In our study of Isaiah chapter sixty five, we see the promises that God has made for the coming of his kingdom and what this new kingdom will be like.
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"I made myself accessible to those who didn't ask for me, I let myself be found by those who didn't seek me. I said, 'Here I am! Here I am!' to a nation not called by my name.
This verse speaks of the fact that people other than Israel recognized the order in all of creation and knew that there had to be creator so they searched for that creator and God revealed himself to them. Those people did not know the name of God and yet they were searching for him.
I spread out my hands all day long to a rebellious people who live in a way that is not good, who follow their own inclinations; a people who provoke me to my face all the time, sacrificing in gardens and burning incense on bricks. They sit among the graves and spend the night in caverns; they eat pig meat and their pots hold soup made from disgusting things. They say, 'Keep your distance, don't come near me, because I am holier than you.' These are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day!
In contrast to the Gentiles seeking God we see the people of Israel that had God's instructions through the Torah and the prophets but who do not want to follow the instructions of God. Instead, they do what they think is best as they are worshipping anywhere they choose, sitting among the dead and eating pork and the root of all of this behavior is pride as we see that they raise themselves up and claim to be holier than others.
See, it is written before me; I will not be silent until I repay them; I will repay them to the full, your own crimes and those of your ancestors together," says ADONAI. "They offered incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills. First I will measure out their wages and then repay them in full."
God says that their rebellion has made it clear that they must be judged for their disobedience. We see that this was a pattern of behavior as the ancestors of the people had done the same sort of things before and their judgement was being measured out and prepared for them.
Here is what ADONAI says: "As when juice is found in a cluster of grapes, and people say, 'Don't destroy it, there is still some good in it,' so I will do likewise for the sake of my servants, and not destroy them all. I will bring forth descendants from Ya'akov, heirs of my mountains from Y'hudah; my chosen ones will possess them, and my servants will live there. The Sharon will be a pasture for flocks, the Akhor Valley a place for cattle to rest, for my people who have sought me.
Just as a cluster of grapes may have some good and bad individual grapes, this passage describes a remnant of the people of Israel that still seek God and, because of this remnant and his covenant with Avraham, God says that he will not destroy all of the people. Instead of judgement, this remnant will have blessing.
"But as for you who abandon ADONAI, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for a Gad, a god of luck, and fill bowls of mixed wine for Meni, a god of destiny I will destine you to the sword, you will all bow down to be slaughtered; because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not hear, but did what was evil from my point of view and chose what did not please me."
For the rest of the people of Israel that chose to follow pagan ways of Idolatry instead of the ways of God, they will be judged and face death.
Therefore this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: "My servants will eat, while you go hungry; my servants will drink, while you go thirsty. My servants will rejoice, while you will be ashamed. Yes, my servants will sing for joy from their hearts, but you will cry out from the pain in your heart and howl from an anguished spirit. My chosen will use your name as a curse - 'May Adonai ELOHIM strike you dead!' But to his servants he will give another name.
We see that those who choose to serve the Lord will receive kingdom blessings and they will shout with joy and excitement at the work of God in their midst while those who reject the ways of God will receive the promised judgement.
Thus someone on earth who blesses himself will bless himself by the God of truth, and someone on earth who swears an oath will swear by the God of truth; for past troubles will be forgotten, hidden from my eyes. "For, look! I create new heavens and a new earth; past things will not be remembered, they will no more come to mind.
This passage speaks of the truth and those who hold onto that truth will be residents of the New Jerusalem that is going to be created. In this new Jerusalem, the regrets and hurts from the past are no longer present.
So be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for look! I am making Yerushalayim a joy, and her people a delight. I will rejoice in Yerushalayim and take joy in my people. The sound of weeping will no longer be heard in it, no longer the sound of crying.
In this new kingdom, the regrets and hurts will be replaced by joy and rejoicing and this will also bring joy to God.
No more will babies die in infancy, no more will an old man die short of his days - he who dies at a hundred will be thought young, and at less than a hundred thought cursed. They will build houses and live in them, they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They will not build and others live there, they will not plant and others eat; for the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, and my chosen will themselves enjoy the use of what they make. They will not toil in vain or raise children to be destroyed, for they are the seed blessed by ADONAI; and their offspring with them.
In this new Jerusalem, there will be no more death and it will not resemble the earth of today as we see that justice will reign in this kingdom.
Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion eat straw like an ox (but the serpent - its food will be dust). They will not hurt or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain," says ADONAI.
This kingdom will be an intimate kingdom with perfect unity as God knows our hearts and responds even before we ask. This unity will even extend to the animals as there will no longer be a need for the shedding of blood. Satan will be humiliated and there will be no more evil in the kingdom. Once again, the translations get this wrong as it uses the word "says" instead of "said" and this is important because the use of "said" reminds us that these are promises that God has made and we know based on the past that God always keeps his promises.
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