Where Is This Salvation You Speak Of? – part 3
Isaiah 59:1-60:22 (59:15b-20)
October 6, 2024
So the question we’ve been asking is:
Where is this salvation you speak of?
By now you know where we’ve come from.
We know about the atonement which Christ came to secure in chapter 53.
• We know how He bore our iniquities and propitiated the wrath of God.
As a result we saw God calling:
• The barren
• The rejected
• The eunuch
• The foreigner
• The humble
In chapter 55
• He told those who were thirsty to come.
• Even if you have no money, come.
Isaiah 55:1 “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.”
In chapter 56 He said:
Isaiah 56:1 “Thus says the LORD, “Preserve justice and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed.”
In chapter 57 he told them:
Isaiah 57:15 “For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.”
It was all about God’s promised salvation.
• It is coming to the humble.
• It is coming to the broken.
• It is coming to the barren.
• It is coming to the helpless.
• It is coming to the hopeless.
SALVATION IS ON ITS WAY!
And that is where we first encountered the pushback of Israel.
Because we came to chapter 58 and we hear Israel in clear frustration.
Isaiah 58:3a “‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’”
IN OTHER WORDS:
Where is the salvation you speak of?
Well, for the last chapter and a half
God has been addressing that frustration.
I promised salvation.
You have not received it.
And you can’t figure out why.
First of all, that thing you call humility isn’t really humility.
• Humility is not ceremonial
• Humility is not temporary
• Humility is not symbolic
If you really want to fast…
• Fast from selfishness and start breaking the oppression of sin.
• Fast from selfishness and stop hiding from the poor.
• Fast from selfishness and start delighting in the Sabbath.
Secondly, you think I haven’t been able to save due to My short arms and dull ears.
But you have yet to realize why you are in the predicament you are in.
The problem is your sin!
• You’ve still got the same bloody hands you had when I sent you into exile.
• You’ve still got the same lying tongue you had when I sent you into exile.
• You still don’t care for the poor.
• You still don’t walk in justice.
• Your life is filled with transgression and iniquity and denial and defection.
And so if we could SUM UP the past few chapters
We understand better were we are now in this great dialogue.
1. God sends salvation through Christ. (Ch. 53)
2. God calls men to come to that salvation in Christ. (Ch. 54-57)
3. But men don’t come.
4. They persist in their selfishness.
5. They persist in their sin.
6. And they wonder why God has yet to save them. (Ch. 58)
God answers that their lack of salvation
Is not due to His lack of faithfulness or lack of power.
7. Their lack of salvation is due to their persistence in sin.
8. They have yet to repent and He has yet to save. (Ch. 59)
And THIS MORNING we actually heard Isaiah confessing that.
(59:12-15a) “For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And we know our iniquities: Transgressing and denying the LORD, And turning away from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words. Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter. Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey.”
Things should be crystal clear by now.
• You haven’t experienced salvation because you have yet to humble yourself and repent and cry out for it.
• You’re still trying to prove that you deserve it by reason of your pathetic fasts and empty works. And neither of them have worked for you.
SO THUS FAR, DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM?
We are talking about Israel’s TOTAL DEPRAVITY or Absolute Inability.
Can you see that?
We know what total depravity is,
It is that doctrine whereby we believe that due to the fall of man in Adam, mankind is dead in sin and absolutely unable to come to God of his own volition.
It is the reality that man is dead in sin and even his will,
Which he is free to exercise, is fallen
And does not and cannot come to God.
And over the course of the last 6 chapters Isaiah has proven that.
We even noticed that segment early in chapter 59
• That reads remarkably similar to Paul’s great segment on totally depravity in Romans 3.
Isaiah 59:4-8 “No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly. They trust in confusion and speak lies; They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. They hatch adders’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from that which is crushed a snake breaks forth. Their webs will not become clothing, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And an act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Devastation and destruction are in their highways. They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, Whoever treads on them does not know peace.”
It sounds just like Paul.
• In fact, Paul actually quoted part of that in his great statement.
We have seen the absolute inability or total depravity of Israel clearly.
• They aren’t coming.
• They aren’t repenting.
• They are lost and in a pitiful state.
There is not a thing in them that is the least bit worthy of salvation.
• They do not deserve it.
• They cannot reach it.
• They aren’t close to it.
• They are helpless and hopeless.
And as we have said,
That remains the state of Israel down to this very day.
Paul said it:
Romans 11:7-10 “What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, “GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.” And David says, “LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. “LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.”
2 Corinthians 3:14 “But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.”
THAT IS ISRAEL.
