Exo 33:1-23  The Command to Leave Sinai

[Study Aired January 16, 2023]

Exo 33:1  And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
Exo 33:2  And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: 
Exo 33:3  Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
Exo 33:4  And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
Exo 33:5  For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
Exo 33:6  And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb. 
Exo 33:7  And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. 
Exo 33:8  And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
Exo 33:9  And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.
Exo 33:10  And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
Exo 33:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
Exo 33:12  And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
Exo 33:13  Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 
Exo 33:14  And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 
Exo 33:15  And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
Exo 33:16  For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
Exo 33:17  And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
Exo 33:18  And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
Exo 33:19  And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
Exo 33:20  And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Exo 33:21  And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
Exo 33:22  And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
Exo 33:23  And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

This chapter deals with the Lord commanding the Israelites to leave Mount Sinai and to go to the promised land to possess it. It also focuses on the tent of the congregation that Moses set up outside the camp for the Israelites to communicate with the Lord and Moses’ encounter with the Lord when he requested the Lord to show him His glory.

In Deuteronomy, when Moses was recounting the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness, he gave additional information regarding why the Lord wanted the Israelites to leave Horeb to possess the land – that is, they had spent too much time in Horeb.

Deu 1:6  The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: 
Deu 1:7  Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
Deu 1:8  Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

We spend too much time in Babylon thinking we are serving the Lord but in reality, we are worshiping another Jesus. If we are the elect, then we shall leave Horeb and continue our journey to possess our bodies which in this case is the promised land or the land of Canaan where we battle the old man within, which is represented by all those living in Canaan (Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hittites, Hivites and Jebusites).

2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Exo 33:1  And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
Exo 33:2  And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: 
Exo 33:3  Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.

Our God is a God who fulfills promises. As we are aware, the Lord made a promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He would give them the land of Canaan. In reminding Moses of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He was reassuring Moses that he is dealing with a God who is able to raise him (the elect) up from their spiritually dead state to give them a kingdom. 

Luk 20:37  Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 
Luk 20:38  For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

As stated here in verse 1, the deliverance by the Lord at the hands of the Egyptians is to bring them to possess a good land. The land here is our bodies, and the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites are all different aspects of the beast or the old man within us which are being dealt with at various phases of our lives. Thus, our salvation is a process which lasts a lifetime. It is not something we attain at the beginning of our walk, as our brothers and sisters in Babylon made us believe during our sojourn there. It is rather at the end of the road that salvation becomes ours.

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

1Co 9:24  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 
1Co 9:25  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 
1Co 9:26  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 
1Co 9:27  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

In verse 3, we are told that the land they are going to inherit after leaving Egypt is a land flowing with milk and honey. Let’s try to understand what milk and honey stands for. Milk in the scriptures represents the basics of the Lord’s word as shown below:

Isa 28:9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Honey can also mean the milk of the word of Christ. It only helps us to distinguish between good and evil.

Isa 7:15  Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

Honey, on the other hand, essentially deals with how we hear the word of the Lord. When the word of the Lord comes to us, it tastes so sweet. However, after we start to apply it to our lives, that is when it becomes bitter.

Eze 3:3  And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. 
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 

So, the Lord delivering the Israelites from Egypt and taking them to the land flowing with milk and honey is to let us know that when we come out of the world, we are to start with the milk of the word of the Lord, which tastes like honey when we hear it. 

The second part of verse 3 talks about the Lord not going with the Israelites as a result of their stiff-necked nature. Being stiff-necked means we are still under the control of our old man or the beast. Since the old man or the beast is occupying the throne of our hearts, it is impossible for the Lord to be in us to lead us through the wilderness of life. If we are called and chosen, then the Lord will go with us. However, it means that the Lord will consume the old man along the way as stated in verse 3.

2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

Exo 33:4  And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. 
Exo 33:5  For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. 
Exo 33:6  And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb. 

The evil tidings in verse 4 refers to the fact that the Israelites were stiff-necked people and as a result, the Lord will not go with them in their journey to the promised land. It is through the word of the Lord that we come to see our real nature as a beast. It is when the law of Moses has done its work in our lives as schoolmaster that we come to see that indeed we are stiff-necked people.  Since we are called and chosen, the Lord will come into our midst to consume us as shown in verse 5. This means the Lord will come to us to judge us so that we learn righteousness.

