Mourning Comes Before Morning

30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. 31 And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

32 While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. 35 Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.” 37 So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem. – 2 Samuel 15:30-37 ESV

As David made his way out of the city of David, he did so in a state of mourning. He headed east toward the Mount of Olives, barefoot and with his head covered. He led a sizeable retinue of household servants, personal bodyguards, members of his royal administration, and armed soldiers. This scene stands in stark contrast to the one in which David led the Ark of the Covenant in its triumphal entry through the gates of Jerusalem. On that occasion, David was headed in the opposite direction and displayed a markedly different mood. He danced and lept for joy as he led the Ark of God into his capital city. His public display was so over the top that his first wife, Michal, was embarrassed by his unceremonious and unkingly behavior.

Now, years later, the Ark resided in Jerusalem, but David was on his way out. There was no music, dancing, or joy on this occasion. The king was abandoning his capital and abdicating his throne and his kingdom to his son, Absalom. Tears flowed and hearts broke as David and his entourage vacated the palace and passed through the gates of the city that had come to be known as “The City of David.” 

To make matters worse, David received the disappointing news that Ahithophel, one of his own counselors had chosen to remain behind and serve Absalom. Not only that, it ends up that Ahithophel had been a co-conspirator with Absalom in the whole affair. He was not just switching sides at the end; he had played a role in the entire enterprise, providing Absalom with counsel and advice along the way.

David’s response was simple and came in the form of a prayer: “O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!” (2 Samuel 15:31 NLT). He didn’t rant, rave, or hurl invectives against Ahithophel. He simply asked God to thwart the plans of Absalom by divinely disrupting the counsel of Ahithophel. Then, David took steps to counter the betrayal of Ahithophel. He asked his good friend, Hushai, to return to the city and act as his eyes and ears, serving as an inside source and providing Absalom with advice that directly opposed that of Ahithophel.

“Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, ‘I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father’s adviser in the past.’ Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice.” – 2 Samuel 15:34 NLT

David was down, but not out. He may have been in mourning, but he was not giving up. His exit from the capital appears to be an attempt to avoid a potential bloodbath. The last thing David wanted was a protracted war within the gates of Jerusalem that could destroy the lives of innocent people. By willingly relinquishing control of the capital to his son, David was protecting its citizens and providing himself with time to plan his response to Absalom’s coup.

He set up his own network of spies to provide him with inside information regarding Absalom’s plans. He had evidently prearranged with his priests, Abiathar and Zadok, to use their sons as messengers, providing him with much-needed intel about all that transpired in the kingdom while he was in exile. As bleak and bad as things looked, David still had friends. Even in one of the darkest moments of his life, there were still those who were willing to stand beside him and assist him as he fought to preserve his kingdom and crown.

While David’s actions and demeanor portray a man who has all but given up, it would appear that he was just being realistic. He knew that, for the time being, he had lost his kingdom to his son. There was much he didn’t know, including whether this was going to be a permanent situation or simply another detour in God’s plan for his life. Rather than risk a pitched battle with Absalom and subject the city of Jerusalem to destruction and its inhabitants to death, David left of his own free will. He was sad, but still expectant. He was heartbroken but remained hopeful. Even as he exited the city, he put measures in place that would provide him with vital intelligence and allow him to influence the actions of Absalom from the inside.

The days ahead were going to be difficult and, at times, very dark. The worst had not yet come. There was going to be more devastating news and difficult circumstances in David’s future. He would be ridiculed, reviled, and rejected as king. He would find himself living in exile from his own kingdom. During this devastating change of fortunes, David would have to wrestle with the seeming incongruity of his meteoric fall from grace. He had been anointed by God to be the king of Israel and now he was on the outside looking in. For years, he had been forced to wait for the fulfillment of God’s promise. He lived in exile, trying to stay one step ahead of the fearful and vengeance-filled Saul. He had survived repeated attempts on his life. He had been forced to seek refuge among the enemies of Israel. But then, one day, God orchestrated his ascent to the throne of Israel. In short order, David was able to consolidate the 12 tribes of Israel. His kingdom thrived, his fame spread, his power increased, his family grew, and with that, his problems began. 