It certainly does not mean that no Jews are saved at all,
For Paul himself was a Jew and even today we see a remnant that believes.
But by in large, Israel continues to walk in the same stubbornness
Isaiah lamented 2,700 years ago.
Such a rejection has even caused many in our day
To completely write Israel off as though it is over for them.
• I hear people today who say that there is no longer any hope for Israel
• Some have even begun to develop again a type of antisemitism towards them.
• Some even go so far as to embrace a sort of “replacement theology” where the church is now Israel.
And they justify it by talking about
How crooked and immoral and backward the nation of Israel is today.
But that is the point…
• They are totally depraved.
• They are absolutely unable.
• They are totally lost and have no hope in and of themselves.
And it has led many to ask the question:
Where is this salvation you speak of?
And tonight we get the answer:
IT’S ON ITS WAY!
So thus far in the chapter we’ve seen:
#1 THE LORD’S REPROACH
Isaiah 59:1-8
#2 THE PROPHET’S RESPONSE
Isaiah 59:9-15a
Well now let’s examine the salvation that God promised.
#3 THE MESSIAH’S REDEMPTION
Isaiah 59:15b-20
The dilemma and timing here is no different
Than the passages we read all throughout the New Testament.
How many times have we fallen in love
With the “But God…” statements of the New Testament.
• We were dead in our trespasses and sins…but God (Eph. 2:4)
• We once were also foolish ourselves…but when the kindness of God
(Titus 3:4)
• There were not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble…but God
(1 Cor. 1:27)
• We were held in bondage…but when the fullness of the time came God
(Gal. 4:4)
• Paul said, “I used to persecute the church”…but when God (Gal. 1:15)
It is always during the darkest circumstances
That the gospel comes and shines the brightest.
Isaiah has carried us to the depths of despair
As he has clearly outlined for us the totally depravity of Israel.
Proud, stubborn, hypocritical, blood-thirsty, deceptive, apostate, unjust, unrighteous…LOST PEOPLE
But then we read in the middle of verse 15, “Now the LORD saw…”
It is during the dark moment of their depravity
That God answers the question.
HERE IS YOUR SALVATION.
Let’s see how God addresses the total depravity of Israel (4 points)
1) HIS REACTION (15b-16a)
“Now the LORD saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;”
Isaiah draws our attention here to the recognition of the LORD.
Twice we read that God “saw”.
• Israel is blind, but God can see.
• Israel is dear, but God can hear.
• Israel is hardened, but God is moved.
They can’t save themselves, but God can.
And we see in these verses two responses from God.
• We read at the end of verse 15, “it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.”
• We read at the beginning of verse 16 that He “was astonished that there was no one to intercede;”
So let’s discuss this reaction of God.
Namely that of displeasure and astonishment.
FIRST, “it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.”
It is God’s recognition of the absolute wickedness of the people
He had promised to save.
“displeasing” is RA-AW
It means “to be bad; to be evil; injurious or wicked”
It can be translated “hostile” or “grieved”
In that passage on benevolence we read a couple of weeks ago, it is translated both of those ways.
Deuteronomy 15:9-10 “Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you. “You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.”
• Don’t be “hostile” toward your brother.
• Don’t be “grieved” when you give to him.
That is the same word as “displeasing” here.
And we simply find that there is nothing in God
That is happy or rejoicing about the sinful state of Israel.
He sees that there is “no justice”.
And there is nothing funny or laughable or redeemable about that to God.
• He is grieved about the level of their sinfulness.
• He is displeased, He is hostile, He is distressed.
• It is bad, it is evil, it is wicked in His sight.
We are therefore talking about the type of people
That don’t appear to be worth saving.
These are a displeasing people.
This is not like a puppy clinging to a board floating down the river yelping at you with terrified eyes.
This is a criminal floating down the river, blaming you for the river while giving you the finger, and telling you how much he hates you.
These are a people who according to verse 13
• Transgress and deny the LORD,
• Who speak oppression and revolt
• And who conceive and utter lying words.
The people He is gazing upon are displeasing people.
“it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.”
SECONDLY: “And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;”
First we recognize that it was absolutely apparent to God that He is the only possible salvation.
• “there was no man”
• “there was no one to intercede;”
Ezekiel 22:30 “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.”
Isaiah 63:5 “I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me.”
It is that affirmation of the fact that Paul states.
“There is none good, not even one.”
“There is none who seeks for God.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
These vile and filthy undeserving sinners
Have absolutely no one who can save them.
• There is no man…
• There is no political leader…
• There is no moral uprising…
• They are doomed.
