Isaiah 59:16 He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
Isaiah 63:5 I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me.
This is one of the most intimate revelations of the Z’roah in Scripture. God looks for a human intercessor but finds none. No man can bridge the gap. So His own Arm accomplishes the work. In Hebrew, v’tosha lo z’roah — “His arm saved for Him” — reveals that salvation originates from within God Himself, not from any outside help. Isaiah adds that His own righteousness sustained Him — it upheld His resolve to save — and His fury upheld Him, a holy passion that would not rest until justice was accomplished.
This truth is central in the Passover (Pesach) picture: Israel did not fight her way out of Egypt; she was carried out. The Lamb’s blood and the Arm’s power worked together without Israel lifting a weapon. In the same way, at the cross, Yeshua (Jesus) — the Arm of the LORD — bore the full weight of salvation without human assistance. His righteousness sustained Him through the agony, and His righteous fury burned against sin and death until they were utterly defeated.
Theologically, this leaves no room for pride. We bring nothing to redemption but our need; we do not earn it, we receive it. Just as the Arm moves only at the Head’s command, Yeshua obeyed the Father’s will flawlessly — even to the point of death. His saving work was solitary, unstoppable, and completely sufficient. His righteousness was far more than a moral attribute; it was the unwavering strength that kept Him on course to fulfill the mission His Father had ordained for Him before the foundation of the world. (1 Peter 1:19-20)
Prophetically, Isaiah 63:5 echoes this: “My own arm brought me salvation, and my fury upheld me.” This is God ensuring that the work is perfect, untouched by human failure. His fury was not uncontrolled rage, but holy determination — the fierce love of the Redeemer refusing to let His people perish. The Arm finishes what the Head purposes, and nothing in heaven, earth, or hell can stop it.
For us, this means resting in the finished work. We add nothing to the cross but our surrender. The same Arm that saved alone is the Arm that sustains continually. The righteousness that held Him to His mission is the same righteousness now covering us, and the same holy passion that upheld Him is the passion that guards and keeps us until the end.
Stop carrying burdens you were never meant to bear. Salvation is His work from start to finish — rest in it, and you will discover a strength you could never produce on your own. For His Arm accomplishes all that the Father commands, His righteousness will never fail, and soon that same Arm will lift you up and carry you all the way home.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Worthy News recently covered a story about the impact of prayer in the lives of the everyday American. As I read through the poll, I was shocked at how little Americans pray. In these days, prayer simply must become an essential in our daily walk. Pondering this, I realized I’ve never done an in-depth series on prayer, its importance, and how to be an effective prayer warrior. This will be the first in a series of devotions discussing this important subject — prayer and intercession.
Traveling across America in this climate of national stress, I’ve been repeatedly shocked to witness violent atrocities against the United States government. While many of the protests have been peaceful demonstrations, numerous others have been characterized by a level of violent and seemingly vengeful anger, involving intentional destruction of property with losses in the millions of dollars.
In the days of the wilderness wanderings, the children of Israel trembled in the sight of God … and said to Moses, "You go and speak to God for us; and we will listen to you". However, in these days, we can’t be like the children of Israel and say to someone else … "Go and speak to God for me, and tell me what the Lord is saying!" And though we don't ignore prophetic voices, (we test them), if we are born again and have His Holy Spirit, we can receive communication direct... from the Lord, Himself. With troubles and dangers on the rise, we each need to cultivate a sensitivity to His Spirit, the ability to hear His inner voice. No, I'm not talking (necessarily) about an audible voice, but a spiritual sensitivity that will navigate us around the landmines which surround us.
It’s a sad thing, as we’ve been traveling, to discover the number of congregations that have split over non-Biblical issues. I’ve heard nightmare stories of congregations splitting over the color of carpet! I find it amazing how easily the enemy can work his way into the body of Messiah and operate in the fleshly realm. The success level of his diabolical tactics is embarrassing and infuriating, and I want to implore my brothers and sisters to awaken to this damaging process, to gain an understanding of Satan’s strategies, and reverse this destructive pattern.
Carl Armerding wrote a funny story in Moody Monthly, about his experience at the zoo. “As I stood there,” he said, “an attendant entered the cage through a door on the opposite side. He had nothing in his hands but a broom.
In my travels across the United States, I’ve come to a greater understanding of the racial divisions which seem to characterize much of the restlessness in America. While I was in Little Rock, Arkansas I spent time with a black pastor who was taught of the true legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. While historians will rightly record MLK as a civil rights leader, he was first and foremost a Baptist pastor, and was a biblical rights leader who saw that, in the Kingdom of God … there is NO RACE! That was the revelation which inspired MLK to speak out against the social injustice of his generation.
As we’ve been traveling across the United States, one of the messages we’ve been carrying is being a minister of reconciliation for bringing restoration of relationship between parties that have been divided and wounded.