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The Savior of the World – part 3
Isaiah 42:1-25 (10-13)
March 3, 2024

This morning I want to begin by asking you:
WHAT IS A FITTING RESPONSE TO SALVATION?

• If you were at one point trapped in destructive peril with no way of escape and then someone came and delivered you…

• If that someone who delivered you wasn’t indebted to you at all, in fact they weren’t a personal friend, or immediate family member…

• But this person put themselves at great risk and in grave danger to come and rescue you from your peril…

• If this person had great compassion on you and treated you mercifully and respectfully and didn’t get angry at you even though it was your own foolishness that put you in your predicament…

If that person fully rescued and delivered you from that peril,
WHAT WOULD BE A FITTING RESPONSE TO THAT PERSON?

Well of course we are talking about a specific person
And we are certain that we have in fact been rescued by Him.

We are talking about God who chose to save even Gentiles
By sending His Son into the world to save them.

This is the message of Isaiah 42.
• God is offering salvation to the nations.
• He is offering salvation to the peoples.
• He is offering salvation to the coastlands.

It is the same coastlands who, in chapter 41,
Decided to trust in their graven images instead of in Israel’s God.

• God warned them of the foolishness of such a decision,
• Then in great grace and mercy
• Turns around in chapter 42 and offers them salvation anyway.

We’ve already looked at the first two points of this chapter
But because it has been a week let me bring it back to our minds.

#1 THE SAVIOR ANNOUNCED
Isaiah 42:1-4

Very simply we saw that God determined to offer salvation to the nations.
• Salvation is the plan of God.
• Salvation begins with the motivation of God.
• Salvation is instigated and initiated by God.

This is why in Scripture God is often referred to as our Savior.

God determined to send a Savior
And in these first 4 verses we see who God selected.

“My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My spirit upon Him;”

We are talking about God’s chosen Savior.
We know Him as Jesus Christ.

Matthew’s gospel concurs for Matthew actually quoted Isaiah 42:2-4 in Matthew 12:18-20 and said that Isaiah was talking about Jesus.

He is the One whom God chose.
• He wouldn’t be a bully
• He wouldn’t be manipulative or brutal
• He wouldn’t be fainthearted or quit when it is hard
• But He would come and offer hope to the coastlands (Gentiles)

God was sending a Savior, even One who would save Gentiles.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

That was the Savior Announced
#2 THE SAVIOR APPOINTED
Isaiah 42:5-9

Here we saw the actual commissioning of that Savior to the world.
• Often times we read in the New Testament that it was the Father who “sent” the Son into the world.

We see that Here.

And we see that God would “appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations,”

It is a marvelous reality!
• Jesus Christ would be God’s New Covenant.
• Not only for Jews, but here we read even for the nations.

• He would be the One who would shed His blood
• Then take that blood into the very real presence of God, the actual holy of holies,
• He would offer that blood as a payment to God for the forgiveness of the sins of His people.

That payment would be the foundation of this new covenant.
• It would be His death that would enable the transfer of the inheritance.
• It would be His death that would inaugurate this new covenant.
• It would be His death that would bring forgiveness to those who would receive this new covenant.

God sent Him to save.
AND HE SAVED.

God sent Him to (7) “open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.”

AND HE DID!
He came to save and He saved.
Not potentially, but actually.

And then we saw why God was so adamant
About bringing this salvation even to the Gentiles
Who had thus far preferred their idols over God.

(8) “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.”

God will not abide idolatry!
God will not sit idly by while some hunk of metal or stone or wood
Gets honored as the savior of the world.

No idol ever saved anyone, only God is the Savior.
AND GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED AS SUCH!

So God sends His Son into the world to save!
• He chose the Savior.
• He sent the Savior.
• He equipped the Savior.
• He laid our sins upon the Savior.
• And through the Savior HE SAVED US…even Gentiles.

ALL FOR THE GLORY OF HIS NAME.

But that brings me now back to the question we opened with.
WHAT IS A FITTING RESPONSE TO THIS SALVATION?

• If you were one of those Gentiles who was saved…
• If you were one of the blind who received sight…
• If you were one of those prisoners who were set free…
• If you were one of those idolators who were forgiven…

What is the fitting response to the One who saved you?

We see that sinful woman in the Pharisees house…
Luke 7:37-38 “And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.”

We see that man who was freed of the legion of demons…
Luke 8:39 “Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”

The woman at the well…
John 4:28-29 “So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?”

When the blind man received sight…
Luke 18:43 “Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.”

Isaac Watts wrote:
“Where the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

THIS MORNING, THIS IS WHAT WE FOCUS UPON.

We saw The Savior Announced We saw The Savior Appointed
#3 THE SAVIOR ADORED
Isaiah 42:10-13

God already spelled it out for us up in verse 8.
• God expects glory for His salvation.
• God expects praise for His salvation.

And in verse 10, in case we missed His insinuation,
God spells it out in UNMISTAKABLE form.

“Sing to the LORD a new song, sing His praise from the end of the earth!”

What does God demand?
SING HIS PRAISE!

Specifically here He calls for the singing of “a new song”.

What does this mean?
• People who are saved are to instantly write a new song that has never before been sung?

No, the phrase “new song” shows up 9 times in Scripture.
Every time it refers to the song which is sung after salvation.

Psalms 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD.”

Psalms 96:1-6 “Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.”

Even in the book of the Revelation after the 144,000 are saved and sealed during the tribulation.
Revelation 14:1-3 “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.”

THIS IS THE SONG OF REDEMPTION.
It is not new in its existence, but it is certainly new to the singer.
(Not new chronologically, but experientially)
(It is new to them)

A lost man can sin Amazing Grace as a beloved and famous tune,
But he cannot sing it like the redeemed.

• Only a man who now sees after his blindness can truly sing that song.
• Only a man who has been raised from the dead can truly sing that song.

But once he has received sight and once he has been raised,
He is commanded to sing it!

He is called upon to lift his voice in praise to God.

Psalms 118 is that great Psalm of the champion.
• It chronicles the suffering and trial and crucifixion and victory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And those who are redeemed as a result of His battle are called upon to sing in response.
Psalms 118:22-29 “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. O LORD, do save, we beseech You; O LORD, we beseech You, do send prosperity! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD; We have blessed you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, and He has given us light; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

The hypocrisy of the Jews was seen in the fact that they sang this song to Jesus at His triumphal entry and then just a few days later determined to crucify Him.

They sang the song as formality from memory,
But only the redeemed sing it a new.

DO WE UNDERSTAND THIS CHURCH?

GOD SENT A SAVIOR WHO ACTUALLY SAVED US
AND WE ARE EXPECTED TO PRAISE HIM FOR THIS!

When God announced to Mary that He would send the Christ through her, how did she respond?

Luke 1:46-55 “And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. “AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. “HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed. “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

When God revealed to Zaccariah that his son would be the forerunner, how did he respond?

Luke 1:67-75 “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant— As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old— Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US; To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.”

When the angels saw the birth of Jesus on the earth, how did they respond?

Luke 2:8-14 “In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

When Jesus was taken into the temple and Simeon saw God’s Savior, how did he respond?

Luke 2:27-32 “And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

Do you see it church?
• This is fitting!
• This is expected!

God has done that which He did not have to do.
HE HAS CHOSEN TO SAVE SINNERS.

And sinners are expected to respond in praise!
AND THAT INCLUDES US!

1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”

What Peter says there is exactly the point of Isaiah 42.

For who is here called upon to sing this new song?
Isaiah says, “Sing His praise from the end of the earth!”

It is a call to the Gentiles
• Who were formerly not the people of God,
• But who have been redeemed by God’s own son
• And adopted into the very family of God.

They are called to sing!
They are called to give thanks to God!

And then Isaiah gets specific.
(10b-12) “You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands, and those who dwell on them. Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, The settlements where Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains. Let them give glory to the LORD And declare His praise in the coastlands.”

God deserves glory for saving sinners.

And eternity will be filled with Him receiving that glory.

Revelation 7:9-12 “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; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again.
• If you can’t get excited about singing the praises of God here on earth…
• If meditating in the glories of God’s wonderful salvation is boring to you…
• If long periods of worship and endless focus upon God wearies you…

Then I can assure you that heaven holds no attraction for you.

You can join with the rest of our blasphemous society
And pretend heaven is all about you and you and talk about it
Being a place of fishing and golfing and hanging out with buddies…

Most people today speak of heaven like it’s a Caribbean cruise.

NOT EVEN CLOSE.
It will be the holiest place you have ever set foot.

When Isaiah saw the glory of the LORD he fell to his feet and expected to die.
It wasn’t until after redemption and atonement that Isaiah could stand in that place.

No unredeemed sinner will ever enjoy heaven.
It will be a place where all focus and glory and honor
Will be forever focused on the God of the universe.

Revelation 4:8-11 “And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.” And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

This is the activity of heaven!
This is the attraction of heaven!

If it holds no interest to you here,
I can assure you, you won’t be participating there either.

Praise and glory is what God deserves and it is what He will receive.

And church, as those whom God has redeemed
We are commanded to bring it to Him with every fabric of our being.

“Sing to the LORD a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth!”

AND JUST IN CASE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN WHY HE DESERVES IT,
GOD REMINDS US HERE YET AGAIN.

(13) “The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.”

Well, let’s just state the obvious real quick.
That seems quite the contrast to what we just read about Him up in verses 2 and 3.

(2-3) “He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. “A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.”

It was just 10 verses ago that we read how meek and mild He was.
• We saw Him as gentle and compassionate.
• He wasn’t raising His voice.
• He wasn’t treating broken people harshly.
• He was careful and gentle with the weak and hopeless.

We saw Him compassionately saving sinners
As a gentle Shepherd carrying His sheep.

And now, just 10 verses later
It appears that the script has completely flipped.
NOW HE IS A WARRIOR!

Earlier “He will not cry out or raise His voice”,
But now “He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry.”

Earlier “A bruised reed He will not break”,
But now “He will arouse His zeal like a man of war.”

WHAT IN THE WORLD DO WE DO WITH THIS?

What you are seeing is the difference
In the way our Savior approaches those He is saving
Verses those He is saving them from.

Up in verses 2 and 3
We see the broken and hopeless sinners He came to save.
• They are blind, they are bound, they are imprisoned, they are hopeless, they are broken, they are lost.
• He comes to them in compassion and gentleness. He understands their wounds, He understands their weariness, and He comes to gently bring them back home.

But in verse 13
We find how He must deal with the one who bound them.
• In verse 13 He deals with their oppressor.
• He deals with their jailor.
• He deals with the one who has enslaved them and now holds them captive.

A Savior must be gentle for we are broken people.
But at the same time a Savior must be a warrior
For ours is no timid enemy.

He is that Satan-devil, the usurper and adversary.
• He is the liar and the father of lies.
• He is the deceiver of the garden
• He is the deceiver behind every false prophet

He has been a murderer from the beginning.
• He was behind the murder of Abel
• He was behind the murder of the Hebrew babies in Egypt
• He is behind every murder today

In Luke 18 he had bound a woman for 18 long years so that she was bent double.

In Matthew 8 he had placed an entire legion of demons into a man driving him insane.

