Isaiah 11

So far in Isaiah 6-10, we have seen a number of problems with God’s people. King Ahaz is characterised by unbelief (7.12), they fear things other than the Lord (8.12-13), the Northern Kingdom is characterised by pride (9.9), false teaching (9.16), devouring one another (9.21) and gross injustice (10.1). As a result, there will be destruction of the land (10.23).

However, there have been glimmers of hope - the ‘holy seed’ of 6.13, Immanuel of chapters 7 and 8, the child who will reign on David’s throne whose government will be ever increasing (9.6-7) and who will establish an era of peace, justice and righteousness, and the remnant of 10.20.

The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ prophesied in Isaiah 11 in many ways continues that trajectory of hope and provides the solution to those problems. He is the Spirit-anointed king (v. 2), descended from Jesse (v. 1), who will be wise, understanding and might, whose fear is in the Lord (vv. 2-3) who reigns and judges justly (vv. 3-4). The ‘fruit’ that the branch from the roots of Jesse bears is described in the terms of a vivid metaphor in vv. 6-9. We shouldn’t be surprised at this kind of language, given the genre of this section of Isaiah. It is poetry, after all. We have already had lots of imagery - Assyria is a bee and a razor (ch. 7), a mighty river (ch. 8), a forest (ch. 10). Moreover, similar language is used in ch. 65, which also talks about the longevity of the people - ‘the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed’. I think there is good grounds for thinking that Isaiah 11.6-9 is therefore not talking about the new creation which will be established when Christ returns, but about the present reign of the Messiah. Isaiah 65.17 speaks of this state of affairs as a new heavens and a new earth - through Christ’s reign, the new creation is being established now, on this earth, although it will only be fully consummated when Christ returns. Richard Sibbes has this to say about this portion of Scripture:

“It, by way of prophecy, foretelleth what shall be the fruits of Christ’s kingdom under the gospel, shewing that miraculous change Christ should make upon men, shadowed out in the scripture under the similitude of beasts, as lions, wolves, bears, leopards, &c. The sum whereof is, that God will take from us that fierceness, malignity, and bitterness of nature in us, and bring us, in place thereof, to a loving, sweet, mild, and meek society together.” - Works vii, p. 129

The reason for this is in v. 9. Sibbes goes on to say:

“And this is the reason which is added why there shall be no hurt nor destroying in all this holy mountain, because the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea; meaning there shall then be an abundant knowledge, which shall keep everyone within their limits, everyone knowing his duty, so maintaining a mutual peace in all this holy mountain.” - Works vii, p. 129-130

The earth being filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea will be seen in the gospel age. The time when that happens, is the time when the nations shall enquire of the root of Jesse who stands as a signal for the peoples (v. 10), when the nations, and the exiles of Israel, are gathered together as one (v. 12) under him. The apostle Paul describes God’s mercy to the Gentiles through the gospel as the fulfilling of this prophecy. Christ’s resting-place, that is, where he reigns, will be glorious (v. 10). We have seen how the Northern and Southern kingdoms were hostile to one another. That will come to an end (v. 13). This is described in terms of those who rally to the signal the Lord has raised - Christ - conquering and plundering and ruling over the Gentile nations (v. 14). This is a second exile, described again in poetic terms (vv. 15-16).

In terms of the implications of the text, it holds out hope for God’s people still living very much in a society like that described in chapters 6-10. It impresses upon us the goodness of Christ’s reign and the transformation he brings in people’s lives, which should increase our love for him. It should humble us when our behaviour is out of tune with the behaviour that characterises Christ kingdom and cause us to repent and pray for him to change us. It should strengthen our trust in and commitment to the Lord Jesus - he is the signal the Lord has raised for the peoples, that they may flock to him and know his blessing. It should give us confidence in our evangelism, to know that in the long-term, there will be much fruit. And it should motivate our prayers: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” is what we should be praying for the world now.

