download here

Learning From The Assyrian Invasion – Part 3
Isaiah 33:1-24 (17-24)
December 10, 2023

This morning we jumped back in to our study of
The lessons that should be learned from this Assyrian invasion.

#1 TO THE DESTROYER
Isaiah 33:1

Very simply the destroyer should learn
Not to seek the destruction of the people of God.

We learned from Zechariah that the
“one who touches you touches the apple of His eye.”

He may in fact be disappointed in His bride
And He may at times choose to discipline her,
But He will never forsake her or abandon her.

#2 TO JERUSALEM
Isaiah 33:2-12

They were supposed to learn that
Their greatest treasure was the “fear of the LORD”

For all the things they sought to be their savior.
• Strength
• Allies
• Fast horses
• Gold
• None of them could save.

But when they finally, by a last-ditch effort, decided to seek God,
Salvation came instantly.

They should have learned that for all their treasures
And all their resources and all their might
They didn’t have anything as valuable as their faith in Christ.

#3 TO THE NATIONS
Isaiah 33:13-16

This was addressed to those who “are far away”
And to those “who are near”.

It is to people who had the luxury of watching
All this playout like a drama before them.

We are the distant observers who had no skin in the game,
But who can merely evaluate all that occurred and learn from it.

And the message regarding what we should have learned
Is that sinners, even religious ones,
Cannot withstand the coming judgment of God.

The LORD pointed out that,
(14) “Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless.”

• They could not live “with the consuming fire”,
• They could not live “with the continual burning”.

God is a holiness that sinful man cannot endure.
The same holiness that caused Isaiah to cry out in despair
Is the holiness that terrified sinners in Jerusalem.

And then God revealed who could live in His presence.

(15) “He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;”

Of course there has only ever been One who fits that bill.
• Only Jesus Christ possessed that kind of righteousness.
• Only Jesus Christ walked that holy before God.

And the glory of the gospel is that
He will clothe us in that very righteousness
When we place our faith in Him.

This past week, we read in our prayer journal:
Psalms 29:2 “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy array.”

I don’t know if you pondered that verse this week,
But have you ever considered what is being said there?

That we are to “worship the LORD in holy array”?

If you think it means dress up in your “Sunday best” when you go to church then you don’t understand a thing about the gospel.

That Psalm considers the very same issue Isaiah addresses
When he wants to know who can stand before God?

And the answer is only those who are in “holy array”
Only those who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

Do you remember the scene in heaven?

We read the verse this morning about the tribulation when sinners saw the glory of God and they asked, “who is able to stand?”

Well just like Isaiah,
The book of Revelation answers that in the very next chapter.

Revelation 7:9 “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;”

These are those who are able to stand before God.
• And you see that they are “clothed in white robes”,
• They are dressed in “holy array”

Where did those come from?

Revelation 7:13-17 “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

These are those who have been cleansed of their sinfulness
And clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

The angel told John “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”

That is just another way of saying that through Christ’s sacrifice, their sin has been atoned for, and the are now clothed in His righteousness.

It’s like the parable of the wedding banquet.
Matthew 22:11-14 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

You don’t try to stand before God in your own clothes.
Your “Sunday best” will not work.

And this is what the nations should have learned.

God has granted you, by His grace, the privilege of examining this entire Assyrian invasion and all that occurred because of it.

You should walk away and say:
• The God of heaven is not to be messed with.
• He is Holy, Holy, Holy.
• Religion clearly is not enough to stay His wrath.
• He demands righteousness from His people.
• And the righteousness He demands can only be acquired from Him.
• He gives it to those who trust in Him.

When Hezekiah and Jerusalem finally repented and trusted in Him, He justified them and at once went from being their punisher
To being their deliverer.

In a moment they were justified and Assyria was annihilated.

Everyone near and far should read this story and learn that truth.

SO NOW, WE’VE SEEN:
• What the destroyer should have learned. (God doesn’t forsake His own)
• What the city of Jerusalem should have learned. (The Fear of the LORD is your treasure)
• What the nations should have learned. (Sinners can’t hide behind religion before God)

There is one more group.
#4 TO THE REMNANT
Isaiah 33:17-24

The remnant are those of course who have trusted God all along.

On the day Isaiah was commissioned God promised him that while most of the land would be destroyed, a remnant would survive.

Isaiah 6:11-13 “Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered, “Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, Houses are without people And the land is utterly desolate, “The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. “Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, And it will again be subject to burning, Like a terebinth or an oak Whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump.”

