The Heart of the Problem (Isaiah 58-59)

Introduction

Have you ever been out looking at used cars? Most lots will do a pretty good job of cleaning the inside and outside of the car. There may even be a scent of a new car sprayed inside. The body is polished and the tires are coated in Armorall. Even the engine looks pristine – steam-cleaned so there isn't so much as a trace of grease.

But as we all know, the appearance of a car doesn't always tell the whole story. Often there are very attractive vehicles that have serious mechanical issues that are not readily seen by the naked eye. Often, deep within the engine lie parts that are not functioning as they ought to. And sometimes, even what appears to be running properly, to the untrained layman, might actually have serious issues that only an expert with the right instrument is able to find.

This, too, is the case of the human condition. From the outside, the things we do and say may appear to be right in line with what God desires. But too often, the driving force behind what is done is religious in nature rather than relational. It is duty rather than delight. And it is task-oriented rather than will-oriented – God's will that is.

The Symptoms (Isaiah 58)

1)Principle

Religious acts can never compensate for relational deficiencies.

2)Introduction

Have you ever felt guilty about not spending enough time with your children so you buy them something you know they will like to make up for it?

Or perhaps you haven't been communicating with your wife like you ought to so you get her some flowers, thinking that will mend any relational issues.

People often do the same types of things with God. Thinking they can make up for sin by doing “good” things. Moral things even. But there is no good thing that can remedy a broken relationship with God – none!

To think that religious practices can achieve a good standing before God is to import pagan practices of offering some sort of penance to a god of human making. A god who is nothing and can do nothing...except, make a person feel good about himself. And that is nothing but a false hope anyway.

I had the privilege of going down to a rescue mission in KC this past week. This is not something that I had planned, but opportunity came up by God's planning, and I am thankful. I stood before a group of men who had absolutely nothing in terms of worldly possessions. And yet, what they did possess, was the very same valuable part of humanity we all possess – the human soul. That eternal part of our design that God creates with each new person. That part of us that is broken and in need of regeneration so that we are able to relate to and fellowship with our Creator. The true Creator that does not demand that we clean up before we approach Him. But the God who provides everything we need to be clean in order that we might be equipped to do what He requires.

3)Israel's Rebellion and Sin

In verse 1, God tell Isaiah to shout aloud, raise your voice, and declare. He was not to hold back but was to let them have it.

And it was the rebellion and sin of the people that he was trying to get across to them. He wanted them to see and understand what the problem with their relationship to God really stemmed from.

Appearance of Piety

If you were to look at verses 2-3, you would think there was some real effort going on on the part of Israel.

After all, they are:

• seeking God out day after day

• eager to know His ways

• ask for just decisions

• eager for God to come near

• they fast

• and they humble themselves

There is a lot of appearance of good here. But there are these troubling words in God's statement that point out the subtle truth of what is going on.

Visibility of Sin

Some sins are quite evident to others around. When someone is caught embezzling people's investments, it make headlines and people point fingers. And this is certainly a wrong thing to do, embezzling that is.

But we often ignore the lack of integrity that subtly shows up in the way we approach God.

To:

• seem eager to know His ways

• act like we do what is right

• seem eager for God to come near

• to fast and humble ourselves but for self-centered motives

This is deceit. And it is an attempt to either feel better about myself or have others feel better about me or manipulate God into doing what I think He ought to be doing.

Can this please God? Not at all.

He never calls us to clean up our outsides in order to be rightly aligned with him. By necessity, He has to clean the inside in order for our outward works to even have value.

And these works can also be squandered when we begin to use them as an end in and of themselves. As if God was all about rules and not about a relationship with His people.

Example from my attitude on Saturday, writing a lecture. I had things to do that morning. There were errands to run. I mowed the lawn. I took a nap (due to lack of sleep the night before). I didn't get started on the lecture until around 2:00 or 2:30 in the afternoon. And I wanted to be done. Besides, I hadn't spent enough time this past week pouring over the text to even have a good idea of what I wanted to say. But I wanted to get it done so I wasn't working on it until o-dark-thirty.

I didn't finish Saturday. And I barely started. And I wound up with a bad attitude. I even became irritated later in the evening due to a culmination of events from the past several weeks. I was not a pleasant person.