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

In our stiff-necked state, we do not put on any ornament as shown in verses 4 and 6. To be stripped of ornaments means to be denied being clothed with the Lord’s righteousness as shown in the following verse:

Isa 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

It is therefore through the Lord coming to us to consume us that we put on the robe of righteousness or ornaments.

Exo 33:7  And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

This verse is to let us know that we can only seek the Lord intimately when we go outside the camp. The camp here stands for Babylon. Going outside the camp therefore means leaving Babylon as the Lord has commanded us to do.

Heb 13:11  For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 
Heb 13:12  Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 
Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Exo 33:8  And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
Exo 33:9  And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.
Exo 33:10  And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

These verses foreshadow the fact that our brothers and sisters in Babylon or the synagogue of Satan will come to bow down and worship Christ through us in the fullness of time.

Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him (Jesus Christ), and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Moses’ dedication to his fellowship with the Lord was evident to the people of Israel as they see him enter the tabernacle regularly to fellowship with the Lord who is symbolized by the cloudy pillar which descends and stands at the door of the tabernacle.  

Rev 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

To worship before our feet does not mean that Babylon will come to worship us. What it means is that they will come to worship the Lord through our guidance (at our feet). Moses’ encounter with the Lord made it obvious to the people of Israel that the Lord indeed loves him. Our dedication to Christ will show the world that the Lord indeed loves us!! This is clearly portrayed by Jacob’s love for Joseph, who is a symbol of Christ and His elect. Jacob here represents God. We have indeed been favored to know Christ in this age!!

Gen 37:3  Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
Gen 37:4  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

Exo 33:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Here in verse 11, we are told that the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. Later on, when Aaron and Miriam spoke against Moses, the Lord told them that it was only Moses with whom He speaks face to face. 

Num 12:4  And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
Num 12:5  And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. 
Num 12:6  And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
Num 12:7  My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 
Num 12:8  With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

The Lord speaking to Moses face to face is another way of saying that we, His elect, represented here by Moses, have been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

In the second part of verse 11, we are told that Moses went back to the camp while Joshua remained in the tabernacle. To understand this statement, we need to know that Moses, in the negative context, represents the law of Moses, which is what governs our lives in Babylon, the camp. Thus, Moses going back to the camp is to let us know that the law must finish its work in Babylon before faith comes. Joshua, on the other hand, symbolizes the elect who departed not from the tabernacle. We know that it is in this tabernacle that the Lord speaks to Moses face to face. Joshua remaining in the tabernacle is therefore another way of saying that the Lord’s words should not depart from our mouth as the Lord’s elect and that we should meditate on it day and night in order to make our way prosperous.

Jos 1:8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Exo 33:12  And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 
Exo 33:13  Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 
Exo 33:14  And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Exo 33:15  And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 
Exo 33:16  For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
Exo 33:17  And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

Moses wanted to know who the Lord was sending with him to lead the people of Israel. In verse 14, the Lord told Moses that His presence shall go with him and give him rest. These verses point to the coming of the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord will send to lead the Lord’s elect in this wilderness of life into all truth.

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 

As we can see from these verses, it is when we find grace in the Lord’s sight that He comes to us to show us His ways. The grace we find in Christ is for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. From the Biblical perspective, grace is defined as Christ coming to us. 

Joh 1:16  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Joh 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

The Babylonian system from which we came equates physical blessings with grace. What we need to know is that blessings are for our existence, but grace is for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. We do need the Lord’s blessing for our existence, otherwise, there is no way we can fulfill the Lord’s purpose. However, merely to exist is vanity of vanities. All the cars, houses, money, degrees, and jobs are vanities if our existence is not for the fulfillment of the Lord’s purpose. In the Old Testament, we mainly have blessings, but in the New Testament, the physical blessings are immediately replaced by spiritual blessings. The physical blessings are all included in the spiritual blessings for the fulfillment of the Lord’s purpose.

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

As stated, grace is Christ coming to us. We know that Christ coming to us means coming with His judgment to purify us for the purpose of fulfilling His purpose. 