Throughout the gospels he had continually deceived the nation through his children the Pharisees to try and earn what God would give them by grace.

He is cruel and deceptive and utterly destructive.

John 10:10a “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”

• He incited God against Job…
• He incited Pharaoh to oppress the Jews…
• He incited Nebuchadnezzar to burn the temple…
• He incited Haman to try and annihilate all the Jewish captives…
• He incited Judas to betray Christ and then hang himself…
• He incited every act of oppression the world sees…

He is cunning and powerful and we are no match for him.

Paul tells Timothy about all of his captives:
2 Timothy 2:24-26 “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

Paul literally speaks of sinners as those who are
“held captive by him to do his will.”

Even in spiritual warfare we are reminded:
Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

And certainly Paul would understand.
How many times have we read His pitiful cry in Romans 7?
• Written as a man who desperately wants to leave his covetous life of sin but
who has no power to break free.
• He is bound, he is captive, and no matter how much he might want to leave, he
cannot do so.

Romans 7:24 “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

The apostle John said:
1 John 5:14 “…the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”

He is a foe for whom we are no match.

The Psalmist spoke of him:
Psalms 10:5-11 “His ways prosper at all times; Your judgments are on high, out of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them. He says to himself, “I will not be moved; Throughout all generations I will not be in adversity.” His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness. He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the hiding places he kills the innocent; His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate. He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair; He lurks to catch the afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net. He crouches, he bows down, And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones. He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

Martin Luther wrote:
“For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.”

And this is our adversary.
We are no match for him.

BUT…
We have a Savior!

We have a Warrior who came to crush the serpent’s head.

We have one according to Hebrews 2:14-15
Hebrews 2:14b-15 “[Who came], that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

He is the One for whom we have waited.

Psalms 10 goes on to talk about Him
Psalms 10:12-18 “Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted. Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, “You will not require it.” You have seen it, for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan. Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none. The LORD is King forever and ever; Nations have perished from His land. O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.”

Our Savior comes as a Warrior
That He might attack our enemy and release his captives.

He is meek and mild to us,
But He is mighty and swift when dealing with our enemy.

He came to crush Satan and all those he uses.

Luke 10:17-20 “The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

Did Jesus not crush the legalistic arm of the Pharisees?
• Have you not read Matthew 23 and all the “Woes” which Jesus pronounced upon them?

Did He not set His people free from their yoke and give rest to all He came to save?

He is a mighty warrior who came to crush our oppressor.

We absolutely love 1 Peter 3 which gives us insight into His Satan-crushing crusade.

1 Peter 3:18-22 “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.”

That verse speaks of where Christ went during those 3 days of His death.
• Peter says “He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison”
• Peter identifies those spirits as those “who once were disobedient…in the
days of Noah.”
• Peter is talking about that place known as Hades, where those fallen angels
who tried to corrupt humanity back in Genesis 6 were sent.

In Luke 16 when we read that story about the rich man in Hades and Lazarus in paradise or Abraham’s bosom, that is this place.

• It is Sheol in the Old Testament, the place of the dead.
• Jesus called it “Paradise” to the thief on the cross.

On this day, Jesus entered that place.
He carried away the saints to be with Him with His Father and according to Peter “He made proclamation to the spirits now in prison”

That word “proclamation” is not the word for evangelism
It is KERUSSO which means “to herald”.

Jesus entered that place and put Hades on its knees!
He rescued those whom He had purchased
And He declared victory over all of Satan’s forces.

Revelation 1 says he stole the keys of death and of hades and He came walking out of that tomb with them.
• He crushed Satan.
• He crushed his forces.
• He crushed his rebellion.
• And He walked out the other side.

Jesus came as a warrior to set the captives free!

Isaiah 59:15b-20 “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; 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. According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense. 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. “A Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD.”

THIS IS OUR SAVIOR!
He came to rescue His own!
He came to save His own!

• He saved us from the wrath of God by fulfilling in His body the righteousness which the Law required.
• He saved us from the coming judgment by paying the debt for the sins we committed by dying on the cross.
• He saved us from our bondage to Satan by crushing his head and conquering death.
• He saved us from our sin by releasing us from the enemy and giving us a new nature to be filled with His Spirit.

Yes He came in gentleness and meekness to us
And led us like a compassionate Shepherd.

But He also came in fury and vengeance
He stomped on the head of our enemy and made Him give us up.

• We didn’t need a negotiator…
• We didn’t need a diplomat…
• We needed a sword wielding, head crushing, arm breaking Savior!

AND WE GOT ONE!

He came according to verse 7, “To bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.”

AND HE DID!

Can you praise Him for that?
• Can you “Sing to the LORD a new song..?”
• Can you “Sing His praise from the end of the earth?”
• Can you “give glory to the LORD”?
• Can you “declare His praise in the coastlands”?

That is the expectation of God!
“Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus our blessed Redeemer! Sing, O earth, His wonderful love proclaim! Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest arch-angels in glory, Strength and honor give to His holy name.”

If He has set you free! Then praise Him!
If He has given sight to your blind eyes, praise Him!
If He has breathed life into your dead bones, praise Him!

And this morning this is what we are going to do.

I told the congregation last Sunday night,
We are going to start doing this more and more.

We are going to end our services with songs of praise and worship as we sing back to the Lord songs that are fitting in regard to what we have just heard from His word.

That DOES NOT MEAN that this is not an invitation.
You are still invited to come!

• Are you in sin and long for this Savior to save you, then come!
• Do you need to come and spend time at the altar while we sing, then do it.
• Do you want me to pray with you, I still will. I’ll be right here at this front pew.

You are still invited to come,
But we also want the redeemed to have the opportunity
To respond to God as God requires, with songs of glorious praise!

Church, let us praise the Lord as He deserves.

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The Savior Of The World – part 2
Isaiah 42:1-25 (5-9)
February 25, 2024

At this point
• We know about the coming of Cyrus.
• We know that the coastlands are up in arms about it.
• We know that God has sent Cyrus.
• We know that the nations have turned to idols for deliverance.

But as we pointed out this morning,
In spite of our rebellion, God loves the world.

And here in Isaiah 42 He is offering for the nations (coastlands)
To be saved by Israel’s Savior.
He is offering them a Savior who can actually save.

We started looking at this chapter this morning.

#1 THE SAVIOR ANNOUNCED
Isaiah 42:1-4

God is announcing to the world a general overview
Of the Savior that He has selected to save the world.

1) His Calling – “My chosen one”
2) His Communication – “He will not cry out” (meek)
3) His Compassion – “a bruised reed He will not break”
4) His Commitment – “He will not be disheartened or crushed”
5) His Consummation – “the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

This One is God’s certified Savior,
Not just of Israel, but for the whole world.

Isaiah 49:5-6 “And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, And My God is My strength), He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

There is a Savior!
• A real One
• Who really does save

It’s why we hold to a PARTICULAR atonement or an ACTUAL atonement

We DON’T BELIEVE that Jesus is nothing more than a potential Savior who must depend on the cooperation of man to save anyone.

No, we believe He is a Savior, sent by God to save sinners,
And He will actually save all those whom God gives Him.

THERE IS NOTHING POTENTIAL ABOUT IT.
Unlike those idols of the nations, Jesus is a real Savior.

That was the Savior Announced
#2 THE SAVIOR APPOINTED
Isaiah 42:5-9

Now we move beyond that initial announcement
ISAIAH BEGINS TO DISCUSS
The actual commissioning of this Savior to the world.

We are not unfamiliar with other commissioning passages.
Zechariah 11:4-5 “Thus says the LORD my God, “Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter. “Those who buy them slay them and go unpunished, and each of those who sell them says, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I have become rich!’ And their own shepherds have no pity on them.”

• We remember that preincarnate conversation between the Father and Son as the Father commissioned the Son to go and pasture the flock of Israel.

God sent Him into the world to save sinners.

Isaiah 42:5-9 is another one of those passages.

It speaks of God’s sovereign intention
To send Christ into the world as a Savior of it.

This is very important stuff for you to know and understand.
• It will deepen your understanding of the heart of God and the work of Christ.
• I don’t mind sharing credit for much of this info with John Owen from his book
“The Death of Death”

Let’s break this segment down a little more as this is so helpful to us.
And we’re going to do that tonight by asking a few questions.

This is the commissioning of the Savior into the world.

1) WHO APPOINTED HIM? (5)

“Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it,”

And let’s camp here for a minute
Because it is important to stop and think on this a while.

What is being introduced to us here is that
The entire PLAN of salvation was in fact INITIATED by “God the LORD”

THE SAME GOD “Who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it.”

The God who made everything and everyone
And who gives live and breath to all
Is the God who is here now actively working
To save the world He created.

This is why throughout the Bible we often see God referred to as “Savior”. Because salvation is His plan.

1 Timothy 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,”

• You see it also in Titus 1:3 – “God our Savior”

Upon news of being the mother of the Christ, Mary prayed:
Luke 1:47 “And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”

We know it is Christ who came to this earth and who died,
But often times even the Father is referred to “Savior”
That is because saving sinners is His plan.

If God had not determined to save men He would not have sent Christ.
But God did because God is in fact a Savior.

Salvation is instigated by the God who “SENT” His Son into the world.

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

Romans 8:3-4 “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Jesus even refers to Himself as “sent”
John 5:37 “And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.”

God is the author and instigator of salvation.
• Jesus did not come in rebellion to His Father.
• Jesus did not come independent of His Father.
• It is the Father who, motivated by love, sent Jesus into the world.

And as God determined to save this world which had rebelled against Him, it was God who then “SELECTED” Christ.

We saw that this morning.
Isaiah 42:1 “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.”

But not only there do we read of this.
Psalms 2:7-8 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.

Psalms 110:1,4 “The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet…The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

Those two verses inspired the entire book of Hebrews.

It is God who appointed Christ to be the Savior whom He would send.
Jesus is His chosen Savior.

It was God who actually “INAUGURATED” Christ into the office of Savior.

That is what we are talking about here in Isaiah 42:5-9

Not only did God decide to save the world
Not only did God select Christ to be that Savior,
But God then inaugurated Him or ordained Him into the office of Savior.

Hebrews 3:1-2 “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house.”

At His birth angels announced Jesus as the Savior.
Luke 2:10-11 “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

The angels then attributing this to God’s doing in verse 14
Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

It is God who ordained Him as the Savior.

This happened again at His BAPTISM.
Matthew 3:17 “and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

And again at His TRANSFIGURATION.
Matthew 17:5 “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

WE KNOW
• It is God who gave Christ a body.
• God visibly sent the Spirit to light on Him.
• That God testified of Him by raising Him from the dead
• And by catching up into Heaven.

God clearly selected Christ and ordained Him to be the Savior.

This is the love of God for the world.
• He did not sit passively by waiting for someone else to do it.
• He was not indifferent as to whether or not it happened.

God so loved the world that…
• He determined to send a Savior.
• He then selected who that Savior would be.
• He commissioned that Savior into the world.

But the point being is that God is the appointer of this.
God is the cause.
God is the instigator of salvation.

Man did not start this.
Man did not cause this.
GOD DID THIS.

