Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

5 Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

6 A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.

8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:

11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.

12 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.

13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

14 And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.

 

MEMORY VERSE: Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. —Psalm 149:2

 

CENTRAL THOUGHT: The poor in spirit and those who truly fear God will be granted the blessing of being born into the Church of God to be nourished and fed with the glory, peace and comfort that God will extend abundantly.

 

WORD DEFINITIONS

 

Isaiah 66:2 “Contrite spirit”: From a Hebrew word which means smitten, referring to a heart that is broken, submissive, and humble. “Tremble”: Fearful and reverential feeling and attitude.

 

LESSON BACKGROUND

 

Our lesson today is from the final chapter in the book of the prophet Isaiah. The vision of Zion, the Church of God, that Isaiah gives us ends up in this final chapter in a blaze of spiritual triumph. In the chapter previous to this one, the prophet spoke of new heavens and a new earth, and that God would create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy (verses 17 and 18).

The first two verses of our lesson are quoted by the faithful Stephen to the Jews in his final testimony just before he was martyred. He had brought out the fact that Israel had worshipped other gods even while they had the tabernacle of witness that God had given through Moses.

He also said that David desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob, but that Solomon built Him a house. He then quoted from Isaiah here, that the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands. He upbraided them for their stiffness and uncircumcised hearts and ears. They received the law, but did not keep it (Acts 7:42-53). This helps us to know that the real Zion and habitation of the Almighty God is not confined to a tent nor a temple of wood and stone. The true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man is a spiritual house.

The voice of noise from the city and the voice from the temple is the voice of Christ, tearing down the alienating forces of the old law system, and pointing people to the spiritual life that makes up true Zion, His holy Church.

Zion is then pictured as a woman great with child, ready to bring forth even before her pains come. The true Zion, the spiritual Church, was heavy laden with the seed of the gospel to be dispersed to the world. She was about to give birth to souls who were seeking for the true way. The New Testament shows what joy was in the hearts of men who responded to the call of the Lord and found access into the Church of the living God, the Pillar and Ground of the truth.

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

 

QUESTIONS

 

  1. What did the Lord say was His throne and footstool?
  2. Where is the real place of God’s rest?
  3. WhatkindofmanisGodlookingfor?
  4. What will happen to all who refuse to acknowledge the true saints of God?
  5. What kind of voice did the prophet hear? Whose voice was it?
  6. What does Zion bring forth in, and even before, her travail?
  7. Who is it that will be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice with her?
  8. What does God extend to the Church, and with what measure?
  9. When we are comforted in Zion, what effect will it have on our hearts and lives?

 

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

 

What does it mean to be the children of Zion? We must hear, believe, and obey the gospel of Christ Jesus. We must turn from the flesh and the world, and anchor our souls in the unchanging Word of God. We must become men and women of faith, as the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

When we do believe with all of our hearts and launch out on the sea of God’s love, we will find the spiritual nourishment from Zion that is promised in our lesson. If we receive a love for the truth and are willing to amend our ways from the ways of sin and the world, we will fall in love with Zion, the city of our solemnities. We will see her triumphant over all the powers of Satan, and we will rejoice with her when her victories are fulfilled in our own souls.

If our interests and concerns are toward the betterment of God’s cause, then we will be able to partake of the consolations of Christ and His Church. Through the influence of the saints who are alive and yet in the world we can be comforted and blessed. Through the report of those who have long since laid their armor down and gone on to a brighter world above, we can be strengthened in the grace of God and inspired to hold on for victory. Through the sweet influence of the quiet lives of the saints we can learn the way of the Lord more perfectly. Their steady, unwavering faith will comfort and cheer us in our battles of life. We can really grow in the Lord and do things for Him.

And the peace! Oh, it is a peace that passeth all understanding. Surely we are blessed with a great privilege to be born again and be given a place in the great Church of God.

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

 

REFLECTIONS

 

Isaiah’s prophecy of the closeness of God to his people in our lesson today is a blessed reminder to us. In Isaiah 66:13 he speaks of the comfort of a mother and the Lord comforting us like that.

How wonderful it is to have a godly mother; and even more than that, it is to be a part of the beautiful church of God! She is our mother (Galatians 4:26).

The story in I Kings 3:16-28 reminds us of the love of a true mother and the love of the true church of God. All eyes were on the new king as they waited and watched how he would end the dispute with the two women who both claimed ownership to the baby. Solomon knew a true mother would have feelings for her baby and his decision to end the life of the baby brought those feelings quickly to the surface. The scripture says her bowels “yearned for her child.” This was proof enough who really had the heart of the true mother.

My heart has truly hurt for families who have been separated by false religion. The demanding, narrow-minded and selfish ways of the false mother don’t represent the true spirit of the church that God built. The good news is that the true church, the real mother, is loving, forbearing, and forgiving, and will go the extra mile even to the giving of her own very life to keep the baby alive. People are drawn to the heart of the true mother, and they find great comfort there.

—Bro. James Bell