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Where Is This Salvation You Speak Of? – part 6
Isaiah 59:1 – 60:22 (60:10-22)
October 20, 2024

We’ve been in this segment now for quite some time
And you are familiar with the premise.

God has been offering salvation.
• It is a salvation that will come through the repentance and return of Israel to Jesus Christ.

But Israel has repeatedly balked at the notion of repentance.
• They have instead doubled down on their empty religious ceremony.

So the reality is obvious.
Israel won’t repent and so God hasn’t saved.

But it has sparked a frustration in Israel
Who wants to know where this promised salvation is?

We heard them in chapter 58:3 ask, “Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?”

They want to know: “Where is this salvation You speak of?”

Well God has been answering that question.
1. It is not due to a lack of ability on His part.

Isaiah 59:1 “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.”

2. Nor is it because of a lack of faithfulness.

Isaiah 59:21 “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.”

The issue is that Israel has yet to repent.
Her sins have caused a separation between her and God
The delay in salvation is her fault, not God’s.

All she will have is more of the empty groaning and darkness
That Isaiah lamented in chapter 59.

But as we learned the last couple of weeks,
GOD IS GOING TO SAVE THEM.

• He is a God who is faithful to His covenant.
• He is a God who is compassionate to their suffering.
• He is a God who is aware of their inability and depravity.

And so what Israel can not and will not do for themselves,
God has promised to do for them.

We read in Zechariah 12
• How God will pour out His Spirit upon Israel
• And they will all look on Him whom they have pierced,
• And they will mourn for Him.
• And God will open the fountain of salvation.

Let me give you another reference to that same event.

In Zechariah 3 we get that famous story of Satan accusing Joshua the High Priest.
• Satan is accusing Joshua of being wicked and sinful
• And sure enough we find out that Joshua is wearing filthy garments.
• But it is at that moment that the LORD intervenes to save this wicked man
from judgment.

Zechariah 3:4-5 “He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by.”

And that is a nice story to be sure.
Certainly it reminds us of the type of High Priest we have who daily intercedes on our behalf before the Father even amidst the accusations of Satan against us.

But that story is about more than just Joshua.
That story is a precursor to God’s coming salvation for the nation.

Joshua represents the people of Israel.

Zechariah 3:8-10 ‘Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. ‘For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. ‘In that day,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’”

• You see there that Joshua is “a symbol”.
• God says that He is going to bring in “My servant the Branch” (that’s Christ)
• And God says, “I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day”

That is another reference to the day of Israel’s coming salvation.
It will be a revival like you’ve never seen.
When God pours forth His Spirit they’re all coming.

• Certainly they will walk through the attacks of the enemy.
• Certainly they will suffer persecution, in fact Zechariah later alludes that 2/3
of them will be cut off during that time.
• But Christ is coming for them and when He does He will destroy their
enemies, He will reign among them, and He will restore them to glory.

That is the promise, and that is what we are looking at here.
Israel wanted to know, “Where is this salvation You speak of?”

God is responding by showing them it is coming.

Currently we are in the segment
That describes for us the glory of that day.

Isaiah 60 is a glimpse of the restored glory of Israel
After Christ returns to save and deliver them from their enemies.

In the scheme of the entire segment this is the FIFTH POINT.
1. The LORD’S Reproach (59:1-8)
2. The Prophet’s Response (59:9-15a)
3. The Messiah’s Redemption (59:15b-20)
4. The LORD’S Reasoning (59:21)

#5 THE NATIONS RESTORATION
Isaiah 60:1-22

You are certainly aware that this is not the first time
That Isaiah has referenced the coming Millennial kingdom.

He spoke of it in chapter 11 as he reference the COMING PEACE

Isaiah 11:6 “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them.”

He spoke of it in chapter 35 as a DAY OF RESTORATION

Isaiah 35:5-6 “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah.”

And here Isaiah speaks of it as a DAY OF GLORY

(1-2) “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you.”

We read in Ezekiel how God’s glory departed from Israel.
When Israel repents the glory will return!

Peter said it:
Acts 3:19-20 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,”

And in the remainder of the chapter
We are see the consequences of
Having the glory of the Lord in their midst.

• (1) “the glory of the LORD has risen upon you”
• (2) “His glory will appear upon you.”
• (7) “I shall glorify My glorious house.”
• (9) “because He has glorified you.”
• (13) “I shall make the place of My feet glorious.”
• (19) “You will have the LORD for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory.”
• (21) “That I may be glorified.”

The return of glory to the house of Israel is clearly the theme.

What a difference it makes for a people when God is among them.
What a difference it makes in a nation when God is among them.

We see those differences spelled out here. There’s 4 of them.

We saw the first one last Sunday night.

1) NATIONS WILL HONOR YOU (3-9)

We won’t go all back through this one again, but you see in these 7 verses the repeated reference to nations flocking to Israel.

1. They are coming to return their sons to them.
2. They are coming to bring gifts and offerings.
3. They are coming to offer sacrifices of tribute to Christ.

And the point is that this once despised nation
Will be the center attraction of all the earth.

But it certainly won’t be because of tourism.
People won’t be going to marvel at historical references or natural views.

They will be flocking to that place to see Christ!
He is the attraction!

And I’ll just remind you again that this should be the churches mindset.
We have nothing to offer this world apart from Christ.

• He is our sole attraction.
• He is our sole benefit that we offer to the world.

Do you remember the failure of the church at Ephesus?
• They had solid doctrine.
• They participated in church discipline.
• They were very discerning regarding truth and error.

But…
Revelation 2:1-6 “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. ‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

They left their first love.
And that offense was of such magnitude
That Christ threatened to close the doors to that place.

Christ is what we have.
Christ is what we offer.
“Hallelujah! All I have is Christ!”

And Christ is enough!
The nations are flocking to Israel because He is there.

The next two points we see I split into two points because there is a distinction, but I want to look at them together.

2) FOREIGNERS WILL SERVE YOU (10-13)

3) ENEMIES WILL BOW TO YOU (17-22)

What we see described here is
A total reversal in how Israel will be treated in the world.

The Psalmist lamented antisemitism even in his day.
Psalms 44:22 “But for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

HISTORY BEARS OUT
All the hatred that Israel has received and endured from the world.

It really goes all the way back to the days of Abraham
When we saw Abimelech tried to marry Sarah
And ruin the promised blessing of God.

AND IT HAS NEVER ENDED.
• We saw them oppressed in Egypt.
• We are confronted with Philistines and Moabites and Ammonites and
Edomites and all other types of enemies.
• We know about Assyria conquering the northern 10 tribes.
• We know about Babylon conquering Judah.
• We know about the Persians seeking a holocaust under Haman.
• We know about Antiochus Epiphanes the Greek seeking to annihilate the
Jews.
• We know Rome burned the temple and their city.
• We know Hitler killed somewhere around 6 million Jews.
• And the fighting hasn’t stopped.

They have historically been the most hated people on the planet.

But what a difference you see when they finally embrace their Savior.

(10-13) “Foreigners will build up your walls, And their kings will minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, And in My favor I have had compassion on you. “Your gates will be open continually; They will not be closed day or night, So that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, With their kings led in procession. “For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined. “The glory of Lebanon will come to you, The juniper, the box tree and the cypress together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I shall make the place of My feet glorious.”

Everything here is opposite of what we have seen throughout history.

FIRST you need to see why.

(10b) “For in My wrath I struck you, And in My favor I have had compassion on you.”

It is important to understand this.
Israel’s punishments and judgments throughout her history have been nothing but a direct result of her disobedience to God.

• She entered into a covenant with Him at Sinai and promised Him that she
would obey His every command.
• She did not, and she brought upon herself the curses that are so clearly
outlined throughout the book of Deuteronomy.
• She sinned and God has repeatedly struck her in His wrath.

But on the day she repents and returns
That wrath will be replaced with compassion.

And the nations that God has used to afflict Israel
Will now be used to minister to her.

Instead of foreign armies coming to destroy Israel’s walls:
“Foreigners will build up your walls”

Instead of foreign kings oppressing Israel:
“their kings will minister to you;”

Instead of gates closed for security:
“Your gates will be open continually; They will not be closed day or night”

Instead of nations plundering Israel:
“men may bring to you the wealth of the nations”

Places like Lebanon will lumber and the other nations will bring wealth.

All for one purpose.
“To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I shall make the place of My feet glorious.”

The goal and desire of the world will no longer be
To attack, destroy, or plunder Israel,
But rather to build her up and beautify her.

BECAUSE THE LORD IS THERE!

And it’s not just foreigners, it is also ENEMIES.

(14-15) “The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, And all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet; And they will call you the city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated With no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting pride, A joy from generation to generation.”

You see the same reversal there don’t you.

