Daily Light Comments

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

There is a wonderful little piece of Truth kind of hidden away in this verse. First, it is taken from Isaiah 12:2. Isaiah's name in Hebrew would be Anglicized like this: "salvation of Yah." Second, the Hebrew word translated LORD here is "Yah," shortened form of Jehovah. Third, the very next word after "Yah" is "Jehovah. In Hebrew, when a name is doubled [Yah Jehovah] it is done so for emphasis> Here it would be read, "Jehovah even Jehovah Himself." Finally, the word translated "salvation" is a passive participle [a verb used as a noun]: "saving One."

So then, what we have here is: The prophet : "Salvation of Yah," is rejoicing in "Yah, even Jehovah Himself," because He is become my "Saving One." In the context of the early portion of Isaiah's prophecy, this is a staggering revelation! [Look especially at Isaiah 1:1-18, where Jehovah castigates Israel for her inveterate dead religiousness!

The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. Isa 33:24

It was that awful word "iniquity" that grabbed my attention. This promise is literally overwhelming! It is one thing to stumble into a sinful action or deed. But it is another thing altogether to turn a corner into iniquity. I remember Mr. sells teaching us that iniquity was essentially "walking a crooked path." It describes, not a minor flaw, but an ongoing path. It is the best word to identify the condition of every fallen son or daughter of Adam. It is a CHOSEN path, not a "slip-up." Yet, the LORD plainly says that "their iniquity shall be forgiven! If this promise does not draw any person to Christ, I wonder if anything will!

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Eph. 6:13

The "evil day" identified here is the day of Satan's concentrated attack. It can be a corporate or an individual attack. But, sometimes, all we can do is just find ourselves still standing when it seems miraculous to do so. The Lord knows what we are face with and is infinitely greater than the Adversary.

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.

This was originally written to Hebrew believers that had made the leap from seed-form Christianity [OT} to the full light of redemptive truth in Jesus Christ. By the time that the Lord came in the flesh, Judaism [the religion of the Jews] had departed almost entirely away from God's truth revealed in the OT writings, opting instead for a huge edifice of dead religiousness instead. Those that had newly seen the reality in Christ were despitefully used by the dead religionists. we see the same thing all through the NT writings as the "Judaizers" hounded Paul all across the Roman Empire.

Thus, this exhortation has far more depth when we embrace it because we, too, are despitefully used for pointing to a far greater light than the dead religiousness that defines so much of church life here in the twenty-first century.

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. Matt. 5:44

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. John 17:9, 20

We are told to pray for those that despitefully use us and persecute us. Yet, in the next passage in this group we see that Jesus specifically says, "I pray NOT for the world, but for them which the hast given me."

Clearly, we have much to learn about prayer! When SHOULD we pray for those that are of the world and despitefully use us? And when should we, like Jesus, pray NOT for the world, but for God's redeemed ones?

I think it's all about entirely different kinds of praying. As I said, we have much to learn.