Bible Reading: Isaiah 4:1-6
“In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel” – Isaiah 4:2 (KJV).
The day in this text refers to the day of judgment of Israel and the restoration of the remnants. Because Israel abandoned God to serve Baal and the Gods of other nations, they became arrogant and proud thereby attracting God’s judgment. God began to strip them of all the blessings and beauty with which he had earlier adorned them. The lofty look of man was humbled, and the haughtiness of men was bowed down. God used the surrounding nations to humble them. They fell out of favour with God because God cannot endorse their pride, arrogance and immoral lifestyle.
God took away the stay of bread and water. Famine and thirst became their lot to show God’s disapproval of their idolatrous lifestyle.
But in the midst of the famine, nakedness and hunger, God made a notable difference between those that feared him and those that feared him not. Just as he carved out Goshen in Egypt to save the covenant children from the plagues in Egypt, he also shielded the remnants that feared him, from the judgment of the rebellious Israel. While some were being stripped of their beauty and welfare, those that feared God were being adorned, fed and beautified. The same is the case with the church today. God is making a distinction between those that love and serve him and those that do not fear him. It takes righteousness, obedience and the fear of God to access redemptive benefits; a book of remembrance is being opened for them. “And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not” – Malachi 3:17-18 (KJV).
PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to make the needed difference in my life
Rev. Vincent Diolu