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The State Of The Union – Part 3
Isaiah 1:1-31 (10-17)
February 12, 2023

This morning we continued in our look at Isaiah’s inaugural sermon, and one of the benefits of coming right back to it tonight is that we don’t need much recap.

Hopefully it is fresh on your mind.

It is God’s “State of the Union” address to Israel
And He desires to speak about 3 things.

REBELLION – RELIGION – REDEMPTION

Thus far we have heard God speak about REBELLION
• Sons He raised who have revolted against Him.
• Namely they have abandoned Him.
• This is a recipe for disaster which Isaiah announced.

Now, if you are Israel, your knee-jerk reaction
To such information is likely to try and blow it off.

AFTER ALL, we haven’t abandoned God.
• We come to His temple weekly.
• We participate in all the feasts.
• We give all the sacrifices.

Surely God is talking about those people
Who don’t sacrifice or who don’t attend.

But us, we’re fine.
• “We thank God that we are not like other people. We fast twice a week,
we pay tithes of all that we get.”
• “We tithe mint and dill and cumin”

We’re fine before the Lord.

It’s as though God says, “I thought you might say that”

So now He moves to His SECOND MAJOR POINT
In this State of the Union address.

We’ve seen Rebellion – Now let’s talk about:
#2 RELIGION
Isaiah 1:10-17

Having seen the FACTS OF THEIR REBELLION,
Let’s now look at the FUTILITY OF THEIR RELIGION.

One of the things that you really OUGHT TO ASK YOURSELF
As you perform religious duties is: WHAT IS IT ACCOMPLISHING?

Why do you do it?
What is the goal?

We have here some of the most religious people who ever lived
And we are about to find out that it was all for not.

1. They were committed to a lifestyle of certain activities
2. They thought these activities to be the means by which they pleased God
3. And here we find out that God doesn’t even like them.

As God speaks of religion here it is easiest to break this section down
Into what we might call:
UNACCEPTABLE RELIGION & ACCEPTABLE RELIGION

And this is information worth knowing.

Let’s look first at their UNACCEPTABLE RELIGION

It really should have been an eye-opening experience
When God looks at their religion and immediately refers to them
As “Sodom” and “Gomorrah”

(10) “Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah.”

• That is the nickname which He has chosen to give to Judah and Jerusalem.
• This sinful nation is no different before Him than those evil cities.

And before we object and hold up our giving statement from the previous year as proof we’re not like them, GOD HAS A STATEMENT.

(11) “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD.”

Just an observation.
• We are not talking about “part-time people” here.
• Their sacrifices were “multiplied”
• They gave more than once.

But the bone-chilling question is: “What [is that] to Me?”
Or in our vernacular – “What do I care?”
Or perhaps – “Whoopteedo”

All that you do may be impressive to some, but it’s not impressive to Me.
• We think of those Pharisees and Chief priests blowing a trumpet when they gave so that they would be noticed by men.
• We think of them praying on the street corners or offering long elaborate prayers to demonstrate their great piety.
• We think of them looking so miserable as they fasted to demonstrate their devotion to God.

It must have really impressed a lot of people, but not God.

And that is what we see here.

He says: “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.”

Just use your brain here for a second.
What exactly is it that these people were bringing to God?

“fat” and “blood”

Valentines day is coming up guys, maybe to show your bride how much you really love her you can give her a bucket of fat mixed with blood.

Though don’t be surprised if the night doesn’t go as well as you’d hope.

God’s response was:
• “I have had enough…”
• “I take no pleasure…”

NOW THE OBVIOUS QUESTION IS:
If God doesn’t want it, then why did He command it?

• It’s not like we came up with the sacrificial system.
• These sacrificial recipes we follow are those which we received from the LORD.
• Moses went up on Sinai and God told him what we are to bring.

So why did God tell us to bring what He doesn’t want?

Obviously the fat and the blood were symbolic before God.
The “fat” was
• The visceral fat and that which the priests didn’t eat, it was a sort of tithe to God
of the animal.
• God could have required the entire animal, but in mercy He only required the
fat and allowed the priests to eat the rest.

The “blood” was
• A picture of the life of the animal because sin required death.

God accepted the fat instead of the whole thing.
God accepted the blood of bulls instead of your blood.

It’s NOT that He was just hankering for fat and blood,
IT WAS MERCY to accept that on your behalf.

And now these people think they are doing God some favor by bringing it.
THEY’VE GOT IT ALL WRONG!

Peggy told me many times about how when her mother would cook chicken Francis always got the neck. Now she may have convinced her family that the neck is what she wanted and she may have even grown to like it, but no one wants the neck.

She did that out of love for her family.

But what do you think Francis wanted most from her family?
• She wanted Godly children who served the Lord,
• I promise she didn’t want a box of frozen chicken necks for Christmas.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?
God showed mercy to Israel by accepting the fat and the blood,
But it’s not as though that’s just what He loved.

There’s no joy in the chicken neck.

It was NEVER about the actual offering.

Psalms 50:9-13 “I shall take no young bull out of your house Nor male goats out of your folds. “For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. “I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains. “Shall I eat the flesh of bulls Or drink the blood of male goats?”

Instead God would go on:
Psalms 50:14-15 “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High; Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”

We remember David in his great penitential prayer in Psalms 51
Psalms 51:16-17 “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

Micah was pretty spot on when he asked:
Micah 6:6-8 “With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

But the most important picture we get regarding a sacrifice to God
COMES TO US IN THE PERSON OF JESUS.

Hebrews 10 first says:
Hebrews 10:1-4 “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

But then the writer goes on to make the stronger point:
Hebrews 10:5-7 “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”

God has always been about the heart.
So if you bring Him an offering but not your heart
It accomplishes nothing.

Several years ago Matt Redman wrote a song that typified this understanding. It’s called “The Heart of Worship”

“When the music fades and All is stripped away And I simply come, Longin’ just to bring Something that’s of worth That will bless Your heart. I’ll bring You more than a song, For a song in itself Is not what You have required. You search much deeper within Through the ways things appear You’re looking into my heart”

But Israel thought they were acceptable
Because despite their idolatry
They were bringing God plenty of goats, sheep, and calves.

God’s question is: “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?”
What am I supposed to do with another chicken neck?

NOT ONLY THAT:
(12) “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?”

What revealing terminology.
• God DOESN’T call it “going to worship”
• God DOESN’T call it “going to church”

God calls it a “trampling of My courts”

It’s like a person who spends several hours a week maintaining his lawn
• And one day a bunch of people trample all over it.

It’s like a woman who spends hours cleaning her floors
• And then a group of people track in all over it.

I think of nights at the Little League field
• Where you go and mow the field and drag the field and wet the field and chalk the field
• Only to have a bunch of T-ballers come out there and dig holes with their cleats and make sand castles in the base paths.

God doesn’t speak as One who is receiving any satisfaction or enjoyment at all from what is going on.

The clearest picture we have of this is in the New Testament
When Jesus clears out the temple.

He DOESN’T walk in and say, “Oh, it just blesses My heart to see all these people here in God’s temple.”

On the contrary, He drives them all out with a whip
Because what they were doing there was totally unpleasing to God.

Or do you remember this scene?
Matthew 3:5-7 “Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

John would have made quite a greeter wouldn’t he?
• The Pharisees walk up and John says, “What are you doing here?”

That is exactly what God is asking these Jews, especially in Jerusalem.
• Do you think you’ve done Me some favor by coming?
• Do you think I’m just a lonely old Deity who needs visitors?
• Who told you to come?

AND HE’S STILL NOT DONE:
(13-14) “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.”

Did you catch God’s terminology here?
• “worthless offerings”
• “abomination”
• “I cannot endure”
• “I hate”
• “a burden”
• “I am weary”

THAT IS STRONG LANGUAGE.
“Bring your worthless offerings no longer”

They aren’t accomplishing what you think they are accomplishing
And I am commanding you to stop bringing them.

I don’t want your bucket of fat and blood.

Your “incense is an abomination to me”

• We hear that word “abomination” come up from time to time
• But most of the time it is reserved for the sin of homosexuality.
• But here God uses that word to describe the offering of His people.

AND THEN GOD TALKS ABOUT
• Their “solemn assembly”
• Which He says “I cannot endure”

It’s as though God says,
“I can’t even sit through an entire service. I have to get up and leave.”

AND DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT
“your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts”?

• “I hate” them.
• “They have become a burden to Me”
• “I am weary of bearing them.”

It doesn’t say much for them about their church services.
• I hate it when you have church.
• I hate it when you all get together.
• I hate it when you come here.
• I hate what you bring.
• I hate how you bring it.
• It’s the vilest sin imaginable to Me.

I’ve often wondered how Jesus kept from throwing up
During the Triumphal Entry.

These people who in just a few days would be yelling “Crucify Him!”
Are here crying “Hosannah!”

It must have been totally nauseating.
It was so phony.

One thing that is abundantly clear is that
As God looks at their religious ceremonies as a whole
He has no regard for them.

IN FACT, HE HATES THEM.

We almost always think of church services and religious activity
As that which God probably likes
But here we are faced with the reality that this is not always true.

There were times when God’s people gathered
For the purpose of worshiping God and for bringing sacrifices
AND HE ABSOLUTELY HATED IT.

It was just UNACCEPTABLE

And it did NOT have the DESIRED EFFECT.

(15) “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen.”

That is another way of saying that
You will receive absolutely NO BENEFIT for what you are doing.

Your gifts and your offerings and your songs and your attendance
Won’t help you in the least.

I don’t care if you pray all night, I’m not going to listen.
It is totally unacceptable and ineffective religion.

BUT WHY?
Why does God hate it so much?

“Your hands are covered with blood.”

What does that mean?

• Well the simplest application would be that they were violent murderers.
• That’s the purest definition of “hands…covered with blood”

BUT obviously it’s not like the went out and struck down a man and got his blood on their hands and then went into church without washing.

No, it’s symbolic here.
It speaks of one who has failed
To rightly consider or care for his neighbor.

Consider a prophet with bloody hands:
Ezekiel 3:17-18 “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. “When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.”

There God actually holds the prophet guilty of murder.
• Why? He didn’t kill the man.
• No, but he had the power to save him and did not do it.

What about the Pharisees of the New Testament?
Luke 20:46-47 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

• It is said that they “devour widows’ houses”.
• It is corruption and theft and taking advantage of the less fortunate.

Consider what James said to the rich:
James 5:1-6 “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.”

When James says “You have condemned and put to death the righteous man”
Does James mean that they actually sat as judges and executioners in a court of law?

NO

Then how did they condemn and execute them?
• By failing to pay them their wages and thus they starved to death or couldn’t afford medical treatment.
• By living luxuriously and failing to see the plight of the poor man and withholding from him that which you could have given.