Isaiah 6 and the remnant

“And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.”
The holy seed is its stump. - Isaiah 6.13

Isaiah is commissioned to preach a message which will harden the hearts of the people of Judah, who will be judged. (Isaiah 6.8-12). Nevertheless, there will be a faithful remnant, the “holy seed”. Jesus takes these words and applies them to his own ministry (Mark 4.10-12 and parallels), as does Paul (Acts 28.23-31). Now in applying these verses to ourselves, we have to be careful to pay attention to the context. One objection to postmillennialism I have encounted is the emphasis the Scriptures place on a remnant being saved, i.e. a small number, rather than the vast majority of the world. In these cases here, the audience of the preaching which hardens is the Jews. The consequence is judgment, in Isaiah’s day that would at the hands of the Babylonians in 596/587 BC, and in Jesus’ and Paul’s day, that would be at the hands of the Romans in AD 70. Nevertheless, a remnant is saved. In the text from Isaiah, the remnant is the faithful people of God, from which the Messiah would come. In the New Testament appropriations of that text, the remnant consists of the Messiah, who emerges from the remnant promised in Isaiah, and those Jews who are joined to him. But this has no bearing on the final proportion of the saved. Through Christ and his people, salvation then goes out to the whole world, as the gospel goes out and people respond in faith. And that is consistent with the hope of a vastly saved world. Now it remains to be said that we can apply texts like Isaiah 6, Mark 4 and Acts 28 typologically: like those situations, our preaching can have the effect of hardening people, for God is sovereign in salvation and it belongs to him alone to open ears and eyes and grant repentance. The judgments of Israel in 596/587 BC and AD 70 are anticipations of the future judgment of those whose ears and eyes in God’s sovereignty are not opened by the preaching of the gospel.

Isaiah 49

Below are the links to the two sermons I preached at Bethany Evangelical Church in Swinton on Sunday 30th December 2007:

Isaiah 49.1-13 (33:36, 7.69MB)
Isaiah 49.14-26 (30:58, 7.09MB)

Isaiah 49.14-26

Order of Service

Introduction
Sentence of Scripture
Hymn: A debtor to mercy alone
Confession: Psalm 130
Open Prayer
Hymn: O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Readings: Isaiah 49.14-26, 2 Peter 3
Hymn: Immortal honours rest on Jesus’ head
Sermon
Hymn: When peace like a river
Blessing

Sermon Outline

Introduction

Opening illustration: Home Alone - Kevin is forgotten, left alone and in danger. Does it ever feel like that with God? Israel felt like that. It seemed as though the promises we heard this morning weren’t going to materialise and that God had turned his back on them (v. 14). Lamentations 2.10-13, 15-16 gives a snapshot of their experience. Looking back on the past year, can you identify with that (mourning, bereavement, financial struggles, ill health, no sympathy, sorrow at the state of the church - attendance declining, The God Delusion, fruitless evangelism)? We’re citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem gathered around Christ in heaven and we have God’s promises of salvation in Christ, but so often our experience feels far from that (v. 14). It’s a vital issue to resolve. At stake are God’s character and reputation - he appears to be weak and powerless or untrustworthy. If that’s true, our preaching and faith are in vain. God in his tenderness speaks but doesn’t promise what we want - present, visible proof of his commitment to us. He takes us to the heart of the believer’s experience (v. 23). God says, “I will prove my character and finally act to deliver you at a time in the future, so in the meantime keep trusting in me.” God’s promise finds its clearest expression in the person and work of Christ. God wants us to see two aspects of the future hope:

1  The Lord will gather his people (vv. 15-23)

It’s unlikely that a woman will forget her own child but occasionally it does happen. God’s love is stronger than that. His people are never out of his sight. Some people write on their hands to remind them of things but the bond between God and his people is as permanent as if he has carved them in stone. Illustration of old tombstones or similar. Future of God’s people guaranteed by his eternal self-existence - “As I live” (v. 18). The future of God’s people is an end to destruction, there will be rebuilding, people will be gathered. It will happen because God will summon the nations who will bring God’s people with them and they will humble themselves and come to God himself (vv. 22-23). This will prove that he is the LORD, the promise-keeping God (cf. Exodus 3) and those who wait for him will not be put to shame. This is referring immediately to the return from exile and we can see that this was partially fulfilled from e.g. the book of Ezra and Cyrus’ edict. The promise was not ultimately fulfilled then - the people continued to know oppression. With the coming of Christ, we have to understand the fulfilment of these promises inthe light of him. Jerusalem is in heaven, and the promise of God’s people returning to the land brought on the shoulders of the nations is fulfilled as human beings, Jew and Gentile, put their trust in Christ for forgiveness and so become citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem. We have seen that happen down the ages. We have seen v. 23 happen down the ages, for example in Constantine and/or Edward VI. We’re still waiting for the promise to be fulfilled - we still do not experience the great blessing held out hear. We will when Christ returns and brings in the New Creation and the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven like a bride. God has engraved his people on the palms of his hands and so he will not forget us but will bring us to stand in the great multitude that no one could number from every nation. We can have much more confidence living after the coming of Christ that as God’s people we will not be put to shame. Let’s keep trusting in him. True saving faith is persevering faith (cf Hebrews 10.39). When it seems as though the Lord has forgotten us and when we’re tempted to pack it all in, let’s keep living for him (cf. 2 Peter 3.13-14).

