“‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,’ says the LORD” (Isaiah 54.17).
The close of Heritage Baptist Academy’s academic year with Friday evening’s graduation reminds me once again how important it is to be involved in the spiritual and academic training of future generations. I could not finish the final month of our academic year, but my thoughts and prayers were with this vital ministry. The verse cited above is our school verse. How would it be possible for us to more accurately describe the heritage of those who disciple and are discipled through our ministry?
This section of Isaiah contains the Servant passages applied to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. They show that even though comfort is elusive, strength is failing, and the afflictions of life are overwhelming, we still have One who in our affliction was Himself afflicted (Isa 63.9). There are three aspects of our heritage that bring considerable help to us from this verse.
1. God shall protect His children. No weapon on earth or even in the principalities and powers can touch us! It is our Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom (Luke 12.32). Though Satan may roar as a lion seeking to devour, he cannot prevail against the children of God. Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” Firmly in the grip of God’s omnipotent protection, we find comfort.
2. God shall vindicate His children. Tongues rise up against us, but God will silence them all! Many Hamans seek to destroy us on a torturous gallows, but Christ has promised blessing to those who have all kinds of evil spoken against them falsely for His sake (Matt 5.11). We must commit our way to the One who will bring vindication to pass (Psalm 37.5). Aware of the fact that the Lord Jesus will have the last word, we find comfort.
3. God shall justify His children. Our justification or righteousness is from the LORD Himself! He shall make public proclamation that we are aligned with the side of right. And yet He has made us right through the love and grace demonstrated in sending His Son to die for our sins. Jesus has justified those who have come to Him believing. He has subdued our iniquities and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7.19). Balanced in the scales of His righteousness, we find comfort.
The power and goodness of God has provided for us this rich spiritual heritage. We often take it for granted, but as believers we have something no one else does. If you could amass great wealth and attain high positions in this world by forsaking this heritage, would you really do so? As we claim the heritage of the servants of the LORD, we shall not be left hopeless, comfortless, or afflicted. Before his death, Joshua testified of this great heritage. Let his affirmation be ours: “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed” (Joshua 23.14).
The close of Heritage Baptist Academy’s academic year with Friday evening’s graduation reminds me once again how important it is to be involved in the spiritual and academic training of future generations. I could not finish the final month of our academic year, but my thoughts and prayers were with this vital ministry. The verse cited above is our school verse. How would it be possible for us to more accurately describe the heritage of those who disciple and are discipled through our ministry?
This section of Isaiah contains the Servant passages applied to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. They show that even though comfort is elusive, strength is failing, and the afflictions of life are overwhelming, we still have One who in our affliction was Himself afflicted (Isa 63.9). There are three aspects of our heritage that bring considerable help to us from this verse.
1. God shall protect His children. No weapon on earth or even in the principalities and powers can touch us! It is our Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom (Luke 12.32). Though Satan may roar as a lion seeking to devour, he cannot prevail against the children of God. Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” Firmly in the grip of God’s omnipotent protection, we find comfort.
2. God shall vindicate His children. Tongues rise up against us, but God will silence them all! Many Hamans seek to destroy us on a torturous gallows, but Christ has promised blessing to those who have all kinds of evil spoken against them falsely for His sake (Matt 5.11). We must commit our way to the One who will bring vindication to pass (Psalm 37.5). Aware of the fact that the Lord Jesus will have the last word, we find comfort.
3. God shall justify His children. Our justification or righteousness is from the LORD Himself! He shall make public proclamation that we are aligned with the side of right. And yet He has made us right through the love and grace demonstrated in sending His Son to die for our sins. Jesus has justified those who have come to Him believing. He has subdued our iniquities and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7.19). Balanced in the scales of His righteousness, we find comfort.
The power and goodness of God has provided for us this rich spiritual heritage. We often take it for granted, but as believers we have something no one else does. If you could amass great wealth and attain high positions in this world by forsaking this heritage, would you really do so? As we claim the heritage of the servants of the LORD, we shall not be left hopeless, comfortless, or afflicted. Before his death, Joshua testified of this great heritage. Let his affirmation be ours: “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed” (Joshua 23.14).