AND NOW,
• Having seen the northern kingdom carried off into exile.
• Having seen the surrounding villages of Judah burned with fire.
• Having seen the Assyrian army surround Jerusalem.
• And now seeing 180,000 dead Assyrians outside the city.

That “tenth portion” seems to have become clear to us.
These are those who trusted in God and survived.

They are those like Isaiah who have trusted for years,
And they are those like Hezekiah who trusted in the final hour.

They are those who both early on and at the last minute
• Trusted in God
• Were clothed in His righteousness,
• And were delivered from the destruction of the Assyrian.

THAT WAS THE REMNANT.

And the initial question we would ask is:
WHAT DID THEY LEARN?

What do you suppose Isaiah learned from all of this?

Simply put, the remnant find confirmation in their faith
And strong encouragement to believe God will continue to save.

Chapter 33 quickly turns from history to prophecy.
• No longer are we talking about God arising and routing the Assyrians.
• Now we are talking about Jesus returning to save completely.

What the remnant is supposed to learn
From witnessing God’s deliverance in the past
Is confidence in God’s promise to deliver in the future.

After watching God step in and saved His people from Assyria,
WE should be all the more confident that
God will step in and save us from our enemy as well.

And that is really what this final segment is about.

The main point of it all is that the King is coming!

• (17) “Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;”

• (21) “But there the majestic One, the LORD, will be for us.”

• (22) “For the LORD is our judge, The LORD is our lawgiver, The LORD is our king; He will save us”

The promise that shines brighter than the rest in this final segment
Is the promise that your King is on His way.
He will come and He will save.

From this perspective
We learn then something else about the Assyrian invasion.

The Assyrian invasion was in many ways
A precursor to the final coming battle in the end.

Perhaps you even picked up on some of the OBVIOUS SIMILARITIES.

Certainly you caught the presence of a destroyer who dealt treacherously.
• And you have read of the Anti-Christ and his destructive reign on earth.

Certainly you read about the brave men crying in the streets and the highways being desolate.
• And saw a reference to the coming tribulation.

No doubt as we read about Assyrian breaking the covenant with Hezekiah.
• We see a foreshadowing to Anti-Christ making a covenant with Israel that he also will break.

And certainly as we saw the LORD arise and come and annihilate the enemy and terrify all sinners and the godless.
• We see a reference to the Lord’s second coming and His judgment of the wicked.

The Assyrian invasion was a real historical event that actually happened.

But now, as Isaiah speaks to the remnant who are enjoying that victory,
Isaiah reminds that the Assyrian invasion
Was but a precursor to the real battle that is coming.

AND SINCE GOD DELIVERED US FROM THIS ONE,
YOU CAN KNOW HE’LL DELIVER YOU FROM THAT ONE TOO.

In fact this is not the first time in Isaiah you’ve seen this connection.

TURN TO: ISAIAH 10
• You look at verse 5 and you see there that Isaiah pronounces woe on Assyria.
• That judgment is because he sought to go farther than God desired.

He was filled with arrogance and evil intent.
(READ 5-19)
• So God used Assyria and then annihilated him.

And then we noted the promise of God.
(READ 20-23)
• There is that believing remnant that is saved.

And the message to the remnant back then was the SAME POINT we are making now.
(READ 24-27)
• God promised the remnant that He would deliver from Assyria, and he did.
• Isaiah even announced the route that Sennacherib would take as he invaded Judah and approached Jerusalem.

(READ 28-32)

And then the promise of God arising and putting an end to him.
(READ 33-34)

And we literally saw all of that take place just as Isaiah predicted.
BUT KEEP READING

But then we jump into chapter 11 and what do we read?
“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.”

We are talking there about Jesus and the millennial reign.
And all of a sudden we realize
That Isaiah was talking about more than Assyria.

What is the point?
• Isaiah 10 was not just about the Assyrian invasion.
• Isaiah 10 was also about the invasion of the Anti-Christ.

IT WAS ABOUT
• How he will seek to destroy God’s people,
• And how God will save His remnant from destruction by arising and putting an end to his reign
• And then how God’s King will set up His kingdom and reign in righteousness.

Do you see how the Assyrian conquest
Is but a precursor to the coming conquest of Anti-Christ?

THE REMNANT sees how the Assyrian conquest plays out
And it gives them confidence for the end.

We already know what God will do because we know what God has done.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

The remnant learns that the God delivered in the past…
WILL DELIVER AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

And that is what Isaiah speaks of here.

Notice also, in this segment, as we work through it how Isaiah again brings out those 3 sensory agents that he commonly references.

