The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
The meek will grow ever greater in their joy in the Lord, and the poorest among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. That gladness comes when the deaf hear the words of the book and the blind are brought out of obscurity and darkness into sight, and desolate places are made fruitful. At the same time the terrible are brought to nothing, scorners are consumed, and all who watch for iniquity and turn aside the just are cut off. This was fulfilled in the ministry of the Messiah, when His work among the suffering poor brought them relief and joy in God, and despised sinners repented and entered the kingdom while the proud religious leaders rejected Him. The promise also belongs to God's future work of renewal and deliverance of His faithful people, and it stands as His invitation to those settled in comfort and empty profession to return through sacrifice and missionary labor to the lowly experience that brings gladness.
Setting and Promise
The promise is that the meek shall find ever-increasing joy in the Lord, and that the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. That joy belongs to the Messiah's ministry, whose work among the poor was to bring them relief from suffering and gladness in God.
It comes in the day when the deaf hear the words of the book and the eyes of the blind see out of obscurity and out of darkness. It belongs with the Lord's work of opening the deaf to hear and the blind to see, and with the change in which even forbidding places can become fruitful.
At that same time the terrible one is brought to nought, the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off. This includes oppressors and those who corrupt justice, who make a man an offender for a word, who lay a snare for him that reproves in the gate and trap others, and who turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
This takes place as God's marvelous work and a wonder against a people who draw near with mouth and with lips while the heart is far from Him, whose fear toward Him is taught by the precept of men. It confronts those who hide their counsel from the Lord and turn things upside down, as clay against the potter. In that day the wisdom of the wise perishes, the deaf hear, the blind see, and those that erred come to understanding.
Fulfillment and Application
The prophecy points to the ministry of the Messiah, in which work among the poor brought relief from suffering and joy in God. It was fulfilled when people outside the control of the priests and rulers were opened to hear and receive the word, and were converted, believed, and acknowledged Him. In that same renewal sinners such as publicans and harlots accepted the messages of John and of Christ, repented, and entered the kingdom, while the proud religious leaders rejected them.
The promise belongs to God's promised work of renewal and to the future restoration and deliverance of His faithful people when He restores them. That is the restoration in which the deaf hear, the blind see, and oppressors and those who corrupt justice are brought to an end, and the people come to understanding. Then the meek find growing joy in the Lord and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
The chapter in which the promise stands portrays the true condition of the world. It is God's description of the course pursued in Battle Creek by men supposed to be trustworthy who violated the principles of the Ten Commandments, showing neither supreme love to God nor love to fellow men as themselves, and heartily disliking and despising anyone who questioned the course they thought wise to pursue. It will be fulfilled to men who claim to be teachers while walking contrary to the principles plainly defined by the Word, misrepresenting God and dishonoring Him. They take up truth without conversion, mingle their own spirit with counsel, and confederate to do what God expressly forbade, until justice and mercy and love fall in the streets and equity cannot enter. Their eyes are greatly blinded so they do not see, and they greatly weaken the work and dishonor truth of heavenly origin, while God will have a remnant people who are purified, made white, and tried.
The promise is God's word to those who have cast truth aside and are deceived. It is spoken to church members settled in comfort who do not use the knowledge they receive, who have much self and little of Christ, little faith and few good works, and who swell the number needing conversion. To those who once knew the truth but turned from it the Lord extends an invitation to return to Him. He calls them from empty profession to the experience that comes through sacrifice and missionary labor, in the day when He does a marvelous work and a wonder among a people who draw near with mouth and lips while the heart is far and fear is taught by human precepts, when the wisdom of the wise perishes and the deaf hear the words of the book and the blind see out of obscurity and darkness. It rebukes bitterness of spirit when ideas and wills are crossed, speaking evil of brethren, watching for opportunity to complain, making a great fire out of a spark, and feeling abused and justified in judging motives, and it promises gladness to the lowly who do not cherish the feelings of an unconverted person, in contrast to the end of those who judge and accuse their brethren, for the terrible one is brought to nothing and the scorner is consumed and all who watch for iniquity are cut off, who make a man an offender for a word and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate and turn aside the just for nothing.