2  The Lord will conquer his enemies (vv. 24-26)

Under normal circumstances, there is no hope for prey or prisoners when captured by a hunting animal or a powerful ruler. This time, the captives shall be rescued and the prey released because God will enter the battle and he will save his people and defeat those who oppress them. Illustration of prisoners of war being freed by the Allies in WW2. It will be horrific for the enemies of God’s people (v. 26). To turn away from the eternal God is a terrible thing and God will place his curse, his just punishment on them (cf. curse language of Deuteronomy 28 in which the Israelites eating their own children because she will be besieged for forsaking God). Drunkenness is a picture of God’s judgement - reeling, staggering and falling down as a result of his right anger. This was again partially fulfilled in the return from exile in the 6th century BC and the Babylonians are defeated by the Persians. The real problem is sin. This is why God handed his people over in the first place. It affects us all and we’re all captive to a mighty power - Satan. He accuses us before God because of our sin. Christ said he would bind the strong man and plunder his goods, i.e. defeat the devil and rescue people from him. He did this when he took the punishment for the sins of his people on the cross. There he disarmed all the powers of the world in opposition to God and his people. We’re still waiting for this to be fully seen (2 Thessalonians 1.6-9). People, even ministers within Christ’s church, are unable to accept this. Extract from a sermon I came across. But from Isaiah 49, God’s judgment is vital (v. 26b). It demonstrates his love and faithfulness to his people. A husband who lives his wife will be rightly indignant if someone threatened to harm her and will want to protect her. To do nothing would show little love and commitment. We can be much more certain of this than Israel and so we can trust him because we live after the death and resurrection of Christ (cf. Paul in Acts 17). This has implications for the shape our waiting for the Lord should take. It’s easy to become bitter and seek revenge, but if we grasp the message of these verses, we will be set free to continue living and working along side those who harm us, serving and doing good to them (Romans 12.19-21). If one is not a Christian believer, hear the warning of these vv. to all who remain enemies of God and his people, which we all are by nature. Do what the nations do in v. 23 - humble yourself. Put your trust in Christ and you will be gathered into God’s people, know his unfailing love and be brought to live in his new world.

Conclusion

Repeat headings - two aspects of our future hope that means we can know the Lord does not forsake or forget his people. Repeat v. 23b.

Isaiah 49.1-13

I have the very great privilege of leading and preaching at the morning and evening services at Bethany Evangelical Church in Swinton, where I happen to know the pastor, on December 30th. I thought I’d take the opportunity to do a little mini-series on Isaiah 49.

Order of Service

Welcome
Verse from Scripture
Hymn: As with gladness men of old
Prayer (of confession)
Children’s talk (probably on Simeon)
Open prayer
Readings: Isaiah 49.1-13, Luke 2.21-38
Hymn: Hail to the Lord’s Anointed
Sermon
Hymn: O for a thousand tongues to sing
Communion: Exhortation based on themes from Isaiah 49 (the Servant’s sufferings and the promise that ‘they shall not hunger or thirst’), Reading of words of institution, prayer from Valley of Vision
Hymn: Joy to the world
Prayer (of blessing)

Isaiah 49.1-13 Notes

Introduction

“We don’t do God.” Tony Blair’s recent comments about why he wasn’t open about his faith during his time in office - “People think your’re a nutter.” This captures what many people feel: faith is something for the private sphere. One person’s comments to the effect that the secularists who dismiss faith as nothing more than private are mistaken in their understanding of faith. Isaiah would agree. See v. 1: this is a highly public message. From chapter 40, Isaiah brings a message of comfort from God to his exiled people. We meet the Servant through whom God will achieve his purposes. The promises are fulfilled in Christ’s birth and subsequent life. Christmas has implications for the whole world. Isaiah wants us to see this by showing us 3 things about the Lord’s Servant

