Week of Monday December 9 – December 15
Sure Foundation – Man as Battle Buddy
[T]herefore, thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’ And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.” Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand … This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. - Isaiah 28:16-18a, 29 ESV
In Christianity Today a number of years ago, Gary Thomas wrote about a poignant moment that made a profound impact on Vice President George H.W. Bush, who represented the United States at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev:
Bush was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev’s widow. She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev’s wife performed an act of great courage and hope, a gesture that must surely rank as one of the most profound acts of civil disobedience ever committed: She reached down and made the sign of the cross on her husband’s chest.
There, in the citadel of secular, atheistic power, the wife of the man who had run it all hoped that her husband was wrong. She hoped that there was another life, and that that life was best represented by Jesus who died on the cross, and that the same Jesus might yet have mercy on her husband.
While only the Lord knows the final spiritual state of Premier Brezhnev, the Scripture we read gives us a stark snapshot of the spiritual state of God’s people. With selfish hearts, Israel had deserted their covenant with God, resulting in a covenant with death. Although they didn’t realize it at the time, their only hope was a source beyond themselves, beyond their ability and strength.
While the people of Israel were facing certain destruction, there came this surprising and wonderful promise of hope from the Lord: “Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol [the grave] will not stand” (verse 18). That must have been a welcome word of hope!
Men, there are times when we need hope-filled words from a trusted brother in the Lord. At other times, we need a straight word of correction, godly counsel, and accountability from a godly counselor. In either case, we need a Battle Buddy!
In the daily battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil, it is all too easy to fall prey to temptation and drift further and further away from God, who created us and blessed us with our families and the good things of life. It is in those moments that the wisdom and counsel of a dear brother is desperately needed. A trusted brother who will speak truth in love to us, whether we want to hear it or not.
A good Battle Buddy not only offers hope in difficult times but also reminds us of Scripture and points us back to the Lord who saves us and inspires our hope.
That brings me back to the beginning of the passage and the “sure foundation” of our hope in verse 16. Who is the foundation, the cornerstone? We know from the New Testament that it is Jesus. Peter said as much in his first letter: “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious.” Then, he quotes this same verse from Isaiah and applies it directly to Jesus (see 1 Peter 2:4-8).
Sometimes, when we find ourselves in difficult situations—often caused by our own actions—we need a trusted Battle Buddy who will point us back to the “sure foundation,” Jesus. As Peter puts it: “whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” (2:7). Having a faithful brother guide us back to the Lord is the sort of accountability we need. It is also the kind of brother we are called to be to other men, always directing them back to Jesus, the “sure foundation.”
- Do you have a Battle Buddy you allow to speak scriptural wisdom and correction into your life? If not, prayerfully approach a godly man you respect and ask for help in this matter of accountability.
- Are you serving as a Battle Buddy to another man of God with whom you have the relational capital to speak honestly and hold accountable?
- Ask God to help connect you with another man on a heart level who is striving to build his life on the “sure foundation” of Jesus Christ.
Sure Foundation – Man as Battle Buddy
[T]herefore, thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’ And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.” Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand … This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. - Isaiah 28:16-18a, 29 ESV
In Christianity Today a number of years ago, Gary Thomas wrote about a poignant moment that made a profound impact on Vice President George H.W. Bush, who represented the United States at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev:
Bush was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev’s widow. She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev’s wife performed an act of great courage and hope, a gesture that must surely rank as one of the most profound acts of civil disobedience ever committed: She reached down and made the sign of the cross on her husband’s chest.
There, in the citadel of secular, atheistic power, the wife of the man who had run it all hoped that her husband was wrong. She hoped that there was another life, and that that life was best represented by Jesus who died on the cross, and that the same Jesus might yet have mercy on her husband.
While only the Lord knows the final spiritual state of Premier Brezhnev, the Scripture we read gives us a stark snapshot of the spiritual state of God’s people. With selfish hearts, Israel had deserted their covenant with God, resulting in a covenant with death. Although they didn’t realize it at the time, their only hope was a source beyond themselves, beyond their ability and strength.
While the people of Israel were facing certain destruction, there came this surprising and wonderful promise of hope from the Lord: “Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol [the grave] will not stand” (verse 18). That must have been a welcome word of hope!
Men, there are times when we need hope-filled words from a trusted brother in the Lord. At other times, we need a straight word of correction, godly counsel, and accountability from a godly counselor. In either case, we need a Battle Buddy!
In the daily battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil, it is all too easy to fall prey to temptation and drift further and further away from God, who created us and blessed us with our families and the good things of life. It is in those moments that the wisdom and counsel of a dear brother is desperately needed. A trusted brother who will speak truth in love to us, whether we want to hear it or not.
A good Battle Buddy not only offers hope in difficult times but also reminds us of Scripture and points us back to the Lord who saves us and inspires our hope.
That brings me back to the beginning of the passage and the “sure foundation” of our hope in verse 16. Who is the foundation, the cornerstone? We know from the New Testament that it is Jesus. Peter said as much in his first letter: “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious.” Then, he quotes this same verse from Isaiah and applies it directly to Jesus (see 1 Peter 2:4-8).
Sometimes, when we find ourselves in difficult situations—often caused by our own actions—we need a trusted Battle Buddy who will point us back to the “sure foundation,” Jesus. As Peter puts it: “whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” (2:7). Having a faithful brother guide us back to the Lord is the sort of accountability we need. It is also the kind of brother we are called to be to other men, always directing them back to Jesus, the “sure foundation.”
- Do you have a Battle Buddy you allow to speak scriptural wisdom and correction into your life? If not, prayerfully approach a godly man you respect and ask for help in this matter of accountability.
- Are you serving as a Battle Buddy to another man of God with whom you have the relational capital to speak honestly and hold accountable?
- Ask God to help connect you with another man on a heart level who is striving to build his life on the “sure foundation” of Jesus Christ.