YOU KILLED HIM.
You killed him with malnutrition and starvation and abandonment,
BUT YOU KILLED HIM.

• We read that story of the rich man and of the beggar Lazarus who every day laid at his gates.
• The blood of Lazarus was on that man’s hands for he chose to hoard his wealth instead of saving the poor man’s life.

Jeremiah 2:34-35 “Also on your skirts is found The lifeblood of the innocent poor; You did not find them breaking in. But in spite of all these things, Yet you said, ‘I am innocent; Surely His anger is turned away from me.’ Behold, I will enter into judgment with you Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’”

Do you understand that from God’s perspective?

Do you understand now why John the Baptist said:
Luke 3:10-14 “And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”

Does it make sense to you that God has in fact made you your brother’s keeper?

Do you see that when He equips one to care for another but that one refuses to care that God holds that person responsible?

Luke 12:41-46 “Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations 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 slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.”

You see what God meant when He said
“Your hands are covered with blood.”

Do you understand then why God hated their religious gatherings?
• You are totally disregarding all that I have asked of you.
• You cheat and steal and use your greed to commit murder
• And then bring Me some offering so that I might be pleased

Why don’t you break into your neighbors house, kill his wife and children, steal his television and then bring Me one of his T-shirts as an offering.

That is how God sees it.

Jeremiah 7:9-11 “Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—that you may do all these abominations? “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD.”

Listen to Jesus in the New Testament:
Matthew 15:1-9 “Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? “For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’ “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’”

You condemn your parents to death because you refuse to care for them in their time of need under the pretense that you are bringing what would save them to Me?

I don’t want your pathetic offering from your bloody hands.

God speaks of it over and over and over and over.

Later in Isaiah He will say:
Isaiah 58:6-7 “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”

YOU SEE THE POINT THEN.

You live your life loving the world
And neglecting what matters to God
And then come here like you love God with your offering.

GOD IS SICK OF IT!
This religion that you think is so beneficial to you
Isn’t helping you in the least.

IT IS UNACCEPTABLE RELIGION.

But God would not stop there.
He will also speak of ACCEPTABLE RELIGION

(16-17) “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.”

This shouldn’t be a foreign concept to you.

Have you ever read the book of James?
James 1:27 “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

You really want to bring God something He wants?
Quit acting like the world
And take care of those who can’t care for themselves.

Later James will say:
James 2:15-16 “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?”

And the point is: WHAT ARE YOU REALLY BRINGING GOD?

Bringing an offering with sin-soaked hands
Is hardly that which He desires.

So before you come and bring your offerings to God,
WHAT DOES GOD DESIRE?

Well:
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight.”

They didn’t have literal bloody hands
And He’s not talking about a literal bath here.

• Are your hands covered with blood because you withheld the truth from someone?
• Are your hands covered with blood because you withheld wages from someone?
• Are your hands covered with blood because you cheated someone in a business deal?
• Are your hands covered in blood because you hoarded what you have instead of sharing it?

WELL FIX THAT!

What did Jesus say?
Matthew 5:23-24 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”

And that is God’s point here:
“Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”

If you want God to be pleased with the offerings you bring
Then you’re going to have to offer God the religion He desires.

Our world cares nothing about “justice”
• Our world is typified by that unrighteous judge who doesn’t fear God and
doesn’t respect man.

God’s people have to care about “justice”

Our world actually applauds those who are “ruthless”
• Our world sees ambition and cunning and conniving as good things.

That word “ruthless” is KHAW-MOTSE in the Hebrew
It speaks of a violent man, or as a man who has bloody hands.

Do you see that corrupt man
Who is rich because he neglected the poor and cheated his employees?

DO YOU BUDDY UP WITH HIM OR REPROVE HIM?

James 2:1-4 “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?”

God’s people have to “reprove the ruthless”

Our world doesn’t care about “the orphan” or “the widow”

• What that really means here is the destitute who have no advocate.
• In Bible times widows and orphans were forced into poverty because their means of provision was gone.

It was God’s people who were called to care for those
The world wished to throw away.

Who stands in for the helpless?
Who stands up for the defenseless?

This is what God wants.

Amos 5:14-15 “Seek good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you, Just as you have said! Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

Amos 5:21-24 “I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. “But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

And there are many more passages we could turn to
But I think you’re getting it.

We have people here who are considered as rebels
Because they have abandoned God.

They think their religion will save them,
But God wants them to understand that their religion has no merit before Him, in fact He hates it.

This is His State of the Union address to His people.

Israel is a nation of rebels.
He is angry.
Their religion is worthless.
Their destruction is coming.

It is a pretty gloomy speech.
But REDEMPTION is possible as we will see next time.

Tonight we just leave contemplating the depth of our worship
And the genuineness of our religion.

Are we bringing God what God desires?
Or do we just expect Him to be happy with a chicken neck?

Zechariah 8:8-14 “Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah saying, “Thus has the LORD of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ “But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. “They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. “And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says the LORD of hosts; “but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, for they made the pleasant land desolate.”

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The State Of The Union – Part 2
Isaiah 1:1-31 (4-9)
February 12, 2023

Last Sunday morning we began a new study together
And it is a study of the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah’s name is very significant to our understanding of the book.
His name means “The LORD is Salvation”

And that is certainly the theme.

The entirety of this prophet’s ministry is focused upon
Leading Israel back to an understanding that
There is no Savior except the LORD.

Certainly, as God’s people:
1. We should never look for salvation anywhere else.
2. And we should seek Him diligently even after salvation.

Israel was failing on both counts.

Last week as we introduced this book
• We took a look at the setting of the day.
• Isaiah’s ministry is said to have occurred “during the reigns of Uzziah,
Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”

AND AS WE DISCUSSED.
• Uzziah and Jotham were great kings in a political, economic, and military sense, but they were duds spiritually.
• Both of those Kings did many good things from a political standpoint, but they both came with the same glaring black mark.

Concerning Uzziah:
2 Kings 15:3-4 “He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.”

Concerning Jotham:
2 Kings 15:34-35 “He did what was right in the sight of the LORD; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD.”

They did a lot good politically but the part of their nation which irritated God the most, namely the high places, these men did not address.

Following them came a truly evil king named Ahaz
Who himself participated in the idolatry his fathers ignored.

Concerning Ahaz:
2 Kings 16:3-4 “But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from before the sons of Israel. He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.”

And then Ahaz was followed by his son Hezekiah
Who was a great king, both politically and spiritually.

Concerning Hezekiah:
2 Kings 18:3-6 “He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses.”

Now we learn from chapter 6 that Isaiah’s ministry began
“in the year that King Uzziah died”.

• So Isaiah came to the forefront after the 52 year reign of Uzziah in which the people knew great prosperity, but had grown cold spiritually.

• The first 16 years of Isaiah’s ministry was during the reign of Jotham in which Israel still enjoyed security and prosperity, but continued to fall deeper into idolatry.

• Isaiah would then walk through the 16 tumultuous years of King Ahaz where the nation would become practically pagan, and would also begin to face outside threats of danger.

• And Isaiah’s ministry would end sometime during Hezekiah’s reign as the nation began to experience revival and to once again trust the LORD.

So you understand a little about where Isaiah is
And why he is preaching as he is.

• Isaiah ministered during a time in which the comfort and security of the people had led them away from devotion to God and into idolatry.

• This idolatry especially shows up when God brings some adversity to the nation and instead of trusting in God, their only Savior, Judah tries to turn to different saviors (namely Assyria and Egypt)

• Finally Israel will learn what Isaiah has been saying, that only in the LORD is salvation and when they trust in Him, He delivers.

It is therefore a simple lesson to us.
We don’t only trust God for our salvation, but we trust God for all things.
• We trust Him for our provision.
• We trust Him for our wisdom.
• We trust Him for our protection.
• We trust Him for our health.
• We trust Him in our relationships.

He is the only Savior.

Well, chapter 1 is the inaugural sermon of Isaiah.
We have called it “The State Of The Union”

(Perhaps some of you watched the President of United States
Deliver his address this past week)

Here is God’s address to the people.
• As we said, in God’s speech (through Isaiah) there are 3 topics which God wants to talk about with the people.

REBELLION, RELIGION, REDEMPTION

We started the first last week
#1 REBELLION
Isaiah 1:1-9

The shocking announcement is that Judah was suffering a rebellion.
There were a group of anarchists who were revolting inside Judah.

The borders may have been secure outside,
But the threat was coming from the inside.

And we started looking deeper last time.
1) THE REBEL’S IDENTITY (2-3)

Very simply put, the rebel was one
From whom you would have expected loyalty.

“Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me.”

WE NOTED the sovereign grace of God to even choose Israel,
Let alone adopt him and adorn him.

But in a shocking turn of events,
This son who had known nothing but grace from the LORD
Was now seeking to break loose from His sovereign rule.

It was mutiny.
It was civil war.
It was a revolt.
AND THIS IS SHOCKING.

As God pointed out:
(3) “An ox knows its owner, And a donkey knows its master’s manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand.”

• Even a dumb ox knows who its master is.
• Even a stubborn donkey knows who to follow for safety.
• But these sons of God were dumber than the ox and more stubborn than the donkey.

And in their ignorant obstinance they have revolted against God.

IN SHORT, it’s NOT the Philistines or the Ammonites or even the Assyrians who are warring against God, IT IS HIS OWN SONS.

As we said last week, it is a tragic thing
When God’s people don’t know how to trust God.

But that is the REBEL’S IDENTITY.

2) THE REBEL’S INIQUITY (4)

“Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him.”

This verse tells quite the story of what God thinks
Of these sons who have revolted.

He has several descriptive titles for them,
Each paint a picture from God’s perspective about their sin.

1) First God calls them a “sinful nation”

Their problem is much bigger than just their king.
Sure their kings have tolerated the high places,
But these people have been the ones to use them.

And if you were to ask God to GIVE ONE WORD to describe this nation
It isn’t “holy” or “courageous” or “faithful”.

God’s one word to describe the nation is “sinful”.

We understand national or regional nicknames.
• For many years if you talked about the United States we’d be called “The Land
of the free, the home of the brave”
• Texas for example is called “The Friendly State”
• Las Vegas is called “Sin City”

That is how God is identifying Israel.
The entire nation is now known before God because of their sin.
As He looks upon them from heaven, that is all He sees.

Even as we’ve learned from the writer of the Kings,
God can’t get past those high places.

• Sin is their chief characteristic.
• They are all in this together.
• They are all citizens of what God sees to be a “sinful nation”.

2) And then God calls them “People weighed down with iniquity,”

Moving from “nation” to the designation “people” shows us that
God doesn’t just look upon them corporately but also individually.

They are called a sinful nation, not just because they have sinful kings
Or because they have done something sinful in the past.
God calls them a sinful nation because they are full of sinful people.