The bottom line is, I sinned. And I had to spend some time with the Lord on Sunday morning and then later in the morning talking with my wife. I had some sin to confess. I had started doing what God had called me to do, but I was not doing it in the right sort of way. And by the end of the day I was “hitting” so to speak. I was not concerned with others' feelings. I was wrapped up in my own discomfort and had to learn and live out an illustration (so I might have something to write on Sunday).

Self-Centered (Isaiah 58:3b-5)

The only fast prescribed in the law was on the Day of Atonement. It was a day of humbling oneself before God. It was a time when God's righteousness and justice were contemplated as the sacrifices for atonement were made and God would forgive the people their sins.

But the irony is, these people were expecting God to bring justice and righteousness while they were acting anything but righteous and were withholding justice from their fellow man.

Isn't it true that sometimes the thing a person cries out for the loudest is actually one of the deficiencies he display in his own character?

We see it in our own children. We see it in people around us. But one of the hardest things is to see it in ourselves.

There was a lot of interpersonal conflict, which was actually a symptom of a much deeper issue.

Their motivation for fasting, seeking God, humbling, etc. was not out of a love and devotion for God but out of a selfish motive. Their wasn't a genuine sorrow for sin and a desire for restored fellowship, there was a desire for God's blessing in a material sense apart from what was really needed – a spiritual blessing of purification.

What about us in the West, are we any better? What about you and me?

It's easy to get into the mode where we are only going through the motions – checking off the boxes:

• Read my Bible

• Prayed

• Went to Church

• Gave a tithe

• Sang in the choir

• Taught a Sunday School class

• Delivered meals to the home-bound

• Etc.

All of which are good things, mind you.

But is the motive to give because I have been given or is it in order to get what I hope God has in store for me?

A relationship with God and a love for Him must be the starting point of any endeavor that He values. It can never stem from a desire to appear righteousness or compensate for past infractions.

4)The Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22:34-40

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Jesus was teaching that for God's people, God's will is the most important factor. What He desires for us is what matters. And when our love for God is such that we consider our lives as His – yielded to His will, then the things we do will reflect His love and concern for humanity.

Only when our hearts are right with him can we rightly see the needs of those around us. Only then is our focus off of ourselves and on those who were created in the image of God.

When God is central, He reveals the condition and plight of those around me and I am sensitive to the heart of God.

The Apostle John put it this way in 1 John 2:9-11:

9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

Often the Bible uses this idea of hatred and love to depict what we might not consider hatred and love. Jesus said that unless one hates his father and mother, he is not worthy of being called his disciple.

In 1 John, I believe the Apostle is getting at the fact that seeing a brother in need but not having compassion on him is tantamount to hating him. To not have love for someone, we might consider indifference. But indifference is hatred in the eyes of God.

Later in 1 John 3:15, he writes:

17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

5)Conclusion

To show acts of kindness is in no way making one right with God.

But to not show acts of kindness and not be concerned about those around us is something to be concerned about. It reveals a selfish heart at best. And it should make me wonder about my view of the love of God.

What are you doing to meet the needs of those God has put in your path?

What do you need to do in order to discover the needs of those around you?

I wonder what would happen if you approached your pastor or priest and asked if there was any way you could get involved in a church ministry that reaches out to those in need.

Maybe to the home-bound. Maybe to a nursing home. Perhaps to the homeless. Or even to those who are not from the US but are here as students or foreign workers.

One of the dangers (I use that term cautiously here) in reaching out to those in need is the idea that physical needs are all that matter. The idea that the “gospel” is all about fixing life's hurts.

Any effort on our part to only meet the physical needs is an empty endeavor. Jesus never came to earth just to meet the physical needs of people. He showed his power over any physical need in order to show he had all authority. But He primarily came to free the captives and bring justice and righteousness.

He came to set the spiritually captive free and to be the mediator between God and man so that God's justice was met in him.

Our benevolence must be motivated by a love for God and a concern for the spiritual condition of the lost.

You may be great at reaching out to those who are down and out – that is great!

What are you doing to meet the spiritual needs of those who are captive to sin?

God doesn't need our good works even though He has good works for us to do.

What good things are you doing in an attempt to appease an angry God? Do you realize that is impossible?

Take a look at some of the blessings God promises to those who are in fellowship with Him and seeking to obey God's leading (58:6-end of the chapter)...

