The Faithfulness of a True Husband--Isaiah Series

            How long has it been since you really thought about the vows that you made to your spouse on your wedding day? Can you even remember exactly what you promised to do for your spouse “until death do you part?” Many people have found it very meaningful to renew their vows and thus remind themselves of their promises to each other.

            In our study of Isaiah this morning, we are going to read about God renewing His vows to Israel, so to speak. At various places in the Old Testament, God called Himself the husband of Israel and He took vows, so to speak—He made unconditional promises to them concerning blessings that He planned to give them.

            But there had always been a growing problem in this marriage—God is holy, and humans are not, so how could a holy God have a relationship with unholy people? We discovered the answer last week in chapter 53 in the sacrificial death of the Servant. With God’s plan for taking care of sin now revealed, the Lord once again affirms His promises to Israel and makes a free offer of salvation to anyone who would recognize their need and receive it.

            So picture yourself now watching a husband renew his vows to his wife, and let’s read chapter 54.

1. The Lord renews His wedding vows with Israel (Ch. 54)

            Let me just read this chapter and make a few brief comments, because the words are beautiful and largely self-explanatory. Israel and her God had had a rocky marriage because Israel had been frequently unfaithful to her vows. She had faced and still would face some painful consequences because of those sins. In the first several verses, God compares Israel to a barren woman who may have thought that she didn’t have a joyous future to look forward to, but the reality would be much different [READ 54:1-3]. In these verses, God is re-affirming His promise to Abraham that his descendents would be as numerous as the stars of the sky, and His promise to David that the kingdom of Israel would one day be firmly established and would suffer violence no more.

            The Lord then continues in v. 4 [READ 54:4-10]. I want to briefly emphasize vv. 9-10 because they are very important for the way we think about God’s plan for the future. Some of my dear brothers and sisters in Christ in other churches hold to the belief that God has no future plans for the nation of Israel, but rather all of the promises that God made in the Old Testament are being fulfilled today through God’s work within and among Christians. I feel compelled to disagree with that idea because of verses just like these. The Lord states that His promise of steadfast love to Israel is just like the promise He made to Noah that He would never again flood the whole earth. That promise to Noah was permanent, and I think God’s promises to Israel are permanent as well.

            Thus, I think God does have a future plan for the nation of Israel, and I think we are reading about that plan in verses like vv. 11-17. The Lord is apparently speaking about the city of Jerusalem as He says [READ 54:11-17].

Thus, on the basis of the Servant’s sacrifice that was prophesied in chapter 53, a holy God can re-affirm all of His promises to an unholy people, because a plan is in place for their sins to be forgiven. But the Servant’s sacrifice was never intended just for the people of Israel. It is available to anyone who will claim it as their own. So we see in the next chapter that…

  

2. The Lord invites all comers to find their soul’s satisfaction in Him (Ch. 55)

            Listen to the invitation in v. 1 [READ 55:1]. Notice the odd language of this invitation—the Lord is inviting those who have no money to come and buy from Him. How can you buy something when you have no money? (I think the government needs to ask that question a little more often!) How can you buy something when you have no money? Only if someone else pays the price for you! When we consider our salvation, the old saying rings true—there is no such thing as a free lunch. Forgiveness of sins is offered freely to us, but make no mistake—the price for forgiveness has been paid, and it has been paid by the blood of Christ, as we learned in chapter 53.

            The Lord goes on to state that we will find true satisfaction for our souls if we will accept His offer [READ 55:1-3]. Now what is this reference to King David all about? Well, it touches on promises that God made to David in 2 Samuel 7, where the Lord stated that He would raise up one of David’s descendents to fulfill all of the promises of peace and prosperity that God had made to Israel. You may remember that in Isaiah 9, the prophet spoke of a child who would be born who would sit on David’s throne, and this child would be called “the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” (Is. 9:6-7). And just to make Himself clear, God led the angel Gabriel to tell Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Luke 1 that Jesus was the descendent and the child that the Old Testament talked about (Luke 1:32-33).

            So the reference to David reminds us of all that David’s descendent was prophesied to accomplish, and when we come to God to find our soul’s salvation in Him, we get to participate in all the blessings that are available through Jesus Christ—the Son of David, the Son of God. These blessings include forgiveness of sins and reunion with God as well as the right to live one day in the kingdom of peace and righteousness that Jesus will establish in this world. As children of God and spiritual siblings of Jesus, we have a place secured for us in His kingdom.

            Verses 4-5 speak of David’s role as a witness to the promises that God has made, and in v. 6, Isaiah makes a passionate appeal for his readers to come to God before it is too late [READ 55:6-9]. Normally, when we hear vv. 8-9, we think of the difference between how much God knows and how little we know by comparison. That thought is true, but its really not the comparison that the Lord is making here. Rather, he is emphasizing that His thoughts and ways are holy and right, and ours are wicked and unrighteous. That is precisely what He said back in v. 7 [READ 55:7].

            You see, this difference in our thoughts and ways is the obstacle that separates us from God. This difference is why we don’t have peace with God until we come to Him for salvation. Our lives are on a path that is wicked, but we don’t realize it because our thoughts are unrighteous, which means they don’t line up with God’s standards, which describe the way things really are. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” My friends, please hear me—if you have never come to God through Jesus Christ to find forgiveness for your sins, you are on the way to death! You must realize that sin has deceived you and told you that you’re okay, but God is telling you the way things really are. But as Isaiah said, if you will recognize the danger that you’re in and forsake your wicked way, God will have compassion on you and abundantly pardon you.

            God is offering you His pardon today, and He will always make good on His word. Look at the next verses [READ 55:10-13]. God will always make good on His word, and His plan is one that will bring joy and peace to His people.

  

3. The Lord reassures us of His full acceptance and His reward for obedience (Ch. 56:1-8)

            In the first part of chapter 56, the Lord mentions two groups of people who were tempted to think that they were “second-class citizens” among God’s people. The first group was foreigners, people who were not ethnically Jewish. The second was eunuchs, people who were unable to have children. It is not uncommon for people in churches today to wonder if they are “second-class citizens” among God’s people. People who did not grow up in Christian homes can be tempted to think this way, as well as people who have had a very public moral failure that they have repented of. Or sometimes people think that if they’re not a pastor or a missionary, they are on some kind of second tier with God.

            But God doesn’t put His children in any such categories. What He looks for is obedience, which He promises to reward. Let’s read vv. 1-8 [READ 56:1-8]. You can see from these verses that God’s true concern is obedience.

            One command that he emphasizes here is the command for the people to keep the Sabbath, which is a word that refers to a period of rest. This command was a major test of faith and obedience for the people in the Old Testament. This command had two parts to it. First, the people were supposed to reserve the seventh and final day of each week to be a day for rest and worship. Second, they were supposed to let their ground lie fallow every seventh year without planting on it or harvesting from it. God had promised them that every sixth year, He would give them a harvest that would last them until the harvest of the eighth year—which was the first year of the next cycle.

            These commands were meant to teach the people to orient their lives around obeying God’s commands. All week long, they would have to keep in mind that the Sabbath was coming, and they would need to get their work done before it came. Every sixth year, they would face a major crisis of faith—will we obey God and believe that He will provide for us?

