GOD'S GLORIOUS
REMNANT
"Your
country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers
devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. And
the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden
of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a
very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been
like unto Gomorrah." [Isaiah 1:7-9].
There is a striking parallel in
our present time, as set over against the time whereof the Prophet Isaiah spoke.
It has often been said, "History repeats itself." While Solomon once declared,
"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is
that which shall be done." (The reason for this repetition is also stated.)
"There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any
remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after." Thus
"one generation passeth away, and another generation cometh." [Eccl. 1:4,11] How
few from one generation to another ever profit from the lessons learned by the
former generation! Nevertheless, "all these things happened unto them for
ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world (Greek, ages) are come." [1 Cor. 10 :11].
"All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished unto all good works." [2 Timothy 3:16-17].
That which was portrayed in Israel
of old is certainly being re-enacted in our nation today. God spoke it very
clearly, when giving Israel its challenge. "All these blessings shall come on
thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy
God." [Deut. 28:2]. Then follows a list which six times includes the word
"blessed" and six times "the Lord shall...," among which we read, "The Lord
shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy
face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all
that thou set test thine hand unto; and He shall bless thee in the land which
the Lord thy God giveth thee. The Lord shall establish thee a holy people unto
Himself, as He hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the
Lord thy God, and walk in His ways. And all the people of the earth shall see
that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee."
[Deut. 28:7-10].
How precious are these promises
given unto Israel, blessings which could be theirs if they walked in obedience
to Him, to serve Him with all their heart. Truly such a nation is rich indeed
with such a heritage, with such a vast storehouse of victory to sustain them.
BUT, this is only one side of the picture, IF THEY WOULD OBEY. "But it shall
come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to
observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this
day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee." [Deut.
28:15].
Then there follows a list of the
curses, including this part: "Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with
joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;
therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee,
in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things; and he
shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee. The Lord
shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as the
eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand, a nation of
fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew
favour to the young..." [Deut. 28:47-50].
The record is clear, Israel did
not walk in the way of the Lord, and in due time the Lord visited all these
judgments upon them, even as He said.
Today, we face the same situation.
We are a nation abundantly blessed for our past godly heritage, but "there arose
another generation after them. which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which
He had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the
Lord, and served Baalim; and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers-the hand
of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord has said, and as the Lord had
sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed." [Judges 2;10-12,15]. Yes, so
it is today, as this generation turns their back upon the Lord who has so
wonderfully established our nation, as it has been up to this time, and now
shall we reap the fruit of our doings and harvest the results of our
lawlessness.
Betimes the people returned to the
Lord, at least part of them did and for their sakes God would grant a time of
peace and deliverance. But soon the tide would turn, and they would go back to
their own ways, and more of His curses would overtake them. Eventually their
history is traced down to Isaiah's day, and we come to the time of our text for
this chapter. How it must have grieved the prophet to proclaim this Word from
the Lord; but the witness must be given, and the record is true.
One only needs to listen to the
news broadcasts of today, read the papers. and find that history is indeed
repeating itself. Our country is being ravaged, the cities are being plundered
and burned with fire-a stranger within our gates is devouring the land. How
prophetic are the words of the Psalmist:
"Why do
the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set
themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against
His anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their
cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have
them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in
His sore displeasure. Yet have I set My king upon My holy hill of Zion. I will
declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art My son; this day have I
begotten thee." [Psalm 2:1-7].
Why do the heathen rage? This word
"rage" is from the Hebrew word "ragash" and means TO TUMULTUOUSLY ASSEMBLE. How
aptly this describes the RIOTS of today.How do they riot? How do they thus
gather themselves together? Is it not in an open rebellion against the Lord?
Even though it be represented against the existing realm law and order for our
day? Ah, behind all this outbreak of human surging, is that satanic onslaught
against the ANOINTED OF THE LORD. The Adversary of our soul would seek to wear
out the patience of the saints, to dim the vision set before us, to turn our
eyes from the goal, to cause us to become taken up with the preservation of
these natural things. Yes, It is true, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." [Ephesians 6:12].
This spiritual warfare is real indeed, even though it sometimes is manifested
through earthen vessels.
And the people imagine a vain
thing. VAIN-that which is empty, vain, vanity. There is no profit, no gain, no
benefits resulting from these riots. A spirit of lawlessness has caused people
to imagine a vain thing, to suppose they shall be helped, but it is a vain hope,
it is empty, it leads to utter ruin.
