When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the blood stains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning, then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion. And over her assemblies, a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night, for over all the glory, there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.
– Isaiah 4:4–6
God restores His people from the penalty and the power of sin.
Isaiah 4:4–6 Tells Us God Restores His People
This picture is so awesome, its so beautiful. God restoring his people. He says “I’m gonna wash away your sin, I’m gonna cleanse you from your sin, and then I’m gonna set up a shelter over you. Over all the glory there will be a canopy, a shelter from shade, from the heat by day, a refuge, a hiding place from a rain storm.”
God, he not only restores us and redeems us, but he surrounds us, like a shelter, like a refuge. He saves us from the penalty of our sin and then from the power of sin, in our lives. This is such good news. When we come to faith in Christ, we are forgiven from all of our sin. Yes. Saved from the penalty of sin, and that in and of itself is glorious.
This Verse Tells Us Jesus Saves Us from the Power of Sin
But then, he also saves us from the power of sin in our lives. From its effects in our lives. We are free from sin, we don’t have to live in it, walk in it anymore. We have been cleansed of sin. Lord, we have power to walk in righteousness, that God is a refuge for us on a daily basis. That he helps us in the battle we have with sin on a continual moment by moment journey through this life. Our God, is a shade for us. His glory like a canopy over us. So just see that today in your life.
Follower of Christ, you are forgiven of your sin, but not just forgiven, as if that wasn’t enough, God has made a way for you to be protected from the adversary. He has made a way for you to be protected by his refuge and his strength in this world of sin and temptation.
Isaiah 4:4–6 Helps Us to Trust in God
So we pray. God help us. God help us to trust in you today. Help us to keep our eyes fixed on you. God help us to hide in you. To live in the righteousness that Jesus has bought us. We praise you for, not just forgiveness in our lives, but your protection of our lives, for your power in our lives, for your provision in our lives. You are so good to us.
Thank you for redeeming us, restoring us, and then being a refuge for us today. We rest in you. We praise you for the grace you have shown us and forgiving us of our sins, and the glory that you cover over us with, enabling us to walk in righteousness today. All glory be to your name in Jesus name we pray, Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
