ON THE VANGUARD

RAISE THE STANDARD
“So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”
Isaiah 59:19

There is a saying from the old Frankish text to standhard. The literal translation of this word is easily seen as we break the words apart to create stand hard. The encouragement of this word is just as easy to see in that it urged soldiers to stand their ground like never before. It is from this word, and in this context, that we have our word standard. Among its definitions, a standard is defined as a flag or banner, a measurement of comparison, and a mighty force. All three of these definitions should be fresh in our minds as Christians for they all play a key as to how we should stand when our enemy attacks us. But as we look more in depth at this truth today, let us dissect it with a new vision.
Isaiah 59:19 reads, “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” From the beginning we see the word fear. This word fear is not the idea of being afraid, but of reverence. Isaiah is speaking to us that we should revere and have reverence for the name of the Lord. From the west to the east, where the sun rises, all peoples and nations shall revere the name of the Lord. This idea goes in tandem with the truth that every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Phil 2:11).
It is this next section of the verse, however, that will only be of truth if and when we revere His name. Our enemy will come in like a flood. There is no way around it. It is the mission of the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy (Jn 10:10). Just by calling on the name of the Lord we have already angered the adversary enough that he is bent on our destruction. So then, with a force as strong as a flood bursting through a broken dam, the enemy comes in. Since it is only because of the Lord that we are saved, a standard is raised, and might force of a wall is created, and the enemy is rendered useless.
But consider this. In the original Hebrew there were never commas used. What if instead of the enemy coming in like a flood the verse really reads, “When the enemy shall come in, like a flood the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” As I stated, John 10:10 tells us the mission of the enemy. So what if the way it is written with the comma is wrong? What if when the enemy attacks, the flood of the Spirit of the LORD springs forth like a broken dam bursting forth? I believe that this should be the true understanding of Isaiah’s writing.
As I close, I want to take a brief moment to expound of the other definitions of the word standard. As we have already seen, a standard is also a flag or banner. In times of war, the flag was a marking that let the army know whether to press forward or fall back. When the standard bearer was injured, it was the duty of another to take the flag and continue to carry it. In this understanding, I urge you to raise the standard for all to see. But we also read that the term standard has to do with measurements. The standard units of measurement in the United States are inches, feet, and miles. In other places it is centimeters, meters, and kilometers. Wherever we are, there is a standard. The same is true in this Christian life. God has set a standard for us to live according to, but overtime we have lowered our standard. We as a nation and as an individual people have sunk below His standard. I urge you to once again attain to His standard. Raise your measurement to that of the Lord.
It is time to raise the standard. It is time to lift the flag of our beliefs. It is time to lift the measurement of our actions. And it is time we revere Him as never before, so that when the enemy comes in, like a flood the Lord will raise His standard against the enemy.