How cunning is the deception of
these perverted spirits working in these cruel "agitators" that are stirring up
much strife. Nor is it relegated to any exclusive race, color, or creed. Peter
wrote of these "agitating leaders" and of the "victims" of their persuasive
indoctrination. "For they speak great swelling words of VANITY, they allure
through the lusts of the flesh, through wantoness,
— while they promise them liberty, they
themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the
same is he brought in bondage." [Peter 2:18-19]. Thus the vain imagination only
leads to an even greater bondage of nothingness and destruction.
Thank God, the record does not end
with just this devastation and spoilation by strangers in the midst of the land.
We know that GOD is using these curses for disciplinary measures, and then HE
shall work it into good. Isaiah went on to deliver a promise, how that the Lord
would leave "unto us a very small remnant", lest we become like unto Sodom and
Gomorrah, which cities, because of their iniquity, were laid waste by the
judgments of the Lord.
A REMNANT-THE LORD IS LEAVING A
VERY SMALL REMNANT, few perhaps in numbers in comparison to all mankind, but
A GLORIOUS REMNANT, for they shall be fully conformed to His image, and filled
with His nature. Many a prominent statesman has trembled at the prospect of
"total annihilation". Earth is gripped by fear and unrest, the future appears
black and bleak, and there is no natural hope left. YET THE SITUATION IS NOT
HOPELESS, for God is gloriously working "all things after the counsel of His own
will [Ephesians 1:11]. He has observed all the ways of man, and the course
of self-destruction upon which the nations have based their action. HE is
allowing one nation to rise up and discipline another and one people to chasten
another. Man is now reaping what he has sown. "Be not deceived; God is not
mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth
to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the
Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." [Galatians 6:7-8].
While God has watched and
controlled all the present interplay of good and evil, punishing, disciplining,
correcting both nations and individuals, nevertheless, rest assured it shall
ultimately work to His praise. "Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee: the
remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain." [Psalm 76:10].
While all the negative side is
being worked out, there is a positive force also wrought in contra-distinction
to this appalling situation. GOD IS PREPARING A REMNANT TO COUNTER-BALANCE
ALL THE EVIL. These are His "vessels of mercy, which He hath aforeprepared
unto glory, even us, whom He hath called...Isaiah also crieth, though the number
of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, A REMNANT SHALL BE SAVED:
For He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short
work will the Lord make upon the earth. And as Esaias said before, Except the
Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like
unto Gomorrha." [Romans 9-23-24,27-29].
A remnant shall be saved-then when
Paul goes on to quote from the words of Isaiah, he changes the word "remnant" to
"A SEED". Here is a beautiful truth. This remnant which the Lord is bringing
forth IS THAT SEED OF PROMISE through whom all nations of the earth shall be
blessed. Galatians 3:16 makes it very clear that this seed is "christ", not just
the Christ, Who is the Head, but that
whole anointed body endued with the
selfsame Spirit. It has been pointed out that while the word "Christ", when
preceded by the identifying article "THE", has direct reference to our Lord
Jesus Christ, and literally means THE ANOINTED ONE, yet when this identifying
article "the" is missing, reference is made not to identity but to quality, and
therefore refers to that whole anointed company of which He is the Head, and
that this whole company shall be that seed through whom He shall impart of His
salvation to all mankind.
Revelation helps make this clear,
when we read, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord,
and of His Christ." [Revelation 11 :15]. Literally this could be read, OF OUR
LORD, AND OF HIS ANOINTED ONES.
Elijah once cried to the Lord,
saying, "Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, and digged down Thine altars; and
I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto
him? I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee
to Baal." [Romans 11:3-4]. In speaking of this account, Paul then goes on to
add, "EVEN SO THEN AT THIS PRESENT TIME ALSO THERE IS A REMNANT ACCORDING TO THE
ELECTION OF GRACE." [Romans 11:5]. Yes, even now there is a remnant, those whom
God has apprehended, whom He has anointed with His Holy Spirit, whom He is
purifying and preparing to become His vessels of mercy for coming days. They
shall also be part of that light which "shineth in darkness; and the darkness
comprehendeth it not." [John 1:5] For Christ in them is the Light.
Yes, even so, as then, so now, God
has reserved those who will not bow to the subtle inworkings of the spirit of
this age, of this present world's system. They have heard the call of the Holy
Spirit, they are apprehended to receive the
inworking of HIS GRACE unto full
salvation. God is doing a quick work, He shall not prolong it any more. "The
days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. Thus saith the Lord God; There
shall none of My words be prolonged any more, but the Word which I have spoken
shall be done, saith the Lord God."[Ezekiel 12:23, 28].
