ISAIAH 55:13 - "Pardoneth"

"Who is a God like unto Thee; that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy." (Micah 7:18) Do we that are forgiven have a reason to rejoice? You bet we do!!! And it is because of that reason that we are given the Joy and the Peace that we able to demonstrate. Joy, because we know that God loves us, and it is the knowledge of His love for us that gives us that Joy. There is a difference between happiness and joy; because happiness is just an expression of joy; but joy is an expression of God's Love for us. Our happiness will come and go with the things of this world that will affect it; but our Joy can not be moved; Why is that? Simply because His Love for us is always the same, and can not be moved. When Micah made this declaration in the opening verse, it was after a proclamation of how corrupt Israel was, and how alone he felt in a land that had forsaken their God. In Micah 7:7 he states, "Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: My God will hear me." In verses 4-6, he states the therefore: "The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in -law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house." This statement made by Micah reflects the teaching which Christ had given to His disciples in Matthew 10:35-37. Jesus was showing how complete dedication to Him would bring about rejection from those that were close to them; even those within their own families. Jesus called those that would place family ahead of service to Him 'Unworthy', (Matthew 10:38). The assurance given by Micah in verse 7 is that it is worthwhile to trust completely in God for our salvation; that resting in Him is the only way to find Peace when even our own families forsake us. This Peace that God gives to us is based upon His assurance that He will never leave us, or forsake us; even though all around us might; yet He will not! However, there is a grander picture here, and it involves those friends and family members; because we should not give up on them, because God wont. And it is because of the Joy and the Peace that we possess, that even through much rejection, betrayal and persecution; that their hearts can be won for Christ. In fact, it is through adversity that our faith can be tested, and when our faith is tested, it becomes stronger. Besides, we are told not to worry what man can do to us; that includes our friends and family. Even the most hardened heart can be won for Christ; so we should never give up on anyone. Micah had not given up on his fellow countrymen; thus was the reason for what he declared in verse 18; because he knew that God was true to His word, and the Promise given to his fathers. The word for 'Pardoneth' is not the same word for 'Pardon' found in Isaiah 55:7, which was the word 'salach'; which if you remember was a word used to describe only a forgiveness that God can provide, never a person forgiving someone else; to is not on a human level, but on God's level of forgiveness. This word for pardon in Micah is 'nasa', which means to raise or to lift up (the face, the eyes, the voice, or the soul); to bear, carry, take, take away; to be elevated. The word basically means: 'To Lift Up'. For example: To lift up one's head, would mean to take a census, or declare independence. To lift one's face, would mean to look someone straight in the eye, to have a clear conscience, or to anticipate that things would go well. To lift up one's hand, would be like a gesture, to salute, to pray, or to take an oath. To lift up one's eyes meant to look up, or even to lust after. To lift up one's voice meant to wail, or lament, to call out, declare a proverb; or even slander and carry a false rumor. To lift up one's soul meant to be entirely dependant upon something. 'Nasa' also signifies the taking away of sin; to bear the guilt or punishment of sin; that a substitutionary representative is needed to carry the guilt elsewhere. Another example of lifted up is seen in the illustration of Noah's Ark being lifted off of the land by the flood waters; it also refers to support, and to transport. Okay, so you are probably wondering why I am boring you with all of these definitions of a word; but it is very relevant to this last verse of Isaiah 55, because there is a 'pardoning' that is taking place here, and it has to do with the metamorphose from something that is meant for no good, to something that is glorified and lifted up. The word 'name' in Isaiah 55:13 is the word 'shem', which means to bestow honor, authority, character and fame. These are virtues owed to God for what He has done; but they are also virtues that can be brought out in us as we declare what He has done, and as we declare His Word; especially to those that we love and care for. When Jesus said that those are unworthy who put family before service to Him, He did not mean that we should forsake our families in the sense that we would no longer care for them; but that we should not let their rejection for us deter our following and serving Him. Besides, what kind of a testimony would that be of the wonderful work God has done, if a little rejection would sway us? "He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities: and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old." (Micah 7:19 & 20)