God says that these people are “weighed down with iniquity”

What does that mean?
Does it mean they are burdened under their sin and they try to get out, but can’t?

NOT HARDLY.
Isaiah 5:18 “Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood, And sin as if with cart ropes;”

When God says they are “weighed down with iniquity”
He is speaking of the reality that they won’t let their sin go
And just keep piling up more and more and more.

They are now pulling a trailer with side boards on it.
They won’t let go.

These people love sin and they refuse to leave any of it behind.
They just keep piling it up and hanging on to it.

They aren’t a people who are seeking God,
They are a people who are seeking sin.
That’s what they want.

But God goes even further than that.
3) He calls them “offspring of evildoers”

Here we learn that sin is not just what they do, IT’S WHO THEY ARE.
• Sin is bound up in their DNA.
• It is who their father was and they are a chip right off the old block.

It reminds us of John the Baptist speaking to the Pharisees:
Matthew 3:7 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

Jesus of course said the same:
Matthew 12:34 “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.”

“brood of vipers” is the same thing Isaiah is speaking of here
When he calls them “offspring of evildoers”

In other words, these aren’t good people
Who are just doing bad things occasionally,
These are bad people.

Down to their very core they are sinful.
That is why Jesus asked the Pharisees, “how can you, being evil, speak what is good?”
• You AREN’T a good person who has slipped up and done an evil thing.
• You ARE an evil person who is acting according to his evil heart.

And that is what God sees here with Israel.
• It is a nation known for sin
• Because it is filled with people who can’t get enough sin.
• They can’t get enough sin is because they are sinful to the core.

And God is still not yet finished.
4) Finally He calls them, “Sons who act corruptly!”

This speaks to the shocking treachery of their sin.

It would be one thing if they were Philistines of Ammonites or Assyrians or some other pagan neighbor of Israel.
• At least then we’d be talking about people who had never been given God’s Law.
• At least then we’d be talking about people who had never been granted God’s deliverance or God’s provision or God’s saving grace.
• At least then we’d say well, they’re sinful but in a sense they can’t help it because no one has ever told them otherwise.

But not Israel.
They have been clearly told.
• They were delivered from Egypt and adopted as God’s sons.
• They were fed in the wilderness.
• They were given God’s Law.
• They were given God’s land.
• They had God’s temple and subsequently His presence.

Other nations were sinful partly because of their lack of exposure to truth. Israel was sinful in spite of here exposure to truth.

She is the worst kind of sinner.
She is a blasphemer.
She is a treacherous traitor.

She has tasted the grace of God and is revolting anyway.

Isaiah 30:9 “For this is a rebellious people, false sons, Sons who refuse to listen To the instruction of the LORD;”

Do you see how deep her sin is before God?
• It is totally unwarranted,
• Yet it is relentlessly loved and pursued.
• It is pursued by all people,
• So much so that they have a national reputation for sin.

These are vile people in the eyes of God.

And you say, WHAT IS THEIR SIN?
What have they done that has so offended God?

Notice the 3-fold announcement:
• “They have abandoned the LORD,”
• “They have despised the Holy One of Israel”
• “They have turned away from Him”

Just a bible-reading insight tip for you.
Anytime the Bible repeats something in triplicate you know it is a big deal to God.

Here we have it: “abandoned” – “despised” – “turned away”

IT IS THE SIN OF APOSTASY.

When God looks at the nation, the sin that jumps at Him the most
Is NOT some gross moral failure or even deeds
Which we might most easily identify as sinful.

We all know why Vegas is called “Sin City”
gambling, drinking, prostitution, corruption, greed, etc.

But when God calls Israel a “sinful nation”
Those are not the types of sins He lists.

The sin He lists is apostasy.

“They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him.”

These are a people who no longer seek or trust God.

Now they are running to the High Places to seek some pagan deity.

Jeremiah 2:11-13 “Has a nation changed gods When they were not gods? But My people have changed their glory For that which does not profit. “Be appalled, O heavens, at this, And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the LORD. “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.”

They were abandoning the true God in order to serve false ones.

Isaiah 30:9-11 “For this is a rebellious people, false sons, Sons who refuse to listen To the instruction of the LORD; Who say to the seers, “You must not see visions”; And to the prophets, “You must not prophesy to us what is right, Speak to us pleasant words, Prophesy illusions. “Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”

They were not interested in God anymore.
• They didn’t want to hear His word.
• They didn’t want to seek His will.
• They were not interested in what He had to say.

NOW – LET’S BE VERY CLEAR

THIS DID NOT MEAN that they quit going to church
Or quit going through the motions of their prescribed religion.

You’re going to see tonight in this state of the union address
That God is actually going to rebuke them for continuing to do those things.

Isaiah 1:11-12 “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?”

Isaiah 1:14 “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.”

So the ISSUE IS NOT that they were just skipping church
Or failing to bring offerings, or something like that.

They were doing those things.
• They were bringing sacrifices…
• They were entering His courts…
• They were celebrating the feasts and festivals…

And yet still God said they had
“abandoned”, “despised”, and “turned away” from Him.

We are reminded again that the LORD does not look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

God is watching so much more than just our routine or our tradition.

THINK NOW FOR A MOMENT
To some of the strongest rebukes we read in the New Testament.

Galatians 1:6-7 “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”

Paul told they Galatians they were “deserting Him who called” them.

So what were they doing?
• Skipping church?
• Not giving?

No, in fact, they were likely doing more of those things
Because they were trying to earn God’s favor through their works.

PAUL SAID THEY HAD DESERTED GOD
Because they had chosen to believe a different gospel.

To be specific, they had stopped trusting Christ for salvation
And where now trusting themselves.

They were seeking circumcision and salvation through works of the Law.
They, in effect, had said
They no longer needed Christ to save them, they would save themselves.

That is why Paul says later:
Galatians 5:4 “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”

Do you see that it wasn’t a physical abandonment, it was an abandonment of faith?

They went through all the required motions, they just quit trusting Christ.
That is what the Israelites are doing here.

Listen to Paul confront the Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 11:1-4 “I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.”

Paul said that they were being “led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”

HOW?
• They were believing in “another Jesus”
• They were seeking “a different spirit”
• They were accepting “a different gospel”

Similar to the Galatians they were still going through the motions
But they were no longer seeking and depending totally on Christ.

They were now believing in a different Jesus
With a different gospel which mingled works into salvation
And followed mysticism instead of the Holy Spirit.

It was about their lack of devotion and faith in Christ alone.

Or listen to Jesus confront the church at Ephesus.
Revelation 2:1-5 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.”

It is a similar rebuke.
“you have left your first love”

AGAIN, they went through the motions, they followed all the traditions.
They even tested and rejected those who failed to do it correctly.

But their practiced religion had grown cold and heartless.

They were in church but they had “abandoned”,
They had “turned away from” the Lord.

It’s bad enough when pagans fail to trust Him,
But when His sons, who know better, turn away from Him,
It is nothing short of rebellion in God’s eyes.

1 Samuel 15:22-23 “Samuel said, “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.”

This is their Iniquity.

Rebel’s Identity, Rebel’s Iniquity
3) THE REBEL’S INFIRMITY (5-9)

The overarching point of this section is clear.

God starts with the question:
“Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion?”

And He lays out that He has already struck them
Mentally, Spiritually, and Physically.

(5b-6) “The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, welts and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened with oil.”

God speaks as though I’ve already whipped you in every possible way, and still you rebel. Where would you have Me whip you again?

That is certainly symbolic language.
In verses 7-8 He gets more SPECIFIC.

(7-8) “Your land is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire, Your fields—strangers are devouring them in your presence; It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers. The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.”

You see that there is great discipline coming from the LORD,
And yet there has not been any repentance.

Despite all the hardship which God has brought upon Israel,
They still refuse to trust Him.

They have insisted upon trusting in themselves
Or their pagan deities or the Egyptians or the Assyrians
And even though it is not working, they still won’t trust in the LORD.

He is the only Savior and they refuse to see it.

And now God calls their land a “desolation”

He says “The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.”

That is 3 analogies and they all mean the same thing.
You are alone, the only thing left standing in a field of nothing.

In fact, the only reason even that much remains is the grace of God.
(9) “Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah.”

That is to say that
• The only reason even the watchman’s hut remains is because God has been merciful to spare it.
• The only reason anyone has survived is the grace of God to preserve them and not let them fall.

AND YET, ISRAEL STILL REFUSES TO REPENT.
So it seems to speak to their stubbornness.

But when we read this passage, it presents a bit of A PROBLEM for us.

If this is Isaiah’s first sermon, and we have no reason to doubt that it is.
Then Isaiah is preaching this in the year that King Uzziah died.

• And we already saw that during that time Israel was secure.
• We already saw that during that time her border was strong.
• Even for the next decade under Jotham Israel remained secure and strong.

It wasn’t until the end of Jotham’s reign (16 years) that God began to raise up Rezin from Aram and Pekah to come and afflict Judah.

And even then, those guys didn’t do much damage.

It wasn’t actually until the reign of Hezekiah (32 years) that Assyria would invade and leave the land of Judah desolate and leave Jerusalem like “a besieged city.”

So it seems strange that Isaiah is now preaching about this desolation
When if you look around, the nation didn’t appear desolate.

It would seem that Isaiah is speaking prophetically of what is coming.

There is certainly coming the day when Assyria will invade and lay waste to most of Judah, reaching the very gates of Jerusalem.

BUT WE WONDER: Why speak of punishment that hasn’t happened yet and then blame Israel for not learning from it?

Why wouldn’t God just say, “if you don’t repent I will send a nation to you to devour you”?

THAT IS NOT GOD’S POINT.

HIS POINT IS THIS:
YOUR SECURITY IS AN ILLUSION.

God sees the future as clearly as He sees the present.
• And their refusal to trust in Him as their only Savior
• Has already brought about a desolation in their land.

They may see their strong borders.
They may have that great army.
They may have a strong economy.
But God sees the end of all those things and it is near total destruction.

None of those things are a savior, and none of those things are secure.

It is easy at times to look upon your security or good fortune,
Mingle that with your religion and assume that all is well.

But the God who sees from heaven sees a totally different picture.

How secure the PHARISEES must have felt
In their lengthened robes and broadened phylacteries.
But it was false assurance.

Israel wasn’t trusting God and when you aren’t trusting God
There is no security, I don’t care how big your wall is.

Only God is their salvation; those false securities are soon to be gone.

THE ONLY REASON ANY OF THEM WILL SURVIVE AT ALL
Is because graciously allows them to survive.

(9) “Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah.”

This verse actually gets quoted by Paul in the New Testament.

Romans 9:29 “And just as Isaiah foretold, “UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH.”