And we read that because of that God was “astonished”
“astonished” translates SHAW-MAME
It is actually often translated as “desolate”
As when speaking about a wasteland or the aftermath of judgment.
And thus, when talking about a person’s emotion it is translated as
“astounded; stupefied; put to silence; devastated; appalled”
Psalms 143:4 “Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart is appalled within me.”
Job 21:5 “Look at me, and be astonished, And put your hand over your mouth.”
And this is what is said of the LORD’S reaction to the sinful state of Israel.
He is displeased with their sin and He is appalled at their fate.
He recognizes their pitiful state and that they deserve to be there.
And thus you understand that we are about to talk about
UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION.
• These were NOT a people who deserved salvation
• These were NOT a people who with a little help might be able to save themselves.
• These are people who deserve destruction and that is exactly where they are headed.
• It’s like they’re not even trying.
• And God is astonished at the reality of what is about to happen to them.
IT IS A DARK REALITY
AND GRACE IS ABOUT TO ENTER THE ARENA.
His reaction
2) HIS RESOLVE (16b-17)
“Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.”
What you need to see first here is that
Everything that occurs in these verses is caused by God.
• “His own arm brought salvation”
• “His righteousness upheld Him”
• “He put on righteousness”
• “He put on…a helmet of salvation”
• “He put on garments of vengeance”
• “He…wrapped Himself with zeal”
In fact, Calvin points out that the word “astonished” in verse 16 is in the Hitpael stem.
(Hebrew vowels have different stems or conjugation which change their meanings)
And simply put the Hitpael stem indicates that
Astonishment is something that God cast onto Himself.
No one made God care about the sinner under judgment.
No one coerced God to have compassion on him.
God’s astonishment is something God determined for Himself to have.
He determined to have that feeling towards the sinner
He did it to Himself.
And because of His own self-imposed horror at the judgment of the wicked God moved Himself to intervene.
• The man did not deserve it…
• But God motivated Himself to give it…
This is nothing but pure grace on the part of God.
This is what we call UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION.
God did it only at the prompting of His own amazing grace.
He was resolved by His own nature to save one
Who did not deserve salvation and who could not save himself.
And we are so thankful that this is who God is.
For we all are in that condition.
• We are so thankful that God saves sinners who do not deserve it.
• We are so thankful that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
• We are so thankful that God is motivated by perfect love and grace and
compassion.
THAT IS CLEARLY WHAT WE SEE HERE.
“Then His own arm brought salvation to Him…”
That is none other than the arm of Isaiah 53.
“To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed..?”
This is Jesus Christ.
“And His righteousness upheld Him.”
WHAT GOD IS ABOUT TO DO
IS NOT a result of the righteousness of the sinner,
IT IS a result of His own righteousness.
What He is about to do is to demonstrate His righteousness and glory.
What He is about to do is about His perfection not the sinners worth.
Those today who turn salvation into some sort of testimony
About their great value or worth totally miss the point of salvation.
• Salvation is a demonstration of God’s amazing grace.
• Salvation is a demonstration of God’s unfailing love.
• Salvation is a demonstration of God’s perfect righteousness.
Romans 3:21-26 “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Well that is what is happening here.
God is about to save to demonstrate His own righteousness and glory.
He is about to dive into that stream
To save that vile and wicked helpless sinner.
And in verse 17 you see Him preparing Himself to do so.
(17) “He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.”
It is an interesting attire we see our Lord choosing.
“He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head…”
By this part of His attire, we certainly see the work of salvation.
And we know this is what He will do for Israel.
Now, it is important to understand
That what is spoken of here is NOT Christ’s first coming, but His second.
• At this point, His first coming has happened.
• At that coming He took up human flesh and dwelt among us.
• At that coming He concealed His glory.
That coming culminated in Isaiah 53
With Him laying down His life as an atonement for sin.
What Isaiah sees here is His second coming,
But it is a coming that has implications of salvation for Israel.
They long to be delivered from their enemies.
• They have not seen it,
• They do not presently enjoy it,
• But Christ will come and bring it.
HE WILL COME TO SAVE HIS OWN.
We know that Israel will one day “look on Him whom they have pierced.”
That day is coming.
That is seen in the first part of His attire.
But we also see the second part of His attire.
“And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.”
He is coming to save His people
Through the destruction of their enemies.
That man floating down the river not only needs to be pulled from the water,
But someone needs to kill the crocodiles that are trying to kill him.
Our Savior is determined by His own resolve
To save and defend the very one
Who does not deserve to be saved or defended.
• He is bringing justice to the one who has rejected justice.