            Now, do those lessons sound familiar? Do you hear echoes of Jesus’ teaching in those lessons? Remember, the Lord said in Matthew 6, “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?” For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:31-33). What is the lesson? Obey God, and He will provide! Let Him worry about meeting your needs—you just concentrate on obeying Him!

            The Lord also calls us to orient our lives around obeying Him. In Matthew 16:24-25, He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

            My friends, if you are a child of God, you don’t need to worry that you might be on some second tier. Just obey Him and He will reward you! And if you have never come to God by accepting the sacrifice that Jesus made for you, please understand the error of your way. Jesus died to pay for your sins, and His resurrection is proof that God accepted His payment and offers you forgiveness. Accept Him as your Savior today, and find true satisfaction for your soul.

The Suffering and Triumph of The Servant--Isaiah Series

             In the aftermath of World War I, 900 German soldiers who had violated international law were put on trial for war crimes. It was an open-and-shut case; they were sure to be found guilty. But in a dramatic move, the former crown prince of Germany volunteered to be their substitute. He offered to face both the allegations against the men and the penalty that they were sure to receive. Though his offer was very selfless, it was ultimately refused because it was so impractical—how could one man possibly bear the penalties of 900 men?

            Many people have asked the same question with respect to Jesus Christ—how could He possibly bear the penalty for the sins of the entire world? This claim almost seems too outrageous to be true, but in our study of Isaiah today, we will see that this kind of substitution has been God’s plan for our salvation all along.

            As Olympic athletes long to win the gold medal, so preachers long to preach from Isaiah 53. This passage is so moving and precious that I don’t think I can do it justice, but I hope that I can shed some light on it today and drive its sobering message home to your hearts.

            As we have been studying Isaiah, we’ve been faced with a constant tension. On the one hand, Isaiah has told us about a glorious kingdom that the Lord Himself will one day set up in this world through the people of Israel. On the other hand, we’ve discovered that the people of Israel—and the people of the whole world—are not fit to be part of this kingdom because of their sin. God knew this, of course, but what did He have in mind to solve this problem? Isaiah 53 gives us the answer.

            This chapter is a prophecy about a man whom God simply calls “my servant,” and it describes his early life, his reception by the people around him, his death as a sacrifice for our sins, and the exaltation and honor that he will receive after fulfilling God’s will. Let’s follow this progression of the servant’s life and death.

1. The Servant’s Early Life and Rejection (52:13-53:3)

            The prophecy of chapter 53 actually begins at the end of chapter 52. Just so you know, the Bible wasn’t originally written with chapter divisions—they were added in the 1200’s to help people find the passage they were looking for. Sometimes we find a place where the chapter division feels off by a few verses, but that’s no big deal because we can simply start at the beginning of a section, wherever it begins.

            Let’s jump right into the text [READ 52:13-15; “sprinkle” is a picture of something sinful being cleansed]. These verses tell of the servant reaching unbelievable heights by going through an unimaginable low. It is plain from v. 13 that his ultimate destiny is one of glory and honor, but the path which takes him there is marked with grotesque suffering. Yet this very suffering and disfigurement will bring about forgiveness of sins, and the mighty people of the earth will be shocked when they see the fulfillment of these prophecies.

            So the servant was headed for glorious heights, but the beginning of his journey would not be marked by widespread acceptance and admiration. Look at 53:1-2 [READ 53:1-2; the phrase “arm of the Lord” refers to the servant and pictures Him as the very power of God reaching down into the world]. These words succinctly describe Jesus’ early life to a “t.” The Lord grew up in an unremarkable family in an even less remarkable town. When he first began to preach, his neighbors were offended, because to them he was just “the carpenter’s son”—a peasant just like they were. His family tried to drag Him home at one point because they thought He was out of His mind!

            Jesus did not fit the stereotype of an important person, and thus, by and large, He was not received as one. This attitude toward Jesus remains the same today. I saw this thought graphically portrayed a few years ago at the Louvre Museum in Paris. In a certain room, you will find a magnificent painting depicting Jesus at the wedding feast in Cana from John 2. It is the largest painting in the museum, and it is magnificent to behold, but most people ignore it because of the painting across the room—the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is considered an all-time masterpiece, though no one could really tell you why it deserves more attention than the painting of Christ across the room. Yet there people stand, with their backs turned toward Christ, because His painting is not a world-famous masterpiece.

            That is how most people think of Jesus still today—He is not considered a masterpiece! Most people will say that Jesus is a great moral teacher, but that’s just political correctness more than anything else. Anyone who takes a serious look at the claims and teachings of Jesus Christ will either fall down and worship Him or they will neuter His message, leaving it impotent and unrecognizable. Make no mistakes my friends—rejection is our natural reaction toward Jesus. It is my natural reaction to Jesus, and it is your natural reaction to Jesus as well.

            Jesus continued to face rejection throughout His life, and the climax of it is described in verse 3 [READ 53:3]. The metaphor in this verse portrays Jesus like someone who has an infectious disease and is thus repulsive to other people. Some of you remember the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in this country, when people were scared and disgusted by the thought of being close to that disease. That’s a glimpse of the rejection that Jesus faced, which of course reached its peak at His crucifixion, which is prophesied in the next section.

2. The Servant’s Death as Our Substitute (53:4-9)

            Verses 4-6 begin to clear up any confusion about what was actually happening to Jesus in His crucifixion [READ 53:4-6]. When the eyes of man looked at Jesus upon the cross, they couldn’t see the reality. The Jews thought they saw an imposter who falsely claimed to be God, and was finally getting the punishment He deserved. The Romans thought they saw a fool who claimed to be a king greater than Caesar. But when God looked at Jesus on the cross, He saw your sin and my sin. He saw the servant—His only Son—as the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! As 2 Corinthians 5:21 states, “he became sin who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

            Don’t you see? He was wearing your crown of thorns! He bled from the wounds that were meant for me! He bore the penalty for our sins so that we might be healed, because we had all gone astray—every one of us. Don’t you see? He didn’t die for anything He had done, but for everything we have done.

            Verses 7-9 predict some amazing facts about the details of Jesus’ crucifixion. I have been told by those who focus on evangelism to Jews that they will often read this chapter to Jewish people without telling them its from the Old Testament and then they will ask their listeners to identify who this chapter is talking about. They all easily recognize that its talking about Jesus, and if you’re familiar with His story at all, it is not hard to see why.

            Verses 7-8 describe the way that Jesus would quietly and willingly endure injustice in His trials [READ 53:7-8]. Verse 6 compared us to sheep because of our tendency to wander away; verse 7 compared Jesus to sheep because of His willingness to calmly go along with those who were about to put Him to death. When Jesus stood before the high priest, He only spoke words which condemned him even further in that man’s eyes, and when he stood before King Herod, He simply said nothing at all. Jesus willingly endured injustice which led to His crucifixion.

            In our country, we are keenly aware of individual rights. We have a Bill of Rights in our Constitution; we must be read our rights if we are arrested. We can hardly imagine allowing someone to violate our rights, yet when Jesus was on trial, the Creator stood before His creatures and was willing to endure the greatest injustice in history—why? So He could launch a great escape? No—so He could fulfill the plan of God and die for you and me.