This New Testament reference gives us great clarity to the point.
• Paul is not talking about the Assyrian invasion.
• Paul is talking about how all of Israel failed to trust in Christ.

Romans 9 is the chapter where Paul informs us that “they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel.” (9:6)
Romans 9 is the chapter where Paul informs us that “it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.” (9:8)
Romans 9 is the chapter where Paul informs us that “Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law, Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works.” (9:31-32)

And then Paul quoted Isaiah 1:9.
This passage refers to people who did not give God faith,
But God preserved a few of them simply because
He is faithful to His covenantal promises.

The Jews had no faith. The only reason any Jews trusted Christ at all is because God left them a remnant.

And this is the point here in Isaiah 1 as well.
• These were faithless and sinful people.
• They thought all their works were enough.

• These people had universally abandoned Him.
• They were a sinful nation full of sinful people.
• Their security was an illusion.
• And they would be totally destroyed in their rebellion if it were not for God’s grace to spare them.

And this so easily translates into our lives.

We are the people of God
But God desires more from us
Than simply for us to go through the motions of religion.

GOD WANTS US TO TRUST HIM AND SEEK HIM.

Our call is PURE DEVOTION TO CHRIST.

Consider what Paul says even about marriage:
1 Corinthians 7:32-35 “But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”

The goal in all things, even marriage, is
“undistracted devotion to the Lord.”

God forbid we reach the end having prophesied and cast out demons and worked miracles only to hear Him say, “depart from Me for I never knew you.”

SO WE ASK OURSELVES SOME VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.
1. Am I devoted to Christ?
2. Am I clinging to Him?
3. Am I loving Him?
4. Do I have a relationship with Him?

We remember that story with Martha and Mary:
When Martha was busy and distracted but Mary sat at Jesus’ feet:
Luke 10:41-42 “But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

For all the busy religion and tradition in the world
Is mere rebellion to God if we are not trusting and seeking Him.

In fact, participating in all those things without devotion to God
Is nothing short of rebellion in His eyes.

The desire of God is that you seek Him and know Him.
The desire of God is a relationship with you.
Do you have a relationship with Him?

Download Here:

The State Of The Union – Part 1
Isaiah 1:1-31 (1-3)
February 5, 2023

So this morning we’re going to begin a new study together
And it is a study through the book of Isaiah.

I realize that it is a daunting study to begin simply because of it’s length
And so with us finishing up Psalms tonight we will study Isaiah
Both on Sunday morning and Sunday nights.

Isaiah is certainly the most well-known of the Old Testament prophets.
• His 53rd chapter is one of the most recognizable chapters in the whole Bible.
• Many a missionary has echoed Isaiah’s “Here am I. Send me!”
• And quite frankly Isaiah is even one of the favorites of the New Testament writers since his name is mentioned 22 times in the New Testament.

This morning we want to first introduce the book
And then begin our study.

Very important to your understanding of the book,
As with most of the Old Testament prophets,
Is the MEANING OF HIS NAME.

Isaiah means – “The LORD is Salvation”

And far from just a theological fact,
It is also the call of the entire book of Isaiah.

It is a reminder to God’s people
That though this world offers a multitude of would be saviors,
THERE IS ONLY ONE.

And that is the LORD.

Isaiah 43:3 “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.”

Isaiah 43:11 “I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me.”

Isaiah 45:15 “Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior!”

Isaiah 45:21 “Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.”

Isaiah 49:36 “I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And all flesh will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Isaiah 60:16 “You will also suck the milk of nations And suck the breast of kings; Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

It is the driving point of the entire ministry of Isaiah.

And to make sure you rightly apply his message you also need to know
That Isaiah is preaching TO A COVENANT PEOPLE.

That is NOT to say that he is preaching only to saved people,
For he most certainly is not.

It becomes quite apparent that
Though these people occupy the Holy Land
And though they call themselves the people of God,
THEY DO NOT KNOW GOD.

• As Paul would teach us in Romans, “they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel” and that becomes apparent in the book of Isaiah.

• God will actually refer to them in chapter 30 as “false sons”.

SO ON ONE HAND
We read Isaiah sort of like we would John 14:6 or Acts 4:12.

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

We often quote those verses TO THE LOST as a way of revelation to show them that there is no other way to be saved than to trust in Jesus Christ.

HE IS THE ONLY SAVIOR.

And certainly that is a major point of Isaiah throughout this book
As he calls unbelievers to trust in the LORD.

YET ON THE OTHER HAND
It’s not only an evangelistic book. It’s also a book of revival.

For the call that God is the only Savior
Is also a message for the wayward redeemed.

Even those who knew the LORD had grown very cold toward Him
And had begun to look in other places for their salvation.

During the ministry of Isaiah the nation will face 2 MAJOR CRISIS.

1) When Aram and Israel unite to try and wipe out Judah.
• That one they will refuse to trust God, instead turning to Assyria, and the results will be nearly totally fatal.

2) When Assyria invades Israel to destroy her.
• That one Hezekiah will determine to trust the LORD and Judah will be delivered.

SO THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE BOOK VERY MUCH DICTATE
THE CALL TO TRUST IN GOD AS YOUR ONLY SAVIOR.

Only God is the Savior.
Only in Him do we find salvation.
Both the lost and the redeemed alike need to know this.

Of course Isaiah also DOESN’T STOP THERE.

Not only does Isaiah remind continually that the LORD alone is the Savior, Isaiah will INTRODUCE THE ONE through Him God will save.

While Jesus is pictured and promised throughout the Old Testament,
Perhaps no prophet gets more specific or gives more information
About this coming Savior than Isaiah does.

• It is Isaiah who announces His virgin birth.
• It is Isaiah who announces this child called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”
• It is Isaiah who writes that He will come to set the captives free and give freedom to the oppressed and to open the eyes of the blind.
• It is Isaiah who speaks of His suffering and how they will beat Him and mock Him and even pluck out His beard.
• It is Isaiah who gives such great detail of His substitutionary atonement on the cross.
• It is Isaiah who speaks of His zeal to put on the armor of God and to come and crush His enemies.
• It is Isaiah who speaks of His kingdom when He comes to reign upon the earth.

ISAIAH IS HERE TO SHOW YOU THE SAVIOR.

Namely because WE ALWAYS NEED A SAVIOR
AND THERE IS ONLY ONE.

THIS IS THE DRIVING FORCE OF THE BOOK.

THIS MORNING we want to begin our journey through it.

First let’s just examine THE SETTING.
(1) “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”

Perhaps you notice a little DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY
Than the last prophet we studied.

• Malachi was said to bring an “oracle” or a “burden” from God to the people.
• We talked about how burdened God was and indeed the prophecy of Malachi bore that out.

But Isaiah isn’t credited with a burden, he is credited with “The vision”
WHAT IS THIS VISION?

You are familiar with the beginning of Isaiah’s ministry.

Isaiah 6:1 “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.”

Isaiah said: “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne”

Isaiah’s vision is NOT primarily about future events,
Though he will reveal a number of them.

ISAIAH’S VISION IS ABOUT THE LORD.

Isaiah is revealing who God is.
ISAIAH SAW THE GLORY OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL.

And to make sure we are traveling down the correct track
Let’s make sure you understand exactly WHO IT WAS that Isaiah saw.

John 12:36-41 “These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them. But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?” For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, “HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM.” These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.”

John quotes Isaiah twice in that passage.
• The first quotation is from Isaiah 53 and the second is from Isaiah 6.

But notice what John added at the end.
“These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory,
and he spoke of Him.”

Who is the “Him” John is talking about?
JESUS.

John says that when Isaiah walked into that temple and saw the Lord
It was Jesus whom he saw.

That’s who this book is about.
It is about the Savior.

Isaiah is shown a vision of Jesus
And his objective is to drive Israel to that Savior.

Now we also note that this vision was NOT primarily for everyone.

It was “concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”

Isaiah will give several prophetic details about the northern kingdom.
Just as Isaiah will give prophetic oracles about many nations like:
• Babylon (ch 13)
• Moab (ch 15)
• Syria (ch 17)
• Ethiopia (ch 18)
• Egypt (ch 19)
• Edom (ch 21)
• Arabia (ch 21)
• Tyre (ch 23)

But it’s not like those nations heard (at least not initially) these prophecies
Isaiah was not a foreign missionary like Jonah.

Isaiah spoke of all these nations and their fate,
But the message was for God’s people.

WHY?
1. To show that in their false gods they had no Savior.
2. And to show Israel that those nations would be no Savior to them.

How many times was Israel tempted to run to Egypt for deliverance?
How many times did they want help from some other nation?
But those nations were a false hope and could not save.

Isaiah not only pointed to the real Savior,
But he goes to great effort to expose false ones.

He is preaching to Judah and to Jerusalem
Seeking to get them to trust in the LORD and to trust in Him alone.

And we also see the TIME PERIOD
In which Isaiah ministered, and this is important to grasp.

“during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”

Isaiah received His commission from the LORD in the year Uzziah died
So he barely ministered during Uzziah’s reign,
But knowing about Uzziah is still important
To understanding the spiritual condition of the people.

LET’S DO A QUICK HISTORY LESSON
On those 4 kings so you’ll know what Israel was like in Isaiah’s day.

WE START WITH UZZIAH.

• From a political standpoint…
• From an economic standpoint…
• From a military standpoint…
• UZZIAH WAS AS GOOD AS THEY COME

You don’t have to turn there but you can read 2 Chronicles 26
And find how he restored the borders of Judah.

• One town in particular named “Eloth” had been stolen from Israel and Uzziah recaptured it.
• Uzziah (also called Azariah) subdued land from the Philistines into Judah.
• The Ammonites were so in awe of him that they sent tribute to Judah while he was on the throne.
• He fortified walls and towers.
• He built engines of war on the towers that would fling large amounts of arrows or stones.
• He stocked up on military supplies.
• And it was said in his day that he amassed a great and skilled army of 307,500 soldiers.

In the days of Uzziah the borders were secure the economy was stable and Judah was the envy of her neighbors.

He reigned on the throne for 52 years and from a purely worldly perspective it was a great time to live in Jerusalem.

However, from God’s perspective Uzziah was a dud.
When we studied through the books of the kings
We called him “The King Who Accomplished Nothing”

For all that Uzziah did and for all that is listed about him in the book of Chronicles THIS IS ALL the writer of Kings had to say about him.

2 Kings 15:1-7 “In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah became king. He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. The LORD struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death. And he lived in a separate house, while Jotham the king’s son was over the household, judging the people of the land. Now the rest of the acts of Azariah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son became king in his place.”

To say he did right like Amaziah is not much of an accommodation
Since Amaziah’s heart turned away from the LORD.

But the glaring failure of his reign is that despite all his economic and political success “the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.”

We also learn of his arrogant maneuver when he tried to offer sacrifices in the temple
And God struck him with leprosy.

