Scripture Reading: Isa. 16:5; 24:23; 26:3-4; 17:10; 30:20-21, 30:29; 19:20
In this message we want to see four more items of the all-inclusive Christ in the book of Isaiah: the King reigning in the tent of David, the eternal Rock, a Savior — a Defender, and the Teacher.
According to Isaiah 16:5, the all-inclusive Christ is the King reigning in the tent of David. We may wonder what this aspect of Christ has to do with us since Christ will reign as a king in the tent of David in the coming age during the restoration of the nation of Israel. We need to realize, however, that we can also enjoy Christ as the reigning One in the tent of David in the age of grace.
The Gospels show that Christ is intimately related to David. The Gospel of Luke was of course written by Luke, a Gentile, and it was basically written to Gentiles. But Luke reports the angel telling Mary that the One conceived in her womb would be given "the throne of David His father" (1:32). The One that Mary would bring forth would be a descendant of David and would inherit the throne of David. What does this have to do with the new testament believers? We have to realize that, according to Hebrews 6:5, the age of grace, the new testament age, is a foretaste of the coming age. Actually, the age of grace is a miniature of the coming age, and the coming age is the consummation of the age of grace. We are not in the coming age of the kingdom yet, but we are in its miniature, the age of grace. Thus, what we are enjoying today is a foretaste of the coming kingdom in the age of restoration.
Divine healing is a part of the restoration in the coming age, but today in the age of grace we may also enjoy and receive divine healing. This is a foretaste of the power of the coming age. As ones who are saved by grace, we are enjoying Christ in the age of grace as the miniature of the coming age.
Thus, today we have to realize that Christ is our King. He reigns not only in our hearts but also in the tent of David. In the Old Testament, when the tent of David was set up, when David's kingdom was fully established, that was a great consolation and joy to the Israelites. In the coming age, when Christ reigns in the tent of David, that will be a greater consolation to Israel. Christ reigning in the tent of David signifies consolation, encouragement, and restoration. Today we are enjoying Christ as the King ruling not only in our heart but also in the tent of David. For Him to reign in us in the tent of David means that He reigns in us with a kingdom.
Isaiah 16:5 says, "Then will a throne be established in lovingkindness, / And upon it One will sit in truth / In the tent of David, / Judging and pursuing justice / And hastening righteousness." Christ's throne will be established in lovingkindness. Lovingkindness means tender affection. All of us can approach His throne because lovingkindness is there.
Christ sits upon His throne in truth. Truth here means truthfulness and faithfulness. Christ is not only living and kind but also truthful and faithful. He is the worthy One. As the One sitting upon the throne in the tent of David, He is the real David. He judges and pursues justice. To judge is to adjust and correct in order to make peace. Christ is the unique Judge in the whole universe. In our natural being, we do not treat others justly. The husbands do not treat the wives in justice, nor do the wives treat the husbands in justice. But Christ is perfectly just with everyone and pursues justice in all of His judgments. He is also the One hastening righteousness.
Isaiah 16:5 shows that with Christ there is lovingkindness, truthfulness, faithfulness, justice, and righteousness. Today Christ reigns in us in the tent of David, bringing in the kingdom with lovingkindness, truthfulness, faithfulness, justice, and righteousness. If we are under His ruling, His reigning, we will be the same as He is in these virtues.
Isaiah 24:23 confirms that when Christ will reign in the tent of David in the age of restoration, it will be Jehovah of hosts reigning because Christ is Jehovah of hosts. When Christ will reign as Jehovah of hosts in Zion and Jerusalem, the moon will be abashed, and the sun will be ashamed. For it will be Jehovah of hosts who will reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory will be before His elders. When Christ reigns in the millennium, even the brightest things "will be ashamed." But even today we can enjoy Christ reigning in us as a foretaste of His reign in the coming age.
Every human being apart from Christ has nothing to trust in, but we have the Lord as the eternal Rock to trust in. Isaiah 17:10 says, "For you have forgotten the God of your salvation, / And the Rock of your stronghold you have not remembered. / Therefore you plant plants of delight / And set them with plant cuttings to a strange god." Christ is the God of our salvation. Actually, He Himself is our salvation. He is the Rock of stronghold for His people to remember Him as their salvation. If we forget Christ as our God, we will be like those who plant plants for another god. We have to pray, "Lord, we do not ever want to plant plants for another god. We want to always remember You." As the Rock of our stronghold, Christ is the God of our salvation in whom we should trust.
He is also the Rock of Israel for His people to contact Him as their joy. Isaiah 30:29 says, "You will have a song / As in the night when the feast is sanctified, / And gladness of heart as when one marches to the flute / To go to the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel." Although this verse describes the coming age of restoration, we enjoy a foretaste of this in the meetings of the church and the ministry. We are those feasting on the Lord and with the Lord and singing in the Lord and to the Lord. We have gladness in our heart as those who are marching to the flute to go to the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel. Today when we come to the meeting, we should come with gladness in our heart, as those who are "marching to the flute to go to the mountain of Jehovah."
Isaiah 19:20 reveals that Christ is also a Savior — a Defender, who is the Mighty One, especially for Egypt — the Gentiles. Today we, as the Gentiles, do enjoy Christ as our Savior and our mighty Defender. He not only saves us in many ways but also defends us at the time of need.
Christ is not only the King, the Rock, and the Savior — the Defender, but also the Teacher. Isaiah 30:20 and 21 say, "And though the Lord has given you / The bread of adversity and the water of oppression, / Your Teacher will no longer hide Himself in a corner, / But your eyes will see your Teacher. / And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, / This is the way, walk in it, / When you turn to the right or turn to the left." In the Old Testament, Christ hid Himself in a mystery, but in the age of restoration He will be manifested to Israel. Today in the new testament age of grace He is already manifested to us. We all can see Him inwardly in our spirit. He is no longer hiding Himself in a corner. We can hear His word on the way telling us to turn to the left or to turn to the right. We have such a Teacher who will no longer hide Himself in a corner from His people but will always instruct His people to turn to the right or turn to the left at the crossroad.
These four items of Christ — the King reigning in the tent of David, the eternal Rock, the defending Savior, and the Teacher — are what He will be to us in the coming age. But today we are enjoying Him in these four aspects in the age of grace as a foretaste. Christ is our King, our eternal Rock, our Savior as our mighty Defender, and our Teacher. Every day He is teaching us. He is no longer hiding. Whenever we come to a crossroad, He is there at the corner, telling us whether we should turn to the right or to the left. We should treasure the book of Isaiah because in it we can see many items of the all-inclusive Christ.