            Verse 9 then describes the circumstances of his burial [READ 53:9]. The first phrase about the “wicked” refers to the criminals who were crucified with Jesus, and the statement about the rich man applies to Joseph of Arimathea, the man who boldly asked for Jesus’ body in order to give Him a proper burial.

            These verses remind us that these events did not happen by accident. Nothing mentioned in this chapter took Jesus by surprise—His life went according to plan! When he came into this world, He knew what the plan was, and as He grew up as a Jewish boy hearing the Old Testament proclaimed, He was hearing His own autobiography! When Jesus died, chaos appeared to reign—the sky turned black, the earth quaked, the veil in the Temple was torn in two. Yet the unexpected had never been more expected, and chaos had never been under greater control!

Isaiah then reveals that the servant’s humiliation was not the final word. There would be more to the story! The dark valley of death would only be the pathway to the glorious light of victory and triumph!

3. The Servant’s Victory and Exaltation (53:10-12)

            Verse 10 picks up the thought of the servant’s innocence from verse 9, and it says [READ 53:10-12a]. For the first part of v. 12, I think the Holman Christian Standard Bible offers a better translation—“Therefore I will give Him the many as a portion, and He will receive the mighty as spoil.” Jesus’ exaltation involved receiving authority over all people. Jesus—in His own words from Matthew 28—has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. He has received the name of “Lord,” the name which is above every name, and it will not be shared. Why is this? [READ 53:12b].

            This exaltation is why 52:15 says that kings will shut their mouths. Humanity will be astonished when Jesus’ exaltation is revealed at His Second Coming, because the “Man of Sorrows” will have become the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

            But please notice that v. 12 tells us that Jesus hasn’t just sat back and enjoyed His victory and exaltation. It says that He “makes intercession for the transgressors.” Jesus is at work right now to apply the blessings that He purchased with His blood to the lives of men, women, and children throughout the world. He is offering the healing that His wounds have purchased and the peace that His punishment has secured. He offers us forgiveness of our sins so that we can be accounted righteous—seen as holy and pure and clean in the eyes of God.

            Make no mistake, my friends—Jesus did not die because He had sinned; He died because you and I have sinned. But He was willing to bear the punishment for our sins, and His resurrection is the proof that we will be forgiven and have eternal life in Him if we will confess our sins to God and believe that Jesus is the sacrifice for our sins through which we can be forgiven. I urge you and warn you today to repent—to come to your senses and change your mind about your rebellion against God and to accept Jesus as your Savior. He is coming again, and you can embrace Him today as your Savior, or stand before Him on that day as your judge!

            If you have already accepted Jesus as your Savior, never forget what had to be done to purchase your salvation. Peter said that if we’re not growing in obedience to Jesus, we must have amnesia, because we’ve forgotten what was done to purchase our salvation. The book of Hebrews says that those who go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth profane the blood of Christ and outrage the Spirit of grace. May we never again take the sacrifice of Christ so lightly by sinning against our Savior!

            I leave you today with a poem from a man who understood the sacrifice of Christ and the depths from which he had been saved:

One Hanging On A Tree

In evil long I took delight,

Unawed by shame or fear,

Till a new object struck my sight,

And stopp’d my wild career:

I saw One hanging on a Tree

In agonies and blood,

Who fix’d His languid eyes on me.

As near His Cross I stood.

Sure never till my latest breath,

Can I forget that look:

It seem’d to charge me with His death,

Though not a word He spoke:

My conscience felt and own’d the guilt,

And plunged me in despair:

I saw my sins His Blood had spilt,

And help’d to nail Him there.

Alas! I knew not what I did!

But now my tears are vain:

Where shall my trembling soul be hid'

For I the Lord have slain!

  

A second look He gave, which said, 

“I freely all forgive;

This blood is for thy ransom paid;

I die that thou may’st live.”

Thus, while His death my sin displays

In all its blackest hue,

Such is the mystery of grace,

It seals my pardon too.

With pleasing grief, and mournful joy,

My spirit now I’ve fill’d,

That I should such a life destroy,

Yet live by Him I kill’d!

Those words were written by John Newton, the former slave trader who also wrote these words:

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now I’m found

Was blind but now I see!

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils, and snares

I have already come

‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far

And grace will lead me home

When we’ve been there ten thousand years

Bright shining as the sun

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we’d first begun!

The Words We Must Not Ignore--Sermon for Montezuma Centennial Celebration Community Church Service

            With the advent of the Internet, we are living in a time that some people have called “The Information Age,” but if you ever find yourself feeling less informed than ever, you’re not alone. Who can possibly keep up with all of the e-mails, all of the news sites, all of the Facebook updates and the must-see videos? In the sea of information that surrounds us today, how do we decide whose words are truly important to focus on?

            Well, we can find the answer in a book that went viral a long time ago—the Bible! In this book, we have a record of the teachings of Jesus Christ, and within His teachings, Jesus made a claim that whoever hears His words should consider them to be of supreme importance. It is a bold claim, and to the people who heard Him it was a shocking claim. I believe it would serve us well to look at Jesus’ claim this morning and consider what He has to say.

            We find this claim in Matthew 7:24-27. Please feel free to turn there in your own Bible if you brought it this morning, or you can also find the text of these verses in your bulletin. These verses are the conclusion of a message from Jesus that we often call “The Sermon on the Mount” because Jesus spoke these words in the hill country around the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel. This sermon is the longest segment of Jesus’ teaching that we have on record, and at the end of it we find this claim [READ 7:24-27].

Please notice with me first of all how…

1. Jesus makes an audacious claim of authority for His teaching

            In essence, Jesus told His audience that His words are the dividing line between wisdom and foolishness—hear them and obey, and you will be shown to be wise; hear them and disobey, and you will be shown to be a fool. That’s a much stronger claim than saying, “Well, here’s my two cents!” Jesus was claiming a right that the Old Testament reserved for God alone. Proverbs 2:6 says, “The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Jesus was claiming to have a divine authority for His teaching.

            This claim was shocking to the people who heard Jesus that day. Verses 28 and 29 of this chapter say, “And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.” The scribes of that time taught the same way that students write research papers today. Students are not considered to be experts, so to support their point they insert quotes from experts in their research papers. That’s how the scribes taught—they quoted experts from the past and basically “piggy-backed” on their authority.

            There was nothing wrong with that approach, but it’s a far cry from how Jesus taught. Throughout this sermon He had said, “Here is what you have been taught, but I say to you that this is the truth.” Jesus took His stand on nothing but His own claim to have divine authority. If this true, then we cannot afford to give Jesus’ words anything less than our full attention. We must take notice of what Jesus’ said; to do anything less is to set out on the path of foolishness.

Please notice next how…

2. Jesus stresses the need to obey His teaching

            Notice the main difference between the two men in this parable. The difference did not lie in hearing the words of Jesus. According to the Lord, both of these men heard His words. The difference between them is that one man acted upon them whereas the other man did not.

            Thus, we learn that the path of wisdom is paved with the stepping stones of obedience to Jesus’ teachings. To hear them and not act upon them is—once again—to set out on the path of foolishness. Now this distinction simply touches upon a basic law of learning—you have to act upon what you learn to get any practical benefit out of it. For example, you can listen to sound financial advice all day long, but at the end of the day if you don’t follow the advice, you’ll probably just be well-informed and broke!