The meek will grow ever greater in their joy in the Lord, and the poorest among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. That gladness comes when the deaf hear the words of the book and the blind are brought out of obscurity and darkness into sight, and desolate places are made fruitful. At the same time the terrible are brought to nothing, scorners are consumed, and all who watch for iniquity and turn aside the just are cut off. This was fulfilled in the ministry of the Messiah, when His work among the suffering poor brought them relief and joy in God, and despised sinners repented and entered the kingdom while the proud religious leaders rejected Him. The promise also belongs to God's future work of renewal and deliverance of His faithful people, and it stands as His invitation to those settled in comfort and empty profession to return through sacrifice and missionary labor to the lowly experience that brings gladness.
Setting and Promise
The promise is that the meek shall find ever-increasing joy in the Lord, and that the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. That joy belongs to the Messiah's ministry, whose work among the poor was to bring them relief from suffering and gladness in God.
It comes in the day when the deaf hear the words of the book and the eyes of the blind see out of obscurity and out of darkness. It belongs with the Lord's work of opening the deaf to hear and the blind to see, and with the change in which even forbidding places can become fruitful.
At that same time the terrible one is brought to nought, the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off. This includes oppressors and those who corrupt justice, who make a man an offender for a word, who lay a snare for him that reproves in the gate and trap others, and who turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
This takes place as God's marvelous work and a wonder against a people who draw near with mouth and with lips while the heart is far from Him, whose fear toward Him is taught by the precept of men. It confronts those who hide their counsel from the Lord and turn things upside down, as clay against the potter. In that day the wisdom of the wise perishes, the deaf hear, the blind see, and those that erred come to understanding.
Fulfillment and Application
The prophecy points to the ministry of the Messiah, in which work among the poor brought relief from suffering and joy in God. It was fulfilled when people outside the control of the priests and rulers were opened to hear and receive the word, and were converted, believed, and acknowledged Him. In that same renewal sinners such as publicans and harlots accepted the messages of John and of Christ, repented, and entered the kingdom, while the proud religious leaders rejected them.
The promise belongs to God's promised work of renewal and to the future restoration and deliverance of His faithful people when He restores them. That is the restoration in which the deaf hear, the blind see, and oppressors and those who corrupt justice are brought to an end, and the people come to understanding. Then the meek find growing joy in the Lord and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
The chapter in which the promise stands portrays the true condition of the world. It is God's description of the course pursued in Battle Creek by men supposed to be trustworthy who violated the principles of the Ten Commandments, showing neither supreme love to God nor love to fellow men as themselves, and heartily disliking and despising anyone who questioned the course they thought wise to pursue. It will be fulfilled to men who claim to be teachers while walking contrary to the principles plainly defined by the Word, misrepresenting God and dishonoring Him. They take up truth without conversion, mingle their own spirit with counsel, and confederate to do what God expressly forbade, until justice and mercy and love fall in the streets and equity cannot enter. Their eyes are greatly blinded so they do not see, and they greatly weaken the work and dishonor truth of heavenly origin, while God will have a remnant people who are purified, made white, and tried.
The promise is God's word to those who have cast truth aside and are deceived. It is spoken to church members settled in comfort who do not use the knowledge they receive, who have much self and little of Christ, little faith and few good works, and who swell the number needing conversion. To those who once knew the truth but turned from it the Lord extends an invitation to return to Him. He calls them from empty profession to the experience that comes through sacrifice and missionary labor, in the day when He does a marvelous work and a wonder among a people who draw near with mouth and lips while the heart is far and fear is taught by human precepts, when the wisdom of the wise perishes and the deaf hear the words of the book and the blind see out of obscurity and darkness. It rebukes bitterness of spirit when ideas and wills are crossed, speaking evil of brethren, watching for opportunity to complain, making a great fire out of a spark, and feeling abused and justified in judging motives, and it promises gladness to the lowly who do not cherish the feelings of an unconverted person, in contrast to the end of those who judge and accuse their brethren, for the terrible one is brought to nothing and the scorner is consumed and all who watch for iniquity are cut off, who make a man an offender for a word and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate and turn aside the just for nothing.