• “those who afflicted you will come bowing to you”
• “those who despised you will bow”
• “you have been hated…[you will be] an everlasting pride, A joy”

It is just a complete 180 from where they have been.

Israel will no longer be the bottom of the barrel.

(16) “You will suck the milk of nations And suck the breast of kings;”
Instead of them milking you, you’re going to milk them.

Deuteronomy 28:7-14 “The LORD shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways. “The LORD will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you. “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. “So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will be afraid of you. “The LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. “The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. “The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”

We are simply reading about a people
Who have jumped out from under the curses of God
And find themselves under the blessings of God.

They have been SAVED, they have been REDEEMED,
They have been DELIVERED.

The blessings the church currently enjoys in a spiritual sense,
For we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ,

Israel will enjoy in a physical sense
For His physical presence will be among them.

And I love the culmination of verse 16.
(16b) “Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

That is a great summarizing statement!

Think for a moment about Isaiah’s pleading throughout the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 41:14 “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.”

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 44:6 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.”

Isaiah 44:8 “Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.’”

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 has been preaching it over and over.
We might say, “Until he was blue in the face”

And Israel just hasn’t gotten it.
• They have had ears but they didn’t hear.
• They have had eyes but they didn’t see.
• They have had hearts, but they didn’t understand.

But on this day they will get it.
When Edomites are bowing to them instead of bombing them
It will finally sink in to Israel that Jesus Christ is their Savior.

Nations will honor you
Foreigners will serve you
Enemies bow to you

4) PROSPERITY WILL FIND YOU (17-22)

And what a list we have here.

(17) “Instead of bronze I will bring gold, And instead of iron I will bring silver, And instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. And I will make peace your administrators And righteousness your overseers.”

That is what you call trading up.

Someone will say, “I need a piece of bronze, I’m making a door hinge.”
And the neighbor will respond, “Could you just use gold instead?”

Someone will say, “I need of piece of iron, I’m making a door stop.”
And the neighbor will respond, “Here, just take this silver.”

YOU GET THE IDEA.
There will be no lack of any good thing.
God will more than amply supply for all His people.

(18) “Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor devastation or destruction within your borders; But you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.”

In light of the Middle East today that verse seems downright impossible.
• No violence at all?
• No devastation?
• No destruction?

We are talking about a place with absolutely no danger at all.

I like the statement:
“you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.”

What does that mean?
It’s not just a plague that hangs on the wall.

WHAT HE IS SAYING IS THAT
Your security is that you’ve been saved by the Lord.
And you enter that salvation through the exaltation of the Lord.
Christ is the Good Shepherd protecting His sheep.
Christ is the door through which you enter.

No wall and no gate could ever produce the peace and safety that the redemption of Christ can accomplish.

No one is coming in this city who doesn’t love and exalt Christ.
• It is a saved city.
• It is a city full of the redeemed.

There will be no violence in this place at all.

He goes on:
(19-20) “No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory. “Your sun will no longer set, Nor will your moon wane; For you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be over.”

We’re certainly familiar with this analogy from reading Revelation.

Revelation 22:5 “And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.”

It is the same thing we see here.
The presence of glory outshines them all.
It will never be dark, there will be no more night.

And that is not just a natural reality it is also a metaphor.
There will be NO MORE MOURNING.

Crying and pain and violence and adversity
And grief and despair will all be gone.

The curse is reversed.
• Enmity and toil and pain are gone.
• There is no cause for mourning in that city.

And still there is more.
(21) “Then all your people will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.”

There is a great statement!
“Then all your people will be righteous”

WHY?
• Because by faith they have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
• They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.

And because they are righteous
There is no more punishment or discipline.
“They will posses the land forever”

They are referred to here as the branch which God planted.
They are referred to here as the work of God’s hands.

And the END RESULT in all of this is the GLORY OF THE LORD.
• He will save them.
• He will sanctify them.
• He will glorify them.
He will do it so that He is glorified.

When God takes a people like that
And turns them into a righteous people
There will be nothing left but to glorify the LORD.

1 Corinthians 1:27-31 “but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

THIS IS ALL FOR HIS GLORY.

(22) “The smallest one will become a clan, And the least one a mighty nation. I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.”

And God will most certainly do it.
• It doesn’t matter how small they become.
• It doesn’t matter how far you scatter them.
• It doesn’t matter how insignificant they appear.

God will do it because He said He would do it.

It also doesn’t matter if you think it’s been too long.
God says, “I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.”

When it’s time God will do it.
But He will most certainly do it.

Now that is A QUICK TRIP
Through the realities of the coming Millennial kingdom of Christ.

And I don’t mean to pass over them quickly,
But rather to show them to you in bulk
So that you can see the glory of that day.

• A day with no deficit.
• A day with no danger.
• A day with no darkness.
• A day with no departure.
• A day with no doubt.

Where is this salvation You speak of?
Well, this is it.

And we see THE PURPOSE OF ISAIAH more clearly now.

What is the point of him sharing all this?
It is to call Israel to run to Christ in repentance.

Can you not see what He will do for you?
Can you not see that He is the better option?
Can you not see that He is what you’ve been waiting for?

It reminds us of the preaching of Jesus.

John 4:10 “Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

John 6:35-40 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

John 7:37-38 “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

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

John 10:7-10 “So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Do you see all those same realities promised by Him there?

Jesus made many offers in exactly the same way.
• Turn to Me and be saved!
• Turn to Me and enjoy abundance!

That is what Isaiah is preaching.
It is nothing but foolishness
• That has caused you to reject your Savior.
• That has caused you to embrace ceremonial religion.

Repent and return and run to Christ
For all the good things He has in store for you.

What a message to Israel!
What a promise God has made if they will but turn to the Lord.

And certainly if any Jews were in this audience today
We’d be pleading with them to run to Christ.

THERE ARE ONLY GENTILES.
Most in here are believers, some still are not.

What does all of this have to do with Gentiles?
What are we supposed to do with all these Millennial promises to Israel?

Were are we going to be during all of this?
The answer: right there with them.

We’ve read some of it already in previous weeks,
But what did Paul say about us as Gentiles and salvation?

TURN TO: ROMANS 11

Look at verses 11-12.

Do you understand what Paul is saying?
It was all a part of God’s sovereign plan that Israel would reject the gospel.
• Their rejection of the gospel is what opened the door for the Gentiles to hear the gospel.
• That is what Paul means when he says, “their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles”
• Their rejection is what opened the door for us to hear it.
• And our acceptance is “to make them jealous”.

That’s one of the reasons Paul pushes his Gentile ministry so hard.
Read verses 13-16

Paul says
• I magnify my ministry because I want to make them jealous.
• Because when they run to Christ it will be “life from the dead” (i.e. the millennium)

And then Paul makes the famous statement
About how we though “being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became with them a partaker of the rich root of the olive tree.”

What is Paul’s point?
They aren’t joining our tree, we are joining theirs.

There has only ever been one faith, it is that which Abraham had.
• They have thus far rejected it.
• We have been grafted into it.
• Someday they will come back to it.

So what does that mean about the millennial reign of Christ for us?

WE ARE DWELLING WITH HIM!
We don’t become foreigners in the kingdom, we are sons of the kingdom.

1 Peter 2:6-10 “For this is contained in Scripture: “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,” and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”

While we discuss all that is coming for the future of Israel,
Know we are talking about our future as the church as well.

AND THAT MEANS
• When Isaiah is speaking to unbelieving Jews about all the glories of the kingdom of Christ in hope that they will repent and run to Christ,
• We are also speaking of that glorious kingdom to any lost Gentiles in hopes that they will do the same.

What we have here is the future of the church.
• One day, our enemies will be crushed, just as their enemies are crushed.
• One day, we will reign with Christ, just as they will reign with Christ.
• One day, the church will be glorious, and Israel will be glorious as part of the church.

And if you want to be a part of that day,
THEN YOU MUST REPENT AND RUN TO CHRIST.

But it will be so worth it!
What a day that will be!

download here

Where Is This Salvation You Speak Of? – part 5
Isaiah 59:1-60:22 (60:1-9)
October 13, 2024

I want to jump back in to the reality of God’s faithfulness that we looked at this morning.

I want to solidify in your mind that the promises God made to Israel, He will keep.

And this includes even the promise of them receiving the land.

We remember as God was preparing Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Exodus 6:1-8 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion he will let them go, and under compulsion he will drive them out of his land.” God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them. “I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. “Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. “Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. ‘Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. ‘I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the LORD.’”

And even as Israel was faithless in the wilderness and many did not get to enter the land, God still reiterated that rebellion Israel’s part may cause them some discipline, but it will not forfeit His promise.