Over the next days, weeks, and months, David would have plenty of time to ponder the dramatic reversal of his fortunes. He would have ample opportunity to question what was God doing. He likely spent countless hours revisiting his past actions and regretting his failure to deal with Absalom’s murder of Amnon. David must have wondered whether his fall was a form of punishment for past sins. Was God disciplining him? Did all of this tie back to his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah? One can only guess what went through David’s mind during those difficult days.

There will be days in the life of every God-follower that seem to make no sense. Every child of God will inevitably battle the dark nights of the soul that make us question what we have done to offend God. Sometimes, God will be slow in giving us answers to our questions or explanations for the seemingly confusing events surrounding our lives. At times, we will find ourselves suffering the ramifications of our own poor decision-making. At other times, the consequences of past sins will catch up with us, leaving us confused and conflicted as to what God may be doing and why.

For David, the days ahead would be dark and difficult. Things would get worse before they got better. He would have more questions than answers. And all along the way he would be tempted to either give up in despair or lash out in anger. He would find himself struggling to balance waiting on God with working things out on his own. His flesh would attempt to take control and he considered the injustice of his plight. His mind would race as he schemed his next steps. Should he fight or flee? Should he give up or faithfully wait for God to show up? Would he allow anger to control his actions or would he choose to rest in the sovereign will of God?

It is in the trials of life that we find our faith in God tested. Difficulties tend to expose the insufficiency of our knowledge of God. Unexpected and unwanted trials can reveal that our view of God is flawed and one-dimensional. David’s circumstances had changed dramatically, but he would soon discover that God remained consistently the same. David’s power had greatly diminished, but God remained omnipotent and fully capable of accomplishing His will. David was no longer on his throne, but God was. From David’s limited, earth-bound perspective, his circumstances appeared bleak and hopeless, but God had a different view on things. Not only could God see the future but He held it in His hands. He was not done with David. While Absalom loomed large in David’s life, he was insignificant to God. David was about to learn that his darkest days could provide the perfect backdrop for the light of God’s goodness, love, power, and deliverance to shine.

This moment in David’s life reminds me of the old hymn, “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less” by Robert Critchley. Its words provide a powerful reminder of the hope we have in Christ. Despite all that may happen to us in this life, we can rest confidently in the finished work of Christ.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus' name

When darkness veils his lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil

His oath, his covenant, his blood
Supports me in the 'whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Father Knows Best

1 A good name is better than precious ointment,
    and the day of death than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning
    than to go to the house of feasting,
for this is the end of all mankind,
    and the living will lay it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
    for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
    but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise
    than to hear the song of fools.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,
    so is the laughter of the fools;
    this also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,
    and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,
    and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,
    for anger lodges in the heart of fools.
10 Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”
    For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
    an advantage to those who see the sun.
12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,
    and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Consider the work of God:
    who can make straight what he has made crooked?

14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. – Ecclesiastes 7:1-14 ESV

Once again, using a steady, staccato stream of parables as his tool, Solomon provides us with yet more proof of the futility of a life lived under the sun. Still maintaining his somewhat pessimistic outlook, he utilizes a series of stark contrasts in order to support his central theme that all is vanity.

He juxtaposes birth and death, sorrow and laughter, wisdom and foolishness, the beginning and the end, and the patient and the proud. In each case, Solomon draws a conclusion, deeming one better than the other, and what he decides is meant to shock and surprise us. He starts out comparing birth with death, and while we might logically conclude that the beginning of life is preferable to its end, Solomon would disagree. And he uses a somewhat odd comparison to make his point. In verse one, Solomon utilizes a wordplay, using two similar sounding Hebrew words: shem and shemen, to make his point. Shem means “name” and refers to someone’s reputation. Shemen is the Hebrew word for “oil” and it typically refers to highly fragrant anointing oil.

Solomon states that a good name or reputation is better than precious ointment. To put it another way, he seems to be saying that being good is better than smelling good. A man who hasn’t bathed can douse himself with cologne, but he will only cover up the fact that he stinks. He isn’t fixing his problem; he’s simply masking it. His life is a sham and marked by hypocrisy. 

