And To Whom Shall He Make To Understand Doctrine? - Part 1117

"Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious; and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded." (I Peter 2:6)

But as Hosea wrote, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to Me. Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." (Hosea 4:6)

"Therefore My people are gone into captivity because they have no knowledge, and their honourable men are famished and their multitude dried up with thirst ..." (Isaiah 5:13)

"Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth ..." (Isaiah 5:8)

The vision given to Isaiah speaks of the days wherein we live now when the Lord reaches out to His people -- to them which He has called. "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against Me. The ox knoweth his owner and the ass his master's crib, but Israel doth not know, My people doth not consider ... they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone backward." (Isaiah 1:1-4)

"Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. And when they shall say unto you, "Seek unto them that have familiar spirits [mediums], and unto wizards that peep [whisper] and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their God? For the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them. And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry; and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look unto the earth, and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish, and [they shall be] driven to darkness." (Isaiah 8:18-22)

During this time, Isaiah is prophesying that the Lord hath removed men faraway and in the midst of the land, a great forsaking. Indeed, the scene witnessed by Isaiah was so desolate and wasted that even Isaiah asked, "Lord how long? (Isaiah 6:11) To him, everything seemed as a hopeless existence. And yet, the Lord God Almighty had a plan of salvation for those who believe in Him, and on His name -- the mystery that was hid in the bosom of the Father from the beginning.

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy; they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice, when they divide the spoil. For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood, but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire." (Isaiah 9:2-5)

Why? "For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this ..." (Isaiah 9:6-7)

"Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Butter and honey that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good, ..." (Isaiah 7:14-15)

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband being a just [man] and not willing to make her a publick example was minded to put her away privily, but while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." (Matthew 1:18-23)

Luke elaborates: "And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and of His kingdom there shall be no end. Then Mary said unto the angel, "How can this be, seeing I know not a man?" And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:31-35)

The prophesied Messiah -- "Philip findeth Nathanael and saith unto him, "We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (John 1:45)

This is whey we look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ -- who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:13)

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ -- FOR HE IS OUR PEACE, WHO HATH MADE BOTH ONE AND HATH BROKEN DOWN THE MIDDLE WALL OF PARTITION, HAVING ABOLISHED IN HIS FLESH THE EMNITY -- the law of commandments, in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace, and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby ...and came and preached peace to you which were afar off and to them that were nigh, for through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." (Ephesians 2:13-18)

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God -- and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner [stone] in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Don't be lost today. Seek Jesus -- the promised Messiah, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Turn to Him today. Let Him teach you of His knowledge, and to understand doctrine.

"For precept must be upon precept, line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; for with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people -- to whom He said, "This is the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing ... [and again] the Word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line; line upon line; here a little,

Thus saith the Lord God, "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation. He that believeth shall not make haste." (Isaiah 28:1-17)

Let him who hath ears to hear, hear. Stand in the offering plate.