            If we think we are on the road to wisdom by simply hearing Jesus’ words, we better check the map again! Its time for the GPS to recalculate! James 1:22-25 warns us about the danger of deceiving ourselves if we only hear the words of Jesus but do not live them out [READ James 1:22-25].

Those words “he will be blessed” in v. 25 are reminiscent of Jesus’ own words which attached a substantial promise to His teachings.

3. Jesus attaches a substantial promise to His teaching

            In His parable, Jesus stated that the man who obeys His words “will be like a wise man,” and likewise the man who does not obey His words “will be like a foolish man.” These statements are both in the future tense, and I think this little point of grammar is extremely important for us to recognize. Jesus is saying that when it comes time to harvest the fruit of our choices, there will be an obvious difference between those who chose to obey Him and those who did not. Time will tell whose choices were wise and whose were foolish, because you can’t always see the difference in the moment of decision.

            In many cases, obeying the teachings of Jesus does not appear to be the wise choice to make in that moment. Let’s just consider a few of the commands from the Sermon on the Mount. It does not appear to be a wise choice to love your enemies. After all, they are your enemies! It does not appear to be a wise choice to resist laying up treasures for yourself in this world. It does not appear to be wise to stay married to a difficult spouse. It does not appear to be wise to endure persecution for Jesus’ sake.

            But the promise that Jesus makes is that the wisdom of obeying these commands will become evident in due time. Thus, obeying Jesus requires foresight and faith. The man who built his house on the sand demonstrated a devastating lack of foresight. The location of his home may have seemed okay while he was building it, but he forgot about the storms that would inevitably come. He was not thinking ahead, and his foolishness became evident once the storms came.

            The wise man, however, exercised foresight, and he also acted in faith toward Jesus’ teaching. Faith is the settled conviction that a claim or an idea is true. The wise man was not deceived by the way things appeared at the moment. He had a settled conviction that the words of Jesus were true, and that conviction proved true when the storms came.

            So, we are challenged to believe three lessons from this passage: 1) that Jesus’ words are of the utmost importance and must not be ignored; 2) that we must obey Jesus’ words and not be content with merely hearing them; and 3), that when we choose to obey Jesus, our choice will be proven to be the wise one in due time. I urge all of us today to give Jesus’ words the attention and the obedience that they deserve. We will not be disappointed with that choice!

Becoming a True Fan of Jesus--Isaiah Series

     There’s an old saying which states that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That’s just one of the reasons that we find things like Elvis impersonators in the world (actually, I guess I don’t really know what the other reasons are!). People love “The King,” and what better way is there to show that love than dress up like him and try to imitate everything about him! This principle also explains why we find events like Star Trek conventions and football games where thousands of adoring fans dress-up in the jersey of their favorite player.

            Now, if this idea about imitation is true, it offers us a great way to think about following Jesus Christ. If we adore Him and want to be His disciple (or student), then we should seek to imitate Him in every way that we possibly can. We should try to act the way that He did and embrace the same priorities that He did. We should hold the same opinions that He did and promote them the same way that He did.

            Isaiah 49-52 brings us into the heart of a prophecy about Jesus Christ, who is referred to in these chapters as simply “The Servant.” These chapters describe some of the achievements that He will accomplish for the Lord, and they also describe the attitude with which He will accomplish them. There is much that we can learn from His attitude that will help us imitate Him today. Let’s see first of all what He will accomplish, and then we’ll focus specifically on His attitude.

1. What Will The Servant Do?

A. He will be used by God to fulfill God’s promises to Abraham (49:8-26; 52:7-10)

            When God first spoke to Abraham and told Him that He was going to bless the whole world through His family, He made some significant promises to Abraham. One of those promises was that Abraham’s descendents would possess the land of Palestine as an inheritance from the Lord. The people of Isaiah’s time may have doubted this promise because they were constantly under threat from other nations, but this passage makes it clear that although the people would be taken out of their land for a time as an act of discipline, God would use The Servant to establish them in their land once again [READ 49:8-23]. God made it very clear in these verses that He had not forgotten about the children of Israel and He had not cast aside His promise to them. Though they would lose their land for a time, they would be established in it once again. Earlier prophecies in this book make it clear that these prophecies will be fulfilled when the Lord Himself reigns from Jerusalem over a kingdom of righteousness and peace.

B. He will extend God’s salvation to the ends of the earth (49:5-6)

            Lest we think that God was only concerned about Israel and cared nothing about the rest of the world, we see here that The Servant would be a source of salvation for the whole world. God has always been concerned about all of humanity; He had simply chosen Israel to be a pipeline of blessings to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, Israel had clogged up the pipeline with their sin, but the Lord states here that He would use His servant to take salvation to the ends of the earth [READ 49:5-6].

All in all, we are seeing a certain overlap with prophecies that we have already read—that the Lord Himself will reign from Jerusalem, re-gather the children of Israel in their land, and extend His blessings and His reign over all the earth. In chapter 53, we will read a prophecy about the crucial events that will make all of this possible. But for the rest of our time, I would like to focus on the attitude with which The Servant serves the Lord. He models the kind of attitude that we should have in our service for God.

2. How Can We Imitate The Servant?

A. We can look to God for fulfillment in the midst of frustration (49:4)

            Let’s face it—serving God can be very frustrating at times. We don’t always see the fruit that we want to see from our efforts. Moreover, service requires sacrifice, and its easy to feel like our sacrifices are going unnoticed, unappreciated, and unrewarded.  Even Jesus experienced frustration in serving God the Father. At times, Jesus spoke to His disciples and said things like, “How is it that you fail to understand?” and “How much longer must I endure you?”

            Isaiah briefly mentioned some of this frustration that The Servant would feel, and he also mentions the attitude that allowed The Servant to handle it [READ 49:1-4]. The end of v. 4 contains the attitude that we must embrace to handle the frustrations that come as we serve. The Servant felt like His labor had not produced the desired result, but He looked to the Lord and acknowledged that God would reward Him for His labor. Jesus endured the most undeserved treatment in history. He deserved nothing but honor and worship, but by and large He received insults, rejection, and a wrongful conviction. But 1 Peter 2:23 says that He “continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”

            Jesus simply placed Himself in the hands of the Father! The only opinion that ultimately mattered to Him was the Father’s! He remembered as well that God does not overlook nor forget the smallest act of service performed in His name.

            One day, God will show His pleasure with our service and reward us for it. That’s the real fruit that we should hope for from our service. If our obedience to God doesn’t produce the results we’d like to see from it today, that’s no big deal, because one day we will see results from it when we receive our recompense from God.

B. We can be accepting of and obedient to God’s teaching—even in the face of insults and opposition (50:4-9; 51:7-8)

            Follow with me as I read a couple of passages [READ 50:4-9; 51:7-8]. In the passage from chapter 50, The Servant describes how the Lord opened His ear to learn, and he states that he did not disobey even in the face of opposition. And how did he remain faithful? He kept a long-term perspective about the whole situation. He knew that one day God was going to render His verdict about him, and the truth would be established for all time. Meanwhile, his adversaries were going to fade out of the picture like an early-morning fog that disappears in the heat of the day.