Solomon uses shem and shemen to make a point about birth and death. While the beginning of life is associated with feasting and celebration, it masks the reality that much hurt and heartache lie ahead. A baby is born without a reputation. It has had no time to establish a name for itself. And no one knows the ultimate outcome of that child’s life. Yet, we celebrate and rejoice on the day of his birth. Solomon is not suggesting we cease celebrating a new birth, but that we recognize the end of one’s life is what truly matters. Why? Because we all face the same fate. Death is inevitable and inescapable. And when it comes time to mourn the life of someone we knew and loved, those who have managed to achieve and maintain a good reputation will be missed most. When it comes time to mourn the loss of someone of good character, sorrow will prove better than laughter, because the reflections on that individual’s life will bring sweet and lasting memories. It will remind the living of what is truly important, and the wise will glean invaluable lessons from a life lived well.

When a child is born, words of encouragement may be spoken, but they’re all hypothetical in nature. No one knows the future, so no one can presume to know how that child’s life will turn out. We can and should be hopeful, but we can’t be certain that our expectations will come to fruition. Yet, at the time of death, there will be irrefutable evidence that proves the true nature of a person’s life. A life lived well will be well documented and greatly celebrated. Even in the sorrow of the moment, there will be joy. Solomon puts it this way: “by sadness of face the heart is made glad” (Ecclesiastes 7:3 ESV). The memories of the one we have lost bring joy to our hearts and put a smile on our faces, and we experience the seeming dichotomy of sadness and gladness.

Solomon’s use of shem and shemen has ongoing application. He seems to be advocating a life that is lived beneath the surface – well beyond the shallow and pretentious trappings of materialism and hedonism. He refers to “the house of mirth,” the place where fools tend to gather. It is a place of joy and gladness, rejoicing and pleasure. The fool makes it his primary destination, believing that it is only there that his heart will find satisfaction and fulfillment.

But Solomon recommends the house of mourning, where sadness and sorrow are found. Again, it is at the end of one’s life that their true character will be revealed in detail. The tears of sorrow may be for one who lived his life well and whose departure will leave a hole in the lives of those left behind. But, in far too many cases, the tears flow out of sadness over a life that was little more than a facade. All was not as it appeared to be. The sweet-smelling oil of success and outer happiness merely masked the reality that there was nothing of value on the inside. The “perfumes” of life are the things we acquire and accumulate, none of which we can take with us. They represent the oil of achievement and visible success. Our homes, cars, clothes, portfolios, resumes, and 401ks may leave the impression that we had it all but, at death, they will prove of little value or significance. As Job so aptly put it, “I came naked from my mother's womb, and I will be naked when I leave” (Job 1:21 NLT).

Solomon has learned that life should be accompanied by thoughtfulness and soberness. It requires serious reflection and careful examination to discover all that life has to offer. But we are prone to live life with our hearts and eyes set on those things that bring us the greatest amount of pleasure and satisfaction, temporary though they may be. We prefer the sweet-smelling, short-lived perfume of a self-indulgent lifestyle. We want it all now. We prefer joy to sorrow, pleasure over pain, happiness rather than heartache, and a good time instead a good name.

But Solomon knew from experience that living in the house of mirth never brings true happiness. He had learned the hard way that a life lived with pleasure as its primary focus rarely results in lasting satisfaction or true joy. Like perfume, its aroma faded with time. This is why Solomon always reverted to wisdom.

Wisdom is even better when you have money.
    Both are a benefit as you go through life.
Wisdom and money can get you almost anything,
    but only wisdom can save your life. – Ecclesiastes 7:11-12 NLT

Money might improve your life over the short term, but only wisdom can protect and prolong your life. And wisdom can’t be bought or acquired. It comes through observation and the application of life lessons, and that requires a willingness to look beneath the surface, beyond the pleasant-sounding lies of the enemy. The apostle John gives us some sober-sounding, wisdom-producing words to consider.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. – 1 John 2:15-17 NLT

And Solomon reminds us to look at life more soberly and seriously, judging it not from our limited human vantage point, but through the eyes of God.

Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? – Ecclesiastes 7:13 NLT

We see death as negative, the end of life. But God sees things differently. We view pleasure as preferable to pain, but God works in ways we can’t comprehend, using the seeming incongruities of life to teach us the most valuable lessons. And as before, Solomon boils his thoughts down to one simple suggestion:

Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. – Ecclesiastes 7:14 NLT

There is nothing wrong with enjoying the pleasures of life and the blessings that God bestows on us in this life. But we must recognize that God is found in the extremes of life. He is sovereign over all that we experience; the good, the bad, the pleasant, the painful, death and life, wealth and poverty, joy and sorrow. A wise man will look for God in everything and find Him. The fool will set his sights on experiencing joy, pleasure, satisfaction, significance, and pleasure, but miss God in the process.

For those who believe in God, the future is always bright because they know that He has a plan for them. They refuse to live in the past and they refrain from allowing the present to dominate their lives. Instead, they consider the words that God spoke to the people of Israel when they were living as exiles in the land of Babylon.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

The wise realize that God is always at work. He never sleeps. He never stops implementing His sovereign plan for those He loves. And while life may sometimes take a turn for the worse, a believer understands that God is far from done. That’s why Solomon warns that living in the past is a waste of time. When things don’t turn out quite the way we expected, it doesn’t pay to reminisce and wax nostalgic.

Don’t long for “the good old days.”
    This is not wise. – Ecclesiastes 7:10 NLT

Keep trusting God. Focus your eyes on the future and trust that His sovereign plan will bring about the best outcome. He will not disappoint. Rather than judging God’s faithfulness by the quality of the circumstances surrounding your life, try resting in the fact that He knows what is best and has a purpose for everything that happens in life.

Accept the way God does things,
    for who can straighten what he has made crooked?
Enjoy prosperity while you can,
    but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. – Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

To Him Who Is Able.

Isaiah 33-34, Jude 1

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. – Jude 1:24-25 ESV

One of the difficult things about reading the book of Isaiah is how it mixes together events that will take place in the not-so-distant future and those that have yet to take place. Within a single chapter you will have prophecies concerning the coming destruction of Judah at the hands of the Assyrians, and predictions of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ. There would be more immediate fulfillments of many of the prophecies contained in the book of Isaiah. But some of them would be partial in nature, to be fulfilled in their entirety in the end times. God's divine plan has an end to it. There is a final aspect to His dealings with mankind and the people of Israel. And yet, He is operating in time and space, all along the way, orchestrating events in such a way that all things will culminate on His predetermined schedule. God told Isaiah, “Now I will arise…now I will lift myself up, now I will be exalted” (Isaiah 33:10 ESV). There is a day coming when God will implement the final phase of His great plan. “For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion” (Isaiah 34:8 ESV). The difficult we face is our inability to see what God has planned out into the future. We are limited in our perspective. So God told us what would happen. He gave us a glimpse into the future. He provided us with an assurance that He has it all taken care of and there is nothing for us to worry about.

What does this passage reveal about God?

The people of God would find themselves falling victim to the attacks of Assyria and Babylon. The northern kingdom of Israel would end up destroyed and living in captivity in Assyrian. Not long afterwards, the southern kingdom of Judah would fall to the Babylonians and end up in living in exile for 70 years. But God was not done yet. He would eventually restore them to their land. He would keep His promise to Abraham and allow them to return to the land of Canaan. He would miraculously provide for them so that they could rebuild the city of Jerusalem, restore the walls that surrounded it and reconstruct the temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians. But they would find themselves without a king. Over the next centuries, they would be relatively powerless and helpless, unable to defend themselves against outside forces and constantly ending up the pawns of more powerful forces. But God was not done with them yet. He would eventually send His Son to be born as one of them. He would grow up among them. He would preach a message of repentance to them. But they would eventually reject Him, demanding His death. But again, God was not done with them. God's ultimate plan for His people, the Jews, involves a yet-to-be-fulfilled event that still looms out in the future. Isaiah is given a glimpse of that yet future event. “Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty” (Isaiah 33:17 ESV). “Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never be plucked up, not will any of its cords be broken. But there the Lord in majesty will be for us” (Isaiah 33:20-21 ESV). How easy it is to judge the faithfulness of God based on our limited perspective. How quick we can be to jump to conclusions and question God's sovereignty or doubt His love. But we must always remember that God is not done yet.