Deuteronomy 4:25-31 “When you become the father of children and children’s children and have remained long in the land, and act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD your God so as to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. “The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD drives you. “There you will serve gods, the work of man’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. “When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. “For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.”

Deuteronomy 30:1-9 “So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. “If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. “The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. “The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. “And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. “Then the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers;”

The land is theirs, and even a period of unfaithfulness cannot change that.
God promised Abraham.

Even in the times of the Judges when Israel walked in wild unfaithfulness God reiterated His promise.
Judges 2:1 “Now the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you,”

And in the times of the Kings David had Asaph sing this song:
1 Chronicles 16:15-18 “Remember His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan, As the portion of your inheritance.”

And even in Israel’s darkest day, as God was bringing Babylon into the city and God was about to exile His people, even on that day He said:
Jeremiah 29:10-14 “For thus says the LORD, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’”

He just says it over and over and over and over.

Later when He gave the New Covenant through Jeremiah and promised forgiveness and restoration to Israel He finished that promise with this proof.

Jeremiah 31:35-37 “Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: “If this fixed order departs From before Me,” declares the LORD, “Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever.” Thus says the LORD, “If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done,” declares the LORD.”

We get it don’t we?

God made a promise, and He’s going to keep that promise.
He will save His people and He will settle them in the land.

I realize we have now gone through a lengthy period of rebellion from Israel.
It’s been 2,000 years of suffering for Israel in which they refuse to recognize their Messiah.

But God has promised one day they will, and He will save them and return to avenge them.

Tonight, I want you to see what that day will look like.
We come to our 5th point of the segment.

#5 THE NATIONS RESTORATION
Isaiah 60:1-22

It is obvious when we read this chapter that we are talking about what Peter called “times of refreshing” or the “period of restoration”.

You and I know it as the millennium; the 1,000 year reign of Christ.

It is certainly not the first time Isaiah has spoken about this period on the earth.

Back in chapter 11 we saw it as a time of unbelievable peace on the earth when the wolf will dwell with the lamb and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, etc.

In chapter 35 we saw it as a tremendous time of restoration where the desert will become a garden, the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.

And there are several other references to this time period throughout the book of Isaiah.

It is shown to Israel as the final fulfillment of the promises which God made to Abraham.

Israel, safely in her land, enjoying the blessings of the presence of God.

And that is no different here.

It is Isaiah, yet again, reminding Israel of the blessing of repentance and salvation.

When God says He has good plans for us, He means it.
When God says that His future for us is one of hope, He means it.
When God says that coming to Him is a wise decision, He means it.

It brings to my mind that interesting moment in the life of the disciples as they watched the Rich Young Ruler choose his riches over Christ and thus walk away sad.

Peter has a bit of a crisis at that moment and asked the Lord if they had made the right decision in leaving their lives behind to follow Christ.

This was Jesus’ answer:
Matthew 19:28-29 “And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”

Jesus answer was that they absolutely made the right decision.
Following Jesus is worth it now, and it will certainly be worth it on that day as well.

Jesus never ruined the life of any of His followers and He never will.

So certainly just as a generic observation we see again that this millennial reign of Christ is a glorious time that is so worth if for His people.

It is a time of peace
It is a time of restoration
It is a time of refreshing

And if we could sort of sum up Isaiah’s focus in this chapter we would add that it is also a time of remarkable glory.

Glory is the theme of chapter 60.

(1) “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.”

(2) “For behold darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples’ But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear on you.”

(7b) “They will go up with acceptance on My altar, And I shall glorify My glorious house.”

(9b) “For the name of the LORD your God, And for the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you.”

(13) “The glory of Lebanon will come to you, The juniper, the box tree and the cypress together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I shall make the place of My feet glorious.”

(19) “No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory.”

(21) “Then all your people will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.”

The theme is clearly glory.
And it is glory in two different ways.

In verses 1 and 2 the Hebrew word is KA-BODE which speaks of God’s glorious splendor.

You see that again in verse 13.

But the rest of the times you see the word “glorious” or “glorified’ it is a different word PAW-AIR or a word that comes from that root, and it means “beautiful or to beautify”

And the understanding of the chapter then is that when Israel returns to God He will return to them and His glory will beautify them.

In fact, His presence will be their beauty, and His glory will be their chief attraction to the world.

And just for a simple application of spiritual truth for us today. The church has nothing to offer as attractive or glorious to the world as the presence of God.

I think about this often, even with events like Disciple Now where we are going to do a lot of fun stuff with the kids that come.

But if all we have to offer is fun and games we lose. What every one of these kids needs to see and be aware of is the reality of the presence of God in our lives.

I like what Paul said to the Corinthians who were caught up in mystical behavior like speaking in tongues and such. Paul called them to speak the words of God because that is something the world does not have.

1 Corinthians 14:24-25 “But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.”

That is the effect of having the presence of God.
Far more powerful than any worldly attraction.

Well that is what the millennium will be for Israel.
And this is huge.

If you remember, this is what they lost during the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
We read not too long ago from Ezekiel 10 and 11 about God’s glory departing from Israel.

Ezekiel 11:22-24 “Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. The glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city. And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the exiles in Chaldea. So the vision that I had seen left me.”

Do you understand that God’s glory never entered the temple again until Jesus was 8 days old and was carried there to be circumcised?

But they crucified Him and have thus been without the presence of God since that day.

But on this day the LORD returns.
His glory fills their land.

Ezekiel 43:1-5 “Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing toward the east; and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.”

God returned exactly as He had left.

And when Ezekiel gave that long description of the millennium at the end of his book, one verse really stands out above the rest in importance.

Ezekiel 48:35 “The city shall be 18,000 cubits round about; and the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘The LORD is there.’”

After all the descriptions and all the measurements and all the prescribed activities that are laid out in the final 9 chapters of Ezekiel it really all funnels down to only 1 attraction.

“The LORD is there.”

When you think about planning a vacation and you start talking about various destinations, you begin to weigh them out based on what each location has to offer.

Giant trees outside of Fresno.
Cool temperatures in New Mexico.
A big canyon in Arizona.
An ark in Kentucky.

Well what you’ll see here is that as the world contemplates where to travel there is one destination that clearly rises above them all and it is Jerusalem because “The LORD is there.”

Notice all the references to “come to you” that you’ll see as we read through.
The glory of the LORD returns to Israel and the world will flock to them as a result.

That is what is described here.

(1-2) “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you.”

What a great way to start this chapter with the call for Israel to “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.”

We heard Jesus in the New Testament speak sort of sarcastically to the Jews during His sermon on the mount.

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Israel was supposed to be the light of the world.
Indeed they thought they were the light of the world.

Romans 2:19 “[You] are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,”

They were supposed to shine the light of God’s presence to the world, but the problem was they didn’t actually have any light.

Their light was a false light.
Their light was a hidden light.

Well on this day that all changes.
They receive the light of God’s presence and they are called to shine it.

Just as today we are called to shine the light of God’s presence into a dark and hopeless world.

Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,”

So you understand the calling here.

God reminds Israel that Christ has returned to them and they are to broadcast it!
They are to shine their light.

(2) “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you.”

What is this darkness?
It is the great tribulation.
It is the wrath of the day of the LORD which is described as a day of darkness and gloom and deep darkness.

And it is during that horrific time of tribulation that Israel will be saved.
It is there that Zechariah 12 (which we read this morning) will be fulfilled.

It is during the tribulation that God will pour out His Spirit on Israel and cause them to weep for Christ and look on Him whom they pierced, and Christ will save them.

And during that dark time, they are to shine the light of Christ to a world in deep darkness.

And we read that “the LORD will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you.”

That is His coming.

Even when anticipating His first coming, Zacharias prophesied that John would go before Christ:
Luke 1:77-79 “To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

This is what He will do.

Israel will turn to Him, and He will return for them.
He will avenge them of their enemies.
He will dwell among them in Jerusalem.
He will illumine them with His glory.

And they will become the attraction of the world!
All because Christ is with them.

Now, I do want us to go through the remainder of this chapter.
I really think it is one of those scenes that needs to be seen in its entirety, not just a verse at a time.

So we’re going to move through this chapter rather quickly, but what I want you to grasp as we do is the glory of the presence of Christ and the effect His presence has upon His people.

And while we are certainly talking about an actual millennial reign here, I want you to also begin to appreciate what a difference it makes when the presence of Christ becomes the chief focus of our gathering.

Christ is the light, we’re just the lamp.
If you raise up a lamp without any light in it, you’re not going to draw anyone.

Christ is the living water, we’re just the hose.
If you stretch out a hose without any water, you’re not going to refresh anyone.

Christ is the magnet, we’re just the conduit through which He draws.

All of the benefits that you see taking place here for Israel are only because Christ is among them.