• He is bringing righteousness to the one who has rejected righteousness.
• He is bringing salvation to the one who rebelled against His commands.
AND HE IS DOING IT ALONE.
Isaiah 63:1-6 “Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? “I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. “For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come. “I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me. “I trod down the peoples in My anger And made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
There was no one to help.
There was not one to save.
I DID IT ALONE.
His Reaction, His Resolve
3) HIS RECOMPENSE (18)
“According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense.”
That one coming from Bozrah
Will come and bring the justice that has been missing.
His people have been oppressed and afflicted by their enemies.
• For sure it was their own fault and a result of their own sin,
But Christ has not taken lightly the affliction that was poured upon them.
• These people afflicted His people.
• These people attacked His bride.
• He will get even.
And He will deliver out His fury and recompense
Upon those who harmed her.
We see it in Revelation 14 when He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God and the blood runs through the streets to the height of the horses bridle for a distance of 100 miles.
We see in Revelation 19 when He returns and destroys His enemies with the sword and the birds of the air come and gorge themselves on their flesh.
He comes to deliver His people by crushing their enemies.
• They do not deserve it.
• They are depraved to the core.
• But they are His people and He will save them.
Certainly it was God who sent His people to Egypt,
• But did He not crush the Egyptians for afflicting His people?
Certainly it was God who raised up the enemies during the period of the Judges,
• But did He not crush the Philistines and Moabites and Ammonites and any other nation who afflicted His people?
Certainly God raised up Assyria,
• But then He crushed Assyria for afflicting His people.
Certainly God raised up Babylon,
• But then He crushed Babylon for afflicting His people.
• This was true for Persia…
• This was true for Greece…
• This was true for Rome…
And it holds true even today.
Israel has been a wayward child deserving of His punishment.
They are where they are as a result of their sin and denial of God.
But do not think that God is not coming to save them.
And do not think God will not deal harshly with those who afflicted them.
Zechariah 2:8-12 “For thus says the LORD of hosts, “After glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. “For behold, I will wave My hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me. “Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares the LORD. “Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. “The LORD will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”
People today who write off Israel
Because of their apostasy and immorality
Totally miss the point.
They’ve been that way since the beginning.
• They were never chosen because of their goodness, but because of God’s grace.
• They have not continued because of their endurance, but because of God’s grace.
• They will not be saved because of their worth, but because of God’s grace.
He will save them and render recompense to the One who afflicts them.
His Reaction, His Resolve, His Recompense
4) HIS RENOWN (19)
“So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives.”
This is the response of the world
When they see what God does for His people.
“they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun (east).”
• The world will not marvel at the ingenuity of Israel…
• The world will not marvel at the worth of Israel…
• The world will not marvel at the power of Israel…
The world will marvel at the glory, might, majesty, and power, of the Lord.
“For He will come like a rushing stream which the wind of the LORD drives.”
I think recent images of the effects of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina
Should suffice to fill in the gaps
Of what a rushing stream driven by a strong wind can do.
WHEN CHRIST COMES
He will come in full fury and power to deliver His people.
His salvation is on its way.
It is coming.
• Not because Israel deserves it…
• Not because Israel asked the right way for it…
• Not because Israel will work hard enough to achieve it…
IT WILL COME:
• Because God is gracious and glorious.
• Because He will cause Himself to be motivated to help despite their rebellion
and immorality.
• To be a demonstration to the world that those whom He has chosen are His
and they will be His and nothing and no one can undo that.
• In mighty rage and power to deliver those who have been afflicted by their
enemies.
This salvation is coming.
And then we come to this very important closing statement.
(20) “A Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD.”
Redemption is coming.
And it is coming for those who repent.
NOW WE COME FULL CIRCLE DON’T WE.
God has sent salvation,
Which Israel has steadfastly rejected in their refusal to repent.
• They have moaned and groaned under the consequences of their sin.
• They have questioned and lamented and complained against God.
Israel has wondered where is this salvation that God has spoken of?
And here God gives the answer.
“It is coming, just as soon as you repent.”
Acts 3:17-26 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. “Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’ “For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”
Peter could not have spoken more clearly to the Jews.
• This salvation is for you.
• It has always been for you.
• God has spoken about it for years.
• And when you repent and return and turn from your wicked ways
• God will send His Christ to you and usher in those days of restoration.
The salvation of Christ is as near as your repentance.
THAT IS THE ANSWER.
False humility and ceremonial fasting won’t do it.
Rejecting Christ for your own works won’t do it.
But when you repent and call on Him, He will come with vengeance!
NEXT TIME we’ll see the glories of what that looks like.