The Diagnosis and the Cure (Isaiah 59)

1)Principle

Sin is a barrier to fellowship with God.

God must intervene for the sinner to be saved.

2)Introduction

When someone is trying to please God by what they do, there is the idea that somehow I am earning the blessings of God. That if I do what He wants, even though we saw in chapter 58 that this is out of selfish ambition, He is somehow obligated to give me what I want.

Even a believer who harbors sin in his heart and tries to make up for that guilty conscience by doing penance – he will become frustrated in his attempt to relate to God.

His prayers may seem to hit the ceiling. There is no vibrancy in his relationship with God. There seems to be a dryness and stagnation and no real growing hunger and thirst for righteousness.

And so the tendency is to become discouraged with God and fault Him for the lack of intimacy. But in reality, it wasn't God that initiated the breach of fellowship, it is always the sinner's issue.

God never moves from His place of absolute righteousness.

3)The Diagnosis: Sin Separates

In chapter 53 of Isaiah, the servant bore our iniquities and our sins. It was because of us that he suffered and was afflicted.

Here, that same condition is mentioned as the reason for separation from God. Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Sin does separate man from God. In fact, we fall short of the glory of God because of it. It's not that God cannot hear, but as Isaiah put it, He will not hear due to sin.

And this is not because God doesn't care about the condition of man. But because He does care, He will not allow man to approach Him on his own terms.

This must have been shocking news to Israel, especially since they were the ones in a covenant relationship with God. But they had forsaken that covenant for the most part and all that was left was a “religious shell” – the trappings of what once constituted a way of restoring fellowship with the Holy God.

Their hearts were far from him.

Bloody Hands and Lying Lips (59:3)

I am not sure if verse 3 is literally talking about murder in the strictest sense. But it may be.

It could be talking about withholding justice such that someone becomes destitute and dies.

Or perhaps it was due to using the poor or needy as a scapegoat (if you will) in an effort to pin a crime on someone. And because they didn't have money, somehow we just need a suspect so why not him.

I am not sure.

Any way you slice it, they had blood on their hands in the sight of God.

And to hold out ones hands to God, a symbol of seeking God's blessing, was a hypocritical act. “Fill my hands with all the good things you have to offer LORD”. When all the while you are using those good things to fill your own stomach.

Similarly, to seek God in prayer with lips that lie and a wicked tongue – this just should not be. How can unclean mouths utter praises to God or bring petitions that reach the ears of the Almighty? This is not possible.

It's Your Actions Stupid (59:4-8)

How often do we judge right and wrong based upon outward appearances? Isn't that often the first thing that comes to mind?

We often consider sin to be the things that are actually the outworking of the corruption in the heart.

Jesus said, Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:44-46):

44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

This is not to say that everything that appears to be good is in fact good – there may be an impure motive that nullifies any value an act might have.

But certainly, the corruption within is the greater issue. The fact that I don't murder, or commit adultery, or take the Lord's name in vain does not mean I am not a sinner and lawbreaker in the eyes of God.

What sin might you be allowing that is causing a barrier in your relationship with God?

What “good” things might you be doing as a coverup for the sin inside your heart?

The outside may look nice and clean, but inside there may be corruption, and without God's righteousness, that is what there is.

Worse than that...

4 No one calls for justice;
no one pleads his case with integrity.
They rely on empty arguments and speak lies;
they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.
5 They hatch the eggs of vipers
and spin a spider’s web.
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
Their deeds are evil deeds,
and acts of violence are in their hands.
7 Their feet rush into sin;
they are swift to shed innocent blood.
Their thoughts are evil thoughts;
ruin and destruction mark their ways.
8 The way of peace they do not know;
there is no justice in their paths.
They have turned them into crooked roads;
no one who walks in them will know peace.

Like it or not, this is the predicament brought on by sin. And it is ugly. He even brings in spider and snakes, two things that are not too pleasing to encounter unexpectedly.

Especially if you are going to make an omelet and find out that there are adders inside. (Note: he is not talking about mathematicians here)

There is no redeeming qualities in anything here. There is no fruit that is worth anything and much of the fruit is actually toxic to oneself and to others.

