Hear the Word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his guard; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Le the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed (Isaiah 66:5)
Possibly this text may not apply to one in a thousand of the readers of this little book of promises, but the Lord cheers that one in such words as these. Let us pray for all such as are cast out wrongfully from the society they love. May the Lord appear to their joy!
The text applies to truly gracious men who tremble at the word of the Lord. These were hated of their brethren and at length cast out because of their fidelity and their holiness.
This must have been very bitter to them, and all the more so because their casting out was done in the name of religion, and professedly with the view of glorifying God. How much is done for the devil in the name of God!
The use of the name of Jehovah to add venom to the bite of the old serpent in an instance of his subtlety.// The appearing of he Lord for them is the hope of His persecuted people. He appears as the advocate and defender of His elect; and when He does so,it means a clear deliverance for the God-fearing and shame for their oppressors. O Lord, fulfill this word to those whom men are deriding! This one is complete and can go up.
Editor: our Bible tells stories of several women who were widows or had no children or never married and they were sad and miserable. Some were greatly heroic, helping men spies for the Jewish army, or preventing the mass murder of Jewish people and many other event. Ladies leading a women’s class of Bible study may appreciate using this info for references. Tell a story each week, make other points, bring in more Bible verses, and talk it over.
Women Who Saved Baby Moses
Several women worked together to save baby Moses, who was a Hebrew boy at a time when the Pharaoh ordered all newborn Hebrew boys to be killed in Egypt (Exodus 1:15–16).
- Shiphrah and Puah (Exodus 1:15–21): These two Hebrew midwives defied the Pharaoh’s order to kill all newborn Hebrew boys because they “feared God more than they feared Pharaoh”. They let the boys live and lied to Pharaoh, saying the Hebrew women were “vigorous” and gave birth before the midwives arrived.
- Jochebed (Exodus 2:1–4): Moses’ mother hid him for three months. When she could no longer hide him, she placed him in a papyrus basket (a “miniature ark”) and put it among the reeds in the Nile River to save him from Pharaoh’s decree to throw all male Hebrew babies into the river.
- Miriam (Exodus 2:4–10): Moses’ older sister watched over the basket from a distance. When Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby, Miriam courageously approached her and arranged for Moses’ own mother, Jochebed, to be the baby’s nurse, ensuring he was raised with his own people during his infancy.
- Pharaoh’s Daughter (Exodus 2:5–10): She showed compassion upon finding the crying baby and chose to adopt him, defying her own father’s royal edict. She named him Moses, which means “drawn out” of the water.
Women Who Saved the Jewish People
- Esther (Book of Esther): A young Jewish woman who became Queen of Persia. When the court official Haman plotted to annihilate all the Jews in the empire, Esther risked her life by revealing her Jewish identity to King Ahasuerus and pleading for her people’s lives. Her courageous actions saved the Jewish nation from genocide, an event commemorated by the Jewish festival of Purim.
- Deborah (Judges chapters 4–5): A prophetess and judge who led the Israelites in a battle against their Canaanite oppressors. She bravely went with the Israelite commander Barak into battle, where God gave them a decisive victory.
- Jael (Judges 4:17–21): While the battle was ongoing, the Canaanite army commander Sisera fled and sought refuge in Jael’s tent. Jael took decisive action and killed him while he was sleeping, which fulfilled Deborah’s prophecy that the enemy would be given into the hand of a woman and secured the Israelite victory.
- Rahab (Joshua chapter 2): A Canaanite woman living in Jericho who hid two Israelite spies sent by Joshua. She helped them escape, declaring her faith in the God of Israel. In return, she and her entire family were spared when the Israelites destroyed Jericho and became part of the people of Israel.
- Jehosheba (2 Kings 11:1–3; 2 Chronicles 22:10–12): When the wicked Queen Athaliah tried to murder all the royal heirs of Judah to seize power, Jehosheba, the sister of King Ahaziah, rescued her infant nephew Joash and hid him in the temple for six years. This act preserved the line of David, through which the Messiah would eventually come.
Let us remember in modern times men who were civil criminals have accepted Christ, been totally reformed and to this day preach, teach or assist church pastors in their work. Those cast out from employment or because of some other unfair circumstance are not necessarily worthless and should just go away and die quietly. Some fought valiantly for our US or British armed forces, came home with serious mental illness and are sleeping under bridges and in abandoned buildings or in holes in the ground for lack of any other shelter. They live like wild men who learned in the arm or marines how to survive in woods and jungles. Pray for them. A little kindness can go a long way to help a man heal and go back to work doing something menial like dishing washing or working dough to be made into bread or pizza, or while he quietly repairs cars or boats, or work in the agricultural sector. Given time and prayer they can heal themselves and heal even faster and better with God’s help than with any other treatment from psychiatrists. Over time they can move from bread making to work that requires more study and skill and one day you’ll find they’re doing more complex jobs and earning a decent living. God will reward you for your prayers and any efforts to help.
