Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
The verse points to the promised son Immanuel as the one who would eat butter and honey while learning to turn from evil and choose good, the promised Seed through whom deliverance would come to Zion. The ability to tell right from wrong and to reject the wrong and choose the right comes only to each person who depends on God individually, learns from Him through His word, and uses the reasoning powers He gave, and He gives wisdom for that choice to those who rely on Him. Refusing evil and choosing good is a deliberate, personal decision no one can make for another, to seek the Lord, repent, give oneself wholly to God, and depart from all iniquity rather than continue in disobedience. It is the mark of a people turned back to God, and as the church humbly seeks Him, stands on eternal truth, and lays hold by faith on what is prepared for it, it will be healed, freed from earthly entanglements, and restored to simplicity and purity. Children are to be taught this lesson from infancy, to separate evil from their lives and remain pure and spotless amid corruption, and those lessons will stay with them.
Immanuel and Moral Discernment
The promised son Immanuel eats butter and honey and knows to refuse evil and choose good. He is the promised Seed through whom deliverance would be brought to Zion.
The power to tell right from wrong and to reject the wrong and choose the right belongs to each person individually and to no one by proxy. It belongs only to the one who depends on God personally, learns from God through His word, and uses the reasoning powers God gave to be exercised. To those who so rely on Him, God gives wisdom for making that choice.
The principle of refusing evil and choosing good requires clear spiritual discernment. Such discernment rejects teachings that confuse the understanding and holds to what is good. Those governed by self-indulgence and earthly desires and worldly tastes lack the moral willingness to reject evil and choose good. Their conduct shows they are following their own desires rather than choosing what is good.
Choosing good and refusing evil is a work of the mind. Thoughts kept upon God enrich and ennoble the mind, while unholy thoughts degrade it and lead on to impure actions. A person's choices also set an example that others may follow. Since the life lived determines eternal destiny, God's Word must be heeded.
Repentance and Church Restoration
Isaiah 7 is to be read together with the warnings against perpetual backsliding and false peace and with the call to amend ways and doings and to hearken diligently so the soul may live. To refuse evil and choose good is a deliberate decision to seek the Lord, to repent, and to give oneself wholly to God rather than to continue in disobedience. That choice stands against the disobedience of Adam and Eve, which cost them their Eden home, for choosing disobedience likewise forfeits a place in Eden restored.
Refusing evil and choosing good is the mark of a people turned back to God. For the church this choice follows repentance and conversion from backsliding. As the church seeks God humbly, stands upon eternal truth, and lays hold by faith on what is prepared for it, it will be healed, freed from earthly entanglements, and restored to simplicity and purity.
Everyone who names the name of Christ is required to depart from all iniquity by learning to refuse what is evil and choose what is good. The prosperity of the church depends on this, and backsliding must be put away before prosperity can come. Learning this requires watching and praying without ceasing, because a snare is set in the path and Satan will bring some device when and where it is least expected. Anyone not watching unto prayer at that time will be taken by the enemy and suffer decided loss.
Personal Choice and Instruction
Every person is given the opportunity to choose the good and refuse the evil, and that choice is strictly personal, for no one can make it for another. It must be weighed seriously and followed by decided action, a definite break from merely going on as before. Simply remaining where good influence is present brings no advantage without that change, and while a person may choose to stay on a low level, the matter is urgent because his individual case is pending in the courts of heaven and he himself will soon make the final decision. Refusing evil and choosing good is the aim of those of settled and substantial mind, who set their standard high and make decided efforts in faith through the grace freely given to all who truly seek it. They hold fast to correct principles regardless of the practice or example around them, employing all powers of brain, bone, and muscle — every physical power and mental faculty — in the service of the Lord.
Choosing good and refusing evil is essential because corrupting influences can damage the thoughts and defile the soul. For this reason young people are to be placed in quiet settings surrounded by nature, away from city temptations and harmful speech. Children are to learn to refuse evil and choose good, and like the water lily drawing nourishment up through weeds and rubbish while remaining pure, they are to separate evil from their lives so that their characters may be pure and spotless. Such lessons will remain with them. Rejecting evil and choosing good is a lesson to be taught from infancy, with parents teaching it through patient continuance in well doing and by helping their children to know God, through whom, in Christ, people are brought into fellowship with the Father.