            Opposition from other people is one of the greatest obstacles that we face as we try to obey God, and we often face this opposition because obeying God makes us stand out from the crowd. The great philosopher Kermit the Frog once sang “It’s not easy being green,” because he tended to blend into his surroundings and get overlooked by others. Well, when we obey biblical standards, we face just the opposite—we stick out like a sore thumb! We stand out among everyone else, and as the old saying goes, the nail that sticks up gets hammered down!

            But we have a very strange reaction when we face opposition for our obedience—we say that it is “unfair” that we be treated this way. We think that life should be nothing but sunshine and rainbows when we obey God, but in thinking like this, we are perhaps the only servants in history who think that we should have it better than our Master! We say that we are following in the footsteps of Jesus, but have you seen where His footsteps led? They led to the cross, and Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:34). We are following a man who is carrying a cross, so why are we so surprised that the trip isn’t always a pleasant one? What did we expect when we decided to follow a man who was hated and rejected by many of the people around him?

            But you must remember this—you are never more like Jesus than when you suffer for doing what is right! So in those moments, we just have to respond the way that Jesus did, by remembering that after the suffering there is glory; there is vindication; there is the declaration of a God who promises to make all things right!! Only that hope will allow us to persevere in obeying God. Nothing else can carry us through those times of opposition, so call these things to mind, as Jesus did.

C. We can trust in God rather than relying on ourselves (50:10-11)

            Let’s read 50:10-11 [READ 50:10-11]. Quite a pronouncement against those who rely on themselves! The activity described here of building a fire and making torches represents a sinful self-reliance. God certainly is not against hard work or ingenuity or initiative. The context makes it clear that this activity is carried out as a replacement for trusting in God. That’s when our efforts become sinful—when we believe that we can’t count on God or trust Him to keep His word, thus we have to figure everything out ourselves.

            But The Servant—the Lord Jesus—models a different way for us—the way of relying upon God. When I read the Gospels, I am often amazed by how much time Jesus spends in prayer. I’m always tempted to think that if anyone could get by with just a meager amount of prayer, it was Jesus, yet we find Him so often going off by Himself to spend time alone in prayer.

            I am equally amazed when I read Jesus making statements like, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (John 4:34). Can you honestly make that statement? Can you say that serving God satisfies you the way that food satisfies a hungry appetite? That kind of attitude takes trust in God, because as we’ve seen, serving God can be very frustrating at times. Finding this kind of satisfaction requires that we trust God and believe that His commands are the very best way to live—even if it doesn’t look that way at the moment!

            If imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery, then to display fan-like devotion to Jesus, it is clear what we must do—we must imitate Him! That doesn’t mean dressing like Him or wearing the same hairstyle; rather, it means that we express the same kind of character that He had, we embrace the same kinds of attitudes and opinions as He did, and we persevere in these things even when we face opposition. Jesus once told His closest followers, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). He has shown us how to persevere through tribulations by looking to the glory that lies ahead. Let us follow Him confidently even through the valley of death, knowing that He is leading us to greener pastures. 

Advance Warning--Isaiah Series

Among students, few words inspire more fear and panic than the words “pop quiz.” We don’t like to be unprepared or caught off-guard, especially when something important like a grade is at stake. I know many adults still have nightmares about forgetting about a test—or how about those wacky dreams where you find out on the last day of the semester that you were enrolled in a class that you never attended!

 Most teachers are kind enough to announce major tests ahead of time so that students will have the opportunity to get ready for them. God acted in much the same way when He gave prophecies about the future in the Bible. God didn’t give us knowledge about future things so that we could impress our friends with charts about the end times! He revealed these details so that we can be prepared for these events and learn the right lessons from them—both before and after they take place.

 In Isaiah 44-48, God made some very specific prophecies about His plan for the Jewish people and the nations around them—prophecies that are so specific that critics of the Bible claim they must have been written after the fact. After all, the only other explanation is that the Bible is true and has a supernatural origin! Let’s read about these amazing prophecies and the lessons that God would have us learn from them. 

1. God offers specific prophecies about His plan for Israel (44:24-45:13; 46:1-7; 47:1-15)

 In this section of the book of Isaiah, God makes two very specific prophecies about His plan for Israel and the nations around them. First, He states that a man named Cyrus would one day act from a position of authority for the good of the Jewish people by allowing them to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple of God. Now remember, in Isaiah’s day, the city of Jerusalem and the Temple were still standing. The city’s downfall had not yet taken place; this prophecy told of events that would happen almost 150 years down the road! [READ 44:24-28]

 Second, the Lord declared that Babylon would be suddenly overthrown from a position of security and dominance over other nations. Both of these prophecies were fulfilled by a man named Cyrus the Great, who was the king of the Persian Empire. Cyrus invaded and defeated Babylon and then issued a decree that any Jews living in his empire were free to return to Jerusalem and rebuild it. Turn with me to Ezra 1, and we’ll read a record of this decree [READ Ezra 1:1-4].

 I want to spend a bit more time discussing this idea of prophecy because it shows us just how unique the Bible really is. The fact that the Bible has made such detailed prophecies that later came true sets it apart from all other books and individuals who have tried to predict the future. All other so-called prophets have encountered one of two problems with their prophecies—either their prophecies were so vague that they cannot be proven true or false, or their prophecies just flat-out did not come to pass and were thus false prophecies.

 Nostradamus is a good example of a so-called prophet whose prophecies were too vague to be proven true or false. Nostradamus was a Frenchman who lived in the 1500’s, and he wrote many four-line poems called “quatrains” that were supposedly predictions of the future. Here is one example:

The young lion will overcome the older one,
In a field of combat in single fight:
He will pierce his eyes in their golden cage;
Two wounds in one, then he dies a cruel death.

 Think for a moment about the kind of event to which this prophecy could refer. Fans of Nostradamus claim that this prophecy was fulfilled by two kings fighting in a jousting match. Now, after I gave you that interpretation, you could read these words again and say, “Yeah, okay. That kind of makes sense.” But you could only say that after I told you the supposed interpretation. As it stands, this prophecy is so vague that it could refer to several different events and people. Notice how different this prophecy is from Isaiah’s prophecy—Isaiah mentioned a specific person named Cyrus, a specific country, a specific city, and a specific building. Its not hard to prove whether or not Isaiah’s prophecy came true.

 Other so-called prophets have made predictions that were specific but which simply did not come true. The prophecies of Joseph Smith are a good example of prophecies that did not come true. Joseph Smith was the founder of the Mormon church, and he made many prophecies about specific events that simply didn’t happen. For example, in the early 1800’s, he predicted that the city with streets of gold described in Revelation would be built in Independence, MO within a generation. Well, I used to live not far from Independence, MO, and I can tell you that it looks nothing like the city described in Revelation! His prophecy simply did not come true, but if we consider Isaiah’s prophecy, we can look in the history books and see that history played out precisely as Isaiah predicted it would.

 The fact that the Bible has specifically and accurately predicted the future reveals just how unique this book truly is. God has given mankind glimpses of His plan before that plan has actually unfolded, and even today we are looking forward to prophecies about the future that still await fulfillment. But why has God revealed prophecies like these that we read in Isaiah? Well, God gives us an explanation for that question as well.