The grace of God-surely without it
there would be no remnant! Thus Paul spoke in 1 Corinthians 15:10, "By the grace
of God I am what I am." One cannot lift their self up by their own bootstraps!
But in the committing of ourselves, to Him in absolute surrender, to be
abandoned to His will, we shall find that HE shall perfect that which concerneth
us. Out of the religious systems of our day God is CHOOSING BY HIS GRACE those
in whom He will perfect the work of salvation, and as a FIRST FRUITS of His
redemption, manifest them before all the world, to be His witnesses of that
which shall yet be wrought in every man as His purpose of the ages is fulfilled.
The positive and the negative are
both unfolding in this hour. With a positive applicaton we find that though
there be "two in a bed", two resting in the same place, same church home, same
doctrinal blanket covering them, yet ONE IS TAKEN OUT, called forth unto Him
without the Camp, to bear His reproach, and yet also to be confirmed to His own
image, while the other one is left to sleep on yet awhile. Two are grinding at
the mill, grinding out the programs and ceremonies of the flesh, when suddenly
the eyes of one are opened, they see the systems corrupted by self and greed,
they see the emptiness of it all, and are led forth by the Spirit to lay hold of
pure reality in Christ, and yet the other one is left to grind on in blind
obedience to the order of the system to which he has sold himself. Yes, two are
out in the field, labouring hard, and GOD LAYS HOLD OF ONE, sets him aside for
spiritual development and illumination, while the other one is left to toil on,
building the kingdoms of men.
(We might insert, there is also a
negative application which shall be seen in fulfillment of this account, taken
from Luke 17:34-36, when the earth also shall be reaped, and God gathers, "FIRST
THE TARES" (Matthew 13:30), and then receives to Himself His pure wheat. It
appears that the negative application is a more literal and natural fulfillment,
while the positive application which we have just presented is more of a
spiritual fulfillment, using the natural as an allegory.)
One is taken, the other is left!
What is the deciding factor as to who is to be called out, called out to move on
into a new realm with God, while the other is left behind to sleep on in that
spirit of slumber and blindness; to grind on at the mill of works, programs, and
man's formal religiousized efforts; to labour some more on the field, desiring
rest but finding it not? Is this not an election? Divine choosing according to
the grace of God? Ah, how it has sent us to our knees again and again as we
perceived the intervention in our own life of this grace of God, while others
were seemingly passed by right now, and never had the faintest idea of what God
was, and is doing in the earth. Beloved, the more you are aware of the grace of
God, and understand its operation in your life, the more it will humble you, and
cause you to realize that in yourself you are nothing. This new man, the hidden
man of the heart which is developing within, is solely the product of God's
grace, and to His glory alone. We have nought wherein we might boast. "Ye have
not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and
bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." [John 15:16].
Yes, a remnant is called, AND
CHOSEN to bring forth fruit. It is interesting to note that while "many are
called (Greek, invited), few are chosen." This is because the word "chosen"
holds within it the thought of CHOOSING AFTER TESTING. There is a tremendous
testing process, and those who come forth do so by the sovereign grace of God.
HE shall have a people found approved! And it is the very darkness of this
present hour, with all of its tumult, its rioting, its bitter pressure, that He
is using as His instruments to purify His own.
In whom is God doing this
finishing work, cutting it short in righteousness? IT IS IN HIS REMNANT! This is
not some abstract scripture to be applied in some generalized way to some
unknown congregation and people. This is a present-tense work being done in a
remnant TODAY-those chosen out by the grace of God. THE LORD SHALL HAVE A SEED.
You have to have a seed before you can have a harvest. Thank God for the truth
that God gave His Son for the world, and the world He shall receive, but "every
man in his own order." [1 Cor. 15:23]. We try to harvest the world before we
ever have a "seed company", and all the while the world is becoming more sinful,
and the so-called church more impotent. So what is the fact that is to be
reckoned with? It is that in the midst of all this chaos GOD is bringing to
fruition a remnant, and He shall use them to counter balance the rising tide of
lawlessness. "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord
shall lift up a standard against him." [Isaiah 59: 19].