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

As His elect, we have found grace in the Lord’s sight just as Moses found grace in His sight!! Alleluia!!

Exo 33:18  And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

We need to know what the glory of the Lord signifies in order to understand what Moses was asking for. The following verses show us what the glory of the Lord means:

Num 14:10  But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
Num 14:11  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

Num 16:19  And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.
Num 16:20  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

Deu 5:24  And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

We can see from these verses that anytime the glory of the Lord appears, we see the Lord speaking. The glory of the Lord is Christ Himself who is also the word. In Deuteronomy 5:24, additional information is given to qualify the glory of the Lord, and that is fire. Seeing His glory therefore means hearing the Lord’s voice out of the midst of the fire. This conclusion is affirmed in Exodus 24:16-17, where the sight of the glory of the Lord was likened to a devouring fire on the top of the Mount. So, in this age, those who are privileged to see the glory of the Lord are those who are hearing His words in the midst of the furnace of their affliction. I will therefore take this opportunity to tell our brothers and sisters scattered all over the world who are going through fiery trials that they should rejoice because it is through suffering that they will see the glory of the Lord!! When we are going through suffering, it is hard to rejoice, but afterwards it will yield the benefit of coming to know Christ or seeing the glory of the Lord!! 

Exo 33:19  And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. 
Exo 33:20  And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

In answering Moses’ request to see the glory of the Lord, the Lord told him that He will cause all His goodness to pass in front of him. The question is what does it mean for His goodness to pass in front of Moses?  To answer this question, we need to know what the goodness of the Lord is. The goodness of the Lord is His work of salvation for the elect first, and then the whole of the human race later. In Romans 2:4 We are told that the goodness of God leads to repentance and repentance is the way of salvation.

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Psa 31:19  Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! 

This work of salvation, which shows His goodness, is about how He brings us to our safe haven in Christ.

Psa 107:21  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 
Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 
Psa 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 
Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

The Lord telling Moses that His goodness will pass before him, therefore, means that this work of salvation is not for him and that he was ministering to the Lord’s elect.

1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 
1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

The Lord’s goodness also entails His prerogative to show mercy to some and to harden the hearts of others. This is to let us know that we do not play any role in His work of salvation. 

Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

The Lord also told Moses that he cannot see His face because no man sees Him and lives. To see the Lord’s face means to know Him. There is no way for Moses to know the Lord since Jesus had not come to atone for the sins of mankind at Moses’ time. Those of us who are knowing Him or seeing His face now are the ones who are dying daily to the flesh or the old man since we cannot see the Lord and live in the comfort of our old man!!

Exo 33:21  And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
Exo 33:22  And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
Exo 33:23  And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

In order to understand these verses, we have to see who Moses represents here. As stated, Moses is a symbol of the law. Babylon is governed by the law of Moses. So, what the Lord told Moses here in these verses pertains to our walk in Babylon. In verse 21, the Lord told Moses that there is a place by Him where he shall stand on a rock. This rock is Christ. In other words, the churches of this world stand on the foundation built by Christ. However, what they build on this foundation is wood, hay and stubble.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

In verse 22, the Lord hid Moses in a cleft of the rock and covered it with His hand such that Moses will not see the goodness of the Lord. This is to let us know that it is the Lord who has blinded the churches of this world (represented here by Moses) such that they cannot see the Lord’s way of salvation. Verse 23 shows us that all that the churches can see is the back parts of the Lord which symbolize the law of Moses. That is why the churches are dominated by the law of Moses which serves as a schoolmaster until faith comes.

Rom 11:7  What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Rom 11:8  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
Rom 11:9  And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 
Rom 11:10  Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back always.

Gal 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 
Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

May the Lord grant us the grace to know more of His goodness in this land of the living!! Amen!!

Isa 49:1-7 Thou Art My Servant, Israel, in Whom I Will be Glorified - Discussion

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Isa 49:1-7 Thou Are My Servant, Israel, In Whom I Will Be Glorified.