His epitaph in the book of Kings reads like if someone at my funeral said,
“Rory preached in Spur for 20 years and did good in the sight of the Lord as those before him. He remodeled the sanctuary and the kitchen and the women’s bathroom. His sons painted the trim of the church. The church finances were stable during his leadership. Nevertheless sin was never confronted and no one repented and no one in the church trusted Christ.”

That would be a horrible legacy, but that was Uzziah.

If you’re in to worldly comfort and ease, he’s your guy,
But Israel took some major strides backward spiritually during his reign.

And in the year he died Isaiah is commissioned to preach.

And then we come to his son JOTHAM.

• Jotham would reign for 16 years in Jerusalem
• When we studied the kings we called him “The Ineffective King”.

Like his father, he had much political success,
But also like his father the nation continued to regress spiritually.

2 Chronicles 27:1-6 “Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; however he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people continued acting corruptly. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD, and he built extensively the wall of Ophel. Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built fortresses and towers on the wooded hills. He fought also with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed over them so that the Ammonites gave him during that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand kors of wheat and ten thousand of barley. The Ammonites also paid him this amount in the second and in the third year. So Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.”

Jotham did some really good things just like his father had done.

However:
2 Kings 15:34-37 “He did what was right in the sight of the LORD; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.”

You read it again don’t you?
The writer of kings treats his accomplishments like a big – “SO WHAT!”

• SO WHAT he built the upper gate…
• SO WHAT he subdued the Ammonites…
• SO WHAT he built cities and walls…

“the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.”

Like his father Jotham did everything but the main thing.
Not a bad guy but totally ineffective.

His 16 year reign was the first years of Isaiah’s ministry.
It was a prosperous time.

But Israel, due largely to her feeling of security, was drawing further and further away from God.

• They were enamored with the high places.
• They were enamored with these pagan deities.

And it was during the reign of Jotham
That God started to say, “ENOUGH!”

We read that “In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.”

God started attacking their precious security and prosperity.

This attack comes full force during the reign of Jotham’s son AHAZ.

While Uzziah and Jotham were good men, though ineffective,
Ahaz was a product of their tolerance and apathy.

Ahaz, due largely to the complacency of his father and grandfather,
Had no desire for God at all.

2 Kings 16:1-4 “In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, became king. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God, as his father David had done. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from before the sons of Israel. He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.”

His father and grandfather left the high places and Ahaz used them.
Judah’s apostasy was now going full force.
The nation was departing from God.

So God began to afflict Jerusalem and Judah.
He sent Israel and Aram to attack Judah and to try and overthrow Ahaz.

It was at that critical moment that Isaiah approached Ahaz and told him to trust God
• Ahaz would not.
• Instead he employed the king of Assyria to come and fight on his behalf.
• He did, and it worked.
• Ahaz was so grateful he even traveled to Assyria copied the pagan altar to the Assyrian god and had an exact replica built in the temple court in Jerusalem.
• Jerusalem was turning pagan.
• It appeared to be a shrewd move by Ahaz, for the king of Assyria would totally annihilate the northern kingdom and carry them off into exile.

The problem was that the king of Assyria wouldn’t stop.
The son of Ahaz would face the battle of his life.

THAT WAS HEZEKIAH.

Unlike his father before him Hezekiah was a king who trusted God.
He is definitely in the top 5 of the great kings of Israel.

2 Kings 18:1-6 “Now it came about in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses.”

In his day Assyria would attack and nearly completely annihilate Judah,
But Hezekiah trusted God and God delivered Jerusalem from his hand.

And Hezekiah represents THE GLORIOUS UPSWING
That occurs at the end of the book of Isaiah.

You can follow the mood of the book as you follow the kings who sit on the throne.
• It begins in apathy and false religion with threats of God’s judgment.
• It walks through times of hardship and suffering wrath.
• It ends with God’s promises of redemption for those who trust Him.

It follows the pattern of the men who sit on the throne.

But this cultural backdrop is important to your understanding
Of why Isaiah is saying what he is saying.

Isaiah is preaching to a comfortable people.
• Their land is prospering
• Their borders are secure
• So calling on God and seeking His salvation is far from their minds.
• Because of their ease they are running into paganism and idolatry.

But as Isaiah warns, times grow increasingly more difficult.
• Their ease and comfort is stripped away
• They fall nearly to the brink of annihilation
• The only thing that saves them is faith in the only Savior.

And while many in Judah are destroyed
God begins to separate the wheat from the tares
And it is the remnant who emerges secure because they trust God.

And Isaiah’s preaching walks through every ounce of that with them.

FOR US there are very relevant warnings and almost eerie similarities.

We are NOT going to compare Israel to the United States as we study,
Though certainly circumstances seem similar.

No, we compare Israel to the church.
• And we see how times of ease and safety can so quickly lead God’s people to grow lazy and complacent.

• And we see how God may very well begin to bring about hardship and danger to drive us from our idols back to our only Savior.

The message is a good one for God’s church
And one that we eagerly begin this morning.

SO YOU HAVE THE SETTING

Well, in the short time we have left,
Let’s introduce this INAUGURAL SERMON of Isaiah.

Here’s the new preacher and this is sermon number 1.

I like to call it “The State of the Union”

There are 3 main topics that God will discuss with the nation.

#1 REBELLION
Isaiah 1:1-9

(2) “Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks,”

God calls all of creation, almost like in a courtroom
To bear witness to the news that He is about to announce
About this nation of His people.

In an almost shocking revelation
God takes the podium in front of a global stage
And announces that Judah has been taken by rebel extremists.

• There is a group of anarchists that has arisen.
• There is a rebel faction who is walking in opposition.
• They have in effect seceded from the union and war is brewing.

It is somewhat of a shocking announcement from God
To a NATION THAT WAS CURRENTLY IN SUCH A PLEASANT SITUATION.

• All their external enemies were currently at bay.
• Uzziah had defeated the Philistines.
• Uzziah was receiving tribute from the Ammonites.
• The defenses were strong.
• The army was large.
• Judah was enjoying peace and prosperity.

But God is announcing that Judah is falling and falling from within.

Then God begins to lay out the details of this rebellion.

1) THE REBEL’S IDENTITY (2-3)

“Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, “Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me.”

This is not a foreign army invasion.
This is a civil war of sorts.

“Sons I have reared and brought up,”

It brings to our minds
All that we know about ISRAEL’S SOVEREIGN SELECTION by God.

Throughout their history Israel has always been referred to as
“God’s Chosen People”

We’re reminded of passages like:
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.”

Or:
Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.”

There Israel actually referred to as God’s son.

Or that famous passage in Ezekiel 16 where God so graphically outlines His grace to save Israel when she was but a disregarded baby.

TURN TO: EZEKIEL 16:1-14

Our minds travel back to Genesis 12
• Where, for no apparent reason,
• God approached a pagan idol worshiper named Abram
• And promised him descendants and land and great blessing.

THE POINT WE REMEMBER IS SIMPLE.
Israel didn’t approach God for the relationship, God approached Israel.
• He chose them.
• He saved them.
• He cared for them.
• He became a God and Father to them.

IT WAS NOTHING BUT PURE GRACE.

The beginnings of the nation of Israel
Was a 90 year old pagan idolator with a barren wife,
But God chose them.

• He made them His children.
• He delivered them from Egypt.
• He gave them the Promised Land.
• He subdued their enemies around them.

And now in a shocking move those sons have rebelled.

“Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me.”

It’s the shock of that younger son in the parable of the prodigal.
• Who terribly disgraced and humiliated his father by demanding his half of the
inheritance.
• He took all that was his and then abandoned the father to go live up the world.

It was unthinkable disrespect.
It was totally undeserved
Anyone watching objectively from the outside would be shocked.

That is the type of shocking rebellion mentioned here.

To further explain the shock we read:
(3) “An ox knows its owner And a donkey its master’s manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand.”

An “ox” is a beast of burden.
• It is a hard-working animal and incredible strong,
• But it’s not known for its great intellect.

If you see a big guy doing manual labor and you call him an “ox”
He might not be flattered by the comparison.

A “donkey” is also a beast of burden.
• It is also a hard-working animal but it comes with a definite reputation.
• A donkey is stubborn.

Many of you have actually seen the phenomenon of a donkey that determines to just sit down. And it doesn’t matter what you do to it, it won’t move.

And God turns to the “ox” and the “donkey”
To make an analogy about His people.

Even a dumb ox “knows its owner”
That is to say, even the ox knows who is in charge.

Even a stubborn donkey knows “its master’s manger”
That is to say, even the donkey knows who to trust and follow for care.

“But Israel does not know, My people do not understand.”

WHAT IS GOD SAYING?
My people are dumber than the ox and more stubborn than the donkey.

You’d think after all I have done for them that they’d understand
What a good thing they have going with Me and yet they don’t.

They don’t know Me and they don’t trust Me.

Now we’ll have to stop here for the time being,
BUT LET’S LEAVE WITH THIS THOUGHT.

What is it that Israel doesn’t know about God?
What is it that Israel doesn’t trust about God?
What is it that they “do not understand”?

NAMELY THAT GOD IS THEIR SALVATION

It is a tragic thing when even the people of God
Fail to realize that God is their only hope and salvation.

It is a tragic thing when God’s people begin to trust the world
And look to the world for their deliverance
Instead of to the God who has shown nothing but good to them.

We sing sometimes that song, “I Lay It All”

I love the second verse which says:
“When questions rise, when faith wears thin
When fears come fast, and truth grows dim
The One Who saved will not forsake
I’ll trust His word and trust His way
For He Who bore my blame
Can bear each care I name”
https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/i-lay-it-all/

THIS IS THE QUESTION OF ISAIAH.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?

If you can trust God for salvation can you not also trust Him for provision and deliverance and for your marriage and in raising kids, etc.

Israel had apparently decided that they could not
And they were running to the world for worldly solutions.

AND GOD SAW THIS AS REBELLION.

May we be reminded that God is the only Savior in your life
And that includes more than just salvation from hell.

LEARN TO TRUST HIM.

Download Here:

Praise The LORD!
Psalms 150
February 5, 2023

Well tonight we come to the conclusion of what has been
A 4 ½ year study through the book of Psalms.

It is in fact God’s hymn book.
And here we have found prayers and songs for every situation and walk of life.

It is God’s prescribed manual on what to say to Him in
• Times of joy and times of grief
• Times of celebration and times of anger
• Times of victory and times of defeat
• Times of triumph and times of failure
• Times of confidence and times of fear

We find the cries and complaints; songs and declarations of men
As they navigated this broken world holding only to their faith in God.

It is a book of tremendous value and tremendous depth.
I am certain that we could start again next week in Psalms 1
And go through the entire book again and seize anew on things that we missed
And would encounter God in new ways yet again.