2. God explains why He has given these prophecies (45:4-7; 48:3-5, 11, 17-19)

 First, in Isaiah 45:4-7, God states that He has revealed these events to show His unique identity as the one true God [READ 45:4-7]. When these events would come to pass and people would discover that God had prophesied them more than a century in advance, they would have clear proof that the God of Israel is unique—greater than all the other so-called gods whom people might worship.

The prophecies of Scripture can have the same effect today. Easter and Christmas give us a great opportunity to proclaim that Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection not only happened, but they were actually the fulfillment of prophecies that were made centuries in advance. The events of Jesus’ life were not only significant by themselves, they were also significant because they were part of a larger plan that God announced beforehand, so that when they happened, we could see His deity on full display.

Second, the Lord states that He announced these events in advance so that when they happened, the credit for them could not be given to any other so-called gods [READ 48:3-5, 11]. The scenario that the Lord describes here is not hard to imagine. Remember—the people of Israel lived with so-called gods all around them. It was normal at that time for people to worship any number of different gods. So when these events came to pass, the Jews could have been tempted to give credit for them to other so-called gods, and so God prophesied these things in advance so that when they happened, it would be obvious that He was behind them.

Third, the Lord stated that He had announced these events to His people so that He could bless them. God wanted His people to trust Him and obey Him so that He could bless them; thus, He gave them these prophecies so that they could change their ways and be ready for Him to act [READ 48:17-19]. Can you hear the grieving heart of God as He laments the blessings that His people had thrown away? Like a kind teacher who wants her students to succeed rather than fail, God had instructed His people and given them advance warning so that they could ace His test! He warned them about discipline to come so that they would repent, and He told them about blessings to come so that they would have the hope to stay on the narrow way.

The fact that God gives us advance warning about things to come shows us that He desires to save rather than condemn. If God simply wanted to condemn us, He could leave us totally in the dark about the future, and then one day His judgment would fall on us without any warning and that would be the end of the story. But God desires to save and forgive, and so we see Him in this passage extending a call far and wide for people to come to Him and be saved. 

3. God invites all people to embrace Him as the one true God (45:20-23)

Please follow along as I read 45:20-23 [READ 45:20-23]. Notice the boundless extent of God’s offer of salvation! He extends His invitation far and wide, inviting all people to embrace Him as the one true God, casting aside all other things that they may worship to be reunited with their Creator and pardoned by Him. Every other object of worship in this world is powerless to save us from the guilt of our sins; thus, it is absolutely crucial that we embrace God as the one and only source of salvation, for to place our hope in anything else is to place our hope in a mirage and a façade—an unreal imposter.

I think the apostle Paul really said it best in Acts 17 when he was calling for a group of philosophers to leave behind their idols and embrace the living God. Please turn there with me [READ Acts 17:22-31]. There has never been any excuse to doubt that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of the Bible—is the one true God, but now God has given us the ultimate demonstration of this truth through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And as Paul said, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because God is going to judge the world by the Lord Jesus Christ. Your response to Jesus is the determining factor of your verdict from God. According to John 3:36, God’s criteria for judgment is very simple—“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

My friend, you must realize today that anything you may worship apart from Jesus cannot save you. He is the only one who can save, and you can receive His salvation from sin and from Hell by confessing how wrong you have been to sin against Him and acknowledging that He alone can save you on the basis of His death and resurrection. Confess your rebellion against Him, accept Him as the only God and Savior, and you will have His pardon today!

