For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.
The verse describes those who claim belonging to the holy city and lean upon the God of Israel while swearing by the Lord and invoking His name without truth and without righteousness, laying bare the divide between outward religious profession and genuine faithful response. It is the picture of a people who have received truth line upon line and precept upon precept with testimonies of warning, yet refuse to hear and receive them and turn away from repeated truth and warnings. The same condition becomes active opposition to God, hindering His work and cause by misrepresentation, falsehood and heresy, dismissing the speaking of the Spirit as nothing, obstinate with a neck like iron sinew and a brow like brass and with a treacherous ear never opened.
Such obstinacy and wayward self-exaltation do not arrest God, who carries forward His work of redemption in His people and bears long with them, not because of any goodness, devotion or purity in those in high places, but for His own name's sake and for His praise, lest His name be polluted and His glory be given to another and the enemies of truth triumph. If such ones repent and turn decidedly from evil ways and make straight paths for their feet, they will become monuments of His almighty power and abounding grace and witnesses for the truth they once tore down.
The verse stands in Isaiah 48 to 52, which set forth the work to be done at this time and are to be studied carefully with prayer for willingness to do God's bidding. It stands also with Isaiah 48, 51, 52, 58 and 60 as messages that should stir souls and be kept in mind, leading to seeking the Lord and doing the works essential to be done. In that setting the commandments of God are the great subject now, and care is to be taken to give enemies no opening to be supplied with questioning doubts about the work the Lord is doing through the testimonies.
The call is for God's people now to make a united and determined effort without delay, doing decided work in the cities, increasing the number of workers, talking and praying and believing, letting no voice hinder soul-saving, and bringing in means to carry it forward. Workers are to turn their attention to the cities, and lay members who have means are responsible to help without delay, girding on the armor and not allowing lack of means to delay the Lord's work. There is to be reconsecration now to be in harmony with the Lord God and with Christ, His only begotten Son, in proclaiming the message throughout the world as urged during the past twenty years, resisting Satan's temptation to enter commercial enterprises and instead investing means in the Lord's work.
The verse describes those who claim belonging to the holy city and lean upon the God of Israel while swearing by the Lord and invoking His name without truth and without righteousness, laying bare the divide between outward religious profession and genuine faithful response. It is the picture of a people who have received truth line upon line and precept upon precept with testimonies of warning, yet refuse to hear and receive them and turn away from repeated truth and warnings. The same condition becomes active opposition to God, hindering His work and cause by misrepresentation, falsehood and heresy, dismissing the speaking of the Spirit as nothing, obstinate with a neck like iron sinew and a brow like brass and with a treacherous ear never opened.
Such obstinacy and wayward self-exaltation do not arrest God, who carries forward His work of redemption in His people and bears long with them, not because of any goodness, devotion or purity in those in high places, but for His own name's sake and for His praise, lest His name be polluted and His glory be given to another and the enemies of truth triumph. If such ones repent and turn decidedly from evil ways and make straight paths for their feet, they will become monuments of His almighty power and abounding grace and witnesses for the truth they once tore down.
The verse stands in Isaiah 48 to 52, which set forth the work to be done at this time and are to be studied carefully with prayer for willingness to do God's bidding. It stands also with Isaiah 48, 51, 52, 58 and 60 as messages that should stir souls and be kept in mind, leading to seeking the Lord and doing the works essential to be done. In that setting the commandments of God are the great subject now, and care is to be taken to give enemies no opening to be supplied with questioning doubts about the work the Lord is doing through the testimonies.
The call is for God's people now to make a united and determined effort without delay, doing decided work in the cities, increasing the number of workers, talking and praying and believing, letting no voice hinder soul-saving, and bringing in means to carry it forward. Workers are to turn their attention to the cities, and lay members who have means are responsible to help without delay, girding on the armor and not allowing lack of means to delay the Lord's work. There is to be reconsecration now to be in harmony with the Lord God and with Christ, His only begotten Son, in proclaiming the message throughout the world as urged during the past twenty years, resisting Satan's temptation to enter commercial enterprises and instead investing means in the Lord's work.