1 The Servant’s calling is powerful (vv. 1-4)

He is called by God himself to be his servant and to do his work. He is the true Israel. God appoints him even before he was born. To be the servant is the reason he is born (v. 5). From the beginning, he has been given his commission from God himself and so his power extends over everything. He has been equipped powerfully. His mouth is like a sharp sword. His words are words of judgment against the wicked (cf. Isaiah 11). God speaks of his own words in this way (cf. Hosea 6). The Servant’s power is guaranteed: the Lord protects and upholds him. Illustration: the British Government is Her Majesty’s Government. The authority to run the country is hers. She gives authority to them so they have power to run the state. Similarly, the eternal God has given his power which extends over all to his servant, but his power is permanent. It is his by right. His power is not obvious. He looks weak (v. 4a, v. 7a). One day God will prove his power to all (v. 4b, v. 7b)

Hundreds of years later an angel appears to Mary. Read Luke 2.31-35 - here is the man, called to his task from the womb, named from the body of his mother, formed by the power of God (the Holy Spirit). He’s more than a man. He’s God-man, God the Son who has taken upon himself a further human nature. His words have the weapon-like character of God’s words in the present (Revelation 2 and Pergamum) and in the future (Revelation 19). He didn’t always look powerful. He went to the cross. But he was raised from the dead.

We can’t ignore Jesus, though there’s great pressure to do so. His word is the word that judges the world so we must listen to him now. This means a commitment to Scripture as individuals and as a church, hearing it and obeying it.

2 The Servant’s mission is universal (vv. 5-7)

The Servant is conceived and born for the task of bringing human beings from throughout the world back into a right relationship with God (vv. 5-6, 8). Isaiah starts with Israel. In immediate view is the return from exile to the land. The heart, however, is that they will be brought back to God. This is too small a thing. The LORD desires to honour the Servant. Only restoring the nations of the world will bring the Servant the honour the LORD wants him to have. The whole world has turned from God. We’re by nature separated from him. We’re his enemies. God is rightly angry with us. We deserve the judgment Christ will one day bring. We need saving. Illustration of an American aircraft flying in the fog, the lights on the instrument panel go off, they’re in danger of crashing in the darkness, but the co-pilot repairs the lights and they land safely and people are thankful to him. We’re all in the darkness of God’s right anger, in danger for the future, but God in his love gave the Servant to be a light in that darkness so that people from the ends of the earth are rescued as peace is made between them and God so they are safe. This is for people from every station in life, even rulers (v. 7b). The Servant is honoured as he receives the thanks and praise he is due for saving people.

Simeon is waiting for Israel’s consolation and sees Jesus. Read Luke 2.29-32. The Magi come from the east - the ends of the earth - to Bethlehem and fall down before him. Salvation is achieved through the servant’s sufferings, as he suffers and dies on the cross, bearing God’s wrath in the place of those he came to save.

The fundamental implication is that we must trust in Christ. No one is outside the scope of God’s invitation. No one is above all this. The first response salvation should produce in us is praise. We must also proclaim him - this is how Paul applied these verses. There can be no discrimination. We can’t write off people. The doors of the church must be open to all, whatever their background. To not do this is to be out of step with the Father’s will that the Son be honoured. We must also pray for the leaders of the nations. God has promised that the rulers of the world will grasp who Chrsit is and fall down before him. John in his vision sees kings bringing their glory into the New Jerusalem. For Christ’s honour let’s claim this promise in prayer. This is what Paul urged in 1 Timothy 2.

3 The Servant’s blessing is joyful (vv. 8-13)

God establishes his covenant with his people through the Servant whom he upholds, the Lord Jesus Christ who died and rose again. We see here the shape of the experience of those in the covenant - inheritance, release, freedom, provision, no want, security, rescue from being scattered. This is immediately referring to the return from exile but look at the grand language of v. 13. This is ultimately looking forward to the future experience of God’s people in the New Creation. There will be a transformation of creation itself. In Revelation 7, John has a vision of a great multitude from every nation and Isaiah 49.10 us applied to those saved through Christ. Illustration of the joy Nelson Mandea felt when released from prison - extract from autobiography. How much more should the delight of the Christian be having received compassion and comfort from God, having been saved from the wrath to come and looking forward to life in God’s new world. What comfort there is here to cling to in our time of need. Israel was still suffering in a foreign land and this message was meant to comfort them. We know forgiveness, we’re reconciled to God now, know his sovereign care over our lives now, we have been saved. But we’re still waiting to be saved. We’re still waiting for God’s promises to be finally fulfilled. We still suffer lack. We still suffer from external circumstances, hurtful things beyond our control. God’s promise to you, Christian believer, is that you will be brought into an inheritance in the New Creation where you will neither hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind or sun shall strike you.

