ISAIAH, CHAPTER 33, VS 8-9
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 33, VS 8-9
8 “The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.
9 The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.”
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 33, VS 8-9
v. 8– The highways to God are broken since Adam broke the covenant with Him–since then man hasn’t had the connection and oneness with God that we would have otherwise.
v. 9– Earth became imperfect after Adam’s fall, and fell into the hands of Satan. In the beginning Satan told God that no man will stay by Him voluntarily. God said that some “(the remnant)” always will. When Adam fell, Satan won a battle, and control of some aspects of the earth. Then he tested Job, and Job stayed by the Lord, and Satan lost a battle. But he said to God–“I’ll bet you the kingdoms of the earth that you won’ t ever find a perfectly sinless man.” Satan likes gambling anyway! God said–“There is one coming who will walk perfectly upright, and in fact there will be millions who will!” Satan was pretty confident now, because that sounded pretty unlikely. Satan killed all the Prophets, just in case they were the ones, then came Jesus–he tried to kill Him by having Herod kill all the babies, and satan tried several other times during His ministry, but always failed because it wasn’t time yet. Satan was watching Jesus, so he knew that He lived a good life, and he was worried, because he suspected He was sent by God in some way, but he didn’t know the details. So, to be sure, he wanted to cause Him to fail and fall into satan’s hands.
All Satan really needs is for us to give up–he knows few people will actually fall down and worship him–all he got Adam to do was to put his own desires before His Love and obedience to God, and that was enough to disconnect Adam from God. All we have to do is lean on our own understanding, think carnally, put our natural man first, and we’ll be worshiping the god of this world. When we do that, we lose our connection with the power and protection of God, and Satan can deceive us.
So Satan tempted Jesus that way. He knew He was tired and weak and hungry, so he drew His attention to His natural man, hoping to get Him to be dominated by it, and get His Wall of Faith and protection to crack, so he could get in. Making stones into bread wouldn’t have been so bad in itself–certainly not a sin–because His fast was over anyway–but if He had, He would have put His body first above His Spirit at a vulnerable time, and would have been obeying Satan in two ways–then he would have had Him!!
Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the earth, which at this time still belonged to Satan, if He would “worship” him, which means for Jesus to simply give in, in even a small thing. He did not.
But, at Calvary, it sure looked to Satan like He had taken Satan up on his offer, because he saw OUR sins in Him, and he also heard Him say, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Now Satan was overjoyed!! He had taken him up on the deal–He was disconnected from God! Or so Satan thought— So, since the man obviously sinned he was in the right to take Him to hell– and, boy, did he have some plans for Him!!
But, when he got Him there—BANG!! There was God in full power!
And — worst of all— “There was no sin found in Him”!! This was the biggest blow! Not only had he illegally brought an upright man to hell, but THERE WAS AN UPRIGHT MAN!!! Satan had lost his gamble–all the kingdoms of the earth!–and now we are the rest of God’s promise–the millions of others who are walking upright because of Jesus. Jesus was everyone of us when He walked the earth, because we are in Him, and He is in us (John 17:20-23).He has known us and predestined each of us since before time. So Satan is totally washed up!! The only thing he can do now is bluff, and bluff he will…..until he finds out he can’t bluff God’s people anymore than he could bluff Jesus!!
We must walk in that power—abide in Jesus as He abides in us, and walk in His righteousness, redemption, sanctification, grace and fellowship all our days on earth. There is no other way for a Child of God, a Lover of Jesus, a Christian to live!!! Praise His Holy Name!!!