And it is not lost on us HOW GOD IDENTIFIES HIMSELF here.

(5) “Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it,”

God reveals Himself as the creator of all things.
• He refers to what we know as “General Revelation”
• And He refers to Himself as the creator of all peoples.

And we see something of where His love for the world comes from.
• He created it.
• He cares for His creation.

Do you remember when God told Jonah to preach of Nineveh’s destruction?
• Nineveh then repented
• Jonah was angry at God for not following through and destroying them.

Do you remember what God said?
Jonah 4:10-11 “Then the LORD said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”

God asked Jonah if He did not have the right to have concern over His creation?

You can care for a plant you didn’t create,
Do I not have the right to care for the city that I did create?

• Can I not care for the people in it?
• Can I not care for the infants in it?
• Can I not care for even the animals in it?

Of course He can!
And He does!

God loves His creation and seeks to save it.

This was the foundation of Paul’s preaching in Athens.

Acts 17:22-27 “So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;”

And what we realize is that God cares for all of His creation.
God has love for all of creation.

And this love has motivated Him to select
And commission a Savior to the world to save it.

It is not only for Jews, but also for Gentiles.
God is prompted to save the world.

• He is the instigator of all of this.
• He is the source.
• He is the cause.
• He is the APPOINTER

SO: Who appointed this Savior? God did.

2) WHAT DID HE APPOINT HIM TO DO? (6-7)

“I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.”

You may be seeing some similarity there to what Jesus proclaimed about Himself when He entered the temple in His hometown.

Luke 4:16-21 “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

But that quotation was actually of Isaiah 61:1, not 42:6-7
Even though the similarities are obvious.

But it still speaks volumes of what God sent Christ into the world to do.
HE SENT CHRIST INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE IT.

John 3:17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

When God sent this Christ into the world, surely Christ already possessed all the natural perfection of deity.
• John says that we saw His glory.

But we also see that in this body which God gave Him, God also bestowed on Him the fullness of all that was required that He might save.

Colossians 1:18-19 “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,”

The whole “fullness” was on Christ (that is His human body)
To give Him all that was necessary to save.

John 17:2 “even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.”

So not only did God select Him and send Him,
God also equipped Him to be able to do what He called Him to do.

This was alluded to in verse 1 with the words, “whom I uphold”

This is what we read in the first part of verse 6.
“I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,”

• It was God who equipped Christ in His earthly body.
• It was God who gave Him all the necessary power and authority to save.

God promised Him, just as we read,
That He would protect and assist Christ in this work.

We know Christ had trials.
We know Christ was hated.

And yet, God promised Him even in the midst of this hatred that He would “hold You by the hand and watch over You”

God promised Him that even though
He would be rejected by the builders
That He Himself would still be the corner stone of salvation.

Psalms 118:22-23 “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.”

Psalms 2:2-6 “The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

God promised Christ that in His mission
He would watch over Him to make Him successful,
And Christ counted on these promises in His ministry.

1 Peter 2:22-23 “WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

Christ knew that God had determined to save the world through Him
And that God would not fail in that promise.

God had promised Him success.
Isaiah 53:10-12 “But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”

• Jesus was promised the satisfaction of His soul.
• He was promised that His saving mission would be a success.
• And Jesus counted on this.

You only have to look at His high priestly prayer to see His confidence in God’s saving plan.

John 17:4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”

Even before Jesus died, He knew His Father’s mission was accomplished.

AND WHAT IS THIS MISSION?
WHAT WAS HE SENT FOR?

(6b-7) “I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.”

What a statement by the Father to the Son!
“I will appoint You as a covenant to the people”

Let’s think on that for a moment.
We know what a covenant is.
It is an agreement; a promise from God.

We know about the old covenant at Sinai
Which the people never could keep
And thus brought great wrath on themselves.

But God promised to Israel a NEW COVENANT.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

• God promised a day when He would do what they could not.
• He spoke of a day when He would accomplish salvation for them.

And the anticipation must have been great.

Then Jesus shows up and makes statements like this:
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.”

Jesus said, that His blood was the new covenant.

Again, what does this mean?

TURN TO: HEBREWS 9

Hebrews 9 is what I like to refer to as “The Parable of the Day of Atonement”
• The writer of Hebrews walks you through what you were supposed to learn form that great feast in Israel.

On that day you had a priest who took the blood of a goat and entered behind the second veil where he supposedly made atonement for the people.

(READ 1-7) – That was the Day of Atonement.

And you say, what did all that mean?
Well FIRST OFF, it meant you did not have access to God.

(READ 8-10)
• That veil reminded you of the separation you had from God.

The priest went back there on your behalf to make atonement.
• The only problem was that it never fully worked
• Because you had to keep doing it year after year after year. (Hebrews 10:1-4)

BUT THEN CHRIST SHOWS UP.
He said the new covenant was in His blood.

(READ 11-14)

SO CHRIST SHOWS UP
• When He went before God He didn’t go into some manmade symbolic holy of holies, He went into the real one.
• And He didn’t take symbolic goats blood, He took the real stuff, His own blood.
• And “He obtained eternal redemption”

That is to say, He actually purchased our pardon.
Not potential, but actual.
“He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood”

(15a) “For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant…”

So we see that Christ died to usher in this new covenant.
This covenant, He said, was in His blood.

The writer of Hebrews shows us how His death effected this.

-TO RELEASE THE WILL (READ 15-17)
• You never collect the inheritance until after the benefactor dies.
• If there is no death there is no transfer of inheritance.
• If we are to gain Christ’s inheritance He had to die.

-TO RENEW THE COVENANT (READ 18-21)
• When Moses made the first covenant, He ratified it in blood.
• He sprinkled the blood on the people as a sign to say, may this be the penalty of breaking the covenant.
• Christ was forming a new covenant which had to be signed in blood.

-TO REDEEM SINNERS (READ 22)
• The sins of those whom Christ was redeeming had to be paid for
• Blood is on the only accepted currency.
• “The wages of sin is death” and Christ had to die.

So you see how Christ came and rescued us from the old covenant and ushered us into the new covenant through His death.
• He died in our stead.
• He paid for our sin.
• He transferred the inheritance to us.

But in Isaiah we learn that He did this FOR MORE THAN JUST ISRAEL.
“I will appoint You as a covenant to the people” (that is the nations)

It is not just Israel whom God will redeem through Christ,
But people from every nation, tribe, and tongue.

Christ is not just the savior of the Jews, but the Savior of the world.
He shed His blood to purchase men from every nation.

And it is God who appointed Him for this.
It was God’s commissioning for Him to do this.

In fact, it is God who actually laid the sins of the people on Christ.
It is God who appointed that He should die for the sins of His people.

Isaiah 53:6 “All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”

Isaiah 53:10 “But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.”

• It is God who appointed Him “as a covenant to the people”
• It is God who determined that He should bear their sins.

God also appointed Him “as a light to the nations”

What does this mean?

It is expounded in verse 7
• “To open blind eyes”
• “To bring out prisoners from the dungeon”
• “And those who dwell in darkness form the prison”

You have those who, by reason of their sin,
• Were walking in the darkness of deception,
• Captive to their sin,
• With no hope of ever escaping the coming doom.

Ephesians 2:1-3 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

AND THIS WAS US!

Ephesians 2:11-12 “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

We were slaves of sin and doomed to suffer.
• We had no hope.
• We had no promises.
• We had no covenant.

But God commissioned Christ into the world
That He might be “a covenant to the people…a light to the nations.”

Worshiping manmade idols had brought no salvation,
God selected and sent Savior to fix all of that!

He opened our eyes!
He set us free!
He gave us hope!

“Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.”

Isaiah 49:6 “He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Matthew 4:15-16 “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES— “THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.”

This is the saving plan of God!
• He determined to save.
• He selected a Savior.
• He sent that Savior.
• He supplied that Savior with all that was needed.
• He laid our sins on that Savior.
• And that Savior saved!

He did so
• By coming in human form
• By fulfilling the Law and earning a righteous standing.
• By offering up His own righteous body on the cross
• By offering up His righteous life to God
• ON OUR BEHALF

He became the Savior, not only of Israel but of Gentiles as well.

GOD SAVED SINNERS THROUGH HIM!
THIS WAS GOD’S DOING!

Psalms 118:22-24 “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

So we see who appointed Christ.
We see what He appointed Him to.
One more question:
3) WHY THE NATIONS? (8-9)

“I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images. “Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

Now let’s back up and remember what we saw back in chapter 41.

• God called for that town hall meeting where He asked the coastlands if they knew why Cyrus was coming?
• God revealed that He was the One who was sending Cyrus and the implication was that the nations should have sought mercy from God.
• But instead of seeking God, they sought to be saved by some idol of their own imagination and construction.

• They ran to that idol.
• They prayed to that idol.
• They cried to that idol.
• They trusted in that idol.
• They worshiped and praised that idol.

And yet we know that our God is a jealous God!

So why did God intervene so as to come and save?
“I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.”

There is no other Savior but Me!
• I am the One who instigated salvation.
• I am the One who selected the Savior.
• I am the One who sent that Savior into the world.
• I am the One who equipped Him with the power to save.
• I am the One who made Him a covenant and light.

I AM THE SAVIOR!

And now you would bow down to some hunk of stone or metal or wood and praise it for being your salvation?

MAY IT NEVER BE!

I will save and I will be glorified as the Savior!

And God says that I am telling you now so that you will have no doubt when it happens.

(9) “Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

AND SO CHURCH DO YOU SEE WHY YOU WERE SAVED?
Do you see why even Gentiles were included?
Do you see why God chose to save even the nations?

SOLI-DEO-GLORIA!

That is not to diminish His love whereby He loved the world,
• Rather we are called to glorify Him for loving the world.

That is not to diminish His mercy whereby He forgave sinners,
• Rather we are called to glorify Him for forgiving sinners.

That is not to diminish His power whereby He performed salvation,
• Rather we are called to glorify Him for being able to save us.

That is not to diminish His wisdom whereby He conceived of salvation,
• Rather we are called to glorify Him for having such wisdom.

Certainly no idol had such love.
Certainly no idol had such mercy.
Certainly no idol had such power.
Certainly no idol had such wisdom.

But know this in the very depth of your soul.
God saved you so that you would glorify Him!

So that you would magnify His great love!
So that you would magnify His great mercy!
So that you would magnify His great power!
So that you would magnify His great wisdom!

HE SAVES US FOR HIS GLORY!

That we would be a redeemed choir encircling the throne
Giving praise and honor and glory to Him forever and ever!

In fact, that is the next stanza of Isaiah 42!
(42:10-13) “Sing to the LORD a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands, and those who dwell on them. Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, The settlements where Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains. Let them give glory to the LORD And declare His praise in the coastlands. The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.”

THIS IS OUR CALLING CHURCH!

You are saved because God determined to save you!
• He selected Christ.
• He sent Christ.
• He equipped Christ.
• He accomplished salvation through Christ.

You are free because of what He did!
You have hope because of what He did!

Stop running to idols.
Stop trusting in other things.
Trust in Him.
AND GIVE HIM THE GLORY!

