SALT & LIGHT God’s Plan of Renewal: Fruitful: A world of abundance, with life and prosperity

20 No more shall there be in it

an infant who lives but a few days,

or an old man who does not fill out his days,

for the young man shall die a hundred years old,

and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.

John Gill

No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days—That is, no more shall there be carried out from in it, from Jerusalem, or any other place where the church of God is, to the grave, in order to be interred, an infant that has lived but a few days, a very common thing now; but, in the latter day, such instances will be rare, or rather there will be none at all; every child born will live to the age of man, and not be cut off by any premature death, either by any natural disease, or by famine, or sword, or any other calamity, which will now have no place:

Or an old man who does not fill out his days—Who, though he may in some sense, or in comparison of others, be said to be old, yet has not arrived to the full term of man’s life, threescore years and ten, or more; for it seems, by what follows, as if the term of human life will be lengthened in the latter day, and reach in common to a hundred years; so that as long life is always reckoned a temporal happiness, among the rest that shall be enjoyed, this will be one in the latter day; and which is to be understood not of the Millennium state, in which there will be no death (Rev 21:4), which yet will be in this, as the following words show; but of the state preceding that, even the spiritual reign of Christ:

For the young man shall die a hundred years old—Not that that shall be reckoned a young man that shall die at a hundred years of age, the life of man being now, in these days of the Messiah, as long as they were before the flood, as the Jewish interpreters imagine; but the child that is now born, or he that is now a child, shall live to the age of a hundred years, and not die before: but lest this outward happiness should be trusted to, and a man should imagine that therefore he is in a happy state for eternity, being blessed with such a long life, it follows, “and” or

Though the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed—For though this shall be common in this state to good men and bad men, to live a hundred years, yet their death will not be alike; the good man will be blessed, and enter into a happy state of joy and peace; but the wicked man, though he lives as long as the other in this world, shall be accursed at death, and to all eternity; see Ecc 8:12-13.

Rashi

An infant—Heb. עוּל יָמִים, a youth. Comp. (Lam 2:11) “young children.” 

Shall die a hundred years old—He shall be subject to punishments to be liable to death for a capital sin. So it is explained in Bereishit Rabbah 26:2.

Shall be accursed for a sin requiring an anathema.

21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;

they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

John Gill

They shall build houses and inhabit them—In Jerusalem, and other parts of Judea: though this need not be limited to the Jews, but be considered as reaching to all the Lord’s people, the Gentiles also; who will be in no fear of enemies, or ever be disturbed by them, but shall dwell in their own houses peaceably and quietly; this is the reverse of what is threatened to the wicked (Deu 28:30):

They shall plant vineyards—And eat their fruit; they shall both live to dwell in their houses when built, and till their vineyards bring forth fruit, and then eat of them; and they shall be preserved from enemies breaking in upon them, and wasting their plantations.

8 The Lord has sworn by his right hand

and by his mighty arm:

“I will not again give your grain

to be food for your enemies,

and foreigners shall not drink your wine

for which you have labored;

John Gill

The Lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm—By Christ, say some, who is the arm of the Lord, the power of God, by whom he made the world, and upholds all things; but though he sometimes is said to swear to him, and concerning him, yet is never said to swear by him; rather the attribute of omnipotence is here designed; as God is sometimes said to swear by his holiness, so here by his almighty power; the consideration of which itself is a great encouragement to faith, to believe the fulfilment of promises, because God is able; but his swearing by it is a further confirmation of it; it is as if he had said, let me not be thought to be the omnipotent God I am, if I do not do so and so; or as sure as I have such a right hand, and arm of strength, what follows shall certainly be accomplished:

I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies, and the sons of the strangers shall not drink your wine for which you have labored—This was threatened to the people of Israel, in case of sinning against God, and revolting from him; and was accomplished in the times of their captivity in Babylon (Deu 28:33; Jer 5:17), but here it is promised, and the strongest assurance given, it should be so no more; which cannot respect the deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity; for it is certain that after that their enemies did eat their grain, and drink their wine; the Romans came and took away their city and nation, as they feared, and all their good things; therefore this must refer to future times, to times yet to come, when this people, being converted, shall be restored to their own land, and enjoy great plenty of good things, and never more be disturbed by their enemies: though all this may be understood in a spiritual sense of the “grain” and “wine” of the gospel, and the ministration of it; which was first provided for them, and they were invited to partake of it; and in preparing which the apostles and first ministers of the word, being Jews, “labored”; but they rejecting it, it was carried to the Gentiles, who had been their “enemies,” and were “aliens” from the commonwealth of Israel, which they gladly received and fed upon; but now it is promised, that the gospel, being again brought to them, should no more be taken from them, but ever continue with them; even all the means of grace, and ordinances of the gospel, for the comfort and refreshment of their souls.

9 but those who garner it shall eat it

and praise the Lord,

and those who gather it shall drink it

in the courts of my sanctuary.” ISA 62:8-9

Rashi

Shall eat it—This refers back to “your grain.”

Shall drink it—This refers back to “your wine.”

22 They shall not build and another inhabit;

they shall not plant and another eat;

for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,

and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

Rashi

Like the days of a tree—Jonathan renders: the tree of life.

23 They shall not labor in vain

or bear children for calamity,

for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,

and their descendants with them. ISA 65:20-23

John Gill

They shall not labor in vain—As they do, who build houses, and enemies come and turn them out of them, and dwell in them themselves; or who plant vineyards, and sow their fields, and strangers come and devour them; or they are smitten with blasting and mildew:

Or bear children for calamity—For death, as the Targum; or for a curse, as the Septuagint: the tense is, they shall not beget and bear children, that shall immediately die by some distemper or another, or be taken off by famine, sword, or pestilence, to the great grief and trouble of their parents; but these shall live, and outlive their parents, so that their death will never be a trouble to them:

For they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them—Or, “they shall be a seed, the blessed of the Lord”; or, “they shall be the offspring blessed of God,” or “the Lord,” as the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions; or, as the Targum,

“a seed whom the Lord blessed”;

a spiritual offspring of the church, a seed raised up to serve the Lord, whom he blesses with temporal and spiritual blessings; and their descendants also, being made a spiritual offspring by the grace of God, and succeeding them in the church, and treading in their steps.

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. GEN 12:2

Pesachim 117b:11

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said with regard to God’s blessing of Abraham: “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing,” (Gen 12:2). “And I will make of you a great nation”; this is fulfilled in the opening of the first blessing of the Amida, as Jews say: God of Abraham. “And I will bless you”; this is fulfilled when they say: God of Isaac, as it is a blessing for a father when the name of his son is eternalized. “And make your name great”; this is fulfilled when they say: God of Jacob.

Rashi

And I will make of you a great nation—Since travelling is the cause of three things—it decreases (breaks up) family life, it reduces one’s wealth and lessens one’s fame, he therefore needed these three blessings: that God should promise him children, wealth and a great name (Bereishit Rabbah 39:11).

And I will bless you—With wealth (Bereishit Rabbah 39:11).

So that you will be a blessing—Blessings are entrusted to you; hitherto they were in my power—I blessed Adam and Noah. From now on you shall bless whomsoever you wish (Bereishit Rabbah 39:11). Another explanation is: And I will make of you a great nation, this alludes to the fact that we say in our prayer “God of Abraham”; And I will bless you—that we say, “God of Isaac”; And make your name great—that we say, “God of Jacob.” One might think that we should conclude the benediction in which these invocations are recited by mentioning again the names of all the patriarchs—the text therefore states “so that you will be a blessing” meaning, with you (i.e. with your name only) shall they conclude the benediction and not with them (their names) (Pesachim 117b).

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1CO 15:58

The world God wants for us is full of life and prosperity, where everyone reaches old age without fear of sickness or accidents; anyone who takes time to build a house will have time to live in it; and anyone who invests their resources will enjoy a stable livelihood. Even parenthood will be a time of joy in every instance. What do you think will change in the world God has for us?