The verse points to the promised son Immanuel as the one who would eat butter and honey while learning to turn from evil and choose good, the promised Seed through whom deliverance would come to Zion. The ability to tell right from wrong and to reject the wrong and choose the right comes only to each person who depends on God individually, learns from Him through His word, and uses the reasoning powers He gave, and He gives wisdom for that choice to those who rely on Him. Refusing evil and choosing good is a deliberate, personal decision no one can make for another, to seek the Lord, repent, give oneself wholly to God, and depart from all iniquity rather than continue in disobedience. It is the mark of a people turned back to God, and as the church humbly seeks Him, stands on eternal truth, and lays hold by faith on what is prepared for it, it will be healed, freed from earthly entanglements, and restored to simplicity and purity. Children are to be taught this lesson from infancy, to separate evil from their lives and remain pure and spotless amid corruption, and those lessons will stay with them.
Immanuel and Moral Discernment
The promised son Immanuel eats butter and honey and knows to refuse evil and choose good. He is the promised Seed through whom deliverance would be brought to Zion.
The power to tell right from wrong and to reject the wrong and choose the right belongs to each person individually and to no one by proxy. It belongs only to the one who depends on God personally, learns from God through His word, and uses the reasoning powers God gave to be exercised. To those who so rely on Him, God gives wisdom for making that choice.
The principle of refusing evil and choosing good requires clear spiritual discernment. Such discernment rejects teachings that confuse the understanding and holds to what is good. Those governed by self-indulgence and earthly desires and worldly tastes lack the moral willingness to reject evil and choose good. Their conduct shows they are following their own desires rather than choosing what is good.
Choosing good and refusing evil is a work of the mind. Thoughts kept upon God enrich and ennoble the mind, while unholy thoughts degrade it and lead on to impure actions. A person's choices also set an example that others may follow. Since the life lived determines eternal destiny, God's Word must be heeded.
Repentance and Church Restoration
Isaiah 7 is to be read together with the warnings against perpetual backsliding and false peace and with the call to amend ways and doings and to hearken diligently so the soul may live. To refuse evil and choose good is a deliberate decision to seek the Lord, to repent, and to give oneself wholly to God rather than to continue in disobedience. That choice stands against the disobedience of Adam and Eve, which cost them their Eden home, for choosing disobedience likewise forfeits a place in Eden restored.
Refusing evil and choosing good is the mark of a people turned back to God. For the church this choice follows repentance and conversion from backsliding. As the church seeks God humbly, stands upon eternal truth, and lays hold by faith on what is prepared for it, it will be healed, freed from earthly entanglements, and restored to simplicity and purity.
Everyone who names the name of Christ is required to depart from all iniquity by learning to refuse what is evil and choose what is good. The prosperity of the church depends on this, and backsliding must be put away before prosperity can come. Learning this requires watching and praying without ceasing, because a snare is set in the path and Satan will bring some device when and where it is least expected. Anyone not watching unto prayer at that time will be taken by the enemy and suffer decided loss.
Personal Choice and Instruction
Every person is given the opportunity to choose the good and refuse the evil, and that choice is strictly personal, for no one can make it for another. It must be weighed seriously and followed by decided action, a definite break from merely going on as before. Simply remaining where good influence is present brings no advantage without that change, and while a person may choose to stay on a low level, the matter is urgent because his individual case is pending in the courts of heaven and he himself will soon make the final decision. Refusing evil and choosing good is the aim of those of settled and substantial mind, who set their standard high and make decided efforts in faith through the grace freely given to all who truly seek it. They hold fast to correct principles regardless of the practice or example around them, employing all powers of brain, bone, and muscle — every physical power and mental faculty — in the service of the Lord.
Choosing good and refusing evil is essential because corrupting influences can damage the thoughts and defile the soul. For this reason young people are to be placed in quiet settings surrounded by nature, away from city temptations and harmful speech. Children are to learn to refuse evil and choose good, and like the water lily drawing nourishment up through weeds and rubbish while remaining pure, they are to separate evil from their lives so that their characters may be pure and spotless. Such lessons will remain with them. Rejecting evil and choosing good is a lesson to be taught from infancy, with parents teaching it through patient continuance in well doing and by helping their children to know God, through whom, in Christ, people are brought into fellowship with the Father.