Isaiah and Psalms Reading
We close Isaiah with this week's reading, beginning with chapter 56, which points to our Lord's coming and to conditions in the last days; 57 and 58, the reform which shall take place among the Lord's children; 59, a sad and awful picture of conditions of things in the world and among those who profess His name, yet closing with a promise of deliverance to those who trust Him. The last chapters contain many incentives to God's children to consecrate themselves to Him, with the prophecy of what our Lord Himself would do when He came to this world. What a wonderful inspiration to the downcast and to the sinner is chapter 61, opening with the prediction of our Saviour, who is anointed to help all those who need help, and closing with the song of rejoicing by one who has accepted that help: "He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with a garland, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." Isa. 66:22, 23 clearly shows that in the new earth all will be Sabbath-keepers. Psalms 69 and 70 close our week's reading. God does not give us these psalms to taunt us. The very prayers that He has there inspired, we, when conditions demand it, can pray ourselves with assurance that they shall be heard. We can with the psalmist say, "Save me, O God; for the waters are come unto my soul," and we may know that He will hear; and we can say, also, as does that psalm, "My prayer is unto Thee, O Jehovah, in an acceptable time." What makes the 69th Psalm more precious is that this was the experience through which our Saviour passed. The psalm is prophetic of Him. And His children may know that the same triumph which He won was won for them.