LifeLink Devotions

Monday, December 18, 2023

The nation of Israel was in desperate shape. Their sin had brought upon them the consequences of enemy invasion and captivity. Their land had been decimated and their cities destroyed. They were experiencing God’s justice. They were about to come face to face with the promise of His forgiveness.

The truth is that for us to fully understand forgiveness we must undergo judgment. It is only as we comprehend the consequences of our sin that we will fully realize the magnificence of forgiveness.

Isaiah 62:11-12 “The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’” They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.”

I was struck this morning by the wonder of God’s promise in Isaiah 62. The Savior is coming! He is coming with rewards and restoration. He comes to forgive, and when He does, everything is made new. People’s lives are rescued from slavery to sin. They are redeemed and made holy. Lives that lie in ruin without hope are suddenly sought after. Loneliness is replaced with the inhabiting Holy Spirit. God sends Jesus to restore life. He does that by forgiving sin.

To forgive someone involves three things. First, it means to forego the right of striking back.  Even in the Old Testament when God struck back at sin in His perfect justice, He did so with words of grace that imparted faith to those who chose to listen. While proclaiming the coming destruction of their nation and the loss of their freedom, God also gave them a glimpse of the coming day when their King would arrive and bring peace. If they chose to live in their sin, they would die in their sin. If they chose to repent and live in the hope of the coming Messiah, their sins would be forgiven. God told them the Savior was coming.

Second, to forgive means to replace the feeling of resentment and anger with good will, a love which seeks the other’s welfare, not harm. God did not simply strike back – He struck out from His heavenly glory and came to forgive those who had struck Him. Forgiveness for any offense is possible when love overcomes anger. God’s love sought the good of those who had hurt Him. When the Savior came, He came with rewards for those who love Him. Forgiveness allows us to look beyond the sin which we want to punish and bring good to the sinner.

Third, forgiveness means taking concrete steps to restore good relations. God’s judgment of sin took the people of Israel into captivity. Their cities, especially the capital city of Jerusalem, lay desolate and uninhabited. God’s promises for them were unclaimed by people who chose sin instead. But God initiated restoration. He promised that the coming Savior would restore the people to their right relationship with God and would restore the land to its intended glory. The people would be redeemed, and the city would be sought after. What a marvelous promise for not only Israel, but for our lives as well. No matter what consequence you are currently experiencing because of the choice to sin, the Savior brings forgiveness and restoration. No longer do you need to live a life of fear – there is forgiveness. You no longer need to feel alone and abandoned – Jesus is seeking after you. He has taken every step necessary to restore His relationship with you – the Savior has come! Run to Him. Restoration and rewards are waiting.

Pastor John