The Lord Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.” And who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? (Isaiah 14:27, NIV 1984).
My Musings – First, a caveat. It is always important to study the context of a passage to determine whether it has a specific or universal application. As for the specific context of this passage, it applies to the Assyrians in Isaiah’s day. His hand was “stretched out” against them, and no one was able to “turn it back.” Judgment happened just “as [He had] planned” and “[had] purposed.“
Sometimes, not always, a passage can have a specific as well as a universal application. Such is the case with this passage. Once God has “purposed, so it will stand.” For, “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.” (1 Samuel 15:28–29, NIV 1984).
What does all this mean to us today? Much. “He [God] commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed [Jesus]. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30–31, NIV 1984). The day has been set, “and who can thwart him? Who can turn it back?” No one. And no one knows when that day will be. But we do know that it will come, “that he [will not] change his mind.“
My Advice – So, it is vitally important that we are prepared for that day, or for the day He calls us out of this world if that is sooner. And we don’t know when that day will be either. Either way, “He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed.” Justice by our own works, or by the work of “the man He appointed.” We know that our works will never be sufficient to “turn back His hand” of judgment, which will be just.
“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, [since] every violation and disobedience [will receive] its just punishment. How [then] shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:1–3, NIV 1984). We won’t, so don’t ignore it.
The Brew Is A Musing 