"Who hath believed our report? and
to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before Him as a
tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground." [Isaiah 53:1-2]. Had the
ground ever been drier than it is today? Has history ever recorded such an hour
as this? "Lord, they have digged down Thine altars, they have slain Thy
prophets." Yes, they have made a caricature of the love and grace of our Lord,
and of His plan of redemption. The personality and ego of man is exalted, while
the Spirit of Christ is grieved and withdraws a consciousness of His presence.
Now, DARE WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A TENDER PLANT SPRINGING UP? Dare we believe
that a ROOT is now emerging out of the dry ground? Ah, some will say, "We
haven't seen it." But we shall reply, "What are you looking for?" "What went ye
out into the wilderness to see? a reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye
out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?" [Matthew 11:7-8]. Is it not
written of this chosen seed-remnant, the same as it was written of The Christ
into whose image they are being conformed? "He hath no form nor comeliness; and
when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is
despised and rejected of men..." [Isaiah 53:2-3].
As yet we seem to perceive only
with the seeing of the natural eye, and hear with the natural ear, always
according to our natural senses, and when we look to see what God is raising up,
we see too much of the flesh, of the darkness, of the negative circumstances
that surround us. But those with the eye of faith, those upon whom the Spirit is
moving, they see a vision of a people whom God shall completely transform, and
when He has completed HIS WORK WITHIN, then shall He remove the outside veil,
and the hidden man of the heart shall be revealed. Yes, all the world is eagerly
awaiting the hour of the manifestation of the sons of God. Why? Because in them
shall rest the hope of a new and divine order which shall bring an end to this
present system of confusion and chaos. Earth has long travailed and trembled
beneath the weight of iniquity and corruption. Thank God, He shall have His
remnant, His instruments of righteousness through whom He shall draw all men
unto Himself.
And so it remains, God has His
seven thousands who have not bowed their knee to Baal, they have not submitted
and sold their soul to the harlot Babylon. They are that "little flock" to whom
it is the Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom. Yea, they are His kingdom
come. They are His inheritance, and in them shall He be glorified. Yet it is the
very fact of their being a remnant which is so trying for them today. Babylon
cries for crowds, it is the spirit of the world to want to join, to belong to
something. Yet we find that God keeps separating His own, calling them unto
Himself-while He probes deep into their being to purge out the last particle of
self. This minority, GOD INDWELT, shall ultimately be the kingdom that fills the
whole earth. There is no defeat in this working of God to bring forth a remnant.
He promised that He would have them, and HE DOES, out of every generation He has
reserved to Himself a chosen LITTLE FLOCK, bringing them to perfection. They are
learning to walk the triumphant way in the midst of all that seems ever so
contrary. And in this remnant shall God be glorified, and new hope spring forth
for all creation. Vessels of mercy to dispense the bountiful mercies of God.
OUR GOD
SHALL HAVE HIS REMNANT!
0, how the nations seem to
rage
As we approach this ending
age,
The natives riot everywhere,
While tensions rise and fill
the air,
Until the troubles overflow,
And battles start with blow
on blow,-
And yet we stand with courage
strong,
Within our heart a vict'ry
song;
Our God shall have His
remnant!
The earth shall reel with
fear and doubt,
And shudder 'neath the angry
shout,
As chaos sweeps across the
land,
And evil makes its vaunted
stand,
Until the blood of men runs
cold,
And drains the strength of
men once bold,-
And yet we find an inward
calm,
Supported by the joyful
psalm;
Our God shall have His
remnant!
The ways of Sodom spread
their crime,
Defiling with its filthy
grime,
Iniquity has spread its
gloom,
With lawless rushing to their
doom,
Until the statesmen grope in
vain
To try and quell the ache and
pain.-
And yet amid it all we find
A people with a balanced
mind;
Our God shall have His
remnant!
For yet today we see His
pow'r,
And He controls this very
hour,
To work all evil into good,
Till men shall serve Him as
they should,
He works His purpose with
great care,
Fulfills His will with wisdom
rare,-
His Spirit shall a people
claim,
Out of the nations, for His
name;
Our God shall have His
remnant!
A first fruits of His
righteousness
Who shall His kingdom now
possess,
Through whom He shall reveal
His grace
To every kindred, tribe and
race,
As saviours to restore the
whole,
His life and light for every
soul,-
Glor'ous salvation shall
prevail
From mountain side to deepest
vale;
Thank God for His true
remnant!
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(1) Prinzing,
Ray and Doris. THE TRIUMPHANT WAY!. (now out of print), Boise,
Idaho 83705
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