They are physical benefits that Israel will physically enjoy in the millennium, but that is a spiritual benefit that the church should enjoy today.

So let’s walk through these 4 realities that occur when Christ arrives and makes His people beautiful.

1) NATIONS WILL HONOR YOU (3-9)

Hopefully as we read, you picked up on what a massive attraction Israel becomes.

You see the phrases repeatedly:
“come to you” – “come from afar” – “turned to you” – “come to you” – “come” – “gathered together to you” – “come first”

It’s quite clear that when Christ shines His glory through His people the nations start showing up.

(3) “Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.”

That is clear.
The world is on its way.

It’s not the first time Isaiah has mentioned this.
Isaiah 2:1-4 “The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.”

Isaiah 45:14 “Thus says the LORD, “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush And the Sabeans, men of stature, Will come over to you and will be yours; They will walk behind you, they will come over in chains And will bow down to you; They will make supplication to you: ‘Surely, God is with you, and there is none else, No other God.’”

It’s going to happen.
Zechariah 8:20-23 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. ‘The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts; I will also go.” ‘So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD.’ “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”

Well that is what we see happening here.
Their attraction level is off the charts.
They have Jesus in their midst!

And we even see some realities of why they are coming.

TO RETURN THEIR CHILDREN

(4) “Lift up your eyes round about and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, And your daughters will be carried in the arms.”

(9) “Surely the coastlands will wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, For the name of the LORD your God, And for the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you.”

This is spoken of a lot throughout Isaiah.
Isaiah 43:5-6 “Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, And gather you from the west. “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth,”

Isaiah 49:22-23 “Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations And set up My standard to the peoples; And they will bring your sons in their bosom, And your daughters will be carried on their shoulders. “Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth And lick the dust of your feet; And you will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame.”

That is the idea here.

If you’ve held captive some of Christ’s children, there is no way you’re going to stand before Him without bringing them back!

And any Jew stranded across the world will be given free passage to go back to Israel.

Their people are going home.
It is their land, it was promised to Abraham, and God will bring them to it.

This is one of the reasons the nations are coming.

TO GIVE OFFERINGS

(5-6) “Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will thrill and rejoice; Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you. “A multitude of camels will cover you, The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba will come; They will bring gold and frankincense, And will bear good news of the praises of the LORD.”

You’ve got the ships of the sea and the caravans of camels and they’re all bringing gifts for the Lord and for His people.

Even as we read down in verse 9, when they bring the sons they bring, “their silver and gold with them.”

They are bringing the wealth of the nations into Jerusalem.
Isaiah 23:17-18 “It will come about at the end of seventy years that the LORD will visit Tyre. Then she will go back to her harlot’s wages and will play the harlot with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. Her gain and her harlot’s wages will be set apart to the LORD; it will not be stored up or hoarded, but her gain will become sufficient food and choice attire for those who dwell in the presence of the LORD.”

There you have the nation of Tyre who has always been a picture of commerce and worldliness.

And here God reveals that all of her wealth which she gathered and hoarded was not actually being hoarded for her, but for His people.

In just the same way as the people plundered Egypt on their way out so now the nations freely give up their wealth again.

Proverbs 13:22 “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.”

So it is here.

TO MAKE SACRIFICES

(7) “All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; They will go up with acceptance on My altar, And I shall glorify My glorious house.”

This is the one that gets a little tricky for most, so let me take a second and explain this one to you.

When you read the last 9 chapters of Ezekiel people typically track along pretty good.

In chapters 40-43 Ezekiel measures the city and talks about the people.
In chapters 43-44 Ezekiel measures the altar and talks about the priests.
In chapter 45 Ezekiel measures the land and talks about the princes.

And everything seems clear there until you start seeing the people offering sin offerings and participating again in the Passover.

Ezekiel 45:21-23 “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. “On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering. “During the seven days of the feast he shall provide as a burnt offering to the LORD seven bulls and seven rams without blemish on every day of the seven days, and a male goat daily for a sin offering.”

And there are several more references, but we don’t have to read them all.

What you see then is people get really confused about this Millennial kingdom.
Why in the world are they bringing the sacrifices back?

It’s not hard to understand, they are brought back as a memorial.

Not a single sacrifice in the Old Testament ever atoned for sin…correct?
Hebrews 10:4 “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

Those things were effective, they were merely a picture of the coming atonement.
Hebrews 10:1 “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.”

They were “only a shadow of the good things to come”

Those sacrifices looked forward to Christ.
These sacrifices are still not efficacious, but they are a memorial looking back at Christ, similar to when we take the Lord’s Supper.

No man here genuinely believes that eating that store-bought cracker or drinking that concentrated grape juice is actually atoning for your sin.

But we are commanded to do it and you do it.
You eat the cracker and you drink the juice and you worship the sacrifice of Christ.

That is what will happen in the millennium, they will take the Passover and they will give the sin offering, but it will be a memorial to what Christ did.

Even in the book of Acts the apostles, after the ascension of the Lord, still participated in temple worship and there is even a record of Paul participating in the Jewish sacrifices.

Acts 21:26 “Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.”

That is when Paul returned to Jerusalem and James told him that the Jews thought he preached against the Law.

So James told him we’ve got some guys here who have taken a vow and you need to go and purify yourself with them and pay their expenses and show the Jews that you walk orderly.

So Paul went and did it.
He didn’t balk, he didn’t should “Blasphemy!”
He just understood that everything done according to the Law was merely a picture of Christ.

Certainly Paul wasn’t trusting in that.
For him it was a memorial and a way to keep peace with the Jews.

But that will occur in this day.
The whole world will come to Jerusalem to return their children, bring gifts, and sacrifice to honor the sacrifice of Christ.

There will be a massive coming of the nations.

To bring the Jews
To bring their gifts
And to worship the sacrifice of Jesus Christ

And incidentally, this won’t be optional.

We looked this morning at that salvation passage in Zechariah about when Israel mourns over Christ and trusts in Him.

Look at Zechariah’s description of that day.

TURN TO: ZECHARIAH 14:10-21

See not going is not an option.
Everyone goes.

This is the benefit of having the glory of the Lord in your midst.
And this is the consequence of Israel trusting in the Lord.

What a day that will be.

Well, I wanted to cover this whole chapter in one sitting, but we’re going to have to come back next time and get it.

download here

Where Is This Salvation You Speak Of? – Part 4
Isaiah 59:1 – 60:22 (59:21)
October 13, 2024

This morning we are only going to look at one verse in this segment
Because I think it is a very important truth,
And also a timely one for the day in which we live.

(21) “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.”

This is not just an IMPORTANT TRUTH, but in light of where Isaiah has brought us, it is actually A REMARKABLE ONE.

For in this verse we have God here giving His reasoning
As to why He is saving Israel.

And the truth it reiterates is one that we, even as the Gentile church,
Are extremely grateful for.

But to fully grab the magnitude of it, I want us to walk back
Through where we’ve come from since we started this segment.

When we came to Isaiah 50
We started dealing with a very unique prophetic picture.

You have here Isaiah preaching to his people.
• So certainly we hold that there was a spiritual benefit for the people of his day.
• These were prophetic words of hope regarding how God would demonstrate His faithfulness to their people throughout the ages.

One could also make the argument that Isaiah was speaking prophetically 100 years down the road to the Jews who will find themselves in Babylon during the exile.
• Certainly that bears out historically and we see that Israel did end up in Babylon as a punishment for their sin
• And it fits all of Isaiah’s language about God’s scattered people returning to their land.

But more than anything, as I have told you, Isaiah 50-66 is prophetic to the Israel of the end times.
• Isaiah is speaking prophetically to the Jews who were present in Jesus’ day and crucified Him,
• All the way to the Jews of our day who continue to deny their Messiah.

This segment is an evangelistic call of salvation
To rebellious Israel throughout the ages.

It is God’s prophetic revelation of their salvation and return to Him.
I don’t want you to lose sight of that…

So turn back with me to chapter 50 and let me remind you again of this journey we’ve been on.

We started with the revelation that Israel was broken off from their fellowship with God because they rejected the Messiah when He came.

READ: Isaiah 50:1-2a

And we also see here who it was that came that Israel did not answer.

READ: Isaiah 50:4-6

Isaiah began with an announcement that Israel had been broken off.
We understand that.

Romans 11:7-10 “What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, “GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.” And David says, “LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. “LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.”

• We saw how Jesus came and was rejected by His own.
• Their rejection of Christ led to their being broken off and hardened.
• They dwell under this hardening down to this very day.

Isaiah 50 was a very clear prophetic announcement
Of Israel’s rejection and punishment.

Chapters 51 and 52 can then be categorized as the rejected message.
These chapters prophetically reveal to us the very things
That Christ would preach and the very things Israel would reject.