God on Trial--Isaiah Series

In 2007, a state senator in Nebraska decided to make a point against frivolous lawsuits, so he decided to draw some attention to the issue by suing God. Senator Ernie Chambers, an agnostic, filed suit to force God to cease carrying out harmful acts of nature and making threats to send people to Hell. The first judge to hear the case dismissed it, saying that God could not be properly notified of the lawsuit since He has no home address. Chambers appealed the ruling by arguing that since God is supposed to know everything, He surely knew about the lawsuit. The lawsuit eventually died when the appeals court stated that it does not address abstract or hypothetical questions. People haven’t always taken God to court quite so literally, but through our actions people have often put God on trial and demanded proof that He is God and that His word can be trusted. So in Isaiah 41-44, God throws open the doors of His courtroom and invites the world to come in to settle the question about His deity. Is He truly the one and only God, or can the idols of the nations make a claim to be divine as well? Let’s take a seat in the courtroom as God makes His case! The Case for God’s Deity Exhibit A—God’s control over the nations (41:1-4, 11-13) Let’s read 41:1-4 [READ 41:1-4]. As we can see, God’s first claim is that He is in control over the nations. His words here refer to the power players of the Middle East who were building empires—like the Assyrians. As we have read previously in this book, these nations truly were seeking to advance their own agenda, but God claimed that they were actually carrying out His will. In these verses, God claims that He both stirred up the conquering nations and gave the other nations into their hands. Now of course, the other nations would have laughed at the idea that they were controlled by the God of Israel—especially since many of them were harassing Israel at this time. But the unique history of the nation of Israel shows God’s claim to be true. Throughout these chapters, God describes Israel as His chosen people, His servant, and His witnesses, whom He had established as a nation for Himself. Certainly no other nation could claim to have the miraculous origins and preservation that Israel had with their liberation from Egypt and conquest of the Promised Land. And if the nations would not accept the evidence of the past, God promised to give additional evidence of His control over the nations in the future [READ 41:11-13]. Exhibit B—God’s fulfilled predictions (41:21-29) Let’s read God’s challenge in 41:21-29 [READ 41:21-29]. The ability to accurately predict the future is clearly a divine power. Regardless of what you may hear from psychics on late-night TV, everyone knows that humans cannot predict the future with accuracy. So God’s challenge makes perfect sense—if these idols are gods, then they should be able to accurately predict the future, but as God states, they are utterly unable to do so. The Lord’s ability to accurately declare what will happen in the future is a powerful testimony to His deity, but honestly, it says even more about God than we normally think. We often think that when God predicts the future, He looks into the future and tells us what He sees—like a sailor looking through a submarine’s periscope and reporting on what he can see. But in reality, God knows the future because He plans the future and then carries it out. God is more like an architect showing us his plans for a building. An architect can tell you exactly what a building will look like because he has planned it out. That is the way that we should think about God’s knowledge of the future. So the idols of the nations are powerless to declare the future because they are powerless to do anything about the future. They cannot do good or harm, as God challenges them to do in v. 23. Thus, their weakness is put on full display. Exhibit C—God’s gracious redemption (43:1-2, 25; 44:21-22) With this point, we are talking about God’s response of grace and mercy to Israel’s sins. But how does redemption show that the God of Israel is the true God? Well, as the old cliché states, to err is human, to forgive is divine. Human beings are not naturally inclined toward grace and mercy—we are inclined toward revenge and ruthlessness. There is a scene in the movie Braveheart when the daughter-in-law of the King of England is trying to convince him that an act of mercy toward the rebellious Scots would demonstrate his greatness. He responds by saying, “My greatness will be displayed when Scotland lies in ashes!” That is how we as humans think, but God strikes a perfect balance between justice and mercy, and His true greatness drives Him to help His wayward creatures. Look at 43:1-2. God has just spoken of Israel’s sinfulness and the discipline that He carried out on them, then we read these words [READ 43:1-2]. In v. 1, the Hebrew text uses wording that calls to mind an Old Testament idea that is beautifully portrayed in the book of Ruth. The idea is that of the kinsman-redeemer. A kinsman-redeemer was someone who had the right to help a family member out of a desperate situation. If a person had to sell some property because of financial hardship, the kinsman-redeemer could step in and buy back the land for his relative. If a man died without having any children, the kinsman-redeemer could marry his widow to ensure her well-being and raise a child who would carry on the deceased man’s name. Now in the book of Ruth, you may remember that when Naomi returned to Israel with Ruth, these two widows were destitute. They had no way to provide for themselves except through Ruth’s labors to pick up grain that fell on the ground during harvest. You may also remember that when Naomi found out that Ruth had run into Boaz, she was thrilled because Boaz was a kinsman-redeemer—he was a relative who was in a position to help them out of their desperate situation. So when God says in Isaiah 43:1, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine,” He is describing himself as our kinsman-redeemer. He has treated us like His own relative and has lovingly helped us out of our desperate situation. Now the centerpiece of God’s redemption is always—always—the forgiveness of sins. No matter what circumstance we find ourselves in, our greatest need is always to be at peace with God by having our sins forgiven, and so God emphasizes forgiveness in these chapters. In 43:25 He says, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Then, in 44:21-22, He says [READ 44:21-22]. Now if we only look at the evidence that God presents, we have an open and shut case for His deity. God is obviously different from the lifeless idols of the nations. The only reason that anyone had to doubt this conclusion is that God’s people were not serving as good witnesses. God’s redemption was not on full display because God’s people were not living like redeemed people. His control over the nations was constantly being doubted by His own people as they ran around making alliances with anyone who would have them. So God describes in chapter 42 a servant whom He would send who would express all the actions of deity that He describes in this section. We can look back on this now and see that it was a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Servant of the Lord as God’s Witness (42:1-9) Notice in the first four verses how the servant will show God’s control over the nations [READ 42:1-4]. The servant is described as having governing power over the nations to establish and execute justice in the earth, and the nations are pictured as eagerly waiting to hear His commands. Next, notice how the servant functions as a redeemer to save people out of a desperate situation [READ 42:5-7]. Finally, in vv. 8-9, we see that when the servant arrives and carries out his ministry, he will fulfill prophecy and thus show God’s ability to declare the future [READ 42:8-9]. In the person of Jesus the Christ—the Messiah—we have the perfect witness to all that God is. Colossians 1:15 states that “He is the image of the invisible God.” People in ancient times were tremendously confused that Christians had no statues—no visible images—of their God. They actually called the Christians “atheists” because they didn’t worship a God whom you could see. But the truth is, we do have an image of our God, it just isn’t a dead piece of wood or stone—it is a person who lived among us and showed us what God is like. Many people over the years have said, “If God wants so desperately for us to believe in Him, why doesn’t He come down out of the clouds and show Himself? Why doesn’t He just appear?” What these people are choosing to ignore is that God already has!! He was here, He lived with us, and we have a record of it in the Bible! The God whom we worship as the only God is guilty as charged! He is the Lord of all—the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Redeemer. So how should we respond to a God like this? These chapters spell it out for us. First, we do not need to fear in this life because of who our God is. Nine times in these chapters, God tells us not to be afraid because He is with us, He will help us, He has redeemed us, He has chosen us, He is one true Rock—a solid foundation on which to build. Second, we are to praise Him and give Him glory—that is, we are to declare His incomparable worth and status, and thus exalt Him. As I stated earlier, the only reason that people really have to doubt that our God is the one true God is that God’s people don’t live like it. If we are God’s witnesses, what kind of case can be made for His uniqueness and divinity? If someone examined your life to determine if the God that you worship is the one true God, what verdict would they reach? Would they conclude that your God must be powerful because you display so much confidence in Him? Would they conclude that He must be in control because you do not live in fear of what may come? Would they conclude that He alone has the power to redeem from sin because you are not burdened with guilt and sinful behavior does not rule your life? What is the verdict? The court is in session all around you right now. Let’s see to it that we are good witnesses!