4)Isaiah's Confession (Isaiah 59:9-15a)

No Justice, No Righteousness, No Light (9-11)

Being separated from God, these people could not expect to be acting justly in the way God required. Sinful man is too consumed with himself to be concerned with others.

NOTE: this is not to say that a judge who is not a Christian can't be just. He may well deny the existence of God and still act in accordance with the civil laws of the land.

Another note: light is often equated with truth in the Bible. This stumbling here and being in the darkness/shadows may well be conveying the idea of a lack of the light of truth because they have ignored it.

Against God But Impacts Others (12-15a)

Notice how the progression of Isaiah's confession in verse 12 starts with the offense being against God. And it is not a “mistake” but instead it is:

our offenses (12)

our sins (12)

our iniquities (12

rebellion (13)

treachery (13)

turning our backs (13)

oppression (13)

and lies (13)

And all of these things are against God and they are conceived in the heart.

There is no blame about my outward circumstances or any pointing of fingers at my upbringing. There is nobody saying that the devil made me do it or that I am a victim.

But this is a realistic view of the condition of the heart of man – the one culpable for his own sin. And in fact, born a sinner.

As a son of Adam, we are all sinners from birth.

Listen to what David says when he sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and then murdering her husband (Psalm 51:3-6):

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

In our day, it is in vogue to blame everything but ourselves for what we have become. And this pattern is even worming its way into the church.

But this is such an evil view of reality. It is a view that allows no true contrition because it says that my sin is not really my sin.

But until you and I come face to face with the reality of what we are before God, there is no hope of reconciliation.

How can I repent of a mistake I have made?

How can I repent of an ill I have committed when it is not my fault? If it is in fact my society's fault. If it was my parents fault. If it was my teacher. Or the crowd I hang out with...

It Hurts Others (14-15a)

Not only is sin against God, but it effects others.

It ultimately hurts those to whom the sinner comes in contact with. Those who I am responsible for.

When sin becomes so pervasive, people begin to call good evil and evil good. To the point that as verse 15a tells us,

Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes prey.

5)The Cure: God's Grace (59:15b-21)

This last section uses some language that might seem a bit odd to us, especially when we know from Scripture that God is omniscient – there is nothing that He is unaware of at all times (and in fact outside of time). Nothing comes as a surprise to Him.

He never wrings His hands in frustration because His plans don't work out and he must somehow go back to the drawing board.

He doesn't ever change in any way. He cannot change because change would indicate some deficiency in His being.

Here Isaiah uses anthropomorphic language to relate some things about God that would otherwise be hard to convey.

Anthropomorphic language means that he puts concepts about God into terms that are conceivable to those of us bound within this time-space continuum that we call the physical world.

And so when he says, in verse 15b, that God was displeased that there was no justice, we are not to think that this caught God off guard.

And when verse 16 says that He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; We are not to believe that there ever could have been one to intervene. Intervention presupposes that there is one who has the authority to intervene. But we know that all have sinned. There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that do good.

So God knew and foreknew that salvation could only come by His own mighty arm.

The arm of the Lord that was revealed back in chapter 53. The one that brought the servant to bear the sins and iniquities of His people.

16 He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm worked salvation for him,
and his own righteousness sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,
and the helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments of vengeance
and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

Notice how this action of God had nothing to do with the people's worthiness to be saved. He did it despite our unworthiness.

It was by His own righteousness. When Jesus came, he came without a sin nature. He had no original sin passed on by Adam because he was conceived of a virgin through the work of the Holy Spirit.

And throughout his life, he lived in perfect righteousness. Unlike the first Adam who was righteous until his rebellion, the second Adam lived under the effects of sin but without any sin of his own.

The words in the 17^th verse bring to mind the words of Paul from the book of Ephesians, in the 6^th chapter:

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

This armor is not something that we possess in ourselves, it is His armor. We are to live in the reality of His righteousness. In his salvation, you and I have victory over the enemy and need not succumb to the devil's schemes.

He is the victor over sin. We as his people must stand, not in our strength, but in his strength.

Finally, the 20^th verse talks about the Redeemer coming to Zion. He is coming to those who repent of their sins.

He has accomplished the work of salvation, but it is for those who repent. His grace offers the repentant heart the cure for our real problem, sin.

Where do you stand in relation to God? Have you truly come to Him in repentance to receive the salvation that only He can accomplish?

