the Lord can rejoice in tribulation, and by faith may be in triumphs when all about them are in tears.
2. They shall sing to the glory and praise of God, they will sing not only for the mercy but for the majesty of the Lord.
Their songs are awful and serious, and in their spiritual joys they have a reverend regard to the greatness of God, and keep at a humble distance when they attend Him with their praises.
The majesty of the Lord, which is matter of terror to wicked people, provides the saints with songs of praise.
They shall sing for the magnificence, or great excellency of the Lord, shown both in His judgments and in His mercies; for we must sing, and sing unto Him, of both, Ps. 101 v1.
Those who have made, or are making, their escape from the land (that being emptied and made desolate) to the sea and the isles of the sea, shall then cry aloud; their dispersion shall help to spread the knowledge of God, and they shall make even remote shores to ring with His praises.
It is much for the honour of God if those who fear Him rejoice in Him, and praise Him, even in the most sad times.
Their holy zeal is to excite others to the same devotion (v. 15);
they encourage other fellow-sufferers to do the same.
1. Those who are in the fires, in the furnace of affliction, those fires by which the inhabitants of the earth are burned, v. 6. Or in the valleys, the low, dark, dirty places.
2. Those who are in the isles of the sea, where they are banished too, or are forced to flee for shelter, and hide themselves remote from all their friends.
They went through fire and water (Ps. 66.v 12); yet in both let them glorify the Lord, and glory Him as the Lord God of Israel.
Those who through grace can glory in tribulation ought to glorify God in tribulation, and give Him thanks for their comforts, which abound as their afflictions do abound.
We must in every fire, (even the hottest,) in every isle, (even the remotest,) keep up our good thoughts of God.
When, though He slay us, yet we trust in Him--when, though for His sake we are killed all the day long, yet none of these things move us--then we glorify the Lord in the fires.
So, the three children of the old testament, and the martyrs that sang being burnt at the stake.
They glorified God
News from the Church New dates
6th May..…..Friendship Group, (this covers all ages and the lonely people)
20th May…. Knit and natter is a time to finish old projects or learn new skills
if you just want to talk well that’s OK too
ANSWERS TO 19th April QUESTIONS
1) Confusion 2) Abram’s father 3) Nahor and Haran 4) Sarai 5) Ur of the Chaldea 6) He was to be the father of a great nations 7) Lot 8) A dispute amongst the herdsmen 9) Sodom 10) Chedor-laomer 11) King of Salem and Priest of God 12) In Genesis Ch. 14 v 20 13) An Egyptian maid of Sarai
14) The son of Hagar and Abraham 15) Chapter 17 16) Recorded first in Genesis ch.17 v 10
Bible Quiz this week’s Quiz is about Genesis
1 What did Abraham and Sarah do when God promised them a son?
2 How old was Abraham when he was circumcised?
3 How many escaped from Sodom?
4 What happened to Lot’s wife?
5 Who were the descendants of Lot?
6 Who was the first man to be called a Prophet?
7 What relation was Sarah to Abraham? (NOT WIFE)
8 Who was the son of Abraham and Sarah?
9 Which woman is the only one given her FULL age in the Bible ?
10 Where was Sarah buried?
11 What is Abraham best remembered for?
12 Who was the wife of Isaac?
13 Who is Rebekah’s brother.?
14 How many children did Abraham and Keturah have?
15 How old was Abraham when he died?
16 Who were the descendants of Ishmael?
God Bless