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The Savior Of The World – Part 1
Isaiah 42:1-25 (1-4)
February 25, 2024

It is quite possibly the first verse that many of you ever learned as a child.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

It is a tremendous statement made by Jesus.

Unfortunately it is often misconstrued and distorted.
It is important to know what this verse does not mean.

For one, it is not teaching UNIVERSALISM.
While Jesus rightly focuses on the love of God here, He DOES NOT SAY that God sent His Son “that everyone would be saved.”

• That is clearly not the message.
• There is a limitation in the redemption.
• It is limited only to those who believe.

But this verse is also not teaching PROVISIONISM (Arminianism).
Those who reject God’s sovereign election like to use this verse as their text to say that, if the offer is for “whoever” then election cannot be true.

• This verse does teach that whoever believes is saved.
• But it says nothing about why they can believe, or where faith comes from.
• Jesus actually answered that question earlier in the chapter when He said it is only those who have been “born again” who have this capacity.

So we don’t use this verse to teach universalism
And we don’t use it to teach provisionism or Arminianism.

SO WHAT DOES THIS VERSE TEACH?

This verse teaches the whole world
About the matchless and marvelous love of God
Whereby despite their rebellion, God has sent the world a Savior.

He didn’t send multiple saviors, He only sent one.
He didn’t send just any savior, He sent His Son.

God would have been perfectly just in simply destroying humanity for their rebellion.
• He could have ended it all in the garden.
• He could have ended it all at the flood.

But instead God loved the world
And chose to offer salvation to it through His Son.

And the use of the word “world” is important in John’s gospel
• Jesus reminds us here that He is also NOT ONLY the Savior of Jews,
• But that in fact He is the entire world’s Savior.

John calls Him
John 1:9 “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.”

Jesus reiterated this in:
John 8:12 “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

In his epistle John also said:
1 John 2:2 “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

This does NOT INDICATE that Jesus has in fact propitiated all the sins of every person, if that were true, no one would go to hell.

What it does teach is that He is the Savior of more than just Jews. He is the whole world’s Savior.

Paul based his ministry upon it:
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Jesus is not the Savior of Jews only.
He is not only the Redeemer of Israel.
JESUS IS IN FACT THE WORLD’S SAVIOR.

When God sent Peter to Cornelius and they were saved and received the Holy Spirit, the Jews then consented:
Acts 11:18 “When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

When debate broke out about circumcision and whether God was saving Gentiles apart from them converting to Judaism, James stated:
Acts 15:15-18 “With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, ‘AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’ SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.”

When Paul wrote to the Ephesian church he reminded Gentiles of what Jesus had done for them as well as the Jews.
Ephesians 2:11-13 “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Jesus is the world’s Savior.

Jesus Himself said:
John 10:16 “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.”

And so His saving call goes out to the entire world.
John 1:9-13 “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Anyone who will call upon Jesus will be saved whether they are Jewish or not.
Romans 10:11-13 “For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

Jesus appearing on this earth in such a capacity
Is a tremendous testimony to the love of God.

Our God delights in saving sinners.
He sent His Son to be the world’s Savior.

And you might be saying, that’s absolutely true,
BUT WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ISAIAH 42?

If you will remember what we covered last week in Isaiah 41
We saw a “Town Hall” meeting with God.

• God addressed “the coastlands”
• They were people filled with anxiety and fear because Cyrus of Persia was on
his way.
• God told those people that Cyrus was coming at His command,
• That should have led those people to seek God in repentance similar to what
the King of Nineveh did at the preaching of Jonah.

However, instead of seeking God and seeking mercy,
The coastlands sought idolatry.

The decided to work hard and make a god who might be their deliverance.

This was a foolish decision and God even told them so,
For unlike the God of Israel,
These gods they made had no knowledge of anything.

• Israel’s God had promised to be with them in Chaos.
• Israel’s God had promised to help them in Conflict.
• Israel’s God had promised to answer them in Crisis.

And then God looked at those nations with their idols and asked, “What has your god promised to do for you?” And there was no answer.

God pronounced judgment upon those impotent little carvings.
Isaiah 41:24 “Behold, you are of no account, And your work amounts to nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.”

Everything in that statement is true.
• Idols aren’t worth anything.
• Idols can’t do anything.
• And everyone who chooses to worship idols instead of the living God is in fact an abomination and deserves judgment at the hand of God.

As our youth have been studying in Romans 1:
Romans 1:18-25 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

• If you suppress the truth about the true God of creation
• And instead choose to give His glory and honor to some carved image
• Then you absolutely deserve every ounce of judgment that you will receive.

God deserves honor and gratitude
Those who give it to some hunk of stone instead of Him
Deserve to be punished.

IDOLATRY IS AN ABOMINATION.

THAT IS WHY God went on to say that
He was sending Cyrus of Persia to meet out judgment.

Isaiah 41:25 “I have aroused one from the north, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, Even as the potter treads clay.”

• Cyrus will come and he will crush you.
• He will trample you under foot.
• He will walk on you like gravel.

And God asks if any other god is going to be able to stop him?

Isaiah 41:28-29 “But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer. “Behold, all of them are false; Their works are worthless, Their molten images are wind and emptiness.”

• No one helps.
• No one delivers.
• No one can save.

All of your idols are false and worthless and empty.

AND THAT IS HOW THE CHAPTER ENDED.
God telling the coastlands that on the day Cyrus arrives
They are going to be sorely disappointed in the saviors they have made.

And we know that God WOULD BE TOTALLY JUST if He just said, “See ya, good luck with the coming judgment!”

But what did we learn about God in John 3:16?
“God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Even though they have rejected Him.
Even though they have become an abomination.
Even though they have given the glory He deserves to idols.
God still loves humanity.
And God still offers them salvation.

And that is what we read about in Isaiah 42.
We find here an invitation from God to the world
To come to Israel’s Savior.

Jesus is not only the hope of Israel, He is the hope of the nations.
He is the hope of the coastlands.
He is the Savior of the world.

And now, after having revealed to the nations that their plans of salvation won’t work, God offers to them the Savior who will.

Let’s look at this amazing invitation of God
Which is given even to an idolatrous, pagan, Gentile people, who do not deserve it.

5 points here
#1 THE SAVIOR ANNOUNCED
Isaiah 42:1-4

I hope as we read these verses you have something in you that is saying, “That is familiar, have I seen that before?”

Because you have.
TURN TO: MATTHEW 12

I wish I had the time to fully develop for you the entire setting that prompted Matthew to quote this passage, but here is a quick synopsis of what you need to know.

The first 11 chapters of Matthew’s gospel primarily do 2 things.
• They reveal Jesus as the Messiah (lineage, birth, coronation, miracles)
• They reveal how badly man needs Him (Sermon on the Mount)

Most of the first 11 chapters of Mathew’s gospel
Are very convicting if not totally condemning.

It reveals man’s unrighteousness and unwillingness to hear the truth.

In fact, it is in chapter 11 where Jesus announces that
Israel is unwilling to hear what He has to say.

• That is where He pronounces judgment upon Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum
• Saying that even Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon would have repented if they had received the amount of truth these cities had seen.

Jesus was living among stubborn sinners who hated the truth.

But it was at this time that Jesus offered the great invitation of the book.
(11:28-30) “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

It is an invitation, NOT TO the strong OR TO the righteous,
BUT TO the broken and the meek and the exhausted.

He promised to remove their burden and give them rest in exchange.
It is all bound up in His ability to fulfill the Law on behalf of sinners and impute that earned righteousness to their account.
• He will do the work for them.
• He will pay off their debt.
• They will go free and can now enjoy rest from their labors.

It is the glorious invitation of Jesus
To save those who know they cannot save themselves.

We love that about Him.

We do, but the religious leaders did not.
They just hear Jesus declare free all of those people they had spent a lifetime enslaving.
• Remember they were the ones who tied up heavy burdens on people?
• Remember they were the ones who kept people in bondage under their added commands?

Jesus coming and declaring men free did not set well
In chapter 12 the battles began to break out.

• You see the Pharisees attack Jesus and His disciples for supposedly working on the Sabbath (1-8)
• You see the Pharisees bring a man with a withered hand into the synagogue to test to see if Jesus will break their Sabbath rules. (9-14)

And it ends ultimately with the Pharisees seeking to destroy Jesus.
He was setting all their prisoners free, they had to do something.

And then we get to verse 15.
(READ 15-21)

We see that Jesus withdraws.
• He doesn’t stay to debate the hard-hearted religious elite,
• He withdraws to continue to share the gospel to others.
He continues to work miracles.
• Unlike the Pharisees He actually demands to be kept in anonymity.

He’s not looking for earthly popularity or power,
• He is looking to save those who need saving.

And as Matthew sees this humble Savior,
Willing to save anyone who is broken, anywhere and anytime,
It clicks with Matthew.

(17-21) “This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. “HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. “A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. “AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”

Matthew quotes Isaiah 42:1-4

He is the One Isaiah talked about.
• The One who would save anyone, even Gentiles.
• The One who would save the broken and hopeless.
• The One who unlike the false saviors came to set sinners free not bind them

Matthew, like Isaiah, reminds that Jesus is the world’s Savior.
He saves sinners from every people tribe and tongue.

THIS IS THE LOVE GOD IS OFFERING
Even to these pagan coastlands
Who thus far have preferred a hunk of molten metal to God.

So let’s look at this competent Savior whom God has sent to the world.

I want to break this down into 5 facts about him.

1) HIS CALLING (1)

“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.”

If you want to talk about a fully loaded statement, this is it.
How many ways can God endorse Him?

• He is “My Servant” – the One who is with Me.
• He is the One “whom I uphold” – the only One I’m supporting.
• He is “My chosen one” – the One I have selected.
• He is the One “in whom My soul delights” – the only One I’m pleased with.
• “I have put My Spirit upon Him” – the only One I have equipped.

How many ways does God have to say it?
JESUS IS HIS CHOSEN AND APPROVED SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.

In all the conversations that are had about competing religions today…
You know someone says “There are many roads up the same mountain”.

• People like this so-called god because of this reason…
• People choose this so-called savior because of that reason…

But continually overlooked by these people
Is the one question they ought to be asking.

You ought not ask what Savior you are willing to accept.
You ought to ask what Savior God is willing to accept.

We talk about this in the book of Hebrews with the conversations regarding the High Priest.
Hebrews 5:1-4 “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.”

• We have a man here whose sole purpose is to mediate between God and man.
• He is selected to take the sacrificial offering before God to appease His wrath.
• He is presenting the offering for his sin and for your sin.
• But key to the understanding is the statement, “And no one takes the honor
to himself, but receives it when he is called by God”

That is to say, the priest will do you no good if God won’t deal with him.
You must use the priest that God has agreed to deal with.

And how true must this also be of the Savior.
It is of little consequence if you like him
If the God to whom you must be reconciled does not.

Well, the beauty of this passage is that
God mentions from the beginning that this coming servant is
His chosen, approved, acceptable, even delightful Savior.

Jesus is endorsed by God.
John 5:36-37 “But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. “And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.”

God not only ACCEPTS Him, God ENDORSES Him.