Because of Christ (Isaiah 54-57)

Introduction

The Witness Protection Program (or Witness Security Program, or WITSEC):

Witnesses and their families typically get new identities with authentic documentation. Housing, subsistence for basic living expenses and medical care are provided to the witnesses. Job training and employment assistance may also be provided.

The U.S. Marshals provide 24-hour protection to all witnesses, while they are in a high-threat environment including pretrial conferences, trial testimonials and other court appearances.

In both criminal and civil matters involving protected witnesses, the U.S. Marshals cooperate fully with local law enforcement and court authorities to bring witnesses to justice or to have them fulfill their legal responsibilities.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Federal_Witness_Protection_Program)

The Past Is Gone (Isaiah 54)

1)Principle

In Christ, present and future joy supercedes past failures.

2)Introduction

Some of us are less than proud of our past lives. We've squandered opportunities. Lived for our own pleasures. Caused hurt and damage to others. Maybe even dragged the name of the Lord through the mud. Lead others astray.

Any number of things from our past can crop up to haunt us. And certainly, we are not called to just drop our past and move on. Wherever possible, we should attempt to reconcile any past sins – any grievances others might have against us.

But once we are past that, once we have repented of our sins and been cleansed of the past by the work of Christ on the cross, then we are not to live in continual remorse over those things in the past. We may bear scars, but we need not continue to dwell in the past.

The present and future are where the believer must live. God is pointing out in this passage that His people had a lot to be ashamed of:

They had not been fruitful. In fact, the fruit they had produced was rotten.

They had been like an unpleasing wife to her husband. And they were rightfully put away.

They had experienced the affliction of invasion. The center of worship and rule had been torn down and the jewel of the kingdom was no more.

But rather than continuing to dwell on their past failures and unfaithfulness, Isaiah is calling on the people to shout for joy.

Because of the work of the great Servant, Jesus, God's people can...

1. Bear Fruit Now (1-3),

2. Experience God's Eternal Compassion (4-10),

3. And Receive An Eternal Home With God (11-17).

3)Bear Fruit Now (Isaiah 54:1-3)

In the OT there was often a stigma attached to a woman being barren.

Example: Rachel and Jacob. Hannah and Elkanah (Samuel's parents). Elizabeth and Zechariah (John the Baptist)

Often the idea of having offspring was associated with being blessed by God and barrenness being seen as the opposite. (see also Psalm 127:3-5)

In each of the cases mentioned, God used the barrenness of the woman to achieve His purposes. And each of the offspring became great in the hands of God.

And so here God uses this illustration to point out that there is a change now. Rather than the state of barrenness, Israel would blossom. There would be a spreading out. A moving of tent pegs. A dispossessing of nations in order to accommodate the growth.

The barrenness of the past will no longer be something to burden the mind and should in fact be put behind.

Each of us who began to walk with the Lord late in life have experienced this. We know what it is like to have years where there was nothing of spiritual significance to show for our lives.

But once we began our life in Christ, once we received the great exchange, his death for new life, we were no longer barren. What was shameful from the past has been replaced with a new ability to bear fruit. To live as productive citizens of a heavenly kingdom.

What past failures do you need to leave in the past and move ahead toward fruitful living today?

Not only do God's people bear fruit now, but because of Jesus, Gods people experience His eternal compassion.

4)Experience God's Eternal Compassion (Isaiah 54:4-10)

God often uses the marriage covenant to depict His relationship with His people. In fact, that same metaphor is carried through into the New Testament to depict the Church as the bride of Christ.

A marriage should be a relationships of...

• Love

• commitment

• protection

• concern for the needs of the other

• compassion – when one is suffering, the other is sympathetically aware of that suffering

This and much more is true of the marriage covenant.

This type of commitment to one another begins to break down when one or both of the parties begin to neglect some aspect. Or when one partner begins to be more interested in themselves and their needs rather than putting the other first.

But God depicts this change that has taken place between him and his people by pointing out what was, and then leaving it behind for what is.

There was reason for shame and disgrace and humiliation. No doubt about it. But God is telling them that will be a thing of the past that will be wiped away.

Whatever they were will no longer be to their account because of the new relationship.

He, their Maker is the husband (to carry forward the analogy). And He points out that it will be like a rejected bride who is now completely accepted.