[Study Aired November 3, 2019]

Isa 49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
Isa 49:2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
Isa 49:3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Isa 49:4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
Isa 49:5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
Isa 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
Isa 49:7 Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

The effect of this study will be to demonstrate the depth the Truth of this verse of scripture:

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

We will begin with another demonstration of the sovereignty of God over “all things” (Eph 1:11).

Once our eyes are opened, we wonder how we could ever have been so blind. That is especially true when it comes to the subject of the sovereignty of God and acknowledging that sovereignty “in all of [our] ways”. When we are granted to accept the Truth that He is working “all things” we wonder how it is possible that we did not see this plain Truth:

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Here is yet another declaration that the Lord knows every man before he is even born. If we have been given ears to hear, and eyes that see, then we will see and hear that the scriptures consistently teach everything that happens has been determined to take place exactly as the Lord has already determined long in advance.

Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

That being true, it follows that what the spirit leads Isaiah says of himself is also true of all men of all time. We are the ‘people’ and the ‘isles’ to whom this verse is addressed:

Isa 49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

This very same statement is made of Jacob and Esau, of Pharaoh, of Samson, of Jeremiah, of King David, and of every wicked man who has ever been born:

Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; )
Rom 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Rom 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Rom 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

The story of Samson demonstrates that God knew in advance exactly what He intended to do through Samson as a type of Christ and His anointed:

Jdg 14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
Jdg 14:2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
Jdg 14:3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
Jdg 14:4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

In telling us the Lord knew Isaiah before he was born, Isaiah is simply agreeing with what the holy spirit had already told both kings David and Solomon many years earlier:

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. (ASV)

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

“Even the wicked for the day of evil”, along with the stories of Jacob and Esau and the wicked Pharaoh of Romans 9, makes very clear that the Lord knows all men before they are even born.

The Lord knew Jeremiah before He was born:

Jer 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Jer 1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
Jer 1:7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

Is Jeremiah telling us that he alone was known of the Lord before he was born, or is he not giving us a principle which is in line with all the rest of scripture, which informs us that “even [all] the wicked… are made by God… for the day of evil” in the lives of every wicked man.

In college my first-year Bible professor asked the class, “Did God know in advance that Adam and Eve would eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?” Without hesitation my answer was, “Yes, of course He did. God knows the beginning from the end.” I was shocked and somewhat humiliated when my teacher literally shouted back at me… “No, He did not! He could have known, but He chose not to know, because He has given us all free will, and though He could indeed know, He has chosen not to know what we will choose to do in this life.” I was the student, and my professor was the teacher, and he obviously had asked that question for the very purpose of squashing any opposition to the church’s doctrine of “free moral agency”. At that moment I did not know all the verses I have just quoted to you, so I was in no position to defend my answer, and my professor was adamant in his assertion that God has given us a will that is free from His sovereign will. He went on to explain that God’s sovereignty was only over the overall outcome of mankind’s actions and not over the minute details in the day-to-day lives of every man on earth. It was clear that my professor had given this subject much thought because he also brought up the stories of Jacob and Esau, Pharaoh, and even Isaiah and Jeremiah, and explained to the class: “In light of these stories, it is obvious that God has chosen to know in advance what these few men would do in their lives, but they are the exception and not the rule because we all know He has given us free will.”

So, that was my own doctrine for many years until the Lord opened my eyes to all the verses I have just shared with you.

Here are just a few more of the literally dozens of verses which helped to deliver me from the false doctrine of mankind’s fabled ‘free will’:

Pro 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Pro 20:24 Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

Jer 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

And as quoted earlier:

Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Knowing that God is "working all things after the counsel of His own will", we can now know for certain that when He speaks of knowing Isaiah before He is born and using Isaiah’s ‘mouth like a sharp sword’ that these words also apply to all the rest of those to whom He has, “made known the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself.”

Let’s compare Isaiah 49:1 to two verses which say the same about us in the New Testament. One is in Timothy and the other in Titus.

Here again is:

Isa 49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

Here are Timothy and Titus:

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

We have been told by some who have left our fellowship that these words are speaking only of an indefinite few, but they cannot possibly be referring to each of us personally, because God does not know in advance what each of us will choose to do, nor whether we will obey the Lord or not. However, the very purpose of reminding us about the stories of Jacob and Esau and Pharaoh (Rom 9:11-18) tell us plainly that the Lord does indeed know us personally before we are ever born, and He does know “while we are in our mother’s womb, having done neither good nor evil” exactly what we will do because He has “the days ordained for [us]… written in His book before there are any of them” (Psa 139:16 ASV).

