HIDE THYSELF
Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
As believers, we are familiar with the concept of a hiding place. We sing about it in our songs of worship. For we notice that the Lord is speaking to “my people.”
“Rock of ages cleft for me,
Let me hid myself in thee.”
Toplady
“Hiding in Thee,
Thou blest Rock of Ages,
I’m hiding in Thee.”
Cushing
Therefore in these two verses we realize that we are first relating to faith and hope in the Lord in the difficulty of living in this sinful world. We are looking at the things “not seen” in order to maintain Christ’s peace within our hearts and lives. 2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
And we have our little chambers of prayer, with doors to close the world out and ourselves within the consciousness of our Lord. Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
He plainly only addresses his people to be those who are maintaining a spiritual communion with Himself. For he has already cast off national Israel as they have grossly sinned against him. Isaiah 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. 7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. 9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
The Lord Jesus repeats that which we read in verse seven above, in his earthly ministry. Matthew 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. And by the words, “your house,” he was referring to their temple, which the Lord had long since abandoned. Ezekiel 11:22 Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 23 And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
The glory of the second temple which Ezekiel saw is the glory of Christ and the Spirit of truth filling his church. Ezekiel 43:4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.
Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. Christ coming suddenly into “his temple” is referring to the Incarnation.
Christ recovers the glory of God which sin lost. And he sends the Holy Spirit to dwell within each member of his Bride – the Church. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.
John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
1 Corinthians 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
The Apostle Paul takes up the words of Isaiah to expound them more fully. He instructs us that Israel sought for a righteousness by the keeping of the law. They sought it only by a moral discipline in order to show themselves more holy than all other men. But the Gentiles, who were not seeking any righteousness, that is, not making any effort to be holy, were granted the righteousness of God by the sovereign gift of faith alone! Romans 9:27 Esaias (Isaiah), also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 29 And as Esaias (Isaiah), said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. 30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
The Lord God has never cast away a single soul which he foreknew in Christ! Those whom he cast away were never a part of the true Israel of God. Romans 11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 7 What then? Israel (that is, national Israel), hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election (that is, the true, spiritual Israel), hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
Galatians 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
That is those of whom he was referring. Now let us see just when this was to take place. Our chapter (Isaiah 26), begins with the phrase “In that day.” Isaiah 26:1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.
And we go back to the second chapter of Isaiah’s writings to learn that this phrase is referring to the last day! Isaiah 2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
And we clearly understand that that phrase, “the last days” refers to the gospel age which began with the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Consider also these verses. Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
And just what did Isaiah state would be the result of this work of the Holy Spirit in these last days? First there would be an ingathering of “many people” into the true worship of God. John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Then he says that God shall teach them. For that coming to God is based upon the inward, spiritual teaching of God! John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Isaiah 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. Job 36:22 Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?
Isaiah 2:3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
And this effectual gathering, combined with the inward revelation of God, shall be accompanied with the change of their nature, from the fleshly pride, attained by their natural birth, to a spiritual humility, derived from this new birth. Isaiah 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. 11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Therefore in the matter of the coming into their chambers we understand the calm reliance upon the sovereign Shepherd watching over them. And the shutting of their doors speaks of their steadfastness in the faith, not distracted by the “wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.They are the house built upon the rock of faith in the Lord Jesus!
They are the house built upon the Rock of the Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore whatever may be the forces which come against them, they stand secure. Matthew 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And as they come in to their place of security by faith in Christ, the Lord comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth. 2 Peter 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
And in Peter’s ninth verse, just listed, we understand that the Lord knows how to both to deliver the godly out of their temptations, and reserve the unjust to be punished. And in doing so, neither goes without a complete and final accomplishment. Genesis 19:16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. 22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither.
For as the righteous, made so by God’s sovereign grace alone, they shall glorify His mercy. Even so the wicked shall glorify his divine judgment in their damnation. Proverbs 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
May God have mercy!
Pastor Gene Breed
November 03, 2018