READ: Isaiah 51:1-8

• It was the call to be true children of Abraham by faith. Jesus preached that.
• It was the reminder that salvation had come and it should be accepted.
• It was the reminder that Christ’s righteousness is the only righteousness that endures forever.

But Israel rejected that message and the One who preached it.

Chapter 52 is more of that same thing.
READ: Isaiah 52:3-7

• God is calling them to recognize their lost spiritual condition and to trust in Him for salvation.
• Paul even quoted verse 7 as the preaching of the gospel.

This is the message Israel rejected
And then they crucified the One who preached it.

And then we came to 53 (really 52:13).

Chapter 53 explained to why they did not recognize the Messiah,
Why they rejected Him, and how God used that for redemption.

READ: Isaiah 53:4-6

• They didn’t recognize Him because of His humility and suffering.
• They saw a lowly man claiming to be God and they hated Him.
• They killed Him, but God accepted Him as the sacrifice for the sin of His people.

And the rejection of the Christ came to full fruition.
In Chapters 50-53
He came, He preached, they blasphemed and rejected and killed Him.

But as we have repeatedly said – CHAPTER 53 CHANGED EVERYTHING.

After chapter 53, after atonement has been made,
The message turns to one of tremendous grace and mercy
As Isaiah calls the most hopeless to salvation
All based on the atonement of the Messiah.

Chapter 54 he calls the BARREN and the REJECTED.
READ: Isaiah 54:1
• She is the one producing now spiritual offspring (Hagar)

READ: Isaiah 54:6-7
• She is the divorced one of chapter 50, broken off, but called back home (Gomer)

And we are learning that those with no hope of salvation
Now have hope because Christ has died.

Chapter 55 he calls to the THIRSTY.
READ: Isaiah 55:1-3
• Those still trying to satisfy themselves through legalism and the Law

READ: Isaiah 55:6-7
• It is a call to repentance and promised salvation.

He’s calling still the most hopeless and the most helpless
To come enjoy the salvation that has been purchased.

Chapter 56 he call to the FOREIGNER and the EUNUCH
READ: Isaiah 56:3-5
• Even Eunuchs with no hope of a future can be saved.

READ: Isaiah 56:6-8
• Even Gentiles with no claim on the promises can have a future.

And in Chapter 57 he calls to the CONTRITE and LOWLY
READ: Isaiah 57:15

WHEN YOU ZOOM OUT AND LOOK AT IT,
The picture just really begins to become clear.

1. Israel rejected her Messiah and was broken off as a result.
2. But through her rejection the Messiah was crucified for their sins and now
forgiveness is available through Him.
3. It is a forgiveness not based on merit or works, but a salvation based on grace.
4. It is available to the barren and rejected, the thirsty and broken, the foreigner
and eunuch, the humble and contrite.
5. It is a promised salvation of God to those who are the least worthy.

So we have God offering and offering and offering.
We have God calling and calling and calling.
BUT WE HAVE ISRAEL STEADFAST IN REJECTION OF THAT CALL.

Romans 10:21 “But as for Israel He says, “ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE.”

You would think at this point God would have enough and just say, “Forget it! I’m done with you stubborn people!”

AND IF THAT’S NOT ENOUGH,
It almost becomes humorous because in chapter 58
Israel begins to blame their lostness on God.

READ: Isaiah 58:3a

They think they humbled themselves as God required,
And yet God hasn’t saved them or reconciled them.
They question God’s faithfulness and later His ability.

God spent chapter 58 and 59 answering that question.
First of all what you call humility wasn’t humility
And what you call fasting wasn’t fasting.

READ: Isaiah 58:5

Secondly nothing has changed.
You’ve still got the same bloody handy…

READ: Isaiah 59:1-3

We called it:
#1 THE LORD’S REPROACH
Isaiah 59:1-8

• There has been no humility.
• There has been no repentance.
• There has been no contrition.
That’s why there has been no salvation.

And we saw Isaiah lamenting the reality of that fact.

READ: Isaiah 59:9-11

We called it:
#2 THE PROPHET’S RESPONSE
Isaiah 59:9-15a

IS THE BIG PICTURE BECOMING CLEAR?
Salvation has been promised, and offered, and it is available,
But Israel has wanted no part of it. (down to this very day)

• They won’t repent.
• They won’t humble themselves.
• They won’t turn to Christ.
And so God hasn’t saved.

And we would be in full agreement with the justice of His decision.
We can very easily see and say that they don’t deserve it.
• We certainly can’t fault God for trying.
• These people are just too stubborn.
• Perhaps it is time to just move on.

In reality, we even see Isaiah seemingly throwing up his hands in defeat.
READ 59:12-15a

No one could or would blame God
If He just washed His hands of these people.

BUT THEN, on Sunday night we saw God’s response.
(And what a glorious one it is.)

That even though Israel is rebellious and blind and deaf
And has done nothing to bring about salvation.
GOD IS GOING TO MOVE AND DO IT FOR THEM.

We called it:
#3 THE MESSIAH’S REDEMPTION
Isaiah 59:15b-20

READ: Isaiah 59:15b-17

As we saw Sunday night Christ is coming to save them.

Are they a displeasing people? ABSOLUTELY.

But God motivated Himself to be “astonished” at their judgment
(Of His own volition He horrified Himself at the thought of their judgment)

And “His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him.”

This has been the entire message of Isaiah since chapter 50.
• Yes they are rebellious…
• Yes they rejected their Messiah…
• Yes they were broken off…
• Yes they are deaf and blind and hard hearted…
• Yes they have thus far failed to repent…
• No, they are not currently saved…
• They are as vile as you can imagine in every sense of the word…

BUT NONE OF THAT HAS CHANGED THIS ONE FACT:
GOD HAS PROMISED TO SAVE THEM.
AND HE WILL SAVE THEM.

Romans 11:25-32 “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” “THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.”

Paul even tells us in that same chapter to guard against
An arrogant mindset that thinks it is over for them.

Romans 11:17-18 “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.”

IT IS A MASSIVE MISTAKE
For saved Gentiles to assume they are the only elect of God.

The covenant we enjoy through Abraham
Is a covenant we have been grafted into as a wild olive shoot,
But they are the natural fit.

God has made promises to save Israel and He will save Israel.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN
• He will just save them apart from their repentance, He will not.
• He will just save them apart from their faith in Christ, He will not.
• Jews who die without faith in Christ are lost.

WHAT IT DOES MEAN HOWEVER
• God will one day transform their hearts
• He will cause them to repent and cause them to return
• And when they do, He will send His Christ to save them from their enemies.

Remember what Peter preached to the Jews in Jerusalem even after they crucified the Lord?

Acts 3:17-21 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.”

Peter even went on to say:
Acts 3:25-26 “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’ “For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

That promise to Israel remains.
When they repent and when they return (which God will cause)
Then Christ will return and will save His people.

They don’t deserve it.
They are vile and sinful to the core to this very day.
BUT GOD WILL SAVE THEM.

AND NOW WE COME TO THE PLACE WHERE WE ASK GOD WHY?

#4 THE LORD’S REASONING
Isaiah 59:21

We are trying to figure out why in the world
God would be so devoted to such a stubborn people.

And stubborn is all they are!

TURN TO: PSALMS 106
It’s like Israel’s “Sin Hall of Fame”

• Why would God put up with such a sinful people?
• Why would God still offer the salvation?
• Why would God not just toss them aside and move on completely?

THAT IS WHAT GOD IS EXPLAINING HERE.

I don’t know if I would have normally spent much time here,
But in light of our current state of affairs in the world
I think this is an important truth to remember.

I see today what I never really thought I would see in my lifetime.

There is a growing movement of antisemitism
That seems to be showing up in our world.

I really thought that the holocaust was still too recent to think that I’d ever see it again.

We’ve seen it on a political front with the Israeli response to the Gaza invasion and now with the attacks on Iran and Lebanon.

There has been a significant anti-Israel response on the political scene.
• We’ve seen Palestinian protestors
• We saw Jewish students harassed and kept from the college classes
• We see antisemitism popping up on social media outlets

And though I am surprised a little, that is not what surprises me the most.

I am more surprised about the anti-Israel responses
That are coming out of many evangelicals,
Even those in the reformed camp.

I see it more and more today through various online outlets
People who are promoting REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY,
(which basically states that God has replaced Israel with the church.)

So you take all of those promises in the Old Testament to Israel
• And replacement theology would say that Israel forfeited those promises when she rejected Christ
• And those promises have now all been transferred to the church.
• It is now over for Israel.

Not only do I think that is false, but I think it is very dangerous.
I also think the end result is that you will harm your own assurance and confidence if you go down that path.

AND I’LL TELL YOU WHY.

