“Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard Thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped Thee: and I will preserve Thee, and give Thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;” (Isaiah 49:8)
In this passage we can see how God sees the end from the beginning. Isaiah prophesies about Jesus, but the tense he uses at the beginning is in the past tense. God has already seen what was to happen yet on earth and hundreds of years before, Isaiah prophesies God’s words. “I have heard Thee,” “in an acceptable time,” in God’s appointed and perfect time. And when Jesus obtained salvation, God helped Him. Then Isaiah begins to speak in the future tense. God promises to preserve Him in this time when He becomes the covenant sacrificial lamb of the people.
In Old Testament times, the sacrifice confirmed and authorized the covenant to take effect. The blood was sprinkled around the altar and poured out at the base of the sacrificial altar. When Jesus was sacrificed and shed His blood, His sacrifice ratified the new covenant with God. Man now could have access to God. The old sinful man, which kept us separated from God, was put to death. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” (Romans 6:6) We no longer have sin. “For this is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:28) Our sin has been washed away, forgiven, never to be remembered again by God. Whenever we speak of being sinless, it’s necessary to clarify because we still fail and “miss the mark,” as sin is defined.
Sin for the believer is failing to come up to God’s standards in word, thought or deed. The important thing is that to the believer sin is not a habitual and continual failure. It is first forgiven already. Secondly, it’s not enjoyed nor welcomed when it does occur. And lastly it serves for repentance and for drawing us closer to our Savior when we place it at the cross and see it covered with the blood of the lamb. Repenting from any residual sin of our old man, causes us to abhor it. It allows the Holy Spirit to strengthen us spiritually and give us power against involving ourselves again in it.
Then Isaiah prophesies, “to establish the earth.” Here he refers to the new earth. The old earth will be destroyed. And a new earth will take its place. John saw it in the revelation he received from the Lord. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” (Revelation 21:1) Just as man was made a new creature, there will be a new earth. “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” (Revelation 21:3-5)
And lastly Isaiah prophesies that God will cause Jesus to “inherit the desolate heritages” because of the covenant. These heritages were the all the intended heritage, promises and heavenly treasures for sinless man, before the fall of man and before man allowed sin to enter earth. These were abandoned when man fell. Now they belong to Jesus. But they also belong to those who are in Jesus. “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:17) Jesus speaks in John’s revelation about our inheritance. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.” (Revelation 21:7) Jesus inherits all the promises and heavenly treasures intended for man because of His sacrifice. And we co-inherit with Him.
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