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait--Isaiah Series

People have often been fascinated by the thought of what they might tell themselves if they could travel back in time and give themselves some advice. That is an interesting thought, isn’t it? Imagine if God allowed you to go back and speak to a younger version of yourself after you arrived in heaven. What do you think you might say to yourself? Since you had already seen Heaven, would you tell yourself to worry less and trust God more? Would you have some words of comfort for yourself? I suspect you would. In Isaiah 40, we read about Isaiah speaking to his people from a similar kind of vantage point. He is delivering a message to his people about the coming of the Lord, and we can picture him looking back in time at his people and saying, “Wait ‘til you see this!” Isaiah 40 represents a rather dramatic shift in this book toward messages that focus more on comfort and hope. The book of Isaiah has sometimes been called, “The Bible in a nutshell,” and the comparison really is uncanny. Isaiah has 66 chapters, and the Bible as a whole has 66 books. By counting the chapters, chapter 40 would begin the so-called “New Testament” portion of this book, and this chapter begins with a passage that John the Baptist claimed for himself in the Gospels—which are the first books of the New Testament. In chapter 53, we have a detailed prophecy of the crucifixion of Christ, and then in the last chapter of Isaiah the prophet writes about a new heaven and a new earth—which is the same subject matter as the last two chapters of Revelation. In chapter 39—you may remember—Isaiah delivered a prophecy about some difficult days ahead for the people of Judah. If they were ever in need of some comforting words, now was the time, and that is precisely what we find in chapter 40. These words are a tremendous message of comfort for us as well. God offers us comfort for this life… 1. …in light of His coming (40:1-5) [READ 40:1-2] In these verses, God is speaking from a vantage point in the future and He is basically saying, “Enough! My people have suffered enough for their sins, and now I am putting an end to it.” And when will that time be? When the Lord comes to rule in the world! [READ 40:3-5] In these verses, the Lord is pictured as a traveling dignitary whose path of arrival is being prepared for Him. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to see President Bush’s motorcade as it traveled through Kansas City. As he went, the local police went ahead of him and closed off the road to all other traffic so his trip would be smooth and steady. In ancient times, workers were actually sent ahead of traveling dignitaries to repair the road ahead of them so there would be no obstacles slowing them down. So the Lord is pictured here as having no obstacles in His way when he comes, so nothing will stop Him. We have already read several prophecies in this book about the Lord reigning from Jerusalem as king over the earth, and the reminder that He is coming is the first message of comfort that Isaiah gives. It is no coincidence that 1 Thess. 4:18 tells us to encourage one another with reminders about the Lord’s coming. The fact that Jesus is coming again tells us that God’s children can always look forward to better days ahead. No matter what a day may hold for us, it is always a true statement that there are better days ahead, and with each day that passes we are one day closer to those better days. So with each day you can say, “Was today a good day?” If it was—great! But remember—there are even better days still to come. Or was today a bad day, with some grief and pain? If so, there may be some legitimate sorrow, but don’t despair; don’t lose hope. There are better days ahead. We can cling to this truth on the sure testimony of the Word of God. 2. …in light of the enduring power of His Word (40:6-8) [READ 40:6-8] These verses offer a clear contrast between the frail and temporary nature of human life today versus the established and enduring power of the Word of God. These verses certainly remind us of our own mortality, but they also remind us of the mortality of anyone who may trouble us. Chapter 39 just predicted days of trouble that the people of Judah would suffer at the hands of the Babylonians, but as mighty as their enemies would appear, they would simply be like grass in a field that flowers one day and is all but dead the next. But standing like a mighty redwood is the enduring Word of God, which will never fail until all of its promises have been fulfilled. Many people have predicted the demise of the Bible, but the Bible continues to stand despite all of the attacks against it. In the 1700’s, the French philosopher Voltaire stated that there would not be a Bible on the earth within another century. Well, by Christmas’ Eve 1933, the Bible was still around, and it was so beloved and valuable that the British Government paid half a million dollars for an ancient copy of it called the Codex Sinaiticus. On that same day, a first-edition copy of Voltaire’s writings sold for 11 cents. The Lord’s promises will not fail; He will do everything that He has said He will do. If God seems to be delaying, don’t be fooled—Peter reminds us in 2 Peter 3:9 that the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise but is patient, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 3. …in light of His compassionate care (40:9-11) I think we can all testify to God’s compassionate care in our lives today, but when the Lord comes to establish His kingdom, it seems that we will experience it in a whole new way [READ 40:9-11]. Shepherds were a common sight in Judah at that time, but they’re certainly not very common around here. However, I suspect that many of you who have cattle have probably bottle-fed a calf at some point in time. That’s the kind of compassionate care that we’re talking about here. God exercises tender love toward His people, and we will never see that more clearly than when Jesus rules in this world. 4. …in light of His power, wisdom, and sovereignty (40:12-26) One lesson that we must remember about God is that He not only has good intentions toward us, but He also has the power to act on those intentions. Good intentions are fine, but if a person cannot act on their intentions, then they don’t really benefit anyone. But here God again reminds us of His greatness that allows Him to act [READ 40:14-17]. Its important to remember that v. 17 is not describing the importance that God assigns to humanity—it is describing the wisdom and power of humanity when compared to God’s wisdom and power. God doesn’t treat us like nobodies, but if we compare ourselves to Him, that’s how we look! Not only is humanity like nothing compared to God, but the false gods that we make are like nothing as well [READ 40:18-20]. The idea of v. 20 is that the idol must be well-built so that it doesn’t accidentally topple over! The idol has to have a good foundation so it doesn’t fall down! But by contrast, God founded all of creation and controls it all—including the rulers in this world who seem to be so strong and powerful [READ 40:21-26]. Those last two verses emphasize the individual attention that God gives to everything in His creation. His power and knowledge are limitless, yet they are also very personal. God calls all of the stars by name, and He knows all about you and me as well—and the plans that He has for us. Elizabeth Elliot once recounted the story of Gladys Aylward, who was a missionary to China. In her early life, Ms. Aylward hated the fact that she had black hair and was relatively short—only about 4’10’’. But when she arrived in Shanghai, she looked around and saw that everyone there had black hair and was relatively short. She was then able to praise God and say, “Lord, you know exactly what you’re doing!” God has an intimate knowledge of everything about us, but that truth is so easy to forget, and we see next that the people of Israel were struggling with that kind of forgetfulness. 5. …if we will simply wait for Him to do all that He has promised (40:27-31) Here we find the response that is required from us if we want to enjoy the blessings of God’s comfort [READ 40:27-31]. What powerful words! God offers us a spiritual strength that is even greater than the physical strength of young people in their prime! But how can we tap into this spiritual strength? How does it become active in our lives? Isaiah says here that it comes from waiting for the Lord—but waiting for the Lord to do what? I think this waiting has a short-term and a longer-term focus. The short-term focus involves waiting each day for God to work out His plan for our lives. Waiting like this means that I will refuse to walk a sinful path in order to get what I want or to take what I think is my right. The longer-term focus involves waiting for Jesus to return to this world. Waiting like this means that I won’t love the things that the unbelieving world loves. I will keep my mind focused on the priorities that Jesus has laid out and remember that my ultimate happiness will come when He returns. Its also important to understand what kind of waiting we’re talking about here as we wait for God to do His will and as we wait for God to return. This is not a put-your-feet-up-and-drink-iced-tea kind of waiting. It is not a take-a-nap-while-you-wait-for-the-fish-to-bite kind of waiting. We’re talking about the way that a child waits for Christmas! This is a grandma-and-grandpa-are-coming-over-with-presents-kind-of-waiting! This is a run-to-the-window-every-fifteen-seconds kind of waiting! We’re talking about the way that a housewife waits for company to arrive by dusting everything three times right up until the doorbell rings! In other words, this is the kind of waiting that makes us say, “I can’t wait for this to happen!” Now how do we cultivate this kind of attitude in our hearts—the attitude which Isaiah says will allow us to tap into supernatural strength? Well, in order to have this attitude, we must be convinced of two things: 1) that Jesus definitely will come, and thus our hope will not be in vain, and; 2) that when Jesus comes, what we experience will have been worth the wait. So first, we must be convinced that Jesus definitely will come. It’s virtually impossible to maintain a strong expectation for something if you’re not sure that it’s going to happen, because eventually your heart will want to shield itself from disappointment, and thus it will give up hope. So if we want to wait for Christ’s return the way that a child waits for Christmas, we must be absolutely certain that it will happen. The best way that I know of to cultivate this certainty is to look back at the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled in His first coming. Look—how do you come to know that you can take someone at their word? By seeing that in the past, they have done exactly what they said they would do! Now when we look at Jesus’ first coming into this world, we see that He has already fulfilled so many prophecies from the Old Testament. This teaches us that God is a man of his word, so when He says that Jesus is coming again, you and I can take it to the bank! Second, we must believe that when Jesus returns, what we experience will have been worth the wait. Again—why does a child have so much excitement while waiting for Christmas? Because he knows that his patience will be rewarded! He knows that what he will experience will have been worth the wait. So how do we cultivate this attitude? I believe it comes by understanding two biblical doctrines—the doctrine of heaven and the doctrine of rewards. I think many of us aren’t really that excited about living in heaven. We’re excited about leaving pain and suffering behind, but we’re not very excited about heaven because most of us don’t have the foggiest idea what it will be like. We think we’re going to float around on clouds and strum harps or something like that! We figure we’ll be at peace because we’ll be in something like a coma out of sheer boredom! My friends, we have got to learn what Scripture actually says about heaven if we want to really look forward to it. We also must understand the doctrine of rewards—that we will be rewarded for faithful service to Christ in this life. We will never endure in faithful service unless we understand that we will be rewarded for it! We may have spiritual passion for a little while, but we will soon become apathetic if we think that there is no point in making sacrifices for Christ—that there is no reward for it. Hebrews 11:6 gives us this lesson: “without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” My friend, are you spiritually weary today? There is strength available to you if you will wait for the Lord like a child waits for Christmas. There is comfort to be had if you will look toward His coming and remember the power He has which makes His promises a guarantee. Look to His Word and cultivate your certainty in His coming and your conviction that it will be worth the wait!