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Do you 'Possess the double'?
Isaiah 40:1-2
"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins."
God exhorts Isaiah to speak tenderly to His people and comfort them becausethey have received a DOUBLE for all their sins. What comfort could be found in receiving double for your sins? A perplexing passage for those who are not familiar with Bible customs and culture in Isaiah’s time. Let us take off our western eyeglasses and replace them with eastern ones as we examine this verse more carefully.
The wages of sin is death as God promised to Adam and Eve in the garden.”The day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”(Gen 2:17). This was a spiritual death since Adam and Eve lived for many years after their sin of disobedience. Spiritual death is separation from God. This sin carried a penalty not a punishment; therefore a penalty can be lifted if someone pays for the sin. This brings us back to our passage under consideration. A person in Isaiah’s time would declare bankruptcy by making visible their “certificate of debt “at the gat e of the city for all to see. Also the elders sat at the gate to transact such business.
Someone would see the “certificate of debt” and agree to pay the person’s debt. The elders would receive the amount owed, fold the “certificate of debt” and nail it to the announcement board at the gate. When the bankrupt person returned and saw the paper folded and nailed to the board, they knew their debt was cancelled. Someone had paid it in full.
The word DOUBLE is the word for FOLD (the same word in Exodus 26:9 when reference is made to the double or fold in the curtain in the Tabernacle). In our Isaiah passage, the word fold refers to the certificate of debt which was folded and a nail driven through it to signify it was paid in full.
The word DOUBLE is the word for FOLD (the same word in Exodus 26:9 when reference is made to the double or fold in the curtain in the Tabernacle). In our Isaiah passage, the word fold refers to the certificate of debt which was folded and a nail driven through it to signify it was paid in full.
So God told Isaiah to announce the good news that he was offering Israel a double for all their sins. Their sins were paid for in full. How beautiful to see this fulfilled in Christ who paid our debt, and now bankrupt sinners can receive a double (fold) for all their sins. Christ took our sins and nailed them to His cross (Colossians 2:14).The words “It is finished” is an economic term, meaning “paid in full”.
Have you received your double? If not, do it today.
The Cross of Christ
“The Cross of Christ is the revealed truth of God's judgement on sin. Never associate the idea of martyrdom with the Cross of Christ. It was the supreme triumph, and it shook the very foundations of Hell. There is nothing in time or eternity more certain or irrefutable than what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross — He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back into a right standing relationship with God. He made redemption the foundation of human life; that is, He made a way for every person to have fellowship with God.” Anonymous
Saved by the blood!
“Saved by the blood of the Crucified one!
“Now ransomed from sin and a new work begun,
“Sing praise to the Father and praise to the Son,
“Saved by the blood of the Crucified One!”
“Saved by the blood of the Crucified one!
“The angels rejoicing because it is done;
“A child of the Father, joint heir with the Son,
“Saved by the blood of the Crucified one!”
“Saved by the blood of the Crucified one!
“The Father He spoke, and His will it was done,
“Great Price of my pardon, His own precious Son;
“Saved by the blood of the Crucified one!
“Saved by the blood of the Crucified one!
“All hail to the Father, all hail to the Son,
“All hail to the Spirit, the great Three in One!
“Saved by the blood of the Crucified one!"
Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given
Isaiah 9:6
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,” (Matthew 2:1)
“Behold, The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29)
“The saviour who loves me and suffered the loss
“Of heavenly glory to die on the Cross,
“The Babe of the manger, though born without stain,
“This Jes is coming, is coming again!”
We should follow His steps
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him Who Judges Righteously: Who His Own Self bore our sins in His Own Body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto Righteousness: by Whose stripes you were healed (I Pet. 2:21–24).”
The Greek word for “follow” literally means “to take the same road” as someone else takes. We should walk the same road that Jesus walked—in short, be Christlike.
However, the only way we truly can follow in Christ’s footsteps is that we ever look to the Cross and keep our faith in Him Crucified and Resurrected.
The American theologian and Lutheran minister Joseph Augustus Seiss (March 18, 1823–June 20, 1904) known for his religion writings on pyramidology and dispensationalism wrote.
“With all his efforts, prayers, and joys, the best Christian is still very faulty.
Christ has taught us to pray daily “Forgive us our trespasses;' but why continue praying for forgiveness if we have not continual trespasses to be forgiven? I know and preach that 'the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin.' This is a special truth to me. But did He not continue a priest forever, daily presenting His precious blood anew on our behalf, we should most certainly come into condemnation. It is only because 'He continues ever' that He is 'able to save them to the uttermost who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them.' If He did not ever live to make intercession for us, we could not stand for a single day.
And there is not a Christian on earth, however eminent, who does not, every day he lives, accumulative guilt enough to ruin him forever, were it not that he has 'an advocate with the Father' Jesus Christ the Righteous.”
The 'only way' is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified and Resurrected.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6).
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price Isaiah 55:1.
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (Rev 22:17).
The Child of God can never outgrow the Cross.
The Apostile Paul referred to the Cross as "the everlasting covenant". Jesus Christ and Him Crucified and Ressurected is the answer for both sinner and Saint.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God (1 Corith 1:18).
If there is no “preaching of the Cross” there is no “Power of God”.
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect (1 Corith 1:17).
“But to Preach the Gospel” - The Gospel is the Cross of Christ. The Cross must ge the foundation of all one believes, teaches, and practices. If it is not, then whatever one proclaims, is not the Gospel.
It will take ETERNITY to discover the benifits and depth of the Cross for mankind.
We are the Temple of God
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” 1 Corinthians 3:16
“It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For He is good; for His Mercy endures for ever: that then the House was filled with a Cloud, even the House of the LORD; So that the Priests could not stand to minister by reason of the Cloud: for the Glory of the LORD had filled the House of God”. 2 Chronicles 5: 13-14
If we allow Him to have His Perfect Way -Jesus Christ and Him Crucified - within our lives? Then “the Glory of the Lord will fill this temple of God.”
We must come into His presence in the Name of Jesus with thanksgiving and praise.
The Church
I awoke this morning with a 'booming' question - “Do you not know that the 'Church is People'?”
“What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 6:19
The Church is not a building, a denomination, a man made temple, a creed, a doctrine, or a set of rules, etc.
The Church is people who are washed in the blood of the Lamb of God and have a relationship with Him – Jesus Christ Crucified and Resurrected.
Fight the good fight of Faith
Fight the good fight of Faith, lay hold on Eternal Life, where-unto you are also Called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses (I Tim. 6:12).
There is only one fight we are to wage and that is the “good fight of Faith.” We are not expected to fight the Devil (Satan) as he was defeated at Calvary.
“And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:15). "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" I John 3:8.
The “good fight of Faith” is continual (daily) faith in Jesus Christ Crucified and Resurrected. He has defeated Satan, sin, and death at the Cross.
For so many years I was fighting the wrong battles and war that He had already won on the Cross! Praise God "it is finished".
These are truly Perilous Times.
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away (II Tim. 3:1–5).
What the Holy Spirit said through the Apostile Paul about the “denying the power thereof” - “For the preaching of the Cross is to them who perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the Power of God” (I Cor. 1:18).
“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they who turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.”
“Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Dan. 12:3,10).
Christian
Your faith in the Crucified and Resurrected Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God will be tested and tried.
But God's Love, Mercy, and Grace, is sufficient and endures forever.
If you do not give up, He will never give up.