God UPHOLDS Him.
“My Servant, whom I uphold;”

• Do we not see God protecting Him in infancy?
• Do we not see God sending angels to ministry to Him after His temptation?
• Do we not see God testifying to Him through His miraculous power?
• Do we not see God strengthening Him in all hardship and suffering?

God DELIGHTS in Him.
“My chosen one in whom My soul delights.”

• Did God not speak audibly at His baptism that “this is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased”?
• Did He not audibly testify again at His transfiguration?
• Did God not raise Him from the dead?

God EMPOWERS Him.
“I have put My Spirit upon Him”

Certainly in His deity Jesus is omnipotent, but in His humanity
He had to be clothed with power from on high.

And God did that.
• The Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove.
• And Jesus went in the power of the Spirit doing all manner of miraculous works that could only be attributed to God.

This is God’s Savior.

And about this Savior God says:
“He will bring forth justice to the nations.”

First we see the guarantee: “He will”
There is no chance that He will not succeed.

Your pathetic idols that sit there not tottering
Can’t even speak let alone deliver.
THIS ONE WILL SUCCEED.

He will succeed in bringing “justice”

• Do you moan and grieve over the injustice of this world?
• Do you grieve corruption?
• Do you grieve suffering?
• Do you grieve death?
• Do you grieve hunger, sickness, poverty, cruelty?

All those things are here because of the idolatrous heart of man.

But God’s Savior will bring “justice”
And not just to the Jews, but to “the nations”.

HE IS THE WORLD’S SAVIOR.

So all of you coastlands
• Who are languishing under the load of a created idol that can’t do anything except not fall over…
• Who are terrified at the prospect of Persia coming in and trampling you under foot…

WHY NOT LOOK TO GOD’S ENDORSED SAVIOR?
He is the Savior whom God sent to save the nations.

That is His Calling
2) HIS COMMUNICATION (2)

“He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street.”

It is a simple way to speak of His gentleness and compassion.
• He is not a bully.
• He is not a carnival barker.

When this verse is quoted by Matthew in the New Testament he uses a couple of interesting words.

Matthew quotes this verse as “He will not quarrel or cry out”

“quarrel” translates ER-ID-ZO and it means “to wrangle” or “argue”.

One commentator noted that, “used to describe the calm temper of Jesus in contrast with the vehemence of the Jewish doctors wrangling together about tenets and practices”
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2051/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/

In other words, where you might see doctors arguing or complaining about what a pain all the patients are and fighting over the best ways to treat them, not Jesus.

• We think of that hemorrhaging woman who had endured so much at the
hands of the doctors and had only grown worse.

• We think of the synagogue official who actually scolded the woman who was
bent over double for coming to be healed on the Sabbath.

And Jesus is nothing like that.
• If you come to Him for SALVATION He won’t attack you, He will save you.
• If you come to Him in your INFIRMITY He won’t belittle you, He will heal you.
• If you come to Him in your SIN He won’t mock you, He will forgive you.

He is a Savior, not a carnival barker.

The other word Matthew uses is “cry out”
“cry out” translates KROW-GAD-ZO it actually means to “squawk like a bird”

Some ancient Greek writings use it for people who cry out in the theatre, we might think of it as a roaring crowd at a football game.

IT IS THE OBNOXIOUS CRY OF THE FAN.

That is not Jesus.
• He isn’t trying to manipulate you or exploit you.
• He isn’t trying to use you.
• He is content to save you without making a big deal about it for everyone to see.

• He didn’t parade the woman at the well, she did that on her own.
• He didn’t walk Matthew through the streets boasting about how powerful He was.
• He didn’t use Zaccheus or the woman caught in adultery as website headlines to garner attention.

He didn’t come to bully.
He didn’t come to threaten.
He didn’t come to exploit.
He didn’t come to enslave.
HE CAME TO SAVE.

His Calling, His Communication
3) HIS COMPASSION (3)

“A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.”

We know what “a bruised reed” is.
• If you take one of those reeds like a cane pole you fish with,
• Once you bend it in two there’s no supporting it again, it’s broken.

We know what “a dimly burning wick” is.
• It is a candle wick that is no longer flaming, it’s just smoldering.

THE FIRST IS a broken person who has nothing left that the world sees of value.
THE SECOND IS a hopeless person who feels as though they have nothing left to give.

One is cast off by the world the other is cast off by themselves.

JESUS CASTS OFF NEITHER.
• Mary Madalene had 7 demons…
• The woman at the well had 5 husbands…
• Matthew and Zaccheus had ruined reputations…
• The woman in the synagogue had been bound for 18 years…
• Countless others had physical liabilities…

AND JESUS HAD TIME FOR THEM ALL.

He wasn’t like a typical world ruler who only wanted to surround Himself with the strongest and most obvious victors.

He saw the broken, the cripple, the lame, the exhausted, and the hopeless
And He welcomed them.

In fact, He offered mercy to them.
• Who could forget the woman of ill repute in the Pharisees house?

Luke 7:44-50 “Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. “You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. “You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Where the world sees only people they can use for their advantage
Jesus was filled with compassion.

He didn’t come to use people, He came to save people.
• Even broken people.
• Even people who seemed to have no value.
• He doesn’t reject the outcast.

And God even announces a promise here at the end of verse 4
“He will faithfully bring forth justice.”

If you read the translation Matthew gives in his gospel it says, “until He leads justice to victory.”

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

It means He will totally succeed in His mission
And actually save everyone He came to save.

He will not fail in His mission for one single person He came to save.

Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

• He will do it.

Matthew 18:11 “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.”

• He didn’t come to potentially save some, He came to actually save them.

1 Timothy 1:15 “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

• Again, to actually save sinners.

Isaiah 53:12 “Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”

• He actually bore the sin of many and brought salvation to them.

Do you see that Jesus didn’t come to potentially save?
He came to actually save, and “He will faithfully bring forth justice.”

John 6:37-39 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.”

This compassionate Savior will actually save the broken and the outcast.
If you are broken and weary, then I have good news for you.
He is a real Savior who actually saves.

His Calling, His Communication, His Compassion
4) HIS COMMITMENT (4a)

“He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth…”

This verse is omitted in Matthew’s quotation, but Matthew certainly believed it.

What do we make of it?
• He won’t quit before He is finished.
• He won’t stop when it gets hard.
• He will push through and accomplish it all.

Certainly we see this in years of ministry…
Certainly we see this in that prayer in the garden…

But if there was ever any doubt as to whether or not Jesus would endure and go all the way, it is settled in one verse.

John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

While Jesus was on earth the enemy threw everything he had at Him.
• He tempted Him with every temptation.
• He persecuted Him with family and religious leaders.
• He attacked Him at every turn.
AND JESUS NEVER QUIT.

Even when facing the eternal wrath of God for sin He did not commit,
JESUS ENDURED.

• Sweating drops of blood in the garden, JESUS ENDURED.
• Being wrongfully arrested by the Romans, JESUS ENDURED.
• Being tried and beaten, mocked and scorned, JESUS ENDURED.

“faithfully He bore it, spotless to the last, brought it back victorious, when from death He passed.”

5) HIS CONSUMMATION (4b)

“And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

Or as Matthew quotes it, “In His name the Gentiles will hope.”

That is to say again,
He is not just the savior of the Jews, He is the savior of the world.

1) These coastlands were facing judgment
• To try and alleviate it had decided to build idols to save them.

2) God told them it was foolish
• And pointed out that trusting idols only leads to ruin.

3) And then God introduced the one Savior who could save us all.

He reached beyond the lineage of Jews
And offers salvation to all the nations.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

JESUS IS THE HOPE OF THE NATIONS.

He saves rebellious sinners
He saves broken sinners
He saves seasoned sinners
He saves weary sinners
He saves Gentile sinners

Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners…sinners like us.

This morning, we celebrate that the best way we know how in the church,
With the taking of the Lord’s Supper.

We eat this bread and remember the body God gave Him in which He fulfilled the Law of God and earned the righteousness He imputes to us.

We drink this juice and remember the blood He shed as a payment for the sins which we committed.

And we partake in gratitude and in faith that Jesus did this for us,
Even Gentiles, even the broken and outcast, even unworthy sinners.

HE CAME TO SAVE US.

This morning we’ll have a TIME OF PREPARATION
And then partake of the Lord’s Supper.

LORD’S SUPPER

• Deacons come forward

1 Timothy 1:12-15 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

• 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

Luke 19:8-10 “Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

• 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
• Parting Hymn

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How To Face An Uncertain Future – part 2
Isaiah 41:1-29 (8-29)
February 18, 2024

Let’s dive back into our study of this chapter tonight.

You know now the background of the chapter
• Babylon is bracing for a Medo-Persian invasion.
• They are all experiencing anxiety over Cyrus of Persia.
• To address the situation God in effect calls for a town hall meeting.

#1 GOD’S CONVERSATION
Isaiah 41:1-4

God asks the people who is behind the Medo-Persian conquest
Then He answers that it is Him.

(4) “Who has performed and accomplished it, Calling forth the generations from the beginning? ‘I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He.’”

And our simple point was that
• If you knew God’s judgment was falling on your land wouldn’t you think it wise to seek Him and find out how to appease His wrath?

• Wouldn’t you want to do what the king of Nineveh did in the days of Jonah and beseech God’s mercy?

Well, that’s not what the people of Babylon did.

#2 GOD’S OBSERVATION
Isaiah 41:5-7

Instead of humbling themselves and seeking God they went to work.
• It was their objective to figure out a way, by their own strength, to alleviate God’s promised judgment.
• Their plan was to build a new god who could deliver them from the coming judgment.
• And they declared it good.

It is the folly of man to think that they can satisfy the righteous requirements of a holy God through their own human efforts.

And at this point we just noticed
The horrible condition that the sinners of Babylon are in.
They are headed for judgment and nothing they have done will stop it.

But then we came to the comforting part of the chapter.
While God’s judgment is falling squarely on Babylon,
God takes a moment to make sure His people understand
That His wrath is not focused on them.

#3 GOD’S CONSOLATION
Isaiah 41:8-20

God is NOT sending Medo-Persia to conquer His people.
His wrath is reserved for the pagans who do not trust Him.

And so we started looking at the message that
God has for His people even as they live in uncertain times.

This is a great message for you church as we live in uncertain times.

• We can see God’s obvious wrath on our nation.
• We can see that God has given our society over to idolatry, homosexuality,
and depraved thinking.
• God’s wrath is evident.

But we also are reminded that it is not His people that He is angry at,
Nor is it His people that He is judging.

God has not destined us for wrath.
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

So we get a section of tremendous comfort.
4 promises of God to His people in an uncertain future.

1) I HAVE CHOSEN YOU IN COVENANT (8-9)

The foundational point here is that
God has a completely DIFFERENT DESTINY for His people.

“My servant”
“whom I have chosen”
“My friend”

And it carries the understanding with us that
• If God sent His Son to redeem us by shedding His own blood on the cross to save us from wrath, do you suppose that God is going to then turn around and judge us anyway?

Would God so waste the sacrifice of His only Son?

NO, WE ARE HIS.
He watches over us, He has chosen us, He calls us friend.

Certainly that was true for Israel,
But it is also TRUE OF US GENTILES
Who have been adopted into fellowship with God.

Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Ephesians 2:19 “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,”

Paul lays it out so wonderfully in Romans 8:
Romans 8:29-32 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

While the world should most certainly live in absolute dread of the coming wrath of God, the church has nothing to fear.

WE ARE CHOSEN.

Not only that, but look at verse 9.
(9) “You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its remotest parts And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.”

This speaks to the great lengths from which God called His people.

Sometimes we say things like, “I’m grateful to have been born in a nation where Christ was readily accessible.”

And that is a wonderful opportunity,
But the reality is that if you are God’s chosen
He’s coming to “the ends of the earth” to “its remotest parts” to get you.

There was no where Israel could go that they were beyond God’s reach.

They were his.
So are we.

And God reiterates, “I have chosen you and not rejected you.”

It’s the truth that you’re His, by His doing, according to His will,
And therefore you do not need to fear His judgment.

WHAT A COMFORT
When you live in a world that is earning God’s judgment by the second.

I have chosen you in covenant
2) I AM WITH YOU IN CHAOS (10)

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

We think of all the things that are broadcasted throughout our airways and so many of them are DESIGNED TO MAKE US AFRAID.

FEAR IS A GREAT MANIPULATOR.
I don’t watch it anymore, but I remember several years ago turning on Shawn Hannity on Fox news and he opened his segment with the words, “Why you need to be afraid…”

That’s what they pump at us. They sell chaos and tell us to be afraid.

That’s what is going on here for these people.
One can only imagine the talk at the market about Cyrus and Persians.
Anxiety would be running high.

But that runs absolutely contrary to the message of Scripture
Where God tells His people, “Do not fear”.
And the reason is because, “I am with you.”

The circumstances may be scary, but remember I AM THERE.
Isaiah 43:1-7 “But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. “For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. “Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. “Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, And gather you from the west. “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth, Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

• Do we need the reminder about that 4th man in the flame?
• Do we need the reminder of who shut the lions mouths?
• Do we need the reminder of Jesus saying, “Surely I am with you always…”?

And He reiterates it:
“Do not anxiously look about you”
Why? “for I am your God.”

Never forget THE GOD FACTOR.
He makes all the difference.
And He promises to be with His people.

Philippians 4:6-9 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

And that is certainly a good reminder even to us today
Who dwell in an anxiety loving uncertain world.

WE HAVE GOD AND HE IS OUR GOD.

And the promise again pointed out.
“I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Whatever the challenge you face, I’ll give you the strength to meet it.
When the trials come, He will hold us.

Jude 24-25 “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

He keeps us from stumbling.
He makes us stand.

We have a great High Priest “who is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them”.

When you hear that anxiety causing news,
Remember that the news never tells you about
The presence of God in the midst of your trial.

God reminds His people, I am with you in chaos.

3) I WILL HELP YOU IN CONFLICT (11-16)

(11-13) “Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish. “You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent. “For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.”

Here God puts a special spotlight on the literal enemies of His people.
• Maybe it was the Babylonians still…
• Maybe it was other refugees…
• Maybe it was the Persians…

What is true is that
It doesn’t matter because God is bigger than all of them.

• God promises shame and dishonor for all those who are angry at His people.
• God promises all those who contend will perish.
• God says you’ll actually go out looking for your enemies and won’t find them.

WHY?
“For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’”

How many conflicts do we read about in the Old Testament when Israel went out to battle and should not have been victorious?

• How did they get out of Egypt?
• How did they defeat Jericho?
• How did Gideon defeat the Midianites?
• How did Samson handle the Philistines?

There was one constant, God was with them.

We sometimes face difficult jobs or projects
And we think it might too much for us, but then another brother says, “Need some help?”

AND WE ARE ENERGIZED because what was impossible by ourselves
Becomes possible with a little help.

Well what is impossible if God is your help?
There is nothing that can’t be accomplished if He is in the midst of the battle.

And it’s not just because of what He can do for you,
But even what He can do through you.

(14-16) “Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you,” declares the LORD, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. “Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges; You will thresh the mountains and pulverize them, And will make the hills like chaff. “You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, And the storm will scatter them; But you will rejoice in the LORD, You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.”

I hope you caught the transformation.
• God starts out by calling Jacob “you worm”.
• And that is not far off.

But notice what God says in verse 15, “Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges;”
• A threshing sledge was like a wooden pallet pulled over the top of the grain.
• It twisted and ground the grain and separated the grain from the stalk.
• It was a tool meant specifically to damage and separate.

Back in Isaiah 21 we were told that in Babylon the children of Israel would be a threshed people.

Isaiah 21:10 “O my threshed people, and my afflicted of the threshing floor! What I have heard from the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, I make known to you.”

They were going to get pummeled in Babylon for a season.

Isaiah 28 reminded however that threshing wasn’t mean to last forever.

Isaiah 28:28 “Grain for bread is crushed, Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever. Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually damage it, He does not thresh it longer.”

We remember Isaiah telling his people not to be a tough nut to crack.

But now we find, here at the end of the exile that
God is actually going to make Jacob the threshing sledge.

Previously he was the worm, being pulverized by the sledge,
Now he is the sledge and he is doing the pulverizing.

A contemporary analogy would be when people say, “Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.”

Well Israel is now going from bug to windshield.

“You will thresh the mountains and pulverize them, And will make the hills like chaff.”

Your enemies will not claim victory over you,
You will have victory over them.
Certainly a Millennial Promise, but a certain promise of God.

God says, “You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, and the storm will scatter them;”

What is impossible for man is only possible when God is your help.
• You will succeed where success does not seem possible.
• You will win where victory seems impossible.

And at the end:
“you will rejoice in the LORD, You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.”

God is teaching His people that point which Jesus made:
“With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Remember that church.
• We face scary times…
• We face difficult times…
• We face overwhelming times…
• We face mountains of fear and anxiety…

But God is our help in conflict
And He is a mountain moving and mountain leveling God.

Psalms 46 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.”

Let sinners be terrified, but let God’s people be at peace.
God is for us.

And there is one more reminder God has for His people.

4) I WILL ANSWER YOU IN CRISIS (17-20)

“The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the LORD, will answer them Myself, As the God of Israel I will not forsake them. “I will open rivers on the bare heights And springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water And the dry land fountains of water. “I will put the cedar in the wilderness, The acacia and the myrtle and the olive tree; I will place the juniper in the desert Together with the box tree and the cypress, That they may see and recognize, And consider and gain insight as well, That the hand of the LORD has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

We certainly are NOT SAYING that there may not be difficult times for these Jewish people if Persia attacks.

• Certainly there are physical and political ramifications.
• Scarcity of food can be universal…
• Loss of utilities can be universal…

And so there can be some common suffering
That affects even the people of God during difficult times.

We see that even today.
It’s not like non-believers are the only people dealing with inflation.

But what God reveals here is that
He will answer the cry of His people when they are in need.

(17) “The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the LORD, will answer them Myself, As the God of Israel I will not forsake them.”

• Are you afflicted? Ask God.
• Are you thirsty? Ask God.
• Are you hungry? Ask God.

He says, “I…will answer them Myself…I will not forsake them.”

And then you see God working supernaturally to meet the needs of His people.

In verse 18
• He will bring water from places where water doesn’t exist.
• Like water from a rock and fountains in the desert.

He will bring so much water that in verse 19 it will grow cedars and myrtles and olive trees.

And it will become apparent to all that God has done this.

He promises not to forsake the cry of His people.
He promises not to ignore the needy among them.

Didn’t Jesus tell us not to worry about what we will eat or what we will wear?
Didn’t Jesus demonstrate on more than one occasion that bread was not an issue for Him?

Our God brought bread from heaven and water from a rock.
And He promises provision for His people.

While the nations are busy stock-piling and hording and prepping,
God has already told us that our security is not in our storehouse,
But in His promises.

HE IS FOR HIS PEOPLE.

So while the world is building idols and putting all their trust in them.

God is busy promising His people that He will care for them.
• He has Chosen them.
• He will be with them.
• He will help them.
• He will answer them.

Jesus does not forsake His own.

Listen to His prayer the night before He was crucified.
John 17:11-15 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.”

I don’t know what kind of judgment God might bring on the land.
Famine, war, blackout, whatever.

Romans 8:35-39 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I don’t know what kind of judgment God might bring on the land,
But I do know that His children need not fear it.

GOD CARES FOR HIS OWN.
That is God’s reassurance to His people.

So here we are at this town hall meeting.
• God has announced that He is the driving force behind Persia.
• He in effect asked the peoples how they were going to respond
• They decided to turn to their own homemade gods.
• God then announced what He will be doing for His people.

And that brings us to the next point.
#4 GOD’S EXAMINATION
Isaiah 41:21-24

This one is an all-out challenge by God.

I just told you what I am going to do for My people.
What I want to know is what your gods plan for you?

So here God calls those idols that were made to the center of the room.
I’d like to hear from you.

“Present your case,” the LORD says. “Bring forward your strong arguments,” The King of Jacob says.”

I have chosen My people.
I am going to be with them.
I am going to help them.
I am going to answer them.
What are you going to do for your people?

(22) “Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place…”
In other words, have your idol prophesy about what is coming. (crickets)

Ok, well, let’s regroup.
“As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome.”
If you don’t want to divulge the future, why don’t you help us make sense of the past? Why don’t you tell us what you were doing through all of that.
(crickets)

“Or announce to us what is coming;”
Just give us some sort of assurance about the future even if you aren’t going to get specific about events.
(crickets)

(23) “Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together.”

DO SOMETHING!
SAY SOMETHING!
Don’t just sit there not falling over.

• Give us some insight.
• Make some promise.
• Give encouragement, give a threat, give insight, something.
(crickets)

Throughout the entire cross examination
It appears their fancy little graven image chose to plead the 5th.

And so God gives His thoughts.
(24) “Behold, you are of no account, And your work amounts to nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.”

• “no account”
• “nothing”
• “abomination”

How foolish is it to trust in some other savior.

And we can’t help but think of the world’s would-be saviors.

Do you know how many in our country right now think Trump is a savior?
(Oh, they’ll say he’s not a savior.)

But
• I’ve heard promises that he is really in control even though you can’t see it.
• I’ve heard prophecies that he is coming back.
• I’ve heard prophecies that when he comes back he’ll restore wealth and
prosperity to the land.
• I’ve heard about other nations and religions bowing to him.

For someone they say isn’t a savior they sure treat him a lot like Jesus.

Others see their storerooms and gun vaults
As their source of security and protection.

Me, I’ve got 14 chickens.

“no account” “nothing”

Do you see how foolish it is to trust in anything other than God?
• Who else has promises like His?
• Who else has power like His?
• Who else can do what He does?

It is so foolish that these nations in Babylon,

Even when given the opportunity to trust in God and find “new strength”

They would instead choose to run to an idol that does not totter,
But that does nothing else either.

And that leads to the final point of the chapter.

#5 GOD’S DECLARATION
Isaiah 41:25-29

At this point all has been heard.
• God has announced that He is the One sending Cyrus
• He has announced what He is going to do to protect His people in the midst of it.
• He has also observed that instead of trusting Him, the nations have determined to build for themselves gods who literally know nothing.

