THE ETERNAL CITY
Opening Prayer
As I read Scripture today, Holy Spirit, use it to not only humble me, but also to lift me up.
Read ISAIAH 4:2-6
The Branch of the Lord
2 In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit[a] of judgment and a spirit[b] of fire. 5 Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory[c] will be a canopy. 6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 4:4 Or the Spirit
- Isaiah 4:4 Or the Spirit
- Isaiah 4:5 Or over all the glory there
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Is there a date in your diary that you are anxious about, worried it might bring troubling news?In our earlier readings the Lord referred to a particular day in his diary (e.g., 2:11, 12). He kept repeating this phrase: ‘in that day’—a day when the people would face judgment. So when today’s passage begins with the words ‘in that day’ (v. 2), we have a sense we know what is coming. But we are surprised. It is wonderful!
A new Jerusalem beckons (vv. 3–6). In the midst, all eyes are on the ‘Branch of the Lord’ (v. 2), surely the Lord’s Messiah (later, as in Jeremiah 23:5, 6), the pride and joy of Judah, beautiful and glorious. All is now holy, even the people. These survivors are washed and cleansed, and their names recorded. The Lord God is leading and protecting his people in this, his new creation. Glory and salvation stretch over the scene.
When life is grim, we need something to look forward to. What could be better than a future like this? Isaiah knew that his people, humbled and disgraced, needed a lift. In good times and bad, looking ahead to what ‘God has prepared for those who love him’ (1 Corinthians 2:9) can be just the incentive and motivation we need.
Apply
Where do you go for encouragement? Do you have Scripture memorized, bookmarked in your Bible, or posted in a place where you can readily see it and be reminded of God’s love and faithfulness?
Closing prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you that the Lord Jesus endured so much ‘for the joy set before him’ (Hebrews 12:2). Help me to do the same.
Book and Author Intros
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