Since my son died just over a week ago, I have deeply grieved and sorrowed and hurt. Yet many people, near and far, have offered me words of sympathy, support and love.
Lots of precious Scripture verses too have been shared with this sad Preacher. A good one-word goal of all their efforts … “encouragement,” my brothers and sisters in Christ wanted to uplift my heart!
And I say “Thank You.”
Then this morning, as we continue our study of the Second Coming of Jesus, specifically our perusal of the Millennium, I discover (or re-discover) this short Text:
“Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.” Isaiah 35:3-4
Now I know this is written to a suffering little nation called Israel. (We must view the Bible “in context.”) Yet I also have learned that the Bible (any Passage) has one interpretation, but (Hallelujah) can also have many applications!
“Strengthening weak hands and confirming feeble knees,” poetry from a Prophet’s inspired pen … are self-explanatory clauses. God is going to imbue confidence and fortitude to His people. Who have been tortured for years under the reign of a devil called anti-Christ. During the last half of the Tribulation, specifically.
“Fear not” … that too needs little elucidation, commentary.
God is able to remove fears! (I just looked and there are 63 different times the Bible blends the words “FEAR NOT!”)
The our Text includes a heartening promise … “Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence.”
Wow, that’s speaking of the demise of all those armies (Zechariah 14:2) who have attacked Israel at the Battle of Armageddon! Antisemitism finally dies that day!
Then the “icing” on the cake … God says: “I will come and SAVE you.” Salvation, eternally so at that! (Paul also predicted this is Romans 11:26.)
A little bit out of context, I know, this verse. But I just can’t leave it out. Jesus speaking of Himself: “For the Son of man is come TO SEEK and TO SAVE that which was lost.” Luke 19:10, or is it out of place at all?
Point being this morning … I’ve quickly shared with you the interpretation (from a premillennial perspective) of our two verse Passage.
Now an application … to me personally, to me hurting, still grieving. (I hope I am not being selfish. And things are getting a little “better.”)
God can strengthen and confirm me?
Remove my fears (worries and apprehensions)?
Handle anyone opposing my goals of serving Jesus? Including the devil and his cohorts?
Come and save (deliver) me?
Yes, yes, yes!
“Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.” Blessed application indeed!
Romans 15:4 mentions “the comfort of the Scriptures.” I think I know what that means, one more time!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
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