SO NOW COMES THE FINAL DECLARATION OF GOD
TO CONCLUDE THIS TOWN HALL MEETING.

He reiterates the facts.
(25) “I have aroused one from the north, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, Even as the potter treads clay.”

• Cyrus is coming and I am the One who sent Him.
• And He is going to run over this place.

(26) “Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know? Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”? Surely there was no one who declared, Surely there was no one who proclaimed, Surely there was no one who heard your words.”

• I am the only One who knows this.
• I am the only One who has a solution for this.
• I am the only One worth listening to on the subject.

(27) “Formerly I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’ And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a messenger of good news.’”

God reminds the nations that He is in total control of the situation
And His people will be fine.

But the same cannot be said for the coastlands
Who refuse to listen to Him.

(28-29) “But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer. “Behold, all of them are false; Their works are worthless, Their molten images are wind and emptiness.”

Your idols are worthless and useless and emptiness.
• They can’t counsel you.
• They can’t enlighten you.
• They certainly can’t deliver you.

It reminds of how Jude spoke of false prophets in the church.
Jude 12-13 “These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.”

And yet this is who the nations are trusting in.

SO NOW, WHAT IS THE POINT?
What is it that we are supposed to learn from a chapter like this?

Even in our world
We understand what it is to have anxiety about the future.
We have all developed a sense that things may be getting worse.
• We hear rumors of recession.
• We hear rumors of war.
• We hear rumors of corruption.

We don’t really know what is true and what isn’t,
But there is no shortage of information that might cause us anxiety.

But what God says here speaks directly to such concern.

• If you are God’s child you have nothing to fear.
• God is sovereign over all of it.
• He does not forget His children.

So if you are a child of God,
Take a deep breath and rest in Him.

I’m NOT telling you that you have to bury your head in the sand and totally ignore all external news, I’m just telling you to listen to it in the right mindset.

Know that God is in control of all of it,
And even if God is bringing judgment upon our nation,
Know that His judgment is not on His children.

He has chosen us.
He is with us.
He will help us.
He will answer us.

TURN TO: PSALMS 135

What a great reminder for the people of God.
Our God has always been a deliverer of His people,
And as His people we have nothing to fear.

It is those WHO DO NOT KNOW GOD who should be concerned.

It is those who are putting their trust in their own efforts
Or in some politician or in some system
Or in some hoard of supplies or goods that should be concerned.

None of those things can save you in the day of God’s judgment.

And so the call of God to unredeemed sinners is clear.
(1) “Coastlands, listen to Me in silence, And let the peoples gain new strength;”

God will give that same “new strength” and hope to you
If you will stop your arguing, stop your striving, and start listening to God and submit to Him.

Trust Him and He’ll save you too.

Acts 17:29-31 “Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

And that is the message for the unredeemed.
• Don’t think God is anything like the false gods of this world.
• He is far more glorious.
• And the true God demands repentance from you before the judgment comes.

So in light of troubling times.
• If you are a child of God then rest in Him.
• If you are not, then repent and run to Him.

It is the only way to survive in light of an uncertain future.

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How To Face An Uncertain Future – Part 1
Isaiah 41:1-29 (1-8)
February 18, 2024

This morning we move into the 41st chapter of Isaiah.
• I remind you again that Isaiah is speaking prophetically to a group of people 100 years after his time.
• He is speaking to those refugees who are now living in Babylon in what we call “The Exile”.

And in this chapter Isaiah is addressing an event
That has everyone in Babylon just a little terrified.

That event is “The Medo-Persian Invasion”.

• Though Nebuchadnezzar did terrorize the known world and conquer many kingdoms and take many captives, Nebuchadnezzar is now dead.
• Following Nebuchadnezzar Babylon had a host of instability in their leadership.
• Several assassinations and short reigns.
• The last ruler of Babylon would be Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, whom you see in Daniel 5.
• He’s the one who received the handwriting on the wall and was killed that very night.

The point being, as Isaiah writes, Babylon’s days are numbered.

You have two world rulers who have united:
• Darius the Mede
• Cyrus of Persia
• And they have set their gaze on Babylon.

And as the reality of the coming invasion sets in,
The level of fear and anxiety in Babylon begins to rise.

IT IS FEAR FOR ALL WHO LIVE THERE
• Will the Medes and the Persians spare anyone?
• What do we do?
• How should we respond to the news?

THINK ABOUT IT.
• You are living in a nation that has been designated by God for destruction.
• You know that the nation God has ordained to conquer you is on its way.
• How do you handle it?

This isn’t so far-fetched even in OUR DAY.

If you are willing to read Romans 1 honestly and accurately there can be no doubt that our nation is currently suffering under the wrath of God.

When we read about God giving a nation over to
idolatry, homosexuality, and depravity of thinking…
Only a blind fool would fail to see our nation in this list.

Romans 1 says that when a nation is given over
To such ideology and behavior
That this is evidence that you are under God’s wrath.

It’s like the old revivalist Vance Havner used to say, “It’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve and if God doesn’t judge America He’s going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.”

WE KNOW THIS.

In some ways we feel like Habakkuk.
• He was the prophet whose soul was tormented by the evil in his day
• And he was grieved that God wasn’t seemingly doing anything to stop it.

Habakkuk 1:1-4 “The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw. How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save. Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted.”

• Habakkuk was frustrated with God for seemingly giving over his land to immoral
paganism.
• Habakkuk wanted God to so something.

God responded:
Habakkuk 1:5-6 “Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days— You would not believe if you were told. “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, That fierce and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.”

God’s response to Habakkuk was, “I am doing something, I’m about to send Babylon in to destroy your nation.”

At the end of the prophecy Habakkuk recounted
The type of anxiety and fear this revelation caused.

Habakkuk 3:16 “I heard and my inward parts trembled, At the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, And in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will invade us.”

I think we understand that type of feeling,
Though perhaps not yet as intensely as Habakkuk did.

Well now we are about 60 or 70 years after the time of Habakkuk.
• Babylon did come and they did destroy Judah.
• But now it is Babylon who is under God’s judgment
• They are waiting for the Medes and the Persians to come and destroy them.

AND THERE IS FEAR AND ANXIETY.

It is the type of fear and anxiety that you might be prone to have
When you consider what the future of our nation might be.

As I said…
I don’t think it’s hard at all to put ourselves in their shoes.

So here we have a people living in tension,
Waiting for the day of invasion to come.

And in the midst of this terrifying scenario
God calls for a town hall meeting.
• He calls for all to come as God seeks to have a discussion with them all.
• He wants to speak to pagan Babylonians
• He wants to speak to other refugees from other nations.
• He wants to speak to the Jewish captives of Babylon.
• He wants to address them all.

What God has to say is remarkable,
And again it is meant to bring comfort to His people.

We’re going to break this chapter down into 5 points.

#1 GOD’S CONVERSATION
Isaiah 41:1-4

You notice first that Isaiah is addressing the “Coastlands”.

This is his way of speaking to everyone who is currently in Babylon.
• This is a general audience.
• This is a message for all peoples.
• Everyone in Babylon is invited to come and hear what God has to say.

As I mentioned, it is a town hall meeting of sorts.

“Coastlands, listen to Me in silence, And let the peoples gain new strength;”

I hope you see THE GRACIOUS INVITATION that is taking place here.

We just learned at the end of chapter 40 a very valuable truth.

Isaiah 40:31 “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

We saw it last Sunday night that God offers “new strength” to those who will wait on Him.
• If you will place your hope and trust and expectation on God…
• If you will look to God for your salvation and deliverance…
• Then God will supply you with “new strength”

It is a supernatural strength, beyond human ability,
That allows you to face hardship and to continue to endure.

In many ways it is like “hope” that drives you for another day.

And the point of Isaiah 40:31 is that this hope or “new strength”
Is the immediate benefit of placing your trust in God.

That was the offer Isaiah made to Israel in chapter 40.

But now, we get to chapter 41 and we find that
God is extending that offer to all in Babylon, not just the Jewish refugees.

“Coastlands, listen to Me in silence, And let the peoples gain new strength.”

Here is that same offer.
Only this time God uses different language as to the requirement placed upon the people.

• Where as chapter 40 told Israel to “Wait for the LORD”
• Here the coastlands are told to “listen to Me in silence”

That is to say, “You need to stop following your own logic, and you need to pay attention to what I’m saying without argument.”

James gave similar counsel:
James 1:19-20 “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

• Be quick to listen to what God has to say.
• Be slow to speak in opposition to it.
• And be slow to get angry when God tells you something you don’t want to hear.

It speaks of a heart that is eager and open and submissive
To what God has to say.

That is God’s invitation to all the peoples of Babylon.
• Cast aside your own thinking…
• Cast aside your own logic…
• Close your mouth and listen to what I have to say.

The end result of heeding and obeying My word is that you will also “gain new strength.”

So FIRST, you need to come and listen to Me.

Then “Let them come forward, then let them speak; Let us come together for judgment.”

This is NOT God saying, “Come here so I can judge you.”

This IS God saying,
• “Gather to Me, listen to what I have to say,
• answer Me when I ask you,
• and then you can make a decision based on what I have said.”

So let’s listen to what God has to say in this town hall meeting.

He starts with a question:
(2) “Who has aroused one from the east Whom He calls in righteous to His feet?”

We don’t see his name yet mentioned.
• That won’t happen until 44:28,
• But God is referring here to Cyrus of Persia.

And God is asking, who got Cyrus all stirred up?
• Who is behind his rise?
• Who is the One motivating his conquest?

We ask questions like that in our own political climate.
• Who is calling the shots?
• Who is really in control?
• Whose agenda is pushing all of this?

And then God gives a little news report
On exactly what this Cyrus is up to.

(2b-3) “He delivers up nations before him And subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, As the wind-driven chaff with his bow. He pursues them, passing on in safety, By a way he had not been traversing with his feet.”

God recounts that Cyrus is A FORCE to be reckoned with.
• He conquers kings and make them like dust.
• He scatterers people like chaff.
• He pursues his enemies while he seems to travel in some sort of protection.

And again the question is:
Who is behind all of this?

Who is sending and empowering and protecting Cyrus that he would be so successful in his conquest?

(4) “Who has performed and accomplished it, Calling forth the generations from the beginning? ‘I the LORD, am the first, and with the last, I am He.’”

GOD IS BEHIND IT.
“I’m doing this”, God says.

We just learned in the last chapter that the power of nations belongs to God.
Isaiah 40:15-17 “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.”

• God is the One who causes one nation to rise and another to fall.
• God appoints the length and glory of their reign.
• It’s all on His calendar for His purposes.

And now He announces that He is bringing Babylon to an end
And bringing Medo-Persia to the forefront.

Again, we know this about God.
Romans 13:1 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”

Not so long ago it was God who was raising up Babylon.
Jeremiah 25:8-9 “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them and make them a horror and a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.”

• That is what God told Habakkuk too.

And before Babylon it was God raising up Assyria.
Isaiah 10:5-6 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is My indignation, I send it against a godless nation And commission it against the people of My fury To capture booty and to seize plunder, And to trample them down like mud in the streets.”

