Some time ago, my wife was awakened three times at night in her sleep by the Holy Spirit saying, ‘Who has believed our message?’ At this, the Lord placed emphasis on the Bible passage from Isaiah 53:1, where the prophet spoke as a messenger to the people of God.
Isaiah 53:1:
1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
It is no coincidence that this reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah is omitted and not regularly read by the Jewish Orthodox people. Based on this, it becomes clear that it hides a mystery of the Gospel, of which the Apostle Paul spoke (cf. Ephesians 6:19).
Ephesians 6:19:
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, …
The Mystery of the Gospel and Spiritual Weakness
It is significant that we, as God’s redeemed people through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, understand this mystery, which comes with a certain state of weakness that God has allowed in order to reveal His power (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9).
2 Corinthians 12:9:
9 But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
This weakness does not include a carnal weakness, that is, of the nature to sin, but it is weakness of the Spirit that reveals the arm of God. The revelation of the arm of God involves the awesome power and majesty of God (cf. Psalm 118:15b-16 i.c.w. Isaiah 40:10; Isaiah 50:2c; Isaiah 51:5; Isaiah 52:10).
Psalm 118:15b-16:
… 15b ‘The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!’
Isaiah 40:10:
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.
Isaiah 50:2c:
… 2c Was my arm too short to deliver you? …
Isaiah 51:5:
5 My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.
Isaiah 52:10:
10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
Joseph and the Phase of Adversity
Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob, was also not spared a path of adversity due to his vocation, which was predestined for him by God. He had to experience betrayal, be thrown into a pit in humiliation, encounter cultures that were unfamiliar to him (Note: Ishmaelites/Midianites, Egyptians), experience captivity, be forgotten, to be brought to honor much later (cf. Genesis 37:23-36; Genesis 39:7-23; Genesis 40:14.23; Genesis 41:9-14.37-45).
Since Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, it can be said that Joseph was a phase of transition, leading through challenges into exaltation according to God’s plan. For it is said that Joseph entered the process of exaltation by going in search of his brothers on behalf of his father Israel. In his search, he encountered a man who was not named and is an indication of God’s instruction leading into the depth or challenge to ultimately enter into exaltation (cf. Genesis 37:12-17).
Genesis 37:12-17:
12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 13 and Israel said to Joseph, ‘As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.’ ‘Very well,’ he replied.
14 So he said to him, ‘Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.’ Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, ‘What are you looking for?’
16 He replied, ‘I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?’
17 ‘They have moved on from here,’ the man answered. ‘I heard them say, “Let’s go to Dothan.” ’ So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan.
What is striking in the life of Joseph is that ‘mantles’ that were given to him were used for deception. First, the mantle of favor given to him by his father Israel (Note: Jacob) was soaked in the blood of a goat by his brothers to feign Joseph’s death to their common father.
In this, Joseph’s brothers operated in collective falsehood and allowed their father to live in the pain of loss for many years (cf. Genesis 37:3.31-34).
Genesis 37:3.31-34:
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate [Note: multicolored] robe for him. …
31 Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.
32 They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, ‘We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.’
33 He recognised it and said, ‘It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.’
34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.
Furthermore, the wife of Potiphar, Pharaoh’s court official, abused Joseph’s mantle to frame him for attempted rape or sexual molestation, after he honorably refused her and for which he was innocently imprisoned (cf. Genesis 39:7-8.10-18).
Genesis 39:7-8.10-18:
… 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’
8 But he refused. ‘With me in charge,’ he told her, ‘my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. …
10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even to be with her.
11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside.
12 She caught him by his cloak and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. ‘Look,’ she said to them, ‘this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.
15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.’
16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home.
17 Then she told him this story: ‘That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me.
18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.’
The deception of Joseph’s brothers resulted in this mantle dipped in blood as well as the deception by Potiphar’s wife concealed Joseph’s career into governmental rule.
From this it is evident that the kingship in Christ can be preceded by betrayal and denial, just as Jesus was betrayed and denied to ultimately reign as King of kings and LORD of lords for eternity (cf. Luke 22:48, Matthew 26:34 i.c.w. 1 Peter 3:22).
