The Impossible Fruit

Isaiah 29:17–24 NKJV

17 Is it not yet a very little while Till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest? 18 In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. 19 The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel. 20 For the terrible one is brought to nothing, The scornful one is consumed, And all who watch for iniquity are cut off— 21 Who make a man an offender by a word, And lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, And turn aside the just by empty words. 22 Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: “Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale; 23 But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel. 24 These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, And those who complained will learn doctrine.”

The Dilemma

Every good movie grabs your attention within the first 10 minutes. We see the insurmountable problem. God is the originator of this approach. Nothing is more of a dilemma than humanity.

This portion of scripture may have been written around 725 BC. Hezekiah was being crowned king and there was optimism. He was following an evil king, Ahaz, who had ruled for 16 years. There was also a lot of fear. Around this period of time, Israel was completely destroyed and taken into captivity.

Lebanon is referred to in the scripture to show the what a miraculous God we serve. Lebanon’s beautiful forests had been stripped by the Assyrian invaders. Their beauty was gone. Isaiah is seeing the persecution of the world by the current world power. Assyria takes what it wants and leaves devastation and destruction behind.

Look around at our world. We are seeing the same thing. The United States is removing itself from Afghanistan and the Taliban is taking over Afghanistan in unbelievable speed.

The scourge of sin is death and destruction.

John 10:10

John 10:10 NKJV

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 3:19 NKJV

19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

2. Hope for an Impossible Rescue

Lebanon is not in Israel. It is outside of Israel. What is outside of Israel? Gentiles. If you are not a Jew, then you are a Gentile. But why the focus on Lebanon becoming a fruitful field? It is not part of Israel.

Prophecy:

Isaiah 29:19 NKJV

19 The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel.

Fulfillment:

Isaiah 29:23 NKJV

23 But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel.

Acts 28:28 NKJV

28 “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!”

Salvation is not all. Praise God.

Prophecy

Isaiah 32:15 NKJV

15 Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest.

Fulfillment

Acts 10:45–46 NKJV

45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,

3. Finale - Rescue of God’s Own

Isaiah 29:20 NKJV

20 For the terrible one is brought to nothing, The scornful one is consumed, And all who watch for iniquity are cut off—

We have seen God rescue His own before judgement.

Genesis 7:15–16 NKJV

15 And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. 16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.

Genesis 19:29 NKJV

29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 NKJV

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Judgement comes:

Judgement Seat of Christ:

1 Corinthians 4:5 NKJV

5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

Psalm 139:16 NKJV

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

Malachi 3:16 NKJV

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name.

2. White Throne Judgement

Revelation 20:11–15 NKJV

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Conclusion:

A- Acknowledge

Romans 3:23 NKJV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

B - Believe

Acts 16:31 NKJV

31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

C - Confess

Romans 10:9–10 NKJV

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.