We remember at Isaiah’s commissioning how God said:
Isaiah 6:9-10 “He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”

We learned very early on that the problem with Israel is that the don’t see, they don’t hear, and they don’t understand with their heart.

Well look now at the language Isaiah uses.
• (17) “Your eyes will see…”
• (18) “Your heart will meditate…”
• (19) “You will no longer see a fierce people, A people of unintelligible speech which no one comprehends, Of stammering tongue which no one understand.”

• You will see
• You will understand
• You will hear

The King is coming and He is coming to save.

And just as He promised to come and save you from Assyria,
He will also come and save you from God’s final judgment.

So let’s just look at this tonight.

(17) “Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will behold a far-distant land.”

• You can que now Tommy singing, “We Shall Behold Him”
• Or Leo singing, “I Saw The Lord”

This ISN’T talking about the first advent.
• This isn’t talking about the humble baby in the manger.
• Israel didn’t see that glory.

This is talking about the second coming of the reigning King.
When He comes in all His glory and beauty.

Revelation 1:12-16 “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.”

This is the glorified Lord!
This the glorified Jesus!

And every eye will see Him!
Revelation 1:7 “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.”

Matthew 24:27 “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

He comes and brings with Him a new and glorified country.

And when He comes, you will NEVER FEAR the enemy again.

(18) “Your heart will meditate on terror: ‘Where is he who counts? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?’”

It is the picture of
• An enemy King who surrounds the city
• And begins to take inventory of the army of Israel and their defenses
• To know how much force will be needed to take them.

People were formerly terrified at the Assyrian army.
Men will certainly be terrified at the army of the Anti-Christ.

And in a moment, they are vanquished
And the terror that is felt will be but a distant memory.

PEOPLE ARE ASKING: What happened to the enemy?
He’s gone!

(19) “You will no longer see a fierce people, A people of unintelligible speech which no one comprehends, Of a stammering tongue which no one understands.”

REMEMBER this was a promise of judgment from God because of their refusal to listen to truth.

Isaiah 28:11 “Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue,”

It was a promise to bring confusion to people who refused to listen.

But now, that confusion is gone.
• The enemy is gone.
• The King has arrived and now there is peace and clarity.

1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”

1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”

Gone will be confusion.
Gone will be fear.

The city of the Lord will last forever.

(20) “Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an undisturbed habitation, A tent which will not be folded; Its stakes will never be pulled up, Nor any of its cords be torn apart.”

There have been many adjectives used
To describe the city of Jerusalem throughout the years,
But “undisturbed habitation” has not been one of them.

This will only occur when her rightful King finally reigns in her midst.
No one will destroy her.
No one will invade her.
No one will threaten her.

(21a) “But there the majestic One, the LORD, will be for us.”

And as we have read many times:
Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”

When He comes fear and terror and confusion
And imminent annihilation will all be gone.
There will be no more threats.

Then we get a bit of a difficult passage to deal with.

(21b) “A place of rivers and wide canals On which no boat with oars will go, And on which no mighty ship will pass”

The reference seems to be that the Lord will even change the geography of the city and make it a city with great rivers.
• And ordinarily this would make a city vulnerable to attack
• Since invading armies could come up river in boats and ships and quickly
invade you.
• But the promise is that this will not happen.

And if you look down to verse 23, it seems as though those potential invading ships are referenced as being totally impotent.

(23) “Your tackle hangs slack; It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly, Nor spread out the sail. Then the prey of an abundant spoil will be divided; The lame will take the plunder.”

So the idea seems to be,
• That even if ships tried to invade,
• They would be totally powerless to do any damage
• And in the end would be nothing more than free plunder for the people of
Jerusalem.

In fact, they would provide so much spoil
That even the lame could gather it.

And this of course reminds us of what happened when God killed 180,000 Assyrians and said that spoil was gathered like the caterpillar.

So it seems to be yet another reference to the fact
That all threats will be totally removed.

But what is of more significance and abundantly clear is
WHY those threats are removed.

(22) “For the LORD is our judge, The LORD is our lawgiver, The LORD is our king; He will save us—”

1. Because the LORD is there.
2. Because the LORD is for us.
3. And because of the roles our LORD fulfills.
We see Him as “judge”, as “lawgiver”, and as “king”

So in OUR NATION we understand exactly what Isaiah is talking about.

If you look at the structure of our government we have 3 branches.

The Legislative Branch – they make the laws.
The Executive Branch – they enforce the laws.
The Judicial Branch – they evaluate the laws and render punishment to violators.

Let’s say you have a government or a ruler who is NOT for you.
• You have a lawgiver who makes laws against you.
• You have a king who enforces those laws.
• You have a judge who evaluates your behavior and punishes you.