While replacement theology makes its argument
Based on the immorality and defection of Israel,
The real target of replacement theology is not Israel, it is God.

WE HAVE NEVER SAID: That Israel will be saved because they deserve it.
God has never said that.

In fact, God has said exactly the opposite.

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.”

Deuteronomy 9:4 “Do not say in your heart when the LORD your God has driven them out before you, ‘Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land,’ but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is dispossessing them before you.”

God’s working for Israel has never been about Israel deserving it.
No one is saying that Israel deserves salvation.

But when you say that God has replaced her
You bring tremendous accusation
Against the faithfulness and character of God.

We believe Israel will be saved for this reason only.
God said they would, and He never breaks His word.

(21) “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.”

In looking at this verse we have to ask some questions here
To make sure we understand what is going on.

We know this verse follows
God’s promise that His own arm would bring salvation to Israel.

Specifically He said:
(20) “A Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD.”

Redemption and salvation are coming.

And then we come to verse 21.
“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,”

So the first question we have to ask is, “What is the covenant”?
• He says, “this is My covenant with them”
• What is the “this” He is talking about?

WELL IT MUST BE SALVATION.
Salvation is the point of the final 5 verses of chapter 20.

God just said that He would do for them what they could not and would not do for themselves.
• His “own arm would bring salvation” to Him.

Clearly God is talking about a promise He made to save.

That makes the next question important,
We have to ask is, “Who is “them”?
• Who are the recipients of this covenantal promise of God?
• Who are the recipients of this promise of God to save?

And the text only allows for one answer.

(59:20) “Zion…those who turn from transgression in Jacob”

This covenant which God is referring to here is a covenant with Zion.
• It is a covenant with Jacob.
• It is a covenant with Israel.
• It is a covenant with the Jews.

And I don’t think you have the liberty to make some sort of spiritual swap here to accommodate a theology of replacement.

Even Calvin said:
“The Scripture declares that the race of Abraham, by lineal descent, had been peculiarly accepted by God. And it is the evident doctrine of Paul concerning the natural descendants of Abraham, that they are holy branches which have proceeded from a holy root, (Romans 11:16.) And lest any one should restrict this assertion to the shadows of the law, or should evade it by allegory, he elsewhere expressly declares, that Christ came to be a minister of the circumcision, (Romans 15:8.) Wherefore, nothing is more certain, than that God made his covenant with those sons of Abraham who were naturally to be born of him.”
(cited on twitter by @jonharris1989 on 10/10/24)

I am well-aware that
• “they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel.” (Rom. 3:6)
• “nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s
descendants.” (Rom. 3:7)
• They were told not to say, “We have Abraham for our father” (Matt. 3:9)
• “it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham” (Gal. 3:7)

AND WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE.
No Jew is saved and going to heaven
Just because He is a physical descendant of Abraham.

But the promise God made was not just to a spiritual people.
He spoke literal, physical, ethnic Israel.

And the promise is that He will not stop until He has saved them.

So now we have God making a promise at the end of chapter 59
To send salvation.

And then God says, “This is My covenant with them”
As if to say, “Why wouldn’t I come to save them, I made promises to them”

Here you have God, in a sense, defending His own right to save.

Isaiah spent the last ten chapters outlining the sinfulness of Israel.
• How they rejected Christ
• How they crucified Christ
• How they seek ceremonial religion over repentance
• How they blame God for not being able to save

We pointed out Sunday night that you can easily see
Their total depravity or absolute inability.

Isaiah has pointed out their bloody hands,
Their lying tongues, their pathetic benevolence.

By the time you get to verse 15 you can almost hear Isaiah throw up his hands in agreement that Israel doesn’t even deserve salvation.

(15a) “Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey.”

It’s like he says, “You know what God, You’re right, these people are pure evil and they don’t deserve salvation.”

But the verse doesn’t even end
Before God steps in and promises to save them anyway.

And perhaps you’d wonder why God would save them
With them being so clearly depraved and wicked.

And God says: BECAUSE I MADE A COVENANT WITH THEM!

DO WE REMEMBER THIS?
Genesis 15:7-8 “And He said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” He said, “O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?”

And do you remember what God did?
• He cut a covenant with Abraham.
• Abraham took the animals, cut them in pieces and God passed through the pieces.
• God made a promise to Abraham.

We see it again:
Genesis 17:1-8 “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly.” Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. “No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. “I have made you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. “I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

These are promises He reiterated to Isaac and to Jacob.
• God made promises to them.
• Promises of salvation.
• And He will do it.

“for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”

In fact, even though Israel broke their covenant with Moses,
God has promised a New Covenant to them.

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

God has promised that one day
He will write His Law on their hearts and save them.

Ezekiel 36:26-28 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. “You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.”

And if you want to see what it will look like when God does this.

Zechariah 12:10-13:1 “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. “In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. “The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves; all the families that remain, every family by itself and their wives by themselves. “In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.”

God made promises.
God made a covenant.
God does not break His word.

• Yes, Israel has rejected their Messiah.
• Yes, Israel is currently broken off.
• Yes, Israel is a state of total depravity.
• No, they are not interested in Christ.
• No, they will not and cannot come of their own accord.
• Yes, it looks like a totally bleak situation.

BUT GOD MADE PROMISES!
AND HE IS GOING TO SAVE THEM.

“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD:”

BUT THERE IS MORE.

Next we have to ask, “Who is “you”?

“My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.”

Well, we know “you” isn’t Israel, because “them” is Israel.

We have here another reference to God’s mysterious servant
Who has shown up repeatedly in Isaiah.
• You know the servant who, in chapter 50, was given the tongue of a disciple who gave His back to those who strike Him?
• You know the servant of chapter 52&53 who was marred more than any man and who was pierced through for our transgressions.

Here God announces that even though this servant was rejected, His message will never be broken.

And this makes sense to us even later in the book.
Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

We know that Isaiah 61 is a reference to Jesus
• Because when Jesus went to Nazareth in Luke 4
• He read that passage and said, “Today these words have been fulfilled in your hearing.”

So the servant whom God’s Spirit is upon;
Who is preaching God’s words of salvation
IS NONE OTHER THAN CHRIST.

• The recipient of this message is Israel.
• The covenant is the New Covenant.
• And the messenger of it is Christ.

And God says, “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your moth shall not depart from your mouth…”

This message of the gospel…
And this message of the gospel to Israel…
WILL NEVER STOP BEING PROCLAIMED.

• God will never write them off.
• God will never give them up totally.
• There is a remnant today and God will never stop preaching to them.

These “words” that God is referring to must be the message of the gospel.

Who are the “offspring”of this servant?
• It must be believers.
• It must be those who believe the message.

And we will never stop proclaiming to Israel the message of her salvation.

I think it is incredibly foolish, but also disobedient
To adopt some kind of theology whereby God has broken all of His promises with Israel and has written them off as those replaced by the Gentile church.

Paul certainly never did that.
Romans 9:1-5 “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.”

Romans 10:1-4 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

Oh, I know Paul often said, “From now on I am going to the Gentiles”
• But have you ever read those passages?
• He never followed through with that threat very good.

• You still find him going synagogue to synagogue.
• One time he left and went into the house next door to the synagogue to preach.
• Even in the last chapter of Acts Paul is in prison in Rome and still preaching to Jews.

THE POINT IS, GOD IS NEVER GIVING UP ON HIS PEOPLE.
Despite their unbelief and obvious depravity,
God made a promise and He will keep it.

He said He would save them and He will save them.

In fact Paul quoted Isaiah 59:21 in Romans 11.
Romans 11:26-27 “and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” “THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”

And even as a Gentile church, currently enjoying the blessings of a covenant you were grafted in to, you rejoice in this!

That God is faithful, and He keeps His promises.

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES AND YOU CAN BANK ON THEM TOO!

You don’t have to wonder if you might somehow
Ruin the salvation that God has promised you.

Our hope and our guarantees
Are not based on our ability to maintain a standard,
But on the character of God to keep His promises.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”

2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”

We hold to that too.

And in our day of rising antisemitism
And even reckless theology that nullifies so many Old Testament promises,

I think it is important to remind you today that our God is faithful
And you can still believe every promise He ever made.

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Where Is This Salvation You Speak Of? – part 3
Isaiah 59:1-60:22 (59:15b-20)
October 6, 2024

So the question we’ve been asking is:
Where is this salvation you speak of?

By now you know where we’ve come from.

We know about the atonement which Christ came to secure in chapter 53.
• We know how He bore our iniquities and propitiated the wrath of God.

As a result we saw God calling:
• The barren
• The rejected
• The eunuch
• The foreigner
• The humble

In chapter 55
• He told those who were thirsty to come.
• Even if you have no money, come.

Isaiah 55:1 “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.”

