THE RESTORATION PREDICTED

PROCLAMATION

“ ‘I am with you and will save you,’ declares The Lord.  ‘Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you.  I will discipline you but only in measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’ ”  Jeremiah 30:11 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  The Lord God wanted the people of Judah and Israel to know that the day is coming when He will bring them back from captivity to the land that He gave to their ancestors. (Jeremiah 30:1)  He said that He will break the yoke that has been on their necks and He will take off their bonds.  Then He said that no longer would foreigners enslave them. (Jeremiah 30:8)  He wanted to make it clear, however, that He would save them from captivity, but first He was going to punish them for their sins. 

APPLICATION

We need to understand that some of the bad times that we go through are the punishment for our previous sinful behavior and that we brought it upon ourselves.  The Lord God is still with us while we are being punished but He is allowing it to happen.  He said that He would never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  He is merciful, and He will not destroy us, but He will chastise and correct us appropriately according to our sins. (Proverbs 3:12 and Hebrews 12:6)  Our punishment is designed to change our future behavior.  Let us pray for His help, guidance, and direction so that when He restores us will do that which is right and just.  Better days are coming. (Psalm 30:5)

THE CUP OF THE WRATH OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“This is what your Sovereign Lord says, your God, who defends His people: ‘See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of My wrath, you will never drink again.  I will put it into the hands of your tormentors …’”  Isaiah 51:22-23 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah.  Chapter fifty-one of The Bible Book of Isaiah begins with a call to the righteous to look to The Lord, The Rock of their salvation from whom they were carved. (Isaiah 51:1)  He reminds them that He blessed their father Abraham to become the seed of many. (Isaiah 51:2)  He promises to comfort them and to have compassion on them.  He says that He will also restore their ruined cities and wastelands. (Isaiah 51:3)  He encourages them to look to Him for instruction, salvation, and justice.  He tells them to lift up their eyes to the heavens, to listen to Him to learn that which is right, and to take His instruction to heart. (Isaiah 51:4-7)  He says that those whom The Lord has rescued will enter Zion with singing, joy, and gladness. (Isaiah 51:11)  He tells them not to fear mortal man for He is The Almighty Lord their God. (Isaiah 51:12-15)  Then He tells them that they will not drink from the cup of His wrath again, but that He would give the cup to those who torment His people. (Isaiah 51:17-23)

APPLICATION

While we may be suffering now and enduring the wrath of God, if we just keep our hope and faith in The Lord God, (Psalm 130:7) then our storms will pass, and our day of joy will come. (Psalm 30:5)  The day will come when those who do us wrong will get their poetic justice and they will drink from the cup of the wrath of God. (Isaiah 59:18 and Romans 12:19)  

OUR GOD IS HOLY AND WITHIN US THEREFORE WE SHOULD BE HOLY

Proclamation:

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.”  1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Peter, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)  After introducing himself and greeting them, Peter offered praise to God for giving them a new living hope through the resurrection of Jesus, The Christ. (1 Peter 1:3-5)  He told them that they may suffer for a little while but their joy was coming. (1 Peter 1:6-7)  Then he told them to be holy, and keep their minds on things which are good and on Christ Jesus. (1 Peter 1:13-16)  God is holy so they should be holy.

Application:

Here Peter quoted from The Old Testament Scriptures when he told them, and believers today, to “be holy” because our God is holy. (Leviticus 11:45, 19:2, 20:7, and 20:26)  We need to be careful with our thoughts.  We should keep our minds on things which are holy, good, and Christ-like, and not on the evil desires that we had before we were saved. (1 Peter 1:13-14)  We may suffer for a while during this life but our day of rejoicing is coming. (Psalm 30:5, 1 Peter 1:6, and Revelation 21:4) 

THE LORD GOD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US

Proclamation:

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”  Psalm 126:3 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God but the name of the human author is unknown.  This is another psalm of ascent, one of the songs which the children of Israel sang as they journeyed towards Jerusalem.  The psalmist begins by describing a dream-like situation of returning to Jerusalem, having their fortunes restored, and the joy that they felt. (Psalm 126:1-2)  They knew that The Lord God had done some great thing for them.  Their tears of woe had turned into songs of joy. (Psalm 126:5-6)

Application:

It is good to know that even in the midst of a bad situation, that deliverance and restoration are possible.  Saints may suffer and shed some tears but The Lord God knows what we are going through and He can wipe away all of our tears. (Psalm 126:5, Isaiah 25:8 and Revelation 7:17)  Weeping may endure for a night but joy is coming in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)  So, let us not be weary in our present situation, because in due season, if we faint not, we shall be restored and reap joy. (Isaiah 40:31 and Psalm 145:15)

WE HAVE THE VICTORY

Proclamation:

"But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."  1 Corinthians 15:57 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of The Apostle Paul written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to the believers in Corinth.  Paul was encouraging them to stand strong and be unmovable with respect to their faith in The Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58)  He told them that not only would they have the victory in this life but they would also have the victory over death. (1 Corinthians 5:54)

Application:

As believers we already have the victory.  Some of us act like we don't know that yet.  It doesn't matter what it is that we are dealing with, we've already won!!!  The God that is within us has already defeated the world, the devil, and death.  When He rose from the grave He said, “All power in given to Me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18)  With Him we are victorious conquerors. (Romans 8:37)  So, it does not matter what it is that we are going through, things will work out for our benefit. (Romans 8:28)  We may have to suffer for a while, and even cry, but in the end we will win, our joy is coming. (Psalm 30:5)

WEEPING MAY LAST FOR A NIGHT BUT JOY IS COMING

Proclamation:

"Sing to The LORD, you saints of His; praise His holy name.  For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."  Psalms 30:4-5 (NIV)

Explanation:
King David told the believers to sing praises unto The Lord and to praise His holy name.  He said that The Lord would only be angry with them for a short time, but His favor was everlasting.  They may have to suffer and cry for a short time, but that time would be followed by a period of rejoicing.

Application:
We know that bad things can happen to good people.  All of us will face and endure the storms, trials, and tribulations of this life. The issue is not the trouble that we face, the issue is our response to the trouble. (Matthew 5:39 and James 1:2)  The Bible states that there is a time for all things, both good and bad. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)  We are to keep our Christ-like behavior at all times, even in the midst of our tribulations. (Romans 12:12)  We are to keep the faith, and never lose hope, because trouble will not last for long. (1 Peter 1:6-8)  Our trials and troubles may cause us to suffer and weep for a while but The Lord God will soon have mercy on us and allow our joy to return.  Our suffering is temporary, our joy is coming.  As believers we know that God does not make mistakes, and that all things will work out for our good because we love The Lord. (Romans 8:28)

Trouble Lasts Only For A Season Joy Is Coming

"For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."  Psalms 30:5 (NIV)

This psalm of King David lets the people of God know that His anger, and their punishment for disobedience, will only last for a short duration.  He also tells them that God's favor will last for a lifetime.  Their pain and suffering will only be for a season, joy and rejoicing are soon to come.

For everything there is a season, a time for trouble and sorrow, and a time for joy and rejoicing. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)  Thanks to God's mercy and His grace, He may punish us for a while, but He still loves us. (Isaiah 54:7-8)  Some times our troubles result from our own sinful choices, and other times we are just going through the storms of this life which test us.  Either way, trouble don't last always, and relief is coming.  God said that we would suffer for a time, but He would turn our weeping into joy. (John 16:20-22)  Even if we, as believers, suffer numerous trials and tribulations in this life, we know that we have an eternal home in glory where there will be nothing but joy. (2 Corinthians 4:17)