Food for ThoughtIsaiah 59:19 His Glory
Food for Thought
An all-creatures.org Guide to Kingdom Living

By Marni Montanez

Isaiah 59:19 New King James Version

So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him

This verse begins with the prophetic word specifically targeting those who choose to be God’s enemies. Referred to in this passage are those who will fear God’s incredible power and authority. It is a fear of great awe.

God is God and that will never change. At some point every created being will bow down before the King of kings and proclaim His majesty. From east to the west, from one end of the earth to the other, all who stand against the Lord will see His glory and acknowledge that He is God.

There is somewhat of a debate as to whether the flood talked about in this scripture is in relationship to the enemy or if it is speaking of how God will make His entrance into a situation.  The placement of the comma seems to be the issue of understanding what the verse is saying.  For me it makes no difference which way it reads. If this verse is describing the enemy coming in as a flood of overwhelming proportion into a situation, God is more than able to bring those flood waters to a screeching halt. But if it is saying that it is God who will come in like a flood then that is an accurate interpretation of His awesome power even when He deploys it as a droplet.

God knows the amount of force and intensity needed for each moment. He applies the exact pressure that will cause change or movement.

In the last line of this verse the word “standard” has been explained as a flag used in wars and that as long as the flag or standard was raised, the battle would continue.  God uses the flag or standard as a sign to keep us fighting and it facilitates an understanding of belonging. Those who fought under a flag, fought in unison and belief of victory. This is how we must be under the flag and direction of the Holy Spirit. But there is another meaning of the word standard which is more common than the meaning of flag.  It means a level or quality of attainment. It also means accepted as normal or average. This meaning paints a whole different view of this verse. With this meaning of standard God reveals His standard or requirements for living….in Him. 

All that we do on the battlefield or resting our souls in a quiet place, our standard is Jesus Christ. It is only in our submission and dedication to Jesus Christ will we be in line with His standard or way of living which automatically keeps us in the place of protection. God holds this standard of truth up and this is what we follow. God holds up the standard of fearlessness and integrity. He holds honesty and love. If we walk within this standard the enemy cannot bring us down or overwhelm us. He can attack but not prosper in his attacks. There is life abundance under the standard of God and this is where we need to be.

Challenge: Read the word of life….the Bible... and set yourself in line with these instructions.  

God bless,

Marni

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lamb-rightThe purpose of this series is to encourage people to live as loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God: Jesus tells us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) God tells us through Micah (6:8), "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God." And we know from Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain, or death. Thus, Christian living requires us to set the standards of these conditions here on earth for our fellow human beings, and for the other animals, as a witness to the rest of the world. To do otherwise is not Christian.