What does this passage reveal about man?

As God's people, this world will always be a place of difficulty and confusion. This world was never intended to be our permanent home. We should not allow ourselves to get too comfortable here. But because we have limited perspective and are unable to see very far into the future, we can find ourselves becoming infatuated and enchanted with what this world has to offer. We can end up expecting all of God's blessings to show up here and now, forgetting that His plan involves the hereafter. God has an eternal perspective, not a temporal one. Our greatest challenge is to keep our eyes focused on Him and not what we see happening around us. We must cling to His promises concerning the future. But the world will want us to see this life as our preferred destiny. We will find ourselves tempted to try and get all we can get now, to live for the moment. But God wants us to live for the future. So He has provided us with glimpses into what is going to happen. He has made it clear that there is a day coming when His Son will return and the final chapter of the story will be written. In this life, we will find ourselves surrounded by those who would tempt us to follow their lead, discounting the activity of God in our lives and dismissing the inevitability of the life to come. They will infiltrate the people of God, disguised as one of the flock, but with evil intentions and motivated by wrong motives. Jude described them in very stark terms: “For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4 ESV). He goes on to say that they “defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones” (Jude 1:8 ESV). “These people blaspheme all that they do not understand” (Jude 1:10 ESV). They are “grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires, they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage” (Jude 1:16 ESV). Basically, these people are worldly and devoid of the Spirit. He compares them to hidden reefs, waterless clouds, fruitless trees, wild waves and wandering stars. In other words, they can't be trusted.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

But there is one we can trust: Jesus Christ. He is able to keep us from stumbling. He is able to keep us in the love of God and protect us, even when we find ourselves surrounded by those who would deceive and distract us. Isaiah found himself surrounded by those who would reject not only his message, but his God. He had to be reminded that God was not finished, that He had a plan. God would prove Himself faithful. The test for Isaiah would be whether he would remain faithful to God as his world seemingly collapsed around him. He would have to trust God while his contemporaries continued to live in open rebellion to God. He would have to continue preaching his message of repentance when no one seemed to be listening or responding. Jude told his readers, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life” (Jude 1:20-21 ESV). We must remain faithful. We must trust that God will be faithful and send His Son to finish what He began. In the meantime we are to “have mercy on those who doubt, save others by snatching them out of the fire, to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh” (Jude 1:22-23 ESV). 

Father, You are trustworthy. I can rest in the knowledge that You have a plan that You are working and there is no one who can stop it. I must not let the presence of those who would distract or deceive me disturb me. You told me there would be those who would try to sneak in and take my focus off of the reality of Your sovereign plan and Your Son's eminent return. Help me stay faithful even if those around me decide to follow their own sinful desires. I want to remain blameless and true, dependent on You and determined to stay the course until the end. Amen

In That Day.

Isaiah 11-12, 1 Peter 5

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. – Isaiah 12:2 ESV

Right in the middle of all the bad news that Isaiah had to deliver to the people of Israel, God gave him a glimpse into a future time when things for the chosen people of God would be dramatically improved. Isaiah was given a much-needed reminder that God's plan regarding Israel was not limited by their sin and rebellion. His future redemption and restoration of them as His people would not be based on their worth or ability to earn His favor. Just as God had restored Israel to the land after their years spent in captivity in Babylon, there was a day coming when He “will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people” (Isaiah 11:11 ESV). In the centuries ahead, the people of Israel would find themselves scattered and dispersed yet again, but God was going to “assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah” (Isaiah 11:12 ESV). The God of Israel is faithful. He would prove Himself to be worthy of their trust. He had told them of His faithfulness. “Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations…” (Deuteronomy 7:9 NLT). But what the people of Isaiah's day needed to understand was that much of what God was going to do for them was to take place far into the future. He described a day when “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox” (Isaiah 11:6-7 ESV). This is likely describing a future day when there will be a time of unprecedented peace. The imagery of the wolf, leopard, lion and bear all represent the enemies of Israel who had plagued them for centuries. In that coming day, there will be God-ordained peace over all the earth and “they shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 11:9 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