In this prophecy of Isaiah we are told the Lord knew Cyrus hundreds of years before he was born (44:28), and He knew Isaiah before He was born (Isa 49:1)

Isaiah continues telling us what the Lord does with each of us:

Isa 49:2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
Isa 49:3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

As He always does, the Lord says the same thing twice. Both words, ‘sword’ and ‘arrow’, in this case “a polished shaft in His quiver”, are types of all in whose mouths are the Words of God, as demonstrated in these verses:

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Rev 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

The dream is one, and in Bible-speak ‘arrows’ are the same as a ‘sword’.

Psa 21:12 Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.

Psa 38:2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.

Psa 45:5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.

All these words are the Lord’s words, and Christ Himself is the Word of God:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Joh 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

That being true, this prophecy of Isaiah is actually the words of Christ. Christ is “the light of men”, and He tells us that if He is living within us then we, too, are “the light of the world”:

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

What applies to Isaiah, or any other prophet, king, priest or any other servant of the Lord, applies to all of the Lord’s people, meaning to you and to me as part of the Lord’s body.

Let’s read this verse again with that in mind:

Isa 49:2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

Therefore, it really is our mouths which are also “like a sharp sword” with which our old man is being made to decrease daily and to die daily:

Joh 3:30 He must increase [Christ in us], but I [our old man within us] must decrease.

1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I [our old man] die daily.

As His “sharp sword” we are “hidden… in the shadow of His hand”, and as His “polished shaft” we are His arrows “hidden in His quiver”.

The “shadow of the Lord’s hand” and “His quiver” are again one and the same thing. “The dream is one” (Gen 41:25-26), and “hidden in the shadow of His hand… [and] hidden in His quiver” are both symbols of how the Lord will supernaturally protect His elect as He protected Joseph, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Daniel, the three Hebrew children, and Mordecai and Esther, and many others, including you and me.

A few examples:

Psa 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

Psa 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

Psa 64:2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

Now notice carefully how the Lord identifies Isaiah with His people, His own special nation:

Isa 49:3 And said unto me [Isaiah], Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

I want to read these first three verses as one statement again, so we get the full force of how the Lord views each of us:

Isa 49:1 LISTEN, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
Isa 49:2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
Isa 49:3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Those words about “my mother’s womb” sound very personal. What is the Lord telling us by going from speaking personally to Isaiah to then referring to Isaiah as ‘Israel’ in the very same breath? It should be crystal clear that while the Lord knows us as different parts of His own body and knows the number of the hairs of our heads, at the same time He considers us to be part of His “kingdom of God… within [us]” (Luk 17:20-21) and an integral part of His “one body… the church” (Col 1:24).

Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

1Co 12:12 For, even as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the one body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ, (YLT)

Col 1:24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and do fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the Christ in my flesh for his body, which is the assembly [the church], (YLT)

The holy spirit uses the same method in referring to us as “the commonwealth of Israel” in:

Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Israel is the Lord’s special people above all the people of this world:

Deu 7:6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

Notice the ease with which Isaiah apparently returns to speaking of himself:

Isa 49:4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
Isa 49:5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

Look at what we just read… “Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain…” Who is speaking here??? It certainly appears to be Isaiah speaking. He goes on to say, “My judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.”

Now what takes place when God judges us? Isaiah has already told us what the fruit of all of the Lord’s judgments is. Whether in this present time (Rom 8:18) or in the great white throne judgment, this is the fruit of all of His judgments:

Isa 26:8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

However, Isaiah thinks his efforts to bring the Lord’s people to Himself have been a waste of time… “I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain…” Indeed it seems that way to all whom the Lord has ever chosen to work with His people. Moses certainly felt that way when the Lord tried His people, and they so quickly forgot all the miracles the Lord had previously performed before their own eyes:

Exo 17:1 AND all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
Exo 17:2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
Exo 17:3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
Exo 17:4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

Num 11:14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

Jeremiah felt the same way Isaiah felt. He, too, felt that all he had done for the Lord was in vain, and had been nothing more than a waste of time:

Jer 20:7 O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
Jer 20:8 For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.