Conclusion

Repetition of v.1 - the message of Christ has implications for the whole world. Repetition of headings and applications.

Right, just one more sermon to go…

Isaiah and the Nativity

“Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore.” - Isaiah 9.7

I take it this means that, from the time when “to us a child is born, to us a son is given” (v. 6), the God-man Jesus Christ, the “Prince of Peace” (again, v. 6) we can expect his rule to extend over the lives of increasing numbers of people as more and more people to bow the knee before him, come under his government and into his kingdom. As a consequence of this, this verse seemingly means that peace will increase as his righteous, just reign is established on earth - a real, tangible, armies-laying-down-their-weapons-for-definitive-decommissioning kind of peace (v. 5). This is definitely a promised to be ’sued out’ as the Puritans would say.

“They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” - Isaiah 11.9

Because of the ’shoot from the stump of Jesse’ who ’shall come forth’, there will be a time when there is harmony between beast and beast, and between beast and man such that nature is fully tamed and safe (vv. 6-9). The curse of the Fall is reversed. The creation is released from its bondage to decay (Romans 8.19-23). The wide-ranging descriptions in vv. 6-8 and the parallelism in v. 9 indicates that in fact, the whole earth itself will become God’s holy mountain. The whole earth is place where God will meet with man, where relationship with him is enjoyed.

Kings shall fall down before him

Thus says the LORD,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” - Isaiah 49.7

The word of God never ceases to challenge my thinking about the gospel. I’m in the preliminary stages of preparing a couple of sermons on Isaiah 49 for over the Christmas period and vv. 5-7 seem to be about the scope of God’s salvation (vv. 1-4 being about the source, and vv. 8-13 being about the shape). In this context, it seems as though God’s salvation, which is going to be brought about by his Suffering Servant (v. 4), whom he called and named from his mother’s womb (v. 1, cf. Luke 1.26-33), is going to include kings and princes, rulers who once despised him (v. 7). They will bow down before him in homage and offer him fealty. Clearly, this is going to be true at the end of time: “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” - Philippians 2.10-11. But to restrict it to this would I think be to have an under-realised eschatology. Moreover, if the kings of the earth will bring their glory into the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21.24), that suggest that kings will turn to Christ in the gospel age in repentance and faith. I have commented on the significance of 1 Timothy 2.1-4 elsewhere (particularly with reference to Nehemiah’s request in Nehemiah 1.11) but clearly this is one of the goals of Paul’s exhortation to Timothy.

We have seen this clearly illustrated in history. There is of course the example of Constantine, who, convinced that his victory in battle at the Malvian Bridge in 312 over Maxentius was the gift of the God of the Christians, from 313 made it clear that he considered himself a Christian whose duty was to preserve the unity of the church. He made amends for the persecutions of the preceding decades, financing new translations of the Bible, building churches, and passing laws protecting slaves, children, peasants and prisoners in reflection of Christian morality.

Another notable example would be that of Edward VI, under whose reign the Reformation in England proceeded at breathtaking speed. Edward was a Bible beaver, enthusiastically taking notes on sermons, according to the ambassador of the Holy Roman Empire in April 1550, as well as insisting on inviting the most extreme preachers to preach at court. In one essay, he concluded that the Pope is ‘the true son of the devil, a bad man, an Antichrist and abominable tyrant.’ When encouraged by Archbishop Cranmer and Bishop Ridley to temporarily allow his sister Mary to say the mass in the face of international pressure, he replied with a quotation from a Psalm that they had heard at evensong a few days before on the subject of God’s wrath at Israel’s unfaithfulness.

I take it therefore that we should boldly claim God’s promise in Isaiah 49.7 pray for the kings and princes of this world to prostrate themselves before the Lord Jesus Christ, with the confidence that some indeed will, for God’s glory, and for the good of the church and gospel.