We will never stop pouring over this precious book.

But tonight we conclude our official study of it.
And it concludes really the only way it can
And that is with “Praise the LORD!”

What else could you really say after such a study
But that God is worthy of praise?

And so tonight we take a look at this final chapter.
We’ll break it down into 3 points tonight.

#1 THE ELEMENTS OF PRAISE
Psalms 150:1-2

By elements we mean the specifics or logistics of praise.
This is the blueprint so to speak.

Here we find the:
• Where?
• Why?
• How?

And this evening we spend a moment in reflection
As we listen to the Psalmist briefly lay this out for us.

It opens again with that familiar “Praise the LORD!” or “Hallelujah!”

And we are reminded again of both the occupation and the object.
The OCCUPATION is praise and the OBJECT is the LORD.

And then the Psalmist begins to lay out for us
Some of the elemental details.

1) WHERE?

“Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse.”

Two locations are given.
• One is generic.
• One is specific.
• Both are obvious.

The Psalmist says to “Praise Him in His mighty expanse.”

This would entail the whole of creation.
There is not a pocket in all of God’s creation
Where praising God is inappropriate.

It doesn’t matter where you dwell on earth or on the sea.
It doesn’t matter if you catch a shuttle to the stars.
God deserves praise in every place you could ever be.

FOR ONE because no matter where you are, God is there.
We know of His unfathomable omnipresence.

Psalms 139:7-12 “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.”

God is all-present and so no matter where you go praise is fitting.

But it is also true because no matter where you go, you remain inside of what God has made.
• There is no aspect of creation which God did not make.
• There is no aspect of creation which God does not sustain.

All His creative works are a testimony
To His divine nature and unprecedented power.

And all of creation calls for His honor and glory.

Some places are obvious.
• I have stood, as many of you have, overlooking the Grand Canyon.
• I have stood at the base of the Giant Sequoias.
• I have stood on a cliff overlooking the great Victoria Falls.
• I have descended into caverns…
• I have climbed on mountain tops…
• I have flown through the clouds…
• I have swam in the ocean…

And each and every place declares the absolute glory of God.
Every one of those places calls for His praise.

As does the things we see every single day.
• The sun and it’s heat.
• The wind and it’s bitter cold.
• The lighting and the thunder.

They all demand praise for their Creator.

Psalms 148:7-12 “Praise the LORD from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and winged fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; Both young men and virgins; Old men and children.”

There is no place within “His mighty expanse”
Where His praise is not fitting.

And yet while His praise is obvious in every aspect of creation,
There is one place where it is MORE FITTING than any other

And that is “in His sanctuary.”

Every time we enter the sanctuary of God and dwell among God’s people
We witness before our eyes the most glorious miracle of all
And that is the miracle of redemption.

• We see people who have been totally transformed.
• We see people who were dead in sin who no walk in newness of life.
• We hear God’s word proclaimed which perfectly explains His glory and
greatness.

AND WHEN WE COME INTO HIS SANCTUARY
THERE IS NO HIGHER PURPOSE THAN TO PRAISE HIM.

So when we talk about WHERE to praise God
We can literally say “Everywhere, but especially in His sanctuary!”

• You may get distracted and forget to praise God on the highway between here and Lubbock.
• You may get distracted and forget to praise God in your pasture or in the parking lot of SAMS.
• And yet no one should ever enter these doors and forget to praise Him.
He deserves it everywhere; how much more does He deserve it in this place where the redeemed gather?

I think about it often times when new people visit our church.

Churches really focus these days on being a friendly church (not that there’s anything wrong with being friendly).

But that often times seems to be the main objective is to make sure that people know we are friendly or accepting or loving.

And while I certainly want people to feel welcome to come, it is not our friendliness I want them to be most aware of. I hope that when we start singing that first song that they are blown away at the praise we offer to our God.

That they look around and say, “I can tell that these people love me but what is really obvious is that these people really love God.”

Wouldn’t it be something to be a congregation known for their praise!

I know we have many Patrick Mahomes fans in Spur and that there are many who love to watch him play. One thing you always notice if you watch him is how loud it always is at Arrowhead Stadium.

It’s one of the hardest places for opponents to play in the NFL because the fans there are so passionate about the Chiefs. That stadium has a reputation.

Wouldn’t it be something if we had a reputation of praise!

Certainly that we praise God “in His mighty expanse”
But even more so “in His sanctuary.”

That’s the WHERE of praise.

Our Psalmist also speaks of:
2) WHY?

(2a) “Praise Him for His mighty deeds;”

And we really don’t have time to be exhaustive on this point.
Just think about “His mighty deeds” for a moment.

You say, “Which ones?”

CONSIDER HIS REALIZED DEEDS
Those deeds which we have all seen and realized our entire lives.

THINGS LIKE CREATION.
• That God spoke this world into existence.
• That every morning “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good”.
• That He sends His “rain upon the just and the unjust”.

Consider the drastic differences in landscape all over this planet
And what a remarkable imagination God must have.

“Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all Thy worlds Thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
When through the woods and forest glades I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur, And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.”

“From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea; Creations revealing Your majesty. From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring; Every creature unique in the song that it sings. Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go? Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow? Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light? Yet, conceals it to bring us the coolness of night.
Indescribable, uncontainable; You placed the stars in the sky And You know them by name. You are amazing, God. All powerful, untameable; Awestruck, we fall to our knees As we humbly proclaim You are amazing, God”

We could talk for days about these realized deeds of creation.
• The beauty of the earth.
• The mystery of the sea.
• The creativity of the animal kingdom.
• The wisdom of the human body and all its systems.

We could talk about His works of PROVIDENCE and care over all these things.
• The faithfulness by which creation operates
• And His sustaining power behind it all.

We could sing and rejoice and praise Him continually
Simply for these realized deeds.

But what about HIS RECORDED DEEDS?
The things we read about in the Old Testament.

• How He flooded the earth but preserved Noah.
• How He confused the language of the builders at Babel.
• How He opened Sarah’s womb or Rebekah’s womb or Rachel’s womb.
• How He crippled Egypt with mighty plagues.
• How He parted the Red Sea.
• How He provided manna from heaven or water from a rock.
• How He spoke through Balaam’s donkey.
• How He subdued the nations of the Promised Land.
• How He made the sun stand still for Joshua
• How He scattered the enemies of Gideon.
• How He toppled Goliath.
• How He closed the lions mouths for Daniel
• How He rescued the boys from the furnace

And those aren’t even the tip of the ice burg.

We could spend hours or any one of those recorded deeds of God
And learn of His great power.

And that isn’t even yet to discover His revealed power in the New Testament.
• Turning water to wine
• Restoring crippled hands and blind eyes and deaf ears and mute tongues
• Raising the dead and healing paralytics
• Casting out demons and feeding the multitudes
• Cleansing lepers, forgiving sinners, giving hope to the hopeless

Which recorded deed would you like to focus on first?
He is deserving of praise for every one of them.

Both for His willingness to perform such miracles
And for His ability to bring them to fruition.

• Why did He even care for that rabble of Israelites, let alone deliver them?
• Why did He even care for that caravan, let alone protect them?
• Why did He even care for those broken sinners, let alone heal them?
• Why did He even care for those hypocritical crowds, let alone feed them?

And this book is filled with His recorded deeds.
All His works and all His miracles there for us to read and ponder
And to praise Him accordingly.

Which recorded deed blows your mind the most?
• Was it the parting of the Red Sea?
• Was it the parting of the Jordan?
• Was it when that paralytic got up and walked?
• Was it when Lazarus came out of that tomb?

Pick one of His recorded deeds and then praise Him accordingly!

“Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho. Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down.”

“Zaccheus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he” but as the Savior passed by Jesus called him to salvation.

We sing about “Father Abraham” and his many sons.

They are songs of praise to speak of the great recorded deeds of God.

And then move on to HIS REDEEMING DEEDS.

What about the INCARNATION?
• That God became man and dwelled among us.

What about His being born of a woman and born UNDER THE LAW?
• That He lived a sinless life and perfectly fulfilled God’s righteous standard.

What about His TEMPTATION in the wilderness when He withstood every temptation of the enemy?

We look at THE CROSS where He bore the full wrath of God for all the sin of all the elect for all time.

We look at THE TOMB where He conquered death and rose again.

We look at THE CLOUDS where He ascended to take His seat at the right hand of God to intercede for us.

Which one of those deeds will cause you to praise Him?
All of those deeds of mercy and redemption.

“I heard and old old story, how a Savior came from glory. How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me. I heard about His groaning and His precious bloods atoning, then I repented of my sins and won the victory.”

“You slept beneath the stars You named and numbered; Were tempted in a desert You designed. You faithfully obeyed the law You authored; The King left His throne behind. You washed the feet of those who called You Master And fed the multitudes with truth and bread. You shared the feast with harlots and with sinners And loved those who sought Your death. Without a word You faced the accusations And joyfully You bore the bitter cross The Innocent received our condemnation And paid for the rebel’s cost. Beneath the earth You fashioned You were buried, The Word of Life was silenced by the grave. But doors of death could not contain Your glory Our God rolled the stone away”

What about Him sending His Holy Spirit to dwell in believers?
• Will you praise Him for that one?

His redeeming deeds are certainly mighty and worthy of praise.

Or do you prefer to look at YOUR RECEIVED DEEDS?
You know, those things that God has done for you personally.

• Like when He provided food for your family.
• Or that time when He saved you from that peril.
• Or when He healed you of your sickness.
• Or when He saved you from that temptation.

• Has He influenced your marriage?
• Has He intervened in the life of your kids?
• Has He directly affected your occupation or work?

Has He done anything for you specifically for which
You would agree that it is imperative that you praise Him?

What about saving you from your sin?
What about giving you a future and a hope?

“And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s blood? Died He for me who caused Him pain? For me who Him to death pursued? Amazing love how can it be that Thou my God should die for me?”

“Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see. Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come, Tis’ grace hath brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.”

It’s not just what God has done in general,
But we praise Him for what He has done for us personally.

We praise Him for our received deeds.

And we also think about HIS REVEALED DEEDS
Like those which He has promised yet to accomplish.

• Like His promise that you don’t have to worry about what you will eat or what you will drink.
• Like His promise that He will never leave you nor forsake you.
• Like His promise that He will return to judge the living and the dead.
• Like His promise that the dead in Christ will rise to meet Him in the air.
• Like His promise that we will always be with the Lord.

Can you praise Him for such a revealed work even though it has yet to happen?

