144 The Power of God to Save

Throughout this book, Isaiah has explained God's offer: Trust the Lord and live, or rebel against the Lord and die. He has explained the grace and mercy of God and offered His forgiveness. He has also explained the holiness and wrath of God and warned of His judgment. He has promised glory for those who will believe and judgment for those who scoff and deny God's presence and authority. He has explained the foolishness of trusting man's wisdom and the world's resources. It is important to see that obedience to God's Word is paramount to our blessings. Without obedience to Him He will not provide blessings. God promised the Jews a full kingdom blessing but this was contingent upon their spiritual change of heart, a renovation if you will, of their spiritual condition as a nation. Without this change of heart, they will not get His full blessings. Only in the future, after the Great Tribulation, will they corporately cry out to God in belief that Jesus is their Messiah and be allowed to reign with Christ on the earth in the Millennial Kingdom. Until then their blessings will be limited to the level of belief they have in His Word.