The stigma of being put away by the first husband will be gone now that the new husband, their Maker, is theirs.

And notice how He points this out in the latter part of verse 8, He will treat them with everlasting kindness and compassion.

This is a relationship built on the eternal promises of God. There is nothing that can deter him from keeping this promise to his own.

And to seal this promise, he calls to their attention the everlasting promise he made to Noah after the flood.

His anger and rebuke...never again (vs 9).

His unfailing love...never removed (vs 10).

His covenant of peace...never removed (vs 10).

How can this be?

Well, in Christ, God sees the perfect righteousness that He requires. Though Christians are still sinners and commit sin, their sins are forgiven. He no longer holds the sin against them. The debt has been paid in full.

No longer is the wrath of God awaiting the child of God, in Christ. He bore that wrath. Our relationship with God is not based upon our performance but upon Christ's righteousness.

There is nothing we did to gain this relationship and there is nothing we can do to lose it. His people are ternally and unconditionally His.

Theologians would say that Christians are positionally righteous before God. Practically, we often fall short of the righteous living that God desires. Though in Christ, we now have the ability to live out a righteous life. Nonetheless, we still fail from time to time.

Not until eternity will we become practically righteous.

What confidence do you find in the fact that because of Christ, God sees you as righteous?

What do you need to change in order to begin living as one with whom God is no longer angry?

5)Receive An Eternal Home With God (Isaiah 54:11-17)

Speaking of Abraham, the writer of Hebrews, in the eleventh chapter says,

Hebrews 11:9-10: 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Whether or not the actual city's depiction is to be taken literally or not, e.g., actual turquoise, sapphires, rubies, jewels, and precious stones, I am not sure.

Whatever the case is, He is pointing out that the past afflictions will pale in comparison to the future glory. The dwelling that God has planned for his own is beyond comparison with any human-built structures.

And besides that, the LORD will dwell there. He will be the teacher. There will be an eternity to learn from God and never reach a point where that learning will be complete.

He will provide peace and establish security. Verse 14 points out that there will be no fear of invaders or enemy attacks.

This promise must have sounded superb to those in Israel who had been familiar with enemies on all sides. Those who had yet to be invaded by Babylon. And then those who would experience exile there.

There are places in the world right now, ravaged by war. No peace in a physical sense. But even in places of civil unrest, those who are in Christ experience an inexpressible peace. Those oppressed by enemies of God can still find that God is their fortress and protector.

God is calling his own not to look for a resting place in this physical world, but live in His peace here and now with the hope of a new dwelling where righteousness will dwell. Where the LORD will provide. And where peace will reign eternally.

What earthly security do you need to exchange for the lasting security that only God can provide?

The Soul Is Satisfied (Isaiah 55:1-56:8)

1)Principle

In Christ, God provides everything a thirsty soul needs to survive.

2)Introduction

We deal with a lot of artificial things in our world today. We have artificial sweeteners. We drink artificial stimulants. We eat foods with artificial flavors and colors. We impose artificial expectation on things that this world has to offer.

Even things that are good in this world that God has placed here for our good, can become an artificial pursuit to quench a thirst and hunger that has no remedy outside its designer's prescription.

You know, there's only so long you can go on the Twinkies diet before it becomes dissatisfying. As hard as we try to convince ourselves that the Twinkies are nutrient-rich, eventually the diet becomes dissatisfying.

But a life apart from God's plan is like a Twinkies diet. We are trying to satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul with things that were not designed to fill that craving.

And the more we feed our empty souls on such fare, the less satisfied we become and the more we need to pursue harder.

The real problem is that we often don't recognize our pursuits for what they are. Fallen humanity fails to see the correlation between the pursuit of happiness along with the dissatisfaction that ensues and the longing of the soul.

St. Augustine put it this way,s

"Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee."

Blaise Pascal said this,

“There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus”

3)Acknowledge Your Thirst (Isaiah 55:1)

Most never will acknowledge their thirst. Or at least not acknowledge God has what their thirst requires.

But verse 1 calls to the thirsty to come.

Jesus used this illustration with the woman at the well in John chapter 4. He pointed out that like physical water satisfies the thirst, only He could satisfy the soul. That he provided living water that would never run dry. And it wasn't obtained by any type of self-effort but that He gave it freely.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus talks about those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matthew 5:6)

Righteousness is the fundamental problem with the soul, the lack of righteousness that is.

