Isaiah 28.16 says, 'he that believeth in Him shall not make haste'.
what does this mean? he that continues to believe in what shall not make haste to do what? that's one of the cool things about the bible. under God's inspiration He at the same time used
-the personality, genes, background, current historical situation as well as the particular situation of the one inspired , mistakes and all on the one hand and
-what He intended to communicate on the other hand
to mysteriously speak His will and His word to His creation, man.
at times, like here, He does not spell things out but rather forces one to think to try and understand. this verse seems in general to be out of context. the immediate context of v16 is v14-22. He is talking to the 'scornful men, that rule this people which is in jerusalem'. He says they have rejected Him in order to take refuge in lies..in this case they were going to lie to assyria to avoid being destroyed and then make a secret alliance with egypt...trusting in men rather than God.
God tells them thru isaiah that
He is laying in zion - in His promise to david to give him a seed, that is Jesus Christ, there is already
a stone
a tested stone
a costly cornerstone for the foundation
firmly placed
and any he who puts his trust in Jesus..in God
shall not make haste (kjv)... the hebrew word kUsh meaning 'to hasten, make haste'
shall not be disturbed (nasv)
will not have to move (keil) who in his exposition of the verse also says of the same, 'will not flee'...in other words 'will stand firm'.
so israel is in danger, and in this case in particular, jerusalem is in danger of being destroyed by assyria. its leaders are putting their trust in their own cleverness to avoid what has happened already to a number of other cities in israel.. in so doing they are rejecting putting their trust in Jehovah.
v14 he states that they are scornful
v15 he shows in what they are putting their trust ie. their own cleverness
v16 here he gives them a backhanded warning by stating that the man who puts his trust in God in time of need will stand secure.
v17 he says He will
make justice the measuring line, and
righteousness the level...a very clear contrast in which He,
the one they have rejected
will operate on a basis (justice, righteousness)
that they are rejecting (lies)
also He will sweep away the refuge of lies
that they have put their trust in.
...and continues warning them in the next verses.
it is good to trust in the Lord rather than in man (jer. 17.5f). man can cheat on this and think he is getting away with it in good times. in bad times there can be no cheating without quickly finding out that what God says is true and to turn one's back on God is to invite rapid destruction.
the question to ask is, 'how does a man actually KNOW that he is standing on Jesus Christ, the unshakable foundation?
1. he must be at the point where he is willing to do God's will..no matter what it is, no matter how much of what 'me' wants gets axed out of life.
john 7.17 - if any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak of Myself'.
2. he must spend much time with the Lord in prayer and in His word.
I thessalonians 5.17 - PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
psalm 27.4 - one thing have i desired of the Lord, that will i seek after; that i may DWELL in the house of the Lord ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.
II timothy 2.15 - BE DILIGENT to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.
psalm 1.2f - ..his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates DAY AND NIGHT. and he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf dose not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.
3. he must act upon what the Lord says to DO in His word.
matthew 7. 24f - therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. and the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew and burst against that house: and yet it did not fall, for it had been FOUNDED UPON THE ROCK.
and everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who build this house upon the sand. and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.
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