Tommy would sing it every time he leads the singing:
“The sky shall unfold Preparing His entrance The stars shall applaud Him With thunders of praise. The sweet light in His eyes shall Shall enhance those awaiting And we shall behold Him Then face to face”

Or the hymn of old:
“Mine eyes have seen the glory Of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage Where the grapes of wrath are stored. He has loosed the fateful lightening Of His terrible swift sword. His truth is marching on. He has sounded form the trumpet That shall never call retreat. He is sifting out the hearts of men Before His judgment-seat. Oh, be swift, my soul To answer him be jubilant, my feet. Our God is marching on. Glory, Glory hallelujah! Glory, Glory hallelujah! Glory, Glory hallelujah! Our God is marching on”

There’s a mighty deed that deserves His praise.

When the Psalmist says “Praise Him in His mighty deeds”
There is no limit to the time we could spend satisfying that command.

• Should we spend time on His MIRACULOUS DEEDS?
• Should we focus more on His PROVIDENTIAL DEEDS?
• Should we sing rather of His MERCIFUL, GRACIOUS, SAVING AND REDEEMING DEEDS?
• Should we sing more of His JUST AND HOLY DEEDS OF JUDGMENT?

YOU GET THE IDEA.

Where should we praise Him?
• Everywhere but especially in His sanctuary.

Why should we praise Him?
• Well that list is endless.

3) HOW?

(2b) “Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.”

• Preacher, when I sing, how loud should I sing?
• Preacher, how long should we sing?
• Preacher, how many songs should we sing?
• Preacher, how often should we sing?

And to questions like those the Psalmist would
Answer your question with a question.

He would say, well that all depends.
Depends on what?

Well it depends on how great God is.

• If He isn’t great then He certainly doesn’t deserve loud songs.
• If He isn’t great then He certainly doesn’t deserve long songs or multiple songs.

He only deserves praise according to His greatness.

SO HOW GREAT IS HE?

Well I can’t define that.
The Psalmist simply calls it “excellent greatness”

In the Hebrew it is: ROBE GODEL

ROBE = abundance or multitude or even greatness
GODEL = magnificence or stoutness can even be translated arrogance (though accurate when applied to God)

It’s His:
• Abundant Magnificence
• Great Stoutness
• Excellent Greatness

It is a way of saying that He is more than we can describe.
He isn’t just great He is exceedingly great.
He isn’t just magnificent He is abundantly magnificent.

It is what Moses sang after God delivered them through the Red Sea
Exodus 15:11 “Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?”

Or like Isaiah recorded?
Isaiah 40:25-26 “To whom then will you liken Me That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.”

HE IS A GREAT GOD.

Well if He is that great then what type of praise does He deserve?
• He deserves more than a half-hearted song.
• He deserves more than a sigh and a moan.
• He deserves more than a broken lamb or a bruised sacrifice.

As He spoke through Malachi that “I am a great King!”

Malachi 1:11 “For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of hosts.”

Or as we read in the Psalms:
Psalms 29:2 “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy array.”

He deserves the finest of praise!

I am always mesmerized by some of the mighty praise services
That occurred in Israel during the Old Testament.

Do you remember when Solomon brought the Ark of the Covenant into the temple?
1 Kings 8:5 “And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen they could not be counted or numbered.”

That is a phenomenal reality.

God deserves great praise is the point.
• Sing loud!
• Sing long!
• Sing over and over!

Do it everywhere, but especially here!

And do it because of all His mighty deeds.

Those are the Elements of praise.
#2 THE INSTRUMENTS OF PRAISE
Psalms 150:3-5

Here we come to that famous list of instruments
Whereby the Psalmist told us to praise God.

• We see “trumpet”
• We see “harp”
• We see “lyre” (guitar)
• We see “timbrel” (tambourine)
• We see “stringed instruments”
• We see “pipe” (flute)
• We see “loud cymbals”
• We see “resounding cymbals”

That list causes me to love it when someone says, “I don’t like drums in the church” or “I don’t want a piano in the church” or “I don’t like singing to a guitar”

And the THEOLOGICAL answer to such objections is: SO WHAT!

It causes one to marvel at those who see instruments in the church
As something sinful or wrong.

They say it’s because instruments are not mentioned in the New Testament and therefore we shouldn’t use them.

They fail to comment on the lack of indoor plumbing
Or air conditioning in the New Testament either.

I could point out to you:
Ephesians 5:18-20 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;”

When Paul says to sing with “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”

That word he uses there that is translated “psalms”

In the Greek that is the word PSALMOS and it is defined as
“a striking or a twanging as when one strikes the chords of a musical instrument.”

But beyond that.
• Instruments are called for in the Old Testament
• Instruments are clearly used in heaven,

The only logical deduction we would make as to their absence now
Would be if God commanded us to stop.

Rather, it is implied, not forbidden.
And it is important because God commands them.

He created music.
He created man’s ability to play music.
And all music is to His glory.

One thing you also notice in this list of instruments is that while there is a wide variety of instruments mentioned, nothing is said of genre or style.

That is to say we don’t know
If God prefers classical music or country music or polka.

Most people typically assume God desires the type of music they like.
But we really aren’t told here.

The focus of the passage is not on the style of the music
But rather on the object of the music.

• “PRAISE HIM with trumpet sound”
• “PRAISE HIM with harp and lyre.”
• “PRAISE HIM with timbrel and dancing;”
• “PRAISE HIM with stringed instruments and pipe;”
• “PRAISE HIM with loud cymbals;”
• “PRAISE HIM with resounding cymbals.”

I’m not particularly concerned about the style of music you select,
But I am concerned about the object of it.

The objective here is
• To sing songs that direct you to His glory.
• To sing songs that direct you to His praise.

This is why we love “Theologically Informed Music”
Songs that sing of the marvelous works of God.

I loved what Ken Ham said in his sermon at
The Truth Matters conference about church music.
Regarding music: “We should sing the best of the old and the best of the new. What typically happens is we sing none of the old and the worst of the new.”

There are songs that direct our hearts to the glory of God in every age
And they ought to be sung.

But if they fail to direct your heart to the glory of God
They should be omitted,
I don’t care how familiar or catchy or traditional they are.

The object is God.
And every instrument we can play is meant to bring glory to Him.

The Elements of Praise, The Instruments of Praise
#3 THE AUDIENCE OF PRAISE
Psalms 150:6

And this is the famous verse and the perfect end to the book of Psalms.

Here the Psalmist speaks of “everything that has breath”

What is being spoken of here is everything that speaks words.

You are familiar with that passage in 2 Timothy where we read that the Scripture is “God-breathed”

• What happens when you speak is that your diaphragm pushes air from your lunges.
• That air picks up sounds from the vibrations of your voice box and then those sounds are shaped by your tongue and mouth and lips and you make sounds.
• But what we are hearing is actually your breath.

And here the Psalmist is saying that
Everything that speaks should speak the praises of God.

And we think of all the things that our mouths are often used for.

Sinful things like:
• Cursing and bitterness.
• Gossip and slander.

Or even beneficial things like:
• Preaching or teaching
• Instruction or warnings

And while we should certainly avoid the first list
And while everyone might not be called to the things on the second list
(at least not all the time)

Every mouth and every tongue is called to praise the Lord.

It is the most basic reason for why
God gave you the ability to communicate.
It is that you might be able to sing praise to Him.

It is a duty that you will never cease to fulfill.
For all eternity you will be called upon to sing the praises of God.

Revelation 5:13 “And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”

All eternity will be about the praises of God.
And in that day we will do it better!

“When this pour lisping stammering tongue lies silent in the grave, then with sweeter nobler song, I’ll sing Thy power to save.”

AND IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY
Then you are failing to use your mouth for its most noble purpose.

“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD”

And then after all has been said.
• After 150 Psalms.
• After 2461 verses.
• After discussing all manner of subjects and situations.

The book of Psalms concludes with a simple command.
“Praise the LORD!”

If you get that, then you get the point.
If you fail to do that, then you’ve missed the point.

So Tonight we end with a song of praise.

Download Here:

Praise the LORD! We Win!
Psalms 149
January 29, 2023

Tonight we come to the 149th Psalm.
It is the 4th of the 5 “Hallelujah Psalms”

And tonight we study the one which might be the most obvious reason
We know to shout Hallelujah!
TONIGHT WE SING SONGS OF VICTORY!

And I think perhaps the best thing to do tonight
Is to simply jump right into the Psalm.

It breaks down into 2 main points rather easily.
#1 REJOICE IN EXPERIENCED VICTORY
Psalms 149:1-4

When you read the Psalm as a whole it is obviously
A Psalm that focuses on victory, even military victory.

In verse 6 they even pull out their “two-edged sword”.

And the Psalm begins with the congregation
Being called upon to praise God
For the victory they have recently enjoyed.

They are called to “Praise the LORD!”
FOR if you’ve studied any of the victories of Israel

You know that everyone only occurred because of the hand of God.

• Very often outmatched…
• Very often outnumbered…
• Very often overwhelmed…
• And then God would grant the improbable victory.

Certainly God is praised for every victory.

Psalms 33:13-22 “The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; From His dwelling place He looks out On all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works. The king is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness, To deliver their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us, According as we have hoped in You.”

God has always been the only hope of Israel.

Well here they have won a new battle
So they are encouraged to “Sing to the LORD a new song”
• New victories call for new celebrations.
• New deliverances call for new praise.

And the entire congregation is to join in:
They are to sing “His praise in the congregation of the godly ones.”

All of Israel is called to stop what they are doing
And take a moment to praise their God.

(2-3) “Let Israel be glad in his Maker; Let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King. Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre.”

• You’ve got gladness and rejoicing.
• You’ve got praise and dancing.
• You’ve got tambourines and guitars.

It is a congregational celebration after the great victory.

We think of that ICONIC PICTURE of the streets of New York after WWII was over and people celebrating in the streets and that one soldier kissing that nurse in Time Square.

Everyone around is celebrating and dancing and even kissing.

THAT IS THE PICTURE HERE.

We think of such times in the past:
TURN TO: EXODUS 15:1-21

It is the celebration of Israel.
• They are singing the song of Moses.
• Miriam has all the women dancing.
• It is a glorious time of deliverance.

Or this mighty victory:
1 Samuel 18:6-7 “It happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments. The women sang as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.”

That is the type of celebration the Psalmist calls for.
• Get up Israel!
• Sing to the LORD!
• He has granted you a great victory.

Certainly this reveals a relief from oppressors.
• The Egyptians will never bother you again…
• The great Philistine is dead…

THAT ALONE IS REASON TO CELEBRATE.

But even more than that:

It’s not just what the victory accomplished,
But also what the victory meant.

The God of the universe came down to help YOU in battle.
What honor that God has poured upon YOU
To take such an interest in YOUR battle.

(4) “For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.”

God just did something for Israel that He didn’t do for everyone.
• He singled them out for favor.
• He singled them out for deliverance.
• He singled them out for salvation.