God revealed to Isaiah that there was a day coming when “there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1 ESV). There was an individual coming on whom the Spirit of the Lord would rest. He would be marked by wisdom and understanding, counsel and might. He would have unprecedented knowledge and a fear of the Lord. This future leader was to be none other than Jesus Christ Himself. But it speaks of Jesus after His second coming when He will rule and reign as the rightful descendant of David from his throne in Jerusalem. The book of Revelation describes Him in all His glory. “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:11-16 ESV). Earlier in chapter 9, it was revealed how this future King would arrive on earth. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV). Luke would later record the words of the angel Gabriel, spoken to Mary about her soon-to-be miraculous pregnancy. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33 ESV). God was going to send His Son the first time in the form of a helpless baby. He would grow into manhood and eventually give His life as a substitionary sacrifice for the sins of mankind. But there is a day coming when God will send His Son again, but on that day He will come as a conquering warrior. He will put right all that is wrong with the world. He will restore creation, redeem Israel, and destroy the enemy of God once and for all. 

What does this passage reveal about man?

As we live in this world, it can be so easy to lose sight of God's bigger plan. We can become so tunnel-sighted that we fail to recognize what God is doing on a grand scale. His long-term strategy so often escapes our notice. But Peter told his audience, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand o God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV). One of the more difficult things for us to do as human beings is to humble ourselves under God's sovereign will. There is a part of us that wants to know, that wants to dictate the direction and control the outcome of our lives. When difficulties come or our circumstances take a turn for the worst, it is easy to forget that God is in control. Our hope is to be a future hope. That does not mean that God is not involved, at this very moment, in the everyday affairs of our lives, but we must never lose sight of the fact that His salvation has a future aspect to it. Over and over again in the book of Isaiah, we read the words, “in that day.” Those words have a future orientation. Isaiah writes, “You will say in that day: ‘I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me’” (Isaiah 12:1 ESV). The situation at the time Isaiah was writing was less-than-ideal. The people were in rebellion. The threat of God's coming punishment hung over their heads. But there was a day coming. Salvation from the hand of God was in the future, and when it finally came, the people were going to be able to express their thanks and appreciation to the faithful, loving God. In the very next verse we read, “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” (Isaiah 12:2 ESV). Part of the test for the people of Israel was to learn to trust God and to see Him as their strength and salvation, long before the actual experience of that salvation was to take place.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Sometimes it is hard for me to see God at work in and around my life. I can find is so easy to doubt and despair, wondering where He is and what He is doing. But I must always remind myself that His plan is far bigger than what I can see. His ultimate salvation of my life has a future aspect to it. Yes, He has saved me from the penalty of sin and death, but there is also a day coming when He is going to save me from my ongoing battle with my own sin nature. He will release me from this earthly body and allow me to experience what it is like to live a sin-free, pain-free, quilt-free, doubt-free life. Paul writes, “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling…” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2 ESV). Peter gives us this encouraging words to remember as we live out our lives in the meantime: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 6:10-11 ESV). There is a day coming when God will call me to His eternal glory. At that point, He will completely restore, confirm, strengthen and establish me. It is as good as done. It is a sure thing. I can count on it as if it has already happened. So in the meantime, I need to learn to live my life with that day in mind. That is my future. That is my hope.

Father, I am so grateful that You have the end perfectly worked out. You know my future and You have it securely in place for me. I don't have to worry about it. I don't have to wonder how it all turns out. All because of what Your Son, the root of Jesse, has already accomplished on my behalf. Help me keep my eyes focused on the future as I live out my days in the present. Amen