Isaiah 28:5-6, “In that day the LORD of hosts will be For a
crown of glory and a diadem of beauty To the remnant of His people, For a spirit of justice to him who sits in
judgment, And for strength to those who
turn back the battle at the gate” (NKJV).
This verse speaks directly to the
people of Judah. God is going to bring judgment against them for their pride
and idolatry. But with God justice is followed by protection and blessing.
God’s justice is total. Isaiah is telling the people that God has spoken.
Amidst the just punishment of the wicked there will be a remnant. There will be
people who will repent turning to Yahweh and they will cling to Him. God’s
promise here is that although He is going to orchestrate divine judgment, once
that judgment has run its course, He will turn and deliver His remnant. Those
who hold fast to Him will turn back the adversary and chase them right out the
city gate. This is God’s total justice; chastisement for the wicked and salvation
for the faithful.
We live in a world today where the
wickedness of world leaders is clearly evident. And we see in too many churches
a “falling away” from the truth of God’s word. This is a form of surrender.
Even the religious leaders are too concerned with their own status, their own
reputation, to stand for the truth. It is a combination of pride and a fear of
offending the wicked that has led to this apostasy. And the adversary is taking
full advantage of these holes in the wall. But we also see hope. We see a few
who are standing up for Jesus and proclaiming the truth. We may not be popular
with the world, but we are God’s chosen. And we have the responsibility of
chasing the adversary back out the gates of our city. There is no time for
apathy. This is not a time to sit back and watch the battle as it escalates and
gains precious ground. We are to stand and fight.
But we must remember that unlike
the day of the above prophecy, we are not in a military conflict with flesh and
blood. We are in the midst of an intense Spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12). If
we turn our attitude from self-pity to optimism we will see the pockets of
resistance being held by our brethren. We see the victories in the Name of The
Lord showing up here and there. God has not forsaken us (Hebrews 13:5). We must
come to the aid of our fighting brethren as members of the family of God. Our
first response must be an act of repentance immediately followed by intentional
and expectant prayer. Through prayer we will gain the strength and direction to
boldly proclaim the Name of The Lord. Although this prophecy speaks to Judah
just over 700 years before Christ, God is still God and He never changes
(Hebrews 13:8). So this leaves us a principle character trait of our God. And
in this way it still applies to us today. The resistance will grow. We will
reclaim precious ground. And we will “turn back the battle at the gate”.
Be blessed my friends. Re. W.S.
Caplinger C.E.