In chapter 56 He said:
Isaiah 56:1 “Thus says the LORD, “Preserve justice and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed.”

In chapter 57 he told them:
Isaiah 57:15 “For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.”

It was all about God’s promised salvation.
• It is coming to the humble.
• It is coming to the broken.
• It is coming to the barren.
• It is coming to the helpless.
• It is coming to the hopeless.

SALVATION IS ON ITS WAY!

And that is where we first encountered the pushback of Israel.

Because we came to chapter 58 and we hear Israel in clear frustration.

Isaiah 58:3a “‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’”

IN OTHER WORDS:
Where is the salvation you speak of?

Well, for the last chapter and a half
God has been addressing that frustration.

I promised salvation.
You have not received it.
And you can’t figure out why.

First of all, that thing you call humility isn’t really humility.
• Humility is not ceremonial
• Humility is not temporary
• Humility is not symbolic

If you really want to fast…
• Fast from selfishness and start breaking the oppression of sin.
• Fast from selfishness and stop hiding from the poor.
• Fast from selfishness and start delighting in the Sabbath.

Secondly, you think I haven’t been able to save due to My short arms and dull ears.

But you have yet to realize why you are in the predicament you are in.

The problem is your sin!
• You’ve still got the same bloody hands you had when I sent you into exile.
• You’ve still got the same lying tongue you had when I sent you into exile.
• You still don’t care for the poor.
• You still don’t walk in justice.
• Your life is filled with transgression and iniquity and denial and defection.

And so if we could SUM UP the past few chapters
We understand better were we are now in this great dialogue.

1. God sends salvation through Christ. (Ch. 53)
2. God calls men to come to that salvation in Christ. (Ch. 54-57)
3. But men don’t come.
4. They persist in their selfishness.
5. They persist in their sin.
6. And they wonder why God has yet to save them. (Ch. 58)

God answers that their lack of salvation
Is not due to His lack of faithfulness or lack of power.

7. Their lack of salvation is due to their persistence in sin.
8. They have yet to repent and He has yet to save. (Ch. 59)

And THIS MORNING we actually heard Isaiah confessing that.

(59:12-15a) “For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And we know our iniquities: Transgressing and denying the LORD, And turning away from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words. Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter. Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey.”

Things should be crystal clear by now.
• You haven’t experienced salvation because you have yet to humble yourself and repent and cry out for it.
• You’re still trying to prove that you deserve it by reason of your pathetic fasts and empty works. And neither of them have worked for you.

SO THUS FAR, DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM?
We are talking about Israel’s TOTAL DEPRAVITY or Absolute Inability.

Can you see that?

We know what total depravity is,
It is that doctrine whereby we believe that due to the fall of man in Adam, mankind is dead in sin and absolutely unable to come to God of his own volition.

It is the reality that man is dead in sin and even his will,
Which he is free to exercise, is fallen
And does not and cannot come to God.

And over the course of the last 6 chapters Isaiah has proven that.

We even noticed that segment early in chapter 59
• That reads remarkably similar to Paul’s great segment on totally depravity in Romans 3.

Isaiah 59:4-8 “No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly. They trust in confusion and speak lies; They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. They hatch adders’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from that which is crushed a snake breaks forth. Their webs will not become clothing, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And an act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Devastation and destruction are in their highways. They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, Whoever treads on them does not know peace.”

It sounds just like Paul.
• In fact, Paul actually quoted part of that in his great statement.

We have seen the absolute inability or total depravity of Israel clearly.
• They aren’t coming.
• They aren’t repenting.
• They are lost and in a pitiful state.

There is not a thing in them that is the least bit worthy of salvation.
• They do not deserve it.
• They cannot reach it.
• They aren’t close to it.
• They are helpless and hopeless.

And as we have said,
That remains the state of Israel down to this very day.

Paul said it:
Romans 11:7-10 “What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, “GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.” And David says, “LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. “LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.”

2 Corinthians 3:14 “But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.”

THAT IS ISRAEL.

It certainly does not mean that no Jews are saved at all,
For Paul himself was a Jew and even today we see a remnant that believes.

But by in large, Israel continues to walk in the same stubbornness
Isaiah lamented 2,700 years ago.

Such a rejection has even caused many in our day
To completely write Israel off as though it is over for them.

• I hear people today who say that there is no longer any hope for Israel
• Some have even begun to develop again a type of antisemitism towards them.
• Some even go so far as to embrace a sort of “replacement theology” where the church is now Israel.

And they justify it by talking about
How crooked and immoral and backward the nation of Israel is today.

But that is the point…
• They are totally depraved.
• They are absolutely unable.
• They are totally lost and have no hope in and of themselves.

And it has led many to ask the question:
Where is this salvation you speak of?

And tonight we get the answer:
IT’S ON ITS WAY!

So thus far in the chapter we’ve seen:
#1 THE LORD’S REPROACH
Isaiah 59:1-8

#2 THE PROPHET’S RESPONSE
Isaiah 59:9-15a

Well now let’s examine the salvation that God promised.

#3 THE MESSIAH’S REDEMPTION
Isaiah 59:15b-20

The dilemma and timing here is no different
Than the passages we read all throughout the New Testament.

How many times have we fallen in love
With the “But God…” statements of the New Testament.

• We were dead in our trespasses and sins…but God (Eph. 2:4)
• We once were also foolish ourselves…but when the kindness of God
(Titus 3:4)
• There were not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble…but God
(1 Cor. 1:27)
• We were held in bondage…but when the fullness of the time came God
(Gal. 4:4)
• Paul said, “I used to persecute the church”…but when God (Gal. 1:15)

It is always during the darkest circumstances
That the gospel comes and shines the brightest.

Isaiah has carried us to the depths of despair
As he has clearly outlined for us the totally depravity of Israel.

Proud, stubborn, hypocritical, blood-thirsty, deceptive, apostate, unjust, unrighteous…LOST PEOPLE

But then we read in the middle of verse 15, “Now the LORD saw…”

It is during the dark moment of their depravity
That God answers the question.
HERE IS YOUR SALVATION.

Let’s see how God addresses the total depravity of Israel (4 points)

1) HIS REACTION (15b-16a)

“Now the LORD saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;”

Isaiah draws our attention here to the recognition of the LORD.
Twice we read that God “saw”.

• Israel is blind, but God can see.
• Israel is dear, but God can hear.
• Israel is hardened, but God is moved.

They can’t save themselves, but God can.

And we see in these verses two responses from God.

• We read at the end of verse 15, “it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.”

• We read at the beginning of verse 16 that He “was astonished that there was no one to intercede;”

So let’s discuss this reaction of God.
Namely that of displeasure and astonishment.

FIRST, “it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.”

It is God’s recognition of the absolute wickedness of the people
He had promised to save.

“displeasing” is RA-AW
It means “to be bad; to be evil; injurious or wicked”
It can be translated “hostile” or “grieved”

In that passage on benevolence we read a couple of weeks ago, it is translated both of those ways.

Deuteronomy 15:9-10 “Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you. “You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.”

• Don’t be “hostile” toward your brother.
• Don’t be “grieved” when you give to him.

That is the same word as “displeasing” here.

And we simply find that there is nothing in God
That is happy or rejoicing about the sinful state of Israel.

He sees that there is “no justice”.

And there is nothing funny or laughable or redeemable about that to God.
• He is grieved about the level of their sinfulness.
• He is displeased, He is hostile, He is distressed.
• It is bad, it is evil, it is wicked in His sight.

We are therefore talking about the type of people
That don’t appear to be worth saving.
These are a displeasing people.

This is not like a puppy clinging to a board floating down the river yelping at you with terrified eyes.

This is a criminal floating down the river, blaming you for the river while giving you the finger, and telling you how much he hates you.

These are a people who according to verse 13
• Transgress and deny the LORD,
• Who speak oppression and revolt
• And who conceive and utter lying words.

The people He is gazing upon are displeasing people.
“it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.”

SECONDLY: “And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;”

First we recognize that it was absolutely apparent to God that He is the only possible salvation.
• “there was no man”
• “there was no one to intercede;”

Ezekiel 22:30 “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.”

Isaiah 63:5 “I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me.”

It is that affirmation of the fact that Paul states.
“There is none good, not even one.”
“There is none who seeks for God.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

These vile and filthy undeserving sinners
Have absolutely no one who can save them.

• There is no man…
• There is no political leader…
• There is no moral uprising…
• They are doomed.

And we read that because of that God was “astonished”

“astonished” translates SHAW-MAME

It is actually often translated as “desolate”
As when speaking about a wasteland or the aftermath of judgment.

And thus, when talking about a person’s emotion it is translated as
“astounded; stupefied; put to silence; devastated; appalled”

Psalms 143:4 “Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart is appalled within me.”