You see it.
Daniel announced that Medo-Persia isn’t even the last.
• God has plans for Greece to topple them
• And then Rome to topple them,
• And that holds true down throughout the ages.

And it will be of great help to you today church
If you will see the current political landscape
Through the same lens.

I know it is hard to wrap our minds around such truths.
AFTER ALL,
• Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria was a vile godless pagan.
• Nebuchadnezzar was a vile godless pagan.
• Darius the Mede is going to require everyone to pray to him and no one else.
• Cyrus is no worshiper of God.
• Alexander the Great is a pagan
• The Roman emperor’s were not godly men

And yet, we see that throughout history
God used them and brought them to power on the world’s scene.

And that trickles even to our own day and the current world leadership.
• It is hard for us to come to grips with a reality where it is God who put Joe Biden or the corrupt around him into office.

They love abortion, they love homosexuality, they love money,
They love deceit, they think backward about everything.

AND WE WONDER: How in the world it could be God’s will for such godless people to be in power?

That was Habakkuk’s question when God told him that He was brining the Chaldeans.
Habakkuk 1:12-17 “Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O LORD, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct. Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they? Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them? The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large, And their food is plentiful. Will they therefore empty their net And continually slay nations without sparing?”

It’s a hard reality to process.
That God would use and even bring to power the wicked.

UNLESS you come to grips with the reality that
They could in fact be God’s judgment.

We see it in the Bible that one of the ways God judges a nation
Is by giving that nation foolish leaders that lead it to ruin.

BUT THE POINT OF GOD HERE is that judgment is on its way and I’m the One doing it.
• I am the One “who has performed and accomplished it”
• I have decreed this “from the beginning”
• This is all part of My plan.
• The rise and fall of nations is My prerogative.

NOW YOU WOULD THINK that there is one question that should be circulating in this town-hall type meeting.

• If it is God who is sending Cyrus…
• If it is God who has orchestrated this coming invasion…
• THEN WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM US?

We think of the wise King of Nineveh
Jonah 3:6-9 “When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. “But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. “Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.”

This ought to be the next leg of the conversation.
God’s announcement should be met with
Humility and repentance and seeking God’s face.

Well, let’s see how this town hall responds…

God’s Conversation
#2 GOD’S OBSERVATION
Isaiah 41:5-7

Here is the response of the coastlands.
(5) “The coastlands have seen and are afraid; The ends of the earth tremble; They have drawn near and have come.”

Well that’s not a terrible start.
• At least the people showed up to hear what God had to say.
• At least they are rightly grasping the severity of the situation.

I mean we saw Israel ahead of the Assyrian invasion
Totally disregarding the danger:
Isaiah 22:12-13 “Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth. Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”

That was a terrible response to God’s announcement of judgment.

So at least they are listening and are serious minded.

So, now that you have heard the revelation of God, what do you have to say?

(6-7) “Each one helps his neighbor And says to his brother, “Be strong!” So the craftsman encourages the smelter, And he who smooths metal with the hammer encourages him who beats the anvil, Saying of the soldering, “It is good”; And he fastens it with nails, So that it will not totter.”

Well that was a terribly wrong response!
• Instead of telling God they were sorry.
• Instead of asking God for guidance and forgiveness.
• Instead of calling for a fast or repentance.
• The each turn to their neighbor and say “Be strong!”

God calls to submission and repentance and instead
These people do what false religions have done for years…
They determine to work harder to fix the problem themselves.

Instead of looking upward to God, they look inward to their own strength.

It’s the tower of Babel where men have a plan to save themselves through their own ingenuity and human effort.

You can fill in the blank of all the different types of works men have tried to do over the years to save themselves, but here it shows up in idolatry.

• These men hear that God is sending judgment
• Instead of repenting and crying out to God for His “new strength”
• They tell each other to “Be strong!”

Don’t seek God’s strength, find your own!
And use that strength to make the best idol you’ve ever made in your life!

“So the craftsman encourages the smelter, And he who smooths metal with the hammer encourages him who beats the anvil…”

It is an entire community of men steeped in religious work
And all encouraging the other to do well!

And then when the idol is completed,
They look it over and say, “It is good”

That is a blasphemous statement.
• It is to mimic God’s good creation.
• There is none good but God alone.

These men worked really hard to make a god
That they put on the same level with God.
IT IS A DEFIANT BLASPHEMY!

And again, don’t miss THE IRONY that Isaiah loves to throw in there.
“And he fastens it with nails, so that it will not totter.”

• It continues to be the universal power that all of these idols have.
• It is the one thing they can actually do; stand upright without falling over.
• I can’t tell you what a big help that is going to be when Persia arrives.

If you think this is not the mindset of OUR CULTURE
Then you are not paying attention.

I can tell you that
• God is judging the United States and that our corrupt leaders are evidence of
that.

Even secular news agencies will warn
• Of potential wars or potential blackouts or potential pandemics or potential
economic collapses.

But what do men do upon hearing such warnings?
• Do they run to God?
• Do they repent in dust and ashes?
• Have you seen revival break out in our land; in our churches?

No, they organize a political campaign to change it.
They stockpile supplies to survive a blackout.
They buy gold or silver or precious metals to store under their mattress.

Instead of addressing the source of the judgment
They work hard to figure out a way to beat it on their own.

That is missing the point!

But that is the observation of God.
He told them He was sending judgment but instead of reconciling with God they trust in their own efforts and ingenuity.

BUT LISTEN, THAT IS THE UNREDEEMED.
That is how the unredeemed respond.
And they are in very grave danger before God.

But that is NOT true for
Those who have determined to wait on the LORD.
Those who are trusting in Christ.

And that brings us to the third point.

God’s Conversation
God’s Observation
#3 GOD’S CONSOLATION
Isaiah 41:8-20

We just learned that
• The coastlands are in very grave danger before God.
• Their refusal to listen and repent is going to get them eternally judged.
• And that is a dark piece of information.
• That is gloomy news.

But that news is NOT universal.

We love how verse 8 begins, “But you, Israel…”

What is true for them is not true for you.
I have a different plan for you.

God’s people need not fear the judgment of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:3-4 “While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

We remember Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the tares.
The fate of the wheat is nothing like the fate of the tares.

Matthew 13:30 “‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Isaiah spoke of it:
Isaiah 35:4 “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.”

And yes church, you today can take this to the bank as well.
• It may certainly be true that God is judging the United States.
• It may certainly be true that our corrupt leaders are part of that judgment.
• It may certainly be true that a greater and more comprehensive judgment is
coming.

BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO FEAR IT!
• While the church does suffer persecution at the hands of godless men.
• While we are pursued and attacked by Satan.
• While we do suffer in this sin-stained vile environment.
• Those sufferings are because we are hated by the god of this world.

But what we are looking at here is the coming judgment of God
And the children of God do not need to fear that judgment.

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

Every ounce of wrath that God had toward us was settled on the cross.
• We have been reckoned righteous through the life and death of Jesus.
• Our sins have been removed from us as far as the east is from the west.
• We now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

THE PEOPLE OF GOD DO NOT NEED TO FEAR CYRUS.

And how true this will prove to be.
• For Cyrus will destroy Babylon,
• But he will issue a decree for Israel to be able to go home and rebuild her temple.

AND THIS IS WHERE THE COMFORT COMES FROM.
THIS IS THE SOURCE OF OUR CONSOLATION.

In this world of corruption and evil that God will most certainly judge,
You do not have to fear that judgment.

GOD HAS A DIFFERENT MESSAGE FOR YOU.
And we want to begin looking at it this morning.

In verses 8-20 there are 4 promises of God
That are meant to console His people in the face of the coming judgment.

• 4 promises that were true of Israel and that are now true of us.
• You can hang your hat on these
• Even as you live inside the borders of a nation under judgment.

1) I HAVE CHOSEN YOU IN COVENANT (8-9)

“But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend, You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its remotest parts And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.”

Just start out and look at the list of titles and realities that God lists here.
• “My servant”
• “Jacob whom I have chosen”
• “Descendant of Abraham my friend”
• “You whom I have taken”
• “I have chosen you”
• “and not rejected you”

It is two verses of straight reassurance.

Let’s start with the statement, “Israel, My servant”

This is NOT a title of disdain, it is rather a reality that God has taken responsibility for the well-being of Israel.
• She is under His protection.
• She is under His provision.
• She is God’s responsibility.

When Jesus spoke of servants,
• He called them the greatest among you.
• And we find His particular interest in how they are cared for and treated.

Matthew 24:45-51 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. “But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

A wise man does not injure them or harm the Lord’s servants.
The vengeance of the LORD will be swift on those who do.

We also see the phrase, “Jacob whom I have chosen,”

What do you mean chosen?

• Well certainly we remember God choosing Abraham from all the families of the earth and promising to bless and multiply his descendants.

• We should remember that Abraham had two sons, Ishmael first and then Isaac, but Isaac was the one God chose to bless.

• Jacob had two sons in the womb, the elder Esau and the younger Jacob, but it was God who chose Jacob over Esau in the womb.

Paul comments saying:
Romans 9:11-12 “for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.”

And it is Moses who reminds the people:
Deuteronomy 7:6 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

Out of all the peoples and all nations, God chose you to be His people.

Moses continued:
Deuteronomy 7:7-8 “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

• It wasn’t because of their intrinsic value that God chose them.
• It wasn’t because they were bigger or stronger or smarter.
• Their selection was nothing but pure grace.

Those whom God chooses,
He chooses out of grace, not because they deserved it.

We see the same in the New Testament:
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.”

Jesus said it:
John 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”

God’s people are God’s people
Because God wants them to be His people.

IT’S NOT LIKE
• We came and talked God into accepting us,
• And even though He really didn’t want to, He let us come.
• And even though we kind of irritate Him, He lets us stay.

No, God desired you.
God chose you.

And part of that choosing requires the payment on your behalf.
GOD HAD TO REDEEM YOU.

There was a monstrous sin debt that had to be satisfied.
Atonement had to be made.
AND GOD DID THAT!

We remember that story of Hosea and Gomer.
She was the unfaithful wife, but Hosea was sent to redeem her.

Hosea 3:1-2 “Then the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley.”

The fact that it took all of his money and part of his grain indicates the enormous cost.

AND WE ALSO:
1 Peter 1:18-19 “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

THIS IS WHY GOD’S PEOPLE SHOULD NOT FEAR.
• You are not in danger.
• I have chosen you to be My servant.
• You are mine.
• I have redeemed you.

And more than just a servant.
“Descendant of Abraham My friend”

It all points to the reality that God views His children differently.

Now, there is a lot more to be said here and we will return to it tonight,
But this morning let’s just close with this reassuring thought.

IT IS TRUE – Sin has infested this world and God is judging it.
• What is more, He is coming to judge it even more thoroughly.
• Sinners will weep and languish over what God is bringing upon them.

BUT… His judgment is not for His children.
• He has chosen us
• He has redeemed us
• He calls us friend

Church, you do not have to fear the coming judgment of God.
All the judgment you deserved
Was already poured out on Christ on the cross.

So while this world is in chaos
And is scrambling to create a god that will help them overcome,
All you need to do is trust in God.

Isaiah 40:31 “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”