December
27, 2003
I
WILL GIVE YOU AS A COVENANT
TO THE PEOPLE
"I,
the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and will hold
Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the
people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to
bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness
from the prison house." (Isaiah 42:6, 7, NKJV).
The plan
of salvation is a means not only of rescuing humanity from
sin but also of vindicating the character of God, His unselfish
love and righteousness, before the entire universe. See John
17:4, 6. Jesus was the promised One from the beginning. He
is the "Seed" of the woman that would bruise the
serpents head, promised to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15). He
was continually referred to by the prophets in Holy Scriptures
(see the December 23 Meditation).
Jesus
is the covenant of God to us. "For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes
in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God
did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him might be saved" (John
3:16, 17), "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were
far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ"
(Ephesians 2:13).
Without
Christ, men grope and stumble about in darkness. But in Christ,
the most surrounded by darkness and unfortunate have the privilege
of finding the light of life, "I will also give You as
a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to
the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6).
Jesus
on several occasions healed the physical blindness of men,
including one who had been blind from birth (see John 9:1-11;
Matthew 9:27-31; 11:4, 5). The restoration of physical eyesight
upon various occasions testified that Jesus had power to impart
sight to men's souls.
Jesus
came to assuage the suffering of those who are grieved and
weary of their burdens. He is the Great Physician, who came
to heal the hearts and souls of men. When men yield to sin
becoming its captives and slaves, Christ comes to lift us
up from the bondage of evil and to make us free in Him. (John
8:34, 36; Romans 6:1-23; 8:2, 21).
Jesus
was given to us by God as His pledge and covenant for our
salvation. "Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord
for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children
of men!" (Psalm 107:8).
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