Job 21:5 “Look at me, and be astonished, And put your hand over your mouth.”

And this is what is said of the LORD’S reaction to the sinful state of Israel.
He is displeased with their sin and He is appalled at their fate.
He recognizes their pitiful state and that they deserve to be there.

And thus you understand that we are about to talk about
UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION.
• These were NOT a people who deserved salvation
• These were NOT a people who with a little help might be able to save themselves.
• These are people who deserve destruction and that is exactly where they are headed.
• It’s like they’re not even trying.
• And God is astonished at the reality of what is about to happen to them.

IT IS A DARK REALITY
AND GRACE IS ABOUT TO ENTER THE ARENA.

His reaction
2) HIS RESOLVE (16b-17)

“Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.”

What you need to see first here is that
Everything that occurs in these verses is caused by God.

• “His own arm brought salvation”
• “His righteousness upheld Him”
• “He put on righteousness”
• “He put on…a helmet of salvation”
• “He put on garments of vengeance”
• “He…wrapped Himself with zeal”

In fact, Calvin points out that the word “astonished” in verse 16 is in the Hitpael stem.

(Hebrew vowels have different stems or conjugation which change their meanings)

And simply put the Hitpael stem indicates that
Astonishment is something that God cast onto Himself.

No one made God care about the sinner under judgment.
No one coerced God to have compassion on him.

God’s astonishment is something God determined for Himself to have.
He determined to have that feeling towards the sinner
He did it to Himself.

And because of His own self-imposed horror at the judgment of the wicked God moved Himself to intervene.
• The man did not deserve it…
• But God motivated Himself to give it…

This is nothing but pure grace on the part of God.
This is what we call UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION.

God did it only at the prompting of His own amazing grace.

He was resolved by His own nature to save one
Who did not deserve salvation and who could not save himself.

And we are so thankful that this is who God is.
For we all are in that condition.
• We are so thankful that God saves sinners who do not deserve it.
• We are so thankful that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
• We are so thankful that God is motivated by perfect love and grace and
compassion.

THAT IS CLEARLY WHAT WE SEE HERE.

“Then His own arm brought salvation to Him…”

That is none other than the arm of Isaiah 53.
“To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed..?”
This is Jesus Christ.

“And His righteousness upheld Him.”

WHAT GOD IS ABOUT TO DO
IS NOT a result of the righteousness of the sinner,
IT IS a result of His own righteousness.

What He is about to do is to demonstrate His righteousness and glory.
What He is about to do is about His perfection not the sinners worth.

Those today who turn salvation into some sort of testimony
About their great value or worth totally miss the point of salvation.

• Salvation is a demonstration of God’s amazing grace.
• Salvation is a demonstration of God’s unfailing love.
• Salvation is a demonstration of God’s perfect righteousness.

Romans 3:21-26 “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Well that is what is happening here.
God is about to save to demonstrate His own righteousness and glory.

He is about to dive into that stream
To save that vile and wicked helpless sinner.

And in verse 17 you see Him preparing Himself to do so.

(17) “He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.”

It is an interesting attire we see our Lord choosing.

“He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head…”

By this part of His attire, we certainly see the work of salvation.
And we know this is what He will do for Israel.

Now, it is important to understand
That what is spoken of here is NOT Christ’s first coming, but His second.

• At this point, His first coming has happened.
• At that coming He took up human flesh and dwelt among us.
• At that coming He concealed His glory.

That coming culminated in Isaiah 53
With Him laying down His life as an atonement for sin.

What Isaiah sees here is His second coming,
But it is a coming that has implications of salvation for Israel.

They long to be delivered from their enemies.
• They have not seen it,
• They do not presently enjoy it,
• But Christ will come and bring it.

HE WILL COME TO SAVE HIS OWN.
We know that Israel will one day “look on Him whom they have pierced.”
That day is coming.

That is seen in the first part of His attire.

But we also see the second part of His attire.

“And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.”

He is coming to save His people
Through the destruction of their enemies.

That man floating down the river not only needs to be pulled from the water,
But someone needs to kill the crocodiles that are trying to kill him.

Our Savior is determined by His own resolve
To save and defend the very one
Who does not deserve to be saved or defended.

• He is bringing justice to the one who has rejected justice.
• He is bringing righteousness to the one who has rejected righteousness.
• He is bringing salvation to the one who rebelled against His commands.

AND HE IS DOING IT ALONE.

Isaiah 63:1-6 “Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? “I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. “For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come. “I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me. “I trod down the peoples in My anger And made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

There was no one to help.
There was not one to save.
I DID IT ALONE.

His Reaction, His Resolve
3) HIS RECOMPENSE (18)

“According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense.”

That one coming from Bozrah
Will come and bring the justice that has been missing.

His people have been oppressed and afflicted by their enemies.
• For sure it was their own fault and a result of their own sin,

But Christ has not taken lightly the affliction that was poured upon them.
• These people afflicted His people.
• These people attacked His bride.
• He will get even.

And He will deliver out His fury and recompense
Upon those who harmed her.

We see it in Revelation 14 when He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God and the blood runs through the streets to the height of the horses bridle for a distance of 100 miles.

We see in Revelation 19 when He returns and destroys His enemies with the sword and the birds of the air come and gorge themselves on their flesh.

He comes to deliver His people by crushing their enemies.
• They do not deserve it.
• They are depraved to the core.
• But they are His people and He will save them.

Certainly it was God who sent His people to Egypt,
• But did He not crush the Egyptians for afflicting His people?

Certainly it was God who raised up the enemies during the period of the Judges,
• But did He not crush the Philistines and Moabites and Ammonites and any other nation who afflicted His people?

Certainly God raised up Assyria,
• But then He crushed Assyria for afflicting His people.

Certainly God raised up Babylon,
• But then He crushed Babylon for afflicting His people.

• This was true for Persia…
• This was true for Greece…
• This was true for Rome…

And it holds true even today.
Israel has been a wayward child deserving of His punishment.
They are where they are as a result of their sin and denial of God.

But do not think that God is not coming to save them.
And do not think God will not deal harshly with those who afflicted them.

Zechariah 2:8-12 “For thus says the LORD of hosts, “After glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. “For behold, I will wave My hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me. “Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares the LORD. “Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. “The LORD will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”

People today who write off Israel
Because of their apostasy and immorality
Totally miss the point.

They’ve been that way since the beginning.
• They were never chosen because of their goodness, but because of God’s grace.
• They have not continued because of their endurance, but because of God’s grace.
• They will not be saved because of their worth, but because of God’s grace.

He will save them and render recompense to the One who afflicts them.

His Reaction, His Resolve, His Recompense
4) HIS RENOWN (19)

“So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives.”

This is the response of the world
When they see what God does for His people.

“they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun (east).”

• The world will not marvel at the ingenuity of Israel…
• The world will not marvel at the worth of Israel…
• The world will not marvel at the power of Israel…

The world will marvel at the glory, might, majesty, and power, of the Lord.

“For He will come like a rushing stream which the wind of the LORD drives.”

I think recent images of the effects of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina
Should suffice to fill in the gaps
Of what a rushing stream driven by a strong wind can do.

WHEN CHRIST COMES
He will come in full fury and power to deliver His people.

His salvation is on its way.
It is coming.
• Not because Israel deserves it…
• Not because Israel asked the right way for it…
• Not because Israel will work hard enough to achieve it…

IT WILL COME:
• Because God is gracious and glorious.
• Because He will cause Himself to be motivated to help despite their rebellion
and immorality.
• To be a demonstration to the world that those whom He has chosen are His
and they will be His and nothing and no one can undo that.
• In mighty rage and power to deliver those who have been afflicted by their
enemies.

This salvation is coming.

And then we come to this very important closing statement.
(20) “A Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD.”

Redemption is coming.
And it is coming for those who repent.

NOW WE COME FULL CIRCLE DON’T WE.

God has sent salvation,
Which Israel has steadfastly rejected in their refusal to repent.
• They have moaned and groaned under the consequences of their sin.
• They have questioned and lamented and complained against God.

Israel has wondered where is this salvation that God has spoken of?

And here God gives the answer.
“It is coming, just as soon as you repent.”

Acts 3:17-26 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. “Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’ “For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

Peter could not have spoken more clearly to the Jews.
• This salvation is for you.
• It has always been for you.
• God has spoken about it for years.
• And when you repent and return and turn from your wicked ways
• God will send His Christ to you and usher in those days of restoration.

The salvation of Christ is as near as your repentance.
THAT IS THE ANSWER.

False humility and ceremonial fasting won’t do it.
Rejecting Christ for your own works won’t do it.
But when you repent and call on Him, He will come with vengeance!

NEXT TIME we’ll see the glories of what that looks like.