And if all 3 of those are against you, you’re in a lot of trouble.

BUT WHAT IF ONE PERSON HELD ALL 3 OF THOSE ROLES?
WHAT IF THAT ONE PERSON WAS FOR YOU?
• His laws are in compliance with your behavior.
• His enforcing of those laws is to your benefit.
• His judgments are for you, even if someone else tries to condemn you.

TODAY someone would consider it an enormous political victory
• If their party had the majority in the house and senate.
• If their party had a candidate in the White House.
• If their party had the majority on the Supreme Court.

That is sort of the picture here.
• No laws to restrict you.
• No King to pursue you.
• No Judge to condemn you.

Listen to Paul in the New Testament.
Romans 8:33-34 “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

It’s pretty tough to condemn a person that the judge continues to justify.

And all of this drives to THE REAL FINAL POINT.

(24) “And no resident will say, “I am sick”; The people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.”

It is impossible to condemn someone
Whom God has forgiven.

Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

And this is the picture that Isaiah is painting for the remnant.

He looks at them and in effect asks:
• Do you see how God intervened on your behalf?
• Do you see that even though you were guilty when you trusted in God He justified you and delivered you?
• Do you see how He saved you from an overwhelming enemy?
• Do you see how He removed your terror in an instant?
• Do you see how He supplied you with more spoil than you could carry?
• Do you see what a great Savior He was to you?

WELL HE ALWAYS WILL BE!

• There is no reason for you to fear the future.
• There is no reason for you to fear any coming enemies.
• There is no reason for you to fear some Anti-Christ.
• There is no reason for you to fear some immoral government.

Can you not see that God is faithful?
Can you not see that He can take care of His own?
Can you not see that He can win?

DO NOT FEAR YOUR KING IS COMING.

Isaiah 35:3-10 “Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah. The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes. A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, And the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

You don’t have to fear.

So we witness this Assyrian invasion.
AND WE LEARN FROM IT.

• The destroyer learned that he was a dead man.
• The city of Jerusalem learned the value of fearing God.
• The nations learn that no sinner can stand before God.
• The remnant learns that if God is for them no one can stand against them.

Those are things you should have learned
As we studied this historical invasion.

Now apply them to your life.
• Fear the LORD and trust Him and call on Him.
• But don’t fear man for God never forsakes His own.

download here

Learning From The Assyrian Invasion – Part 2
Isaiah 33:1-24 (13-16)
December 10, 2023

I know it’s been a couple of weeks and an entire Disciple Still weekend
In reality it feels like months ago since we last examined what was going on here.

You will remember that there was a major, earth-shattering event that was going on in Isaiah’s day.

The nation of Assyria was literally trying to rule the world.

Tiglath-Pileser had sat as king for a while.
• He was the king that Ahaz of Judah tried to form an alliance with back when Israel and Syria threatened to invade him.
• We read about him back in Isaiah 7

Shalmaneser followed Tiglath-Pileser
• He was actually the Assyrian king who annihilated the northern kingdom and carried them away into exile.

Sargon followed Shalmaneser
• And attacked many of the nations around Judah.

But it was Sennacherib who followed Sargon
• He had now invaded Judah.

And perhaps you remember the story from last time.
By the time Sennacherib invaded every hope of human help had failed.
• Egypt had not delivered.
• Ethiopia had not delivered.
• Babylon had not delivered.
• There were no fast horses for them to flee on.

• And when Sennacherib approached Jerusalem Hezekiah played his last hope
for deliverance.
• He stripped all the gold he could find out of the city and he offered Sennacherib
money to leave.
• Sennacherib accepted the money and then surrounded Jerusalem anyway.

THIS WAS THE END.

And it was at this point that Hezekiah, filled with fear,
Finally entered the temple of God.
It was at this point that Hezekiah
Finally reached out to Isaiah and asked him to pray.

Isaiah did, and God answered.
We saw that answer last time.

(10-12) “Now I will arise,” says the LORD, “Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted up. “You have conceived chaff, you will give birth to stubble; My breath will consume you like a fire. “The peoples will be burned to lime, Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire.”

That’s all that God had been waiting for.
• Over and over Isaiah had called for the people to repent and return to God.
• Over and over Isaiah had called for the people to cry out to Him for salvation.

They finally did and God answered the call.

We read it in the book of the kings, we’ll actually see it a little later in the book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 37:36-38 “Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, all of these were dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.”

• The threat was finally over.
• Deliverance had finally come.
• Judah had finally chosen to seek God and her choice paid off.