We read that story of Jacob and his sons and how he loved Joseph more because he was the son of his old age and how he clothed Joseph in that “coat of many colors”.

His favor towards Joseph was obvious,
Even to the point that it incited the other brothers to jealousy.

Well God treated all of Israel as His Joseph.
“He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.”

He singled them out.
He showed them His favor.

AND THIS IS PURE GRACE:
• Who was Abram that God should choose to bless him?
• Who was Moses that God should choose to elevate him?
• Who was David that God should choose to anoint him?
• Who was Israel that God should choose to exalt them?

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.”

Or you could read again that 16th chapter of Ezekiel
• Where Israel is seen as that “throw away baby”
• Who was left out in the field abandoned to die,
• But God saw them and rescued them and adorned them with beauty.

That is the calling of the opening of this Psalm.

“Praise the LORD!”
• He favored us!
• He delivered us!
• He granted us victory over our enemies!

• Sing to Him
• Dance for Him
• Play the timbrel and lyre for Him
• Celebrate the victory which He has granted

“For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;”

They may have actually wondered for a while if God still cared for them.
They may have grown wearied after years of making bricks in Egypt.

But God intervened!
He led them out with a mighty hand!
He drowned the Egyptians in the sea!

He does love us!
He does favor us!
We are His people!

SING TO HIM!

That is the spirit of the opening of this Psalm.

Rejoice in Experienced Victory!
#2 REJOICE IN EXPECTED VICTORY
Psalms 149:5-9

The tone of the Psalm changes now
With the introduction of the word “Let”

Which implies something that should be done from this time forward.
“Let the godly ones exult in glory;”

The idea here is that they exult in future glory.

“godly ones” here is a great term.
• We are NOT just talking about people who live “good lives”.
• We are talking about people who have chosen God over the things of this
world.

We learned in 1 John that you’re either of God OR of the devil.
You are either godly people OR you are worldly people.

The reference here is to people who have forsaken this world
That they might hang on to the promise of God.

And the Psalmist says that those people should “exult in glory”

It is the truth reiterated regarding Abraham:
Hebrews 11:13-16 “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”

These people can smile at the future.

The Psalmist also calls them to “sing for joy on their beds.”
• It is the night before the battle.
• It is the night before the upcoming turmoil.

But they now have no fear.
• They know that their God is for them.
• They know they are favored.
• They know the victory will be secured by Him.

So the night before the battle as they lay on their beds
There is no fear, only excitement.
They know they will win for God is for them.

And as they awaken in the morning:
(6) “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand,”
• They wake up tomorrow ready for battle and filled with praise.
• They know God will grant the victory.
• They are His favored children.

And they will go forth:
(7-9a) “To execute vengeance on the nations And punishment on the peoples, To bind their kings with chains And their nobles with fetters of iron, To execute on them the judgment written;”

IT IS A PICTURE OF THE CONQUEST.

God delivered them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and let it be know that they are His people.

Now they arise to take Canaan and no one can stand before them for God is on their side.

• They go to “execute vengeance on the nations”
• They go to execute “punishment on the people”
• They go “to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron”
• They go “to execute on them the judgment written”

We saw this truth this Wednesday night
As we studied Genesis with the youth.

As God was promising to give the land of Canaan to Abraham He said:
Genesis 15:13-16 “God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

God said that Abram’s descendants would return.
We know they would return and kill the Canaanites.

And here God says why it did not happen in the days of Abram,
But would be over 400 years later;
“for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

I had an Old Testament professor during my brief time at seminary who asked “Was God ethical to order the annihilation of all the people of Canaan?”

You know it’s this view that
• We had all these poor innocent people in Canaan
• And God just sort of blind-sided them with death
• And kicked them out of the land.

But what we find in Scripture is that those people
Should have been judged long before they actually were.

God allowed those people to survive long past what they deserved.
And once their iniquity was complete He judged them.

ONLY
• He DIDN’T judge them with a flood like in Noah’s day.
• And He DIDN’T judge them with fire from heaven like with Sodom.

No, God judged them with the armies of Israel.
• They were God’s flood.
• They were God’s fire.
• They were God’s sword.

We think of the truth Paul revealed to the Romans:
Romans 9:18-24 “So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”

God patiently endured Pharaoh until it was time to show His power
And then He was perfectly just in destroying him.

God had also patiently endured the idolatrous Canaanites
Who managed to serve the purpose
To preserve and prepare the land of Canaan for His people.

And then God used Israel as His method of judgment upon them.

And you can go read the book of Joshua and see how God toppled
• Jericho and Ai
• And the Hittite
• And the Amorite
• And the Canaanite
• And the Perizzite
• And the Hivite
• And the Jebusite.

Those were sinners who had refused to repent
And who had ignored the testimony of creation
And had bowed down to worship foreign Gods.

And God unleashed judgment upon them with the armies of Israel.

And here you have Israel on the eve before those battles
Celebrating the certain victory.

And the Psalmist says:
“This is an honor for all His godly ones. Praise the LORD!”

This was an honor which God bestowed upon Israel.

They were His people and He honored them with victory in battle.

And so you see the driving force behind this Psalm of praise.

• Israel is called to Praise the Lord for the victories they have experienced and
for those they are about to.

• They are honored people who have received both the favor of God’s victory
and the honor of being God’s forces of judgment.

That’s what this Psalm calls them to praise God for.

The question that arises now is:
HOW DOES THE CHURCH SING THIS SONG?
We don’t slay the wicked.

Some see this as an “end times” type of song
About some future day in which we join Christ in slaying His enemies.

BUT THIS IS NOT AN ESCATALOGICAL PSALM
This is NOT looking forward to the coming judgment of the wicked.

When Christ returns to judge the living and the dead
It is NOT the church who takes up the sword and slaughters the wicked.

That judgment will be poured out at the hands of the holy angels.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

So we DON’T read this Psalm and then begin to look for the day
When we take up the sword to strike down wicked men.

BUT THE CHURCH DOES STILL SING THIS SONG!

DO WE NOT STILL REJOICE IN EXPERIENCED SALVATION?

Are we not aware of what we are?
• No better than Abram the pagan…
• No less significant than the youngest brother David…
• No less useable than the 80 year old shepherd Moses…

Titus 3:3 “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.”

Yet, what God did for Israel, He also did for us.
He saved us!
He set us free!

He granted us victory!
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Psalmist called for Israel to praise God saying:
“He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation”
• We spoke of Israel being clothed in Joseph’s coat of many colors.
• And yet we have been wrapped in the righteous robe of Jesus.

He has covered us with more beauty than imaginable.

TURN TO:
EPHESIANS 1:1-14

KEEP READING:
EPHESIANS 2:1-22

Just take that in!

• That is our Exodus!
• That our passing through the Red Sea!
• God delivered us from our sin and clothed us with salvation.

We are justified in the works of Jesus.
• Certainly we can sing that new song!
• Certainly we can join Moses in singing and Miriam in dancing!
• Certainly we can outdo the celebration in Times Square!

We have been granted the victory and so much more.

And yet that’s not all.
WE ALSO REJOICE IN EXPECTED VICTORY

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.”

Paul speaks of “triumph in Christ”

The Roman triumph was a unique picture.

William Barclay wrote:
“In [Paul’s] mind is the picture of Roman Triumph and of Christ as a universal conqueror. The highest honor which could be given to a victorious Roman general was a Triumph. To attain it he must satisfy certain conditions. He must have been the actual commander-in-chief in the field. The campaign must have been completely finished, the region pacified and the victorious troops brought home. Five thousand of the enemy at least must have fallen in one engagement. A positive extension of territory must have been gained, and not merely a disaster retrieved or an attack repelled. And the victory must have been won over a foreign foe and not in a civil war.
In a Triumph the procession of the victorious general marched through the streets of Rome to the Capitol in the following order. First came the state officials and the senate. Then came the trumpeters. Then were carried the spoils taken from the conquered land. For instance, when Titus conquered Jerusalem, the seven-branched candlestick, the golden table of the shew-bread and the golden trumpets were carried through the streets of Rome. Then came pictures of the conquered land and models of conquered citadels and ships. There followed the white bull for the sacrifice which would be made. Then there walked the captive princes, leaders and generals in chains, shortly to be flung into prison and in all probability almost immediately to be executed. Then came the lictors bearing their rods, followed by the musicians with their lyres; then the priests swinging their censers with the sweet-smelling incense burning in them. After that came the general himself. He stood in a chariot drawn by four horses. He was clad in a purple tunic embroidered with golden palm leaves, and over it a purple toga marked out with golden stars. In his hand he held an ivory scepter with the Roan eagle at its top and over his head a slave held the crown of Jupiter. After him rode his family; and finally came the army wearing all their decorations and shouting lo triumphe! Their cry of triumph. As the procession moved through the streets, all decorated and garlanded, amid the cheering crowds, it made a tremendous day which might happen only once in a lifetime.
That is the picture that is in Paul’s mind, He sees Christ marching in triumph throughout the world, and himself in that conquering train. It is a triumph which, Paul is certain, nothing can stop.”
(cited in MacArthur’s commentary of 2 Corinthians, pg. 68-69)

Paul knew that everywhere he went
The gates of hell could not prevail against him.

He would write later in the same letter:
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.”

And that is our picture here as well.
• We are not carrying a literal “two-edged sword”.
• We carry the spiritual one which is SHARPER THAN any two-edged sword.

And we take that word to the nations
• And we battled against “speculations and every lofty thing raised up
against the knowledge of God”
• And “we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”
• And “we are ready to punish all disobedience”

IT IS A SPIRITUAL CONQUEST.
We are talking the word of God and applying it to men’s hearts
And seeing the strongholds of the enemy broken.

Captives are set free.
Sinners are forgiven.
Satan is defeated.

And it all comes with this ultimate promise:
Romans 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

We think of the parables of Jesus regarding the kingdom.

Matthew 13:31-33 “He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES.” He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”

• The kingdom may have looked insignificant, especially in Jesus’ day, but it would soon cover the whole world and it will.

How will such an insignificant beginning turn into such a glorious end?
“like leaven”

The kingdom spreads from person to person and from heart to heart.
One shares the gospel with another
And that person shares the gospel with someone else.

And it can’t be stopped.
WE WIN!

And just as the Psalmist says, “This is an honor for all His godly ones.”

• Preaching the gospel is NOT JUST an obligation…
• Preaching the gospel is NOT JUST a duty…
• Preaching the gospel IS AN HONOR.

God has entrusted to us these magnificent powerful words
Which set sinners free from the bonds of the devil.

2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

2 Corinthians 5:20-21
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

It is really a remarkable thing when you think about it.

So we praise the LORD too for victories He has given
And victories He will yet give.

We are also on conquest and we will prevail.
We are more than conquerors.
And Christ always leads us in triumph.

Praise the LORD!