Moses, Isaiah and Jeremiah, all types of us, believed their efforts in the Lord’s service were in vain, and yet the Lord used Moses to lead Israel to the promised land. Jeremiah felt all he did in the Lord’s service was in vain, yet this is what the Lord used Jeremiah to accomplish:

Jer 1:8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
Jer 1:9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Jer 1:10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

Compare these words which appear to be addressed to Jeremiah to these words which addressed to Isaiah:

Isa 49:4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
Isa 49:5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

Though physical Israel “be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength”. Again, I must ask us all to look at what we just read… “Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain…” Who is speaking here??? It certainly appears to be Isaiah speaking. He goes on to say… “My judgment is with the Lord and my work with my God”. But neither Isaiah, nor anyone in the Old Testament will be “glorious” with Christ in the “blessed and holy first resurrection” because Christ told us:

Luk 7:28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Moses all felt that they had fallen short, and if we have eyes to see and ears that hear, we will know that these men are one and all “types of us” as we are serving the Lord while in Babylon:

1Co 10:6 Now these things became types of us, for us not to be lusters after evil things, (CLV)

1Co 10:11 Now all this befalls them typically. Yet it was written for our admonition, to whom the consummations of the eons have attained. (CVL)

These Old Testament men are all “types of us”. All their struggles in the Lord’s service “befell them typically… [and] it was written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” ‘The ends of the ages’ did not come upon anyone in the Old Testament. “The ends of the ages’ have come upon us… in this present time” (Rom 8:18).

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

It is the manifested sons of God who Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah and the entire nation of Israel typify in the Old Testament. Because Christ identifies with His people, both in type and as the antitype of the manifested sons of God, He tells Isaiah:

Isa 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
Isa 49:7 Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

“The Holy One of Israel” is Christ. “The light of the Gentiles” is Christ, but as we have seen, it is Christ Himself who also sees us as Himself and tells us that “as ye have [or have not] done it unto one of the least of these my brothers, ye have done it [or not done it] unto me… as my Father has sent me, even so send I you”, the persecuted in Christ are Christ, and “as He is so are we in this world” (Mat 25:31-45; Joh 20:21; Act 22:8; 1Jo 4:17 respectively).

Here again are Isaiah 49:6-7 and Jeremiah 1:10:

Isa 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
Isa 49:7 Thus saith the LORD , the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

Who will be “a light to the Gentiles” but Christ and His Christ. The phrase “light to the Gentiles” is found four other times in scripture. Reading the three appearances in the New Testament demonstrates the principle of “As He is so are we in this world” (1Jo 4:17). Notice that Luke applies these words to Christ and Paul appropriates these words to Barnabas and to himself.

Let’s look at all four entries:

Isa 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Luk 2:25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
Luk 2:26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
Luk 2:27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Luk 2:28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Luk 2:29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
Luk 2:30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Luk 2:31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
Luk 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
Luk 2:33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
Luk 2:34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
Luk 2:35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Act 13:44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Act 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
Act 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
Act 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

Act 26:23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

They one and all refer to Christ, but because we are also Saviors (Oba 1:21) and we are “Jesus of Nazareth (Act 22:8), and because Christ has sent us as His Father sent Him (Joh 29:21) and because we are as He is in this world (1Jo 4:17), being given “for a light to the Gentiles”, is also speaking of and to the Lord’s Christ through whom the Father will be made to become “all in all”:

Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Jer 1:10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

This is the anti-type who will fulfill Isaiah 49:6-7 and Jeremiah 1:10:

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

That is our study for today. I hope you have been granted to see that Christ’s Israel is Christ, His body is Himself and His Words are Himself. He is in the process of bringing all men of all time to know this great Truth.

Here are our verses for next week:

Isa 49:8 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
Isa 49:9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
Isa 49:10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
Isa 49:11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
Isa 49:12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
Isa 49:13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
Isa 49:14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
Isa 49:15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
Isa 49:16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
Isa 49:17 Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.