THAT IS WHAT IS GOING ON.

Isaiah’s ministry was just about an 80-year ministry
And Assyria had been the threat almost the entire time.

BUT NOW, having moved past that threat, we are looking at Isaiah 33
And very simply asking, “What did you learn?”

• There are no mistakes in the drama of human history.
• God sits enthroned and sovereign over all things.
• We know that kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall at His command.
• God has been revealing Himself and teaching something.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

We started looking at this last time.
• Isaiah 33 addresses 4 different audiences
• And seeks to identify what has been learned by each.

#1 TO THE DESTROYER
Isaiah 33:1

We very simply learned that “You’re a dead man!”

“Woe to you, O destroyer, While you were not destroyed; And he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him. As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.”

Your time is up.

God had already revealed many years ago through Isaiah:
Isaiah 10:15-19 “Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood. Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame, And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day. And He will destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body, And it will be as when a sick man wastes away. And the rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number That a child could write them down.”

• God had raised up Assyria as His rod.
• The purpose was that he would bring judgment to Israel and Judah and the pagan sinners of the area.
• But Assyria had sought to go farther than God intended and had tried to totally eradicate God’s people.

BAD DECISION!

And we learn that
Even when God’s people sin and bring discipline into their lives,
They still remain the people of God.

He will discipline His people but He will not disown them.
He will bring anguish on His people but He will not abandon them.

If you attack the children of God it will not end well for you.

You would think Satan would learn that, but he hasn’t.
• He tried it first with Egypt to no avail.
• He tried it here with Assyria to no avail.
• He’ll try it again with Babylon, Greece, Rome, Germany, Russia, etc.

AND HE WILL NOT WIN.
And ultimately Satan himself will be thrown into the lake of fire and punished forever because you do not seek the destruction of the people of God.

That is what the destroyer should have learned.

#2 TO JERUSALEM
Isaiah 33:2-12

You will remember that Hezekiah asked Isaiah to pray.

We see the prayer he prayed in verse 2:
(2) “O LORD, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be their strength every morning, Our salvation also in the time of distress.”

It was a cry for God to be gracious.
• “we” (the righteous remnant) “have waited for You.”
• “Be their” (the newly repentant) “strength every morning”
• “Our” (us and them) “salvation in the time of distress.”

Isaiah cried out to the LORD BECAUSE
When He brings His tumult, “peoples flee”
When God rises up “nations disperse.”

• God so thoroughly routs an enemy that you can gather spoil “as the caterpillar gathers;” (i.e. slowly)
• God so thoroughly routs an enemy that you can gather spoil “as the locusts” (i.e. thoroughly)

Isaiah cried out to God.
And then Isaiah gave a message to the people.

Isaiah’s reveals WHAT JERUSALEM SHOULD HAVE LEARNED.

(5-6) “The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the LORD is his treasure.”

Isaiah reminds again that God is a God of “justice and righteousness”
THAT STANDARD HAS NOT CHANGED.

But if you will turn from your sin and seek Him, “He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge”

God will show up and be to you what no other would-be savior can be.

• Was Egypt a wealth of salvation?
• Was Ethiopia a wealth of salvation?
• Was Babylon a wealth of salvation?
• Was your gold a wealth of salvation?

No!

In fact,
• Your brave men are crying in the streets.
• Your ambassadors are weeping bitterly.
• The land is mourning and all your allies are silent.

God alone is your salvation.
God alone can settle your rocking ship.
God alone can give you stability in unstable times.

We didn’t look at this last time,
But we’re in no hurry and we can look at it now.

TURN TO: PSALM 11

(READ VERSE 1)
• Clearly David there has a statement of faith, but also David reveals that someone has given him some advice based on the current circumstances.
• Someone told David that his only recourse is to “Flee as a bird to your mountain.”

The reasoning behind the advice given to David is laid out in verse 2-3
(READ VERSES 2-3)

1) The Danger is Lethal
“For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.”

• You’ve got an enemy out there in the dark.
• You can’t see him, but he can see you, and his one objective is to put an arrow in your heart.
• It’s not safe here David!

2) The System is Liberal
“If the foundations are destroyed…”

• In other words, we’ve got a corrupt legal system.
• There is no justice here.
• No one is going to help.

3) Hope is Lost
“What can the righteous do?”

• That is what you call unsettled times.
• Perhaps you can relate.

David’s advisors have told him to flee because there is no help to be had.
The whole system is corrupt and broken and no one is coming to help.
Hezekiah must have felt that way.

But notice what David reveals.
It is a sermon with a similar point that which Isaiah preaches.