Luke 22:48:
… 48 but Jesus asked him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?’
Matthew 26:34:
34 ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘this very night, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times.’
1 Peter 3:22:
… 22 who [Note: Jesus Christ] has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
Vigilance in Challenging Circumstances
In our lives, we may encounter circumstances that we, as saints in Christ, do not always understand or can explain. In these moments, our experiences seem to run contrary to the truth of God’s Word, which is a temptation of the enemy to draw us away from God or to encourage us to accuse God.
Extreme caution is needed in such situations because God is the God of all ages and eternity, not of temporary time only (cf. Daniel 7:9 i.c.w. Hebrews 13:8).
Daniel 7:9:
9 ‘As I looked, ‘thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
Hebrews 13:8:
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.
We as the people of God in Christ Jesus need to remain steadfast in faith in spite of all the challenges that seem to be before us, even when we see few positive results in such circumstances. Eternity will confirm the unshakable truth of God’s Word and finally reveal the fruit of steadfastness!
Also, when we find that people turn away from the proclamation of the truth of God’s Word and it seems as if it bears no fruit or does not make any difference, there is the great danger of becoming discouraged (cf. Romans 10:16).
Romans 10:16:
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’
Based on the above biblical passage according to Isaiah’s prophetic word, it shows that the gospel must not only be believed, but also obeyed. This obedience results in moving forward in discipleship of Christ and entering into greater truth that is always associated with freedom (cf. John 8:31b-32).
John 8:31b-32:
… 31b ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’
The Guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Truth
In times of challenge, it is imperative that we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in the truth that the Heavenly Father has for us. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts and brings about faith that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life (cf. Ezekiel 36:26-27 i.c.w. John 6:44¸ John 14:6; John 16:8-11.13-15).
Ezekiel 36:26-27:
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
John 6:44:
44 ‘No-one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. …’
John 14:6:
6 Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. …’
John 16:8-11.13-15:
8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. …
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.
15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.’
Without having literally seen Jesus Christ, through faith in Him we have already confessed our sins and acknowledged Him as the Savior given for us by God. And with this faith comes great blessing, just as Jesus said to His disciple Thomas (cf. John 20:29).
John 20:29:
29 Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’
But there are, unfortunately, people who refuse to believe the message that is proclaimed to them, so that they are unable to recognize the revealed arm of the LORD.
Recognizing the Strength of God in Apparent Weakness
It is important that in moments of apparent weakness we recognize the strength of God that sits at the right hand of God, which is Jesus Christ Himself. From Him we receive the grace for the particular challenge in our lives.
Therefore, the pertinent question arises from Isaiah 53:1: ‘Who has an eye for the revelation of the mighty acts of God, which He has done in and to Jesus Christ?’
If this spiritual vantage point is non-existent, one is also not enabled to see the power of God in the suffering and resurrection of Christ from the dead.
Such a wrong perspective results in not believing the power of God and cultivating a gospel that denies its power (cf. 2 Timothy 3:5).
2 Timothy 3:5:
… 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
The apparent godliness associated with this is similar to that of the Emmaus disciples, who had to experience the intervention of Christ as the Risen One from the dead in the form of the Rabbi in order to recognize and believe (cf. Luke 24:21-27).
Luke 24:21-27:
… 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.
22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.
24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.’
25 He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’
27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
This caused the fire of God to get active in them, so that they urged Jesus to come home with them. Only as Jesus broke bread as the risen Lord did they recognize Him (cf. Luke 24:29-32).
Luke 24:29-32:
29 But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, and he disappeared from their sight.
32 They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’
Despite all the challenges we face in life, let us look to the power of the triumph of Christ, who is the beginner and perfecter of our faith (cf. Hebrews 12:1-3).
Hebrews 12:1-3:
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Let us hold fast to Him who holds us to go on and follow our destiny as disciples of Christ, in faith - not by sight.
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Daniel Glimm