Isaiah chapter 4 is beautiful and peaceful in that it gives us respite from the judgment and condemnation we read in chapter 3.
If you remember last week we were exposed to the women of Israel who were beautiful on the outside yet corrupted on the inside. Chapter 4 starts with the women again, mentioning how seven will have to beg one man to father children. The lack of men in Israel is attributed to how many died defending the city (Isaiah 3:25).
But the real peace in this chapter comes in verses 2-6 where Jesus is referred to in prophecy. The Branch of the Lord is Jesus Christ.
These verses depict a shimmering display of God’s power. Through Jesus, the righteous that remain in Jerusalem will be made holy. When God has purged Israel of its sinful element, He will love and care for the faithful, providing direction, guidance and blessings. The cloud of smoke by day and pillar of fire by night are a reference back to when God guided His people through the wilderness, etc., namely Exodus 13:20-22:
“…edge of the wilderness. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.”
This chapter includes the impression that God’s great love for His people will go to great lengths to reconcile them to Him. When God was speaking to Israel in this chapter, He meant that Jesus would save all the righteous among His people, for Jesus’s death on the cross also saves the righteous that died before. Through the Branch, that is Christ, God has created a way for us, His creation, to be able to come to Him. The stink of our disobedience and sin repels Him from us; but the sacrifice of Jesus makes it possible for God to accept us, when we believe and obey.
Through Christ, God saves us and through His holy Bible He guides us day and night, through the often confusing and frustrating wilderness of life and the world we live in. Let us look at verses 5 and 6 of Isaiah chapter 4 in closing:
“then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.”
Let God’s tabernacle protect you from the evil deception of sin. Remain in righteousness and help spread the Word of God’s amazing grace.
Monday Night Bible Study 