1) The Foundation Isn’t Shaken
(4) “The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.”

• From where I sit, God is still on His throne.
• God’s throne is still in heaven.
• God is still judging the sons of men.
• I’d say the system of justice is just as strong as it’s ever been.

2) Justice Isn’t Forsaken
(5) “The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.”

• God is still clear about what He thinks about the wicked.
• God has not flip-flopped.
• God has not adjusted His opinions to match the culture.
• God has not become “woke”
• He’s still on His throne and He still hates sin.

3) Judgment Isn’t Forgotten
(6-7) “Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.”

• God will rise up with justice and bring judgment to the wicked.
• He is righteous and He loves righteousness.

In other words, when all around David were falling in despair
David reminded his advisors, just as Isaiah did that,

“The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the LORD is his treasure.”

And this is what Jerusalem should have learned.
“The fear of the LORD is his treasure.”

I don’t know what you are counting on
• To prepare yourself for the coming invasion.
• To deliver you when the bottom falls out.

But I can promise you this.
You don’t have anything as valuable as “the fear of the LORD”

Peter called your faith that which is more precious than gold.

Neither your money…
Nor your guns…
Nor your food storage…
Nor your political candidate…
Nor your military…
None of those things can deliver you from the judgment of God.
The only thing you have of value is “the fear of the LORD”

Jerusalem finally learned that
On the day that Hezekiah entered that temple and asked Isaiah to pray.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?

Let’s move on now to the 3rd group Isaiah addresses.

#3 TO THE NATIONS
Isaiah 33:13-16

I don’t know where Isaiah preached this sermon, but in my mind’s eye
• I like to see Isaiah standing on the city wall around Jerusalem overlooking those 180,000 dead Assyrians.
• I like to picture him lifting his voice to the wind so as to cry out to anyone beyond the borders of Judah.

And it is as though Isaiah ASKS THE NATIONS
What they learned from all that just occurred in the land of Judah?

(13) “You who are far away, hear what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might.”

“You who are far away”
That can be measured in miles or that can be measured in years.
(We are both)

• It is a message to those who had no skin in the game there.
• It is a message who were nothing more than an audience watching from afar.

We have been nothing but observers of the drama.
• We learned of Assyria from the comfort of padded pews.
• We read of their invasion knowing that in a few minutes we would get in our cars and drive to our homes.
• We listened to Isaiah warn of impending doom while sitting in a perfect 70 degree auditorium wondering who would win the football game later that afternoon.

But if you’ve learned anything from your study of the word of God
You know that you are always accountable for what you know.

Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

You can’t un-hear God’s word.
And once you hear it, you are accountable for it.

Surely the preaching of Isaiah was for the people in Jerusalem.

But the RECORDING and PRESERVATION of his preaching
And the COLLECTION of his writings in your Bible…THAT IS FOR YOU.

AND THE QUESTION IS:
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?

Did you hear what God did?
• After bringing His people to the edge of annihilation
• He went out and slew 180,000 soldiers.

Do you know that that really happened?
• This isn’t a fairy-tale.
• This isn’t fiction.
• That happened.

And every man either across the globe or down through time
Should pay attention to what God did there.

“And you who are near”
That would be those near BOTH GEOGRAPHICALLY and EMOTIONALLY.

AS WE HAVE
• Studied about the sin of Jerusalem and their hatred for the word of God.
• Read of their immoral living, their fruitless religion, and their complacency about both.
• Read about how God brought punishment on their nation.

Have you felt anything familiar at all in that?
Have you sensed a nearness to that situation at all?

YOU SHOULD HAVE.

AND TO YOU God says, “acknowledge My might.”
You need to see what God is capable of to such people.

BUT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE SPECIFICALLY
What God would have us learn, listen as God continues.

(14) “Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless.”

• Please note THE LOCATION of the “sinners” mentioned here.
• Please note THE LOCATION of the “godless” Isaiah speaks of.

They are “in Zion”

We are NOT talking here about
• The pagan nations of Egypt or Ethiopia.
• This is not the pagan Philistines or Moabites.
• This is not the immoral drunk in the gutter.

God has walked right into the church and pointed out an alarming fact.

• That there are “sinners” and “godless” people even in the great assembly.
• They are “terrified” and “trembling”

They have spent their lives in sin
And have sought to conceal that sin among the people of God.

“Surely if I just go to church and sit in the pew and participate in religious ceremony then I will never be noticed or found out.”

ON THE CONTRARY!

If you desire to live in sin and have no willingness to repent
Then the church is THE LAST PLACE you should try and hide.

