Isaiah wrote of the devastation that was coming in Jerusalem using the expression, “In that day.” He wrote, “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.” (Isaiah 4:1-6) Isaiah pictured a day when the Branch of the LORD will be glorious. The righteous people, who were left in Zion, would be called holy. The Lord promised to create and provide a shelter and a place of safety for them.

          In that Day – Isaiah 4:1: After the coming of God’s judgment; that resulted in so many men either being killed in battle or being carried into captivity, the women would, without shame, offer themselves to men under any condition. The carnage of the war would be so great that only a few men would be left. The women would be willing to become the wife of just any man. They were convinced that they would be without a husband. God had said, “Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.” (Isaiah 3:25) The women would have a difficult time in maintaining themselves. Therefore, they were willing to marry to a man just to have food, clothing and lodging. They wanted to wear the man’s name and to have a child to have their reproach taken away. The reproach was that of being barren.  Elisabeth, the mother of John, conceived and said, “Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.” (Luke 1:25) Barrenness created problems for these women. “And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.” (Genesis 30:1) These women were willing to share the men with other wives just so they would have food, clothing and be able to bear children. “If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.” (Exodus 21:10) The men were taken away when, “Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers.” (2 Chronicles 28:6) There were so many widows that Jeremiah wrote, “Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.” (Jeremiah 15:8)

A second use of the expression, “In that day” – Isaiah 4:2: Isaiah then moved to use the “In that day” expression in another way. He also spoke of a day of beauty and glory for the faithful. He wrote, “In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.” (Isaiah 4:2) Later he wrote, “Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.” (Isaiah 45:8) God’s mercy would see the faithful through the worst of time and would, when the time was right, bring the Messiah! The Branch of the Lord is none other than the Savior, Himself. “And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD.” (Zechariah 6:12) God promised that the land, which for the sins of the people was made barren, upon their repentance and return to Lord, would recover its fertility. This Scripture looked both to the blessing that would come on the faithful in Judah and Jerusalem and on the ultimate spiritual blessings that are ours through the Branch, the Lord Jesus! 

Faithful people are called Holy – Isaiah 4:3-5: God said that His faithful people who were left in Jerusalem would be called holy. In Isaiah 1:26 He had said, “And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.” They would be called holy, the city of righteousness and the faithful city. Not everyone that was left in Jerusalem would be called holy, but only those “written among the living in Jerusalem.” The faithful are written in the Lamb's book of life, or in the book of life, or of the book of the living. Philippians 4:3 is an example of this “And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.” God would wash the filth from Judah and Jerusalem by use of punishment in captivity. People will not be allowed to get by with their sins. The terrifying thought of facing God’s punishment of burning should bring any sinner to repentance. There is the need for spiritual filth to be washed from our life. This washing is by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” (Revelation 1:5) God will provide for, protect and guide His faithful people. Here God used an illustration that would be so familiar and so encouraging to the faithful.” And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.” (Isaiah 4:5) These people would easily remember how God guided and protected His people and now, even in that day, He promised to do the same thing for His faithful people. In the wilderness, “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.” (Exodus 13:21) Today we are blessed with the same promises of God’s protection and blessing for the faithful. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5) The Lord blesses the faithful and He wants to bless you.

God provided a defense for His people – Isaiah 4:6: God promised to defend His people against all troubles and all kinds of dangers. “And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.” (Isaiah 4:6) The beautiful picture that was given was that the Lord Himself would be a tabernacle, or a tent, to defend the faithful from the violent heat of the sun and other injuries of the weather. God’s placing His tabernacle among the Jews was a picture of His dwelling among them, and keeping them under His protection and care. God had promised, “And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.” (Leviticus 26:11-12) The psalmist wrote, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1)

God is so good! He is faithful to those who are faithful. “For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.” (Isaiah 25:4) Will you accept God's wonderful good news that Jesus died for your sins? Will you be baptized into Christ to put on Christ so that your sins can be forgiven by His blood? (Galatians 3:26-27) The grace of God and His great gift to us demands our cheerful and loving surrender to Him. Are you faithful in God's service? “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58) Be faithful to yourself and to God.