And here Isaiah is pointing out that the invitation is an open invitation, but one must acknowledge that they thirst.

4)Nothing Like the Real Thing (Isaiah 55:1-2)

In the first two verses he points out that everything outside of God's design will fail to fulfill. Every other attempt to fill the void in our soul will not satisfy. And besides that, it cost.

It is an expensive hobby to try and fill up the emptiness of the heart. Because the more one attempts to find satisfaction, the more dissatisfied one becomes.

In addition, the eternal cost is unmeasurable. What can a man give in exchange for his soul? Nothing! What does it profit a man to gain the world but lose his soul? Nothing!

And so God calls to the thirsty to come and buy. He tells us not to bring money. In other words, don't think that somehow you have anything that you can offer. That type of attitude is a deterrent.

But come and buy without money.

And in so doing, you will be satisfied. You will delight in the richest of fare. You will find what is good to eat and what your soul has been craving all along.

Have you ever come to the point where you recognized your thirst? Has that thirst been permanently satisfied?

5)A Window of Opportunity (Isaiah 55:3-7)

A lot of times people talk about a “window of opportunity”. A time in which certain actions will be effective and once that window is gone, those actions will no longer work.

Military strategists use this to speak about the element of surprise. Once the enemy has time to recognize what is happening, often the opportunities afforded by surprise no longer will work.

In certain industries, the time to market is crucial. If you are unable to have your product out within a certain time frame, you miss the optimal potential for revenue.

When it comes to matters of the soul, God points out here that it is so important to move when you hear.

In verse 3 he says to give ear and come. In other words, you may have recognized the thirst, but to ignore the call to come and drink what he has will be a fatal non-action on your part.

You see, as verse 6 points out, there is a time when the LORD may be found. There is a time when he is near. There is a time when His Spirit is moving (if you will) in the heart of a person, convicting of sin. But there is an acute danger of putting off to tomorrow what needs to be done today.

There is no guarantee for tomorrow to be here for any of us. So now is the day of salvation. The time to respond to God's call must be today because the “comfort” of tomorrow is often just a hardening of the heart. When the sense of urgency is there in respect to eternity, seek the LORD!

Within that window of opportunity, he calls the wicked to forsake their wicked ways and evil thoughts. Repent of sin and turn to the LORD. Fall on the mercy of God at the time of conviction and He will pardon.

What a picture of grace through faith!

Have you ever heard and responded to God's call and in repentance received His mercy and pardon? If not, why not tonight?

Have you thanked God lately for calling you and rescuing you from certain doom?

6)God's Effective Words (Isaiah 55:8-13)

Have you ever said, “What was I thinking?” I used to work with a guy who would often say, “What am I doing here?” I began to pick up on that too. He was really saying, where was I now. He would get distracted by someone breaking his train of thought and then he would articulate to himself the fact that he wished the thought train had not been broken.

This is part of the dilemma with a finite cranial capacity. But with God, What was I thinking? And What am I doing here? (Or any such questions) are completely out of the question.

His thoughts and ways, unlike mine, never need refinement. Never need correction.

And the same is true with his words.

I've said things I wish I could take back. Sometimes right away. I've group replied emails I meant to just reply to.

But God's words, like God himself, cannot not achieve His intentions. They are going to bear what He has designed them to bear.

And so, as you read God's word and you sense that God is speaking to you, ask God what he would have you do. Like the preceding section told us, hear what he says and come.

How do we hear God? By reading his word. You and I are in a place of optimal receptivity if in fact we are listening for his voice to us.

7)Not For Jews Only (Isaiah 56:1-8)

In this section, though we don't have time, God is pointing out to Israel, that his provision of salvation is not based upon ancestry.

And he points out that is is based upon a relationship with God.

Verse 6 tells us, the foreigners who:

• bind themselves to the LORD (like a servant to a master)

• love the LORD

• worship the LORD

• obey the LORD

These will be in covenant with me. And though He talks about the ceremonial aspects of the Old Covenant, the same is true in the New Covenant. In fact, faith in God has always been a precondition to salvation.

How evident is your love for God?

The Lord Is Present (Isaiah 56:9-57:21)

1)Principle

In Christ, the contrite heart experiences God's presence and peace in life and in death.