Why?
1 Peter 4:17 “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

• God is no fool.
• He knows the hearts of all men.
• And when judgment breaks out, He starts in the sanctuary.

In the days of Ezekiel God announced His punishment that He would unleash upon the city of Jerusalem.

• God would actually allow Nebuchadnezzar to enter the city, tear down the wall, and burn the temple to the ground.
• God told Ezekiel that He would slay the unrighteous no matter if they were men, women, children, young, or old.

And when the hammer dropped this was the command of God.

Ezekiel 9:6 “Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the elders who were before the temple.”

Did you know that Matthew 16 is the first place Jesus ever mentioned His church?
• That is where He said He would build His church.

Do you know in Matthew 18 He gave the first ever teaching in regard to the church?
• And it was on discipline to REMOVE THE SINNING BROTHER.

The purity of the church matters to God.
• The purity of the church matters to Christ.
• He does not take lightly sinners who have sought to find refuge in her midst.

Listen to what Jesus says to the church at Pergamum
Revelation2:14-16 “But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. ‘So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ‘Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.”

• Do you see that Christ will come and declare war on “them”?
• That is those who are sinful in the congregation.
• He sees them as a threat to His bride and He will eliminate them.

Listen to what He says to Thyatira:
Revelation 2:20-24 “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ‘I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. ‘Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. ‘And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. ‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you.”

• Do you see again that there is no burden placed upon the righteous, but the wicked in the midst will be killed?

You can’t hide from God in church.
That’s the worst place to try and hide from Him.

And just in case it isn’t obvious already,
There is ONLY ONE PLACE you can hide from the wrath of God
And that is “in Christ Jesus”.

All throughout the Psalms He is referred to with words like
“refuge” and “hiding place” and “strong tower”.

If you’re not clothed in His righteousness you’re a sitting duck
On the day when God comes to pour out His judgment.

SEEKING TO HIDE IN ZION IS A FOOLISH IDEA.

Do you remember the days of Jeremiah?
TURN TO: JEREMIAH 7

(READ 1-11)

• They were people who thought they could live in sin and then somehow hide
from the wrath of God in the temple.
• Jeremiah reminded them that the temple of God is no hideout for thieves.

And that remained true even in Jesus’ day.

Matthew 21:12-13 “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”

• The only place Jesus ever declared war the entire time of His first advent was
in the temple of God to the sinners who thought they could hide there in
their sin.

DO YOU SEE THE POINT?
YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM GOD, EVEN IN ZION.

“Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?”

THAT IS TO SAY, “Do you suppose you can hide from the presence of God while seeking to be in the presence of God?”

Isaiah learned this firsthand didn’t he?

• There he was, perhaps an arrogant young man, deciding to enter God’s temple.
• He was a hypocrite through and through as evidenced by his unclean lips
• And he had the audacity to walk right into the very temple of God as though he could slip by unnoticed.

But when he was there he saw the holy one and that place filled with smoke and he cried out, “Oh No! I’m a dead man!”

AND THE QUESTION IS. “Do you suppose you can keep your sin and still boldly stand in the presence of God?”

Jonathan Edwards noted that a man can hardly look at the sun without squinting or tears coming to the eyes and do you suppose you will just casually walk into the presence of its creator?

In the book of the Revelation, the sky is pealed back like a scroll and the sinners of earth are allowed a gaze into the heavenlies.

Take note of what they said:
Revelation 6:15-17 “Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Who will stand before God?

CERTAINLY NOT THOSE IMPOSTERS
Who merely tried to blend in among the people of God.

“Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless.”

We live in a day where
• Very few tremble over sin.
• Very few are terrified about judgment.
• Most just assume God won’t do it.

Asaph noted the same mentality in his culture.
Psalms 73:5-12 “They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them. Their eye bulges from fatness; The imaginations of their heart run riot. They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth. Therefore his people return to this place, And waters of abundance are drunk by them. They say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?” Behold, these are the wicked; And always at ease, they have increased in wealth.”

WE SEE THAT IN OUR DAY.
• Romans 1 speaks of people who not only do depraved things, but who give hearty approval to those who practice them.

• Romans 2 speaks of religious people who cast judgment on sinners like that, but then do the very same things themselves.

It is like Asaph’s day.
Men who shrug off their sin.
Men who laugh at their iniquity.
There is no terror, there is no trembling.

SIN IS CELEBRATED, SIN IS PARADED,
Romans 3:18 “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

But even Asaph noted that such blind apathy won’t go on forever.

Asaph was puzzled by what he saw, until…
Psalms 73:17-20 “Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.”

