God's Threshing Always Always Accomplishes His Purposes
Isaiah 21:10, "O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you."
Most bible scholars believe this passage is a prophecy concerning the destruction of Babylon. It is intended to comfort and encourage God's people.
The way Isaiah describes God's people is interesting: "O my threshing, and the corn of my floor..." The word "my" speaks of personal possession. We belong to God, for we have been purchased with a price. Threshing in Scripture often denotes judgment and certainly is a harvesting technique that would separate the chaff from the wheat. God's Threshing Always Accomplishes His Purposes and Brings Holiness in the Lives His People.
Barnes in his "Notes on the Bible" states: the phrase "the corn of my floor" is a Hebraic grammatical form where the word "corn" speaks of sonship. 'The son of my threshing floor' is the idea.
Matthew Henry in his commentary gives the following notes:
(1.) The church is God’s floor, in which the most valuable fruits and products of this earth are, as it were, gathered together and laid up.
(2.) True believers are the corn of God’s floor. Hypocrites are but as the chaff and straw, which take up a great deal of room, but are of small value, with which the wheat is now mixed, but from which it shall be shortly and forever separated.
(3.) The corn of God’s floor must expect to be threshed by afflictions and persecutions. God’s Israel of old was afflicted from her youth, often under the plower’s plow (Psalm 129:3) and the thresher’s flail.
(4.) Even then God owns it for his threshing; it is his still; nay, the threshing of it is by his appointment, and under his restraint and direction. The threshers could have no power against it but what was given them from above.
Finally, Isaiah assures them of the truth of what he has said, "...that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you." All of our hopes and expectations rest in what the Bible says. Paul stated to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:23, "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you..." Every preacher needs to declare the truth of God's Word and nothing else. God has power enough to do anything for his church and grace enough to do everything that is good for her.
May we live every day desiring to become more like Jesus!
Your Friend and HIS,
Pastor Abbott
MEDITATIONS
1. How can you embrace the truth of God’s ownership in your life? The fact that you belong to God.
2. What gives God the right to do whatsoever He will in your life?
3. Are you genuine or are you playing a part? How can you become everything God desires from you?