2)Introduction

Contrite: Deeply sorrowful for sin because it is displeasing to God; humble and thoroughly penitent.

In Isaiah 56:9-12; 57:3-13; 57:20,21, Isaiah deals with the problem resulting from perpetual indulgence in feeding the craving of the soul without consideration for God's provision. There is a suppression of the truth about one's sin to the extent that either one covers it up, or one builds his own gods in order to appease them to satisfy a guilty conscience.

But those who come to a realization of their sin, are sorrowful, and in repentance humble themselves before God and receive the salvation He offers, they experience the very thing God designed humans for – relationship with their Creator.

3)The Wicked (Isaiah 56:9-12)

Just a couple of items to note about those in 9-12 of chapter 56.

These are those who are in authority over the people. They are supposed to be the “watchmen”. The ones who are responsible for making sure those inside the community are not overrun by the enemy.

But they are blind. What good is a watchman who is blind? Not much. You want him to have sharp eyes and be able to distinguish between friend and foe.

But instead, these watchmen are only concerned with their own interests. They are not concerned with those they are called to protect. And even less are they concerned with the mission they are supposed performing.

They are infiltrated by the enemy.

In the New Testament, the writers were often dealing with wolves in sheep's clothing. Those who would rise up among the flock and deceive. Try to gain a following for themselves and get a large congregation. They often appeared to be on target doctrinally, but would eventually show their true colors as people began to gravitate to them. They introduce secret heresies.

Watch out for false doctrine! Be sure you avoid those who teach what is contrary to Scripture. Check the context because many will take text out of context in order to prove a point rather than allowing God's word to speak for itself.

4)Peace In Death (Isaiah 57:1-2)

Inserted between the wicked and the idolatrous, we have a section dealing with God's purposes in death. This is not always the case, but in this case he points out that God is sometimes showing mercy in death because of the evil that is coming.

He will take a person, even in what we would call “his prime” because he is sparing them evil.

And the righteous are at peace, even in death. This merciful act of God does not leave the righteous wringing their hands, but instead content and secure in the truth that they belong to God and His will is being accomplished.

5)Idolaters (Isaiah 57:3-13)

I am not going to say too much in this section. I just want to point out that there is something inside of man that requires him to worship something. This is not an optional feature that can be turned on or off, it is on by design.

And either they will be the object, or a god of their making, or an object, or another person – something will be worshiped in every human's life. And often it is multiple somethings.

The bottom line is this (Isaiah 57:12), everyone's works and righteousness will one day be evaluated by God. He will be the judge and expose every work and the quality thereof.

Those whose object of worship is other than the One True God, will find that their works and righteousness amount to ashes. And as verse 13 points out, God calls these people to evaluate the ability of their gods in saving them.

Everyone's righteousness will one day be judged. Only those who are in Christ will be deemed righteous, and that not due to their own righteousness, but Christ the righteous God-man.

Whose righteousness will God see when you stand before Him in judgment?

Will that righteousness meet God's standard of perfection?

6)God's Presence, God's Peace (Isaiah 57:14-21)

Considering the separation that sin caused between God an man, Isaiah 57:15 is so refreshing:

For this is what the high and lofty One says –

he who lives forever, whose name is holy;

“I live in a high and holy place,

but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,

to revive the spirit of the lowly

and to revive the heart of the contrite.

What an amazing picture this is. Because God remains as He always is, high and lofty; eternal and holy.

But because of the work of Christ, he has come to his people, those who are contrite and lowly in spirit, in order to regenerate them. To revive them spiritually and give the ability to relate to God.

He is near His own, because of our status as righteous. His anger is no longer against us, it was directed at His Son (as we saw last week). He has nothing to be angry with those who are in His Son.

And we have every benefit of afforded us in His mercy toward us. We don't live in fear any longer but we live in Peace.

If you belong to God, you have both His presence and His peace as well as the comfort in life that only He can bring.

But the wicked? The wicked are unable to rest in this life. They continue on trying to fill that emptiness within. And will never find peace as long as they continue in their wickedness – living apart from God.

It has been said that all people will spend an eternity in the presence of God. The righteous will spend an eternity enjoying the loving kindness of the One who saved them.

The wicked will bear the justice of God against their sin.