Asaph saw “their end”

We aren’t at the end yet.
But when we are, “Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless”

Jonathan Edwards preached:
“There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Men’s hands cannot be strong when God rises up. The strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands.-He is not only able to cast wicked men into hell, but he can most easily do it. Sometimes an earthly prince meets with a great deal of difficulty to subdue a rebel, who has found means to fortify himself, and has made himself strong by the numbers of his followers. But it is not so with God. There is no fortress that is any defense from the power of God. Though hand join in hand, and vast multitudes of God’s enemies combine and associate themselves, they are easily broken in pieces. They are as great heaps of light chaff before the whirlwind; or large quantities of dry stubble before devouring flames. We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that we see crawling on the earth; so it is easy for us to cut or singe a slender thread that any thing hangs by: thus easy is it for God, when he pleases, to cast his enemies down to hell. What are we, that we should think to stand before him, at whose rebuke the earth trembles, and before whom the rocks are thrown down?”

You see the point.

And you see one thing WE OUGHT TO LEARN.

It did not go well for the sinners in Isaiah’s day,
Even those who lived in Zion
And it will not go well for sinners in our day,
Even those who dwell in church.

For as the writer of Hebrews says, “Our God is a consuming fire.”

ISAIAH ASKS:
“Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with the continual burning?”

Well, Isaiah answers that question.
(15-16) “He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; He will dwell on the heights, His refuge will be the impregnable rock; His bread will be given him, His water will be sure.”

One wonders if Isaiah was taking notes again from David.

Psalms 15 “O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the LORD; He swears to his own hurt and does not change; He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.”

Psalms 24:3-6 “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah.”

And we read the same again here.
Who can dwell in the presence of God? ONLY THE HOLY

1. “He who walks righteously” – that is never sins.
2. “and speaks with sincerity” – that is never lies or exaggerates
3. “He who rejects unjust gain” – that is never covets or steals or hordes
4. “and shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe” – who never shows partiality
5. “He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed” – never gossips or listens to it.
6. “And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;” – never finds joy in anything sinful.

That is the person who can stand in God’s presence.
“He will dwell on the heights, His refuge will be the impregnable rock; His bread will be given him, His water will be sure.”

The holy man has nothing to fear when God enters the camp.
The holy man does not fear when the consuming fire approaches.

And friend, just in case you are confused.
THAT IS NOT YOU OR ME

For there is none good, not even one.

And this is why we don’t hide in church.
This is why we don’t hide in our own religious garb.

This is why we hide only in Christ.
“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die.”

Romans 3:21-24 “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;”

There is no righteousness in man, but GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS; the very righteousness that is required of you IS NOW MADE KNOWN.

• It is the righteousness Moses spoke about in the Law.
• It is the righteousness the Prophets like Isaiah spoke about.
• It is the righteousness of God.

And it is available to you, not through your works or efforts or church attendance, but “through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe”

Jesus Christ justifies sinners “as a gift by His grace”

AND YOU NEED THAT!

Have you learned that from the Assyrian invasion?
• Have you learned that mere outward religion will not save you from the wrath of God?
• Have you learned the tradition learned by rote will not save you from the Isaiah’s Holy One?
• Have you learned that when the judgment comes you will not be able to flee on horses or pay off the enemy?

80 years of Isaiah’s ministry and it all boils down to this main point.
• Your religion will not save you.
• Your friends will not save you.
• Your money will not save you.
• Your horses will not save you.
• THE LORD IS SALVATION

You must repent of your sin, confess your weakness,
And run to Jesus to save you from the wrath which is to come.

He alone can hide you in His righteousness.
He alone can hide you from the consuming fire.

Romans 5:6-9 “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”

Have you learned that from Isaiah?

If you have, then this morning we celebrate by partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
• It is a celebration that I rest in the righteousness of Christ.
• It is a celebration that I rest in the atonement of Christ.

A TIME OF PREPARATION
• If you have never cried out to Jesus Christ, and asked Him to save you and wrap you in His righteousness…
• If you have never cried out to Jesus Christ, and asked Him to forgive your sin through His atoning death…
DO THAT NOW.
LORD’S SUPPER

• Deacons come forward

Romans 3:19-22 “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. 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;”

• Give bread to deacons
• Deacon prayer
• Deacons pass out bread

Matthew 26:26 “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

• Take bread

Romans 3:23-26 “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.”

• Give juice to deacons
• Deacon prayer
• Deacons pass out juice

Matthew 26:27-28 “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”

• Take Juice
• Deacon Prayer

download here

download here

download here