Today we look to the north, salvation to the north. We see the glory of Lebanon spoken of here, and it's a particular sort of glory. It is the glory of its beautiful, and mighty, and well perfumed forests. What is significant in the heart and in the thought of the Israelite, when he thinks of the direction of the

God interrupts things here, just for a moment, to stop looking at peoples from different directions, to look at what they are going to -- the city of God. What we're talking about is not a literal city, but it is a picture of the church of Jesus Christ of all ages, all the elect of God. Christ is now

The question is being asked: 'Who are these people that are coming in?' The prophet, at least, and perhaps the whole people of God, really don't know who or what or how this happens to be. They have not understood very well that God, for His glorious sake, will be bringing in people from all over the world. As they

This entire prophecy is about the coming of the nations to God in Christ. Some commentators have thought that the sons and daughters here are the remaining Israelites, scattered by exile in Assyria and later (in Isaiah's day) the Babylonians. Let's remember, though, that place after place in Scripture, Old and New Testaments, teach that the nations would be incorporated

This verse, along with the previous two, is the introduction to the rest of chapter 60. It gives the theme, we might say. This, of course, is the same Light that we have been talking about. It is Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, and, in Him, the written Word of God (Psalm 119:105). All that is in opposition

Now that the Redeemer has come, light arises, shines forth for the people of God. Think of a beam of light, seen from afar, beaming down through a hole in the dark clouds. What is this light? It is He Who is the Light of the World! It is He who lightens the understanding, Who gives spiritual eyes to look

To these people, sick with their sin, a Redeemer comes. And He brings, as we see in verse 20, remission of sin, and in verse 21, the gift of the Holy Ghost. The separation of the true Israel of God from Him finally shall come to an end. Here we read in verse 20, the Redeemer will come to Zion.

In these verses we see Him Who is the Lord's Redeemer, and His work toward that which is the enemy of His people. First we see Him in verse 17, arrayed for battle. The people of God have terrible enemies who are fighting against them. The stronger one and the nastier one is the enemy on the inside. It is

So far, we have seen God's accusation and Judah's conviction and confession. What now? God tells us that He sees. He sees what the wicked do. He sees what His saints must endure. Nothing escapes Him. And He forgets nothing. Even as Jesus said in Matthew 25, in the parable of the sheep and the goats, what is done to

God has a problem with Judah and Jerusalem. The problem is the sin of those who profess to be the people of God. God accuses them of sin in verses 1-8. And what is the response of the people in verses 9 through 15? It is a response that comes when the Spirit of God works. It is a confession